I was in Canowindra in June and saw a picture someone had drawn, a map of first year. It was a winding road with markers along the way. It looked like the artist must have drawn it during about June/July because there was nothing in the second half of the road apart from Muster! Looking at the map I could immediately identify with what it was all about from my own first year. Third year, though, is another kettle of fish altogether.
If anyone tells you life at Burrabadine is busy, they really mean it. Its not like there isn't some space and chance for community, for instance. Life is just really jam packed. Maybe coming as a family adds to that, but my observation is that it is true for everyone here. I guess it is part of testing and shaping us as leaders, to see how we respond in an intense year, because it is not like life eases up for staff. And it isn't to say the busyness is bad.
So we have just come back from a mid year break and hit the ground running, with assessment, Women's Staff retreat on (is someone going to write about that?) plenty of assignments to do (for me, at least :0 ) work, mission in town, and community life. Open week in a couple of months, team leaders training coming up, muster - I'm sure there'll be plenty more. I wonder what a map of 3rd year would look like? Full of colour, whatever the case.
There are similarities to first year though. All the new ideas and reworking of worldview and foundations that can happen in first year happens again - not a total overhaul, but a deepening of all that good stuff from first year. But the reassuring thing I find is being amongst men and women of like heart and mind, going through this together, and enjoying one another as we go. (If you decide to come out here pray for good fellow students to learn with - including ensuring you are one of them...)
Do you think God is busy? I mean, after the creation he rested. But then he is active in this world and in our lives, so imagine doing that 6 billion times a second. That'd keep anyone busy! Bruce Almighty gave a taste of that, trying to answer the prayers of everyone in his little town and struggling to do it. Jesus was busy to the point of exhaustion, and then took time out with his disciples when necessary. Did he fill his life up with lots of tasks, or just get busy on the main task? Did he worry about fixing up the garden and learning an instrument and getting time with friends and family and studying and working and working on personal development and going to seminars and conferences and reading good books and writing blogs...
As an optimist, I'd say the year is half full! (with a hello to JD)
Monday, August 4, 2008
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Mens' Pow Wow
Over the past weekend the Dubbo Centre played host to the second annual Cornerstone’s Mens’ pow wow (because the last thing we need is yet another bloody conference!)
This event seems to attract sly jokes about being all beer and skittles, but my perspective is that there were some very significant times.
Saturday morning saw Laurie McIntosh sharing from the heart about being adventurous in our pursuit of the Kingdom, to be unafraid of risks and to not expect ease. A bit of a call to arms I guess.
Just before lunch we participated in the first stage of building an altar in the example of the Israelites in Joshua 4. The finished product would be a significant part of the next day’s program.
The afternoon was largely taken up with a large group of the blokes heading off to play paintball – with highlights of the day being Les Follent breaking ribs (again) and Ken Stanley coming under heavy fire that left him the day’s most bruised.
That evening we all split up into groups and headed into various restaurants and watering holes in town for a meal together and some shared mission (with varying levels of success given the collective drunkenness in Dubbo on a Saturday night)!
Sunday morning was kicked off with a big fry-up of eggs and bacon followed by a time of worship and focus. Lunch was at the Macquarie Club with the tennis courts being heavily used before an afternoon game of touch that at times escalated into a tackle-fest.
In the late afternoon the men all gathered around the alter we had built to remind us of the Lord, our commitment to Him and he to us. Each man knelt at the altar and made fresh a fresh commitment to their ministry in Cornerstone.
The whole shebang concluded with a big curry feast and a time of deep sharing where many men spoke from the heart about their struggles and passions.
Plenty of beer and skittles of course but also a lot of men emerging with a fresh heart to passionately serve the Kingdom to the best of their ability, and to assist each other on the road.
This event seems to attract sly jokes about being all beer and skittles, but my perspective is that there were some very significant times.
Saturday morning saw Laurie McIntosh sharing from the heart about being adventurous in our pursuit of the Kingdom, to be unafraid of risks and to not expect ease. A bit of a call to arms I guess.
Just before lunch we participated in the first stage of building an altar in the example of the Israelites in Joshua 4. The finished product would be a significant part of the next day’s program.
The afternoon was largely taken up with a large group of the blokes heading off to play paintball – with highlights of the day being Les Follent breaking ribs (again) and Ken Stanley coming under heavy fire that left him the day’s most bruised.
That evening we all split up into groups and headed into various restaurants and watering holes in town for a meal together and some shared mission (with varying levels of success given the collective drunkenness in Dubbo on a Saturday night)!
Sunday morning was kicked off with a big fry-up of eggs and bacon followed by a time of worship and focus. Lunch was at the Macquarie Club with the tennis courts being heavily used before an afternoon game of touch that at times escalated into a tackle-fest.
In the late afternoon the men all gathered around the alter we had built to remind us of the Lord, our commitment to Him and he to us. Each man knelt at the altar and made fresh a fresh commitment to their ministry in Cornerstone.The whole shebang concluded with a big curry feast and a time of deep sharing where many men spoke from the heart about their struggles and passions.
Plenty of beer and skittles of course but also a lot of men emerging with a fresh heart to passionately serve the Kingdom to the best of their ability, and to assist each other on the road.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Post-Easter
With April already on us it is amazing that it is all ready after Easter. But then in a bigger sense we are living in a post-Easter world, the significance of which is no small thing. In fact, it is the most important and wonderful thing in all history.
At Dubbo we had a sunrise service which had the lounge and lecture room packed out, after the rain drove us inside. It's one of those things where it is great to have rain, but inconvenient at the same time! Anyway, the kids had a great time after chasing each other in the wet and then filling up the fire drums with as much loose wood as they could find, while it was pancakes all round for everyone else.
Having had staff conference here a couple of weeks before, and then Directors, it has certainly been a busy month or so. Last weekend there was Midnite Cafe followed hours later with the Gathering, a monthly get together here at the centre. Midnite Cafe was great, with around a hundred people through over the night. It was my first and I loved it - finally I found a great coffee in Dubbo, (courtesy of Johno Love visiting from Sydney... oh well!). If you are in Dubbo around the end of April, make sure you drop by for the next Cafe - I don't think you'll be disappointed.
After 3 weeks of solid lecture with Pete Vol on Christian mission, we have just begun Jesus of Nazareth with Paul Roe, while Les is teaching on Christian spirituality in everyday life. It was a pretty challenging three weeks with Pete, as we considered that mission begins, at the heart, with just being. What does it mean simply To Be? Mission flows out of who we are, it isn't simply a task we do. And so if our 'being' is not authentic, natural, flowing from our very self, it is in danger of being a thing we do, with all the unnatural obviousness of doing a job instead of loving a person.
I forgot to metion in the last blog Petra Mitchell who is also a student here, having returned to Cornerstone after almost 20 years. Please pray for all of us as we work not simply at doing the studies here but seeking to be active in mission, to engage in community life, and to be taking on leadership within Cornerstone.
At Dubbo we had a sunrise service which had the lounge and lecture room packed out, after the rain drove us inside. It's one of those things where it is great to have rain, but inconvenient at the same time! Anyway, the kids had a great time after chasing each other in the wet and then filling up the fire drums with as much loose wood as they could find, while it was pancakes all round for everyone else.
Having had staff conference here a couple of weeks before, and then Directors, it has certainly been a busy month or so. Last weekend there was Midnite Cafe followed hours later with the Gathering, a monthly get together here at the centre. Midnite Cafe was great, with around a hundred people through over the night. It was my first and I loved it - finally I found a great coffee in Dubbo, (courtesy of Johno Love visiting from Sydney... oh well!). If you are in Dubbo around the end of April, make sure you drop by for the next Cafe - I don't think you'll be disappointed.
After 3 weeks of solid lecture with Pete Vol on Christian mission, we have just begun Jesus of Nazareth with Paul Roe, while Les is teaching on Christian spirituality in everyday life. It was a pretty challenging three weeks with Pete, as we considered that mission begins, at the heart, with just being. What does it mean simply To Be? Mission flows out of who we are, it isn't simply a task we do. And so if our 'being' is not authentic, natural, flowing from our very self, it is in danger of being a thing we do, with all the unnatural obviousness of doing a job instead of loving a person.
I forgot to metion in the last blog Petra Mitchell who is also a student here, having returned to Cornerstone after almost 20 years. Please pray for all of us as we work not simply at doing the studies here but seeking to be active in mission, to engage in community life, and to be taking on leadership within Cornerstone.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
The First Month
We have been together here for just 4 weeks, which is no time in the big scheme of things and yet very full nonetheless! In the first post you would have read that this is something of a different year, with 2 staff families moving to Bendigo, and hence a change in leadership and structure and all that goes with that. Change may be as good as a holiday, but then you come home and have to live life! Thankfully, there is much good to look forward to in what we have here now.
Work opportunities are starting to come together, and we are right into the lecture program which has been lively and stimulating. We were told this year was smaller in terms of students, but you wouldn't know it from the class. And we have just had 2 more join us today which is really exciting. Perhaps a key difference this year is the number of families who are taking part in Leadership school. There is almost a need for a day care facility!
Some of us got down to Canowindra and Swan Hill for the pledge nights for first years there. We would really love to maintain and encourage the contact we have with centres and teams as we work together in mission. Please keep us in mind, particularly if we can support or help you and your team in some way.
Quickly, the students who are here this year (and some from last year) are:
Phil and Alison Barnes
Lucy Bath
Leo Kasim
Tim and Jodi Godfrey
Brett and Simone Sweeting
Steve and Jemima Johnston
Emmanuel (from Ghana)
Suzanne
Mike and Jo Sunderland
Please pray for us as a community to deepen in fellowship, love and grace;
that we would have opportunity to share the message of truth with those in Dubbo;
that we would be a blessing to all who come through these doors.
Work opportunities are starting to come together, and we are right into the lecture program which has been lively and stimulating. We were told this year was smaller in terms of students, but you wouldn't know it from the class. And we have just had 2 more join us today which is really exciting. Perhaps a key difference this year is the number of families who are taking part in Leadership school. There is almost a need for a day care facility!
Some of us got down to Canowindra and Swan Hill for the pledge nights for first years there. We would really love to maintain and encourage the contact we have with centres and teams as we work together in mission. Please keep us in mind, particularly if we can support or help you and your team in some way.
Quickly, the students who are here this year (and some from last year) are:
Phil and Alison Barnes
Lucy Bath
Leo Kasim
Tim and Jodi Godfrey
Brett and Simone Sweeting
Steve and Jemima Johnston
Emmanuel (from Ghana)
Suzanne
Mike and Jo Sunderland
Please pray for us as a community to deepen in fellowship, love and grace;
that we would have opportunity to share the message of truth with those in Dubbo;
that we would be a blessing to all who come through these doors.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
2008
There's a lot of life that goes on at the Bill Vincent Memorials School of Christian Leadership. This blog is our attempt at creating a window into our Community.
2008 is a watershed with something of a new team following the departure of long-termers the Vincents and Godfreys to Cornerstone's Committed Company (mission community) in Bendigo.
Arriving as we speak is our 2008 student intake, and eclectic bunch of past students and current staff.
It should be a good year. Join us for the journey.
2008 is a watershed with something of a new team following the departure of long-termers the Vincents and Godfreys to Cornerstone's Committed Company (mission community) in Bendigo.
Arriving as we speak is our 2008 student intake, and eclectic bunch of past students and current staff.
It should be a good year. Join us for the journey.
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