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Continued from our e-news....
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A New Leadership Team
We are seeking to establish a committee of
working members. I am pleased to welcome many new people. Dr Andrew Ford and I
are from the original committee, but now we have Dr David Peterson, who was one
of the founders of this ministry; Francis Chalwell, who is minster at St
Michaels Surry Hills; Jane Tooher, who works at Moore College; and Emma Binns,
who has extensive experience in this ministry with her involvement with Beyond
Egypt. We also have Graeme Watkins , who works at Wesley Mission and Kate
Hagar. This committee is energetic and thoughtful in their approach to this
ministry.
Committee members have been seeing people
pastorally and they have been speaking at a variety of venues (churches and
theological colleges). The aim continues to be to minister to people with
unwanted same-sex attraction and to expand the work by getting more people
involved. I am excited by this development, since it means that more people
will be able to be seen and supported. Eventually, when we are in a stronger
financial situation, we would like to employ a pastoral worker for the
ministry, but we will continue to have a group who are ministering rather than
just one worker.
Looking Forward
Our core ministry is helping people in the
Christian community who desire pastoral support. But we will continue to refer
people to professional counselling, if that is appropriate, and we will
continue to have an educative role.
An exciting development has been a
developing dialogue with Anglicare about being in partnership with them in this
ministry. Anglicare is a large organisation, with many resources to assist us
in developing and growing our work.
And how are we going right now?
Well, people continue to contact us every
week via the phone and email. It has been a challenge to see everyone, but we
are now sharing the pastoral load and many of the committee are helping. We are
moving from an organisation with a pastoral worker who would do this to a group
of ministers who share the load.
Another great development has been the
employment of Chris Vaughan as our administrator. Chris is working with us one
day a week and is directing all the phone and email contacts to the appropriate
people. He is providing information, books, and counselling contacts,
administering our finances and looking after the office. He has been a great
asset for Liberty.
Supporting Liberty
Our great need is someone to run a support
group. I apologise to those who have been interested in joining a group but
have not been able to. Please pray that someone will come forward to minister
in this way.
I wanted to give prior notice for Liberty’s
Annual General Meeting, which all supporters are encouraged to attend. It will be held in the church
beside our offices at 85 Darling St Balmain, on Saturday afternoon between 2
and 4 on the 23rd October. We would like this to be a time when we
not only report on the ministry but mutually encourage one another in praising
God, praying and hearing from His Word. If you are a musician who could play on
that day to lead us in praise please let Chris in the office know. Please come
along to this AGM and help us ask God for wisdom and guidance about the
ministry’s future.
We are hindered in moving forward until we
can deal with the financial situation. We would like to employ a pastoral
worker, at least part time, but at present we do not have the funds. Please
pray about our financial situation and consider approaching your church
leadership to see if they will support this most important ministry.
The committee are thankful for all our
supporters and especially thankful for our God who leads us, encourages us and
guides us into his future.
Barry McGrath
Chairman- Liberty Christian Ministry
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