Follow our adoption process at www.theartofadoption.wordpress.com
12/12/2011 update:
December 22 Update:
via Jeff Vanderstelt
This coming Monday offers a great opportunity for many to engage in new relationships with those around us or to revisit some old relationships with new missional intentionality. Regardless of what you think of the holiday and it’s roots, the culture we have been sent by Jesus to reach is going to celebrate Halloween this Monday. We all have in front of us a wide open door for missionary engagement in our neighborhoods. I want to encourage you not to miss out on the opportunity.
If you are looking to be more intentionally engaged this year, I want to present you with a few ideas for how you can more effectively walk through the open door that Halloween presents to us as Jesus’ missionaries.
BE HOSPITABLE…Don’t just give out candy
- Give out the best Candy. Please, don’t give out tracks or toothbrushes or pennies…kids are looking for the master loot of candy. Put yourself in their shoes.
- Think of the Parents. Consider having some Hot Apple Cider and pumpkin bread or muffins out for the parents who are bringing their little kiddos around the block. Make your entry-way inviting so they want to come closer and hang for a bit if possible.
- Be Present. Don’t hide out all night. Come out to the door or hang out on the porch and if they stop to have some cider, get to know their names and where they live in the neighborhood.
- Be Encouraging. Tell the kids you love their costumes and to have a great night. Practice building others up with words.
- Party. If you’re really into it, you may want to throw a pre-Trick or Treating party. Provide dinner and drinks. Then, send the dads out trick or treating with the kids while the moms continue hanging with some hot apple cider, coffee or tea. Then reconvene with the parents and kids together to examine all of the loot (kids love to show their parents and other kids the loot).
- Learn the Stories. If you are out T or Ting with the kiddos or staying back with the other parents, ask questions…get to know their stories. Pay attention to their hearts and their felt needs. Look for opportunities to serve them later. This is how I first got to know Clay (while Jayne was hanging with Kristi and the other moms). I learned his story while we were with the kids and Jayne got to know hers. This led to both of them eventually coming to faith in Jesus.
GO TO THEIR PLACE…Join what is happening elsewhere
- Attend the Party. If others are throwing parties, you may want to join them. If so, bring drinks, food or whatever is needed. Then, serve by helping to clean up.
- Join the Community. If your community has key events, join them and invite some neighbors to go with you (then get to know their stories along the way). Our area has a trick or treating event on a main street where all the businesses give out candy, the firemen give tours of the fire engines, etc… We go with a group of friends to this each year and consistently meet more people to reach out to.
- Head to the “Watering Holes”. If you do not have kids or are not going to engage in the Trick or Treating activities or events, consider going to the local pubs, restaurants or clubs near you for their events and get to know the people there. Make it your goal to learn the story of at least one person who needs Jesus and walk away with some next steps on how to serve them. You will want to do this with others so that you don’t go it alone.
BE PRAYERFUL…Ask for the Spirit to led, guide and work
- Pay Attention. Ask the Spirit to open your eyes and ears to the real needs around you.
- Stay Dependent. Ask the Spirit to help you listen, care and serve those around you.
- Open Doors. Ask the Spirit for open doors for new relationships and gospel conversations
Don’t let the bag monster ruin your view
Published 25/10/2011 Plastic , Rise Above Plastics , Surfing , Surfrider Foundation Leave a Comment
Rise Above Plastics Burleigh Heads
Published 23/10/2011 Rise Above Plastics , Surfrider Foundation Leave a Comment
Rise Above Plastics Burleigh Heads is a collective of ocean enthusiasts, shop owners, & local community members trying to reduce plastics in Burleigh Heads for protection and enjoyment of our oceans, waves, and beaches.
Check them out:
- http://www.facebook.com/riseaboveplasticsbh
- http://riseaboveplasticsbh.tumblr.com/
Don’t Feed The Bag Monster!
Published 21/10/2011 Plastic , Rise Above Plastics , Surfrider Foundation Leave a Comment
The Meaning of Marriage – Timothy Keller
Published 14/10/2011 Marriage , Theology , Timothy Keller Leave a CommentTimothy Keller with his wife Kathy are releasing a book on marriage in November. Here is a trailer for it:
Order the book HERE.
via RAPtoberfest
- Stop using single-use plastic water bottles. In nearly all cases, the water out of your tap is just as safe – if not safer – than the water distributed in single-use plastic bottles. Instead, buy and use a reusable bottle and fill it with water.
- Whenever possible, buy food in bulk. Buying food in bulk helps to reduce the total amount of packaging materials consumed.
- Buy your music electronically. By purchasing your music electronically, you avoid the need to create plastic compact discs, plastic jewel cases, and cellophane wrapping.
- Stop using plastic grocery bags. Each year over one trillion plastic bags are used worldwide. Because these bags are so light and thin, they are easily carried by the wind out into the environment. Instead, use reusable bags to get your groceries and other purchases home.
- Say “NO” to pre-packaged single serving portions. These types of products are among the worst when it comes to excess packaging.
- Reusable containers are rad! When it comes to lunch and leftovers, ditch the plastic bag and use reusable containers instead. Reusable containers are just as easy to use and far less harmful to the planet
- Buy a reusable travel mug. Use a reusable travel mug or to-go cup for your coffee, tea and other beverage purchases. Think of all the lids (as well as the waxed paper cups) you’ll save.
- Always look for alternative packaging. Many items such as soft drinks, detergent, cat litter, etc. come in alternate packaging (such as aluminum or cardboard) that can be more easily recycled than plastic.
- Buy and sell secondhand. Clothing, toys, baby gear, furniture, household supplies, sporting goods and many other consumer items can often be found through secondhand sources, thereby reducing the amount of new plastic entering the waste stream.
- Recycle! In those instances where you must use plastic, please make sure to recycle it. Most plastics can be upcycled to make cool and useful items, including Rusty ECO-stretch boardshorts!
TransparentSea – California
Published 06/10/2011 Dave Rastovich , Transparentsea Voyage Leave a Comment
Dave Rastovich and friends are currently raising awareness for sea life along the southern coast of California. Check out their journey and the events that are being hosted in the next few weeks: http://transparentseavoyage.com/
I have recently been preaching through the letter of 1 John at Christ Church Presbyterian in Currumbin on the Gold Coast, Australia. CLICK HERE if you are interested in listening to those messages.
The gospel of Jesus Christ is amazing and beautiful. John Piper’s story gives us hope in a world still torn by radical disharmony. Enjoy.
Rise Above Plastics Burleigh Heads Making The News
Published 26/09/2011 Rise Above Plastics , Surfrider Foundation Leave a Commentvia My Daily News
COVERED in hundreds of plastic bags is a man who wants Burleigh to be the first suburb on the Gold Coast to ban them.
Surfrider Foundation member and Palm Beach resident Seb Binnewies spent Saturday dressed as the Bag Monster in Burleigh Heads to raise awareness of the environmental damage and wastefulness associated with plastic bags. The keen surfer said it would not be difficult to ban plastic bags.
“In Germany they don’t give out plastic bags.
“We are trying to get this same ruling here on the Gold Coast,” Mr Binnewies said.
While Mr Binnewies didn’t need any help getting noticed but he did need help to cross roads in his vision-impairing plastic costume.
Rise Above Plastics Burleigh Heads volunteer Aaron Lockwood was on hand to offer support.
Carrying a sign that read “Don’t feed the bag monster”, Mr Lockwood said he was happy with the public response.
“Everyone’s been pretty positive,” he said.
“People know about it but it’s a good visual way to get their attention.”
Mr Lockwood said it was about more than only consumers changing their behaviour.
“We’ve got to get the business operators on board,” he said. “And we are also trying to get council on board.
“We are hoping to get Burleigh as the first Gold Coast suburb to go plastic-bag-free.”
The two men were also promoting a fundraising night that would feature a documentary about plastic bags and their environmental impacts.
The Surfrider Foundation film night featuring the Bag It documentary will kick off at 6pm on Tuesday, October 4, at Pointbreak Bar and Grill.
Doug Wilson Interviews Mark Driscoll Part 1 | Men & Masculinity
Published 23/09/2011 Doug Wilson , Mark Driscoll , Theology Leave a CommentExcellent interview.
Excited for this new upcoming film.
One Beach The Film
Published 21/09/2011 Barefoot Wine , Jason Baffa , Plastic , Surfrider Foundation Leave a CommentAmazing film by Jason Baffa, presented by Barefoot Wine and Surfrider Foundation.
This is why I am involved with Surfrider Foundation.
‘The Prodigal God’ screening: Gold Coast
Published 20/09/2011 Theology , Timothy Keller , Christ Church Leave a Comment
Surfrider Foundation Film Night
Published 16/09/2011 Plastic , Rise Above Plastics , Surfing , Surfrider Foundation Leave a Comment
This going to be an amazing evening, you don’t want to miss it if you live on the Gold Coast!
Enjoy these videos.
Look at Jesus
Divine Sorrow
The Whole Sweep of Scripture
Beginning this Sunday I am starting a new sermon series through 1 John at Christ Church Currumbin. Come one, come all.
My Interview with Burleigh Tourism
Published 21/08/2011 Adam Feichtmann , Surfrider Foundation Leave a Commentvia Burleigh Tourism
For Adam Feichtmann, Pastor at the Christ Church in Currumbin and keen surfer, saving our beautiful Gold Coast from plastics is a no-brainer. And Burleigh is set to be the test precinct for the Rise Above Plasticscampaign, selected for its environmentally friendly, close-knit and community-minded population.
“I was born and raised in southern California near Huntington Beach, which is known as surf city USA,” says Adam. “I grew up constantly surrounded by the surf, my dad surfed, I surfed and eventually worked as a lifeguard in Hawaii for a year. As long as I can remember I’ve been by the beach.”
Adam came to Australia with his wife in 2008 and is employed as a pastor at the Christ Church. He has been an active and enthusiastic member of the Surfrider Foundation for years.
“The Surfrider Foundation is an international organisation which exists for the protection and enjoyment of oceans, ocean ways and beaches and we do this by caring for the environment with a combination of conservation, activism, research, and education. So, in a sense, if anything fits under the umbrella of basically protecting or enjoying our ocean beaches and waves then it can fit in with Surfrider.
“We have a whole bunch of international campaigns and things that Surfrider is trying to push, such as water testing, beach protection, dune vegetation or the Rise Above Plastics campaign. All are very important to us,” adds Adam.
“I grew up hearing about the foundation. I think it started in the 80s, so it’s been around, at least in the States, for ages and has over 50,000 members. It’s all volunteers but now it’s international. I’ve been involved since 2006.”
The Rise Above Plastics campaign is a coming together of numerous environmental organizations from around the world including the Surfrider Foundation. For the Gold Coast, and Burleigh Heads in particular, the local Surfrider Foundation is taking the stand against plastics and the detrimental effect they have on our environment.
The Surfrider Foundation also organises beach cleanups and dune care, among other things, to help care for our local environment.
Reduce, reuse and recycle…
“For traditional recycling campaigns there’s always been the ‘reduce, reuse and recycle’ aspect but for Rise Above Plastics we decided to throw in the R word ‘refuse’,” says Adam.
“A lot of people think, I won’t use the plastic bags in the supermarket, which is great as they are probably the biggest use of plastics in our consumer society, but then the person might buy five bottles of ‘spring’ water in plastic bottles, a coffee in a cup with a plastic lid, get cutlery in a restaurant that’s plastic or go into a takeaway and get food in plastic containers.
“So in this sense we’re basically saying let’s create an ideology or philosophy that says – I want to reduce plastics universally in my life and how can I do that? Hence the ‘Refuse’.”
The Rise Above Plastics campaign aims to get the ball rolling in terms of people thinking about how they can reduce plastics in their lives. Plastics have a negative effect on the ocean by polluting beaches and damaging or killing marine life. It is this message the Surfrider Foundation wants to strongly promote, as well as the fact that plastics last for years and years.
“Flip open your spring water bottle and you’ll see a symbol which means the bottle was only designed to be used once and thrown away,” says Adam. “It’s things like this we want people to recognise, and then that plastics last pretty much forever. So, even if you say I use a plastic container, for example, again and again, you will still chuck it away eventually and then it’s going to sit around for a very long time.
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The Surfrider Foundation on the Gold Coast has definitely been busy in its campaign, and you are welcome to join in!
Early September there will be fun Monster sightings around Burleigh Heads and at the Swell Sculpture Festival plus screenings of the Life Changing documentaries.
Oct 4 – Screening of ‘Bag It: Is life Too Plastic” with surf film “Melali” at Pointbreak Bar and Grill, Burleigh Heads.
Oct 23 – Rise Above Plastics Burleigh Heads Rally (stayed tuned!!!)
November – Burleigh Heads official launch of Rise Above Plastics for businesses.
Join Surfrider Foundation this Saturday for some dune care. They will be in the North Kirra dunes from 9am-11am. The dunes are located directly across from Kirra Surf Shop.
More info: CLICK HERE
Together for Adoption National Conference
Published 31/07/2011 Adoption and Orphan Care , Together for Adoption Leave a Comment
If you live in the States and care about orphans, this conference shouldn’t be missed! Check it out here.
