Tag: Library Aid International

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reCharge NEWS December 2024

23rd Baptist World Congress!

Creative Arts EOI
Baptists will meet together 7-12 July next year in Brisbane, Australia, for the 23rd Baptist World Congress! One of the most meaningful aspects of a Congress is the breadth of music and other creative arts offered from around the world. Each contribution is unique but connected as it contributes to our worship of the Living God and provides a powerful expression of our global diversity.  

The Congress Team are seeking expressions of interest from artists to serve at the Congress. They are looking for groups and individuals who can help lead in worship, in music, drama, painting, dance, spoken word, and other mediums. There will be opportunities to serve during the plenary sessions and many more on the Global Stage operating each afternoon.  

The application process is now open, and artists are encouraged to apply by December 31, 2024. Click here for more information. 

You can find the Congress timetable on the schedule page of the Congress website.  

Early Bird Cut-off Extended!

Day of Wonder early bird regos now available until 31 January 2025 
Tickets to the Day of Wonder is the perfect Christmas gift for women in your life!

Women across Tasmania have an extended opportunity to buy discounted tickets for the Day of Wonder event, with early bird registration now extended to 31 January 2025.  

The state-wide gathering, set for Saturday 29 March 2025 at Riverlands Baptist in Longford, promises an inspiring day of connection and empowerment for women from all backgrounds. 

Early bird tickets are $50 (standard rate is $60), providing extra time for women to secure a place at this unique event. The day will feature a stellar lineup of speakers, including keynote presenter Melissa Lipsett from Baptist World Aid, alongside prominent Tasmanian women Anthea Maynard and Maggie Perkins, with a third speaker still to be confirmed. 

Importantly, the event welcomes women of all faith perspectives, creating an inclusive environment for personal growth and community building.  

This is a chance for women to come together, share stories, and feel encouraged. Don’t miss out on the cheaper tickets – sign up before the end of January! 

Bible Project 

Waiting for Jesus 
Join Bible Project as they celebrate the arrival of the promised Messiah in their Advent Series. 

Christians have long observed the Advent season by meditating on peace, hope, joy, and love. Study these rich biblical words with their Advent series. 

Bible Project creates free resources to help people experience the Bible. Learn the Bible with media tools that guide individuals and groups in studying its story. Use our videos and other free online resources. Everything is funded by generous supporters around the world. 

Baptist World Aid Resources

2024 Christmas Appeal 
Have you thought of how your church can participate in giving a gift to those living in poverty this Christmas? Here are some ideas to incorporate into your existing Christmas services and activities. 

Your church could: 
– Hold a special service to consider the needs of those living in poverty 
– Use the video and donation cards located on the BWA website to take up an offering for the work of Baptist World Aid 
– Encourage individuals or groups to work through the online devotional in the lead up to Christmas 
– Let the little ones take the stage with a Christmas Day performance

BWA have produced a series of resources for churches to use in their 2024 Christmas Appeal, including their latest devotional, Thavorn’s video (below) various social media titles and more.

Thavorn and his wife Toun—devoted Christians, parents and farmers in Cambodia. Thavorn experienced financial stress trying to provide for his family with a failing farm and crippling debt. But with support from our local Christian Partner, he’s now financially stable and his family is thriving.

Download these resources from the website here.  

Crossover Christmas Resources

Christmas Crackers: Short Videos List 
Crossover have curated a ‘Christmas Crackers’ list of recommended short videos that are easy to drop into a text message, post, email or Christmas service. 

Some are very funny. Some are very moving (like the one shown below).  

All are wonderfully meaningful. See the full list here… or watch The Rhythm of Christmas. 

Library Aid International

Container from LAI is en-route to PNG 
Library Aid International is a Tasmanian Christian-based, ACNC and ATO registered charity. Library Aid sends second hand books and educational resources to needy schools in developing countries overseas. They also send Bibles and Christian books. 

A small team collects, checks, sorts, repacks, and ships donated books to developing nations, supporting educators and students in underprivileged schools. 

LAI’s eleventh container filled with books and educational supplies left Devonport on 15 November 2024 and is estimated to arrive in Rabaul, Papua New Guinea on 9 December 2024.  

The library at the University of Natural Resources and Environment will receive 131 boxes of books from Food Plants International Inc. and library shelving from LAI. The University library will distribute a private collection of 176 boxes of Christian books to a college and 611 boxes of books from LAI to schools in the East New Britain Province. 

LAI’s yet-to-be-purchased twelfth container will be sent to the Solomon Islands. Thirty-five per cent of its contents are already sorted and boxed up by our volunteers.

Recent highlights from LAI

Recent highlights include:
– A librarian at a private school, which has donated surplus books to us, created a QR code linking to LAIs financial donations page. She promoted LAI’s mission, tax deductibility and the code to staff to encourage direct individual contributions by smartphone. 
– An Early Learning Centre held a book drive during Book Week for LAI. 
– LAI received a generous donation of $3,000 from a valued supporter. 
– LAI is holding regular trivia quiz nights at Railton RSL to raise funds. 
– The LAI Secretary and his wife visited schools in Fiji during a holiday in October, including one that received books from our 2022 shipment. 

“Education promotes equality and lifts people out of poverty. It teaches children how to become good citizens. Education is not just for a privileged few, it is for everyone. It is a fundamental human right.” 

Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations from 2007 to 2016

For a list of BOOK AND OTHER NEEDED DONATIONS we can give a second life to, please visit the Donate Page and Books tab on their website here or on their Facebook Page here. 

Happy children showing books and pencils given to them by cruise passengers at Sawa-I-Lau Island, Fiji

GLS24 On-Demand  

Extended Access (until February 2025!) 
Did you miss the Global Leadership Summit 2024? You can now purchase extended access to the entire GLS24 Aus/NZ Program On-Demand until 13 Feb, 2025 and costs $159. 

With GLS On-Demand you can watch from anywhere through an easy-to-use streaming platform that is accessible until February 2025.

Each registration includes: 
– access until 13 February 2025
– flexible viewing experience 
– unique link for personal viewing only 
– easy-to-use streaming platform 

Please note: GLS On-Demand is a limited license for personal viewing only and access cannot be shared with others.  

Purchase extended access content here 

GLS

EmpowHer’s Day of Wonder

Early Bird Rego Closes 15 Dec  
A reminder that the early bird rego closes on Sunday 15 December! 

This would make a perfect Christmas gift for the women or women in your life! Or bring a friend outside the church, as this event will be suitable for Christians and non-Christians alike. 

The Day of Wonder is coming up on Saturday 29 March 2025 and Melissa Lipsett, CEO of Baptist World Aid is speaking. 

Read more about the Day of Wonder here.

Day of Wonder 29 March 2025

Crossover Resource

The Ultimate Christmas Wishlist
This is a short book by Rico Tice, presenter of Christianity Explored. It is accessible, warm and profound — making a compelling case for Christianity and the hope that it provides.  

Based on Isaiah 9:6 (a passage often used in Christmas services), readers will see how Jesus – the Mighty God, Prince of Peace, Everlasting Father and Wonderful Counsellor – is the ultimate gift as he delivers what they really want: hope, peace, purpose and guidance.

This gospel presentation is ideal to give away at Christmas and is $6.00 via Koorong Books 

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    Winter Solstice Celebrate the Light in Hobart

    Christians of different denominations came together last week at the darkest time of the year to celebrate the light. Many different events provided expressions of love and light for the city of Hobart. A slide show from the various events is below.

    • Prayer walking and listening
    • Midnight communion service at St Davids
    • Jesus Bids Us Shine – Sermon on the Winters Solstice 2024
    • Hobart Baptist Church lights up
    • Artwork at HBC
    • Scott Darlow
    • Luminous panel
    • Luminous conversation
    • Luminous panel discussion
    • Luminous panel discussion
    • Luminous conversation
    • Luminous panel participants
    • Luminous panel participants

    EmpowHer Day Of Wonder 2025 

    Save the date in 2025 on Saturday 29 March for next year’s EmpowHer Day of Wonder.
    Heartlands Autumn/Winter 2024 issue is out now. Read how to move from being STUCK into FREEDOM and how Breaking free from a rut can be incredibly liberating. Melissa Lipsett, CEO of Baptist World Aid and the keynote speaker for the Day of Wonder write on how women can change the fabric of local communities from poverty to cohesion. Plus Day of Presence on 20-22 September in Maydena in Southern Tasmania and other events for your calendar.. 

    Break Free - Heartlands for Women. By EmpowHer

    Hobart Night of Prayer  

    This Friday, 21st June a number of people are meeting for prayer or for prayer walks in Hobart.

    You are welcome to join other Christians or gather your own group together, to pray solo or in pairs and choose a place to pray at home, at church or “prayer walk” outdoors. 

    Below is a list of times and locations for organised prayer groups: 

    6:00 – 8:00pm – Prayer at St James Anglican Church New Town, followed by a prayer walk into St Davids Church

    7:00 – 8:00pm – Prayer at Kangaroo Bluff with Citywide Baptist Church  

    9:00 – 10:00pm – Prayer walk through the CBD. Starts at the Salvation Army Corps, 180 Elizabeth St  

    9:30 – 10:30pm – Prayer walk from Montagu Bay Primary School (Conara Rd – just under the Tasman Bridge) going across the bridge to St Davids along the waterfront.  

    *Please turn up 5 mins beforehand for prayer walks.

    More details here

    Better World Magazine June 2024
     

    The latest edition of Better World Magazine is out now.  This issue explores: 

    – What 50 years of Child Sponsorship has taught us 
    – Why disaster preparation is a justice issue 
    – Mi Kai Lagwi’s fight to end oppression in Myanmar 
    – Power: am I the problem?

    The Baptist World Aid magazine highlights pressing issues facing communities, offers inspiring good news stories, and a behind-the-scenes glimpse of local Christian Partners’ work around the world.  

    Click image below for magazine. 

    Better World Magazine – June 2024 Edition

    Celebrate the Light

    Christians from different churches around Hobart are coming together at the darkest time of the year to celebrate the light. Many churches are holding events during June to celebrate the winter months and spread the light and hope of Jesus. 

    Hobart Baptist’s Luminous festival is participating, along with other churches and different expressions of love for the city of Hobart. Events include: prayer walks, art installations, outreach, youth events, pancakes, hot chocolate, lanterns, hot topic discussions, midnight communion and more. These events are an excellent opportunity to invite those who don’t know Jesus yet.  

    Check out the Celebrate the Light Facebook page to stay connected over winter. 

    Luminous Festival Opens Today

    This year’s Luminous Festival at Hobart Baptist includes an exhibition of art by three artists, Karin McCormack, Joel Wybrew and Michael Henderson. They explore the theme SACRED TASMANIA and the connections between the sacred, place, and sustainability.  

    In Tide Line, a ceramic and raw clay installation by Karin McCormack, she subscribes to ‘the broader notion of sacred, that which inspires awe and deserves respect and reverence…’. 

    Joel Wybrew’s music Recording with Images is called (How) are you loving home? It’s an intimate piece of music, which seeks to provoke listeners to reflect on the land they inhabit and the community they share it with. Listeners are encouraged to pause and think about if and how they embody these values.  

    Past – Present? – Continuous? is a work of graffiti on photographs, by Michael Henderson. 

    The exhibition is open 12-15 June and 17-20 June: 10am-2pm at Hobart Baptist Church and kicks off with a panel discussion with the artists 12 June at 6pm. 

    The theme this year is “Sacred Tasmania” with a focus on “home, love and the things that unite us” and includes four conversations on the sacredness of life and how to live it well on this wonderful island Tasmania. 

    Event details are listed on the Luminous website or contact hello@luminousfestival.org.au. 

    PNG’s Deadly Landslide

    How Churches Can Help 

    On 24 May, a deadly landslide struck Enga Province in Papua New Guinea, possibly burying up to 2,000 people and leaving many families devastated.

    Australian Baptists have a strong history of partnership with Baptist Union PNG. Baptist Union PNG staff members have shared the devastation of the situation as they try to locate missing family members and mourn the loss of loved ones. They’ve also made known the urgent need for aid, as the landslide has buried homes, farmland, and infrastructure. 

    Baptist World Aid is helping Baptist Union PNG provide emergency food rations. BWA is also cooperating with Baptist Mission Australia to practically and prayerfully respond to this disaster.  

    BWA, in cooperation with BMA, have developed a PNG Landslide Appeal here which is now live for donations.

    PNG Landslide appeal

    Baptist World Congress

    7-12 July 2025 

    Hosted every five years in rotating regional locations, the 23rd Baptist World Congress will take place in Brisbane. Baptists from all over the world will descend on Brisbane’s Convention Centre and Exhibition Centre. This year the Congress is a partnership between the Baptist World Alliance and the Australian Baptist movement. It will be a one-of-a-kind opportunity to gather with Baptist sisters and brothers from around the world and learn how God is at work in and through our global family. 

    The event theme is “Living the Good News” drawn from Luke 4: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.” (v. 18-19) 

    For more information visit the website.

    23rd Baptist World Congress

    Library Aid International  

    Second Life Books and Resources

    Library Aid International provide opportunities for schools and others in Tasmania to give a second life to used books and educational resources so that they can be shipped to needy schools in overseas countries. heir 12th container is about to be shipped.  

    The Sheffield community has warmly welcomed Library Aid International Inc. that originated as the vision of Linda Abblitt from Tasmania. The group is now led by Leoni Read and in 2023 relocated from Upper Burnie to the Beulah Memorial Hall with new volunteers and supporters coming forward. 

    They continue to see schools, libraries, churches, organisations, and private citizens donate books, educational resources and finances to LAI. 

    Students and staff from a school recently held a Book Drive and donated 1,161 books and a generous donation of two thousand dollars was made from the proceeds of morning teas at a popular market.  

    A children’s authors’ small business in Hobart donated 100 copies each of three non-fiction educational books for young children. 

    LAI recently placed a “Book Library Fridge” in front of the Uniting Church in Sheffield for books donated to LAI that, for various reasons related to culture or other factors, cannot be shipped. The Book Library Fridge is a novel and imaginative approach that encourages the joy of reading and community engagement, both at home and abroad while promoting LAI on the volunteer-painted fridge doors. 

    To donate and for a list of preferred items visit the website.

    Library Aid International

    Building a Culture of Trust

    Tuesday, 11 June 

    Experience an engaging half-day Leaders Networking Event to workshop building a culture of trust. Presented by Dr. Henry Cloud, clinical psychologist and author of 45 books including “Boundaries”. 

    The half-day session on Tuesday 11 June will be co-hosted by GLS Next Gen on the Northwest Coast at Devonport. 

    Understanding the significance of trust within a team has profound impact on enhancing working environments. The event offers a fantastic opportunity for networking, learning, and potentially catalysing positive change within church culture. Learn, grow and connect with leaders from across Tasmania.

    The highlight of the meeting will be an insightful presentation by Dr. Henry Cloud. 
     
    Benefits include:
    – World-class insights  
    – Dynamic conversations 
    – Defined next steps to enhance trust with the people you lead.

    Costs start at $65 per person and includes GST, workbook and morning tea.  

    Find more information and register here. 

    Building a Culture of Trust

    ReCharge News June 2024

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