Meet Tim Booth and find out about his ACSQ roles, current projects, faith journey, favourite scripture, secret skill and earliest memory
“Picture, if you will, a large extended family on holiday in Porlock, Somerset, in the south west of England. The date is August 1906 and the family have taken rooms at Birchanger Farm for a month where they have been enjoying excursions, bicycling, walking and bathing,” writes Frances Thompson following her discovery that the famous Bodleian Library holds hundreds of her family’s letters, dating back to the early 1900s
“In one of our FOCUS camp sessions, the children were given the option to try something new – songwriting. A small group of interested children came forward and worked collaboratively to write both the lyrics and the catchy melody of a song they titled ‘God with us’,” says Bettrys Lowe from St Bart’s, Toowoomba, while inviting other parishes to use the YouTube song video in their services and providing songwriting and recording tips
“So, my prayer for this year, as I practise peacemaking, is that I will be more effective at calling out scapegoating, better at challenging notions of redemptive violence and actively seek Jesus’ Third Way – I no longer want to regret not handling conflict situations as well as I could,” says the Anglican Schools Commission’s Mission and Education Advisor Vanessa Gamack
“Other than God’s call to serve in Goondiwindi, one other thing especially attracted me to this parish – the parishioners’ dedication to wider community life. Everyone counts in rural communities. People engage, make things happen, and see needs and action them. Community involvement is central to the local culture and often critical to its survival,” says The Rev’d Dr John Rolley
Meet Sarah Marris and find out about her current Anglicare project, her favourite scripture, secret skill, what she is most looking forward to this Easter, and which two ACSQ priests especially inspire her and why
When Parish Liaison Officer Kelly Houston told anglican focus about the popularity of East Redland Anglicans’ Messy Play, we asked the program’s clergy coordinator, Area Dean of Moreton Deanery The Rev’d Shan Vierow, to tell us how the program started and why it is so successful at bringing generations together
“You will also notice, no doubt, the arrival of the brightly coloured Advent candles this weekend, usually arranged in a wreath. There are several traditions about the meaning or theme of each candle,” says The Rev’d Andrew Schmidt from The Parishes of Nerang and Mudgeeraba
“The ‘Church’ is not God’s primary project – the world is. So, it might do us all good to get out of our church buildings more when the current lockdown ends, bamboo canes in hand or not,” says Bishop John Roundhill, as he shares about a peculiar ancient parish practice
Meet The Rev’d Jamee Callard and find out about her innovative Holy Hermits Online community, what holy woman inspires her the most and why, when she felt called to the priesthood, and what she does in her free time