workshop registration 2022

Workshop Registrations 2022

  • Instructions

    We ask you to register for workshops by making your selections online. This enables us to allocate rooms for the workshops and complete other arrangements based on the numbers selecting each workshop.

    Attendance at workshops is open to all who attend the main studies though may be limited by other commitments such as involvement in Junior School.

    In keeping with the tradition of Armidale and of Mittagong before us, controversial topics may be addressed in workshop presentations and studies. Parents of younger young people are asked to carefully consider workshop topics and content and to assist them in making appropriate workshop choices.

    Numbers per workshop are limited to 25-30 to facilitate discussion and discovery among participants. The rooms we use vary in size but most are classroom-size. We do not plan to use the main hall for workshops.

    Places will more or less be allocated on a first come, first served basis, so BE QUICK with your response. We will aim to ensure that everyone gets at least one first choice.

    The single session workshops are on Monday morning. The 2-session workshops are on Thursday and Friday mornings. You will attend the first part of a 2-session workshop on Thursday morning and the second part on Friday morning.

    Workshops A: Monday – 10.50 am

    Workshops B: Thursday & Friday – 10.50 am

    We ask that that you give us your top three preferences (1, 2, 3) for each group of workshops.

    Also, note the workshop you most want to attend and we’ll aim to ensure you don’t miss that due to rostering on children’s activities.

    If any workshops are very heavily over-booked we may try to organise an after-lunch repeat.

  • Attendee Information

    Please register each workshop attendee separately.
  • Use primary contact's mobile phone number if workshop attendee does not have a mobile phone.

  • WORKSHOPS A - One Session Workshops – Monday 10.50 am

  • David Buttsworth

    Entropy is a concept that provides a measure of the disorder of things. Broadly speaking, things tend towards a state of higher entropy and unless somebody puts the effort in, things that we touch and our very lives also will continue a natural path towards disorder and decay. Of course, God has all the answers we need, and through our Lord Jesus we can engage with God to halt the decay. While entropy is not a biblical word, the concept is relevant to our lives in Christ. The objectives of this workshop are to clarify the meaning of entropy and to appreciate what it tells us about the created world that God has given us, and to also share with each other some relevant biblical messages that can impact us personally.

  • Louise Buttsworth

    This session will start by considering "Graphology" which is the study of handwriting to infer a person's character. A short introduction of the basics of Graphology will be provided with examples plus there will be the opportunity for members to examine a sample of their own handwriting. This is a light-hearted beginning but will then lead to the more serious consideration of the many other ways in which our character can be revealed to others. Do we show in our lives what is written in our heart by our speech, our behaviour and our choices? Similarly, we can also infer the character of others through what we hear and observe, but do we always make the best assessment through these small windows?

  • Sam Dando

    Leaders shape our nations, communities and organisations – and our church. We need good leaders to help guide us and make the essential decisions to keep our world moving. Our society is usually quick to identify a bad leader, but how can you identify a good one? What would most people say makes a good leader? What makes a godly one? This session explores the qualities of leadership – in the world and in Christ – and makes an interesting link to authority. This presentation aims to help us lead effectively, honestly and passionately, and for those who don’t think they are leaders, to help evaluate and assist our leaders. This session is suitable for everyone, including young people, as it springs out a SCYP class earlier in the year. Suitable for young people.

  • Steve Harrison

    We understand that God does/can intervene in the lives of believers at any time. By looking at some examples of God’s intervention in the lives of others we may see the nature of God’s direction in our life. When does God intervene and why? God through angels directed Lot. God directed Jacob through his son Joseph. God intervened in Jonah’s life directly. Having looked at these examples we may be reminded of others and take time to share them together.

  • Anthony Henry

    I was recently listening to a podcast called ‘On Being’ with Krista Tippett. The podcast featured Avivah Zornberg and she talked about the story of Moses and the burning bush. She marvelled at Moses’ reluctance to accept God’s commission. Are we resistant to God’s redemption because “there’s an unwillingness to open oneself up to an alternative reality”? This got me thinking. I wonder what we might be missing in our rationally-minded world. This session will be a discussion on the “burning bushes” that may, or may not, remain in the periphery of our vision.

  • John Launchbury

    This is a deliberately provocative title. It suggests that sometimes we think the ecclesia belongs to us, or perhaps to the ABs (in those ecclesias where they act as the de facto rulers), and a remarkable amount of time and consideration goes into ensuring things like ecclesial continuity, sometimes in the guise of caring for the members. Given Jesus' refusal to join in the organized religion of his day, I sometimes wonder whether our organizational structures work against the deeper purpose of ecclesia? I will come with many questions, thoughts, and challenges to get the discussions going. Expect a really active discussion in this workshop. Expect also some quietness for prayer and introspection.

  • Sharon Lawrie

    “I will stand at my watch, and station myself on the ramparts; I will look to see what he will say to me.” Hab 2:1-2.

    This practical session will give time to explore ways to encounter God, come closer to Him (2 Cor 15:20) and hear His voice (John 10:27). God wishes us to draw near to Him (Heb 10:22) and to know Him (Jer 31:34). The Jews read the scriptures diligently but did not know Him (John 5:39). This is time to creatively enter rest and let God speak as He wishes (Heb 4:12).

    This is time to experience:

    • group encounter time- meditating on a scripture, reflectively listening to a song and praying forgiveness/lordship prayers.
    • individual reflection time- through journaling, doodling on key words/reflecting on passages, collecting nature, drawing/collage. prayer in threes.

  • Liz O’Toole

    (Generosity in the life of a Christian)

    Jesus said “It is more blessed to give than to receive”. Why is there special blessing attached to giving? How fundamentally important is generosity to our Christianity? How does giving to others help us to become better followers of Jesus? Generosity is something we don’t talk about much. In this session we’ll consider the abundance of God, the way His generosity can affect our giving habits, and what He wants us to do with the gifts He’s given us. We’ll also think about the blessing that do come from giving. Generosity comes in many guises, and it’s important for us to identify practical ways in which we can learn to be more abundant.

    This session is very suitable for young people, and will encourage everyone toward a more positive and outreaching approach in life.

  • Ben Saxon

    The USA Supreme Court recently overturned the Roe v Wade decision to allow abortion throughout the USA. Now about half the States have passed laws to criminalise abortion. While this has no legal status in Australia we have seen protests supporting both “pro-life” and “pro-choice” sides. We have also seen the introduction of assisted dying legislation in most States and Territories, increasing options for fertility treatment, and a variety of new gene therapies. How do we navigate the changing landscape presented to us by medical procedures, evolving social dynamics and societal expectations? Can we find any direct or indirect scriptural guidance? How do we support each other with these difficult decisions? How do we care for each other after making a controversial decision? Join me for a session of interesting conversation about the new ethics of medicine.

  • Luke Tappouras

    The Book of Mormon, and the Quran, and the Bible, all claim to be the inspired word of God but we have no specific definition of how inspiration works. The Bible is an ancient document written in ancient languages to an ancient people, yet it is the most direct link we have to the mind, plan and purpose of God. It is the source of our faith. This claim has left the Bible vulnerable to attacks regarding its authenticity and reliability, particularly the Old Testament of which, until recently, the most recent original copy was from the medieval era. The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls 75 years ago changed the conversation and opened an interesting discussion that seeks to clarify the many traditional assumptions of this foundational topic. In this workshop we will explore the archaeological discoveries of scrolls, manuscripts, and carvings, made in the last 100 years, that have opened massive amount of contextual information that make this the most exciting time in history to understand the bible with unprecedented access to more accurate translations, commentaries, histories, and other tools.

    If you take the bible seriously yet want to dig a little deeper into the source of your beliefs, this workshop is for you.

  • Ben Topham

    Too often we leave things to the last minute and don’t have a good understanding of how to transition. Older people can suffer from ‘Relevance Deprivation Syndrome’ and younger people can suffer from ignorance. If we take stock of our position in the journey of life, then we will take pleasure in ‘letting go’ and providing the next generation with wisdom and a platform for growth, whilst the younger generation will be enthused to continue. Paul’s final letter to Timothy will guide us through this workshop where we will find moving exhortation and practical steps for life for those of all ages. What would your last words be? How would you respect what has been given to you?

  • WORKSHOPS B – 2 Session Workshops – Thursday & Friday 10.50 am

  • Allan Bundesen

    Bro Alan Eyre wrote “The Protesters” and “Brethren in Christ” about the proclaiming of Bible truth from the 16th century. He was able to view books in The Library of Congress USA where he worked for 2 years. We are now able to read books from the 16th century and onwards, many of which were out of print in John Thomas' day. The problem is to find titles and authors. I can explain how to use some excellent websites to do this and can illustrate with quotes from various writers not found by Alan Eyre. Just to explain a little - Since about 2005 Google has been scanning in old books and making them available as pdf graphics files (cost paid by Bill Gates). I have been collecting many religious works going back to the Reformation. Their content is surprising. This is not a repeat of Alan Eyre who did not have this material available to him. English has changed a lot since the late 16th century. I have gone through the arduous task of converting many to pdf text files which I will make available if you bring a USB stick.

  • Daniel Edgecombe

    This workshop will address two issues: how should the disciple relate to the environment and the environmental movement and should we participate in activities aimed at achieving social justice in the world?

    Humanity was given rulership over creation in Genesis 1 – often seen as a license to plunder the earth. Other Christians point to Adam being made a gardener as demonstrating we have a stewardship role over creation now. While we know Jesus will fix it, should we care now? We will explore what the Bible does and doesn’t say about the environment. The Biblical argument for environmentalism is nuanced but there is a strong and consistent direction.

    What about social justice? Should we, could we protest? We’ll discuss the role of the disciple in the world. Can issues like pursuit of social justice be “left to the kingdom”? Common objections to doing something/protesting (e.g. Rom 13 “be subject to the higher powers”) will be considered.

  • Garry Hindmarsh

    Christianity is under siege in Australia. The latest census revealed that those who registered their religion as Christian has dropped in two decades, from 75%, to 45%. It has become politically incorrect to say that the Christian God is the real (and only) God. This trend to relativism in religion has eroded the faith of many. It is trendy to accept that there is relative truth and that there are no real and definitive answers to questions on religion.

    In the first part we will explore the common doubts associated with the resurrection of Jesus, and provide clear evidence that attests to the event. e.g. the compelling evidence of the women’s witness, the empty tomb, the powerful witness of Jesus’ enemies.

    In the second part we will discover the powerful implications of the risen Christ for our world and ourselves personally. How does the physical resurrection of the Jesus place major limitations on the current social theories such as moral relativity and the post-modernism? What are the opposing strongholds in our minds that are destroyed by the resurrection of Christ? What authority does Jesus’ resurrection bring to his teaching? How does Christ’s resurrection to eternal life, allow us to come out into the open, with our faith? How can the living Jesus be a powerful driving force in our lives?

    We look forward to your contribution in these interactive sessions.

  • Tim Hughes

    "We have seen his glory, glory as the only son from the Father, full of Grace and Truth". Grace and Truth, a two word summary of how Jesus revealed God's character, and as disciples we would want to imitate him. They seem to be contrasting ideas that are hard to apply in practice. Are you mostly a truth person or mostly a grace person? Does our grace focus mean we are so tolerant that we shy away from stating uncomfortable truths? Does our truth focus mean we are quick to judge and slow to forgive? On some subjects we may be all grace, on others all truth. Churches likewise can be strong on one or another of the two. "Truth without Grace breeds a self-righteous legalism that poisons the church and pushes the world away from Christ. Grace without Truth breeds moral indifference and keeps people from seeing their need for Christ ." This workshop will explore both Grace and Truth and show that rather than being opposites to be balanced, they are connected like two sides of a coin. You can't have one without needing the other. Jesus wasn't half grace and truth; he was full of both at the same time. We will look at several examples of how this worked out in his interactions with people. The apostles showed the same spirit in the early church, and gave some pointers for the issues that confronted them. We will also pose some common vexing modern situations, and workshop - what would be a response that was full of both grace and truth together?

  • Phil and Kate Lawrence

    Christianity is the religion of the Good Shepherd. We will seek to understand more clearly the deep and trusting relationship that is possible between ourselves and our Shepherd through art and poetry.

    You will first summarise the main ideas of the Psalm and be introduced to some techniques used in art therapy. You will then use your creative skills with a range of art materials or poetry, explore its meaning for you and share your thoughts with the group.

    We will conclude by thinking about the wonderful exhortation and comfort to be found with Jesus as our shepherd

  • Zazz Oosthuizen

    Jesus lived 2000 years ago in a society very different to the one we live in today, a Jewish society returned from exile in Babylon but oppressed by the Romans, a deeply religious society in a political system where there was no separation of the church and state, so each religious sect was effectively a political party as well. There were Pharisees and Sadducees, Scribes and Teachers of the Law, Herodians and Zealots, Chief priests and Rabbis, Romans and Tax collectors, the Temple and the Synagogue, the Sanhedrin and Herod, etc. All of these are referred to in the gospel records assuming you know the beliefs, agendas, roles and differences between all these groups of people. We'll examine some of these groups, their references in the gospels and hopefully this knowledge will help us understand our Lord's ministry a bit better.

  • Jonathan Pogson

    “The sky hung low in the ancient world," says Shirley Jackson Case. "Traffic was heavy on the highway be­tween heaven and earth. God’s and spirits thickly populated the upper air, and demonic powers, emerging from the lower world, were a constant menace to human welfare. All nature was alive; alive with supernatural forces.”

    Part 1. Ancient Near East Cosmology - background to Genesis 1 and other Old Testament concepts Back when the earth was flat and the sky was solid, faithful men of old were moved to speak of only one God creating all worlds they knew and of everything they understood to be therein. This session steps through the Old Testament to review what the ancient authors believed about the world they lived in compared with their neighbouring Ancient Near East cultures, and how radically different their understanding was to our own beliefs today.

    Part 2. Greek Cosmology - background to New Testament concepts By the time Jesus arrived the earth was becoming round, and the sky a multilayered series of supernatural dominions inhabited by careless and indiscreet forces any of whom might totally ruin your day. But bigger ideas about a universal Force were afoot…

  • Ken Pooley

    We live in a time poor world. Common statements we hear are “cut to the chase”, “I want the executive summary”, “I don’t need the detail”, “I’ll watch the movie - no time to read the book!”, “what’s the media bite?”. Applying this thinking to the Bible can lead to misquotes, and is at the root of a lot of criticism of the Bible. It impacts us too! We often emphasise the importance of context, but how well do we know Bible chapters, Bible books, and the whole Bible, rather than some out of context verses? Together we will examine some common Bible misquotes, some challenging statements of Jesus and the apostles, and also some Bible criticisms, to see how an understanding of the context opens our eyes to the real message.

  • Darren Tappouras

    God’s presence was there in Eden when the LORD God walked in the garden in the cool of the day and spoke to Adam and Eve face to face (Gen 3:8). It will also be there in the New Heaven and Earth, “God Himself will be with them” (Rev 21:3) and “they shall see His face” (Rev 22:4). Where has God’s presence been in between? Is His presence with us today? Let us go on the journey of a lifetime taking us from Eden to the full consummation of God’s purpose, exploring the great unifying theme of the Bible - God dwelling with us. This study promises to be powerfully transformational on a personal level. We will be challenged and encouraged to feel ourselves living in His presence, “strengthened always by His presence”, and taking every opportunity to enhance the resolution of that presence in our own lives that “haply we might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us” (Act 17:27).

  • Luke Tappouras

    Concordism is the theological concept that insists the Bible agrees with, or concords with, modern scientific discoveries. This idea arose about 100 years ago in response to Darwinism and other scientific discoveries, especially in fundamentalist evangelical circles and other minority groups within Christianity. The simple invention of glass and the development of the telescope about 500 years ago caused a massive rethink about how science and religion relate to each other. This discussion continues as scientific discoveries grow. This 2-part workshop will explore this topic starting with the biggest issues, like cosmology and the structure of the universe itself, through to other pseudoscientific ideas in the bible like the solid sky dome, thinking with our hearts and kidneys, and mental illness. Is the Bible really some kind of scientific textbook with scientific discoveries hidden within its verses? We will explore the original context of the science of the Old Testament, which is an ancient 3000 year old document, written by and to the pre-scientific people of the Ancient Near East.

    If you love and respect the bible as God’s word yet acknowledge your position in the science-assisted 21st Century, this workshop is for you.

  • Geoff Watson

    How can I move from knowing about God to experiencing the presence of Jesus and the Father each day in my life? Because we are individuals, our experience of God will be unique. Yet in these workshops you will discover key aspects that will refresh and recharge your connection to God's Spirit. These aspects begin with 'ing' words such as asking, inviting, trusting, realising, receiving and thanking. Behind these words, though, are deep eternal principles that create joy and fulfilment for us. The 2 sessions are interlinked. They involve progressive presentation of the principles backed up by notes, as well as interactive moments where you understand how to apply them each day. Come with an open heart, ready to share, learn and discover!

  • The workshop I have to attend!

    Due to limits in workshop capacity, it is difficult to give everyone their first choices. Please select your "most wanted" 1st choice - and we will do our best to get you into it - but we can't guarantee it.
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