REPORT ON TASMANIAN MISSION VISIT

Report to the Presbyterian Inland Mission Committee and the Tasmanian Churches…

A Team of twenty Tasmanians came to minister in Darwin from January 10^th to January 17^th, 2008.

The Team

Ten Males and Ten Females.
13 from St Andrews Presbyterian Church, Launceston
5 from St Johns, Hobart
1 from Montrose Presbyterian
1 from Bethlehem Lutheran Church (used to attend Launceston Presbyterian)
Age range of 8 to 24 with 5 leaders in their 40’s.
The Leader: Pastor Ian Partridge. Assistant at St Andrews Presbyterian Church, Launceston.

The Task

Letter-box drops.
There were many tasks to be undertaken by the team, but the largest was the letter box drop to over 5000 homes in the Palmerston area. This task started with the rolling of newspapers and putting them in plastic shopping bags ready for distribution. This itself was a major task, but nothing compared with what was to come!

The concern before the team’s arrival was the Darwin weather! In 2007 there were just 4 days in January when it didn’t rain, so how would they manage to distribute the material, and if they did, would it be readable by the time the householder got it or would it just be a soggy pulp?

The answer to those concerns is best explained by the weather reporter on the local ABC radio who, towards the end of the week exclaimed, “this weather pattern has got me stumped”. We should have rung him to explain that Presbyterians throughout Tasmania were praying that it wouldn’t rain on their team, and it didn’t. Apart from a little bit of rain for a few hours on Saturday night (100mm in Palmerston and 242mm in Darwin (that’s just under 10 inches!)) which didn’t affect us at all, we saw much more perspiration than precipitation.

We did see a lot of perspiration! Each morning we had breakfast at which 15 litres of water (as well as tea, coffee and milk) was consumed and then as early as possible the team was off onto the streets to deliver papers and pamphlets. Brenda Waterhouse was the logistics officer and the team laboured hard under her expert guidance. (why don’t they make roads in a simple grid pattern any more?)

I think Darwin is the Dog Capital of the world. Every house seems to have at least one beast trying to devour any passing Tasmanian, but many of the team also had opportunity to speak to people and make friendly contacts as they walked. Not only the material, but also their conduct was a demonstration of Christian faith.

Worship

The music team had prepared well to accompany the singing. We had David Butler on the keyboard, Tim (Barra) Kleywegt on the Saxophone, Sarah Gibb on the Flute and Michael Fleming on the Bass Guitar.

Ian Partridge preached about the little girl who suggested that Naaman go see the Prophet of God. She was a “most unlikely Evangelist”, and we were encouraged to simply serve the Lord, pointing others to Him at every opportunity.

After worship it was impressive to see the team move out amongst the congregation, mingling, talking and building relationships. This fellowship carried on to a very happy time over lunch in the Darwin Water Gardens.

Children’s work.

The team ran two Kids Programmes. The first was on Sunday afternoon in Darwin Water Gardens and the second was at Sanctuary Lakes in Palmerston on the Wednesday afternoon. The kids had a great time (and so did the leaders), and sat in rapt attention as Ian Partridge told them a story from the Bible.

Promotional Material.

The Darwin Presbyterian Church does not have a landmark building in the centre of town which would act as a 24x7 advertisement of the church’s presence. The City is very transitory by nature with 10% of its population being students at the University and more than 10% in Defence Force related jobs. This means that we must take every opportunity to let people know that the Presbyterian Church is alive and well in the Top End. With January being the major transition time, the opportunity to distribute material was ideal.

The Team approached every Hotel, Motel or Tourist information centre in down-town Darwin, and nearly everyone accepted the material. Some put leaflets into every room. Others put the information onto the lists in their room folders. Through the efforts of the team we now are part of Tourism Top End, which will place our pamphlets into every Tourism Information booth, including the one at the Airport, and will also take them to many markets and other community events.

The Mall

One afternoon some of the team spent some time in the Smith Street Mall. Some leaflets were given out and a few conversations were held in very oppressive weather conditions.

Other

The Team had one day “off”, and at times went into shopping areas and one evening we had a meal at Stokes Wharf. While these were not “ministry times”, they showed that all of life is ministry, and some made good contacts with people who wanted to know all about why a bunch of Tasmanians would come to Darwin to work in the middle of the Wet.

 Impressions

Could a team of five young people (the 40 + year olds) and fifteen even younger people hold it together in cramped conditions with extremely taxing weather where it is sometimes difficult to sleep while they were working hard each day?

That would be very unlikely if they had not been renewed by the Holy Spirit and therefore showing His fruit in their lives, and supported by the prayers of the Lord’s people.

I never heard a grumble or an angry or impatient word in the whole week. On the contrary, they were patient and eager to serve. As hosts to the team we were impressed that the minute we looked like we were about to do anything, that suddenly a Tasmanian would appear saying, “Let me do that for you”.

I believe that this is a model of ministry which was modelled clearly in the lives of the older members of the team and infused into the lives of the younger ones. Servant ministry is of course what the Lord has shown to all of His people and it was lovely to be the recipients of such godly attitudes.

The Fruit

The Lord alone knows what the long-term fruit will be. Maybe some Christians will come to church (DPC or another church in town). Maybe some backsliders will be revitalised. Maybe it has been a stepping stone towards some coming to know the Lord Jesus Christ.

The team was certainly an encouragement to the local congregation. They encouraged us, not only by fellowship with them, but also encouraged us in our fellowship with the Lord and each other.

Thanks

Our thanks go to Ian Partridge who originated the idea and saw it through to its conclusion.

Our thanks go to each member of the team who laboured physically, emotionally, spiritually and financially in a self-sacrificial way to be a blessing to the congregation in Darwin.

Our thanks go to all who supported the team by fund-raising and praying.

Our thanks go to the Sessions and congregations of the Tasmanian churches which have joined with us in ministry in Darwin. Rev. Peter Thorneycroft wrote,

“We trust that their time with you will be an encouragement to them as they work with you in reaching out to the Darwin community, and also to yourselves in knowing that you are very much a part of the wider family of grace which is the Presbyterian Church of Australia.  …… we also hope that through them you will gain a sense of fellowship and bonding with your sister church here in Tasmania. Please be assured of our prayers on your behalf, not only while the team is with you but throughout the year ahead.”

Along with the letter came a generous financial gift.

Above all others we give thanks to God who has graciously brought us into fellowship with Himself through His Son, and along with Him given us brothers and sisters in Christ who share our burdens and carry our needs into the throne-room of the Almighty, willingly sacrificing their own needs and comforts so that we would be richly blessed.

The Mission was an act of unity in the Spirit. Our experience was, “How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!” Psalm 133:1.

To God be the glory! Your fellow Pilgrim,

Rob Duncanson,
Pastor of the Darwin Presbyterian Church.