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Monday, July 13, 2009

Itinerary Update:
For those interested, I will be speaking in the following locations in the next week. Hope to see you there!

Yarra Valley Vineyard
60 Cave Hill Road, Lilydale
6pm Wednesday 15 July
"Biblical Frameworks for Trade Justice"

Forge/Tear Tasmania Conference
Rocherlea Community Hall, Archer St, Rocherlea
Friday 17 July to Sat 18 July

Labels: Activism, Events, Forge, Itinerary, Lifestyle, Tasmania, Tear

Posted by Stephen @ 12:30 PM 0 comments

Monday, February 09, 2009

::Rants-Thanks for your thoughts...

Just a quick note to say thank you to all who have enquired about mine and my families safety in the recent fires in Melbourne. The short version is that we are all safe.

The longer version is that I was speaking at a conference in Queensland, two hours outside of Brisbane and effectively incommunicado.

I called Lisa at 6:00pm Melbourne time, only to find out that she was in our car with both the kids, driving around Greensborough (a suburb that is about 10 minutes drive from our house, towards the city and away from the fires). She then proceeded to tell me about the 47 degree Celsius day, the hot northerly winds and the fact that our suburb/town (Hurstbridge) had officially been placed on alert.

It all seemed very surreal.

She informed me that she would be heading back to our home if it was still possible that night and that she had packed bags, placed them by the door, and was waiting with some anxiety, how the night would unfold. The anxiety of course, being due to the fact that some of the residents in our street had already evacuated for the next few days whilst the rest of the residents were making preparations, hosing down roofs and the like. Things that Lisa would obviously find very difficult to do, being on her own with two kids.

I am so indebted to our wonderful neighbors, who knowing that Lisa was on her own, checked in on her every few hours all day and into the night, just to make sure she was up to date and ok.

I then discovered the next day the extend of loss of life and destruction of property. My wonderful partner Lisa then informs me that she is packing some stuff and money together to help a colleague of hers whose house was destroyed in Kinglake. She, her partner and her 18 month old son headed off to the city to visit some friends and when they tried to return home, discovered that the whole area had been cordoned off. They are now living in a friends basement.

I am sure that they are simply one of many who are now facing a pretty bleak next few months. I really hope insurance companies don't forget the reason they exist in the next few weeks and months.

Then there are those who have lost their lives. I am dreading the identification process. I suspect there will be at least one or two who we know from the area.

Then of course, there are some of the most wonderful people in the world, the CFA volunteers. As I read stories of these men and women who *voluntarily* place themselves between people and danger, I just think the world of them all. They are simply remarkable and I continue to esteem them as wonderful servants who help their neighbors in need. I think about how heartbroken many of them are, after having to watch as a power beyond their best attempts to control destroys the properties of those they have sworn to defend, and in some instances, their lives. Having spent some time with the Hurstbridge CFA, I think about those incredible men and women who are putting themselves in harms way in an attempt to help others, and my heart swells with both admiration and fear. Can I ask you to join with me in prayer for these guys? And keep reading the newspapers and listening to the media and respond to any requests for aid that may come out from time to time?

I might actually turn the computer off for a while because it is pretty overwhleming to think about everything that is going on and how it effects people close to me.

Let me conclude simply by saying I appreciate all your concerns, but for now, Lisa and the boys are safe, and I am obviously quite safe also, being in Queensland.

Grace.

Labels: Family, Itinerary, Rants, Victorian Fires

Posted by Stephen @ 3:59 PM 0 comments

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

::Itinerary-On and off road...

It's getting hard to keep this thing up to date. I have spent the better part of the last week in Adelaide. I was the speaker at the Baptist Union of South Australia Easter Camp. It was a bit of a challenge speaking to people as young as 12 and up to 30ish. Try keeping a group of 170 people spanning those age groups happy!

The feedback I have gotten from Jason Hoet and his team was very encouraging. A number of people, after having a whole bunch of sessions to discuss the radical Jesus, made some kind of commitment to try and respond. In a note passed on to me, one of the campers said "thanks for the brutal altar call. It was real and painful, but I think God wants it like that".

In retrospect, I spent most of my time trying to persuade people not to respond. God calls us to enter into a broken and painful world to make a difference. He calls us not to maintain the unhealthy defence mechanisms (even the socially acceptable ones!), rather he invites us to expose our heart to even greater pain.

It's two edged. You open up your heart to pain and further wounding, means that your heart is also in a place to experience the kind of joy just not possible to dead people.

May God's grace strengthen the first time commitments, the recommitments and the three individuals who chose that night to serve the poor overseas! Looking forward to radical stories in the future!

Labels: Events, Gen Y, Itinerary, Tear

Posted by Stephen @ 4:32 PM 0 comments

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

::Rants-Still in Queensland

In Brisbane at the moment. I have been involved in the Forge Intensive on Spirituality for Mission. It was a great conversation held at Bracken Ridge Baptist.

On Sunday night, I spent the evening with Joshua Tree, Steve Turner's tribe on the Sunshine Coast. It was a good evening, having conversations around money and mission, and catching up with some old (and new) friends.

Yesterday morning I had breakfast with the crew from City Wesleyan, the community presided over by the luminous Ken and Leanne Baker. Had a great time conversing around the artificial gap placed by the Western Church between Evangelism and Social Justice.

Today I spent the morning at YMIS. We reflected theologically on the nature of conversion and its practical ramifications, as well as
some good reflection on the Kingdom of God narratives understood by the early church.

I am getting to the point of exhaustion. So I am really looking forward to meeting up with Ralph (ex-Tear) and then picking up Lisa and Harry from the Gold Coast Airport tonight. I have not seen either of them since last Thursday and miss them crazily.

So I will be signing off for a week and a half, devouring re-runs of the X-Files on my laptop and reading the 14 books I have brought with me on holidays!

Labels: Blogging, Discipleship, Events, Itinerary, Mission, Theology

Posted by Stephen @ 1:27 PM 2 comments

Thursday, June 21, 2007

::Itinerary-National Youth Ministry Convention

Shameless Plug Alert
This is a plug for a Youth Ministry Conference in Queensland that I will be involved in. There seems to be some great input organised along the lines of global issues, working with marginalised young people and the like.

The National Youth Ministry Convention on the Gold Coast is a 4-day experience for anyone who works with youth or young adults. If you are a youth worker, chaplain, pastor, teacher or volunteer, the NYMC is designed to provide much needed recharging, professional development and connection with like-minded people.
Delegates will attend one full day seminar, plus 5 main and 8 elective sessions. Speakers include Duffy Robbins, Tony Campolo, Tim Hawkins, Chris Harding, Mark Sayers, Ross Farley, Stephen Said and many more.
Accommodation can be found easily nearby, and bookings can be taken online.

The NYMC is coordinated by Youth Vision Queensland, in cooperation with a large number of youth ministry partners including Scripture Union Queensland, Anglican Youth Ministries, Youth For Christ, Youth Dimension, Uniting Church Youth Ministries Queensland, Student Life, Churches of Christ, Fusion, Youth Ministries Australia, The Salvation Army Youth, and Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane – Youth Ministry

An event of this magnitude would also not be possible without the help of wonderful supporters such as 107.3.

If you would like to be part of this inaugural Australian youth ministry event, register now and pay the early bird rate. Bring a spouse for about half price, or a group of 5+ to save even more. (Please feel free to forward this email to anyone you know who works with young people!) Note: the early bird due date of May 25 has been extended to the end of June

For more info, email stephen@nymc.org.au, phone 1800 1 555 33, get a brochure or go to www.nymc.org.au.

Labels: Events, Itinerary

Posted by Stephen @ 11:21 AM 0 comments

Friday, June 15, 2007

::Voices for Justice

I am going to be traveling up to Canberra on a bus tonight for Voices for Justice. VFJ is a four day Christian conference. On the Saturday and Sunday, we pray, worship and learn how to participate in the political process. Then on the Monday and Tuesday, we visit as many federal members of the Australian parliament as we can.

We talk to them about aid, trade and debt relief. We invite Christians to lend their voices to those who cannot speak out, namely the poor, the least and the last in our world. We invite Christians to speak to representatives of the Australian government. We invite the Australian Government to act on behalf of those same people.

It was quite a phenomenal experience last year. Getting an insight into the political process was both an inspiring and depressing exercise.

It is an election year, and I thought that this year, rather than whinge about the fact that our politic is so selfish and banal, I would participate in raising the level. As Australian Christians, we only desire from our government cheapest and safest ride through life, or we simply desire conservative moral laws, we dream in a way that is far too small, and we demean the immense God of compassion, mercy and love that we profess to serve.

PS - Anyone in Canberra who wants to hang out, let me know! I'd love a chat!

Technorati Tags: Itinerary, Rants

Labels: Itinerary, Politics, Rants

Posted by Stephen @ 2:58 PM 0 comments

Monday, March 26, 2007

::Rants-Back on Deck...

grad.stephensaidnme
Originally uploaded by Stephen Said.

Well it is official! I am now a Bachelor, even though I have been married for 12 years. On Saturday I received the award for Bachelor in Mission Studies from Tabor College in Melbourne. I have been studying for the better part of 10 years. This is a photo of me with one of my students who also graduated on Saturday. Her name is Beth Rumble and she was better at getting the photo's out of her camera than I was. Thanks Beth.

Well, I am back on deck too, after taking three weeks off to build it that is! I had three weeks to rebuild our veranda (or deck) that had rotted all the way through, but I was back on deck last night, preaching at Ballarat Family Church of Christ. What a great community! I met so many people keen to want to do something about social change. I will look forward to developing a partnership with their church. Quite a few of them seemed keen to participate in Tear's DEEP trip to Nepal.

I will hopefully be blogging every other day or so now that I am back on deck.

Technorati Tags: Tear

Labels: Blogging, Itinerary, Rants, Tear

Posted by Stephen @ 8:32 AM 0 comments

Thursday, February 15, 2007

Rants-Where's Seddy II

Currently taking part in the National Forge Boot Camp. It is a time of meeting with the National Team as well as key members of each of the teams in all of the states. It is a wonderful time of meeting with some new people and I also had the great pleasure of seeing Geoff Maddock who I have conversed with in the blogosphere face to face, the first time in a long time!

There are some wonderful people around the Forge network and it is a good time to reconnect.

Labels: Forge, Itinerary, Rants

Posted by Stephen @ 7:55 AM 1 comments

Wednesday, January 31, 2007

::Itinerary-Heading Out West 2

I mentioned a few weeks ago that I was heading out west. Not only does that remind me of a fantastic song by Tom Waits (Goin' out west - Fight Club Soundtrack, and what a fantastic wrestling song does it make!) but it means that I will be in Perth for a few days. I would love to hang with any readers of this blog in Perth. If that's you (or someone you know!) give me a yell. I would love to meet up.

In terms of official engagements, I will be spending time with the Forge WA crew for their mini intensive. You can find all of the details here...

Labels: Forge, Itinerary

Posted by Stephen @ 9:50 PM 1 comments

Ideas have a mind of their own, and when they get together, woa, what a party!