western australia

BOOST for 10-14

geoffwa — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 04:52:56 +0000

June 15,16 2012

more info soon…

Here’s a note from one of the Boost kids’ parents, indicative of others’ comments:

Hi Geoff,

I just wanted to write and say thanks for your work with Boost over this weekend. Our kids have come home buzzing. ”M”, last night, sat down and showed us what he had learned, his favourite scripture and asked if he could go to BOOST again next year. The Lord has touched their lives. And “G”, (Family friend) sounds like she has just gotten the gospel in a big way. This is really exciting because her mother has shared the gospel with her several times and she has unable to understand. So big breakthrough there as well.

For me, I am just so impressed with the high quality content, and that you believe that the kids can engage with it. The 20 minutes on their own has seemed to have a big impact on our kids. Simply that they had an opportunity to hear the Lord for themselves.

Boost was something I did not really give my kids a choice about. I just made them go because I had a sense it would be powerful for them. They have thanked me for that but it is something that is in the end down to the quality of what you did and, of course, the work of the Holy Spirit.

Thanks

A composite of what the teens said on their feedback sheets, would go something like this:

10/10. Awesome way to learn so much about God, Jesus, the Bible, and have fun doing it! We’re talking deep truth! Brilliant information to help solidify your faith. It’s okay if you’re not a Christian – if we want more information we can ask questions if we don’t understand. Please please please please come to BOOST.

So it looks it will be on again in 2012. We’ll be looking for 10-14 year olds, who have a thirst for knowledge... to give them a “BOOST” between camps and other good input. Often junior youth events play a lot, which can frustrate kids who want to dig deeper. This is for those deeper kind of kids.

BOOST is a state-wide, open event for all, designed for 10-14 age-range, but especially for those who are hungry to know more. Anyone is welcome if they’re happy to fit in with that.

It’s great for these more serious kids to meet peers like them! There will be some games and eats, but mainly learning, so bring notepad, pen & Bible.

Please pass this on to others who you know could use a real BOOST!

About BOOST:

BOOST started after the 2009 filming of the Core Stuff DVDs, which were pitched at older teens and adults. A smart 10 year old in the audience said she wished she could invite her friends to something like it. So we arranged it and she did! And they loved it too!

“I loved the way you spoke about God to us. It made me understand a lot, it was so inspiring. Every time you spoke you made everything around me stop to focus on the words that were coming out of your mouth, and how deeply they were going into my heart. Your talks gave me the heart and strength to decide to be a believer again. Thank you so much. I learnt a whole lot of information and evidence about God that helped me make my decision.” – 14 year old.

“These talks have opened my eyes to why it is important to love & believe in God, even at the hardest of times. I always had a little feeling, “what if the Bible isn’t real.” But the history was so informative.” – 14 year old.

This year we’re doing four big sessions on the Emmaus Eavesdrop, what Jesus might have said when he “explained to them what was said about himself in all the Scriptures, beginning with the books of Moses and the writings of all the prophets.” Please join our prayer that BOOST would cause their hearts to burn within them too.

“Geoff’s talks have been some of the best God-based stuff I have ever heard…” –15

“Thanks Geoff. Your preaching has changed me inside out!” – 13

Parents are encouraged to come and listen in to the feedback session during the last hour, to hear what their kids found most helpful at BOOST.

Kids Ministry – Easter Resources

wageneral — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 10:59:36 +0000

Missing Easter Egg Object Lesson (pdf)

Easter Paper Cut TEMPLATE A4 size (pdf) – also see instruction sheet, below.
Easter Paper Cut INSTRUCTIONS (pdf) – also see template, above.

Song – The Father Sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world (pdf)

Dear Diary Easter – activity sheet (pdf)

2 Easter Games (pdf)

Aussie Flag – object lesson (pdf)

If you want further Easter info or wish to communicate further about these resources, then contact Rob Adams – e: rob.adams@oac.org.au

2012 – book now

wageneral — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 06:33:07 +0000

Now is a good time to book in a school incursion or outreach event.

Set aside time to plan hosting us during 2012.
- Copy and paste the following text into a timeslot in your diary: “Diarize OACWA: geoffwestlake@gmail.com, 0411 324 245.”

We can add a powerful outsider’s voice to reinforce your ongoing mission.
OAC Ministries’ presentations are evangelistic topics that can change lives forever.
Don’t let the most important things be replaced by the merely urgent.

Religions in Oz

geoffwa — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 06:05:38 +0000

Religions in Australia

Religions in Australia is a strong, new educational incursion for all schools, by experienced presenter, Geoff Westlake, at OAC Ministries WA.

Using Census data, Geoff begins by describing the religions in Australia historically and now, and their relative scope and influence.

He helpfully categorizes the religions into poly-theism, mono-theism, a-theism and mon-ism. This provides a grid for beginning to compare and contrast religions. Using powerpoint he supplies mental images of people in these faiths, and explains origins and beliefs within these parameters.

Inevitably, students begin to ask many questions. Geoff answers within the frames of the religions in question. That’s why it is suggested that the time allowed for the seminar be at least two hours, but prepared for less (in case for some reason there are no questions.)

Geoff has been a Youthcare approved presenter since 1997, and is responsible for some fantastic Religious Education presentations on Anger, Negative Peer Pressure, and Citizenship, as well as surprisingly practical angles on typical RE themes such as Easter and Christmas.

This seminar can be used at any time of year, or as a Christmas program describing what the different religions in Australia do at Christmas time, and even what they have in common at this season.

Religions in Australia gives a wealth of information, and breeds understanding and tolerance.

Highly recommended.

ReligionInOz.pdf poster

Kids Ministry – Christmas Resources

wageneral — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 13:25:13 +0000

Just a few downloads that you may find helpful in your kid’s ministry:

M&M Christmas poem – pdf

MnM Christmas poem – powerpoint

Candy cane story – pdf

Christmas decorations object lesson – pdf

Song – The Father Sent the Son – pdf

Christine Martin-Hegarty

geoffwa — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 08:11:28 +0000

Introducing Part-Time outreach specialist, Christine Martin-Hegarty

Christine has commenced part-time with us.

Christine and her husband have run a caravan park business in Mandurah, and go to Sonrise Church there where she leads the children’s church.

She makes, sells, and uses puppets, does christian clowning, has been a religious instruction teacher for 10 years, and undertaken mission trips with Christ for all Children most recently in China. She is currently studying BA in cross-cultural missions, has a BA (visual arts) and Grad Dip in community services.

“This is exactly the direction I would like to be moving in, I have prayed about the next step that God wants me to take and I feel it is in children’s ministry… My heart is towards children’s evangelism.”

She also wants to “train herself out of a job.” So if you want some skills in puppetry and kids ministry, ask for Christine. And if you’d like to develop outreach in residential caravan parks, contact Christine.

Please consider joining Christine’s prayer &/or financial support team.

Ben Kingwell

geoffwa — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 07:39:16 +0000

Introducing Volunteer outreach specialist, Ben Kingwell.

He is a trained engineer and teacher, currently teaching part time at St Stephens School Duncraig where he teaches ‘Faith And Values’ and ‘Faith Matters’, as well as facilitating ‘The Truth Project’, and numerous outreach presentations this year.

He has lead Scripture Union camp Canoemup for many years, and is a critical member of an embryonic faith community.

Similar to Geoff in style, Ben can also add musical performance to his presentations, and is concerned for sensitive apologetics.

He writes, “As the secular voice calls us away from God we need to raise the counter voice. Into every aspect of life we need to shamelessly yet tactfully carry God’s message.”

Ben is available for camps, retreats, schools, community groups, and church-based outreaches.

Please consider joining Ben’s prayer team.

Glen Echo 2011

geoffwa — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 02:07:13 +0000

The answers to prayer at Glen Echo 2011 were wonderful. Below is a picture of the prayer list we (campers and leaders voluntary prayer time) referred to throughout the week.

Some highlights to explain are:
- ‘unusual signs’ means signs of God’s presence above and beyond normal, which really seem miraculous.
- we pretty much never see a snake at Glen Echo, but this time about a dozen tiger snakes were spotted. We felt surrounded but yet protected.
- During one prayer time, at the same time independently, Mel and I pulled out our iphones to look up verses we had been given, we read them out and they dovetailed perfectly: Matt 16:25 about giving our lives to God to save it, and 2Tim1:12 about knowing that God is able to keep what we commit to him until that day. One camper verbalized that this nudged his faith ‘over the line.’
- When the wind is strong and against you, paddling can be hard and not fun for year 8′s. But each time we turned into the wind the wind dropped or changed direction!
- A camper wrote a song and we were all belting out his loving lyrics, “Karen and Ray, We love you!” and at exactly that moment a cloud in the sun setting sky shaped into a very obvious heart-shape, providing a wonderful climax to the song, the sentiment, and the camp.

I received two great encouragements from some of you too, which I’d like to share with the rest of you.

- One said they’d also like to hear more from us in our struggles, not just for the big events.
- One said, “Thanks for inviting me to pray – it gave me that little extra discipline and focus.”

It’s good to know that my prayer for you is also being answered, that you will be blessed by praying for us

Itineraries

geoffwa — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 01:43:26 +0000

God is at work!

We sure need your prayers for our presentations (and preparations, and personally too.) Because we’re really doing something culturally crazy: talking about faith and religion, about deeply personal matters – and we’re doing it in public! The fact that people not only listen but enjoy it, and openly consider what we’re saying for themselves, well that’s some kind of miracle, I reckon. And that’s exactly what we’re praying for!

So please join our prayer support team.

Email Rob Adams here for his itinerary.
You can find Geoff’s updated online itinerary here: http://geoffwestlake.com/and/itinerary/
Email Geoff here to join his prayer team, and receive emails leading up to special outreach events.
Email here to receive OACWA’s bi-monthly news & prayer notes

What do I think about just before I get up to speak? As they say in the classics, “Cover me, I’m going in!”

Making the most of an outreach

geoffwa — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 03:34:24 +0000

Are you planning for a visiting speaker to assist with your outreach?

Here are a few things to help make the most of the visit…

Prepare.
You can do this preparation while you’re waiting for God to give you the “green light” (when it seems the right time to have the Gospel articulated clearly.)

1. Pray – for all people and aspects of the outreach

2. Make friends, or learn how & start (see LifeSharing),

3. Build trust by genuine care and concern, show hospitality & love. (This will also help you decide when and what activities might help or harm your friends most!)

4. Affirm the image of God among ‘them,’ the gifts they have to give

5. Pray about blockages you see

6. Learn how to share your faith, your story, yourself.

7. Prepare to follow up a new believer with regular meetings to review the core beliefs, and develop the core practices. Learn when and how to join them into the local believers (without losing their local relationships.)

8. Check out some evangelists* to see if they’re the kind of people you can confidently bring people to hear. Have them visit, present, and discuss options.

9. Choose an evangelist (or team), clarifying the costs** involved, topics and program ideas most suitable for your invitees.

Build-up.
When you sense that “green light,” and you’ve found an evangelist that you have confidence in,

1. diarize the outreach weeks.

2. start concerted prayer and

3. start event preparations. Prepare events that you all agree will be worthwhile and ‘safe’ for the likely invitees.

4. start promotion. By this time your people should (have a fair idea what the outreach meetings will be like, and be confident to invite their friends to it.) Forecast what each event will be asking of the invitees (hear information, invitation opportunity, discussion/ Q&A opportunity, invitation opportunity, etc).

Events.

1. A visiting speaker from out of town produces an “only here for a short-time” effect, so people are more likely to make space in their schedules.

2. Have events for invitees to attend every 3 to 4 days (at least), so that excitement can build momentum over the weeks, and so that attendees can build concept-upon-concept before they forget the former learnings, or lose interest in the connections of ideas.

3. Have meetings over more than a week so that people can get clear with what’s being said, and trust the evangelist enough to bring others along.

4. Where possible have a mix of events for all ages (where possible), so that families can grow in understanding together, having input for all family members to share at home.

This can make for a long few weeks, but experience shows that multiple-meeting outreaches (like camps) have greater effect than one-off events. And gifted, well-utilized evangelists from outside your local area can catalyze a good time of outreach.

Finally, to expect evangelists to just come and “do it,” is like expecting a race-driver to win without a car or crew: he can try, but the teamwork makes it far more effective.

Hopefully this article can stimulate you to work towards a more strategic use of this largely overlooked ministry gift.

Cheers,
Geoff.
www.geoffwestlake.com, www.wa.oac.org.au, 0411 324245

* Contacts for evangelists

OAC Ministries has a variety of evangelists across Australia, some with expertise in different ages and contexts, other with multiple capabilities. www.oac.org.au

** Costs

Expect to cover accommodation, travel, and a salary amount in line with what you pay your staff.

From there, costs can vary significantly, depending on the support structure the evangelists use, and how funds are used: some evangelists can negotiate for the biggest possible fee on behalf of their charities; some can structure their fees on a user pays basis; some on a supporter-subsidized basis.
At OAC Ministries we work for mutual viability for all, so that the outreach ministry can be repeated in future. So we have a supporter-subsidized structure so that poor groups can be subsidized, and hoping that wealthier groups will become regular supporters.