Presentation given at the AMEN Australia 2018 annual conference held in Adelaide, Australia, www.amenaustralia.org.

AMEN Australia 2018: Healing, Surviving, Thriving

<p>Presentation given at the AMEN Australia 2018 annual conference held in Adelaide, Australia, www.amenaustralia.org.</p>

<p>Free sharing permitted under the Creative Commons <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/">BY-NC-ND 3.0 (US)</a> license.</p>

Adventist Medical Evangelism Network Australia

Antoinette Mowbray

Angie Thompson

Opening Thoughts

I think we can all resonate with the sense that our work can sometimes be difficult to see in the context of ministry.

Sometimes in the process of caring for others, we burn out, lose our spiritual vitality, get caught on the treadmill of secular work, not knowing how to fill it with the purpose of ministry.

We might become disillusioned with involvement in church outreach and wonder why we started the whole process and lose faith altogether.

The stats suggest that the time of greatest loss of faith is actually after graduation rather than before, which is quite fascinating, isn't it?

We might ask ourselves how to be practical Christians in a secular environment with varying challenges.

And some of these topics are what we'd like to discuss this weekend, you know, as colleagues together, facing the same challenges without judgment for any of us who struggle, because we all do.

It might seem cliche, but as Matthew records Jesus' advice, to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, trusting that all these things will be added to us.

And we have the quote from councils on health at the front of your brochure, which I've neglected to bring up with me, but basically saying that keeping our connection is the most important thing, that knowing our need of it is also crucial.

I just wanted to bring your attention, I'm sure you've all read this part out of Testimonies to the Church, Volume 6, where Alan White talks about the right arm message.

No, I have him to thank because he was the first person that ever brought to my attention the importance of the health message and the gospel message being together.

And of course in 6 Testimonies, Helen White talks about the head being Christ and the body being the church.

We can think of it that way in the health ministry, where we have the head being the Gospel message and the health being the body.

And we all need to work together, just as the same as the head needs the body.

And I remember Dave Fodler, I think it was back in 1 of the early conferences in Melbourne, he was talking about how important it was for the 2 to come together, for health and for ministry to be together.

And I wholeheartedly endorse that and would like to see this weekend the focus of healing, surviving and thriving really pointing to that.

I'd just like to read a small part from Ministry of Healing.

The first part I'm looking at here is healing.

And I think it's really important in our work environment and our ministry that we remember there's a lot of hurting people out there, and we can do what we can in our own sphere.

Very important to be loving and lovable to the people that are around us.

And so a quote from 1 Corinthians 13, 1 to 6, "'If I speak in tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.

If I have prophetic powers and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

It does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right.

And I thought that was a really important thing to remember when it comes to healing.

And as far as surviving is concerned, I had a look at Ministry of Healing again, page 252.

It says, when temptations assail you, and that's part of surviving, is how to cope with that, look upward to the loving Father, rest in the love of Jesus, and place yourself under his care.

And with thriving, this might seem like a slightly unusual thing to say, but without a knowledge of health principles, no 1 is fitted for life responsibilities.

We need to be able to take care of our own health first to thrive.

Nothing will so arouse self-sacrificing zeal and broaden and strengthen the character is to engage and work for others.

And as Christ said in Galatians 6, 2, bear you 1 another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ.

And I'd just like to say an opening prayer.

Dear Heavenly Father, I just come before you, Lord, in Jesus' name.

I'd just like to pray for each person here and each that is still traveling, that you would give them traveling mercies and bring them here safely.

Thank you that you have brought us to this point where we want to reach out and help others.

We want to be pleasing to you in the things that we do and say and think.

And we pray that this weekend as we learn the principles of healing, surviving and thriving, that you would speak to our hearts and we can use what we learn for your glory.

We know that we're all here for a common goal, to reach out and help others to get well, both in a health sense, physical, spiritually, mentally and emotionally.

And we pray, Lord, that you would be in charge here, that you would help each 1 of us to be able to reach out to others.

We're looking forward to you coming soon and we want to help others to come to know you.

I pray that your Holy Spirit would be here for the entire weekend protecting us and guiding us in our thoughts and that we can network and reach out to 1 another.

I thank you for that love and thank you for us answering this prayer according to all I pray in Jesus name, Amen.

Opening Thoughts

Transcript

Description

Parent Conference

Sponsor

Recorded

Related

Breakout Seminars

How to BioHack your Health

42m

The Health Message

Trusting God is Healthy

57m

Plenary

I Never Thought

58m

For Women Only: Living a Life of Significance

6. Significance that Lasts

1h

Who is Your One Soul Audience

Liberated to Love

58m

Seminars

The Reach of Faith

1h

Jesus Cares

48m

OYC 2011 Seminars

Kellogg vs. The Ministry: A Century of Collateral Damage

56m

Reasons for Hope: The Case for Faith in a Secular Age

Reasons for Hope: The Case for Faith in a Secular Age - Part 4

1h 12m

Seminars

Health Ministry is Where the Heart is

1h 8m

Personal Excellence

Excellence in Health

1h

GYC 2011 Seminar: Healing from Sexual Brokenness

Call It Anything But Love, Part 2

1h

Sound Doctrine