General Newsletter—August 2010

Dear Friends in Christ,

We write just after the Federal Election in Australia on 21st August, which looks like it will result in a hung parliament between the two major parties, with a number of newer political forces gaining increased power. While these developments are confusing to all and of serious concern to some, we have no cause to fear under the good hand of our God:

It is he who sits above the circle of the earth,
and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers . . . 
who brings princes to naught,
and makes the rulers of the earth as nothing (Isaiah 40:22, 23).

the Most High is sovereign over the kingdom of mortals;
he gives it to whom he will (Daniel 4:17).

it is God who executes judgment,
putting down one and lifting up another (Psalm 75:7).

Be assured that the situation in Australia today, despite all human machinations, is from the hand of God, as in patient forbearance with our grievous shortcomings He continues to bring the sun up each morning and to give us ‘life and breath and all things’, ‘not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance’; as in measured and timely judgement He gives us over to what is in our hearts, while keeping a restraining hand on the devil’s mischief; in order to bring us as our Father and Redeemer to grace and blessing in the riches of His glory in Christ for all who believe. While rightly concerned and prayerful about who might govern us, let us not be anxious, but rather let us, no matter what, proclaim and be faithful to Jesus our Messiah and Lord who at this time rules over all the nations, including ours:

Let the mountains be laden with peace
because of his righteousness:
and the hills also with prosperity for his people.
May he give justice to the poor among the people:
and rescue the children of the needy,
and crush the oppressor . . .
All kings shall fall down before him:
and all nations do him service (Psalm 72:3–4, 11).

May this be our prayer:

Let all peoples use his name in blessing:
and all nations call him blessed (Psalm 72:17).

  God’s victory and rule over all things right or wrong came through strongly and encouragingly at our Winter School 11–14th June on ‘Fighting the Good Fight’. A number of chapters in the Book of Revelation were opened up clearly and reassuringly for many. Mp3 and DVD recordings are available from us, and on the website:
<www.sermonaudio.com/newcreation>
Here also will be found the high quality pastoral studies from our Ministry School 19th–23rd July on ‘Shepherds after God’s Own Heart’. Bound printed studies are also available. One of the quotes: ‘We will love the people best when we love Jesus first’.

Published earlier this year was Martin Bleby’s book Marriage and the Good News of God ($13.00). Marriage is no longer the social norm in Australia that it once was. Many couples are managing without it, and a sizable proportion of those who marry do not stay in it for life. A majority of marriages still last a lifetime, and many of them thrive. This book seeks to set out, clearly, positively and simply, the true nature and great benefits of God’s gift of marriage, to commend it to this generation. It seeks to show how marriage is linked with the high and holy purpose of God for his whole creation, and to draw out the implications of this for being married.

God’s purpose for His creation has come under attack from the beginning of the human race. Since marriage is so closely aligned with the purpose of God, a central consequence of this is that marriage itself comes under attack. As one of our friends heard from an unbelieving workmate, ‘I hate Jesus, and I hate marriage!’ Anything that is not marriage will come to be favoured in preference to the real thing. The desire for ‘options’ may not be as neutral or innocent as it seems to be, but may, even unconsciously, be operating from a more sinister agenda. Setting marriage firmly in the context of the saving plan and purpose of God may be salutary for us all at this time.

Amongst our ongoing weekly classes, Bryce Clark’s Wednesday nights on the Port Road at Queenstown on ‘A Story of Fire’ has been drawing a mixed group of first and later comers to this continent, to consider what God has been doing amongst us, in a strong and realistic spirit of reconciliation in Christ. A reprint of the book A Story of Fire Continued by Max Hart and Bryce Clark, detailing some of God’s dealings with indigenous Australians, is being published now ($20.00).
Martin and Vivien Bleby and John and Beryl Skewes will join Ian and Zara Pennicook for the NSW Spring Schools, also on ‘Fighting the Good Fight’, at Mittagong in the Southern Highlands 3rd–5th and at Wamberal 10–12th September. Martin Bleby and Andrew Klynsmith are also making regular visits to Victor Harbor and Mount Compass in preparation for the Real Life! mission on the death and resurrection of Jesus 3rd–10th October. A booklet The Good News of God for Victor Harbor and the South Coast, for group and personal use and for sharing the gospel with others, is being studied there. Preparations are in train for Summer School 2011 2nd–7th January. Please pray with us for these significant events.

We have continued to be heartened by the prayer, support and positive feedback we have received from you regarding the projected changes in leadership, directions and base location of the New Creation Teaching Ministry, as detailed in recent letters. A Planning Retreat day with all our speakers is planned for 27th September, around which a picture for next year’s program will emerge. John Skewes and Andrew Klynsmith are checking out possible available properties. Pray with us for this also, as the Lord leads us faithfully step by step.

Yours in our Lord,

Special Letter—6th July 2010

Dear Friends in Christ,

We want to let you know where we have come to so far in our consideration of the matters we wrote to you about in our letter of 20th May 2010: the future of the New Creation Teaching Ministry, and the Property Matters.

The Future of New Creation Teaching Ministry

We were greatly encouraged by the excellent Winter School 11–14th June and the prayer meeting that followed on the Monday afternoon. The interest of people who have been praying with us has been most heartening—not with any particular agenda, but supportive and humbly open to whatever the Lord wills.

The overwhelming sense of what we have received is that the ministry is not only to continue but to grow and become more widespread.

There have been some new developments, which will have a bearing on the future of the ministry. Martin Bleby has felt called to relinquish the position of Director of Ministry in the beginning of next year 2011, while staying on the team. Those last words are important—Martin is not resigning or retiring. It will simply be a change of position on the team, like on a cricket field. It will be ten years since Martin as Director of Ministry with John Skewes as General Manager took up the leadership jointly from Geoffrey Bingham in 2001. This has been a significant time of transition and of conserving and passing on all that has been given in this ministry. It is time now to extend the work in new directions and with new connections. Martin sees his future ministry being more out among the churches, seeking to be instrumental in the renewal of the church through helping to raise the levels of biblical literacy.

Andrew Klynsmith has felt led to accept a calling to the position of Director of Ministry from the beginning of next year. Andrew has an evangelist’s heart and is looking to see God’s reviving work in Australia through preaching the gospel, and teaching, training and mentoring others. Given that the ministry is to continue and grow, there is a sense that the ministry will change, as new people are called to gather around Andrew in whatever unfolds. Andrew has a sense that this will have more to do with going out than with drawing people in.

This prospective change of leadership was endorsed by the New Creation Council at its special meeting on 2nd July. The team and Council join Andrew and Martin in a peace-filled sense of excitement at the (somewhat daunting) new possibilities for ministry that this may precipitate.

At the same time, John and Beryl Skewes have come to see that their time on the team and with John as General Manager will come to an end sooner rather than later, perhaps as early as next year. John and Beryl have been a backbone of this ministry for thirty-four years, almost since its inception. They now have a peace about stepping aside to see new people come in and shape up new roles. When they finish, they will vacate and sell their property, on which their house and the New Creation administration building stand.

Property Matters

As we said in the May 20th letter, Laurel is looking to sell her house and land, on which the teaching centre, library building and a shed stand, which are occupied by New Creation Teaching Ministry on a generous lease arrangement, and in which New Creation holds an equitable interest.

At its meeting on 2nd July, the New Creation Council considered the matter of whether to buy the Bingham property, or forego our option on the property and let someone else buy it, with its buildings. We saw that this decision would depend on whether or not we see the present teaching centre and library buildings as our continuing base for future ministry.

The Council decided not to purchase the Bingham property, and so not to continue the occupation of the teaching centre and library buildings after it is sold to someone else.

Our emotional attachment to the property, and to all the wonderful things the Lord has done there over the last thirty-five years, and the ways these buildings, given by God, have served us well over those years, made the decision a very difficult one. But in view of the changing vision of the ministry, it was felt that these buildings would not continue to serve our core ministry, and that we were being called to let them go.

The decision was made more difficult in that as yet we do not have in view another base facility from which to operate, which would need office and storage space, and possibly a smaller meeting room. It felt a bit like Abraham being called to go he knew not where, that God would show him; or being told to ‘launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch’. But we know the great blessing for many, and the vast harvest of people, that was to come from those faith-actions, that we are now a continuing part of (see Gen 12:1–3; Luke 5:1–11).

Tax-deductible gifts given over the years will still need to be spent on purchasing a property for the teaching ministry. It is likely that wherever we end up going, it will still take more financial resources than we presently have in hand, and we look to the Lord to provide abundantly as we have always known. We are grateful for the gifts that have come in or been promised since our letter of 20th May, some of which may have been with a view to buying the Bingham property. Donors will be contacted to determine their wishes in this regard.

Most of all, we will still need to be praying together with regard to the well-ordered timing of these things, and all the other as yet unanswered questions. We are so grateful to God for your continued fellowship with us in the gospel, and we will keep you well informed.

Yours in Christ,

Martin Bleby—Director of Ministry

John Skewes—General Manager

SPECIAL LETTER—20th May 2010


Dear Friends in Christ,

We send you this special letter to share some important considerations with you, to ask you to pray with us, and to give us any feedback that you may have for us.

Property Matters

Many may not be aware that the New Creation Teaching Ministry (officially New Creation Publications Incorporated—NCPI) currently operates on land that does not belong to it.

There is one six-acre block which was given to Geoffrey and Laurel Bingham for their use and ministry in 1975, now still owned by Laurel. On this is the white house (which Laurel rents out), with the print room and staff room used by NCPI. On this block NCPI built the Teaching Centre in 1983–87, and the Library in 1991. NCPI has an ‘equitable interest’ in the land in respect of these buildings ($250,000 in 2006, subject to valuation), and leases the land for a rental of ten dollars a year, by an arrangement that expires at the end of this year.

Adjoining this is a five-acre block owned by John and Beryl Skewes. On this John and Beryl built their home in 1977 and the ‘resource centre’ in 1979, now used by NCPI as offices for teaching, publishing and administration staff, and the workroom or distribution centre underneath. This building is leased from the Skewes for a rental of ten dollars a year.

The NCPI Council made a decision to purchase the Bingham property in 1993, when Geoffrey and Laurel moved to a home bought by members of their family at Kingswood. The decision and need were made known to friends of NCPI, and about $40,000 was given—short of the nominated selling price of $200,000. The sale was not proceeded with at that time. Geoffrey and Laurel paid rent to the family members while receiving rent from the white house, and NCPI continued to have use of the property.
The time has come when Laurel Bingham is looking to sell her property, now roughly valued at between $500,000 and $700,000 (including the value of the NCPI buildings—more specific valuations are being sought). NCPI has the right of first refusal. In the 17 years since 1993, with the addition of interest and further gifts, NCPI’s ‘house and land fund’ has now grown to $167,000—still well short of the value of the property.

The NCPI Council is now considering: should we, or should we not, buy the Bingham property? The answer to that depends on what form the Ministry is to take in the years ahead.

The Future of New Creation Teaching Ministry

As you know, New Creation Teaching Ministry is a movement of ministries supplied by Christ to his church. We proclaim and teach the grace of God through the whole of the Scriptures, centred on the cross of Christ, with a view to the ultimate community of God with His people. We do this with a full-orbed theology that is Trinitarian, orthodox, reformed, and open to the reviving and renewing movements of God’s Spirit. We expect the word to come through prophetically as Father, Son and Holy Spirit lead us into all truth. The spoken word is supported and extended through recordings and published resources. Team members and helpers work according to the voluntary principle, supported by God through the unsolicited gifts of God’s people.

Under this calling, to which we all subscribe, members of the team at any particular time help to determine the shape of the ministry. Each member of the present team here in SA has recently written a brief summary of what is on their heart with regard to their personal calling in this ministry. Each remains committed to God’s call into this ministry. There is a continuing eagerness to see God’s reviving work through the gospel of Christ going out to as many people as possible, through raising the levels of biblical literacy, and through disseminating sound teaching. There is a keenness to grasp new opportunities, and to continue to utilise new technologies. Serving and supporting are emphasised, together with an open willingness to follow in whatever way the Lord leads.

So although there is provision in the NCPI Constitution for the ministry to be wound up at any time and its assets transferred to some similar ministry or charitable object, this does not seem to be indicated at present. There is a recognition however, given the age of most of the team, that if the ministry is still to be here in five years’ time, new members will need to be called onto the team.

Options to be Considered

The NCPI Council at its recent meeting expressed a range of views as to the purchase of the Bingham property:

1. Some would be sorry to lose control of and responsibility for the Teaching Centre and the Library building, and would be pleased to see the property owned by NCPI. Finding an extra $300,000 or so to purchase the property is a lot to expect, however, and would need to come miraculously from the hand of God. Another possibility might be for the property to be purchased by a sympathetic party who would allow NCPI’s use to continue as at present.

2. Some consider that, while these buildings have served us well for twenty-five years in an attractive (though bushfire-prone) setting, we do not need to hang on to them, and may be better off without them. More than half our classes and schools are held off-site in other venues. Office accommodation, storage for publications, and housing of the Library, could be found elsewhere. Not being tied to a teaching venue of our own could allow greater freedom of movement among the churches and in the community.

3. Should we let the Bingham property go, with a view to consolidating our operations on the Skewes property? Would this be any more affordable in the end than the Bingham property, and would it leave us more cramped?

4. Should we move to another location, that may be more accessible, and better suited to our present needs?

Each of these options was respectfully canvassed, and the Council did not come to a common mind at this stage, while all were open to whatever way the Lord might lead. We set a date for another meeting on Friday 2nd July, by which time we expect in the Lord to have clarity and agreement on the issue.

It is for this we ask your prayers, and any feedback you might have for us. In particular, we are arranging to have a special prayer and information time in the Teaching Centre immediately following the Winter School on Monday 14th June 2010, 1.30–3.00pm. Feel free to join us then, and please pray and keep in touch with us in the meantime.

Yours in Christ,

Martin Bleby—Director of Ministry

John Skewes—General Manager