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Editorial: Jesus said: ŗLove your neighbour as yourself.˛ Several weeks ago I stood in the Pastoršs House at Port Arthur listening to the audio and reading the history of the Pastors that ministered at the Port Arthur settlement. I was appalled at the treatment they meted out to the convicts in their care, their eager support of the brutality of the penal settlement and their total lack of christian compassion. It was recorded that few of the convicts every attended a church after their release. In fact most of them showed a continuing hostility to the church as part of the oppressive regime that tried to rehabitate them through brutality and religious observance. It seems to me that much of the hostility we see today to the church stems from this alignment the church made with the colonial government and is an inherited attitude that can be seen in peoplešs attitude to the church in 2003. We indeed are reaping what we have sown in the past and to overcome this we need to sow positively into our society today. Religious observance and traditional church formats are definitely not the answer. Society overall has rejected this approach in this century. People are seeking spiritual answers but unfortunately they seek elsewhere. People today are seeking to connect with others. One way this can be done is by providing non threatening places for people to gather and to not only reconnect with one another but also with christians. People today are looking for real encounters with real people whose spirituality does not terrify them. Whether the target group be the latte sippers, the new suburbanites in the growth corridors or the fringedwellers in society they all have a need to belong and to connect with others in an increasingly disconnected society. This is the need the church should continue to target and as it does this it will become relevant to the people it serves. Pastor Max Walker CEO. CORNERSTONE JUNE ENCOUNTER WELL ATTENDED: The June Encounter was held on Sunday June 29th from 5.00 p.m. - 9.00 p.m. It was well attended with more than 80 people enjoying the evening. Soup, hotdogs, sweets and slices were on the menu. The program commenced with a gospel singalong and presentation followed by videos and a series of items presented by Cornerstone Senior staff members and Cornerstone volunteers. Once again we were astounded by the hidden talent of the leadership, the volunteers and the attenders of Cornerstone. POOL COMPETITION: The pool competition is a regular annual feature of the Saturday Night Drop In and the winner will be added to the Steve Chapman Pool Shield. (Steve Chapman was one of the original clients of Cornerstone as well as one of our strongest supporters. Steve died as a result of a train accident and the Shield was renamed in memory of him.) The Competition will start shortly and information sheets are available. See Jimbo (Pool Table supervisor) or Paul Briscoe ( Saturday Night Leader) for more information. CENTENNIAL MEDAL: Pastor Max Walker, CEO of Cornerstone has received a Centennial Medal for his work with the underprivileged in the City of Greater Dandenong. He sees this as a recognition of all the hard work done by the leaders and volunteers of Cornerstone over the past 11 years and not as a personal award. PUBLIC HOUSING: Although the people in power consider there is enough public housing in the district it does not meet the needs of those seeking housing in the district. Dandenong is no longer considered a place of affordable housing and nowadays people look to Pakenham rather than Dandenong. This does not stop people on the fringe of society seeking accommodation in the area. The rooming houses are full. What alternatives do the people have? More and more males between the ages of 20 - 45 are attending Cornerstone and nearly every time we open one major request is ˛ Where can I find a place to live?˛ This increasing need must be addressed by all levels of government. CORNERSTONE MEALS: CORNERSTONE meets many needs in our local community and helps address the isolation and loneliness many people experience in our society. It also provides meals ( Wednesday and Friday lunch) and light snacks at our other programs. The average at the meal program has risen in 2003 from 80 in 2002 to over 100 in 2003. The meals have peaked at 150 on a recent Wednesday with crowds of 100 - 120 not unusual. The community can continue to assist us by donations of cash and/or canned foods especially soups and canned vegetables/beans and spaghetti. Donation of tea and coffee are also appreciated as this is a major cost on the Drop In. Cornerstone provides a vital service to the needy in Dandenong and your support continues to make it happen.
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| Cornerstone operates under the business name Cornerstone Contact Centre Inc. (AOO29459A) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
