Newsletter Archive  

November / December Newsletter 2004

Editorial:

The smoke and the bells of the Federal election have faded away and we are back to reality. It is a daily reality those at the coalface confront daily... a society that appears to have great affluence but one that has great pockets of desperate need. This is the daily reality as we run up to the Christmas period. Media and business bombard us with the need to buy for Christmas and it's a case of "Hark the Herald angels sing, listen to the shop tills ring!" The inevitable happens more things go on the credit card to be paid off when reality hits in January. For those without the luxury of a credit card there are the multiplicity of places that provide cheap loans at high interest. People are sucked into this financial whirlpool from which many never escape. For others, the fringedwellers and the poor all they can do is stand on the outside and watch. Their Christmas will consist of a couple or more beers and a pie with or without sauce on a park bench or alone in their room. A few lucky ones will get charitable assistance prior to or on Christmas day. They are remembered briefly in a burst of charitable concern and then forgotten as we plunge into the excesses that comprise most of our community's Christmas indulgences.

No matter how hard we party over Christmas the reality will remain the same. After Christmas the need for assistance will escalate and by February as the kids go back to school for some the situation will be desperate. All of this is a far cry from the first Christmas in a smelly stable in a stable a child was born. Born of ordinary people without the means to pay for a special place at the inn. Rough living shepherds, the rural poor were the first to marvel at this event. This is a far cry from the Myers' Windows and the lavish Christmas of today. Yet it impacted the world. Christians will celebrate Christmas over the next month but it will be mainly middleclass and posh. If Jesus was to turn up for Christmas 2004, where would you find him. I doubt he would be in church. R ather I imagine him sharing a pie on a park bench with a vagrant, serving the meal at a food kitchen, giving out food vouchers in a drop in and comforting some-one who is alone and lost. Somehow we have made Christmas so commercial and impersonal and self-centred that we have lost the simple message of Christmas: " God so loved the world that He gave His son. That whosoever believed in Him, would have eternal life" The real Christmas Gift!!

Pastor Max Walker.
CEO.
 
Christmas Dates: 
xmas_pictureFinal lunch: Christmas Special
Wednesday 22nd.December

Final Saturday Special Party Night.
Saturday 18th.December

Cornerstone closed from 23rd. Dec

Reopening Wednesday February 2nd. 2005

CORNERSTONE REPRESENTED
Since the last Update Cornerstone has had the opportunity to participate in a number of meetings organised throughout the district. Cornerstone is directly represented on Dandenong Drug Committee, Mental illness doesn't discriminate what about you! (Middway) and the Board of Dandenong CAB. During Poverty week Pastor Max Walker was invited to speak at a forum on poverty run by the City of Casey Access and Equity Committee held at the Cranbourne Library. He was also the guest speaker at the Dandenong Community Advice Bureau Annual General Meeting. Other meetings attend were the ERMHA AGM, the Casey North CIS AGM.

Over 10 years association with Dandenong Lions Club:

Pastor Max and Alison Walker were guests of the Lions Club recently and as guest speaker he thanked the Lions Club for their faithful and continued support over the past 10 years of the various programs that Cornerstone runs . Marie Arthur is the liaison officer between the Lions and Cornerstone. This is a new innovation in 2004 and has been very helpful in furthering the cooperation between both organizations.

  Cornerstone Overseas activities.
Cornerstone is a miracle of God's provision meeting the needs of the poor and underprivileged over the past 13 years.

Since 1996 Cornerstone has been involved in a number of overseas projects to assist those in third world countries to survive. These projects include a 12 year old boy and his family in India, an orphanage in the Philippines, the Blind mission, Leprosy Mission and recently a worker in the slums of Bangkok . Apart from this many local groups have been assisted.

Time for Renovations:
pictureOne of the benefits of receiving the Tattersalls Award for 2004 has been to do needed repairs around the property. These have included replacement of lights and added security lighting, replacement of the side door, and of course the provision of heating in the main drop in. The latter has been a very popular inclusion as well as being a great money saver. Now we are on natural gas it has saved us purchasing the very expensive bottled gas.

Currently we are putting in extra sinks to improve the catering area , a larger hot water facility and signage is being updated.

Pastor David has done a great job on varnishing the side doors and a big thank you to David Munroe, Amanda,and Rowena who have spent endless hours waiting and being there so the tradespeople could do their tasks.

Being an old building maintenance is a continual task and the award has definitely assisted us in this regard.

For further details check out the website or contact us as indicated below. *

All correspondence to
CEO c/o PO Box 358 Dandenong. 3175.

Cornerstone:
Pastor Max Walker CEO.
Postal Address: PO Box 358
Dandenong Vic 3175
Address: Church of Christ building
cnr Mason and Walker Sts
Dandenong Vic 3175.
General Enquiries: (03) 9794 5654
Fax: (03) 9794 5949
Free Legal Service: (03) 9794 8428
Email:
 ALLMAX@bigpond.com
     
  Cornerstone operates under the business name Cornerstone Contact Centre Inc. (AOO29459A)