In this issue:

• Easter: An Invitation to Hope and Harmony
• Placing the hope of Easter back into the community
• Children in many countries re-enact Christmas Story
• Building real connections with communities across the world
• Pilgrimage to Uluru
• Water Ceremony
• Enquiries - contacts

EASTER: AN INVITATION TO HOPE & HARMONY

Getting along with others isn’t always simple! We can preach about it. We can educate people about tolerance and we can talk about building community. It can be a good idea to aim for. But it can actually happen through Awakening Festivals which can become the heart of the community. Through these Festivals we can discover different attitudes emerging – openness, respect, kindness, hope and harmony.

And at this time, through Easter Marches, Prayer Vigils, Easter in the City as well as the annual Pilgrimage to Uluru there are opportunities for the church to remind the community that at the first Easter the word, “Forgiveness” entered the world, bringing hope and transformation.

It is a rare privilege in our nation that we can together proclaim the central truths of the Gospel in our public spaces and have them broadcast on the TV news in the evening. It is particularly critical at a time when Atheism is making claims for legitimacy and pleased to see Christian education and influence removed from our society.

We can be a living example of what Easter is about – reconciliation with God and each other through Jesus’ death and resurrection. He gave his life to overcome death and human selfishness and now is knocking at the door of our hearts seeking to come in and give us the power we need to get along with others.

This Easter message of hope is for the whole Australian community in all its colours, shapes and sizes!

The Easter March on Easter Sunday helps to keep the story of Jesus’ death and resurrection in the consciousness of our culture. The media come looking for the story, and on Easter Sunday evening you will see the outcome on the evening news.

Together in Africa, India and more...
Around the world the Australian community is being perceived as divisive and racist; would you be willing to put aside two weeks of your time to work with others in an international team running festivals alongside local people in some of the needier communities? Would you be willing to be transformed yourself as you encounter your own fears and prejudices in the context of a pilgrimage to a very different culture?

The 2010 opportunities….. Fusion is working with people in the following regions, to train local people in Open Crowd festivals and run festivals with them.

Shanghai Expo (periodic between May and October)
Pilgrimage to Germany May 15 – 29
South African World Cup Pilgrimage, June 6 – 24
British Pilgrimage, 22 July – 6 August
Pilgrimage to Greece and Albania
21 August – 5 Sept 2010
Commonwealth Games Pilgrimage to India
29 Sept to 16 October.

Placing the hope of Easter
back in the centre of our community

Awakening Expo Days Easter in the City, Festivals and Easter Marches provide remarkable opportunity for thousands to hear the life giving story.
Across Australia, Awakening Expo Days have gathered Christians together, focusing on using Easter as an opportunity to remind the community of its meaning. A new DVD, “Imagine...” which runs for 4 minutes gives an invitation to discover how we can all reach out into the heart of our communities.

At Brisbane’s Expo Day, 45 people representing 6 regions gathered including Murwillumbah’s new Awakening group. This group has put on an Anzac Day festival and an Advent Pageant since last year. They shared their stories of the impact on their region.

2009 Easter March in Adelaide...it was a glorious Adelaide day and the team were setting up early. Our route was longer than previous years and gave us more opportunity to interact with those along the route. At the end of the march we were amazed to see many people along the road holding balloons given them by previous marchers. People stayed for the celebration, enjoyed the stories told by the group of Christian actors and the colour and sound of the Burundi people.

TV Easter March Coverage in 2009. Coverage across the states was strong – in Sydney, Hobart, Perth. In Adelaide the Channel 7 team interviewed us and then
joined in the March! The ABC also
covered the story well. At the team
debrief at the end of the day there
was a great sense of appreciation to
have been part of the event.

Easter in the City

Easter in the City, Sydney
For five years Easter in the City has provided opportunity for the Easter message to be shared during the days leading up to Easter in Martin Place, Sydney. Last year 11 schools took part bringing the Easter story and thousands of office workers and some tourists stopped to watch and listen. This year we are running the program in Martin place and in Parramatta Mall.

Easter in the City in Adelaide:
Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday saw concerts by young people in Rundle Mall. For one school it was their first time and the staff were very enthusiastic about their students having an opportunity like this. The crowds loved the dancing and the wonderful singing.

Easter in the City of Darwin
At Easter In the City in Darwin many connections were made as we mixed with people from Indonesian through to Indigenous to Canadians.

Pilgrimage to Canberra
Would you like the young people you work with awaken to their full potential? How about all this being achieved in one weekend that is organized by someone else?

Last year 200 young people and leaders joined the Pilgrimage…Here are some responses to their time in the National Capital.

“I learnt a lot from the prayer vigil – “ justice mercy compassion”, and I want to be more like that when I get home”; “I want to respect people more.”; “I have realized that the soldiers gave their present for our future that I have been squandering my present. I want to love people more and give my life for that.”

When is the Pilgrimage?
May 22nd - May 23rd 2010

How much will it cost?
$100, with early bird discounts available.

Who can I contact regarding questions about the pilgrimage?
Pilgrimage Coordinator,
0448 341 349 email:
rosemary.walker@fusion.org.au

Reclaiming Christmas Children in many countries re-enact the Christmas Story

Around 80 Advent Pageants across Australia and the world have brought children to centre stage and quietly and profoundly reminded communities of the coming of the One who divided history and offered hope. A radio broadcast on November 27th linked all the pageants together and over 80 radio stations across Australia broadcast the program – a number repeating it at Christmas time.

Burnie, Tasmania
It was a sleepless night listening to the rain on the roof. We made the decision to move the program indoors to Marist College, an amazing facility. To have 1000 children in the streets in pouring rain would have been chaotic. Inside, all the children could hear perfectly, were kept engaged and we had our most dramatic door knocking ever with Innkeepers who put on a really good show and “Joseph” so carefully saying his lines. Through the kids’ re-enactment the true story of Christmas was told.

Wheatley, UK
In Wheatley we had 120 people walking around the community. The Shepherds stood together as the Angels danced around them telling them of the Saviour born. The wise men met with Herod (the secretary of our council) and the final inn keeper (the previous school head) sent his assistant (the local vicar) to show us his stable. The feeling of community through the pageant was really strong. It felt as though the community was celebrating together and being appreciative of the message of this Saviour that was to save the world. We shared some of the things Jesus taught us through his life that have shaped the values of this great nation.

Trench Town, Jamaica
Poverty stricken and violent, the celebration of Advent by children in Trench Town is a very special thing. David Campbell writes, “On the morning of the Pageant I had forgotten the doll that we were going to use for baby Jesus, but thankfully one of the team called to remind me. After searching the house I was able to send back a text message to say: “I found Jesus and I’m bringing him to Trench Town!” I got an appropriate reply from Robert saying; “Hallelujah!”

We set off and marched through both Trench Town and Jones Town, singing Christmas carols enthusiastically to the smiling residents. Joseph tried the police station, then a barber shop and every time was told that they had no room, while the procession of children groaned loudly in disappointment! We finally came across a kind shopkeeper who, although his shop was small and had no room, allowed Joseph and Mary to use the stable around the back.

At the end we played games with the children and they got their teachers to participate bringing smiles and laughter to the surrounding community. It was heart-warming to see the children being celebrated by their community, and particularly special that they were all able to march from one community to another without any fear (which would not have been the case a few years ago in these communities). They certainly took the true meaning of Christmas into their streets.

Stories of Awakening in action world-wide!

Awakening at the Winter Olympics
A team of one hundred young people from across Western Canada and the world have partnered with B.C. churches to build bridges through “Open Crowd Festivals”.

One of the member of the B.C. team, Heather Robertson, says “I love the festivals because they put the church where it belongs in the heart of the community”.

Jason Uher from World Harvest church in Richmond, Vancouver, says, “I love the way that you have helped Richmond churches work together. We are connecting like we never have before and I hope we can keep working together like this”.

Major Dave Grice of Victoria Citadel, a church of The Salvation Army, says “The team showed us just how easy it is to build real connections in this community”.

Fusion originated in Australia where the Awakening was born, and has been in Canada for 7 years. It has recently entered into a partnership with Taylor seminary (based in Edmonton) to deliver its training in the Americas. President of Taylor, David Williams says “What I am seeing with Fusion is unique. Their very practical and integrated approach to faith helps the church engage with its community in ways that bring hope and lasting change”.

South Africa
We are now actively connecting in about 45 communities across the country, of which about 38 have run Open Crowd Festivals. Our aim has been to train and equip teams of local people to transform their community.

Molweni, Durban region
We had the opportunity to spend some time with the Kloof Harvest “Year of your Life”, students - an amazing group of young people - training them up and then taking them into a Shongweni High School to train the students in Open Crowd Festivals. In September they had their first Festival with the help of the Grade 9 students from a local school and a local church. It was amazing to see groups of young people from different churches, communities and schools working to bring their community together.

Changing the culture in Scottsdene, Western Cape, South Africa
Local teams are growing in their capacity to run festivals. By the third day of the festival we had lots of little people wanting to join the team. At the festivals we teach children certain values: “Look after everybody”, “Be a helper”, “Because everybody matters”. We could see by the end that the kids had a greater understanding of right and wrong. The Festival coordinator Greta Koeck had many kids coming to tell her if they saw that somebody was not looking after others or helping. Some of the youngsters who were causing problems on the second day, were the first to arrive on the third day, now wanting to help.

Ghana
“There used to be division, but we can see some transformation”
In Yendi, in predominantly Muslim, North Ghana, tribes and tribal chiefs provide leadership in the culture. Francis Tsimese writes, “The Foundations program climaxed with a festival in the village where we have our Kids’ Club and we had almost the whole village coming out to witness it. At the end, a few people granted us interviews. This is what the assembly man of the area had to say “We are so grateful for what you people are doing here, it started with our kids and now the whole village is here and you can see the smiles on the faces of all the people. They have never experience anything like this before. There used to be division among the people here which made the young people always wander around on his own. But with the presence of Fusion we can see some transformation with a sense of togetherness. I think this bring about development. I am the opinion leader and on behalf of my people I will propose that this continue, to restore hope to our people.”

A South Asian team running Open Crowd Festivals across the Region
In December, only 2 years after meeting up with Open Crowd Festivals and doing the Fusion Foundations Course for the first time, a team of around 8 planned a month-long tour which took them to Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and Manipur in far North East of India (on the border with Burma). This is part of their story:

Open Crowd Festivals in the Himalayas
Despite many strikes and road blocks in the country during our stay in Nepal we managed to run training, festivals and Kids Club in the Himalayan Kingdom of Nepal. The response we got was unbelievable, especially the school teachers and children. They wanted to know more about and are asking for the next festivals in Nepal. The team in Nepal (11 members) grasped whatever training we could garner and were really thrilled to run Kids’ Club and Festivals on our own. Dhiraj, Silpa and the team in Nepal

The Kingdom of Bhutan
Bhutan was amazing! The Festival was indeed hush hush affair though we pulled it through! The response was heart rending! The harvest is plenty and we need more people! Nugo and Chuki’s hospitality was incomparable....the Bhutan team ( 8 members) did a splendid job!

Manipur
After a long journey of two days we reached Imphal tired and looking haggard. This was our first visit and there were no friends to receive us or guide us for the week long program. Mr.Johnson Raih, Principal of Manipur Baptist Convention and of the Secondary School became a true friend, caring for us with utmost hospitality. We prayed that God will show us His way. The next day a Hindu Executive Engineer with 21 Hindu youths came for the first day of Festival training at his residence! Our prayers were heard for God opened more doors the second day when 20 more Christian youths joined our training programs and festivals. For the first time Fusion’s work was telecast in the leading Local News channel. The State News Channel broadcast us in the state news bulletins every day. Never did I imagine we would need to trained different sets of volunteers everyday for the festivals. But God made it possible and rewarded us handsomely at the end. Over 80 youths were trained during our stay in Imphal.

Pilgrimage to Uluru

For 10 years now pilgrims have set out from every part of Australia and the lives of hundreds of young people have been remarkably changed – many have gone on to significant ministry since. Here are some of the reflections of pilgrims from last year.

One said, “The rock was really special because most people go in there like tourists; go in with blank faces and I was looking at it with my heart and I felt the energy of what is was to be Australian when I really saw it.” Another said: “I enjoyed today because today i helped a little girl that was lonely at the festival and afterwards her parents came up and thanked me heaps, and that has made me smile for the whole trip now.” “The whole trip was just amazing! I love the whole trip and want to come again next year”
At one point we encouraged pilgrims to call out names of people that had come to the Uluru Pilgrimage and then gone on to do overseas mission. The names just kept on coming and we were surprised ourselves how many people had gone on to mission. We asked for a show of hands of those that had not been overseas and many put up their hands. Lots of smiles and nods when we mentioned that it might just be them heading off next year to do the same! The Dawn Service was pretty special too with 300 young people gathered on a sand dune overlooking Uluru and Kata Tjuta watching the sunrise before they headed home, many amazed at what they had learnt and seen. “I’m 12 and I’ve never been out of my state. I think Uluru is one of the most amazing things i have seen. I’ll be back again next year, I’ve had such a fantastic time!”
One young lady we talked to in the middle of the prayer vigil said she was happy for others to be Christians, but after the events of the night she ended up putting her hand up to ask God into her life too! Many young people making first time commitments and many also recommitting their lives to the work God has called them to. How huge and exciting to see such changes in lives. We encouraged them all to come and join the Canberra pilgrimage in 5 weeks time, and also pointed forward the South Africa world cup! Who knows where God is leading these young people of Uluru 2009!
“I’m thankful for connecting with the Mutitjulu kids, they are the future of this country.”
‘Thanks for the privilege of being here. I’ve gained a new perspective on life.”
“ A highlight for me was seeing the group move from being strangers to become a family”

Follow the updates on the Uluru Website which will appear every day from Easter Sunday and will keep you informed of what every bus is doing along their journey!

www.fusion.org.au/schoolsinharmony

We asked. “What action can we take that has integrity?”

They said, “We want you to understand the past and move on with us, from it.

And they said “Maybe this will help. When you white fellas first arrived you would have died of thirst had we not shown you where the waterholes were. Throughout this land of ours, time after time, we showed you where the waterholes were. You did not understand. We were welcoming you as brothers into our homes - but you poisoned our water holes because you wanted our land to grow your stock.”

So was born a powerful and simple symbolic action.

This action and response has been repeated year by year in Easter Marches, as part of the Pilgrimage to Uluru, and is now framed by the apology of the Nation to our indigenous brothers and sisters. What a remarkable and profoundly moving day, as we at last took steps to say Sorry as a nation - to acknowledge the profound pain of the past and to pledge to close the gap and walk together into the future.

So now we invite our indigenous brothers and sisters and our church leaders to once again offer water, as they did in the past with a generous spirit of hospitality and once again we will respond differently to the response of our forefathers – we will respond with gratitude and thanks.

We now invite all those who would be Ambassadors for Reconciliation to participate in this simple ceremony of the giving and receiving of water.

We invite the people indigenous to this land to once again offer the water which the Creator God gave before the coming of white civilisation, without which there is no life.

We invite you who are here today to accept it this time with understanding and gratitude. Will you commit yourself to reflect on, and understand the past, so that we can leave it behind, link hands with all Australians in a new way and with God’s strength move forward together to build a better land in which all our children are safe.

When you receive the water, just hold on to it – don’t drink it just yet, but take time to reflect.

If you are now willing to accept this offer to begin again, respond, by drinking it gratefully and committing yourself to work together for a better future for Australia and the world.

“The Resurrection is God’s crowning affirmation of the life and death of Jesus Christ, Son of God and Saviour. The Easter March allows Christians to proclaim the love of God and Christ’s victory over sin and death for the benefit of all”. John Bathersby DD Archbishop of Brisbane

Patron’s statement:
“History is dated from the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus. Easter is the centre piece of his story and the centre point of the human history. Inspired and strengthened by the risen indwelling life of Jesus, Christians have left his marks of peace, justice and hope ever since... This Easter Jesus comes again to bring hope to a broken world and to Australia in its time of need.” Bishop John Harrower, Anglican Diocese of Tasmania

Enquiries

The Awakening Secretary, Gordon Street, Poatina 7302 03 6397 8280 national@fusion.org.au

Awakening State Offices

NSW P.O. Box 233, Campsie NSW 2194 02 9789 4888 nsw@awakening.org.au

ACT P.O. Box 841, Woden ACT 2606 02 6162 3700 canberra@fusion.org.au

VIC P.O. Box 293, Mornington Vic 3931 03 5974 1442 victoria@fusion.org.au

TAS Awakening, Gordon St Poatina TAS 7302 0408 978 212 tasmania@fusion.org.au

QLD P.O. Box 3012, Loganholme Qld 4129 07 3208 2610 qld@fusion.org.au

SA P.O. Box 270, Marleston SA 5033 08 8351 9266 statesa@fusion.org.au

WA P.O. Box 24, Victoria Park WA 6979 08 9355 1159 awakeningwa@fusion.org.au

NT P.O. Box 2716, Palmerston NT 0831 08 8932 2731 top_end@fusion.org.au

1300 363 264 www.awakening.org.au