If you’re going to Blackstump then make sure you book your tickets through the link below, as 10% of your ticket cost will then go towards Edify/Hopestreet! Click through the link below:

If you’re still wondering about The Bazaar, it’s going to be the most amazing place you’ve ever dreamed of, imagine …

“It’s a windy day at Blackstump and the festival’s been going off! A bunch of young people are exploring the sights and smells, tasty treats, acoustic cafes and bands, bands, bands. Then one of them points to a large marquee in the midst of it all, is that an … op shop? “Heck yes” they yell and bound into the white tent that says “The Bazaar” over its entrance. Instantly, the place takes over. It is like the best of op shops – a labyrinth of racks and makeshift shelves, with bits and bobs stacked high and low. Scarves, hats, sneakers and coats everywhere you look, and tonnes of beady jewellery to make dress-ups complete. That’s a LOT to take in – but the place is cosy and relaxed. Cool music is being played and the volunteers are chirpy and fun to be around.

The space is welcoming and comfy and there is a coffee table and retro chairs in the middle of it. There are board games and top books/articles on justice and local mission that people are welcome to use. To their amazement they discover it’s also a wireless hotspot, immediately they tweet their joy at discovering this mystical tent. Before they can finish twote-ing a loud voice pierces the room, “Local Mission Workshop, beginning in 5 mins, please grab a lounge, get comfy, oh and there’s lollies to be passed around!”. This place seems to good to be true! The group of young people grab a seat as local practicioners of justice gather to share.”

The Bazaar enjoys your company no matter who you are, empowers people to reach out to others, and has an interest in enriching every aspect of a person’s life. If you’re at the festival make sure you don’t miss our little slice of Blackstump, pop in, say hi and while you’re there buy some new threads! Hope to see you there!

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Click on the links below to read the stories of 10 young people who’ve stepped out of their comfort zone, gotten their hands dirty and stepped onto the fronline of poverty and need in our backyard of Australia.

As you read I hope that you begin to get a grasp of how significant it is that we give young people outlets and opportunties to make their passion for justice ‘sweat’ in real life, uncomfortable situations!

Daniel Robles from Glenwood

Talitha Connors from Gosford

Genah Barnes from New Zealand

Pip Yeats from the Central Coast

Chloe Baxendale from Beverley Hills

Kirilee Luxford from Yagoona

Simeon Barwick from Granville

Jared Woods from the Northern Beaches

Dwayne Pitts from Redfern

Ariel Clark from Castle Hill

Sexy Justice is forging ahead into the world of podcasting, and in this second episode we (Kevin & Nathan) begin defining the term ‘Justice Gap‘ and wrestling with how we might bridge the divide between young people’s passion for justice and living a genuine just-lifestyle.

Could you live without your Mars Bar ??

To download this episode click here.

We will have the podcasts up on iTunes shortly.

Check out the Winter Oasis highlight clip! Featuring James Mathison, Deni Hines, Short Stack and more!

Were you at the event? Leave a comment and share your highlight from the night…

We also introduce a new term which we will look at in further detail over the next few episodes entitled ‘Bridging the Justice gap‘.

To download this episode click here.

We will have the podcasts up on iTunes shortly.

We’re praying that this will become a movement of passionate people addressing the issue of youth homelessness in Australia.

Don’t miss it!

Hmmm…I can see the logic behind all this and I’d recommend volunteering or serving as a brilliant way to strengthen your relationships with others. But whatever happened to simply volunteering because you wanted to add value to others? What happened to volunteering and serving in silence or secretly.

Just this weekend gone by I took part in The Salvation Army’s annual fundraiser, the Red Shield Appeal. It involves door knocking hundreds of thousands of homes all across the Australia with the aim of raising funds to help The Salvation Army continue to deliver frontline social and community services all across this nation. I love the Red Shield Appeal and have been knocking on people’s doors with a big smile on my face ever since I could walk! But I’ve been reading lately from the Gospels and I’ve been challenged.

Jesus said, “Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues (temples) and on the streets, to be honoured by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.                         - Matthew 6:1 (NIV)

Whoa….now I don’t know about you but I read that and I get smashed! It brings a lot of challenging thoughts to mind.  It begs the question, is Jesus saying that we shouldn’t do the Red Shield Appeal? It messes around with you if really decide to take it seriously, well most of what Jesus had to say does that!

I’ve come to the conclusion that the Red Shield Appeal is OK, as long as it continues to be about engaging the community in a positive way and constantly pointing to Jesus in all that it does. The risk is when our acts of service and our volunteering become more about us and our success and reputation, rather than giving the due glory to Jesus Christ alone.

A question that someone posed to me a few years ago, and which has continued to haunt me (in a really good way!) and effect every single area of my life is the following:

How does Jesus become the hero in everything that I do?

I hope this question is a helpful one for you as well, as we each continue to wrestle with what it means to be an authentic follower of Jesus in an age of self obsession.

nm