The person will be required to develop a high level of understanding and working knowledge of the ministry of Ridley including the supporter base and will be required to contact supporters.

The position is a part time position – 3 days (22.5 hours) per week, commencing as soon as possible.

The days to be worked are preferably Monday to Wednesday with some flexibility.

Click on the link below for a full position description.

Launch Camp 2012 is for all students, especially first year students and their families. It is a chance to get to know the staff, faculty and some of the students in later years, while being inspired from Scripture and introduced to some of Ridley’s core values.

When: Friday 17th - Sunday 19th February 2012
Where: Upper Plenty Conference Centre (45 min North of Ridley: 45 Stokes Track, Upper Plenty)
Cost: Adults $85 incl. accommodation & all meals
Children: 0-4yo free, ages 5-12 $45, ages 13-18 $75

Please make every effort to attend the whole weekend. If you cannot please indicate when you will be there on the form. Each component (Fri overnight/breakfast, Sat lunch, Sat Dinner, Sat overnight/breakfast, Sun Lunch) costs $17 for adults, $9 for kids aged 5-12 and $15 for teenagers 13-18.

If cost is an issue, please speak to Pete Greenwood, the Registrar or any faculty member.

Questions: contact Pete Greenwood -
petegreenwood1@gmail.com/0405 764 276

download the brochure below.

The keynote address was given by Professor Ian Harper, who recognises Ridley’s commitment to theological rigor and is excited that this will be applied to the area of work and the support of workers. “Where can we get the resources we need to help us think through the issues that we face as Christians every day in the workplace? As Christians in the marketplace we need the kind of program envisaged by the Marketplace Institute.” As an Ambassador of the Marketplace institute, he shares the vision of empowering marketplace leaders and workers to better integrate faith and everyday life.

“The Sunday-Monday divide is a theological problem”, says Dr Foster. “We have split the world into two, and called one half good and the other half bad, consigning work to the latter. We have cultivated a spirituality that marginalises work.  That’s why we need a college like Ridley to show theological leadership in this area.”

Ridley Chair, Claire Rogers talked about her struggle to work out how she could serve God in her life. “I took a job at ANZ while I tried to work out what to do. I am still there 22 years later” she told the dinner.  “I realised that I could serve God in the corporate context and believe that I have been called to lead in a different way.”

George Savvides, CEO of Medibank Private features on a video presenting the vision. He noted that “When we prepare missionaries we teach them how to communicate and relate to a foreign culture. Today, one of the most foreign cultures is on our doorstep – the marketplace.” Mr Savvides is keen to see Ridley training pastors whose perspective is much larger than their own church and what happens on Sunday. “We are called to be salt and light, to bring the kingdom into this world, Sunday and Monday,” he says.

Christian spirituality is often focused around our churches and their programs. Work is often seen as a necessary evil which can get in the way of ministry. Ridley is addressing this issue, empowering Christians to see how their work is part of God’s mission of creation and redemption. Through a program of boardroom consultations, retreats and conferences, as well as writing and research, Christians will be equipped to deal with the challenge of being in the marketplace. The Institute will also be the backbone of a new Learning Community that will focus on training people who will return to the workplace after a period of study.

The dinner raised $62,500 after costs, exceeding the target of $60,000 needed to launch the Institute.  The Marketplace Institute will begin next year with a corporate retreat and a conference featuring some of the best thinkers in Australia and overseas. The college will also begin the search to employ a leader to direct this initiative from January 2013.

Serving God’s Words: Windows on preaching and ministry is a collection of essays edited by Paul Barker, Richard Condie and Andrew Malone. Contributors include: Gerald Bray, Don Carson, Allan Chapple, Graham Cole, David Jackman, Peter Jensen, David Peterson, Mike Raiter, Vaughan Roberts, William Taylor, Ruth Millard, Paul Barker and Richard Condie. The book traverses Peter’s own interests and priorities: exposition of the Bible, systematic and historical theology, church history, and the practice of pastoral ministry.

"For many years Peter has been an exemplar of serving God’s words. We editors join the authors of this book – along with Peter’s many friends throughout the world, so many of whom have sat eagerly under his teaching and preaching – not only to wish him a happy sixty-fifth birthday but to anticipate the ‘Well done, good and faithful servant’ that our Master will surely utter to Peter one day. It is our prayer that this volume will encourage and challenge many to be, and to keep striving to be, better servants of God’s words".

The book is avaliable for purchase for just $20 at Ridley Reception or from the Leon Morris Library (cash sales preferred)

A number of key textbooks are on sale in the pending Koorong sale. Stellar commentaries which caught my eye include:

• Craig Evans, Mark 8:27–16:20 (WBC; 2001), $5 (usually $40+)
• David Peterson, The Acts of the Apostles (PNTC; 2009), $35 (typically $60–70)
• Roy Ciampa & Brian Rosner, The First Letter to the Corinthians (PNTC; 2010), $35 (typically $50–60)
• Peter O’Brien, The Letter to the Hebrews (PNTC; 2010), $35 (typically $50–60)

Each of these counts as among the very best (and latest) works on each book, and is definitely worth having in your own library.

The sale also includes a number of other major works (such as the latest additions to the NICOT/NICNT series, and the new ZECNT series), all from very reputable authors (just not at any great discount).

You can also score all (current) 59 volumes of the Word Biblical Commentary series on CD-ROM for $350. This is a rather good price, especially if you wait patiently for the regular 20%-off sales. See a separate post on electronic resources for more details.

I hope this thread might gain similar posts in coming months, as we learn to resource ourselves from a variety of sources.

Our students consistently give Ridley lecturers high scores on their evaluations because they appreciate the mix of scholarship, interaction and application. We also offer you many learning opportunities outside the classroom though ministry development groups (MDGs), chapel, special seminars, college mission and informal discussion.

For more information about the Application process visit this page on our website.

Our Learning Communities provide you with the opportunity to specialise in particular ministry areas, with new subjects, specialist speakers, mentoring, and networking opportunities. Whether you want to be a church planter, Anglican minister, educational chaplain, youth worker, missionary or pastor in a non-Anglican denomination, our learning communities offer you a tailored learning experience.

Courses range from a one year Graduate Diploma, three year Bachelor of Ministry, Bachelor of Theology, and Master of Divinity degrees. We also offer graduate courses for those who already have a theological degree including MA(Theology), MTh and ThD. Our courses are accredited by the Australian College of Theology and fee-help is available to eligible students.

For more information about studying at Ridley visit this page on our website.

Our concern is to give you the knowledge and skills to move straight into ministry upon graduation, as well as a solid foundation for your life long learning. We are concerned to build the character of each individual, so that you grow as a prayerful person with a vibrant faith, servant heart, good interpersonal skills, and the capacity to work in teams and equip others. Leadership is a special focus, and we offer you a range of opportunities to develop leadership gifts and express them with creativity and flair.

We are so pleased to welcome Ken Minkema to the College between April 26-30 to teach an intensive unit on Jonathan Edwards, America's preeminent theologian and philosopher. Professor Minkema leads the Jonathan Edwards Center at the Yale Divinity School, and is the Executive Editor of the Yale edition of Edwards's complete works. This unit provides a fantastic opportunity to reflect on ministry priorities, our evangelical heritage, and the birth of the global missions movement.

or Student Wellbeing Worker in 2012?

ACCESS ministries is the largest employer of School Chaplains in Victoria and have been providing Chaplaincy Services since 1955.  Due to the extension of government funding, there will be a number of new Chaplaincy and Student Wellbeing Worker positions that will become available in March/April this year.   

Qualifications required:

Chaplains – minimum degree level in counselling/pastoral care, theology/ministry or education

Student Wellbeing Workers - minimum Cert IV in Youth Work, Community Services or Biblical Studies. 

If you are dedicated to the welfare of students and have a heart for encouraging and building positive relationships with young people then we want to hear from you!   Please contact the Regional Support Manager from your area as listed below or visit our website at www.accessministries.org.au for more information.

North West Region Glenn Arnott 0419 811 051 or email garnott@accessministries.org.au
North East Region Ruth Whitefield 0439 336 255 or email rwhitefield@accessministries.org.au
South West Region Adrian Irwin 0417 579 024 or email airwin@accessministries.org.au
South East Region Garry Tobeck 0459 094 337 or email gtobeck@accessministries.org.au

Well, it’s true that Australia is a rich country, and most of us live very comfortable lives. Something about the continual trumpeting of financial and material statistics about our country makes me uncomfortable, though, and leads me to question the idea that ‘we’ve never had it so good’. While I think there are a few problems with justifying this refrain, it is particularly nauseating that we should choose to showcase our riches while, in global terms, we are surrounded by people overwhelmed with the afflictions of poverty.

Click on the link below for the full issue of BriefCACE

I didn’t grow up going to church at all, so the Anglican Book of Common Prayer of 1662 had no particular magical qualities for me. The first time I led a service of Holy Communion from its pages, I stumbled over the phrasing, and grew tired of the sound of my own voice. However I couldn’t ignore the ways in which parishioners on that day enjoyed the resonances of the prayers, engaged with the emotional and spiritual journey on which we were led, and felt secure in their worship. There were distinct liturgical features flagging the beginning, middle and end of the service, after which we were inevitably sent on our way into the world,
confident in the God who had led us purposefully that morning. We were connected powerfully with the story of Christ’s career as it was played out that day in the church’s calendar. I could see how a generation raised to value predictable progress was at home here.

Download the full article below.