Riverlands Medialink

Everyday struggles tackled

2008-08-06T15:23:00.001+10:00

Suicide, anger, depression, greed: they’re not the topics that many people like to talk about, but figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics revealed that around 7 Australians committed suicide each day in 2007, while AAMI’s 2007 road safety index said that one quarter of Australian drivers have been identified as being “reckless and aggressive”.

Associate Pastor at Riverlands Christian Church Penrith, Adam White, said that while many people don’t like to talk about such topics, Riverlands will tackle these issues through a 6 week series that will address suicide, depression, anger, greed, vanity and laziness.

“We’ll be covering these everyday struggles that many Christians face, but feel they can’t talk about with others.

“For some people, they might not see their anger or greed as a problem, whereas others might feel too ashamed to talk about, and for this reason, we’re going to discuss one of these topics each week from a biblical perspective and give keys on how to deal with it,” he said.

The series will commence on August 17 at Riverlands Christian Church Penrith, and be discussed at the 6pm evening service. Speakers include:

17 August: Suicide. Speaker: Rachel White

24 August: Depression. Speaker: Rachel White

31 August: Anger. Speaker: Adam White

7 September: Vanity. Speaker: Graham Blok

14 September: Greed. Speakers: David Patterson and Jeff Brislane

21 September: Slothfulness. Speaker: Eric Roggeveen

For further details, contact Riverlands Christian Church Penrith, on 4722 6422.

A day to honour

2008-05-01T11:40:00.002+10:00

It’s a day that many people treat their mum and grandma’s to some sweet gifts and perhaps a nice lunch, but this year, local Penrith church, Riverlands Christian Church, is taking Mother’s Day one step further.

As this year’s National Day of Thanksgiving falls on the same weekend as Mother’s Day, Riverlands Christian Church Penrith plans to hold a special service to honour mothers and female teachers and caregivers of children with disabilities.

Lyn Roggeveen, who along with her husband, pastor at Riverlands Penrith, said that both events coinciding on the same weekend was a perfect opportunity to recognise those who have made a difference in the lives of others.

“We really want to honour the mums and women who teach or care for children with a disability, simply because of all the extra effort and time that is required of them.

“Our special Mother’s Day service will focus on honouring these wonderful women, and hopefully raise awareness of the contribution they make every day to the lives of these special children,” she said.

Local Penrith resident, Karla Tremethick, will also be sharing at the service about the principles she has learnt while raising her son, Samuel, who was born with severe cerebral palsy 12 years ago.

National Day of Thanksgiving is an initiative that was launched by the Governor General in 2004, to encourage Australians to express thanks and appreciation to God and to others who have contributed positively into the lives of others or their community, in the past 12 months.

The special service will be held at 9.30am on Sunday 11 May at Riverlands Christian Church Penrith, located on High St, next to The Warehouse, with a morning tea being provided for all guests attending the honour service.

Mothers, female teachers and caregivers of children with special needs in the local community are welcome to attend the honour service, and wheelchair access is available. For further details, contact Lyn Roggeveen at Riverlands Christian Church Penrith on 4722 6422.

Riverlands World Harvest Conference 2008

2008-04-29T12:03:00.007+10:00

The Riverlands World Harvest Conference 2008 was a great success!

The aim of the conference was to give vision and raise funds for spreading the gospel around the world via our church. Pastor Eric inspired the congregation to take ownership of the vision involving praying, going and giving.

Currently Riverlands reaches out to India, Indonesia, Africa, outback Australia and the local Penrith community.

If you are looking for a church that gives, Riverlands is the one! We are passionate about missions and making a positive difference in the lives of people where ever they are.

If you are interested in our World Harvest program please contact Wayne Blackburn via email on admin@rcc.org.au

Epidemik to the Rescue!

2008-04-14T23:16:00.014+10:00

No it's not another cheesy home improvement show it's the youth from Riverlands making a practical difference in the lives of local people. The Epidemik youth group were spotted painting and helping out a wonderful local family in need.

If you are interested in the good work Epidemik is doing why not drop in on Friday night at 7:30pm or contact Adam White on (02) 4722 6422.

Riverlands Working Bee

2008-04-13T17:28:00.009+10:00

The Riverlands 2008 Working Bee was a great success and lots of fun. Well done to all those who were involved.

The two images show our hard working members getting involved and making a difference to the church.

If you have not been to Riverlands before why not visit and view our new fresh image. Riverlands is a vibrant contempory church serving the great city of Penrith.

Call Riverlands on 4722 6422 today or email admin@rcc.org.au for more details.

2008 Entertainment Books now available through RCC

2008-03-31T09:59:00.003+11:00

Once again, Riverlands Christian Church is selling the Entertainment Books as part of its fundraising initiative.

The 2008/09 books contain over $10,000 worth of savings and vouchers at popular fine dining restaurants, informal dining restuarants, hotels across Australia, and major attractions across Sydney, including Hoyts, Greater Union Cinemas, McDonalds, Hogs Breath Cafe, Pancakes at the Rocks, Sydney Aquarium, Harbour Jet Ride, Nepean Waterside Restaurant, Jordon's Seafood Restaurant, Sydney Show Boats, Australian Symphony Orchestra and many more!

These books do sell out quickly, and the vouchers and discounts contained in the book expire in June 2009.

RCC is selling the Parramatta, The Hills, Blue Mountains and Macarthur books for only $55 each

Sydney and North Sydney books are also available for $65 each

Call Riverlands on 4722 6422 today or email admin@rcc.org.au for more details or to purchase a book.

RCC Paintball Challenge

2007-10-26T12:06:00.001+10:00

The Riverlands Christian Church Paintball Challenge is on again on Saturday, November 10, at Action Paintball Games, 290-312 Annangrove Road, Rose Hill. This time the ladies are invited. If you've got the stamina, fortitude, faith (and are over 16), come and join us for a day of excitement as you race against time and your opponents. Basic Package $70, Top Package $150 per person (both packages include lunch). Deposit of $40 required. For more information, deposits, and bookings, contact Adam White on (02) 4722 6422.

Penrith, you're great

2007-09-20T19:02:00.000+10:00

It’s official. Penrith, you have a ‘big heart’ when it comes to children.

The city has been "overwhelmingly generous" in giving to the Watoto Project, which rescues Africa’s ‘child soldiers’ from the ravages of war in Uganda.

Leading business people, financial planners, solicitors, doctors, restaurant and café owners, schools, community groups and others have "pitched in" alongside organisers from Riverlands Christian Church to raise funds.

As part of its commitment to the Watoto Project, Riverlands Christian Church will be holding a Charity Ball at the Riverlands Function Centre, Level 1, 535 High Street, Penrith, at 6.30pm on October 27. Tickets are $100 per person. Bookings should be made by October 7. All profits will go to the Watoto Project. Phone (02) 4722 6422. It will be a great night of entertainment with a four-course meal and a charity auction. Dress for the evening is formal.

"The response from Penrith businesses, community groups and individuals has been overwhelming and very encouraging," according to local church pastor Mick Wrotniak believes the people of Penrith can save many children in war-torn Africa.
"Those who have responded to our call include leading business people, solicitors, financial planners, doctors, restaurant and café owners, schools, community groups.
"The need in Uganda is very great. More than 30,000 children have been abducted and forced to serve as child soldiers and sex slaves. Surprisingly, we can make a difference – if only we have a mind to act," Pastor Wrotniak said.

"The rebellion in Uganda has forced 1.6 million Ugandans – half of them children – to flee the squalid and overcrowded camps in order to escape attacks and killings. This is a war fought by children on children. They make up almost 90 per cent of the rebel forces. Every night, 40,000 ‘night commuters’ sleep wherever they can find a safe space – in schools, hospital courtyards, etc, to avoid death, injury and kidnapping.

"We have decided to be part of the answer, bringing parentless children together with mothers who have lost their children or who are widowed, and settling them as new ‘families’ of eight children and one adult in a new home in new communities near Watoto. With others, we hope eventually to build 100 homes, a medical clinic, a school, a church, a water project, and an agricultural project and provide electrical power.

"A typical response is: what can I do? The answer is: a great deal, if we do it together as a community. Come on and join us."

First stage of Riverlands Christian Church’s plan is to raise $38,000 - enough to set up one complete "house package" in Gulu, northern Uganda. A house package consists of a three-bedroom brick, concrete and steel home for eight children and one adult, a home worth $19,000, and infrastructure (land, electricity, plumbing, and water) worth $19,000.

"Many of us have seen the famous Watoto Children’s Choir on Sydney TV programs such as Today and the Kerrie-Anne Kennerley Show, and local newspapers have also reported on the Watoto Project," Pastor Wrotniak said. "Well, those children in the choir provide a glimpse of how we can turn these young lives around."

The Watoto Project places mothers who have lost children with children who have lost families in the rebel war, provides them with a new home, schooling, and life mentorship. For more information on the Watoto Project, visit www.watoto.com.au/.

For more information, contact Riverlands Christian Church on (02) 4722 6422.

Designing women and shoes

2007-09-11T18:21:00.000+10:00

In Her Shoes is the name of a fun event organised by Women By Design (WBD), a Penrith-based women's group. The event will be held from 7pm on Saturday, September 29,at the Riverlands Auditorium, Riverlands Christian Church, Level 1, 535 High Street, Penrith. Cost is $5. For more information, contact the organisers on (02) 4722 6422.

Rescue a child charity plans in Penrith

2007-08-12T19:56:00.000+10:00

"Rescue a child; Raise a leader; Rebuild a nation" is the theme for a charity ball to be held in Penrith on Saturday, October 27.

The Watoto Charity Ball will be held at the Riverlands Function Centre, Level 1, 535 High Street, Penrith, from 6.30pm and will raise funds for Ugandan children forced into being 'child soldiers' or into prostitution for rebel forces.

Tickets will be $100 and will be available until October 7. Phone (02) 4722 6422. It will be a great night of entertainment with a four-course meal and a charity auction. Dress for the evening is formal.

The Watoto Project has most recently been explained by the touring Watoto Children's Choir, which featured on Sydney TV programs such as Today and the Kerrie-Anne Kennerley Show. The ABC program Enough Rope also interviewed a young man recovering from the trauma of being a child soldier. The Watoto Charity Ball is the first event to feature this humanitarian crisis locally.

One of the organisers, dynamic Rachel White, said, "We can no longer stand by and do nothing. This is a humanitarian crisis of huge proportions. But, together, we can make a difference.

The Watoto Project places mothers who have lost children with children who have lost families in the rebel war, provides them with a new home, schooling, and life mentorship.

For more information on the Watoto Project, visit www.watoto.com/.

For comment on the Penrith charity ball plans, contact Rachel White on (02) 4722 6422.

Church 'politically neutral'

2007-08-11T16:01:00.000+10:00

One of Western Sydney's largest churches today declared itself to be "politically neutral" following a national webcast by both the Prime Minister, John Howard, and the Leader of the Opposition, Kevin Rudd.

A spokesman for Riverlands Christian Church (RCC) Penrith - which was the centre for the webcast in Penrith region - said, "We encourage our members to be politically savvy, and vote for whichever party they think is best.

"There have been some attempts within the national media to portray Christians as conservative right-wing voters. This simply isn't true. But Christian voters are not left-wing radicals either. Christianity is a 'thinking faith'," he said.

In an Australian first, the Prime Minister and Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd made their pitches for the Christian vote in a webcast streamed live to a claimed 100,000 Christians across the country.

"I acknowledge of course that God is neither Liberal nor Labor," he said. Mr Howard said, "I do, however, state it to be the fact that my party and the National Party has within its ranks a very significant number of people who are extremely active members of various Christian denominations."

Mr Rudd said the political right should not 'have a mortgage' on Christian values. "Personal faith provides a compass point for my life," he said last night. "It helps shape the view I try to bring to the public space."

The Riverlands church spokesman said RCC's outlook on the federal election was consistent with the agreed approach of Australian Chrisitian Churches (ACC). RCC is a member church of the ACC network.

Mr Howard struck a chord by telling Christians they had nothing to be embarrassed about. "The predominant religious culture in our society is Christianity and I always find it odd that you have to demonstrate your tolerance by denying your own heritage," he said.

Like Mr Howard, Mr Rudd put a Christian spin on his party's political strengths. "From a Christian perspective, we are custodians of the planet. We have a responsibility to ensure that those who come after us have a planet which is habitable," he said.

Speaking on how governments should treat the poor and underprivileged, Mr Rudd said, "We need to be mindful of giving voice to the voiceless and to have a view that compassion is not a weakness, it is one of our greatest strengths." Around a dozen times in his speech, Mr Rudd said his Christian beliefs gave him a unifying vision for the nation: "How can we be a country which has hard heads and soft hearts?"

Australian Christian Lobby director and former SAS head, Jim Wallace, said he expected the Christian vote to have a "big impact on the coming election".

"I think we saw after the last election there was a perception there was a Christian vote there. What we've seen tonight is that political parties certainly see it," he said.

"Also, we've been able to demonstrate that it is there in very large numbers. We had between 80,000 and 100,000 people watching tonight - that's a conservative estimate.

"For anyone with constituency to be able to do that, I think, is reasonably impressive and means if people are committed enough to come along and watch something like that in those numbers right around Australia, then it's a constituency that has to be listened to."

Mr Wallace publicly distanced himself - and Australia's Christian voters in general from the conservative "American approach". He said Christian voters here would take a wider perspective.

Federal Election 'first' at Penrith

2007-08-07T21:33:00.000+10:00

FOR the first time in an Australian federal election leaders of the two major political parties will talk directly to Christian churches via a live webcast.

Prime Minister, The Honourable Mr John Howard, and the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Kevin Rudd, will each make presentations and then answer questions.

In Penrith, this first-time webcast, "2007 Make It Count", will take place from 7-9.30pm on Thursday, August 9, at Riverlands Christian Church auditorium, Level 1/535 High Street, Penrith.

Penrith Christian Church has invited all other churches in the region to attend. Local residents who are not Christians are also invited - however, the aim of the webcast is for the two leaders to answer questions of concern for Christians.

Nearly 68 per cent of Australians have declared themselves to be Chrisitans in the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) 2001 Census. More than two million Australians attend a place of worship every Sunday. There are a large number of Christian politicians at all levels of government and in most politican parties.
For more information, contact Riverlands Christian Church on 02 4722 6422, and visit the Australian Christian Lobby (ACL) website at www.acl.org.au/nsw/.

Something exciting

2007-08-06T18:37:00.000+10:00

Something exciting begins - Riverlands MediaLink. Here you'll find media comment on "everything Riverlands" and official media releases from Riverlands Christian Church (RCC). Great for meeting deadlines! Want a comment or a "sound bite"? Contact us now (Media Contact details in sidebar).