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13.05.03 - Matthew Hunt speaks at Chinchilla's 52nd convention.
By Royce Perkins.
"The resurrection is one of the central tenets of the Christian faith but it
doesn't lie at the heart of our faith - Jesus Christ does", declared Rev.
Matthew Hunt at the 52nd annual "Keswick" Convention at Chinchilla in
Queensland. "The resurrection points to Him and how wonderful and astounding
He is, and how we must listen to Him and let Him speak for Himself. We have
all we need in the Lord Jesus".
Mr. Hunt, formerly a Sydney solicitor and pastor, and since November the
Ministry Team Leader at Helensvale Baptist Church on Queensland's Gold
Coast, preached seven messages during Queensland's Labour Day weekend (May
3-5) on the theme "Listen Up! Letting Jesus speak for himself", based on
Mark's Gospel.
Chinchilla, a vibrant town on the Western Darling Downs, lies just under 300
kms. west of Brisbane, adjacent to the Condamine River. The convention is
held in the splendid facilities of the Chinchilla Cultural Centre.
Out-of-town conventioners are billeted in private homes for bed and
breakfast, other meals being provided by the organising committee on site. A
youth camp, this year totalling 155, is quartered in an out-of-town church
hall and on a neighbouring farm, with a partially separate programme.
At the convention's Saturday night youth rally an excellent youth team
headed by Marshall Muller, pastor of the Caboolture Church of Christ, led
the service. Mr. Hunt, skilfully using power point, cartoon and video clips,
spoke to an intently listening audience. "Jesus is someone you can't ignore",
he insisted. A brief, reverent, fuss-less appeal for commitment resulted
in several young people responding - they could not ignore Him any longer!
Three of Chinchilla's churches - Baptist, Church of Christ and Christian
Outreach Centre - combined with the convention for a Sunday morning worship
and communion service.
The convention is organised by a local committee supported by WEC, and
features missionary displays, videos and speakers. A former interim pastor
of the Chinchilla Uniting Church, Neville Biggs, was this year's warmly
appreciated soloist. |
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