Gippsland's own Christian Community Radio Station |
Life FM Newsletter Archive for 2002"The Miracle of the Virgin Birth""This is how Jesus Christ was born. A young woman named
Mary was engaged to Joseph from King David's family. But before
they were married, she learned that she was going to have
a baby by God's Holy Spirit. Joseph was a good man and did
not want to embarrass Mary in front of everyone. So he decided
to quietly call off the wedding. The famous writer C.S. Lewis on the birth of Jesus: I wish everyone a very blessed and holy Christmas. Annual General Meeting sets the scene for test broadcasts in 2003Members of Gippsland Christian Broadcasters Inc. met together
at the Gippsland Grammar School Chapel on Wednesday 27th November
for the 3rd Annual General The President of the Association, The Reverend David Jones, opened the meeting in prayer and moved efficiently through the agenda ensuring that those present received a concise overview of events of the last financial year. The Treasurer, Kevin Neumann, presented an Audited Financial Report of the Association's finances, also paying tribute to Beth Harris for taking our financial records into the computer age over the last twelve months with a program developed especially for Life FM . We have now been upgraded even further, with the industry standard, Quicken 2002, ensuring best-practice in terms of the Associations Financial Management. Following acceptance of the financial report, Armitage and Downey was again appointed as Auditors for the Association. Other business included a raft of house-keeping changes to
the Rules of Association and the re-appointment of Deb Bye
and Alison Clarke to the Committee of Management. The meeting
was then informed of negotiations currently underway with
Gunai Media in respect of a time-sharing agreement for the
Broadcast frequency, in order to facilitate test broadcasts
in 2003, and members were then given advance notice of the
January release of a special demonstration CD, aimed at providing
information for Life FM's potential Following the meeting, members were able to spend time speaking informally with Committee members to learn more about the plans for Life FM in 2003 and beyond. This was a useful time and many people benefited from the opportunity to hear first-hand, how the vision is progressing.
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| Speaker: | Cameron Rash Authorised Representitive of Garvan Financial Planning |
| Venue: | Chapel of St Anne, Gippsland Grammar School, McGhee
St, Sale (click
here for Sale Map - Map ref C9 ) |
| Date: | Monday 21st October 2002 |
| Time: | 7:30pm - the presentation will run for approx. 1
hour. Light refreshments will follow |
| RSVP: | 7th October 2002 Call (03) 5143 0355 |
Cameron Rash is an authorised representative of Garvan Financial Planning, a division of GWM Adviser Services Limited ABN 96 002 071 749 Licenced Dealer in Securities, and has it's registered office at 105-153 Miller St, North Sydney, NSW, 2060. Telephone (02) 9957 8000
Fancy a luxury coach trip (in great company) to Melbourne to see a fabulous show seated in "premium" seats?
Well, don't miss out on this 'Life'-time experience planned for members and friends of Life FM for Saturday 11th January 2003 - an opportunity for five star coach travel to the State Theatre for your reserved 'premium seats' to seeMembers Make it Happen
$ Even $5 Donations Make A Difference
Now that the prospect of getting Life FM on air is getting closer, we need to look seriously at how we can raise the necessary funds for equipment and so forth. $90,000 sounds like a lot of money and it is! You may wonder how your small contribution can help. To help you see how your donation can work towards our goal of $90,000 we've broken it down into some more realistic figures:
If 90 people give $1,000 once, = $90,000
If 180 people give $500 once, = $90,000
If 150 people give $50 a month for one year, = $90,000
If 87 people give $20 weekly for one year, = $90,480
If 347 people give $5 weekly for one year, = $90,220
It is now possible to make a direct deposit to Life FM. You can do this as a once-off or you can set things up so that your bank transfers a set amount once a week, fortnight or month. Many of us wouldn’t even miss $5 or more a week if it’s directly transferred from our bank account. Why not give it some thought. Just contact your bank and ask them to arrange a regular transfer to Life FM Gippsland at Bendigo Bank BSB: 633 000 Account: 116708298 - please ensure your bank makes your deposit identifiable to us by using your name in the deposit details.
Business Ethics - Dead or Alive?
The Traralgon Uniting Church & Traralgon Central Rotary Club are hosting a Business Ethics dinner on Wednesday 9th October at the Premier Function Centre, Grey Street, Traralgon with special guests Graeme Wise, Director of The Body Shop and Chairman of The Big Issue street newspaper and Professor Barry Cooper of the School of Accounting and Law at RMIT University.
Professor Cooper has a wealth of experience studying instances of unethical behaviour and how these have contributed to the downfall of many businesses in Australia and overseas. There will be an opportunity to ask questions and enjoy a three course dinner.
Cost is $35 per head. Bookings and further information call (03) 5174 9309
August 2002
The Waiting Game
Applications for the Latrobe Valley Community Broadcasting Licence have now officially ‘closed’ and the waiting game has begun.
Following the submission of our application for a licence, Life FM was told that there is indeed another group who has applied for the same licence.
Gunai Media Aboriginal Corporation, which is based in Churchill, has submitted an application after being granted an extension to the closing date. Both applications can be viewed on the Australian Broadcasting Authority’s website.
A representative of Life FM has spoken with the ABA and been told that further information will be sought from both applicants, relative to their applications. While this is not unusual, given the complexity of the licensing issues, it will require further work by the licence application team.
Given that this entire process is being repeated for other parts of Australia, the workload for the Licensing Section of the ABA is significant, therefore applications will proceed slowly at this point.
When the further information supplied has been considered by the ABA a decision will be made as to the next step in the licensing process.
If both applications are viewed by the ABA as having merit, it would be usual for a public hearing to be held to assist the ABA’s Board in determining the most suitable applicant.
Alternatively, the ABA could make a decision without holding a public hearing and this is certainly the more desirable outcome—assuming Life FM is the successful applicant !
Financial management change
Undaunted by the waiting game relative to the licensing process, the Life FM Board continues to press ahead in planning for the future.
As part of this forward planning the Board has recently decided to upgrade
the financial database used to manage the ‘Associations’ funds.
Having first used a manual book-keeping system and then more recently
a much more sophisticated spreadsheet, developed in Microsoft Excel, Life
FM will shortly move to the use of
Quickbooks, in order to be better prepared for expected future accounting
demands.
The new program will enable better management of membership fees and the future handling of wages, sponsorships, commissions and superannuation
Debbie Bye’s High Country Report
There are times when God just showers you with blessings when you least expect them.
On a recent Sunday, fellow Board Member Heather Toms and I went with Laurie and Heather Baker and Leanne Ryall to Bruthen, Swan Reach, Buchan and Gelantipy, as Laurie conducted services and I talked about Life FM.
I must confess that I thought the day would be long (it was) and that it would be just a time of meeting people and having fellowship (we did that too) - but I mentioned blessings and that was the bonus!
We were blessed with 4 very different services. The biggest congregation in Bruthen was very receptive and the music was great! Swan Reach was much smaller but the hospitality was enormous and they fed us a lovely lunch. Buchan was smaller still but with a couple visiting from SA who were familiar with Christian Radio and emphasised its benefits. Finally Gelantipy, where an even smaller group gathered by the fireside and shared a very casual time of singing, personal sharing and then a meal before heading home.
We came away with new members, the offer of another caravan (for outdoor broadcasts and promotion purposes), prayer support and great encouragement.
Many thanks to the faithful saints in the mountains, the Bakers, Leanne Ryall and Heather Toms for driving.
Deb Bye
Fundraiser
A ‘Life’-time experience not to be missed is planned for members and friends of Life FM for January 2003 an opportunity for five star coach travel to the State Theatre for your reserved ‘premium seats’ to see................
The Lion the Witch & the Wardrobe
One simple step will take you and your friends into the memorable world of Narnia.Lucy, sent with her brothers and sister to escape London’s World War II air raids, finds herself in the care of a kindly old Professor in a remote country home. Playing hide and seek in the half empty house she finds a forgotten old wardrobe And stepping in to hide, steps out again into a forest white with snow the magical world of Narnia.
It is always winter in Narnia, and will be until the kingdom’s rightful ruler, Aslan, the great lion, returns to overthrow the wicked White Witch. The children must unite with Aslan’s forces in a tumultuous struggle to decide their fateand that of all the wondrous magical creatures of Narnia.
This limited season performance of the C.S. Lewis classic is not to be missed and is sure to be an unforgettable experience, for ‘kids’ of all ages.
Seats have already been reserved for a limited number of Life FM members and friends for the 2pm Matinee on Saturday the 11th of January, 2003 so book now !
Your booking covers ticket purchase of ‘premium’ seats at the State Theatre, Five Star coach travel to Melbourne (picking up along the route) and importantly, also includes a Fundraising element to provide much needed funds for Life FM.
A multi million dollar production from the creators of the phenomenally successful stage show, 'The Hobbit', 'The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe' will have its world premiere at the State Theatre, Victorian Arts Centre, Melbourne and play for a limited season. Amanda Muggleton will star as the White Witch.
The Life FM members and friends that book their seats now will guarantee themselves an experience that will be memorable indeed.
Bookings can be made by sending a cheque payable to Life FM for the amount of just $78 per person; that’s just $2 over the regular price for ‘Premium Adult’ seating but includes your hassle free and very comfortable transport and a healthy injection into Life FM’s funds.
Ring your friends now and make it a group day out for some refreshingly different family entertainment it will be a great day!
Other events in Melbourne can cost you over $100pp, but this trip is great value at a budget price.
By the way, if someone would like to help-out the member who has already offered to hire the bus, just call the office on 5143 0355 to discuss the cost, near enough to $1000 , depending on size.
Special points of interest:
Homemade Christian Greeting Cards and Bookmarks are now available for the cost of a donation from the Life FM office (open Mondays) or by contacting us.July 2002
Application Submission
After a gargantuan team effort by people spread between Sydney, Melbourne and of course Gippsland, Life FM's Licence Application was finally submitted on time, to the Australian Broadcasting Authority for the next step in the licensing process. The application itself comprises 50 pages and 11,675 words, with well over double that in Appendices and Support Letters, in triplicate, making it's compilation a truly awesome task that could not have been completed without the dedication and efforts of the Board of Management and a willing team of Life FM Volunteers.
Of course, none of these efforts would have amounted to much without the support of every Life FM member and the numerous other people in the community who have caught the vision. It is worthy of note that at the time of writing the application, support for Life FM included:
- 145 financial members
- 5 Lifetime members
- 268 contacts representing 20 denominations.
We also received 111 letters of support, comprising:
- 89 letters from individuals:
including-1 with 28 signatures from Sale Baptist Church Youth Group and 1 with 35 signatures from Sale Lutheran Church members. - 6 letters from politicians:
including-Peter McGauran MP - Federal Member for Gippsland, Peter Ryan MP - Leader of National Party Victoria, Christian Zara MP - Member for McMillan, Peter Hall MLC - Member for Gippsland Province, Bill Henebury - Councillor, Wellington Shire, Keith Smyth - Councillor, East Gippsland Shire. - 9 letters from Churches including:
Morwell Community Church, Catholic Diocese of Gippsland, Sale Baptist Church, Anglican Diocese of Gippsland, Holy Trinity Anglican Church Stratford, Stratford Uniting Church, Kingsway Christian Centre Sale, Reality Christian Fellowship and Traralgon Church of Christ. - 3 letters from schools including:
Araluen Primary School, Gippsland Grammar and Morwell River of Life School of Ministries. - 3 letters from businesses including:
Sale Community Business Association, Taliesin Web Design and Trevaskis Specialist Tutoring. - 1 letter from Kilmany Family Care
AND- Since the submission of the application further support letters have arrived from Anglicare, Fusion and 20 other individuals. THANK YOU ALL !
The next step
The ABA has advised Life FM that another group has expressed a desire to submit a Licence Application and that they have sought an extension to the closing date. The extension has been granted.
Applications now close at 5 pm on 27 / 6 and can be viewed on the ABA website
The public is then invited to comment on the applications, with 'submissions ' closing at 5 pm on 18 / 7. The next step will then be the ABA determining if a public hearing is necessary before making a decision on the applications received.
The ABA wants to hear from YOU!
The Australian Broadcasting Authority "welcomes written submissions from members of the public" in relation to applications they receive for a community radio licence, that means that they welcome a letter from you saying how much you support Life FM in its licence application. (Before the 18th of July) Please grab a pen and piece of paper, or hit the email button on your keyboard and put down a few lines expressing your support for Life FM.
Your letters of support will not be displayed on the ABA's website or released for other public viewing, but the statistical data will be-so every letter counts, literally! Your letter can be sent direct to :
Australian Broadcasting Authority
Licensing Section
PO Box Q500, QVB
NSW 1230
or emailed to: info@aba.gov.au
Special points of interest:
Not including the work that was done elsewhere - over 200 hours of volunteer time was expended in the Life FM office, compiling the Licence Application.May 2002
It's Time !
Licence Deadline June 13!
Shortly after noon on Thursday the 16th of May 2002, the Australian Broadcasting Authority called for applications “for two new community radio broadcasting licenses in regional Victoria”, one of which is to serve the Latrobe Valley area.
From the moment the news hit the ABA website, e-mail's and phone calls ran hot between the Life FM administration team and board members. The steady pace of the past two years was suddenly replaced by a much more urgent and intense approach to the huge task at hand, as the licence application is made ready for submission before the June 13 deadline.
Announcing the call for licence applications for both Warragul and the Latrobe Valley, ABA Chairman, Professor David Flint said, “The ABA’s planning process identified a demand for new community services operated by people living in these areas”. Life FM will be seeking the community radio broadcast licence for the Latrobe Valley.
After the lengthy planning process which was completed late last year, the ABA stated in its Licence Area Plan for the Latrobe Valley area, that Life FM was “…likely to contribute to the diversity of services already available in the region”. It is now time to show the ABA that we can ‘deliver the goods’.
With the opportunity to be given a licence for the Latrobe Valley broadcast area, Life FM will be perfectly placed to set down firm foundations upon which to build a viable and self-supporting Community Radio Station, that can later extend its service further east, in accordance with the long-term vision and commitment of the Life FM Board of Management.
At a meeting held in Sale on the afternoon of Thursday May 16, the Board discussed strategies for the immediate completion of the licence application and work started in earnest soon after.
With our objective now in sight, more than ever, members of Life FM are urged to—
Pray, Pray, Pray !
(view our prayer list updated monthly)
Members on wanted list
Members, members, members; those are the three most practical things that you can provide towards the future viability of Life FM and the most tangible expression of support that can be offered, to show the Australian Broadcasting Authority that we are worthy of their confidence. To sign up online go here
Every member of Life FM is now asked to make a concerted effort towards the recruitment of new members for Life FM—all shapes, sizes, ages and denominations, we need them all.
Please speak to as many of your friends as possible and encourage them to join you in “making a difference”, by supporting the call for Christian radio in your area.
If you need more Membership Application forms, just call the office on (03) 5143 0355 or print them from the website
Even $5 Donations Make A Difference
Now that the prospect of getting Life FM on air is getting closer, we need to look seriously at how we can raise the necessary funds for equipment and so forth. $90,000 sounds like a lot of money and it is! You may wonder how your small contribution can help. To help you see how your donation can work towards our goal of $90,000 we've broken it down into some more realistic figures:
If 90 people give $1,000 once, = $90,000
If 180 people give $500 once, = $90,000
If 150 people give $50 a month for one year, = $90,000
If 87 people give $20 weekly for one year, = $90,480
If 347 people give $5 weekly for one year, = $90,220
It is now possible to make a direct deposit to Life FM. You can do this as a once-off or you can set things up so that your bank transfers a set amount once a week, fortnight or month. Many of us wouldn’t even miss $5 or more a week if it’s directly transferred from our bank account. Why not give it some thought. If you wish to do this, please contact the Life FM Office – ph: (03) 5145 0355
IMPORTANT! Support Letters
The process of our licence application involves the collection of letters of support from the community. Late in 2001 Family Radio in Brisbane were granted a community broadcast licence…part of the reason for their success was the 4000 support letters they submitted with their application! The Australian Broadcasting Authority (ABA) pays attention when members of the community take the time to show in writing that they support community radio. We need YOUR letter. You don’t have to be able to write well, or be able to type to send us a letter of support, and it doesn’t need to be long. Feel free to view existing letters to give you some ideas that will help get you started. Please encourage your friends and also your churches to write letters as well. Every letter counts, and the more support we can show the ABA the more successful our license application will be. Why not sit down and write it now. Your letters need to be received by us at Life FM by June 6th - feel free to send it via email.
Special points of interest:
Our thanks go to Life FM volunteer Keith Jeans, who has been hard at work with a host of maintenance jobs at the office and studio—Well done Keith !
March - April 2002
The prayer co-coordinators for Life FM are keen to hear from anyone who would like to be a part of our Prayer Chain.
“We make a commitment to pray immediately upon receiving the request by phone and to then pass on the request to the next person on the list, to ensure the widest possible prayer cover. We do not delete or add anything to the request, and it will be kept confidential”.
If you are willing to be a part of the Prayer Chain, please contact either Heather Toms on (03) 5199 2711 or Alison Clarke on (03) 5145 6971
Our regular prayer points are updated on this website every month and regular prayer meetings are held at the office every Monday at 5pm. If you would like to attend a prayer meeting at a different day/time, please contact Heather or Alison.
New Board Members
At the Annual General Meeting of Life FM held in Sale on the 27th of March, three vacancies on the Board of Management were filled and the appointments included two new faces for the management team. The two new Board Members are; Pastor Andrew Cairns from Morwell, and Mr. Kevin Neuman from Sale (See below for more). The member re-appointed to the Board, for her second term, is Mrs. Trish Broadbear, who also resides in Sale.
There being only three nominations for the three vacancies, Life FM’s President, the Reverend David Jones, declared all three nominees appointed as ‘Board Member’, and thanked them for accepting their nomination. The term of office for these members will now be three years.
Other business conducted during the evening included the ‘Board Report’, and presentation of the financial statement for the financial year ending 30th June 2001, which saw an operating surplus of $3709.88 for that period, and a development fund balance of $3096.27. Giving a total of $6806.15 at 30 June 2001.
In addition, numerous amendments to the Rules of Association were dealt with in accordance with the proposed changes as circulated to all members before the AGM. Each amendment was speedily passed, thereby pathing the way for smoother operation of the Association in the future.
Armitage Downie Accountants in Sale were appointed as Life FM’s auditors for the ensuing twelve months, and the next Annual General Meeting will be held some time in November, at which time Life FM will be ‘on-track’ with its scheduled AGM’s
Meet Pastor Andrew Cairns..
Andrew first became interested in Life FM when he telephoned the office one Monday morning, to introduce himself and to gently ‘check out’ this ‘aspirant Christian radio station’ that he had heard about, to see if we were some ‘wacky group’ , or if we were something more akin to the Christian outreach that he would be interested in supporting. Having passed the initial check, Andrew arranged a ‘face to face’ at the Life FM office. The meeting went well and as a result Debbie Bye and Allen Moore were invited to give a presentation to the elders of Morwell Community Church, and this also went well. Along with the elders of his church, Andrew has been keen to see Christian radio come to the La Trobe Valley for some time, and now, he and his ‘flock’ will have the opportunity to play an active role in that vision coming to fruition.Originally from Sydney, Andrew joined the RAAF in the 1980’s, and before resigning his commission in 1997, Andrew was a Squadron Leader with experience in Human Resources; Administration; Finance; Training and Policy Development / Implementation. Whilst serving with the RAAF, Andrew completed an Associate Diploma of Administration Studies, a Certificate in Vocational Training, and was also awarded the Conspicuous Service Cross, for service to the RAAF in the field of Personnel Management. (Phew! He was a busy boy!) Andrew eventually left the RAAF and settled in Werribee to develop his faith through study and involvement in his local church. Whilst there he was involved in various church groups, including being convenor and leader for the Alpha Course program for a total of three years. Married to Lynnelle in 1998, this dynamic duo are now working together as the Senior Pastors at Morwell Community Church, and expect to be there for ‘life’.
Meet Kevin Neumann..
As we maintain the aeronautical links, meet Kevin Neumann, our other new Board Member; who describes himself as—“an aviator with a large multinational oil company”. (Now which company could that be?) Over the past twenty years whilst resident in Gippsland, Kevin has taken an active role in the Lutheran Church and Community. No stranger to administrative challenges himself, Kevin doesn’t always have his ‘head in the clouds’ (flying that is!), and has in fact held various offices within the Church Administration, at various times being Treasurer, Secretary, and Lay-reader. At present, apart from his new duties as a Board Member with Life FM, Kevin is also Chairman of St. John’s Lutheran Church, in Sale. A family man, Kevin has been married to his wife Janet for 22 years and is father to two children, Diana and David, both of whom are studying at Melbourne University.
Clearly, both newly elected Members of the Board bring a wealth of expertise and ability with them to their new roles with Life FM, and no doubt, together with returning Member Trish Broadbear, they will provide able support and encouragement to the other Board Members, in their joint mission of ~ ‘making a difference’.
Tithe
At a recent retreat for Life FM’s Board Member’s, a decision was made in respect of an issue that has been ‘on the books’ for some time. Tithing ! After an initial suggestion almost twelve months ago, and with much prayer and thought, an appropriate recipient of Life FM’s tithe has been identified. HCJB World Radio ! As the world’s first missionary broadcast organisation, HCJB first broadcast on Christmas Day 1931, from inside a sheep-shed, high in the Andes of Ecuador, and has been touching lives around the globe ever since. Its purpose is to communicate the gospel of Jesus Christ to all nations, so that people are transformed and become an active, vital part of the body of Christ. HCJB aims to start broadcasting to India and the South Pacific from Kununurra in WA, by the end of the year. So what better place to sow our tithe? Same mission; same medium; same Jesus !
Lifetime Member
Yet another supporter has signed up as a Life-time member of Life FM, bringing the total number of Life-time members to four.
With each Life-time membership attracting the membership fee of $1100.00, this commitment shows great faith in the future for Life FM, and is an inspiration to us all.
As with our first such member, Life-time member number four does not wish to be identified, and we respect that, but we nonetheless wish to express our heartfelt gratitude for such generosity and awesome commitment.
So; "Number 4"—Thankyou and God bless !
Not everyone has a caravan sitting in their back yard that they don’t want anymore—but it only takes one person that does to meet our need. As part of our forward planning, we are asking members to keep their eyes and ears open for any hint of someone who may have an old caravan that they no longer have a need for, and may care to donate to Life FM. Right now we are in the process of commencing a ‘publicity’ push into the La Trobe Valley, and a van that we could tow around, emblazoned with the Life FM logo, would make a great impact. Also, when we receive a license, we are going to need a van from which we can conduct ‘outside broadcasts’. This van is not going to be needed to sleep in, so doesn’t need to be too big or too flash, but it does need to be roadworthy and structurally sound. If you have any clues about just such a van, please contact us, so that we can check it out.
February 2002
Workign Bee
Life FM’s home is set for a face-lift, following on from the excellent work already completed by the ‘work-for-the-dole’ team; so members now have the chance to join in all the fun at our Working-bee.
On Saturday the 23rd of March, Life FM members will be gathering at our premises, located (upstairs) at 204 Raymond Street in Sale, from around 9 am, in a joint effort to ‘make a difference’ to both the appearance and functionality of our office and work spaces.
The major construction work has of course already been completed, but some minor cosmetic work is still necessary.
During the working-bee we plan to finish painting the kitchen; tidy-up the store room, giving it a coat of paint also; fix a hole in the brick work of one of the toilets, then splash some more paint around that too; and possibly replace a door on the office ~ so: all hands on deck!
None of the work is going to be particularly difficult, but the more people we have to help the better, and if you have some skills and equipment that may suit the sort of work mentioned, we would certainly appreciate your lending a hand. Now if you can’t help in this way............
Carpet Required
...... you can still be a great help if you happen to have some 2nd hand carpet in good condition, as our corridor is currently bare boards, and very noisy to walk on (not good for radio!); so if you think you have some carpet that would suit, please give us a call.
Paper Bricks
We are also planning to make some ‘bricks’ from old newspapers in the future, and to then sell them as an alternative fuel source as a fund-raiser, so if you would like to be on a ‘brick-making-team’, or perhaps had somewhere to store the bricks, we would also like to hear from you.
If you can help with any of these requests, please leave a message on (03) 5143 0355
Ritchies Supermarkets Community Benefits Scheme
Last year, arrangements were made with Ritchies Supermarkets to enable Life FM to receive a percentage from the purchases made by our members at Ritchies stores. We would like to again encourage you to consider shopping at Ritchies, in Sale and Maffra, to aid us in our fundraising.
1% of the total you spend in either the supermarket or liquor department will be automatically donated to Life FM. It only takes members spending a combined total of $250 a week for Life FM to qualify for the minimum donation.
Simply fill in the Ritchies Supermarket "Community Benefit Card Application, nominating Life FM (our reference number is 94637) as your intended recipient and then a card will be issued to you which you then present with each purchase, and voila! Life FM will receive much needed funds! Simple! So; why not shop at Ritchies for a change?
Special points of interest:
A volunteer maintenance co-ordinator is needed for Life FM. This person will co-ordinate minor repairs, liase with tradespersons & co-ordinate station working-bee’s etc. Interested?? Give us a call at the office to talk it over.
Board Retreat
On Saturday February 9th, members of the LifeFM Board met together for a ‘retreat’, and by the end of the day everyone present was amazed at how much had been accomplished. The board was left in no doubt that God had been present as a guiding influence upon all of their deliberations, and frequent times of prayer together.
Throughout the day members dealt with an enormous amount of material relating to the structure and operations of LifeFM, the licensing process, committees, tithing, and a host of other issues that will ultimately have great impact upon the mission of the Association.
The Board on average meets fortnightly, but this time of ‘retreat’
was necessary to deal with a number of very complicated issues and also
as a time of seeking God’s guidance and will, for the months ahead.
It was time well spent and will definitely ~ ‘make a difference’!
January 2002
Music Festival
The Forest Edge Christian Music Festival is an annual drug-and-alcohol free event run by ACAN (the Australian Christian Artists Network), and aims to raise the profile of Australian Christian bands and solo artists.
Forest Edge 2001 was deemed a huge success by organizers and registrants alike, with attendance figures more than doubling in the event’s second year. Set on the Latrobe River at Neerim East, surrounded by state forest, the festival is a celebration of God’s majesty and creativity, and offers an appreciation of the creative arts.
In 2001, performers and attendees came from Victoria, Tasmania, SA, NSW, ACT, QLD and NT, and have described the event as striking ‘the perfect balance of devotions, entertainment, music and free time.’ The programme was ideally suited to both youth groups and families, with musical styles and activities to appeal to all tastes and age groups.
The action-packed programme featured over 60 artists including: Epidemic, Sons of Korah, The Frugals, Alabaster Box, Brotherhood Lush, Compliments of Gus, Claire Hazzard, Simeon, Antiskeptic, Steve Messer’s Strange Country, Robyn Green, Teramaze and many more. Also on offer were: morning devotional walks, dance and drama workshops, speakers (including God’s Squad founder John Smith, Victorian Youth Alive Director Paul Molyneux and Sydney’s DJ Konz), scavenger hunts, worship sessions, ‘Stars in Your Eyes’ Talent Quest, Christian dance party, carnival attractions, Insomniacs Café, outdoor adventures, clowns, airbrush face painting, and more.
One of the highlights was the Sunday night event dubbed ‘The Ultimate Confrontation’, featuring the formidable on-stage collaboration of John Smith and The Paul Colman Trio. Another highlight is the fact that 25 children were also sponsored through Compassion Australia at the event. This year’s Forest Edge Festival is set to be just as big!
For further information about Forest Edge 2002...
Website: http://www.acan.org.au/forestedge2001.asp
Email: nationaloffice@acan.org.au
Phone: 03 9795 7801
Tony Leaves
This month, Life FM Board Member Tony Colley heads to the Northern Territory to take up a position as an Outdoor Education Teacher.
Tony has been employed by the Wellington Shire Council as their Youth Development Officer and has also been a valued member of Life FM’s Board of Management.
Tony assures us that he will retain his membership of Life FM and will not be selling his home because, as he declares, I have every intention of being back in town before too long, I reckon this is homeGod’s country !
This move will of course create a vacancy on the Board, which will be filled by way of special appointment, pending the expiration of Tony’s elected term and then elections at an Annual General Meeting.
Many thanks Tony we’ll miss you!
A Busy Year
This year will be a busy time for those preparing the license application for Life FM. Every day we are checking the newspapers and the ABA website to see if applications have been called for, and when they are, the clock will start ticking - so please pray for those who are putting in the hours of research and careful thought needed for the formal application.
At the same time as the license application is being drafted, our volunteers continue to be busy with further funding applications. Recently an expression of interest was submitted to the Commonwealth Department of Family and Community Services, with regard to the Stronger Families and Communities Strategy, which provides for funding of projects in line with the Government’s aim of assisting communities to help themselves, and to reduce the future incidence of family and community dislocation. Now does that sound familiar?
We are confident that Life FM’s aims are in line with this government strategy and that given the opportunity we will be able to further our stated intentions of Making a difference. The grant we are seeking is in the vicinity of $80 000 and would be used to establish our necessary transmission infrastructure.
Life FM has just been notified that our project outline is currently being considered by an advisory group, comprised of community representatives and local government, to guide implementation of the strategy. The outcome of this assessment will then be forwarded to the Minister for considerationso please pray for a successful outcome, as these funds are vital.
With the start of a new year we have lots to be thankful for and whilst it is not possible to list all of the blessings that have unfolded in God’s timing over the last two years, it has to be said that without the continued support of so many members, Life FM would simply not be in a position to seek a Broadcast Licensebecause of you, Life FM members, we face 2002 with high hopes
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