Blogs

Timothy Partnership – DEEWR approved training for Chaplains under the NSCSWP

By ttpeditor - Tuesday, December 6, 2011 - 14:04

Recently the Federal Government extended the National Schools Chaplaincy Program by a further 3 years. Along with the extension, the government brought in new minimum training standards for Chaplains from 2012 onwards. The Timothy Partnership is pleased to announce that an agreement has been reached with the Australian Government for two units of Pastoral Care, which will give Chaplains a solid basis for understanding what pastoral care is, and then the eqivalent of the two Certificate IV required units, Mental Health and Referrals.

As a collaborative venture of Youthworks and Presbyterian Youth, working through the ACT's affiliated colleges, Anglican Youthworks College and the Presbyterian Theological Centre, these two units specialising in Pastoral Care, will be on offer from 2012. Click here to go to the Certificate page to read more.

Bible College on a bean bag

By Stacey - Monday, August 8, 2011 - 10:48

Last night a young woman was interviewed in my church about the year she spent at Bible college, having taken leave from her job to do a Diploma in Sydney.
It was great. She talked about the encouragement of spending time with other Christians, the blessing of being able to take time to study God's word, and the privilege and responsibility that are ours in having the access we do to such excellent Bible teaching. She talked about the way that studying God's word changes how we do ministry because it changes who we are.
All this I have found to be true.
And I realised again what a really cool thing the Timothy Partnership is - it allows me to do almost exactly the same thing on a bean bag in front of the heater in my lounge room - a technique I learnt from my high school aged children. And the dinner table conversations are still with my family.

Timothy Partnership Webcast Thursday 23rd June

By ttpeditor - Thursday, June 23, 2011 - 18:56

The Timothy Partnership is hosting a Webcast of the Information Night Thursday 23rd June at 8pm.

Join us to hear more about the Timothy Partnership.

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To join the online meeting (Now from mobile devices!)
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1. Go to https://aufreetrial.webex.com/aufreetrial/j.php?ED=155631727&UID=1205051...
2. If requested, enter your name and email address.
3. Click "Join".

Information Evening

By admin - Tuesday, June 21, 2011 - 12:37

Come and hear about how the Timothy Partnership can be used by people from many walks of life to further equip them for ministry. Meet some of the lecturers and have the opportunity to ask any questions you might have about the Timothy Partnership.

When: Thursday 23 June 2011 8pm
Where: Presbyterian Theological Centre,
77 Shaftesbury Rd, Burwood
RSVP: 22 June 2011 by email: admin@pynsw.org.au
or phone: (02) 8567 4700

Another semester about to byte the dust.

By David - Thursday, June 9, 2011 - 10:42

Having started the Timothy Partnership course as a full time student at the beginning of 2010, I am now over half way to completing my DipTh. This last semester has been the hardest for me. This has nothing to do with course content, but stuff going on in and around my life apart from TP. The problems I faced caused me to consider 'throwing in the towel'. TP students are not alone and as such, my mentors and friends encouraged me and gave me the help I needed to continue on. It is by the grace of God through our Lord Jesus Christ, that the problems have been overcome and I am encouraged to 'soldier on'. I do not mean that in a hard way. The course content has its highs and lows, but I do not think it possible for anyone who chooses to take TP on, to mature in their relationship with Christ as a result.

A Happy Religion?

By Stacey - Tuesday, June 7, 2011 - 22:57

Just last week one of the students in my English class commented 'I think that you have a very happy religion'.
Maybe it was my grin (a combination of nerves and my delight at the questions they were asking), but I would rather think that it was in response to my answer to her previous question: 'So are you saying that if you are a Christian, all you have to do is believe Jesus and you will go to heaven?'.
It was a great reminder to me of the very real joy that comes from truly understanding the grace of God. It is so different from the burden of a religion that tries desperately to appease God, to do 'enough'.
What a wonderful opportunity to share this joy with others for whom it is so foreign!

This week we are doing Timothy Partnership exams. It has been another full and busy and rewarding semester of learning, which seems again to have gone so fast. After the exams I am looking forward to catching up with and meeting some of my fellow students 'in the flesh', having 'met' them in class this term. One of the great 'fringe benefits' of this course has been getting to know brothers and sisters in Christ I would otherwise not have met, and sharing with them the joys, and struggles, knowing that we are working together in serving the King.

What's in a title?

By Stacey - Monday, April 4, 2011 - 10:01

As I write this, there is a week of the school term left, and I find myself wondering again where the term has gone! A new school term brought with it a new semester of study with the Timothy Partnership, and another opportunity to study God’s word and be encouraged and equipped in ministering to others. The subject I am doing is OT 202, which unfathomably seems to have three different titles. But I am glad, because each gives a slightly different, and helpful, perspective on what the subject is about.
‘Old Testament Prophets and Writings’ is written on the front of the study guided provided for the subject, which contains all the notes and the core readings. This title gives me a clue which books of the Bible will be looked at (in our Bibles, basically an overview of everything from Chronicles to the end of the Old Testament).
The ACT (Australian College of Theology) title for this subject is ‘From Israel to Judea’, and this title helps me to understand the historical perspective and the changes in the nation of Israel and their situation amongst the nations around them over this period. It has been exciting to see the connection between this and the things I learnt last semester in looking at the background to the gospels.
The prospectus calls the subject ‘Judgement and Restoration’. I think this is a theological title, and for me it summarises what God is doing in dealing with his people – both his people Israel, and his people all over the world. We have seen as we have looked at the prophets that God’s judgement of Israel and the promised judgement of the nations around them is a foretaste of the judgement to come and God’s punishment of his Son in our place; and that the restoration of Israel and the return to the land is not all there is – it looks forward to the restoration of God’s people brought by the Messiah, and the return to Eden. And just this last week we have been looking at Ezekiel, and have been reminded that God's glory and majesty are the basis for both judgement and restoration, so we have seen more of who God is and what he is like.
We keep being reminded of the way that all of the prophets, and indeed all of the Old Testament, looks forward to Jesus, and the way that all that God is doing in history revolves around bringing all things under his headship. Maybe having so many different titles does that too – points to Jesus and each of the different titles given to him, that all tell us something of who he is!

Christmas, it's all about Jesus!

By David - Thursday, December 16, 2010 - 10:07

The greatest gift throughout all eternity is that God, the Father gave us His son so that we may be redeemed back to Him.

The first gift I received this Christmas season was that I passed all my subjects. Yes, I know that I had a part to play in it, but God in his grace has made it possible for me to do the necessary study and provided me with a wonderful group of supporters who have helped in in prayer and resources as I have continued the journey. Like Paul writes in his letter to the Philippians, I too will "press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. Only let us hold true to what we have attained." (Phil 3:14-16)

So as I share time with friends and family over this Christmas season, I remember the prize that awaits me and I pray that I may take hold of every opportunity to give generously to all I meet the knowledge of the gift of salvation that is in Christ Jesus.

Year One Done.

By David - Wednesday, November 17, 2010 - 17:12

Well I have been a busy bloke this semester. My blogs have been as rare as ashtrays on motorcycles. But here I am to give a report so to encourage the T.P. "tyre-kickers" to take the plunge.
If God is touching your heart to consider extending your understanding of Him, then "don't kick against the goad." If God isn't touching your heart, then maybe you should do the course or at least ask Him to encourage you in this direction.
I turned 49 this year, I have two boys in senior high school and my wife is a house mum. I came somewhere close to last when I left school in year 10. In spite of all this, I have managed to do reasonably well in the way of assignment and exam results.
I have really enjoyed the interaction with the online content of this course. I have been encouraged and know that I have been able to offer a little help to many other students. We have young and old, blokes and ladies from all over the place. Most of them are doing the course part time, but there are a few of us doing it full time.
What I can tell you for sure is that if you do 1 subject or take it on full time at 4 subjects per semester, you can't loose.
Its all good!
BTW, the support from the lecturers and college support staff is excellent - And they didn't pay me to say this :-)

In the holidays…

By Stacey - Tuesday, October 12, 2010 - 09:06

Remember at school, on the first day back, when you had to write a story that began like that? That’s a bit how I feel today. When one of my sons was in kindergarten he got into trouble because he wrote “In the holidays I played red-butt”. He had been given a soccer goal for his birthday shortly before the holidays, and that was pretty much what they and all the neighbours had done for two weeks. But his teacher objected to his use of the word ‘butt’.
In the holidays, I went to Queensland with my family. For us, this is the only holiday period with no soccer training, and this is the last one before the dreaded HSC; so we took the opportunity to go away all together, maybe for the last time. Such a strange thought. The weather wasn’t quite like the slogan promises, but that gave us time to relax and get unburnt. And it gave me time to catch up on all my reading, which had fallen behind in a busy term.
So in the holidays, I learnt (with the help of my son) the marvels of using the Maccas wireless internet to contribute to online forums . I was reminded of how flexible online learning is, and amazed at how cool technology can be. As I looked at the ocean and saw whales for the first time (live ones), I marvelled at the wonder of God’s creation, and his care for us. And as I read the gospels, I was encouraged anew at what it means that God calls us, lost sinners, into his kingdom; and the amazingness of his grace to us in Jesus.
And in the holidays, late one night while walking on the beach, I met a young woman who reminded me of the utmost joy that comes from walking with the Lord in all circumstances, and whose life and story were a testimony to God’s grace and sovereignty and faithfulness. And I was very thankful.