ABOUT US

 

Sight Magazine is an editorially independent, Australian-based website covering local and global news and issues from a Christian perspective.


Our mission is simple - "to open the eyes" of people not only in Australia but around the globe to how Jesus Christ is actively moving among his church today and to encourage Christians from all denominations to share how God is moving in their midst.


DAVID ADAMS, editor

 

A freelance journalist, David has written for national news publications in both Australia and the United Kingdom. Married to Linda with two wonderful children - Kyle and Clare - David lives in Geelong, Victoria.


LLOYD HARKNESS, associate editor

 

Lloyd is a teacher and father of four.


JAMES CROOK, webmaster/columnist

 

James is a freelance web designer and developer who also teaches multimedia part-time at a local Tafe. He enjoys writing restaurant reviews, doing techie things with Sight and also contributing the occasional article. For more info see the website of his Geelong website-design business Chocolate Chip multimedia.


ANN WOJCZUK, graphic artist/blogger

 

Ann is your average human being, who loves Jesus, and is interested in everyone and just about everything. She is happily married with two kids and sometimes gets to do web art for Sight.

 

      ACTIVE CONTRIBUTORS/COLUMNISTS

KRIS BATHER

 

Kris lives in Perth and in a constant state of amazement. God and pop culture are two of his passions and he makes sure not to separate the two. He also loves coffee, chocloate, cheap XBOX 360 games and free
food. He has worked as a DJ on community radio, sold mobile phones when they were bricks and has generally made a fool of himself to make others laugh in his various short films. The former comics books editor at Infuze likes to think that he is the geekiest person in the room. Usually, he's right.

 

CHOE BRERETON

 

Choe is a biological scientist by trade who has worked in forensics and more recently with many of the top scientists in the field of HIV research. Her writing career sprouted wings after she kicked science to the curb in August 2006 and fast-tracked a diploma in creative writing. She has since written for a number of publications. Married and living in New South Wales, she hopes to soon embark on a masters degree in journalism or communications. For every good thing that she has, she gives all glory to God.

 

CHRISSI ELLANKOON

 

Chrissi has recently discovered the secret joy of writing. She is passionate about seeing people equipped in order achieve the potential that God has placed in them. She is also actively invovled in a young adult ministry focused on 26-35 year olds and is also enjoying a career in the financial industry.


MAL FLETCHER

 

Mal is a TV and radio broadcaster, social commentator and author whose books have been translated into five languages. He is also an internationally acclaimed speaker and lecturer who equips leaders and major organisations to deal with change in a proactive way. He appears regularly in various media and speaks to audiences around the world. Mal is the founder/director of Next Wave International, a Christian mission to Europe, based in London. His EDGES TV programmes are seen around the world. For much more, constantly updated material, go to nextwaveonline.com and edges.tv.


NICK HODGSON

 

Nick is a 1990 Chiropractic graduate of the Phillip Institute of
Technology (now RMIT University). He has been practicing full-time in Ocean Grove for the last fifteen years and runs the longest established and largest natural health practice on the Bellarine Peninsula. Nick is a Fellow of the Holder Research Institute (F.H.R.I.), and is a member of the Chiropractors' Association of Australia (CAA) and the World Chiropractic Alliance (WCA), and sits on the WCA's International Board of Governors, and the WCA Council on Addictions and Compulsive Disorders. Nick has also been actively involved in leadership roles at the Ocean Grove Baptist Church; leading small study groups including Alpha, singing in the worship team, and coordinating the church-wide "40 Days of Purpose" spiritual growth campaign.



ADAM KELSALL

 

A former youth worker at Youth For Christ, Adam is studying youth work and doing a masters in wilderness therapy. He is passionate about communication and the fuzziness between what we say and what people hear. Adam likes climbing rocks and eating food provided by multinational burger and sandwich chains.

 

JUSTIN MICHAEL

 

Justin fills a number of roles - his current fulltime gig is as a music director/worship pastor at Kardinia Christian Church in Geelong, Victoria, Australia. Justin performs with the Aussie band Compliments of Gus - check www.complimentsofgus.com - and somehow, has found himself doing solo stuff - www.justinmichael.com - as well as singing with the Melbourne Gospel Choir over the past few years. He is married to the very beautiful Jodi and they have a spectacular little man named Noah who keeps them busy. Justin says it's fun being a muso and that it’s crazy being all of the above things, but he wouldn’t have it any other way!


CHRIS PIPER

 

Chris originally hails from England so has that Tony Blair-type accent, and met his wife, Marilyn (who is a Geelong gal) in Somalia. He teaches part time at Deakin University on their graduate International & Community Development program, and also runs his own overseas aid consultancy, TorqAid. Chris & Marilyn live in Torquay, and have four children.'


DEAN RANKINE

 

Dean has been branded a heretic but he's trying not to take it personally. He likes Indian food, coffee and watching kung-fu movies. His dislikes include making small talk, roller-blading and being eaten by sharks. He works part-time as a community development worker with a needle and syringe program and part-time as a cartoonist. His comics have been published worldwide. You can see more of his work at HOLY COW! Christian Comics.



PHIL SMITH

 

Phil is a graduate in journalism and media from Central Queensland University. An award-winning journalist, he has filed radio and television stories from throughout South East Asia, Australia's "Top End" and the South Pacific. His credits include an ABC TV documentary on the rebuilding of East Timor. He hosts the ANZAC Day telecast from Brisbane each year. As a recipient of the Prince of Wales Award, Phil worked in San Francisco as Associate Producer at KGO, the top rating talk station in the US. The owner of Spun Yarns, Phil has covered matters of faith and Christian events for a wide range of faith-based and secular media, including the History Makers radio programme. As a guest speaker, Phil can draw on experiences as a Squadron Leader in the RAAF Specialist Reserve. He has served as a Peace Keeper in East Timor and Bougainville. He's also been operational in Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Indonesia. His stories include aircraft carriers and the Aceh tsunami, providing insight for teens to management teams. Married to Kayleen and father of Rebeccah and Jessica, Phil is involved with his local community through Pine Rivers Uniting Church. He lives near Lake Samsonvale and is writing an eco-thriller under the working title Slick. Phil's website is www.philsmith.com.au.


RUSSELL STUBBINGS

 

Russell is a church planter, teacher, and Bible college lecturer with a keen interest in exploring the place and function of the church, as a missional yet Biblically faithful entity, in contemporary society. Russell is beginning studies in the counselling field in an effort to be more effective as a pastor and develop a life coaching approach from a Christian perspective. He enjoys all things sporting and has had extensive involvement in the coaching field. Possibly his greatest achievement has been maintaining his sanity whilst raising teenage children with his wife Rhonda, to whom he has been happily married for 20 years.

 

NILS VON KALM

 

Nils is a born-and-bred Melbournite with a passion for making the Gospel relevant to the everyday person. Married to Nell, he has an honours degree in sociology as well as an accounting degree. During the week he works as a grant coordinator at World Vision. Currently a deacon at St Martin's Community Church in Collingwood, Nils regularly writes articles for the church bulletin and preaches occasionally. An avid reader, Nils' interests are early Christianity, the person of Jesus, the question of God and apologetics, and communicating how Jesus and the Gospels relate to every aspect of life. He has recently launched his own website called Soul Thoughts.


BRUCE C. WEARNE

 

A doctoral graduate from LaTrobe University (1986), Bruce lives and works from Point Lonsdale. He is currently working on a Christian sociological study of what it means to walk, as part of what it means to live as those who follow Jesus in this world. He thus also does a lot of walking along the coast to stimulate his research which also includes theoretical sociology and the production of stories explaining Christian life for children which are composed to be read with profit by their parents. He is married to a social policy researcher and has two grown up sons.


SIU FUNG WU

 

Originally from Hong Kong, Siu Fung has been in Melbourne since 1989. He was a pastor, and is a visiting lecturer at two theological colleges. Siu Fung studied computer science, economics and transport planning, and worked in IT for years. But his passion is the Bible and its relevance to the world today. After completing a degree at a Pentecostal college, he went to an Anglican college in England to do an MPhil in biblical studies. Having grown up in a working class family, Siu Fung knows first hand what it means to be poor and powerless. He works part time as Global Education Officer at World Vision, and seeks to encourage the church to embody the Gospel in
every sphere of life.


FORMER CONTRIBUTORS

TANYA BENNETTS

 

Tanya’s background, predominantly in the NGO sector, ranges from communications, marketing and PR through to sponsorship and fundraising, in both Australia and South Africa with organisations such as the Heart Foundation of Australia, World Vision South Africa and the Cancer Association of South Africa. She has an incredible passion for people and currently works full time for a multi-national corporation. Tanya, her husband Grant and their two children, Bryce and Kendra, live in Johannesburg, South Africa.


GAVIN BOX

 

Gavin is a journalist based in Geelong, Australia. He and wife Jenny have two young children.  At 40, he says his wife and children keep him young, although his receding hairline begs to differ.

 

SALLY HOLT

 

Sally has been a print journalist for over 15 years and has also been involved with a Christian radio station in several 'on' and 'off'-air roles.. Married with three children, she now works as a public relations writer within the university sector and is currently undertaking a Masters degree in Professional Communication.


JO HOPPING

 

Jo enjoys living vicariously through other people’s adventures while editing manuscripts and other bits of paper. Married to Rod, they have four daughters who keep the ‘mountain of wonder’ topped up in the laundry and spend too much time chasing their overgrown German Shepherd puppy out of the neighbour’s yard. Luckily there’s lots of space for shouting at him in their paddock on the Sunshine Coast. Grammatically-challenged readers can contact her via www.editonline.com.au.

 

JOE MONTAGUE

 

Joe is an internationally published writer and photographer whose work has appeared in Europe, Australia and the United States. His articles and reviews regularly appear in Christian publications and mainstream music magazines. He currently resides in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Joe’s writing is dedicated to the memory of his late son Kent Montague who died suddenly at the age of 18. Joe is also the publisher of Riveting Riffs, www.rivetingriffs.com.

 

JIM REIHER

 

Jim is a husband, a father of four, and a grandfather of four (but soon to be six). Since finishing high school in 1974, he has been an ambulance officer (four years), a highschool teacher (eight years), and a Bible college lecturer (12 years: five years at Harvest Bible College in Melbourne, and seven years at Tabor, Victoria). Jim teaches church history and New Testament studies. He began the Berwick campus for Tabor, Victoria, and currently lectures there and in the Ringwood North campus. Jim is also a keen writer with published books including The Eye of the Needle: Discipleship and Wealth and Women, Leadership and the Church. Jim has a Bachelor of Arts, with a double major in history, a Diploma in Education, and a Masters in Theology with honours. He is actively involved in politics, and stood as a candidate in the 2004 Federal Election, and more recently in the 2006 Victorian State election.



 

SUBSCRIBE NOW FOR FREE UPDATES!

 

 

Want free weekly email updates of everything that's new on Sight?

SUBSCRIBE HERE

 

WORLDVIEW

 

 

LONDON'S GANGS - MORE SUPPORT FOR FAMILIES NEEDED

Earlier this month , yet another teenager died as a result of gang-related violence in London - the eighteenth this year.

      An Independent on Sunday investigation suggested that almost 14,000 people a year are injured in knife attacks. Some authorities believe the number may be much higher, because many people do not report their injuries for fear of reprisals.

Mal FletcherIn his second article on the issue, MAL FLETCHER writes about the problem of youth violence in the UK...  | more... |


 

THEY SAID IT

 

 

“Young friend, God & his people expect much from u, because u have within u the Father’s supreme gift: the Spirit of Jesus – BXVI"

- Pope Benedict XVI in a text message sent to 150,000 pilgrims attending the opening mass of World Youth Day in Sydney. For previous 'They said it'... | more... |


 

DID YOU KNOW?

 

 

THE STATISTIC

Number of people said to have been killed as a result of a campaign of genocide in Darfur allegedly master-minded by Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir, according to International Criminal Court Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo:

35,000

Source: Reuters.com

| more... |

• Australia's expanding waistlines to cost an extra $6 in health care over next 20 years, says report... | more... |

• Transport accidents and suicide leading causes of injury death among young Australians... | more... |

• Indigenous Australians still dying younger... | more... |

| MORE NEWS BRIEFS... |

 

 

THE WORD EXPLAINED

 

 

Judgemental

Judge

Feast of Tabernacles


| more... |


 

RECENT FORUM DISCUSSION

 

    Click here to go to the forums to have your say...


     

    FORUMS THIS WEEK

     

     

    PETROL PRICES
    The price of petrol is hitting record levels in Australia and around the world. What are your thoughts?

    SIGHTPOLL

    Should Australian ban or introduce a checkout levy on plastic bags?

    THE 'BIG IDEA'

    Hundreds of ideas came out of the Federal Government's 2020 Summit on the weekend addressing a plethora of issues confronting Australian society. Which idea stood out to you? And what's your big idea to make Australia a better place?

    Click here to go to the forums to have your say...


     

    Latest Your Say comments

     

    Comment left by name
    neploxo tak, i`m glad,

    Comment left by Andy Bluetree
    hey...we actually wrote God of this city about ...

    Comment left by Todd
    Where do i find more information on Jean Scheijen?

    Comment left by kah sang
    Kris' review is spot on. I enjoyed movie Iron ...

    Comment left by Michael
    I agree with John. The church needs to forget a...

    Comment left by CEBG
    Excellent message, Kris.<br />


    BLOGS

     

     

    THOUGHTS ON LIFE:

    MORE ABOUT HUMILITY

    To me, humility is about being self-forgetful. How hard is that? I find that the more I think about this issue, that it is fundamentally about trust. When I don’t forget myself in the sense that Jesus meant, then I am clinging on to my way of doing things and not trusting.

    SEEING THE EYES OF CHRIST IN THE POOR

    The other morning I had an experience involving a homeless man who sometimes can be seen at the bus stop I frequent each morning on my way to work. This particular morning he was at the corner of one of the intersections where I cross the road waiting at the lights when I was walking up to them. As I approached the lights the homeless man and I exchanged eye contact for a second, so I said ‘How you going mate?’

    NILS VON KALM'S blog on faith, life and how it all might fit together...  | more... |

     

    STRANGESIGHTS:

    IT'S A BIRD, IT'S A PLANE - NO, IT'S GORDON BROWN!...

    Following on from former British PM Tony Blair's appearance on The Simpsons, his successor, Gordon Brown, has also leapt into the animated world with an appearance in Marvel's comic, Captain Britain and MI13. The PM, working alongside the fictional intelligence agency MI13, is apparently involved in defeating aliens intent on invading known as Skrulls.

    DAVID ADAMS writes about the odder side of life... | more... |

     

    For previous entries... | more... |

    FOR SIGHT'S BLOG LINKS, HEAD TO OUR BLOGSPOT PAGE...    


     

    SPOTLIGHT

     

     

    Why are you holding a 'Dr Who and Spirituality' Day?

     

    Andrew Wooding answers... | more...|


     

    SIGHT'S PODCAST

     

     

    Sight's trial podcast is now available to download online. The first of what we hope will become a monthly feature, the podcast features discussions on The Da Vinci Code, giving donations as presents, Wow! featuring Switchfoot and a "live" cooking demonstration by "celebrity chef" Jamie Crookiver.

    Podcast page...


     

    CHRISTIAN TOP 10 for 07 July 2008

     

     

    1

    This Is Home :: Switchfoot

    2

    Stay Strong :: newsboys

    3

    Something To Say :: Matthew West

    4

    Call My Name :: Third Day

    5

    Your Eyes :: Compliments Of Gus

    6

    All Remains Is Love :: Simeon

    7

    Believe :: Britt Nicole

    8

    I'm Letting Go :: Francesca Battistelli

    9

    I Will Not Be Moved :: Natalie Grant

    10

    Time :: Shawn McDonald

     

    For this week's TRAA top 30...

    | more... |

    MUSIC NEWS FROM THE ROCK ACROSS AUSTRALIA:

    • Grammy Award winners in the Gospel categories;
    • Delirious? set to release final album with Stew Smith as drummer;
    • Hillsong United to release iHeart Revolution : With Hearts As One project; and
    • Newsboys win honors, ready for Rezfest... | more... |

     

     

    JOIN OUR TEAM OF VOLUNTEERS!

     

     

    WE NEED YOU AT SIGHT!

    We're looking for journalists, writers, illustrators and photographers to join the Sight team (please note that all Sight contributors are presently volunteers) - use the feedback form here to tell us about how you'd like to be involved...

     

    MYSPACE

    Sight is now on MySpace! Visit us at www.myspace.com/sightmagazine