Initially, Around the Tables one of the Well-Being Australia mission endeavours way back in 2001 held at the Sydney Airport Mercure was bringing six couples mission together for a three day weekend.
Well-Being Australia’s sponsor Mr Basil Sellers AM met the costs in order that the mission couples might enjoy this weekend.
The consultants for these six couples were Rev Harry Munro missions executive, Rowland Croucher the Pastors’ Pastor, the late Tom and Laurel Scotland retired missionaries and Sydney lawyer Dr Clive O’Connor for a session on mission work and the law.
The key note speaker was Rev Harry Munro who emphasised “Never touch the Glory, it belong exclusively to Him”.
One of the mission couples was Darren and Rosemary Lawson who at that time were missionaries in Russia and now the Headmaster at the Rockhampton Christian School. Darren was a 1992 Barcelona Olympic road cyclist.
Darren has also become one of the young writer ministry 2019 panellists – these are people who mark the young writers over the first six months to determine the annual awards.
Community
That Around the Tables model which ran for a number of years in Sydney before we relocated from Moruya to Tweed Heads was again reproduced after we established the Laguna Quays Respite for mission respite on the Whitsundays mainland in 2011.
Having established the respite cottage and with Mr Basil Sellers AM assistance we initiated the Basil Sellers Midge Point Art Prize in 2013 which continues to this day and in 2014, an annual business luncheon.
As a member of the Moruya and then the Tweed Heads Chamber of Commerce, the value as a Minister being part of the business community “chamber” has proven beneficial over all these years.
Midge Point and Bloomsbury areas are not big business areas – rather businessmen and women of local small business and the way to see this happen was to establish it along the lines of Around the Tables.
This proved to be on the money (as it were) and it has now expanded to include a Fancy Dress afternoon and other similar functions.
One Day in Melbourne
With the Laguna Quays Respite ministry up and running since 2011 for mission people, it became obvious from discussions with them after their visits, that a very different missions day might be possible specialising in practical mission IT.
2016 the inaugural One Day in Melbourne was held at the Salvation Army Headquarters where we had a series of speakers address:
Platforms
Design
Editing
Social Media
Marketing
Blogging
Again this based on the Around the Tables model established way back in 2001 and its strength into the lives of those attending led to it being held again in 2017 and 2018. The two movers and shakers Rev Bob Thomas and Dr Mark Tronson of One Day in Melbourne have now handed it over to three new leadership people – Peter Brookshaw, John Lemmon and David Goodwin.
The model
Sometimes, just sometimes, good models turn up and following the philosophy of the model produces remarkable outcomes. The Lord touches the hearts of the receivers and a good model provides a welcoming spirit.
Dr Mark Tronson is a Baptist minister (retired) who served as the Australian cricket team chaplain for 17 years (2000 ret) and established Life After Cricket in 2001. He was recognised by the Olympic Ministry Medal in 2009 presented by Carl Lewis Olympian of the Century. He mentors young writers and has written 24 books, and enjoys writing. He is married to Delma, with four adult children and grand-children. Dr Tronson writes a daily article for Christian Today Australia (since 2008) and in November 2016 established Christian Today New Zealand.
Mark Tronson's archive of articles can be viewed at http://www.pressserviceinternational.org/mark-tronson.html