Page 4 - Mark Tronson News Today

In 1991 Dr Mark Tronson appointed me as Chaplain at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) replacing the inaugural chaplain Reverend Ken Bond who was moving. These continuing 23 years (2019) have been a highlight of my ministry with a non-churched community. Very few ministers have such an opportunity which has been enormously beneficial to me and I trust to those whom Ive served in elite sport. Ive always had an interest in sport as sport is a microcosm of life and having been a foundation Pa...

Photo  -  Shell Bowser We do a major clean up every few years – what, in Australia refer to as a spring clean regardless of what time of year it is. A recent News.com article reveals the story of a couple who realised they had way too much stuff - they had spent over-the-top on clothes, had a reality check, got rid of it all except the bare essentials and went walking. Giving away about $10,000 worth of stuff to reduce her possessions to a box of sentimental mementos and a backpack of clo...

Photo  -  Life Lines Does what you hear bear truth? Our 4th, our 3rd daughter, came 6 years after the other three. The older children understood dad’s ridiculous stories (dad jokes) but the youngest took these stories as gospel. She thought, what a liar is my father. Years later we discovered this anomaly. This scenario often occurs – something is said or written, and it seems obvious, but then another person does a careful analysis on it and what was first thought to be reasonable becam...

Photo  -  Dawn   Nelson Cook who established Coaches of Influence (COIN) 40 years ago in Los Angeles USA writes a monthly letter to the many coaches at professional, college and high school levels and the current correspondence touches the spot. It has been my privilege since 1984 to have been hosted innumerable times by Nelson Cook in my years in sport ministry, the most recent was in 2009 where I addressed coaches over breakfasts, lunches and dinners. This is another of those Christian mi...

Photo  -  Bligh sign As a Christian Today daily columnist my nose is into publications of all sorts, not least New Zealand on-line media for a number of reasons. Our young writer program has 23 New Zealand young people engaged and as this is the fourth year of involvement by New Zealanders, so too there have been a number of these young writers (8) who have written for two years and moved on. Then, there is my involvement with ARPA for seven years and continuing – the Australasian Religiou...

Photo - Tronson du Coudray’s Art - AIS Canoe Unit Brian Hopley This is important to consider. Peter Sherlock some time ago published in The Conversation on church attendance at Christmas remains a contentious issue. He cited huge public events such as Melbournes Carols by Candlelight and the similar gala occasions in Sydney where mystery galvanises Australians into a fresh world of wonder and Christian identification. He pondered on the increased numbers of people who attend local churches...

Photo  -  Josh Woods and Russell Modlin pray over Mark and Delma Tronson – 2020 young writer conference A highly gifted sports missioner Nelson Cook who established Coaches of Influence (COIN) 40 years ago in Los Angeles USA writes a monthly letter to the many coaches at professional, college and high school levels and the current correspondence touches the spot. It has been my privilege since 1984 to have been hosted innumerable times by Nelson Cook in my years in sport ministry, the most...

Photo  -  Lone Pine Throughout 2020 we heard on news casts the accusations and military determinations against specific current and former SAS members. These are those ion the front line in the hardest of situations for any military person.  So why write on War Graves, Australians would have to be deaf not have heard the drama associated with the war crimes allegations of Special Forces and the back lash of their families. Why would anyone bother joining our military? We surely recall Russe...

Photo  -    Midge Point Beach through the trees Since 2011 the Laguna Quays Respite facility on the Whitsundays mainland has been available to missionaries and ministers (pastors) for respite and this year, eight years later a second facility was established at Aldinga Beach a little south of Adelaide. Mr Basil Sellers AM has sponsored this second facility opened in 2016 which is designated for triage missionary respite. August 2013 Basil Sellers visited Laguna Quays Respite and from that ...

Photo  -  State-Borders’ Business  -  art  -  Tronson du Coudray Tronson du Coudray’s art work for the Tuesday 9 March Tweed Heads Chamber of Commerce breakfast ‘business card drawer’ was titled ‘State-Borders’ Business’. This art image is a reflection of numerous lorries lining up at any State Border one might wish to name when borders are slammed shut whenever one or two Covid 19 is announced. Bang – Shut – Business can go ….. No matter how much damage a State might...