Already we’re past the first month of 2020. Jo and Chris came close to fire trouble in Berrara, on New South Wales South Coast in early December. Sydney has been smoke affected most days from early November until today. It’s a nation changing crisis. See a summary I wrote for Sight Magazine here.

Undeterred, three remarkable Australian Evangelical leaders, and two remarkable Historians (Aussie & Brit) brought some clarity to the past, present and future of Christian activism of the evangelical kind in Sydney on January 20th. It was the opening event for Anglican Deaconess Ministries (ADM) School of Theology, Culture and Public Engagement. Chris wrote the story for Sight Magazine Then reported on an exemplar of evangelical activism for the future here.

Meanwhile Jo is busy in the production of Australian Premiere musical theatre performance of Babette’s Feast. Stay tuned!

In a break from teaching at Excelsia College, Chris is delighted to get opportunity to do further film editing work for ADM. Some great advice in caring for our own wellbeing to be found in this short video clip: 

Remarkable crowd unity in Sydney’s Martin Place as I was reporting for Sight Magazine on the rally opposing the abortion bill being debated across the street in the NSW parliament. SIGHTMAGAZINE.COM.AU

Chris has just completed a report on the Christianity and Treaty Conference by Scarred Tree Ministries Saturday May 4, 2019. Together with Jo he will head for the U.S. in a few days for two weeks of mixed work and play with U.S. family – a wedding of a dear niece. Link here to the the Sight Magazine Story: AUSTRALIA: TREATY CONFERENCE PROVIDES UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY FOR A RECONCILING CHURCH

After two weeks in Sydney, a week of rehearsals for W;t, and three video projects completed, it’s time for our return to Noosa Heads.  In January we’ll depart Noosa more permanently to our new home in the Sydney suburb of Cammeray. 

How great it feels to be back in the saddle producing short promo films for an institution as remarkable as ADM and the Mary Andrews College.  Here’s the latest effort.

Celebrating Mary Andrews College from Christopher Gilbert on Vimeo.

Who has heard of the women’s foundation known as Anglican Deaconess Ministries?  Well Sydney Anglicans most likely, but as a remarkable institution of the church serving Christian women to enable them to flourish in their various vocations, it ought to be much better known.  

And so the following video clip was commissioned and Chris privileged to shoot it and edit it even before we began to settle in Sydney.

Celebrate ADM! from Christopher Gilbert on Vimeo.

Life often moves more quickly than we plan.  We had no idea that we’d find an apartment in Sydney so soon, and in a location we didn’t think possible. Nor that Lamp Post Media would complete its first Australian commissioned video promo in Sydney, before we’d begun to move.  

Now, we’re in Sydney setting up our apartment for a complete move in January and for two weeks of rehearsals of the play, “W;t.”  Director Jeffery S. Miller is flying in from Boston to start the ball rolling next week.  Five weeks until opening night!  

Who knew it would take 12 months to update our page? In that time we lost my Dad to age related illness at 88, in May. Three months later, Jo was hired by a foundation that assists Christian women to flourish in every field of human endeavour, Anglican Deaconess Ministries. ADM is based in Sydney and it’s a permanent position. Jo has been a month in the job. We are moving house to Sydney in January, so that changed many things for Chris too.

“The wheels of higher ed turn slowly,” became “and sometimes they stop for more than half a year,” which interrupted my pursuit of a PhD.  So, for that and a loss of love for the intended film project, I withdrew from the program in July.  Right now I’m helping Jo as she and Alison Chambers produce the Pulitzer Prize winning play “Wit” by Margaret Edson. With an all professional cast and crew and esteemed Boston theatre director Jeffrey S. Miller the Shire of Noosa will host the Queensland Premiere of Wit at the Noosa Arts Theatre. More to come…