College life

Student Life Updates 

2011 Farewell to John Bomford

John Bomford was a conscientious attender at our College for nearly ten years.  Sadly, he went to be with the Lord in August 2011, after a lengthy battle with a peculiar hereditary cancer.  John's children played a major role in his life (and funeral - which was a stunning testimony to John's life's journey and perseverance).

John was never short of something to say!  And his contribution to lively debate will be sadly missed.  Vale, John, see you in glory!

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Student Testimonies  and  Previous Years' Principals' Reports

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2008 year-end Dinner and Presentation Night

The MDC Awards Night were held in conjunction with Fellowship of Christ's Christmas Dinner on Saturday Dec 13, at the FoC facility home of the College for the past 4 years).   The Awards winners are again listed in the Principal's Report.

2007 year-end dinner, thanksgiving, and awards' presentation night

Please go to the Principal's Report for a summary of the year's activities, and for details of the awards recipients....  This report was presented by Brian Rensford at our annual awards' presentation, thanksgiving, and dinner night.

<<<  Peter Chan spoke at the awards presentation, and many of our former students continued to attend and support the College in 2007.  >>>

The challenge presented in the final Unit for 2007 (developing a strategy for an overseas missions' project) seemed to strike a chord in the hearts of many of our regular students.  May they take what was imparted and do it in 2008!

2006 year-end dinner, thanksgiving, and awards' presentation night

Please go to the Principal's Report for a summary of the year's activities....

This report was presented by Brian Rensford at our annual awards' presentation, thanksgiving, and dinner night - 7pm, Thursday  Dec 7, location - Fellowship of Christ's facility (our MDC home).  Here's some representative photos!  Click on smaller ones for a larger hyperlinked one.

<<<  Peter Chan (College Facilitator, and Les Hansen (regular lecturer)

 

Below - the 2006 award winners!  

Break-up awards night attendees

 

 

 

We were again very grateful to the team led by Peter Chan at FoC for their kindness, servant-spirit, and participation throughout the year.!

2005 year-end Update

The year ended with our annual dinner and presentation evening (photos to the right).  The Principal's Report was distributed (click here for a copy - this gives an insight into the way the College functions).  The food was fantastic (Samoan hospitality is hard to beat!).  And a powerful time of thanksgiving and prayer followed the award presentations.  The four annual awards were as follows:

Awards this year were as follows (students must complete 2 Units minimum to qualify)…

  1. Overall Achievement – Richard Tan.  Outstanding contribution in assignments especially.

  2. Most persevering – Daniel Reardon.  Daniel typifies the tortoise and the hare principle!  If you keep persevering, you will ultimately achieve what no one expected.  Keep moving, Daniel!

  3. Most developed – Amor Jiminez.  This award recognises the change form go to whoa!  Amor participated in all 4 Units (only student to do so this year), and made noticeable strides in his pathway towards serving the Lord more effectively.

  4. Principal’s special award – Susan Siew. She worked quietly behind the scenes, with a focused attitude, serving, as well as her more public expressions in group times.  Someone called her, “an invisible lady”!

Unit #05-4 was located again at Fellowship of Christ's new facility at 2/167 Magowar Rd, Girraween. Capacity exists there for larger numbers and to handle two simultaneous streams of this Unit.  We are excited about the diversity of training this now enables us to undertake.

There are continuous reports from coming back from students (old and young) of improved confidence in serving God, handling public occasions better, appreciating loving criticism and its constructive role in developing better ministry skills.  That's practical stuff and of great encouragement for the future of the College.

The current Unit (#05-4) on Cross-cultural development started with nearly 50 in attendance to hear Kevin Hovey (AoG Short Term Missions' Director) challenge us on recognising the differences encountered when people from "embedded" and "individualistic" values cultures encounter one another in Christian life.

Updates on students, testimonies, photos, and who and what stuff...

Some of our 2005 students are involved in a weekly Bible Study meeting in the Liverpool area (not associated with the MDC hosting churches).  You can pick up details from their website  Go along and engage in spirited discussion on topical issues!

2004 year-end Update

Our 2004 courses finished with almost 40 students attending the last 2 Units.  For the first time, MDC ran two parallel Units, giving students the option of a level 1 Neil Anderson "Steps to Freedom" series (convened by Les Hansen), and a level 2 intensive on the nature and role of Ancestral Spirits (taught by Brian Rensford).  A wonderful year-end dinner at the Rensfords' home saw the annual awards go to...

  1. Most developed student - Jim Barr.  Jim has persevered through many Units to appropriate teaching and do it in his own local church (Holroyd New Life) where he now has additional responsibilities that he would have probably never considered possible three years ago..

  2. Most Persevering Student - John Doolan.  John maintained his 100% attendance record, and is the only student who has attended (and passed) every Unit!   A 100% strike rate is hard to top for this particular award.  And he became our first-ever graduate with 12 completed "passed" Units.

  3. Overall Achievement Award - Ben Wright.  Ben topped the assessments quite comprehensively, while continuing his university commitments in his nursing degree.  He also served cheerfully and remained a very valued and active contributor to the overall life and vitality of the College..

  4. Annual Special Principal's Award - Sina Hansen.  Any person who can mother three children, leave for work at 5am, help their husband pastor a church, and still make time to attend a ministry development course is indeed worthy of this special award, which honours the X-factor that accompanies some of God's people.

Student Testimonies are on the separate Testimonies webpage...

Older Student News

2003 finished with a celebration dinner and awards night at Brian and Elizabeth Rensford's home in Merrylands.  A majority of the 40+ students who completed at least one unit in 2003 attended.  Some very powerful testimonies came from the students - our youngest this year was Catherine Gannon (17) and our oldest was, ahhh, several in their 50's and one over 60!  (female, so we are forbidden by law to mention names and specific ages...).

2003 Celebration Dinner night - Annual Awards and testimonies from many students

Our four Annual Awards went to;

  1. Most developed student - Pateine Mataafa.  Pat (from Mt. Druitt, attending New Creation Christian Ministries) persevered with family and shift-work commitments to take out this honouring award.

  2. Most Persevering Student - John Doolan.  John (from Toongabbie, attending Holroyd NLC) is the only student to have completed every Unit so far (9), and attended every group session!  A 100% strike rate is hard to top for this particular award.  He is well on his way to being the first graduate with 12 completed "passed" Units.

  3. Overall Achievement Award - Peter Brown.  Peter (from Rooty Hill, attending Holroyd NLC) completed 3 of the 5 Units in 2003 (2 minimum necessary to be considered for this Award).  He attained Distinctions in all 3 Assessments issued, on the basis of his consistent approach to all aspects of the course - attendance, punctuality, assignments, group participation, servant spirit, etc.

  4. Annual Special Principal's Award - John Bomford. John (from Tregear, attending Westmead Alliance Church) completed 2 Units 100% (including a dash back from Canberra to make it on time one evening!).  He brought his dear wife, Maggie along to one Unit, featured continuously in the discussions, making his views public!  In the spirit of vigorous debate, John also showed he can listen to other points of view without getting personal, and in general, added something special to the joie de vie of our 2003 MDC!

Special Appreciation was expressed to Les Hansen, pastor of New Creation Christian Ministries, Rooty Hill.  Les contributed over the year to lecturing, transport, encouraging many of his developing church members to attend, marking assignments and chairing weeks when Brian was in Zimbabwe.  Without Les, the College would not have moved beyond being an in-house training program for one church (Holroyd NLC).  A man of Body-heart and vision!

Alofa grew in 2002!

Alofa gained confidence in public speaking in English (her second language)

One of the devotional groups - the early days - 2002