Category: Personal

I am thankful that our family grew up with a love for music. I studied classical piano (completed my 8th Grade exams) and dabbled a bit with saxophone and guitar too. I also studied music theory (completed 5th Grade exams) and arranging. Over the years I’ve done some song-writing and some recording too. In fact, my first ministry role in church was with worship and music. I thought I’d do this the rest of my life … but God had other plans. Nevertheless, I still enjoy music very much.

Here are some of my enjoyable musical styles and artists:

• Worship Music – Michael W. Smith, Hillsong, Delirious?, Israel Houghton and Lincoln Brewster
• Contemporary Christian Music – currently I enjoy listening to Leeland, The Fray, Relient K, Switchfoot and Brooke Fraser. As a teenager, I really liked artists such as Keith Green, Michael W. Smith, Amy Grant, Andrae’ Crouch, Petra, and Russ Taff.
• Pop Music – some artists whose musical style I quite enjoy include: U2, Jamie Cullum, Michael Buble, John Mayer, Celine Dion and Norah Jones.
• Classical Music – you can’t go past a Bach or Mozart piano concerto. When it comes to classical singing, I really enjoy Andrea Bocelli (great music to play while cooking Italian food!) and young artists such as Josh Groban.
• Other Instrumental Music – I enjoy saxophone (Kenny G, David Koz and Brad Evans, of course!) and piano music (David Foster is my favorite arranger).

"Good people, cheer God! Right-living people sound best when praising. Use guitars to reinforce your Hallelujahs! Play his praise on a grand piano! Invent your own new song to him; give him a trumpet fanfare." Psalm 33:1-3. [The Message Bible]

August 10th, 1978 was a tragic day for our family. I was 16 years of age. We had a Bible College student named Robert Muthman living with us in our home in Portland, Oregon (USA). Robert was swimming with some friends and he tragically drowned. We were shocked, as was his family and our whole church community. We couldn’t believe he was gone – so young, so much potential. Why? We didn’t know. We couldn’t fully understand.

Robert was passionate and ‘full on’ about his relationship with God. At his funeral they read from a journal he kept. It was almost like he had a premonition that he was going to die. He said things in his journal like, "If I can’t get closer to you, God, I want to come to heaven and be with you."

At the time, I was what I’d call a ‘casual Christian’ – going to church but not really living fully for God. Lukewarm – serving God in such as way as to not offend the devil. At his funeral I re-dedicated my life fully to God and, although I’ve had some valleys and some doubts along the way, I’ve never turned back since. His death was the catalyst for me giving all of my life for God.  I realised that life was short and I wanted to make my life count – for eternity.

I also went home that day and started my own journal – a journal of my relationship with God. I’m still keeping a journal today, almost 30 years later (I now use my computer, rather than a paper notebook). It is a place for me to write what I’m feeling, what I’m facing, and what God may be saying to me. It is a way for me to ‘externalise’ everything that is happening inside of me. At the end of every year I re-read my journal and summarise what God has done, what he has said, and what I’m learning.

My journal has been a crucial part of my relationship with God and my journey as a Christ-follower. Thanks Robert. You left a legacy in my life. Until we meet again …

Rev 1:19. Write down what you have seen — both the things that are now happening and the things that will happen later. NLT

Hab.2:1-3. I will climb up into my watchtower now and wait to see what the LORD will say to me and how he will answer my complaint. Then the LORD said to me, "Write my answer in large, clear letters on a tablet, so that a runner can read it and tell everyone else. But these things I plan won’t happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, wait patiently, for it will surely take place. It will not be delayed. NLT

One of my passions is personal growth. I want my life to be a life of 'progress' so that I develop my full potential (see 1 Tim.4:12-15). I want to be the very best I can be – for the glory of God and then benefit of other people.

 

Growth happens through personal study, learning from others, and through life experience. I have also found great benefit in formal training.

 

Right after I finished high school, I completed a two year Certificate of Theology at Portland Bible College in the USA. I wasn't sure about my future back then but this course, and the experiences I had, provided a very good foundation for my life and ministry.

 

Since then I've completed a Diploma of Business Management through Stotts College here in Melbourne (back when I was the Church Administrator). After that I completed a Master of Arts in Theology at Ridley College. These courses were all done part time over a period of years, fitting my studies around a full time job, as well as family and ministry life.

 

Right now I am almost finished a Doctor of Ministry degree through Fuller Theological Seminary in the USA. The DMin is a practical degree directly related to improving the practice of Christian ministry. I have really enjoyed this course and have learnt a lot through the training.

 

Here are the courses I have completed so far:

1. Life and Leadership Development – with Terry Walling and Steve Addison
2. Spirituality – with DallasWillard
3. The Minister's Personal Growth – with Arch Hart
4. Preaching – with Haddon Robinson and Rob Bell
5. Church Multiplication – with Robert Logan

Each course involves 6 months of pre-reading (usually 3000 pages of material on the subject), 1-2 weeks of intensive 'in-class' time with the lecturer and a small group of students (12-25 people), followed by 6 months to complete a variety of assignments.

 

I'm now starting to work on my final project, which will be a Ministry Focus Paper. The topic I have chosen is 'A Strategy for Identifying and Developing Pastoral Leaders for CityLife Church'. This will specifically serve our ongoing growth as a church, especially with our multi-site strategy.

 

The Ministry Focus Paper final project is a 125-175 page document that has to be well researched. It includes three sections: an analysis of the local context, biblical and theological reflections on the topic, as well as a practical strategy for implementation.

 

All going well, I hope to finish my final project by November 2008, so I can graduate in June 2009. My aim is not so much for the title (Dr. Mark!) but for the ongoing education I'm receiving.

 

One of things I like about Fuller is that they are committed to lifelong learning. To enhance this, they offer graduates the opportunity to continue to audit any classes they are interested in for the rest of their life.

 

P.S. I have now finished my final project and attended my graduation. So I'm now officially 'Doctor Mark' 🙂 (June 2009)

 

My favourite fun things to do include …

• Playing basketball
• Walking our dogs with Nicole
• Hanging out with my kids
• Spending time with friends
• Looking after my tropical fish aquarium
• Reading
• Playing pool
• Watching a good movie
• Watching sport on TV – NBA or Geelong Cats
• Playing the piano
• Cooking
• Driving Nicole’s red Mini Cooper with the roof off (when she lets me, which is not often!)
• Posting on my blog …

I enjoy eating …

At home, Nicole always cooks tasty food … and I can cook a pretty good bolognaise (with bruscetta), thai curry or asian stir fry.

Fast food … can’t go past a Whopper with Cheese (‘the burgers are better at …’) BUT I’m trying to eat more healthily … so my current favourites are Nandos (chicken wrap and/or BBG wings) or Subway

Resturants … I love Italian, Japanese (especially tepanyaki), Thai and Indian

Drinks … can’t beat water, juice or a caramel thickshake

Nibbles … fruit, nuts and yogurt covered museli bars

Did I mention Tim Tams?

… actually I need to lose a few kgs!

Well, here we go – I’ve started a blog! It’s a chance for me to share my thoughts and feelings on a range of things I’m interested in. It’s also a chance for me to listen to what others are thinking and feeling about similar things.

It’s a whole new world and I feel a bit like someone taking a swim in the ocean for the first time.

Anyway, here we go …