The battle for Australia's hearts and minds is on. Southern Cross talks to two very different leaders – one a conservative economist, the other a former rock star – who talk openly about their faith in election time.

St Stephen's, Belrose has expanded its support for local and overseas missionary work to include a humanitarian ministry for refugees.

Every parent knows the joys of bringing up children, but is not always prepared for the pain of their departure. Those of us who remember what it was like to live in our own family home know what it is like to yearn for independence. We eventually leave home, set up our own independent living and never think of what it's like to be the parent who bears the pain of losing a child – until we become parents ourselves!

Every parent knows the joys of bringing up children, but is not always prepared for the pain of their departure. Those of us who remember what it was like to live in our own family home know what it is like to yearn for independence. We eventually leave home, set up our own independent living and never think of what it's like to be the parent who bears the pain of losing a child – until we become parents ourselves!

An exciting initiative for church planting in the Northern Region has been approved by the Northern Region Council. The initiative involves offering any suitable church planter with vision and know-how $120,000 over three years as seed funding to make their dream a reality. Richard James discussed this initiative with Bishop of North Sydney, Glenn Davies.

After the disciples had been with the risen Jesus for forty days, and while they waited for the promised power of the Holy Spirit, they assembled and devoted themselves to prayer. Presumably that's what they did over the next 10 days, and God poured out his Holy Spirit. Empowered by the Spirit the apostles went preaching first locally in Jerusalem, then Judea and Samaria, then through Asia Minor and Greece, and finally to Rome. They preached to the Jews first but then crossed the cultural divide to speak to the Gentiles. They preached to any who would listen but also found themselves preaching to kings and those in authority.

The disciples spent 40 days with the risen Lord. During that time Jesus showed himself alive by many infallible proofs. They could look back on the time when they accompanied Jesus as disciples in his ministry and they would look forward to the ministry they had as apostles but this experience of the risen Lord and His resurrection command would dominate their thinking.

The Prayer Warriors, a group set up by Bishop Reg Piper, is forming an army for the extraordinary. People in parishes across the Diocese are being asked to join the Prayer Warrior team by getting mobilised to pray for the Mission and requested prayer points.