As the 2007 Federal Election looms closer, Sydney Anglican churches are using a range of creative methods to put Jesus on the public agenda. While religion and politics are often taboo, cheeky "how to vote' cards, information websites and Meet Your Candidate forums are just some of the ways that Christians are engaging the wider community.
All Saints', Petersham is one church that has come up with some unique ways to use the upcoming election to make locals and passers-by put Jesus on their agenda.
As the home of FEVA, the ministry to the Visual Arts, and Outreach Media, who supply catchy Christian posters to over 100 churches Australia-wide, All Saints' was able to utilise the creative abilities of several church members to attract widespread attention.
All Saints' decided to tie in with the October Outreach media poster, which asks people to vote on whether Jesus is "Lord, Liar or Lunatic'.
A five-metre long pencil and an equally over-sized ballot paper were hung from a tree out the front of All Saints' with a large banner on their roof that referred to a bigger decision: whether or not to follow Jesus as lord and saviour.
According to rector, the Rev Antony Barraclough, it has been an effective way to attract the attention of the community.
"The local paper reported what we are doing. They could see that we were avoiding talking about politics and wanting to focus people's attention on Jesus," he says.
"We're saying that while you might have Kevin or John to choose from this election, the real question is who is running your life?"
The church has also been doorknocking and handing out leaflets to every home in the area.
"A number of people have wanted to find out more about Jesus as a result of the doorknocking,” Mr Barraclogh says.
“People are starting to ask those questions, but we have had a varied response from the community."
Mr Barraclough acknowledges there have been some very strong reactions towards this particular election-themed outreach campaign.
"Someone graffitied the glass containing the "Lord, Liar or Lunatic' poster by ticking the "Liar' and "Lunatic' boxes," he says.
"We had another banner displayed saying "Jesus said he is God' and that was slashed down the middle."
A volunteer for a political party challenged the legality of the clearly fake "how to vote' flyers that All Saints' had placed in local letterboxes.
"He said we were in breach of the electoral act and could be fined or jailed but he also revealed he was a staunch atheist," Mr Barraclough says.
"I checked with an Australian Electoral Commission returning officer and he said what we did was fine as long as we ceased immediately before election time. Sadly, it was clear the party representative was seeking to silence the gospel."
Christian vote gathers momentum
With what the Australian Christian Lobby’s managing director, Jim Wallace calls an "unprecedented profile in the leadup to the election", the ACL is encouraging the "court' of the Christian vote around the country.
Part of this ‘courtship’ is ensuring the Christian constituency is well-informed on the key issues perceived to be important to Christian voters.
The Australia Votes website, established for this election, gives voting summaries and speeches on the abortion and RU486 conscience votes.
"Conscience votes do show how a politician approaches a significant ethical question, where their sense of values comes from, and what their personal view is on what we believe to be one of the most important questions of all: the protection of human life from conception to natural death," the website states.
In another election first, the ACL has published the responses of at least six political parties to a questionnaire on "key political issues' for Christians.
The questions asked of the parties concerned issues such as the environment, family, prayer in parliament, civil liberties, industrial relations and film classification standards.
The coming week will see churches in Australia receiving 16-page booklets summarising the responses to these questions, along with a DVD explaining the preferential voting system in the House of Representatives and the Senate.
In addition, the ACL commissioned a questionnaire that was completed by the NCLS, outlining the key issues of concern for Christians in the upcoming election.
The survey, conducted among 3376 regular churchgoing voters from 22 denominations, rated support for marriage and family as the issue most important for over half of those surveyed, with other top contenders being abortion, drugs/substance abuse, and poverty in Australia.
"Responses include new initiatives in areas such as film classification and strengthening families, and in some cases, clearly define party positions on contentious issues for the first time," says public relations manager, Glynis Quinlan.
Sydney Anglicans meet their candidates
Around 60 "Meet Your Candidate' forums will be held in November, with events at Centennial Park, Springwood, Wollongong, Parramatta, Richmond, Sutherland, the Hills District and Liverpool.
These forums, organised primarily through the ACL, have been designed to give Christians the opportunity to meet and ask questions of the politicians they could be voting for, and to allow candidates to appreciate the importance of the Christian constituency.
ACL managing director Jim Wallace said he hoped Christians would be willing to sacrifice two nights every three to four years to attend forums such as these and "to see Christian principles carried into government'.
St Matthias', Centennial Park decided of its own accord to host a forum on Thursday 15th November to allow local candidates to hear and address issues relevant to Christians in the electorate of Wentworth.
Rector, the Rev Warwick de Jersey says seven candidates will be coming, with local member and Minister for the Environment, Malcolm Turnbull still to respond.
The impetus has been a desire to connect with the community and "keep putting on things that put St Matthias’ and the gospel in people's faces".
Mr de Jersey will open the evening with a brief introduction using the themes in Psalm 146.
"As we run into the election, this will remind people that it's God who establishes governments and we can't rely on politicians to change our lives, because it's God who changes our lives."
He is hopeful church members will use this as a chance to invite their neighbours to connect with the church.
"We want to put St Matthias' on people's radar and show them we're interested in what's happening in our community," he says.
"I'm staggered by the number of people who don't know where we are geographically."
But he also says the forum will provide a valuable opportunity for his congregation and visitors to gain information for an informed vote.
"To have your local member in person in front of you, telling you about the issues they see as affecting you is really important and a great way of saying to people, "your vote matters'," he says.
As rector of Centennial Park parish, Mr dr Jersey says he will be making an effort to speak to the candidates.
"I think that sort of networking is really important and sensible," he says.
For more information on Meet Your Candidate forums, visit the Australia Votes website.
