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Julian said, "The public space is where the dynamics of our society unfolds, where profiles, opinions and perceptions are shaped. Challenge comes with the changes to society. Our society is much more segmented and fragmented than before. No longer does ‘one size fit all".

We are living in the information age and amazing technology is pushing information to all the points of the compass.

“There are three dominant themes in our society. The first is popular culture, which often means entertainment. The second is lifestyle – consumerism, relationships, leisure, travel and sport. Third is personal development such as education, career and plans for the future.

“In the public space very few things occupy the vast majority of time. We need to be asking some deep questions such as, ‘What is it all about?’ ‘Where is it heading?’ ‘What happens next?’,” said Julian.

“The evangelical church is working in this space facing its own dilemmas and challenges. Society is divided vertically by generations. It is divided horizontally by cultural issues and overlaid on this are ethical divisions. It is very much a plural society with very little agreement on moral conduct. The church has lost its previously central position and is now marginalised and irrelevant to much of society. The church is just one of a group of institutions now considered to be on the nose and this group includes big business and the government as well as the church".

“The church is on its knees. Do we see it as an institution? The Scriptures call the church the body of believers. But believers in what? That is the vacuum. The church is facing extraordinary problems as it moves to articulate the basic tenets of faith and basic Christian beliefs which are no longer in the public space.

“There is extraordinary pressure on the church with enemies both within and without from the intellectual left, from guilt by association and from an attack on the basic fundamental Christian beliefs. The evangelical church has a responsibility to spread the word which can lead to growth and regeneration,” added Julian.

“In business we always consider our market and our audience, the benefits we offer. We go through the stages of planning, organisation, structure, strategy and execution. We look at the competition and the changing landscape. The spiritual profile of Australia is altering. Organisational structure is essential to growth. Lack of co-ordination leads to being less effective – you get less bang for your buck.

“The Christian church faces four major challenges:

1. loss of its traditional, central protected place in society

2. a tidal wave of popular culture and lifestyle

3. serious challenges from competing faith and belief systems, and

4. an apparent inability to articulate the basics of the faith.

And that is as tough a proposition as anything I have ever faced,” said Julian soberly.

“I would say it is wake up time. As a business we have been asleep at the wheel. We need to collect the best people, with the most experience, to thrash out these issues and get serious with experienced leaders in charge.

“The Christian message is contemporary. It is relevant. It is uplifting. It has a natural appeal because it answers the questions that are being asked in the public domain. There is no way this world happened by chance. Any person with blood flowing over their brain can see that! The church has a responsibility to articulate the scarce commodities of hope, purpose and direction. Our message is made for the vacuum. The trick is how to answer it and silence is not the answer,” concluded Julian firmly.

The breakfast was organised by Festival Victoria with Franklin Graham. The festival will be from 18-20 March in the Telstra Dome and a business breakfast will be one of the major events. Also, in the lead up to the festival there will be a series of breakfasts such as this one.

For more details about the festival, how you can get involved in it, for prayer cards or more information about business breakfasts and lunches, contact the Festival Victoria office, PO Box 996 Bayswater 3153, (03) 9720 8322.

Credit:
Helen Woodall
New Life: www.nlife.com.au

Julian Clarke Bio

Julian has been in the newspaper industry all his working life.  He started at Standard Newspapers in Melbourne, holding a number of senior positions including managing director.

In 1986 Julian was appointed General Manager of The Herald & Weekly Times Limited’s newspaper division with direct responsibility for their metropolitan dailies, regional dailies, suburban newspapers and Pacific region newspapers.

Following News Limited’s successful takeover bid for HWT in 1987,  Julian  was appointed deputy chief executive of Queensland Newspapers, a News Limited associated company.  Based in Brisbane, he was responsible for their total operations, including The Courier-Mail and The Sunday Mail, as well as their regional daily interests on the Gold Coast and in Cairns.

On July 1, 1991 Julian was appointed managing director of The Herald & Weekly Times Limited in Melbourne, publisher of the Herald Sun, Sunday Herald Sun, The Weekly Times and MX, and currently holds that position.

He is a Director of News Limited and serves as a board member of the Royal Children’s Hospital Foundation, Committee for Melbourne and L’Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival.  He is also active on a number of consulting panels to organisations including the City of Melbourne and CEDA (Committee for Economic Development of Australia).

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Christian Ministries in the marketplace

Christian Training organisations with a marketplace focus

Christian Resources in the marketplace