Captain Scott Norman and Joondalup Mayor Albert Jacob.
Camera IconCaptain Scott Norman and Joondalup Mayor Albert Jacob. Credit: Supplied/Supplied

Importance of others highlighted at City of Joondalup’s 2018 Mayoral Prayer Breakfast

Tyler BrownJoondalup Times

REALISING there is more to life than just yourself was a key message at the City of Joondalup’s 2018 Mayoral Prayer Breakfast.

About 160 civic and Christian leaders and local school students attended the event last week at Joondalup Resort’s Lakeview Ballroom to hear from guest speaker Captain Scott Norman.

A member of two armies – The Salvation Army and the Australian Army – Captain Norman spoke of what it meant to be a Christian in today’s society.

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At a time when statistics indicate religion in Australia has become less popular, he said there was a heightened sense of spirituality in the modern world, a time when faith and prayer and putting others over self was never more important.

Captain Scott Norman.
Camera IconCaptain Scott Norman. Credit: Supplied/Supplied

He said he used to spend most of his time living his life for himself before he realised there was “more to life than just me”.

Now in his roles as Heathridge Salvation Army Corps officer and army chaplain to the WA Australian Army Cadets and WA University Regiment, he is able to see the “level of spirituality is going through the roof”.

“Young people in particular are looking for something to attach to,” he said.

This year’s breakfast theme was ‘Ambassadors of Change’ and Captain Norman said modern churches needed to adapt and change with the times to become “churches of the 21st century”.

His speech also touched on the importance of resilience and how everyone could play a role in making society a better place by becoming an ambassador of change.

“We all have a role to play and we need to support one another,” he said.

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Camera IconImage Credit: Supplied/Supplied

It was the first time Joondalup Mayor Albert Jacob had hosted the annual breakfast and he also spoke about the importance faith plays in his own life and in the lives of many City residents.

“The clear message from the breakfast this year was that if we aspire to be ambassadors for change in our communities we must first of all be focused toward the needs of others and, secondly, actively look for ways to work together with others, combining our abilities to deliver the changes we hope to see,” he said.

“We all have the power to make positive change.

“Joondalup is a City that prides itself on looking after our own with an impressive 19.5 per cent of City residents volunteering their time in some capacity, which is almost 2 per cent more than the greater Perth area.”

The Mayoral Prayer Breakfast also raised $2288 for The Salvation Army.