'The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know' (1 Tim 2:1 MSG)
It is our hope and prayer that you start 2023 strong; and everything that God has in store for us this coming year is covered with prayer.
ACC SNAPSHOT: Celebrating ACC Church Life 4
NEWS
'Growth in faith' happens in community – survey 5
The importance of holding a ministry credential 6
Changing A Nation: Cyril & Evelyn Westbrook 9
Motorbike Repair Training in Vietnam 10
CAN WE PRAY FOR YOU? 12
TEACH US TO PRAY 15 by Wayne Alcorn
PRAY WITHOUT CEASING 16 by Mark Varughese
WHO AM I TO YOU? 17 by Ally Cawthorn
INTIMACY IS OUR INHERITANCE 18 by Corey Turner
TIPS TO HOST A PRAYER MEETING 20 by Corey Turner
PARTNER WITH ACCI & PRAY FOR THE NATIONS 21
IN THE WAITING ROOM 24 by Sean Stanton
DOES YOUR BIBLE READ YOU? 26 by Jacqueline Grey
LEADING A CHURCH YOUR TOWN CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT 30 by Paul Bartlett
NAVIGATING DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS IN A COMPLEX WORLD 32 by Ralph Estherby
WORSHIP: IN SPIRIT & TRUTH 34 by Darlene Zschech
MADE ON PURPOSE FOR PURPOSE 36 by Matt Sharples
WHAT SHOULD WE FOCUS ON IN KIDS MINISTRY? 38 by Andy Kirk
DESTINED TO DISCIPLE 41 by Michael Murphy
DIVE DEEPER INTO 2023 TECHNOLOGIES 42 by Mal Fletcher
NEW RELEASES 44
A key focus of the Church is to foster an active and growing faith in attendees, and to encourage them to practice relying on this faith in all aspects of their daily lives. So, does growth in faith suffer from ‘separation anxiety’ when God’s people cannot be together?
Given the complexities of gathering together during Covid restrictions, the move to online services or very small groups, and in many cases, no in-person face to face worship gatherings, it appeared that this would be a difficult season for the local church. Was it able to provide sustained nurture of faith?
In the 2021 National Church Life Survey (NCLS), church attenders were asked whether or not, and to what extent, they believe they had grown in faith through their local church, in the past year.
The results showed a drop to 25% in the 2021 survey, down from 33% in the 2016 survey, which can be attributed to the pandemic and lockdowns keeping people separated.
“We can surmise that growth in faith happens when we are in community,” said NCLS Director, Dr Ruth Powell. “We can tell this even though this question was not asked explicitly. The number of people who said, ‘my church nurtured my faith’ went down, and that was due to the fact we weren’t meeting together.”
People not being able to meet together, and subsequently not growing in faith, is a difficult scenario for leaders of local churches. Yet it’s tempered slightly by the opposite implication: that being in community helps people on their discipleship journey.
The writer of the Book of Hebrews exhorted believers ‘never to give up meeting together’. Since biblical times, Christians have regularly gathered together for worship, prayer, communion, and the teaching of the Word. The Covid period of enforced separation from other believers shows that these instructions are for practical reasons: we do better together, and better together in person.
The 2021 NCLS results show an additional result from the Covid period – a positive one. Three quarters of all church attendees told us they continued with private devotional practices at least 'a few times a week'.
Further, as well as doing this by themselves, they also met in small groups during the lockdown. More than half (54%) said they participated in small prayer, discussion or Bible study groups at their local church. This is an increase from 49% in 2016.
From these results we see that growth in faith happens when we are in community. When worship gatherings were limited, we see how church attendees responded by maintaining small group gatherings for spiritual and personal support. These smaller faith-nurture groups saw an increase in participation.
Every year, we celebrate men and women who are presented with new credentials by the ACC for ministry. Currently, there are over 3,300 pastors who hold an ACC ministry credential.
Being awarded the title of ‘Pastor’ is a great honour; yet it carries with it specific expectations. These are documented in the ACC Ministerial Code of Conduct, to “assist leaders to serve in such a manner that it will cause our churches and ministries to be safe places for all — places where integrity is honoured, accountability is practised, misconduct is not concealed, and forgiveness is encouraged to bring about healing and restoration.”
Our commitment is to create even safer places for everyone, with every local church aware of their responsibilities in this area. Following the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses into Child Sexual Abuse, the recommendations provided in 2015 to Pentecostal churches were accepted and actioned by the ACC. This included specific clarification about the title of ‘Pastor’ in churches, as the Royal Commission findings considered that the use of the title 'Pastor' implied a certain level of responsibility, competence and compliance. The recommendation was that the ACC address the question of who can be given the title of ‘Pastor’.
Case studies conducted at the Royal Commission highlighted the issue of the title ‘pastor’ being used (e.g. youth pastor or kids pastor), in cases where the title holder does not carry any form of credential. This is a huge reputational risk for a local church, since the community expects those who carry titles to have been sufficiently trained and recognised by a reputable body.
The ACC remains committed to raise up young generation leaders in ministry. We need to remain careful about the terminology used for those in ministry, particularly those working with children and young people.
This is a good time to look at your team of staff and senior volunteers and assess whether you want them to carry the title of ‘Pastor’; and commence the process of becoming credentialed by the ACC. The advantage of this is that it creates leadership pathways for new leaders, and supports their development because of the requirements associated with ordination, such as training, theology and up-to-date resources.
You can also consider putting forward your department leaders for an SMC (Specialised Ministry Certificate) if they are going to have a long term ministry position yet not tracking for ordination. Thank you for your ongoing commitment to the ACC Safer Churches strategy.
q Evaluate your Staff
Check your website and communication channels to see that everyone designated the title ‘Pastor’ holds a ministerial credential.
q Public Introductions
Be mindful when introducing ministry staff publicly that you don’t give the title ‘Pastor’ to those who do not hold a credential.
q Apply for Credentials
Contact your ACC State Secretary or Regional Leader to begin the process of submitting applications for ACC credentials for recommended ministry staff.
Ps. Mark Varughese Prof. Stephen Fogarty
Ps. Darlene & Ps. Mark Zschech
Over the course of two days, hear from our speakers as they share lessons learned over many years of leading fruitful ministries. Benefit from their spiritual insight and practical advice on how to lead and move in the power of the Holy Spirit. Limited capacity so you can learn and connect with other leaders in an intimate environment.
EASTER 2023 is an amazing opportunity for churches nationwide to help every Australian discover more about Jesus and the life that he gives.
That’s why we are inviting churches across Australia to be part of Jesus. All About Life to access a full suite of Easter resources to help their ministry teams share the good news of Jesus.
Register your church today at biblesociety.org.au/jesus
Jesus is all about life, and Easter is all about Jesus.
Alphacrucis University College (formerly Commonwealth Bible College then Southern Cross College), has been integral to the unity, vitality, and growth of the movement since it's establishment in 1948.
The college quickly became a meeting place that generated a prolific supply of church planters and missionaries, who invariably impacted nations and neighbourhoods for the better and created positive change wherever they went. Pastors Cyril Westbrook and Evelyn Brumpton were two such Pentecostal Alumni.
One of the most successful endeavours was the mission field of Papua New Guinea. After a mandatory year of study at CBC (Commonwealth Bible College), Cyril Westbrook sailed for PNG in 1950. The next CBC graduate to go was Evelyn Brumpton who, despite having had a calling to that nation for several years had been restricted by the AoGA’s prohibition of single women on the field. She had originally made plans to go with another missions agency but her relationship with Cyril blossomed via a two-year exchange of letters, and they finally married in 1952.
Cyril and Evelyn raised three children on the field: Cheryl, Delwyn, and Lyndon. As missionary pioneers, the Westbrooks established and built schools and churches; trained and assisted national leaders and other Australian missionaries. They preached the gospel, visited the sick, prayed for miracles, helped government officials, negotiated peace to warring tribal groups, and provided basic medical care to their local communities.
Evelyn was a leading example for missionary women. When she saw a need for education in remote villages, she trained as a school teacher, built schools, and taught the young people in villages who would not have had access to any education. Evelyn’s persistence and wisdom helped to stem the high mortality rate of newborn babies from tetanus. She also instigated a neo-natal immunisation program that saved hundreds of babies. Cyril became a leading missionary and statesman. He
was active in church planting and provided strategic leadership to other church planters and their teams. Cyril also helped to establish the indigenous, growing national church in PNG.
The impact of Cyril and Evelyn’s ministry can be seen in thriving AOG churches in PNG today, with Christians as leading politicians and government officials, police, military, teachers, medical professionals, and business owners.
Cyril and Evelyn have received a number of awards over the years, one of the most notable being the PNG British Empire Medal (Order of Logohu) presented to them in 2015, for Service to the Church and Community in Papua New Guinea by the PNG Acting Governor General.
In 2017, they were also the joint recipients of the Distinguished Alumni Award, presented by Alphacrucis, which recognises and encourages alumni who are outstanding leaders in their vocation and community.
After four decades of faithful service overseas, Cyril and Evelyn retired in Brisbane. The good work they began continues today through the generations and countless lives they have touched.
ACCI fieldworkers, Pat and Gina, are passionate about empowering people with the skills they need to flourish. Over the years, they’ve offered a range of vocational and life skills courses, and now run a motorbike repair shop in Hanoi that operates as a social enterprise. They employ local people in their shop and regularly gift motorbikes to pastors in rural areas who don’t have their own form of transport.
In 2022, with the support of ACCI's Project 22, Pat and Gina offered a three-month vocational training course to teach marginalised young men how to repair motorbikes. With motorbikes being the primary form of transport in Vietnam, it’s a skill that’s in high demand and can also be practised anywhere.
“Many of these men are living in abject poverty. They don’t own property and it’s very difficult for them to get further education.” Pat says. 'We’re giving them an opportunity for more – for skills that will give them an equal opportunity for employment, so they can improve their family situation.'
Project 22 funds helped the Dellers purchase training equipment and fit out the trainees’ workspace and living quarters. As a result, eight men have completed the training course so far.
Pat and Gina continue to work with each of them to help them determine how they’ll set up their own business back in their communities. 'We’re equipping the guys with the skills they’ll need to either work from home or open a shop,' Pat says. 'It will help improve their own lifestyle and they’ll also be able to sow into their local church and have an impact in their community.'
Thank you to everyone who supported Project 22!
People all over the world travel to the places where they have a personal connection. Why wouldn’t we go to the place where our faith began? A journey to the land of Israel enables us to get to know Him better, to connect with Him more intimately and to understand His ministry in a more comprehensive way. Keshet Journeys look forward to hosting, serving you and meeting whatever needs you may have to make this the best experience for your community.
keshetjourneys.com
Contact Keshet Journeys for a tailor-made experience in the Holy Land. CLICK HERE for more information.
Are you ready for a life-transforming experience in the land that Jesus called home?Sea of Galilee, Israel
When Hope UC began looking at new ways to reach their local community, they looked beyond the conventional approach of simply inviting people to come to church.
“When trying to reach friends, family, neighbours and the local community, we tend to invite them to an event,” said Mark Zschech, who pastors Hope UC with his wife, Darlene. “Too often we are met with a ‘No, thanks.’ However, when we found someone is asked a simple question – Can we pray for you? – the answer is almost always ‘Yes’.”
This simple question is the heart of the campaign launched by Hope UC four years ago in their NSW Central Coast community. The response has been so positive and has sparked the beginning of discipleship journeys of many people who would otherwise not have connected with a church.
“Hope UC has now run this campaign for four years and each time we are so overwhelmed by what God does through these five words,” said Mark. “The more we run this campaign, the more we find that our community is desperately searching for help.”
What started as a campaign by one local church has since grown in momentum to become a large outreach embraced by collective groups of churches in the geographical region. In 2022, 17 local churches, representing 25 locations across the region, united to reach their community in the lead up to Easter.
The churches are all supported by a central marketing strategy that is co-ordinated by 4B Media.
Mark Zschech explains how it works. “The Can we pray for you? message is communicated through letterbox drops, outdoor banners, billboards and backs of buses. We also did local television ads hosted by different pastors."
The prayer needs are shared either through a dedicated website or written requests. Each prayer request includes provision for a postcode and permission to be contacted by one of the local churches listed in the area. Local churches then follow up with invitations and an encouragement to join a local Alpha course.
“We run the campaign during the Lent period in the lead
up to Easter,” explained Mark. “Every need submitted is prayed for by the local church, and it is has been amazing to see how congregation members lean in and then reach out, as they become bolder in asking strangers if they can pray for them.”
Every prayer is valued. The testimonies of answered prayers range from lost pets being found, to employment, to relationships being restored.
“Can we pray for you? has opened up a way for us to help point people to God and for them to experience first hand His goodness through answered prayer,” reported Mark. “From this we have found that people are very open to an evangelism invite, and are one step closer to making a decision to follow Christ and start their discipleship journey.”
The Can we pray for you? Campaign was presented with the Community Impact Award at the annual Christian Media & Arts Australia conference in September 2022.
“Mark & Darlene, and their team have initiated an incredible opportunity for local churches to connect with their communities,” said ACC National President, Wayne Alcorn. “We are looking at how this campaign could be implemented in many regions right across our nation in the future. We plan to share more details at the ACC23 National Conference.”
Visit canweprayforyou.com.au for more information
'Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be your name. Your Kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
(Luke 11:2 NKJV)
There is a well-known prayer, recorded in the Gospels by both Mathew and Luke. It is usually referred to as ‘The Lord’s Prayer’, but at the risk of being controversial, I’d like to suggest that it could easily be termed ‘The Disciples’ Prayer’.
There are many prayers of Jesus recorded in the Bible. The longest is found in John 17. But in this moment, He shows His followers how to pray. We are shown how to make requests for the things we need; both the practical and spiritual.
Perhaps the key aspect of the entire prayer, however, is found in the first line: ‘Our Father’. What an amazing concept that Jesus was teaching His disciples: ‘You can talk to Dad, and when you do, you can be confident that He hears you’.
Let’s go to a special moment in the life and times of Jesus’ ministry.
One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When He finished, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples’ (Luke 11:1).
What the disciple was saying is this: ‘Hey, we saw you interacting with the Creator of the universe. Please show us how to connect with Him too.’ Read on:
He said to them, ‘When you pray, say:
“Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.
And lead us not into temptation”’ (Luke 11:2–4).
The rather formal words ‘Father, hallowed be your name’ can make God sound stern, austere and distant – until
we take a closer look. The original Greek word used here is ‘Abba’. The equivalent word in our modern English is ‘Daddy’. It conveys love and affection, not just strength and power.
The disciples were Jews, and they would have been familiar with many of the names used to address God, such as
• Elohim – God of strength and power
• Jehovah – the eternal and absolute source of everything
• Adonai – lord or master.
But here, to their amazement, was Jesus telling them to call God ‘Father’, ‘Daddy’. That would have blown their minds! It’s an extraordinary concept, but for some people it’s also a distressing one. I wonder what relationship each of the 12 disciples had with their own father and how that affected how they heard what Jesus was telling them?
I love watching a father tenderly embrace his child. That’s a picture of Abba Father: gentle, affirming and protective. That’s the view of God that Jesus was showing His followers: One who is ever present. One who is just, merciful and kind.
He is one whom I can trust. He’s generous, welcoming and forgiving – and He listens to those who call on Him.
In the Biblical records of his earthly ministry, it becomes obvious that Jesus’ purpose was to show us the Father –and the Father’s heart – and bring us home.
by MARK VARUGHESE
1 Thessalonians 5:17 tells us to 'pray without ceasing'.
Every pastor has their own strategy around prayer. Every church has the same, and so does every individual. Yet there is something collectively powerful when we aggregate those efforts together. So whatever strategies you have, understand it at two levels.
1. It’s going to make a difference.
2: Collectively, we can make a far greater difference.
The instruction to ‘pray without ceasing’ is an impossible one to an individual because we have to eat, sleep and do everything else, but surely ‘pray without ceasing’ is possible for a movement? It’s possible for a group of churches where together, on the go, we can all play our part to become a movement that prays without ceasing.
Let’s continue to intensify and increase our prayer levels so that we can truly be a movement that prays without ceasing.
Imagine if we can fulfill this scripture in our day, in our time, in our churches.
A.W. Tozer is quoted as saying “What comes into your mind when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” This feels particularly pertinent when we consider prayer and its centrality to our spiritual journey. What we think or believe about God, and more specifically what we believe about Jesus – who He was and the depth of relationship with God, His death and resurrection allows us, along with the level of insight into the Kingdom He provided, influences our view and practice of prayer. Our theological reality then, is perhaps the single greatest influence on our prayer life.
It may be that you’ve been taught various methods of prayer, but have you ever stopped to ask yourself: What understanding of God and/or what understanding of who I am in Him is influencing the approach I take? For example, who is God when I approach Him as a beggar?
Another way of framing that question is: What image of God is influencing the way I am praying? Other questions that reveal our theological reality include: Who is this God if I believe I must plead with Him to overcome His perceived reluctance to heal, to pour out His Spirit again, to breakthrough for me? Do I understand who I am if I keep asking God to do something that He has equipped, anointed and commissioned me to do?
For many years after I came to faith in Christ, prayer was something I thought I had to do and so became very focused on learning the ‘how to’ of prayer. This was because my subconscious thought was that if I didn’t get prayer ‘right,’ God wouldn’t listen and if I didn’t pray with
enough faith, my prayer would be of no effect. There is a theological reality behind these thoughts which informed my prayer – and it was: 'God cares more about rules and regulations and getting the form of prayer right than He does about the heart or the person who has offered the prayer.'
Obviously, I had missed the point. I was yet to receive the revelation of the how infinitely and eternally good He is; that He is always in a good mood and desires relationship with me first – and then a partnership, or a co-labouring with Him to see the Kingdom come. The vision of prayer here is a wonderful synergy between the Spirit of God and our spirit that invites us into a life of exploring the reality of the Kingdom available right now, and my part in seeing that reality manifested on earth.
Prayer will be influenced by your view of God and who you are in Him, so now my view is this: Prayer is being present to the God who is already present to me and awakened to the power I already have in Him. To that I say – Amen!
Too many believers treat intimacy with Jesus as the means to a goal, not the goal itself. To the degree we make life about something other than relationship, God will be the degree to which we struggle with the purpose and meaning of life. When we put pressure on ourselves and feel frustrated, it’s likely we are chasing the wrong thing. God hasn’t asked us to achieve something but to receive the kingdom like little children do.
One of the basic indicators of a healthy relationship is joy If you’ve lost your joy in your relationship with Jesus, you probably have lost the treasure of intimacy. In real estate, we know the emphasis is on location. In the Kingdom, the focus is on relationship.
Both the Great Commandment and Jesus' words in John 15 emphasise the centrality of loving God and remaining
in Christ as a way of life. When you and I were born of the Spirit, we were adopted into God’s family and received an inheritance. The restoration of intimacy with the Father is the greatest fruit of our inheritance in Christ.
We are to love God much because we have been forgiven much
If there’s anyone who could teach us about intimacy, it’s Mary Magdalene. Mary loved much because she had been forgiven much. Jesus had delivered her of tormenting demons. Jesus had forgiven her of her sin. Jesus had raised her brother Lazarus from the dead. The depth of your intimacy with Jesus is often measured by the gratitude of your heart towards Jesus. All throughout the Gospels we read of Mary’s priority for the presence of Jesus over everything else.
In Luke 10 we read of Jesus celebrating Mary’s intimacy with him over Martha’s activity for him. In Matthew 26 we read of Mary breaking open the alabaster box (worth a year's wages) and anointing Jesus' body for burial. The point being, Jesus is worth sacrificing everything for. No wonder then, that of all the people Jesus could have revealed himself to first after He rose from the dead was Mary (John 20:1-18). Why? Mary prioritised what is on the Father’s heart: intimacy. From John 20 we get many insights into Mary’s relationship with Jesus that can help fuel our intimacy with Jesus today.
Desire will make you do things that duty will never make you do.
Who was the first person to get up and go visit Jesus tomb while it was still dark? Mary was. Those who love Jesus, prioritise Him in their daily schedule. What you do in the first two hours of your day sets the tone for the rest of the day. Establish a time and place where you meet with God everyday.
Who remained at the tomb while the other disciples went home? Mary did. Just as Joshua would linger in the tent of meeting long after Moses had left, so too those who love Jesus, linger in his presence long after others have given up. We mustn’t let others lack of hunger dissuade us from our hunger for his presence.
Who had a divine encounter with two angels and our risen saviour? Mary did. Those who are intimate with Jesus get the privilege of encountering Jesus. There are many things in life we can be taught but there are some things you simply have to experience in an encounter with Jesus to learn.
Who got to hear the voice of the resurrected Jesus before anybody else? Mary did. Only those who sit at Jesus feet are able to easily recognise His voice. Voice recognition is a byproduct of relationship. Jesus said, 'My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me.'(John 10:27 ESV)
Who did Jesus commission to announce to the rest of the disciples what He had said? The answer is Mary. Only those who spend time with Jesus get the privilege of speaking on behalf of Jesus. A lot of people want to say something but only a few have something worth saying. Only those who minister to Jesus privately get to carry an anointing from Jesus publicly.
I encourage you to reset your affections on Jesus and approach him with renewed fervency as you begin a new year of intimacy with Him.
We have a Kingdom culture
core value in our church that says, 'Prayer fuels power!' It shapes everything we do in our ministry.
Jesus said, 'My house shall be called a House of Prayer for all nations.'
We all know the importance of prayer but often we miss some of the keys along the way to actually help us host corporate prayer in the life of the church.
Here are a few tips to help you in your corporate prayer meetings.
1. Mobilise your worship team
by COREY TURNERThe power of worship and coming together and actually feeling the presence of God and experiencing an encounter with God is so essential to actually praying into the heart of God. Mobilise your worship team but also make sure you compliment worship with a clear prayer focus.
2. Choose a biblical theme
Choose a relevant theme that is happening right now in your community, your city or in the news that you want people to begin to focus in and pray for. Also, include several key leaders in your prayer meeting to pray into a key aspect of that theme, maybe using a scripture verse.
3. Mobilise everyone in the congregation
Encourage everyone attending the prayer meeting to actually participate in prayer and not simply spectate.
4. Faith Always make sure you pray in faith and let’s give glory and honour to Jesus. When Jesus is exalted and lifted up everything else goes better.
I encourage you when it comes to worship, when it comes to prayer, keep Jesus as your key focus. As we come in a spirit of unity and faith, we’re going to see our prayer move mountains in people’s lives and in our church and wider cities.
We believe one of the most effective ways to reach our world is to pray. When we pray, doors open, hearts soften and strongholds break. Prayer creates room for God to move and for the work we do to have a lasting impact.
'All missions are built on a foundation of prayer,' says ACCI Director John Hunt. 'It doesn’t matter how altruistic we are or how high our objectives are, without prayer it’s all going to come to naught. 'Please join with us in praying for our workers and their families, and for God’s will to be done throughout the earth.'
The importance of prayer to our field workers
ACC EMag asked four field workers what prayer means to them and a testimony of how prayer has made a difference in their lives or ministries. We also asked for their current prayer needs. Here’s what they shared.
The prayer support of the Church is invaluable to us. Prayer connects the missions of the world and the Church together in partnership, so we can reach out and preach the gospel to all of creation. Through prayer, the Church gets closer to God’s heart for the world and is more aware of what is happening in the nations. Prayer definitely makes a difference!
The power of prayer: In September 2022, I was operated on for thyroid cancer. The fear that comes with this journey was overwhelming and literally crippled every part of my life. I believe it was the prayers of many that carried me through this time and gave me a wonderful sense of peace during this life-threatening storm. Today, I have recovered and received the best report from my doctor, but I know it was the prayers that opened up the doors of heaven and God has healed me and blessed me! Grateful!
Current prayer needs: The people of Sri Lanka facing a devastating economic crisis. Protection, good health and supernatural provision for team members. Greater impact through projects in 2023; and for churches in Sri Lanka to become a loud voice of hope throughout the nation.
As a church planter in a previously unchurched area in rural Japan, there is a lot of un-ploughed land. It is very hard soil. Spiritually speaking, we are working on the front lines of enemy territory. It is only through intercessory prayer that any progress can be made at all. I consider intercessory prayer the most important thing I can do. However, living in a culture for a long time it is easy to become desensitised to the spiritual realities and become blind or just accept the spiritual climate for how it is. When people outside of the culture look in, they can often see things that long-term missionaries take for granted as the norm. They can pray with fresh eyes, which is a great blessing.
The power of prayer: When we were in the middle of our building project, we met on several occasions especially to pray that financial deadlines be met, and that we would be able to purchase Hirakawa city’s first ever permanent church building. It really did seem an impossible task in front of us. We also sent out many prayer requests for people back home to stand with us in prayer for our miracle building. God was faithful and we were able to settle the purchase of our building on Christmas Eve 2021!
Current prayer needs: More people to commit to being baptised; for strength, stamina and rest for the team; and the church’s love for Jesus to continue to grow.
We have always valued people that commit to praying for us and our team in Uganda. When you know people are committed to praying for you, it’s like a shield that goes before us protecting, providing and giving us strength and peace.'
The power of prayer: In November 2021, we were driving across to our community centre and church on the other side of Kampala. We had for some reason decided to travel a different route and our car radio was tuned into an English-speaking station. Three suicide bombs went off just minutes apart around Kampala; we could see smoke from one of the explosions. The news on the radio advised us of the explosions; we were supposed to be driving through one of the areas that was hit. Sometimes people say that was lucky but we know in times like that, people have been prompted to pray for us. Prayer is literally like a bulletproof vest when you're on the front line.'
Current prayer needs: Protection, safety and health.
Prayer support for me is the most valuable support I can receive. Honestly, I have seen so many situations of breakthrough and safety when people have prayed for me. I am still here because of God’s miraculous protection and the faithfulness of prayer partners.
My daily prayer is, ‘God, please may my eyes see what You want me to see, my ears hear what You want me to hear and my heart be obedient to all that You call me to’.
The power of prayer: I work alongside the Thai/Myanmar border in Thailand. The civil war in Myanmar means many refugees run across the border into Thailand to seek refuge. I work alongside the local church, officials and community to deliver emergency aid. Every day, we pray before we leave the church to take aid.
We’ve had times where we’ve gone to go to one area and been turned away by officials. Then when we go to another area and we have had exactly what those people have needed in our trucks –right down to the community leader calling the last name on his list and our last pack in the truck going out to that family.
One particular day, we had planned to go to a military temporary refugee shelter to give clothes. As we were driving out, one of the ladies said she felt we needed to buy some bread roll snacks. We bought 1,000 and continued to the distribution centre. We drove an hour, and were 200 metres from the distribution centre when the pastor’s wife called our contact. She asked us to stop, reverse 150 metres and turn down the dirt track where we met our contact. She had come across 13 women, with all their children, who had run across the river that morning as the bombs were just on the other side. They hadn’t eaten in three days. We were able to help these women and children, and be at the right place at the right time.
Current prayer needs: For refugees and those internally displaced by Myanmar’s civil war. That our team would continue to find ways to bring hope and joy to those who have faced trauma. For team members – that they would not grow weary in doing good and continue to walk in God’s grace.
WAIT… Few words are less welcome.
Delay and disappointment are the cause of a dangerous heart condition. Proverbs 13:12 says, 'Hope deferred makes the heart sick.' When our hopes and our dreams die, heartsickness becomes a constant companion. Whether we admit it or not, we can become disappointed with God.
David was not afraid to admit his frustration with God and his dislike for waiting. 'How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me?' Ps 13:1–2 (NIV)
Waiting tests our faith more than just about any other experience. However, few experiences have as much potential to transform us if we wait well. Paul Tripp said, 'Waiting is not about what you get at the end of the wait; it’s about what you become as you wait.'
We wait better when we remind ourselves that God is Good and that He has good things in store for us. 'But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing the Lord’s praise, for He has been good to me.' Ps 13:5–6 (NIV) W
Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. Ps 27:14 (NIV)
At the 2021 ACC National Conference, Pastor Alun Davies preached a message that has stuck in my head. He said this: 'It breaks my heart when I hear of someone who has done something and now can no longer be in ministry… Every time I would ask a simple question: When is the last time you can remember opening up the Word of God and feeling His presence?' A common response was, 'I can’t remember'.
We know in theory the importance of daily reading of the Word. Yet too often it becomes just another task in our busy schedules. Tick. Done.
Our days are constantly filled with activities and noise. So often our work for God fills our attention, so time with God is merely the means of energy to carry on our works.
Sure, we need to read the Bible. But we also need to let the Bible read us.
It is not easy to make time to sit still and give our attention to reading God’s Word. It’s even harder to hear the still, small voice of God amid all the distractions.
Psalm 37: 4-7 says: “Keep company with God… Open up before God keep nothing back… Quiet down before God, be prayerful before Him” (MSG).
As we quieten ourselves and sit, with an open heart and open Bible, we pray to be drawn into the life of God (John 17:22-23). We slowly become attentive to God’s presence. We sense God’s self-giving love.
Keeping company with God shifts our focus. We gain the courage to say not 'my' ministry but 'Your' will. We discover that God does not want our compulsive service, but our wonder.
Then we find that the Bible reads us. It penetrates our hearts. What we discover is not always what we expect. We are confronted with our own anxieties and fears. Our ambitions are exposed. We realise our lives are small.
Keep nothing back from God.
God works to transform our selfish desires. Like at creation, the Spirit broods over the barren places in our lives. Then God speaks His Light and Life to begin filling those empty spaces. Like Isaiah 6, when the prophet saw the vision of the Heavenly king, we trade our self-importance for humble awe and surrender to God.
Our misplaced self-confidence becomes swapped for perfect confidence in God.
“God made my life complete, when I placed all the pieces before Him” (Psalm 18:20 MSG).
Note: Some of the ideas in this reflection have been inspired by the devotional book Music of Eternity: Meditations for Advent with Evelyn Underhill by Robyn Wrigley-Carr (London, UK: SPCK, 2021).
I’ll never forget the day we had just finished painting our church building after it had been brown brick for thirty years. It was 21 years ago, and we had only been senior pastors of Lighthouse for a year.
I stood outside as people walked past to catch the train nearby. Being friendly and wanting to connect with my community, I began greeting people. Before long, people would stop and exchange pleasantries with me.
To my shock, many people who had lived nearby for some 30 years, asked me, 'How long has the church been here?'
This encounter jolted me into focus; I was determined that from then on we were going to be known for more than a paint job!
Over the next 12 years, we began to think of ways we could be known as a church of humans, not a church as a building.
We focused on being generous and bringing dignity to people that others overlooked.
We turned up to other people’s community events rather than waiting, expecting them to come to ours.
We began to love what our community loved!
Twelve years later, I wanted to check out our influence, so we hired a research company and they surveyed our city Wollongong, the tenth largest city in Australia.
Our community was asked, 'What do you think of when you hear the word Lighthouse?'
Bear in mind, Wollongong has two physical lighthouses at the ocean front. Surely, they would answer, 'The two tall buildings with flashing lights!'
To our amazement, 73% of people said, 'Lighthouse is a church that helps people.'
We had learnt a secret: being amongst our community and loving them gives you a currency, and currency enables your community to want to have you in their lives.
Proverbs 22:1 says, 'Choose a good reputation over great riches; being held in high esteem is better than silver or gold.' (NKJ)
We didn’t know it at the time but going in and being the help, the support, the sacrifice our community needed meant we had become 'that church' – the one they can’t live without!
PAUL BARTLETT is the NSW State President Director of ACC Community Engagement.
by RALPH ESTHERBY
Have you ever had a moment when you say to yourself, 'How am I meant to respond to that?'
It can happen in so many different contexts and the ever-changing world in which we live seems to bring this feeling to the foreground regularly. I know from speaking to Pastors and Chaplains all over the country that there is a growing sense of discomfort as we try to balance the unchanging message of Christ with a world that is challenging every norm and absolute.
This leads us often into difficult conversations and if they are not handled well, it can diminish our effectiveness and our connection with people who are desperately in need of support.
Jesus was comfortable in having difficult conversations – whether He was speaking to the woman at the well, or to people compromised by power and cornered by negative influence, or pharisees struggling with their narrow responses to the Law or even outsiders who were trying to find meaning and answers from a contrary world view – He was always willing and ready to respond.
The world in which we find ourselves is not necessarily more complex than the time of Christ, but it definitely has different complexities to deal with. Today we have to navigate discussions that were not even imagined a decade ago, add to that the pressures of social media and the potential of our responses being scrutinised and pilloried means that the stakes have never been higher.
Our desire is to:
• Help people find answers
• Keep communication lines open
• Bring relevance and support
• Maintain integrity and truth
It’s not just what we say, but how we say it.
Increasingly we are dealing with a community that has less and less awareness of scriptural and spiritual truth and more and more exposure to an ‘anything goes’ model of morals and ethics.
In a world where everyone defines their ‘own truth’, people are desperately in need of direction and guidance. However, for many, Christianity is progressively defined by what they perceive us to be against rather than what we are for.
For the sake of all those we are trying to reach, we need to develop the art of speaking truth in love, seasoned with salt, delivered with kindness and grace.
I invite you to join in this discussion of how we can go about achieving this – at our Chaplaincy Stream at National Conference in April.
Chaplaincy Australia is about supporting you to support others. This Professional Development opportunity will equip you with practical responses and tools to assist you when navigating the increasingly complex world in which we seek to minister the love and power of Christ. You will be provided with a framework for appropriate responses to conversations around Gender, Sexuality, Domestic & Family Violence, and Addictive behaviours.
RALPH ESTHERBY is the National Director and CEO of Chaplaincy Australia
by DARLENE ZSCHECH
A time is coming; indeed, is already here. It’s time to stand and bring a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.
It’s time to see the miraculous break out amongst us as we sing and declare Gods greatness.
It’s time to see the complacency break off people everywhere as we awake to the sound of heaven being released on earth.
Praise is a weapon and will save your life if you allow it.
Worship is our response to a Sovereign God who gave us this gift of heaven on earth to continually bring the whole of our lives in surrender to His unconditional love.
And I believe it’s time. Time to step into this move of God, time to write, play, sing and declare boldly a new era of worship.
Truthful worship changes things. Always has and always will.
A fresh outpouring.
It is my great honour and pleasure to be hosting the Worship Stream as a part of our ACC National Conference this year. I am praying that every person involved in the ministry of worship will be there to attend, as together we lean into all the Holy Spirit is saying for us as a nation of worshippers.
I, and others, will be sharing and teaching, leading and prophesying over you as we are readied for the days God is entrusting us with.
There is a generation of resilient, articulate, and astute leaders ready to enter from the side stage, and they are bold enough to ask uncomfortable questions.
They can be found in our Youth and Young Adult Ministries, in schools and universities, their unique gifts and approaches to a post Covid world are essential for church growth, health and expansion. This emerging generation of leaders is deeply intelligent, culturally sensitive and is marked with a hunger for the person and presence of Jesus to invade every sector of society.
Forged in the maelstrom of information exploitation via social media, their voice is tempered in the experience of witnessing the daily pain and struggle of mental health, isolation, and the steady erosion of truth. This generation, born with a tablet under their arms, a smartphone in their hands, and a heart for social justice, their questions hold keys to church renewal. They, indeed, have been born for such a time as this. Are we listening to their questions?
As Church leaders, we need to incline our hearts to this generation, allowing caution to be thrown to the wind and empowering the freedom to ask all the wild questions they face daily in cafes, online spaces, and in classrooms. They need champions to resource and release youth, young adults and university ministries, expressly, because they challenge the status quo and traditional modes of operation. Yes, their assumptions and approaches will confront our comfort zones. Yes, their questions will challenge deeply held traditions; however, to reach Australia with the gospel and to plant churches that will flourish in 2023, these voices and the hearts they represent are essential.
The core questions shaping our church's aspirations and activations have surrounded conformance and performance. But the questions needed today are changing and being formulated in youth and university ministries. They seek renewed clarity of mission and purpose in the contested and blended spaces of work, church and recreation. In our post covid communities, are we willing to be asked uncomfortable questions? Our next generation of leaders and pastors are already asking them, and they will help us navigate the WHY?
• Why do we do things that way or, indeed, do that at all?
• Why should I position myself to behave, think, and move this way and is there another avenue to achieving these agreed goals?
• Why does the world, at this precise moment in time, need Jesus?
• Why should they bow to His Lordship - when society seems to oppose this at every step?
Who are these young leaders, and where do they sit in our congregations? Have we prayed for both a heart and courage to listen? Are we willing to partner, have coffee, take some risks and invite them into Boardrooms and leadership meetings, empowering their voice and activating their purpose?
As we move from "Command and control" to "trust and inspire", listening and asking questions will be critical to making the most of this season in which the church of Australia finds itself. The state of continual change, doubt, and fear (matched only by the sheer weight of opportunity for the church) requires trusting Jesus enough to trust young people and their uncomfortable questions.
On average, children have 40 hours of learning time per year at church compared to 3,000 hours of influence we have in the home. This asks the big question for Kids pastors and churches at large: What should we focus on in Kids Ministry, and how do we do it?
In over 20 years of Children’s Ministry, I have seen many programs, but the largest swing has been in the last 12 months. It's really no surprise, post Covid, that two key elements has been where much of the Church has landed when looking at Kids Ministry.
1. Kids need community; and
2. Parents are the primary leader of faith formation
According to a recent Barna study, 89% of church leaders believe an effective church cannot be built without an effective Kids Ministry. This is true but in the same breath, 96% of parents acknowledge they are primarily responsible for the faith formation of their children. So what is it –the Church or the Home??
The simple answer is both!
We are moving into a new era where as the church, we must be looking at how we establish great environments for kids to learn, whilst resourcing and partnering with parents throughout the week.
To help you start the journey as you head into the new year, here are my top 3 tips for each sector.
1.
By simply changing language and a mindset that 'on Sundays we run services for Children AND Adults', it increases the priority of the Kids service to the same level as adult services. Your Production, Worship, and even Budgetting are all areas you can emphasise this, and shift how people see and outwork the overall vision of your church.
2.
Make sure there is plenty of time for small group ministry, as one of the biggest needs for kids is community. Your service structure can be outworked with this learning dynamic without losing the feel of a church service.
3.
We expect people who serve in Kids Ministryto be a swiss army knife – able to do everything. Instead, why not have people who are gifted in different areas serve on the Kids team? For example, have a Check In team rostered on to simply just check families in and engage with the parents.
These skilled connectors may never teach a child or lead a group, but they are on team. Roster the worship team on just for that part of the service and don't expect them to unload the toy cupboard. By approaching it this way, you allow people to serve through their gift and you don’t have to recreate every area.
1.
Using apps like Parent Cue is a great way to help. Other apps are the Bible App for Kids or even the Kids Bible Experience on YouVersion. All of these great resources are free and easy to use.
Provide parents with regular resources. Some Ideas are:
• Monthly enews
• Parenting Seminar streamed to home midweek (helps busy parents not needing to come out)
• Podcasts
• Devotions (again the use of YouVersion)
3. Include in Sunday services and Sermons aspects of Family Engagement
When you prepare a sermon or a series, ask the question, 'How can I resource families?' When you plan out services, consider 'how can I include kids or highlight family values?'
By including this into regular language, it simply integrates Faith formation into all areas of church life.
These are just a start and again in 2023 through our ACCkids Coaching our team can help your Kids Pastor each Month learn new skills and become award of great resources. Go to acckids.org.au/coaching
Join us at the ACC23 National Conference Kids Stream where we will give greater focus on these two elements: building an effective Kids Ministry, and how to partner with parents.
ANDY KIRK is the National Director of ACCKids.
I love the Church and those who pour their lives out pastoring God’s people. But I hate the fact that recent research indicates that over 40% of pastors would consider leaving the ministry, if they could; and that between 70%–80% of churches have flatlined, or are in decline.
The great news is that discipleship is most definitely making a huge comeback! It crops up in the conversations of an increasing number of pastors and their teams.
And yet, for all the interest and aspiration, there are still too few examples of churches effectively nailing the 'making disciples' thing, particularly in the western world.
The question I have asked many pastors over the past twelve months is: Where is discipleship happening in your church that is intentional, scalable and reproducible?
Answers range from reflective silence to responsive stories of someone named 'Reggie' in their church who is a 'gifted discipler'. Still a few others mention that they 'have groups'. Groups are a great start but they are not the goal – they are merely a tool.
If you think I am saying that the active, aggressive, authoritative and anointed shift toward making disciples who make disciples is the answer…you would be absolutely correct!
Since the pandemic, I’ve been encouraged by the deep desire of most to actually make disciples through their local church. They really do want to make Jesus’ last command their absolute first priority. (Matt 28:18-19) And why wouldn’t we?
There is nothing more thrilling than being part of a person’s journey to becoming a fully devoted disciple of Jesus. This is in many ways, the pinnacle of our faith mission.
Disciple making always was and still is at the core of our destiny.
When effective discipleship wanes, the frustrating spinoffs are many and painful:
• The infrequency of church attendance post-pandemic with between 20% and 50% staying away (for some a sunny day or a footy game is enough to keep people away!) This, rather than being cultural or societal is a discipleship issue.
• The lack of peoples’ desire to get back on teams and to serve. A discipleship issue.
• The levels of giving, leaving churches just able to “get by”, let alone able to take new visionary ground. A discipleship issue.
• The lack of missional passion in the lives of many believers, who rarely ever think about even inviting someone to church, let alone share their faith. A discipleship issue.
• The relative impotency and lack of reproductive effectiveness of many small groups. A discipleship issue.
• The depressing numbers of our congregation who don’t even read their Bibles daily, let alone hear from Heaven and experience His presence regularly. Again…. a Discipleship issue!
Michael Murphy has a selection of resources that have been gleaned from experience of almost a decade of consulting with key churches around the world in these very areas.
40 Question Diagnostic Discipleship Checklist : developed to give you an Assessment about how you are doing in your disciple making journey as a church.
4D Discipleship : 30 minute signature training how to get very intentional about shifting the Discipleship gauge in your church. Comes with a complete template of the notes to use to teach your team.
is the chairman of the Alphacrucis Board. For more information: www.theleaderscape.com
Take a deep breath! 2023 is going to be a roller coaster ride when it comes to new technologies – a true blend of the exhilarating and the unsettling.
Technology should never define us. The future is not a product of the technologies we use but of how we, as moral agents decide to use them.
That said, technology is important. As the media education pioneer John Culkin famously observed, “We shape our tools and, thereafter, our tools shape us.”
So, let’s take a deep dive to explore some of the most consequential technologies we’ll see in 2023. Hold on tight.
Neural implants will be a hot news feature in 2023. Why bother with a wearable on your wrist when you can fit one into your brain?
Transhumanism is a school of philosophy which advocates that human beings will, through technology, evolve beyond their current physical and mental limitations. Some adherents believe that we will someday transcend death itself, using advanced prosthetics, implants and the like.
Whether this is achievable - or even desirable - is open to debate. However, one thing is certain: we are getting closer to significantly improving human capabilities through technology.
The term “metaverse” refers to a virtual world that exists beyond the physical world. It is a simulated environment that is accessible to users via virtual and/or augmented reality headsets or other devices.
Potentially, one of the most exciting applications of the metaverse is in the field of education. We will hear a lot more about this in 2023, especially as Meta and other groups seek to boost low levels of public interest in the technology.
Data privacy and security will become more newsworthy this year, especially as nations legislate to hold big tech companies to account for their use of consumers’ data.
Our engagement with new digital platforms such as the metaverse, plus a growing use of cashless payments, will boost exponentially the amount of data we generate.
The trend toward cashless payment systems is already well entrenched in the developed world - and increasingly in poorer regions. The convenience of cashlessness is clear, though this may also be its greatest weakness. Cash is messy, but it has weight. You can feel it leaving your pocket as you spend. Digital payment systems including contactless cards and smartphone wallets divorce spending from forethought. Studies have shown that consumers are likely to spend up to thirty per cent more when using cashless as opposed to hard currencies.
The next year or two will bring exciting developments on the medical technology front.
Among the most notable will be a move toward biological additive manufacturing - that is, 3D-printed human organs and body parts for transplant purposes. Research on this has continued for a decade or more, but we are moving closer to realisation.
When it comes to technology, the future has already arrived. Many of the tools that will most define our human experience in the coming years are already with us, albeit often in experimental form.
Alongside the above, 2023 will bring news on new forms of social media - particularly those using virtual and augmented reality and those that offer experiences more tailored to individual users.
We’ll hear a lot more about fully automated weapons of war, especially as Russia's incursion in Ukraine reaches its climax and Western concerns grow about China’s ambitions. Experiments with fully automated killer drones and self-regulating clusters of killer bots will feature in the news.
So will exciting developments with space exploration and alternative fuels.
The year ahead will hold its share of surprises, but one thing is certain: 2023 will not be dull!
www.2030plus.com
Stephen McAlpine
The Church used to be recognised as a force for good, but this is changing rapidly.
Christians are now often seen as the bad guys, losing both respect and influence. In our post-Christian culture, how do we offer the gospel to those around us who view it as not only wrong but possibly dangerous? And how do we ensure that the secular worldview does not entice us away with its constant barrage, online and elsewhere, of messages about selfdeterminism?
Stephen McAlpine offers an analysis of how our culture ended up this way and offers strategies for coping in this world, with its opposing values, and for reaching out to others wisely with the truth.
2021 Winner Australian Christian Book of the Year.
Relationships are wonderful ... until they're not.
Have you ever thought, I can't keep doing this–something has to change? Or, I've tried everything to fix this relationship but nothing is working. Or even, I love this person, but this is starting to feel impossible?
You've listened to all the advice. But you're beginning to realise that if the other person doesn't want to change what's broken in the relationship, you can't change it on your own.
Lysa TerKeurst understands this dance with dysfunction and wants to be your insightful, compassionate friend who will teach you that it isn't unloving to set a boundary, and it isn't unchristian to say goodbye. You'll be relieved to learn that boundaries aren't just a good idea, they're a God idea.
Click here to order
Click here to order
We all have the power to change our lives and our relationships with the words we speak. Many of us float through life proclaiming only the things that we can see. However, we have a God-given ability to partner with the Holy Spirit to affect the world around us with our words.
Once we understand God's perspective, we can speak life into every part of our existence.
In Speak Life you will learn:
• God is totally with you, in you, and for you.
• How much power God has given you through your words.
• How to bring God's promises into existence.
• What the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are saying about you. • The keys to transforming your circumstances and relationships.
• The treasure trove of promises waiting to be released by your words.
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so if you're thinking of investing your funds to either grow your building fund, or to achieve your personal investment goals sooner, click the link below to find out about our latest investment rates. With various options to choose from, chances are we have an investment option to suit your unique situation.
ACS Financial has been providing insurance, commercial lending, and investment solutions to churches, ministries and Christian schools for over 30 years, and now also offers commercial lending for commercial businesses, helping business owners in your church congregation secure a commercial loan to help them grow their vision. If you have businessowners in your church congregation who could benefit from this, scan this QR code and post to your social media to help them discover the help that is available to them.
ACS Financial sees Christian business owners as Kingdom businesses to help fund the work of the church and greater Kingdom purposes.
ACC EMAG #1 2023
Published by Australian Christian Churches. Editor: Daryl-Anne Le Roux editor@acc.org.au Assistant: Ann Byron Proofreader: Elba Broadhead
Photography by: p. 1 iStock p. 5 Neuma Church p. 9 Fred Evans website p. 11 ACCI p. 12-13 4B Media p. 14 iStock p. 16 Kingdomcity p. 18 Neuma Church p. 20 Neuma Church p. 21-23 ACCI p. 24 Uğurcan Özme (Pexels) p. 26 Karolina Grabowska (Pexels) p. 31 Wollongong D Le Roux p. 32 Chaplaincy Australia p. 34-35 Hope UC p. 37 Youth Alive NSW p. 38 Globalheart Church p. 43 Uğurcan Özme (Pexels)
ACC EMAG is published four times a year. Visit www.acc.org.au/emag to read more editions.
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