Accemag 1 2016final

#1 2016

EMAG

wHEALTHY CHURCHES

Why should churches GROW?

OF THE ACC

quarterly publication for acc leaders

HEARTBEAT wLOVING OUR NEIGHBOURS

Fiji

wLOVING KIDS

Vanuatu + Syria

3 KEYS FOR

Kids MINISTRY

wCELEBRATING WOMEN

20 YEARS OF COLOUR + EXTRACT FROM

THE SISTERHOOD

wSTAND FOR JUSTICE

#endslavery

wSERVANT HEARTS

Violence A local church response DOMESTIC

CARING FOR OUR

Volunteers 1

SIDE

IN

HEARTBEAT OF THE ACC

+

1,000 churches and over 3,000 pastors, this edition looks at the heart representing over

of the acc movement and the many ways we are involved in connecting people to jesus.

HEARTBEAT...Check out the diversity of ministry across the ACC movement through recent Instagram posts #accsnapshot

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WHY SHOULD CHURCHES GROW?.... Joel A’Bell looks at ‘church growth’ and poses the big question to local church leaders: How big should your church be?

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LOVING OUR NEIGHBOURS... Through our ACC International appeals, our movement is able to assist neighbouring countries who face crisis and devastation..

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GIFT OF LIFE... Interview with Pastor Brad Chilcott who donated his kidney to give the gift of life to his eight year old son, Harrison.

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CARING FOR OUR VOLUNTEERS... Volunteers are a great resource for any church, and its important to ensure good standards and best practice is maintained.

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#ENDSLAVERY.. Slavery is happening here in Australia. Join the ACC and other faiths who have pledged to end slavery in our generation.

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20 YEARS OF COLOUR... From a whisper to a shout, the Colour Conference celebrated 20 years. in March

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THE SISTERHOOD... Extract from Bobbie Houston’s new release.

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DOMESTIC VIOLENCE... Donna Crouch paints a picture of the extent of domestic violence in Australia and the response of the local church. .

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COMMUNITY... Paul Bartlett on transformation KIDS MINISTRY... 3 Keys by Andy Kirk ALPHACRUCIS... Expansion And Self accreditation INDIGENOUS.... Welcome To Country LAUNCH OF TITUS... ACSF innovation TOP 5 TRENDS IN 2016... Mark McCrindle’s insights NEW RELEASES... to read, listen or watch WHAT’S ON... 2016 Calendar of ACC national events.

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24 26 28 30 32 33 35 36

GROWTH

&

HEALTH T

hese are amazing days for our ACC family. The growth rate alone is significant, by any measure. I noticed in a recent NCLS survey that our constituency in 1973 was a grand total

of 7,300 people. Just over four decades later, that number exceeds 315,000. Added to that, some of our major churches are having an influence globally through conferences, music, church planting, television and other media. All of this has happened in our lifetime, and it’s breathtaking!

The diversity of our movement is exciting. We have many large churches that have broken new ground in our nation as they have grown, yet part of the story that is often not told is the fact is that over 70% of our churches have less than 200 people in them. It’s not so much about the size but the health of every church that is important.

In fact, Joel A’bell has written a thought provoking article on this very subject (see ‘Why should churches grow? on page 6).

Thank God for the mega churches. The way they lead, the way they inspire, the way they serve others is exceptional. We need them. The reality, however, is that those in the 70% category are also significantly contributing to the growth and health of our movement. We are all playing our part to extend the Kingdom, relative to where we are planted and the grace given to us. At a recent National Executive meeting, part of our conversation was a celebration of what everyone is doing – including the men and women serving in some of our smaller churches.

Some time ago I came across an article by a business consultant who suggested the busiest person in the world is the one leading a church of 200; often as the single staff member or bi-vocational pastor. They

‘...THE BUSIEST PERSON IN THE WORLD IS THE ONE LEADING A CHURCH OF 200; OFTEN AS THE SINGLE STAFF MEMBER OR BI-VOCATIONAL PASTOR.’

are the ones who preach, perform weddings and funerals, counsel, chair board meetings, visit the sick, maintain properties and set up for Sundays (amongst other things). They are real heroes.

Our heart as a movement is to connect people to Jesus, and with that as our focus, I believe that we should continue to see growth by reaching more people in Jesus’ Name. No matter what the size of your church is, we love and appreciate you all.

WAYNE ALCORN ACC NATIONAL PRESIDENT

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Follow Wayne Alcorn on Twitter: @wayne_alcorn

HEARTBEAT OF THE ACC WITH OVER 1,000 CHURCHES AND MORE THAN 3,000 CREDENTIALED PASTORS, THOUSANDS OF ACTIVITIES ARE HOSTED ACROSS THE ACC EVERY WEEK. CHECK OUT THE DIVERSITY OF MINISTRY ACROSS THE ACC MOVEMENT THROUGH RECENT INSTAGRAM POSTS AT #ACCSNAPSHOT

w NATIONAL

w YOUTH

w PRAYER

w CHURCH SERVICES

w VOLUNTEERS

w GENERATIONS

Caring for our volunteers see page 14

4

w MISSIONS

w COMMUNITY

w WORSHIP

w INDIGENOUS w BREAKFAST CLUBS w SAFER CHURCHES

w INSPIRING MEN

w WOMEN

w UNI STUDENTS

POST YOUR ACC PICS

JOIN THE MANY ACC MINISTRIES WHO POST THEIR ACTIVITIES ON SOCIAL MEDIA @ACCSNAPSHOT #ACCSNAPSHOT

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20 years of Colour see page 16

w

HEALTHY CHURCHES

WHY SHOULD CHURCHES

GROW?

BY JOEL A’BELL

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C

hurch growth had been the big buzz word at the turn of the 21st century.

There are books written about it, conferences convened for it, round tables discussing it, and here I am writing about it.

It seems obvious that a pastor of a large church would talk about church growth but I have always thought this, from my first days of church attendance as a teenager.

To me it was simple. Finding life in Jesus as a teenager awakened me to the friendship of God in a way that I thought was the best kept secret of the world.

If the word was to get out, churches everywhere would fill up!

As the years rolled on, it seemed to be more complicated than automatic growth.

It seemed as if our personalities got in the way. That leadership was also rife with the desperate need to be validated by peers.

This became more obvious to me once I became a pastor of a local church.

Growth is not always automatic and when it’s absent it becomes way too easy to turn inward and clutch for anything that will make it happen. We can unintentionally cut corners, coerce involvement or simply use the pulpit as a megaphone for our own frustrations.

So let’s ask the big separating question:

* How big should your church be?

Jesus declares that He will build His church. And He uses the word ‘build’ metaphorically as a house builder.

So maybe we should ask the question another way: * How big should your family home be?

When Julia and I got married in 1993, we lived in a small half house for a while. As our lives grew our house got bigger (in that we moved). A bigger family needs a bigger house.

Whilst I admire the house that my neighbour lives in, I don’t want to destroy my family by trying to compare myself with another family. Learning to be content and appreciate all that God bestows upon us is one of life’s great virtues.

The size of my house does not determine the value of my family!

Is the church of 1500 better than the church of 120? What size do you need to get to before you will be happy with your progress? More importantly, what size does your church need to be before God is happy with what you are doing?

“For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything.”

(Hebrews 3:4 NIV)

There is no doubt that the external growth of our churches is inextricably linked to the internal health of our motivations. Put simply, healthy churches grow!

* Why should churches grow?

Not because it will make me feel better as a leader or more significant in a conference line up. Churches should grow simply because its people are becoming more and more like Jesus, and people all around us are drawn to His undeniable grace and relentless love!

Jesus said in Matthew 16:18, “I will build my church.” The word ‘build’ means to be a house builder. Metaphorically it speaks of rebuilding a person with Christian wisdom, affection, grace, virtue, holiness and blessedness. A church builder in the purest sense is one who sets out to build people.

We should build every person into the fullness of God. The more a person is fully formed in Christ, the more that person will influence their sphere with the love of Jesus.

JOEL A’BELL is an ACC National Executive member. He and his wife, Julia, are the Lead Pastors of Hillsong Australia alongside Senior Pastors Brian & Bobbie Houston. Joel is an innovative thinker, leader and communicator. He is passionate about building and growing the local church.

Follow Joel A’Bell on Twitter: @joelabell 7

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i j i F

LOVING OUR NEIGHBOURS

CYCLONE APPEAL HOW TO DONATE: Bank transfer: Account Name: ACC International Missions Ltd BSB No: 013 384 Account No: 25619 4005 Description: M182 Once a donation has been made, please e-mail finance@accim.org.au with donation details for receipting and audit purposes.

Cheque donations: Please make cheque payable to ‘ACC International Missions’ and post to 5/2-4 Sarton Road, Clayton VIC 3168.

Cyclone Winston caused widespread devastation throughout the island nation of Fiji on 20 February 2016. Heavy rains, storm surges and destructive winds reaching up to 325km/h killed more than 40 people and caused extensive damage to homes, buildings and key infrastructure. Some entire communities were flattened, especially on outer islands, and the state of natural disaster has been extended throughout April.

ACCI Missions has been in correspondence with AOG Fiji who reported significant damage to their local churches and national Bible school. ACCI Mission’s launched a nontax deductible appeal to raise funds to assist the Fiji national church. Funds raised will go to assist in the rebuilding and repairing of churches and the Bible School facilities.

Images via the Fijian Government s

*Please note that donations for this appeal are not eligible for tax deductibility.

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u t a Vanu

Syria

REFUGEE APPEAL UPDATE:

CYCLONE REFUGEEAPPEAL APPEALUPDATE: UPDATE:

In March 2015, Vanuatu was hit by tropical Cyclone Pam, which caused widespread devastation and damage to homes, churches and schools. ACCI responded swiftly by launching appeals through both our Relief and Missions arms to assist affected families and churches throughout Vanuatu.

In the initial aftermath, ACCI Relief supported the distribution packs of vital items to over 200 affected households. These packs included health and hygiene kits, blankets, cooking kits, tarp, collapsible jerry cans and mosquito nets. ACCI Relief has also been able to rebuild a primary school on the island of Tanna. Green Hill Primary School was completely destroyed by the cyclone and was forced to continuing running classes under tarps and in tents. Through your support a new school building has now been constructed and the final touches are currently being made ready for classes to start in these rooms very soon.

In addition, ACCI Mission was able to support the reconstruction of six churches throughout Vanuatu through our partnership with AOG Vanuatu. We also supported the reconstruction of the national AOG Bible college, Joy Bible Institute, whose buildings were significantly damaged by the cyclone.

A huge thank you to all who generously gave to this appeal. Your support has had an enormous impact on the lives of the Vanuatu people.

Those who donated generously to the Syrian Refugee Crisis Appeal have enabled ACCIR to be part of a partnership of organisations working to assist thousands of desperate families making the difficult journey across Europe in hope of starting a new life free from war and persecution.

Teams have been working in transit sites, temporary camps and arrival points in Greece, Croatia, Serbia and Macedonia. We have been part of a collective effort that has seen the following achieved: • 27,074 people provided with emergency food • 39,152 water bottles distributed • 14,458 backpack with vital supplies distributed • 12 hygiene stations installed in transit camps With thousands of refugees still arriving, the crisis shows no sign of ending. Plans are in place to continue to provide assistance where needed. To support the appeal visit www.accirelief.org.au/syria

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w A MIRACLE LIFE

IL F E GIFT OF

At two and half, young Harrison Chilcott was the cover story of the ACCENT magazine in 2009, celebrating a miracle life.

His parents, ACC pastors Brad and Rachel Chilcott, had been told to prepare for a birth, then a funeral when he was born with only a quarter of a kidney, spinal problems and a urinary catheter and colostomy bag he would require his whole life. Harrison defied the odds and astounded doctors when his health continued to improve.

Eight years on, complete kidney failure meant a transplant was Harrison’s hope to live, his father, Brad, became the donor, providing the gift of life to his son in December 2015.

ACC NEWS interviewed BRAD CHILCOTT about their journey of faith, hope and gift of love.

Rachel and Harrison Chilcott

Q. What are some of the physical challenges Harrison has faced in his young life and how he has coped with them?

Brad: Harrison was born with a range of physical issues, including having only 15% kidney function. Before the transplant, he had already had 12 operations under general anaesthetic. Hospitals have been a regular part of our life, with blood tests at least every six weeks, and at various times weekly. We were told he wouldn’t survive pregnancy, then that he wouldn’t live beyond a few seconds after birth, then that he’d only live a few weeks.

Instead, he’s learned to manage his various physical challenges and throw himself into life with vigour and determination not to miss out on anything.

Q. How has Harrison’s journey impacted your own lives and your faith?

Brad: We’ve learned that every day we have with Harrison is a blessing and that the faithfulness of God is that He is present in our struggles, in our celebrations and in our pain.

He’s the kind of God who willingly chose to become human, to know what it means to love, grieve and suffer - and who chose to show His power in humble, non-violent, selfless love in solidarity with the disenfranchised and marginalised. We have learned to make the most of every moment not only with Harrison but of life.

Q. How did Harrison’s kidney failure affect the whole family?

Brad: Around the time of his eighth birthday, in mid-2015, Harrison’s blood results made it clear he was in end-stage kidney failure and he began dialysis that would last for five months. It required him being in hospital for three mornings a week and took up enough time to not make it worth heading into school afterwards. It was rough to manage work for Rachel and also to make sure our girls, Chloe and Heidi, didn’t feel like Harrison had all the attention.

Q: What led to you donating your kidney to Harrison?

Brad: We’d been told that Harrison would most likely need a transplant as soon as his body was large enough to handle it, so Rachel and I were both tested for compatibility. We were both very compatible and the plan was always that I’d be the first donor. It’s estimated that a transplant will last between 15 and 20 years and so it’s likely that Rachel will also go through this experience at some stage. I felt nervous about the surgery as I’d never had any kind of operation, but there was no hesitation about going through with it.

Q: How did you and Harrison feel as the day of the transplant arrived?

Brad: Harrison was so excited and wanted it to arrive more quickly. We set up a range of cool experiences for him on the journey too – AFL players dropped by, radio and television interviews and more - to help him realise what a brave and heroic young man he was being.

We were really looking forward to the end of dialysis and to moving onto the next phase of life.

Q. What are some of the things that have changed for you and for Harrison since the transplant in December 2015?

Brad: Post-transplant, Harrison is allowed to eat foods that were banned for him for his pretransplant life. He’s so happy that dialysis is over and he’s back at school. He’s even learned to ride a bike and has been snorkelling for the first time. He’s on a huge amount of anti10

Kidney donation - Brad Chilcott and his son Harrison in hospital

Brad and Harrison Chilcott

rejection drugs and the steroids especially cause a number of new physical challenges for him. We’re slowly reducing weekly hospital visits - for the first few weeks it was daily trips in for a blood test and check-up with the physicians.

- asylum seekers, refugees and people of Australia’s First Nation in particular - and then when we consider the billions around the world who don’t have access to the health care, educational opportunities and other support that Harrison does, the disparity is even more extreme. We’re determined to join with God in his plan for the renewal of all things, partnering with him for the healing of the world and, like Jesus, inviting people into our life and community to use our privilege, wherever we can, to make life better for others.

For us, all of this has helped us gain perspective, discover the strength, peace and joy that comes from intimacy with the Holy Spirit, and to recognise that following Jesus isn’t about achieving some kind of idyllic Western consumer lifestyle, but about following him into selfless sacrifice for the good of all people. We’re still learning what that means to live it as a lifestyle rather than a nice sermon on a Sunday.

Q: How have you personally been impacted by Harrison’s experience?

Brad: Harrison is blessed in so many ways. Unlike so many people, he was able to have a kidney donation from a living family member which meant that he didn’t have to go on a waiting list for a deceased donor. Many people wait more than three years for a suitable donor - I can’t imagine what it would be like for our young man to be in dialysis for years. This waiting period can be reduced by more people joining the organ donation list and I encourage everyone to do that.

He’s also blessed by being born in this country, at this point in history. So many people have fought to make universal health care a reality in Australia - to the degree that our society would be appalled if it was discovered that our family had to cover the costs associated with 14 operations and massive medical and pharmaceutical needs for Harrison’s whole life. We have become so aware of our privilege in relation to many people in Australia

BRAD AND RACHEL CHILCOTT are the lead pastors of Activate Church in the western suburbs of Adelaide, South Australia.

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w

SERVANT HEARTS

caring for our

Volunteers V

isit a local church over any weekend and you will find a contingent of people involved in

a range of activities, all doing their part to help make church a great experience. This spirit of servanthood is part of a healthy church – volunteers sowing their time and energy to support the work of the ministry.

The ACC Safer Churches program recognises that volunteers are a great resource for any church, and that it is important to ensure that good standards and best practice is maintained when it comes to appointing and supervising volunteer workers.

>

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APPOINTING VOLUNTEERS The ACC recommends a minimum standard for the appointment of all volunteer workers and team leaders.

VOLUNTEER SUPERVISION

• PRIOR TO SERVING: A Volunteer Church Workers Declaration should be completed. This declaration refers to working with children checks and code of conduct for volunteer church workers.

The ACC recommends a minimum standard for the supervision of all volunteer workers and team leaders.

• INDUCTION A requirement of WHS legislation is that all workers should be provided with the appropriate information and induction training that will enable them to safely fulfil their roles.

The induction process should include clear communication that endorses the person as a leader in the church, and include prayer for them in their role.

• PROVIDE ADEQUATE SUPPORT: Local Church Boards are to make adequate provision for formal and informal support for workers.

• DEVELOP SKILLS The development of volunteer workers may include regular team meetings, praying, eating and planning together, as well as leadership development through in-house and external training events.

• MINISTRY REVIEW: A process of annual review of the roles of volunteer workers is recommended. This is important for the health of volunteer teams, as it provides an opportunity for leaders to state whether they will or will not be available for the volunteer role in the next season.

• APPLY CODE OF CONDUCT The applicable code of conduct provides clear behavioural boundaries for representing the local church.

[Based on ACC Guideline No. 10]

[Based on ACC Guideline No. 9]

The ACC is committed to continue building

safer churches FOR EVERYONE

Every church has been strongly urged to

safer churches for everyone, with the ACC

make this a high priority, with a range of

Safer Churches strategy being implemented

resources and material available to help

in all churches.

local churches implement the necessary

As part of the implementation of the ACC Child Protection Policy (adopted by the

requirements of the policy.

A lot of hard work and professional input

National Conference in 2015), the National

has gone into strengthening policies in

Executive have developed Safer Churches

relation to child protection and safety, and

Guidelines, as well as developing ACC

the ACC will continue to stay vigilant in

specific Awareness Workshops and a training

this area, doing everything to ensure that

Manual for all those who work with children

churches are safe environments for children

and young people in local churches and

and youth, and all vulnerable people.

ministries.

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w STANDING FOR JUSTICE

#endslavery

T

here are an estimated 3,000 people subjected to domestic and sex slavery in Australia, as slaveholders are using people against their will for their own advantage. Sometimes people are hidden behind closed doors; some are hidden in plain sight. Victims of slavery and human trafficking may be the person who picks the apples on your table, attaches the rain gutters to your house, cares for your neighbours children, cleans you car, makes the clothes you are wearing or serves your food.

People are sold as objects, forced to work for little or no pay and are at the complete mercy of their employers.

Someone is in slavery if they are: • Forced to work through mental of physical threat • Owned or controlled by their employer usually through mental or physical abuse or the threat of abuse • Dehumanised, treated as a commodity or bought and sold as property • Physically constrained or have restrictions placed on their freedom of movement

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The Australian Freedom Network was launched at Parliament House in Canberra on December 2, 2015, International Day for the Abolition of Slavery. At this event leaders of 15 different faiths, including the ACC, signed the same ‘Joint Declaration of Religious Leaders Against Modern Slavery’ that was signed at Vatican City in 2014.

The ACC is committed to help end slavery in our generation. Register your personal commitment by visiting the Australian Freedom Network website and adding your name to the Declaration to end slavery. www.afn.org.au

ONCE YOU HAVE SIGNED THE DECLARATION, ENCOURAGE OTHERS TO SIGN THE PLEDGE TOO. Encourage your congregation and friends to make a personal pledge to end slavery and human trafficking. www.afn.org.au

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COLOUR CONFERENCE

from a whisper to a shout

20 YEARS

OF COLOUR I

t began as a whisper. Bobbie Houston recalls that defining moment in 1996 when she felt God whisper into her spirit and “a split second glimpse of something that took my breath away– something that could only have belonged to the future.” In the midst of a vision of a vast stadium filled with thousands and thousands of women, she heard the unforgettable words: “Bobbie...create a conference for women... a conference and environment for young women, but girded about with older women... and tell them that there is a God in heaven and a company of others who believe in them.”

It took one step of faith and the date for the first Colour conference was set for March 1997, with Holly Wagner from the USA joining Bobbie, Christine Caine and the local church team.

“Six hundred and one friends cut the ground with me and put us on the first page of what I honestly believe was a new chapter for women, not only in our own city and nation but in the greater Body of Christ,” states Bobbie.

From small beginnings, the conference began to grow so that by 1999, they had to host three back-to-back conferences, and hire a marquee as a second venue alongside the main auditorium.

The Colour conference has continued to fill venues and run multiple events every year as women of all ages, backgrounds and status have flocked to Sydney. When Bobbie was appointed the National Director of Australian Christian Women, the ACC National Executive endorsed Colour as the national women’s conference. In time, it also gained the reputation as being recognised as an Australian tourist attraction.

The 20th Colour Conference held in March 2016 comprised of four conferences, that celebrated the journey and coming of age of an annual gathering of the Colour sisterhood.

“The greater message of sisterhood was about the everyday girls and the difference they would make in their local communities, ” says Bobbie. Two decades on, they are being the catalyst for change and making the world a better place.

REGISTRATION IS OPEN FOR COLOUR CONFERENCE 2017 Conf 1: 16–18 March Conf 2: 20–22 March www.colourconference.com

THE FIRST COLOUR INVITATION 1997

THOUSANDS OF WOMEN AT COLOUR 2016 16

SHE IS ONE, SHE IS MANY

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THE SISTERHOOD JOURNEY BY BOBBIE HOUSTON

BOBBIE HOUSTON

EXTRACT FROM BOBBIE HOUSTON’S NEW BOOK

BOBBIE HOUSTON’s new release ‘The Sisterhood’ peels back the layers of what started with a whisper and describes a journey that is emerging as a global shout as thousands of women of all generations and backgrounds are rising up to find value and purpose.

IT BEGAN WITH A WHISPER (AN INTRODUCTION) 18

https://hillsong.com/store/

In those early days of what we would later rename Hillsong Church, Brian and I pretty much did everything that goes with pioneering. As a young woman, wife, and working mom, I was happy to be behind the scenes. I was happy to be the faithful spouse alongside my energetic and focused husband. I was happy to create the weekly news bulletin late at night when the kids were asleep. I was happy to run the kids’ nursery and juggle a young church and a young family, and (crucial to the story) I was happy for our ‘ministry to women’ to consist of several traditional Bible studies led by a handful of ladies from within our spouting church....but what was needed was about to change.

W

e had a young church and a handful of ‘ladies’ Bible studies’ that were actually fulfilling their purpose, but they needed to be seriously restructured, reworked, and more importantly, re-envisioned for what lay ahead and for what God intended.

For the record, Bible studies are amazing and critical in the discipleship of hearts. We are a local church, and small groups have always been the backbone of our Hillsong house and always will be. But our little ladies’ Bible-study groups needed to come out of the willing hands of some lovely willing women into the hands and leadership of a now-willing mother in the house. Back in the day, I didn’t see myself as ‘the mother in the house’–and I certainly wouldn’t have called myself that– but I actually was. Brian and I were leading our church together, and because God operates through godly and biblical order, a new order needed to be established if the magnitude of the whisper and breadth of that expansive glimpse into the future were to be realised. This little ‘senior pastor’s wife’ needed to step up and step out.

A new wineskin In what I believe was God’s perfect timing, I took a deep breath and stepped out to impart new vision to the women in my world.

As I look back, I see that this moment in our history was probably in many ways our initial testing ground. Perhaps heaven needed to see if we could fathom obedience and be faithful to the foundations upon which God wanted to build. If I could respond

faithfully to this initial prompting that related to the women ‘in my hand’, then perhaps I could respond just as faithfully to a greater prompting, involving multitudes of women.

On a misty Thursday morning in September 1994, I decided to wipe the slate and cancel all we had known regarding women’s ministry. My intent was to set a new table and a ‘new wineskin’ for our girls.

In Mark 2:22 the Bible speaks of wineskins. In essence, it’s saying that ‘new wine’ (new life, new anointing, new opportunity, new generations) needs a new wineskin. Old ways of doing things may have served the previous generation well, but new generations often require new ways. Truth and eternal principles never change, but methods must often be rethought and re-envisioned. ....................................................................................

I was excited; I knew withing my heart of hearts that what we were about to launch into that morning and redefine was right– but I was also completely out of my depth. I felt like I was walking on water, because deep inside I knew that what we were entering into was way more than a mere Thursday-morning ladies’ meeting.

I had no idea of the beautiful whisper that lay ahead and expansive plans God had for us, but I also knew that there was no turning back. I would remember this initial moment of commitment on my doorstep a number of times in the years ahead, when the grind of the greater jourey would tempt me to give up or find an excuse to no longer run with the vision. ©2016 Bobbie Houston

‘THE SISTERHOOD’ by Bobbie Houston is published by HarperCollins and available to order from www.hillsongstore.com 19

UNDERSTANDING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE & THE LOCAL CHURCH RESPONSE

e c n e l Vio C I T S E DOM

BY DONNA CROUCH

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN AUSTRALIA

D

omestic Violence...

Domestic Family Violence...

Intimate Partner Violence...

One woman killed a week in Australia...

THE FACTS

• A woman dies at the hands of a current or former partner almost every week in Australia. (Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC), 2015)

These are words that we sadly hear almost daily in the breakfast shows and news feeds that surround our lives. The stories are heartbreaking, such as Rosie Batty (Australian of the Year in 2015) whose 11 year old son, Luke, was murdered by his father. Rosie has enormous courage and has paid a tremendous personal price to ensure that Domestic Violence (DV) cannot and will not be ignored any longer in Australian society.

In Genesis 4: 8–16, we see the first account of domestic family violence amongst siblings, where Cain attacked and murdered Abel. There was cover up, and

• 1 in 3 women has experienced physical violence from a current or former partner since the age of 15 (VicHealth, 2014) • 1 in 5 women has experienced sexual violence (VicHealth, 2014) • 1 in 4 women has been emotionally abused by an intimate partner (VicHealth, 2014)

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WHAT IS DOMESTIC & FAMILY VIOLENCE? DOMESTIC VIOLENCE (DV) describes a type of relationship where one partner tries to have power and control over the other. This often occurs between intimate partners but can also occur in families where one of the children becomes the abuser.

Domestic Family Violence (DFV) also occurs in dating relationships and is commonly referred to as Teen Dating Violence. In a DFV scenario, to maintain control the abuser uses a range of control tactics:

* PHYSICAL ABUSE

Pushing, shoving, standing-over, punching, slapping, murdering, breaking objects, harming pets.

* EMOTIONAL ABUSE

Angry explosions, criticism, belittling, manipulating, crazy-making (re-writing history), joking about weaknesses, accusation, lying to family and friends about their partner (slander, rumour, questioning her mental health), stonewalling (a form of passive/aggressive silence design to punish).

* SEXUAL ABUSE

Sexual assault, rape, forcing unwanted sexual acts, unwanted viewing of pornography.

* FINANCIAL ABUSE

Controlling finances, keeping partner in dark regarding finances, making partner account for spending, depriving partner, threatening to cutoff partner financially if partner moves towards separation.

* SOCIAL ABUSE

Isolating partner from family and friends, possessiveness, jealousy (accusing of flirting or affair), stalking, being threatened by partner’s social activities

watering down what had happened. It outraged God in Heaven and He required justice, action and response.

Those powerful words “Am I my brother’s guardian?” still rings true for all of us today.

As I have come to learn more about DV and DFV, I believe as pastors and leaders, we have a responsibility to God, and to the people in the communities we are called to pastor, to be wise, equipped and respond with what is a ‘best practise’ model of care.

I recently interviewed Deborah Senasi – an active member of an ACC Church who is a counsellor specialising in therapy for people who have experienced violence in their relationships – for insight on what we need to understand, and realise the key part we play in bringing help and healing to all. >

* VERBAL ABUSE

Name-calling, swearing

* SPIRITUAL ABUSE

Putting-down partner’s faith, using religious doctrine to subjugate and control.

Some abusers physically abuse, but many never lay a finger on their partner. Instead they maintain power and control using one or several of the other forms of control. However whether physical or non-physical the end result is the same: DFV creates a climate of fear and intimidation and destroys self-esteem. It’s heart-breaking.

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DOMESTIC VIOLENCE INTERVIEW DONNA CROUCH INTERVIEW WITH DEBORAH SANASI. Deb has a BA (Psychology) MA (Counselling) and is the principal therapist of Norwest Counselling in the Hills District of Sydney and a board representative of the Lisa Harnum Foundation. Deb specialises in abusive relationships and is passionate about helping to support victims of abuse as they heal and recover their worth.

DONNA: Deb, is DFV happening within our churches?

DEB: The statistics on Domestic Family Violence (DFV) are the same within the faith community as they are in the secular world. And whilst males can be victims, overwhelmingly the statistics reflect it is women and children who are largely the victims. This means that between onequarter to one-third of our congregations are being affected by DFV. It’s a HUGE problem.

Generally, Christian perpetrators are more inclined to use the non-physical forms of abuse to control their partner – such as emotional, spiritual and social abuse, rather than overt physical abuse.

Having said that, most of the perpetrators I have worked with interpret physical abuse as a closed-fist punch to the face.

They are usually surprised to realise is that smashing property, punching the wall, blocking their partner from leaving the room, taking their partners keys or phone, standing over their partner, driving recklessly with their partner or children in the car, slapping, pushing or shoving also fall under the banner of physical abuse.

Physical abuse then, is any action taken by the perpetrator designed to put fear and intimidation into the victim.

It is important to understand though that the non-physical forms of abuse cause just as much damage to the victim as the physical forms. This is another fact that surprises the perpetrators I have worked with. Most who come can admit to emotionally and verbally abusing their partner but are usually quick to add, “but I’ve never hit her” as if that is somehow worse. This may come as a surprise, but without exception, every victim I have worked with over the years has said to me at some point, “If I had to choose between a punch and the verbal abuse, I would take the punch any day – because the bruise would fade – but the injury caused by verbal abuse doesn’t fade.”

So to answer your question, yes, it is happening in our churches and it is destroying families.

DONNA: What is the impact of DV on an individual?

DEB: Domestic Family Violence happens in a cycle. The perpetrator cycles from explosion – to remorse – to an ‘act of kindness’ designed to win back the person they have just hurt – to ‘normal’ (where there is a lull), and then the tension build again in the perpetrator. So the cycle begins again. This is really confusing for the victim because they reason that their partner is not horrible all the time.

They struggle to make sense that the same person who exploded and used a despicable name last week is the same person who is now buying chocolates and being wonderful.

So this leaves the victims feeling very confused and off-balance emotionally.

They usually tell me things like “I feel like I’m walking on egg-shells”, “I feel like I’m living with Dr Jeckyll and Mr Hyde” or “I feel like I don’t know myself anymore”.

They will even blame themselves because the perpetrator has told them it is their fault that they got angry.

Victims will inevitably become hypervigilant over time. Depression and anxiety are common side-effects as well as nightmares and suicidal ideation. Children experience the same effects. Even if the abuse is not directly happening to them, it is incredibly anxiety producing, watching one of your parents being abused and feeling like there is nothing you can do to stop it.

DONNA: How could we recognise DFV situations?

DEB: It can be very difficult to recognise DFV. Unfortunately perpetrators are masterful at being one thing at church, and completely different at home. Perpetrators are in every level of society and often are in positions of power. They are often charming and charismatic. Clearly, when it comes to identifying abuse, unexplained bruises or injuries could be a sign. But in the absence of physical abuse, victims will often express feeling confused in their 22

relationship and feeling like they have to walk on egg-shells around their partner for fear of setting them off. Victims can sometimes appear withdrawn, but very often they wear a mask – a “Sunday-Face” because they are confused, ashamed and in fear of what their partner might do if they expose the family secret.

DONNA: What can or should we do if

we are made aware of a DV situation?

DEB: If someone openly discloses that they are being abused at home, or even if you suspect they are being controlled and abused (either financially, emotionally, spiritually or physically), it is vital that you offer pastoral support to the victims and that you hold perpetrators to account for their behaviour. The next step is to refer them to Domestic Violence Specialist Services, or to call 000 if the victim is at risk of immediate harm. As mandatory reporters, clergy are required to report if they become aware that violence is occurring. They are also required to report if children are being exposed to the violence, even if the violence is not occurring directly to them.

I recommend using the referral numbers (at the end of this article) to find out what DFV services are available in your local area. DFV Specialists are trained to assess and develop safety plans for people who are at risk. They are also adept at recognising the degree of manipulation and control that perpetrators will exert in order to deflect from their own behaviour and avoid taking responsibility for the abuse.

What shouldn’t we do? Please don’t ask the victim, “Why do you allow him/ her to treat you like this?” “Why haven’t you left?” This is called victim-blaming and again is shifting the responsibility onto the victim when really we should be addressing the perpetrators and asking “How on earth are perpetrators getting away with this kind of behaviour in our churches?”

Equally, please don’t pressure the victim to stay with their partner if it is unsafe at home. I have very sadly heard countless

stories of clergy who have told a woman to stay in abuse because God hates divorce. It is true that God hates divorce so to avoid it, we must encourage the perpetrators to love their partners as is instructed in 1 Corinthians 13: 4-7; not tell the partner to stay in the violence.

Also, please don’t pressure the victim to forgive and take her partner back just because the perpetrator has cried crocodile tears in your office and said he is sorry. Abusive and controlling behaviour is one of THE most insidious and difficult behaviours to eradicate and less than 10% of abusers ever truly change. I personally know of only two who have succeeded and both men were in therapy for two years, in combination with a Men’s Behaviour Change Program.

DONNA: When is the most dangerous time for someone in a DFV situation?

DEB: The most dangerous time of all is when a victim decides to leave a DFV relationship. Suddenly the perpetrator is not in control and they unravel very quickly. Their behaviour becomes intensely erratic. Often they will stalk, harass, slander their partner (make up stories about them such as they are unstable or having an affair), or threaten suicide. Even murder can occur at this point.

DONNA: What happens once

an individual gets out of the DFV situation?

DEB: The victim may have been issued with an Apprehended Violence Order if there has been police involvement.

However even if not, the perpetrator often continues to try and hurt and control their ex-partner through finances (eg: hiding assets or not paying child support) or the children (eg: being unreliable with parenting arrangements or lying to children about the victim). In order for a victim to become a survivor and ultimately a thriver, they first have to feel safe. It is very difficult to heal from abuse when danger is still present. Once safety is achieved, the goal then is to recover, heal

and learn about healthy boundaries.

DONNA: When do we (as church

leaders) step in, and when do we step out and leave it to professionals?

DEB: DFV is an incredibly complex issue, especially when the abuse is non-physical.

Clearly if the victim/s are at risk of physical harm, as mandatory reporters church leaders must by law take action and call the appropriate authorities. Safety must always come first and whatever can be done to protect the safety of victims and their children is vital.

DFV is one of those issues best left to professionals. It is not a relationship issue per se, it is a power & control issue. In a normal relationship the power is more evenly balanced and both parties work to address the issues in the relationship. In a DV relationship there is a gross imbalance of power. The victim can try to improve till the cows come home but nothing will change because the perpetrator is in a cycle designed to control them.

The relationship can only change if the perpetrator takes responsibility for being abusive and learns to stop controlling their partner. As mentioned, statistically less than 10% of perpetrators ever achieve this.

Sadly, most families fall apart irreparably.

Also, as mentioned, perpetrators are very good at convincing their leaders at church that it is actually their partner who is at fault. I have seen it time and time again, and it leaves the victims with a deep sense of despair and often feeling abandoned by the church.

DONNA: What should a man do if

he identifies with these behaviours?

What first steps towards help should he seek?

DEB: The recommended course of action for a man who is identifying with these behaviours is to book into a Men’s Behaviour Change Program in your local area. There is also a new online Men’s Behaviour Change Program whereby the participants can attend remotely (ie: from their computer). Counselling with a DFV 23

Specialist is also helpful in conjunction with the Men’s Behaviour Change Program. The group will help challenge attitudes and behaviours and the counselling will help deal with the individual’s underlying issues.

Mensline will be able to refer you to the nearest Men’s Group and DFV Counsellor (see below for numbers).

DONNA: How do we address it widely as a church?

DEB: Firstly, even though this is an ugly, ugly issue, we as Christians need to acknowledge that domestic violence is happening in our churches and it’s happening BIG TIME. We can’t afford to keep in the dark on this issue because countless people are suffering and it’s happening right under our noses.

Also, given that DFV is largely a gendered issue I think we need to hear the voices of Christian men, especially men in positions of power, to speak out in support of respectful relationships, to advocate for women and challenge misogynist attitudes.

Jesus did it. People who are perpetrating are more likely to listen to their leaders in my view. Some Pastors are starting to speak up now which is brilliant but overall there has been a deafening silence on this issue for too long.

FOR INFORMATION & SUPPORT: IN CASE OF EMERGENCY ALWAYS CALL 000 Emergency: 000 (24/7) Domestic Violence Line: 1800 65 64 63 (24/7) Mensline: 1300 78 99 78 (24/7) 1800 RESPECT: 1800 737 732 (24/7) Kids (and Teens) Helpline: 1800 551 800 (24/7) ACC Safer Churches Hotline: 1800 070 511 Lisa Harnum Foundation: 1300 732 848 www.lisahf.org.au Relationships Australia: 1300 364 277 www.relationships.org.au/ Online Men’s Behaviour Change Program: www.violencefreefamilies.org.au/ FURTHER READING: Domestic Violence: What Every Pastor Needs to Know by Rev. Al Miles No Place for Abuse by C. Clark Kroeger & N. Nason-Clark Interview With An X-Abuser: From One Of The Few Who Changed by D.M. Sanasi (e-book) Available from www.amazon.com

Follow Donna Crouch on Twitter: @crouchydon

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A BETTER

COMMUNITY

WAY TO TRANSFORM COMMUNITIES

BY PAUL BARTLETT

O

ver the years churches have engaged with and tried to transform their local communities in various ways. Many have run programs that serve different segments of the community, like job programs, food programs, day care programs, and so on. Churches have also tried to build relationships with people in the community by running events like Christmas carols, Easter concerts and Mother’s Day services. We’ve done all that at our church, Lighthouse, too.

Although programs, events, and services are a great way to engage with our communities, and we should continue to do that, there’s actually a better way. If you and your church can grasp this concept and run with it, it will revolutionise your church and transform your community.

Here’s what I think: To really transform our communities, the people in our churches need to change the way they think about or view their jobs and other activities they do during the week. I believe it’s that simple. In other words, if we can just get every person in church to believe they can introduce Christ into their workplace or their home or their university or their sports team from Monday to Saturday, that they are called by Christ to be missionaries where they are during the working week, we can transform our towns, our cities, and our nation.

I’m not necessarily talking about a change of behaviour. Christians can come to my church and feel like I’m going to give them another five tips on behavioural change that they need to work on during the week. Then halfway through the year they may have picked up from me 60 different ways to change their life.

That’s insane! Because over the course of time I find that they haven’t actually done any of them. So Sundays can become exhausting. Sundays can just give them one or two more behavioural changes to work on during the week – on top of all the others I’ve suggested.

So I’m not talking about behaviour change. I’m talking about a fundamental change of thinking. Our community engagement programs are secondary to that. Our food programs are secondary. Our chaplaincy services and clean-up programs are secondary. I think community engagement and transformation is about attitude change first.

PAUL BARTLETT is the National Director of ACC Community Engagement. For more info, visit: www.acccommunityengagement.org.au

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PAMPER PACKS FOR SINGLE MUMS

w GREAT MOTHER’S DAY IDEA

MORE INSPIRING COMMUNITY STORIES...

Visit www.acccommunityengagement. org.au for more stories about how local churches are making a difference in their communities.

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Mid Coast City Church in Western Australia has been preparing ‘Single Mum’s Pamper Packs’ and ‘Christmas Hampers’ for over eight years.

“We deliver hampers to two of our local primary schools twice a year, in the lead up to Mother’s Day and Christmas Day. The school then distributes the hampers to those families most in need. In the past these have included families struggling financially and those that have suffered trauma or loss during the year.”

The hampers have helped to build relationship with local primary schools and allowed the church to show the love of Jesus in a very practical way to those doing it especially tough.

MOTHER’S DAY BLESSING The church has found that single mum hampers delivered just prior to Mother’s Day have had a particularly powerful impact. For many young mothers whose children are not of an age to organise a gifts, this is an amazing blessing on Mother’s Day. “We have seen single mums join our church due to these hampers. Everyone really gets behind these projects, and it continues to be well supported with plenty of donations coming in every year. Teams get together to package and wrap and we want these gifts to be perfectly timed and have perfectly chosen gifts for each recipient.”

KIDS Ministry

3 KEYS FOR

w CHILDREN

BY ANDY KIRK

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hen it comes to children’s ministry, churches are becoming great at teaching kids in a modern, relatable way. The safety of children has also become so important in recent times – the check in and check out process needs some attention but on a whole is also running well in most churches.

Worship in Australia has always been a huge focus and with great resources available from local churches and artists this continues to be a strength in Children’s Ministry.

So with all these positives, where can we focus our attention to help your local church keep building your kids ministry? Let me start by asking whether you have ever had a parent take a child down to your program only to return wth the child a few minutes later? Or perhaps you have children sitting in your service each week not wanting to go to kids church? If this is the case then I hope these three keys can help you as we explore why it happens.

* 1. ATMOSPHERE The atmosphere that the children and parents are entering is so important. That initial ‘feel’ either brings about a safe feeling or anxiety in both the child and the parent. So often all hat is seen by parents is the drop off and pick up time when Children’s Ministries are often running ‘Free time’ which can often be mistaken for ‘Free for all’. When a parent walks into this for the first time it can be overwhelming so please consider a few things: • Appropriate aged groups playing together so the older ones are not controlling the space.

• Age appropriate activities.

• Leaders engaging with the children and being proactive in involving new children.

• How does the room look and sound?

• Have structured activities so you can guide the children not just leave for them to ‘hang out’.

* 2. PARENT ENGAGEMENT The check in and check out time is the prime time to connect with parents.

Remember that they won’t care so much about your curriculum, run sheet and amazing object lesson when they don’t feel safe and feel you can adequately care for their child. So often leaders are still running around setting up, kids playing unsupervised in unstructured activities and an environment that makes parents not want to stay in which they then either won’t want to leave their child or they try force their child to stay so they can get to church. Use this time to connect and engage with parents and remember: 26

•

• •

•

•

Have everything set up before doors open to create a relaxed and inviting space and it gives you time to speak to everyone.

Don’t start packing up around children at the end but again use the time to engage with parents.

Invite Parents through for a tour on the first visit and introduce Parents to leaders and Children to other children if they feel anxious.

Ask the parents if they have any questions about the program which gives you a chance to highlight the teaching and program you will be running.

Over communicate with the Parents with the process of the day, building a safe feeling for all.

* 3. RUNSHEET Many children attend the program and then ‘don’t like it’. The bigger problem is that they either don’t feel safe or were bored. This aspect of Children’s Ministry is usually the result of the run sheet not well planned. I have mentioned earlier about finishing with ‘free time’ that can often extend out due to services going over time makes that time so much longer. It’s here that the behaviour issues mostly occur and then this is how the day finishes for the child, getting in trouble as the parent returns. So below are a few thoughts about your run sheet and service flow.

• Be purposeful in all you do and even ‘free time’ is to be structured play.

• Consider how you are finishing the program. If possible, have it conclude in a structured way through a group game, small groups or even the end of your Kids’ service with prayer and praise.

• Consider separating Praise & Worship, and having worship after a teaching. It is often hard for boys to settle after jumping around as (physically speaking) their heart rates are up. By worshiping after the teaching, they often enter into worship in response to the lesson • Empower your leaders by actually having a plan and run sheet, and go through this prior to the meeting.

• Think through the flow of the day and consider what order you place things. Teaching after a high energy game won’t often work. Thinking through how children learn and hold attention is really important.

These ideas are not comprehensive but a start in regards to considering the feel of your Kids Ministry and the flow of the service. Hopefully it will help you to make parents feel more secure, children feel safe and the program flowing much better. For more information on any of these keys, please e-mail: info@acckids.org.au ANDY KIRK is the National Director of ACC Kids. For more info, visit: www.acckids.org.au

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3

PRACTICAL TIPS FOR ACC YOUTH PASTORS

BY CAMERON BENNETT

17 - 19 May 2016 GOLD COAST

1. We grow and enlarge our leadership​when we ​connect with​something bigger than ourselves ​.​ ​The Youth Alive National S​ ummit i​n May 2016 gives us the opportunity to sit under some of the most e​ ffective ministries on the planet – Hillsong, PlanetShakers, New Spring Church. ​More info: ​www.youthalive.com.au/national-summit 2. ​Young people are the most effective at sharing their faith with their peers. ​With schools minimising e ​ xternal​influence, especially Faith based organisations, we need to teach our young people to be the evangelists in their schools .​ ​ ​“Make a Stand” is a High Schools initiate leading up to Australia’s Largest Christian Event “United We Stand”.

More info: www.youthalive.com.au/unitedwestand/ 3. ​Stay teachable and be intentional about growing your world. ​It’s a must for ALL YOUTH PASTORS to look at our new online website which has Australia’s largest collection of current and incredibly useful resource.

More info: www.ythmin.com CAMERON BENNETT is the National Director of Youth Alive.

For more info, visit: www.youthalive.com.au

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19 AUGUST 2016 AUSTRALIA WIDE

7 February 2016

ALPHACRUCIS EXPANDS TO TASMANIA MERGER WITH TABOR COLLEGE TASMANIA Alphacrucis College (AC) and Tabor College Tasmania have announced plans for their merger. Tabor College Tasmania will become the Hobart campus of Alphacrucis College, the transition estimated to be completed in February 2017.

Alphacrucis College’s CEO, Stephen Fogarty, said, “This is an exciting move forward for AC as we continue pursuing the goal towards University status. This merger is an excellent opportunity to expand AC’s offerings in the social science area, building on AC’s successful Chaplaincy program. We look forward to contributing to the continuing legacy of outstanding higher education in Tasmania through this merger with Tabor College Tasmania.”

Tabor College Tasmania executive consultant Gary Lottering said it was exciting to contemplate that Tasmania may, one day, be home to two separate and distinct universities.

The merger will increase the possibilities for higher education in Tasmania with the security and support of a bigger and established infrastructure and a larger academic faculty.

“It is important to note that this is not a takeover of a smaller college by a larger entity”, he said. “We are confident that the Alphacrucis contribution will be a joint and ongoing commitment to quality education, delivered within a Christian context.”

The immediate focus of both providers is to ensure a smooth transition to provide certainty to the staff at Tabor College Tasmania and minimise any disruption to students.

This merger with Tabor College Tasmania enables the continued growth of Alphacrucis College as it works towards achieving its vision for university status. Alphacrucis College has more than 3000 students across VET and HE at campuses in Sydney, Brisbane, Perth and Auckland. Alphacrucis College was also recently awarded the authority to accredit its own courses by the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency, which was a key step on the way to becoming a Christian university.

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INDIGENOUS

WELCOME TO COUNTRY WHAT YOUR CHURCH NEEDS TO KNOW

HOW DO ACC LOCAL CHURCHES AND COMMUNITY EVENTS INCORPORATE ‘ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY’ OR ‘WELCOME TO COUNTRY’ IN THEIR COMMUNITIES? The ACC is proud of the Indigenous leaders within our movement – the churches they have planted; the leaders they have raised up and the communities in which they minister. In the spirit of reconciliation, we encourage local churches to honour and acknowledge Australia’s first people when hosting a community event. You can do this by incorporating either a ‘Welcome to Country’ or ‘Acknowledgement of Country’ at your next church or state run event.

Why is it important to incorporate this in community events?

• It recognises and prays respect to the traditional owners • Promotes awareness of the history and culture of Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander people • Reinforces the importance and commitment the ACC to Reconciliation • Proverbs 22:28 says, “Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set” The Australians Together website states: “While some people may see Acknowledgement and Welcome to Country as a recent practice invented for the sake of political correctness, or an empty tokenistic gesture, Wurundjeri elder, Joy Murphy Wandin, describes it as “a very important way of giving Aboriginal people back their place in society, and an opportunity for us to say, ‘We are real, we are here…’.” (excerpt www.australianstogether.org.au) What is a ‘Welcome to’ or ‘Acknowledgment of’ Country, and what is the difference between the two practices?

Welcome to Country is performed by Indigenous Australians who are the traditional owners of the country on which the ‘welcome’ is taking place. The ceremony can take many forms depending on the traditional owners who perform it.

An Acknowledgement of Country can be performed by non-Indigenous Australians, Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islanders who are not traditional owners of the country where the welcome is taking place. Here is an example of wording that can be used at your next Church or State based event.

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“We acknowledge the Traditional Owners on whose country this meeting is taking place. We thank them for allowing us to meet on their country and acknowledge their Elders past and present.”

When planning your next church or state conference, consider including an ‘Acknowledgement of’ or ‘Welcome to’ Country.

The ACC encourages you to use free resources on offer from ‘Australian’s Together’ (formerly known as Concilia). This Christian organisation is dedicated to building relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. www.australianstogether.org.au/

PASTOR WILLIAM DUMAS

DR ESME BAMBLETT

PASTOR ADA BOLAND

INSPIRING STORIES The 40 STORIES project produced 40 short films of 40 Indigenous Christians from different localities across Australia, telling their life stories and how their Christian faith has significantly impacted their lives, families and communities.

One film was released each day during the 40 Days of Prayer and Fasting from 10 February to 20 March 2016.

WATCH the stories of ACC pastors, Will Dumas, EsmĂŠ Bamblett and Ada Boland, amongst others and be inspired how they have overcome significant obstacles and disadvantage through their faith. http://40stories.com.au/

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Don’t miss the opportunity to get to know our Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Leaders who will be joined by ACC National President Wayne Alcorn at the next ACC National Indigenous Conference on 8-10 September 2016.

LAUNCH OF

TITUS INNOVATION IN INFORMATION AND

DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT TO HELP KEEP YOUR CHURCH HEALTHY AND SAFE.

ACS Financial is continuing to evolve as a key source of innovation for the business needs of ACC churches and is excited to announce that they have successfully designed, tested and launched a simple but powerful software tool to deliver improved church governance and compliance.

Called Titus, the solution has significant church benefits for the church board, pastoral team, congregation, paid staff, volunteers and the broader community.

Just as Luke’s Gospel records Simon of Cyrene being forced by the Roman authorities to walk behind Jesus carrying His cross, so the contemporary Australian church imagines itself forced to carry a

heavy governance and compliance burden as it seeks to follow Jesus.

How do we interpret these governance and compliance burdens theologically? Is compliance perhaps the price of admission to the public square, the way Paul had to seek admission in his Areopagus speech recorded in Acts 17:16-34?

If there is theological warrant for accepting governance and compliance demands then churches performance across administration, compliance, risk management and core processes needs to improve. As the demands have grown on church and church-related social service, health and education organisations have often failed to keep pace, a situation made even more dangerous by declining trust in churches and increasing media scrutiny.

Strategic steps to remedy this include: • educating leaders about governance issues; • providing easy to use tools for church staff (volunteers and part timers in particular); • exploring new business models

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such as local ‘cluster’ groups to create synergies and build local knowledge and expertise; • recognising increasing complexity of church operations, both internally and externally to entities such as regulators; • budgeting for professional risk management.

The ‘Titus’ software solution, which is available now to all churches from ACS Financial, enables you to build the strategic steps necessary to assist in protecting the health of your church and establish a strong foundation for the future. The software sets you on the path of demonstrating active and auditable governance across your church activities including ACC Safer Churches implementation guidelines. The solution can be scaled based on the size and complexity of your church operations.

For further information please contact Steve Meredith, Senior Manager Sales & Marketing from ACS Financial on (03) 9811 9804.

TOP 5 TRENDS IN 2016

BY MARK MCCRINDLE 1. LIFE TRACKING

Not only do we photograph much of life and share it as we go in this era of selfies and social media but armed with Go Pros and dashboard cams we video a lot of life too. However the year ahead will see tracking of life go to new levels with the use of the now ubiquitous wearable life tracking technology like the Apple watch, Microsoft band and Fitbit. Never before has there been a generation who can track, monitor, record and analyse their every moment- literally their every heartbeat- like this generation today. From steps walked to hours of sleep, to pulse monitoring, users now have access to more health data than their doctor- all uploadable and analysable. The year ahead will see apps emerge and programs developed to make this data more comparable and usable and interested parties such as health insurance companies, health advocacy groups and even local communities will provide rewards, discounts, competitions and benefits to support the wider use and corresponding healthy lifestyles that such technology encourages.

2. TECHNOCRACY

Technology is now empowering and in many ways improving democracy. Traditionally, democracy worked through corresponding with one’s local Member of Parliament, signing petitions to be tabled, and of course voting in elections. However in a technocracy, tweets, trending hashtags, likes and online campaigns have the power to reverse government decisions and influence policy priorities. Such clicktivism gives voice to those beyond adults and enrolled voters and those outside of an electoral or state boundary. The year ahead will see more sophisticated technology-driven campaigns and both viral and promoted campaigns will become more common. Just as we have seen the power of technology to influence legislation such as Uber shaping transport legislation and Air BnB impacting accommodation regulations, the mass usage of convenience and lifestyle apps will continue to shape policy.

3. BIGGER AUSTRALIA

In February Australia hit its next population milestone of 24 million. And by the end of the year Sydney will be Australia’s first city to hit the 5 million mark, with Melbourne just shy of this number. While the population growth rate has slowed over the last year with slightly fewer births and declined migration numbers, Australia is still adding more than a million people every three years. In fact in 2009 when then Prime Minister Kevin Rudd talked about Big Australia the population had just hit 22 million and since then it has increased by almost 10% in just 6 years. The population forecast then was for Australia to reach almost 36 million by the middle of this century however on current trends it will exceed 40 million by then. It seems that Australians have responded to the growth with housing trends of densification, the growth in apartment living and “walkable” urban communities.

In addition to this the year ahead will see policy and political responses to population growth through more focus on growing regional centres, investing in public transport and road infrastructure, airport and flight movement expansions and renewed discussion of a very fast train link between Sydney and Melbourne which together are home to 40% of the national population.

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4. BRAND FATIGUE

Price sensitive shopping and value seeking is the new norm for Australian consumers. Cost of living pressures will continue to drive consumer demand for low prices, discounts and sales. The year ahead will see Australians adapt even more to new brands or “non brands” in an era of high quality private label brands that deliver lower prices. A new generation of consumers who are early adoptors, used to online shopping and influenced by global brands are redefining the Australian brand landscape. Even in areas that were very brand sensitive such as consumer electronics we are seeing the rapid rise of emerging brandsmany of these from China. Two of the five leading global smartphone brands are Huawei and Xiaomi and emerging brands like Oppo (from China) now sit alongside the iPhone.

Australian consumers are in many ways brand agnostic- but they are price believers. They are still tuned into brands that offer a great value proposition and legacy brands that have built a reputation of quality are well trusted and regarded- but the year ahead will see an ongoing challenge to maintain this relevance in a landscape of more brands, less loyalty and ongoing price sensitivity.

5. POWERWORKING

This is the work equivalent of power napping. With widespread Wi-Fi access and the growing acceptance of teleworking, work is increasingly being done in non-traditional places (while commuting, at home, cafés, shared spaces), and outside of the typical working hours. More importantly work is being done in bursts. The hot-desking and coworking spaces of today create more collaboration- but also more distraction. Combined with a new generation of staff used to multi-screening and shaped in an era of shorter attention spans we are seeing the emergence of a changing approach to work with chunking or micro-working meaning that work is being conducted across more hours but in a series of concentrated phases. The year ahead will see an ongoing attempt by employers to support the flexibility of modern workers and workplaces while improving productivity. This will see more tracking tools, and output measurement apps provided to measure and enable productivity.1 © 2016 The Mccrindle Blog MARK MCCRINDLE is an award-winning social researcher, best-selling author, and influential thought leader, and he is regularly commissioned to deliver strategy and advice to the boards and executive committees of some of Australia’s leading organisations. http://mccrindle.com.au/the-mccrindle-blog/the-top-5-trends-to-watch-in-2016

SOCIAL MEDIA AND CRISES The most dramatic shift in crisis communications for decades has resulted from social media. It has brought a “real time” dimension to an unfolding crisis that was not present in the past. That said, social media is sometimes the cause of the crisis, and often creates momentum that turns a seemingly innocuous issue into a full blown reputational drama.

Like it or not (and there is a lot not to like from a business risk perspective), social media is a part of our media landscape. However too many organisations underestimate the potential problems social media can cause them, and overestimate the perceived benefits.

Not every company or organisation requires a high social media presence. But one thing is for certain - In a crisis, you must respond in real time and social media is a part of that response. A social media policy is vital in the calm times and a planned social media strategy is essential when a crisis hits.

Lyall Mercer Lyall Mercer is the Principal of Mercer PR, which works closely with faithbased organisations across Australia www.mercerpr.com

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NEW RELEASES READ

LISTEN

WATCH

YOUTH REVIVAL Hillsong Young + Free

THE SISTERHOOD

By Bobbie Houston At the core of Sisterhood is a message of value and a genuine desire for women to ‘unite in friendship and cause’ in order to bring hope where hope has been lost. The spirit of sisterhood is seen and felt in the fervent prayer of thousands of girls who faithfully uphold nations where injustice and darkness rage out of control. It is seen and felt in young women being inspired by the wisdom and grace of their mothers and the women ahead of them in this journey of life. It is seen and felt in the relentless networking of everyday girls in their local neighbourhoods and in places of influence as they raise awareness and find solutions for the suffering, forgotten and abused of this world. The Sisterhood is a story of God’s daughters on the earth, changing their ‘here and now’ and looking to the future with expectation that God can and will use them to make a difference.

YOUTH REVIVAL is the sophomore record from Y&F. They set out to progress from their debut release ‘We Are Young And Free’ by writing songs that are timely for this generation in this moment in history.

The good news of Jesus Christ is the hope for humanity, ‘Youth Revival’ is about presenting this truth to the world and giving people an opportunity to respond. The songs invite the listener to journey our on-going salvation with themes of us all as humanity being created with a purpose, the reality and wrestle of our fallen nature, the ultimate rescue to save our souls and both the process and finality of our redemption.

RISEN Movie review Roman military tribune Clavius (Joseph Fiennes) remains set in his ways after serving 25 years in the army. He arrives at a crossroad when he’s tasked to investigate the mystery of what happened to Jesus (Cliff Curtis) following the Crucifixion.

Accompanied by trusted aide Lucius (Tom Felton), his quest to disprove rumors of a risen Messiah makes him question his own beliefs and spirituality. As his journey takes him to places never dreamed of, Clavius discovers the truth that he’s been seeking.

ANSWERING JIHAD

By Nabeel Qureshi San Bernardino was the most lethal terror attack on American soil since 9/11, and it came on the heels of a coordinated assault on Paris. There is no question that innocents were slaughtered in the name of Allah and in the way of jihad, but do the terrorists’ actions actually reflect the religion of Islam? The answer to this question is more pressing than ever, as waves of Muslim refugees arrive in the West seeking shelter from the violent ideology of ISIS. Setting aside speculations and competing voices, what really is jihad? How are we to understand jihad in relation to our Muslim neighbours and friends? Why is there such a surge of Islamist terrorism in the world today, and how are we to respond?

In Answering Jihad, bestselling author Nabeel Qureshi (Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus) answers these questions from the perspective of a former Muslim who is deeply concerned for both his Muslim family and his American homeland.

EXTRACT FROM ‘THE SISTERHOOD’ BY BOBBIE HOUSTON ON PAGE 18

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WHAT’S ON

Diarise to attend the key national events in 2016 and resource your whole ministry team.

One World Forum 2016

G L OB AL

4-5 MAY 2016

www.accimissions.org.au

Dates: Wednesday, 4 May at 9:30 AM → Thursday, 5 May at 4:30 PM Venue: Faith Christian Church, 307 Gladstone Rd, Dandenong North VIC Day 1: A look at our Biblical mandate to uphold justic in the world and how this challenges popular notions of ‘charity’ and affects local churches’ engagement with overseas development agencies.

Day 2: Engage identifying the ethical basis of missions, and discussion on ethical dilemmas in long-term mission partnerships and short term missions programs.

Youth Alive National Leadership Summit 2016

YOUTH

17-19 MAY 2016

Dates: Tuesday, 17 May at 7:00 PM → Thursday, 19 May at 9:30 PM Venue: Surf City Church, 3046 Surfers Paradise Blvd, Surfers Paradise QLD Guest Speakers: Bradley Cooper (Newspring Church, USA); Russell Evans (Planetshakers Church, AUS); Joel A’Bell (Hillsong Church, AUS); Cameron Bennett (Youth Alive National Director, AUS)

www.youthalive.org.au Pan Asia Conference 2016

MISSION S

1-4 AUGUST 2016

www.accimissions.org.au

Dates: Monday, 1 August at 6.00 PM → Thursday, 4 August at 8.00 PM Venue: Novotel Phuket Resort, Phuket, THAILAND Program: Starting with the ACCI Missions Director’s Welcome Dinner at 6pm on Monday evening, the program includes Morning Conference sessions (9am 12.30pm) and Night Rallies (6pm - 8pm). Hear from inspiring field workers in the PanAsia region, as well as ACCI missionaries from Africa and Europe.

Kidshaper Conference 2016

KIDS

16-18 AUGUST 2016

Dates: Tuesday, 16 August at 7:00 PM → Thursday, 18 August at 9:30 PM Venue: Surf City Church, 3046 Surfers Paradise Blvd, Surfers Paradise QLD Guest Speakers: Steve Adams (Saddleback Church, USA); James Macpherson (ACC National EXecutive member) and the Kidshaper National team.

www.acckids.org.au

Community Engagement Conference 2016

COMMUNITY

6-7 SEPT 2016

Dates: Tuesday, 6 September at 9:00 AM → Wednesday, 7 September at 3:30 PM Venue: The Wollshed, 601 Princes Highway, Yallah (Wollongong) NSW Program: This practical two day conference, hosted by Paul Bartlett and the ACC Community Engagement team, with some of the nation’s best speakers on community engagement, helping you to see your community differently.

www.acccommunityengagement.org.au National Indigenous Conference 2016

INDIGEN OUS

8-10 SEPT 2016

www.ganggalah.com.au

Dates: Thursday, 8 September at 5:00 PM → Saturday, 10 September at 9:00 PM Venue: Generations Church, 1-3 Moore Road, Kewarra Beach, Cairns QLD Guest Speakers: Wayne Alcorn (ACC National President); Titom Tamwoy, Gobi Srinivasan, WIlliam Dumas Program: The conference starts with a welcome BBQ at 5pm on Thursday, followed

by Session 1 at 7pm. Full program available on the website.

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www.acckids.org.au

www.acccommunityengagement.org.au

www.ganggalah.com.au

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