Emag #1 2018

#1 2018

EMAG

quarterly publication for acc leaders

DISCIPLESHIP IN A SHIFTING SOCIETY ALPHACRUCIS CELEBRATES

70 YEARS

SAFER CHURCHES SAFER MISSIONS

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Cover: iStockphoto

CHAMPIONING SPECIAL NEEDS

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This edition of ACC EMAG takes an in-depth look at those who are committed to push the boundaries to ensure those with additional needs feel at safe and at home in church life.

NEWS News of ACC ministries from around nation and the world.

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SAFER CHURCHES, SAFER MISSIONS Protecting children in short-term missions: Ethics and Orphanage tourism. Rebecca Nhep asks the question, Are good intentions good enough?

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CHAMPIONING SPECIAL NEEDS In depth feature on how the Church can embrace and assist those with special needs. or disabilities.

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SPECIAL NEEDS IN OUR COMMUNITY Emily Messieh looks at how the Church receives those living with disabilities.

INTERVIEW: Q&A: WITH AMY HOOD ACC EMAG speaks to Amy Hood who heads up the Champions Club at Hope UC. YOUTH WITH SPECIAL NEEDS. Renee Bennett shares how youth ministries play a crucial role when it comes to young people with special or additional needs.

INCLUSIVE PRACTICE Practical steps and ways that we can champion those with additional needs in church life.

ALPHACRUCIS CELEBRATES 70 YEARS Denise Austin tracks the history of the ACC college over its 70 year history.

DISCIPLESHIP IN A SHIFTING SOCIETY Claire Madden looks at modern society’s obsession with technology and how the Church can disciple believers in a new generation.

THE KEY TO GROWTH IS IN YOUR COMMUNITY Paul Bartlett examines how we can reach the world beyond the walls of the Church.

COLOUR 2018 REPORT Spirit-filled wind in her sails: A report on the annual women’s conference.

NEW RELEASES New books by Jentezen Franklin, Bob Goff and Brian Houston, and Billy Graham biography.

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EDITORIAL

REACHING

OUT

‘I’m here inviting outsiders, not insiders—an invitation to a changed life, changed inside and out.’

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– jesus (Luke 5:32 MSG)

hink about the hands of Jesus – always reaching out to those who were struggling or oppressed. He saw those in the shadows on the sidelines of life, often ignored by society, and He would step into their world of exclusion and transform their lives forever, giving them dignity and a future and a hope.

He reached out to touch lepers; He wrote in the dust with His finger; He made mud to open bind eyes...wherever He laid His hands, circumstances changed.

As the body of Christ on the earth, we are the nail-scarred hands of Jesus today, bringing healing and hope to everyone.. Let’s never draw back from reaching out our hands in His name.

This edition takes an in-depth look at how we champion those with special needs and disabilities – an estimated 20 per cent of our population. It is so inspiring to find ACC churches that are pushing the boundaries and making incredible pathways to ensure everyone is included and embraced in church life. (see page 16) Let’s keep celebrating and championing the diversity of humanity in our ministries so that the Church continues to colour everyone’s world with the hands of Jesus.

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NEWS

SNAPSHOTS FROM ACROSS THE ACC MOVEMENT

PRAYER – ACC churches all over Australia started the year with prayer and fasting across the nation, believing for breakthrough in local, national and personal situations.

NATIONS – We celebrate how Australian churches are having a great impact across the globe, particularly through worship and creative arts.

Planetshakers – “Higher, Lord we lift You higher.”

It is the cry of our hearts that Jesus be magnified today and every day. It’s all about Him! Sold out – the first Planetshakers Conference of 2018 in Manila, Philippines in January.

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JOEL & SHARON CHELLIAH HOST RADIO SHOW

COMMUNITY – So many ways that ACC congregations are able to bless so many people with the love of Jesus across Australian communities.

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estern Australia’s ACC State President, Joel Chelliah hosts a talk back radio show on the Christian FM station with his wife Sharon, where there talk all things love, marriage and family.

“I preached at the church where the radio host attended.,” explained Joel. “He liked the humorous stories that I shared and the way I was open about my mistakes with regards to my marriage and family. He felt that it would be good material for the average listener, so he approached us and we said yes.”

The show is broadcast every fortnight at 10am on a Thursday on 98.5fm. Listeners call in or text questions on the topic they discuss every show.

“We share a story a week – mostly something we did wrong in the area of family and marriage,” says Joel. “Then we talk about the lessons we learnt from that experience. Sometimes the radio host gives us a topic, but mostly we theme it according to what is relevant in our lives.”

Subjects that they have covered include: - Living with the in-laws - How to cope when one partner gets sick - Fighting well - Talking to your kids about sex - God’s perspective on marriage The show has thousands of listeners, with approximately 30 per cent non Christian.

“It is so encouraging to hear the feedback after we have spoken and how people have been touched by our advice,” says Joel. “I love being on radio live. It is dynamic and exciting and doesn’t come with a rehearsal. We never know who is going to call up (if any at all), or where the conversation will lead. The good news is that we have never had to cut any caller of mid sentence and hang up on them yet!”

A Grammy for Australia music.

Congratulations to Hillsong Worship won its first Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song for ‘What A Beautiful Name’ by Ben Fielding and Brooke Ligertwood.

POST YOUR ACC PICS

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

Joel & Sharon Chelliah

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RISK MANAGEMENT PORTAL BY ACSF

transformation path, first with the Online Declaration System, and now through the provision of our risk management services via our new portal.

Firstly, what is risk management? Risk management is the continuous process that requires ongoing awareness and proactive action from all leaders, both employed and volunteer, to reduce the possibility and impact of accidents and losses.

All ACS Financial clients will have access to The Guide, a risk management portal that can be easily accessed via secure login, from any desktop computer, tablet or smartphone.

How will the burden of time and knowledge be eased through The Guide? By accessing information via the portal, you will now have a point of reference for most church activities with fact sheets and other important information to help you manage your activities and programs safely.

ACS Financial is truly ‘with you’ and The Guide portal is a digital interactive expression of how we strive to educate and mobilise risk management champions in your leadership team.

The Guide portal is due to be launched in June 2018. In the meantime, for more information on how your church can manage risk please feel free to speak to one of our qualified Insurance Team members on 1800 646 777, or ‘email your enquiry through www.acsfinancial.com.au/contact/

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he process of managing risk is key in avoiding or reducing the impact of unplanned, disruptive and costly events. It simply requires priority, education, resourcing and focus. ACS Financial is now converting our popular Risk Management Guide to an interactive and powerful web portal for our clients to access.

Risk Management Portal – The Guide The process of managing risk is key in avoiding or reducing the impact of unplanned, disruptive and costly events. It simply requires priority, education, resourcing and focus. As a Pastor, School Principal, Business Manager, Church Leader or even a volunteer, we understand that time is your most precious resource.

At ACS Financial we’re committed to up-skilling you to create safe and well managed environments using technology, innovation, specialist knowledge and our long-standing expertise.

The purpose of ACS Financial’s insurance business is to provide first class protection and insurance together with risk management services to our Church, Ministry, School and Commercial clients One aspect of our service is to support you in actively managing your risk and reducing the likelihood of an incident or claim occurring. ACS Financial is continuing along the digital

To book a FREE risk management seminar, where our staff will take you through an education program that will upskill your team on how to reduce and manage risk – simply register your interest at: www.acsfinancial.com.au/risk-management/

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OVER 16,000 ATTEND COLOUR The annual COLOUR women’s conference in Sydney in March was attended by over 16,000 women from around Australia and neighbouring countries. The conference is endorsed as the ACC national women’s event, and hosted by ACW national leader, Bobbie Houston and the Hillsong team. Delegates representing 21 denominations and 43 nations registered for the two conferences this year filling Sydney’s ICC theatre twice over.

Read the COLOUR REPORT page 36

PENTECOSTAL CHURCHES DRAW YOUNGER DEMOGRAPHIC

Pentecostal churches have the highest proportion of young attenders, with 24% aged between 15 and 29

The results of the National Church Life Survey reveal that Australia’s church-going demographic is getting older – with the exception of pentecostal denominations which are reaching younger people.

Australian churches face the ministry question: how to minister to ageing people as well as connect more effectively with younger people?

NCLS research has long affirmed the importance of churches retaining younger attenders to build a sustainable future. There is also a missional imperative that churches should welcome and include people of all ages in their local community.

The age profile of church attenders across Australia has been getting older – in 2016, 48% of Australian church attenders were aged 60 years and over. .

However some denominations are ‘bucking the trend’, according to the latest NCLS report. released in March 2018.

If you walk into some churches they look hipper than a TV soap: tweets, hipsters, espressos and play zones. These churches have retained their youth and young adults and thus, closely match the age of the general population.

Pentecostal churches have the highest proportion of young attenders, with 24% aged between 15 and 29 (while Australian churches on average have 13% of their attenders aged 15-29).

In fact, Pentecostal churches are the only denomination who match the broader Australian population age profile for younger people (24% of Australian population are aged 15 to 29).

Comparing Church and Community: A Demographic Profile by Ruth Powell, Miriam Pepper and Kathy Jacka Kerr, of NCLS Research Published March 2018.

Available from www.ncls.org.au

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GANGGALAH’S NEW CHURCH FACILITIES

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he official opening of Ganggalah’s new facilities on 9th December 2017 was a milestone in their forty year history in the Tweed Heads community. Today they have a multi-functional building that is home to Ganggalah Church, Ganggalah Aboriginal Arts and the Ganggalah Training Centre.

Pastors Alan & Amelia Watego planted a kids Church at Carool, an outer Banana farming area in the Tweed region, and eventually moved into the Tweed Heads area where they established the Full Gospel Church. The very first Pentecostal church in South Tweed Heads was known as the ‘Bag Church’ as it was built out of hessian bags.

The dream to build the church on their own land remained in their hearts, despite never receiveing the land designated by missionaries for that purpose.

As a 17 year old girl, ACC Pastor Sandra Dumas gave her life to Jesus in the Community Church, and continued to serve God in ministry with her husband, WIlliam Dumas..

“When Pastor Alan Watego went home to be with the Lord, Aunty Amelia Watego continued on the work, praying and believing God would send a man of God to revive the church,” recalls Sandra.

In 2001, her husband Will felt led of the Lord to return to the area and in January 2002 became the senior pastor of Tweed Valley Community Church.

“As a small growing church we hired the local community halls for ten years, then eventually moved into the local Christian School hall for the next five years before purchasing our new church building.,” says Sandra.“At the end of 2016 we moved into our building and rented out the office spaces until our loan was approved in June 2017. We then set about to renovate the building that was previously an employment agency and a medical imaging centre.”

The history of the Ganggalah journey is painted on a message stick that hangs on the wall of the new church auditorium “as a reminder to those who went before us and the path ahead for our next generations.”

Congratulations to Pastor Will & Sandra Dumas, and the Ganggalah congregation on their beautiful facilities, which will host the ACC Indigenous Youth Conference in September.

More info: www.ganggalah.com 8

INDIGENOUS CHAPLAINS LEAD THE WAY

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even Indigenous leaders recently undertook the Ministry Chaplaincy Upgrade course held at Ganggalah Church in Tweed Heads. This three-day course is aimed at Pastors and Leaders who have had significant pastoral leadership experience but are wanting to move further into the community by offering themselves as Chaplains.

Meet our new Indigenous Chaplains

their ministries towards Chaplaincy or at least adding it to the mix, but up until now it has required the completion of a Cert IV or Diploma in order to become accredited. This new course is a great option because it gives leaders (who have had significant Pastoral experience) the opportunity to gain the training required to move into this great ministry. The training is delivered by Senior Chaplaincy Leaders over a three-day intensive and on completion of the course work, you can gain accreditation with Chaplaincy Australia. At $600, this course is an incredibly cost effective way to up skill yourself into this great ministry.

Over the next year there will be various opportunities around the country to take part in this great course. Chaplaincy Australia wants to see at least one Chaplain attached to every ACC church across the country. Let’s follow the lead of our awesome indigenous leaders and get ready to make the difference that the Lord has for us!

The training was offered by Alphacrucis College (AC) in partnership with Chaplaincy Australia (CA). Scholarships were made available for Indigenous leaders, following a special offering at the NSW State Conference.

This incredible partnership has bought about an amazing growth in the potential to impact Indigenous communities across NSW. Chaplains will be able to connect with individuals who are outside the reach of the Church and they can minister care, support and assistance to individuals who are facing incredible moments of need.

The Ministers Chaplaincy Upgrade course is a new initiative from AC & CA and fits into their suite of courses to equip people to enter into effective Chaplaincy Ministry. Every month more and more people are stepping up to take on the ministry of Chaplaincy. Churches across the country are finding the benefit of have one or more Chaplains attached to the ministry of their church. These chaplains gain access to places that the church has not been traditionally able to reach. They impact people at their point of need and help the church connect with their community in meaningful and responsive ways.

Many pastors and senior leaders are interested in migrating

More info: Chaplaincy Australia: www.chaplaincyaustralia.com Alphacrucis College: www.ac.edu.au Ralph Estherby is the National Director for Chaplaincy Australia.

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HONORARY DOCTORATE FOR ALUN DAVIES

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arvest Bible College issued its first ever doctoral award to Pastor Alun Davies, Harvest’s founding president, in January 2018.

The honorary Doctor of Divinity was presented

by Dr. Brendan Roach in recognition of Alun’s extensive ministry. This spans over 30 years at Faith Christian Church, his founding of We Care Community Services, his service as State President of ACC Victoria, his long tenure on the ACC National Executive and his vision and commitment to starting Harvest Bible College way back in 1985.

That same night saw 325 students graduate with awards ranging from Certificates, Diplomas, Bachelors, Masters and the first ever Doctor of Ministry degree. This thesis presented research into the pastoral practices in relation to same-sex attracted Christians within ‘welcoming but not affirming churches’ undertaken by Shirley Baskett.

Over the last 33 years, Harvest has graduated 3,464 students who now serve in over 60 nations around the world.

Wayne Alcorn, ACC National President, was the guest speaker and provided inspiration and congratulations to the graduates.

This was the final graduation ceremony for Harvest Bible College, who announced a merger with Alphacrucis College late in 2017. The groundwork laid by Harvest will continue into the future as the Melbourne Campus of Alphacrucis College.

Congratulations to Dr Alun Davies on this significant achievement.

Dr ALun Davies

Harvest Graduation Class of 2017

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www.accmissions.org.au/panasia2018 11

SAFER CHURCHES SHORT-TERM MISSIONS AND ORPHANAGES:

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Applying a Child Protection Lens

isiting and volunteering in orphanages is a common component of short-term mission trips. In recent years, evidence of unethical practices in some residential care institutions overseas has emerged, demonstrating that children are being kept in slavery-like conditions; exploited, abused and used for profitable gain..

It is estimated that eight million children live in orphanages or residential care institutions in the world today, and research reveals 80% of the eight million children have either one or both parents alive.

Rebecca Nhep, the CEO of ACCI’s International Programs, has been actively involved in making submissions to a Parliamentary Inquiry into establishing a Modern Slavery Act in Australia. New legislation is expected to be introduced by the Australian government later this year.

“This could see new restrictions placed on visiting, volunteering and funding overseas orphanages”, she says, “as it seeks to address drivers of orphanage trafficking; Foreign aid funding and orphanage tourism.”

“We won’t know for sure until it is drafted and passed what the ramifications are,” said Rebecca, “but the Act could affect individuals and churches that visit and fund orphanages overseas.”

Her encouragement to local churches is to minimise the risk of unwittingly contributing towards the demand for orphanage trafficking by ‘sending teams to support community-based programs rather than volunteering in orphanages.”

ACCI have launched their Ethical Missions Trips website which provides churches with a clear insights and practical steps to safer missions trips. www.ethicalmissionstrips.org

SUMMARY OF THE SUPPLY CHAIN IN THE ORPHANAGE INDUSTRY

HOW YOU CAN HELP PROTECT CHILDREN AT RISK 1. Engage in ethical Short Term Missions 2. Conduct a due diligence check 3. Advocate for children and families 4. Support programs that preserve and strengthen families 5. Avoid establishing new funding partnerships with long-term RCIs (residential care for children)

www.ethicalmissionstrips.org 12

SAFER MISSIONS ARE GOOD INTENTIONS GOOD ENOUGH? Protecting Children in Short Term Missions

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BY REBECCA NHEP

f there is one thing I have learnt after 16 years of working in international missions and development it is that it is exhaustingly complex! Issues don’t fit into neat boxes, pat answers can’t find their place and cookie cutter solutions usually create more problems than they fix. All of the assumptions I carried into my ‘career’ have become myths debunked and the sobering reality that I, and others like me, are left to grapple with is that it is dangerously easy to do harm - even with the best of intentions.

If this is the case even for those of us who have invested years into learning a language, culture, and taking a deep dive into certain social or missional issues, what about short-term mission? How much more of a concern is it when applied to the activities of short-term teams?

There are voices out there that will emphatically argue that we should do away with short-term teams altogether. I, on the other hand, think there is a potential worth harnessing within short term missions, an opportunity for reciprocal learning and advocacy worth promoting. Yet, for such potential to be realised and for adverse outcomes to be avoided short-term missions must become more reflective, more conscious of complexity, and be built upon a strong foundation of ethics.

‘It is dangerously easy to do harm – even with the best of intentions.’ detrimental for the child’s development and wellbeing. We see this when teams want to get involved with child survivors of trafficking in aftercare shelters; which will no doubt stir team members to become passionate about preventing human trafficking, but is highly inappropriate with respect to the child’s rehabilitation.

When STM trip itineraries are designed without adequate regard for how the team and their activities impact children’s wellbeing, then regardless of how beneficial it is for the team, the practice is deemed unethical.

Ethical STM trips therefore assess the ‘good’ of the goal, motivation and means from the margins, or in other words, from the vantage point of the party with the least amount of power in the relationship. When applied to team’s engagement with children, ethics from the margins demands that protecting children’s best interests supersede all other motivations and goals, and forms the primary directing principle.

ETHICS IN SHORT-TERM MISSIONS Ethical frameworks for making decisions typically include assessing the answer to three questions: • Is the goal good?

• Is the motivation good?

• Are the directing principles (means) good?

If the goal is good, the motivation is good and the means are good, then it is deemed ethical. The added complexity however with regard to short term missions (STM) is that there is more than one group of actors involved and often unequal power dynamics between actors based on a flow of financial resources. So whose goal and motivation are we assessing?

Is the ‘means’ good for who? The church/donor or sending organisation? The receiving organisation? The team members?

Or the local community, program ‘beneficiaries’ or children who the teams seek to interact with?

APPLYING CHILD-CENTRIC ETHICS TO SHORTTERM MISSIONS Ensuring a STM team engages ethically with children and upholds children’s’ best interests is a matter of applying a child protection and safeguarding lens across all stages of a STM program – from recruiting and preparation to onfield engagement. ACC International in collaboration with Better Volunteering Better Care has recently released the Child Protection in Short-Term Missions Manual and Toolkit, a comprehensive tool outlining a Biblical framework for protecting children, core principles for enhancing children’s wellbeing through STM, key considerations for avoiding harm, along with practical tools, case studies, self assessment forms, checklists, and hand outs for teams. The manual also includes a section on short-term teams and orphanages, and unpacks the harmful effects orphanage volunteering can have on individual children, the role it plays in fuelling an exploitative ‘orphanage industry’, and the reasons why ACCI, along with many other organisations across the globe, are calling for an end to this practice.

DO WE HAVE A DILEMMA HERE? When the only ethical lens applied to a STM trip is a team or church-centric one, children can easily become the perfect ‘means’ of creating an impacting, moving, life changing experience for team members.

We see this when teams want to be directly involved in caring for children in orphanages; which can be a deeply moving experience for a team member, and highly

Rebecca Nhep is the the CEO of ACCI’s International Programs.

For more info: www.ethicalmissionstrips.org

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HOPE AND THE GREAT COMMISSION Have you ever noticed that two of the most important moments in the Bible – in fact, two of the most fundamental tenets of our Christianity – occur in just one chapter? In Matthew 28, we are not only told that Jesus has risen and conquered death but we are also given the Great Commission. In just a few paragraphs, we find our hope and our future, as well as our calling and mandate as Christians.

Easter, therefore, offers not only a time to reflect on what Christ sacrificed for us in order to bring about our hope and salvation; it offers a reminder of who we are in him and what we are called to do. For it was a resurrected Jesus who gave the Great Commission; a Saviour who – in dying and being raised to life again – offers us hope and a mission worth giving our own lives for.

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HOPE IN THE SLUMS Wherever our ACCI field workers are called to in the world, they are guided by the mission to share the hope found in Jesus and to make disciples.

For Mark and Christine Pedder, living and working in the urban slums of Manila, Philippines means they see and experience the effects of extreme poverty every day. But thanks to the five churches they’ve planted in these very slums – together with local leaders – they now also see hope.

People are finding Christ and local people are being discipled for a life of serving others and the church. “[We’re focused on] reaching people, raising leaders and releasing people into ministry,” Mark says. “We have started five churches now and have a rapidly growing youth ministry. The thing that excites us the most is how many genuinely home-grown leaders we have. Every pastor that works with us, every leader, at every level, they are all home grown. That’s effective discipleship.”

While the message they bring is transformative and the lives they change destined for eternity, Mark says ultimately, his “job is simple”. “I follow Jesus and encourage as many people as I can to do that as well,” he says.

LIVE EVERY DAY WITH PURPOSE “Our purpose in life is to be an expression of Jesus.The world needs Jesus and we are the designated messengers, [His] representatives.

We carry his power. He walks with us. Don’t shut Him up and simply enjoy having Him in your heart; express him to others in your words and actions … Don’t fall into the trap of just living a good Christian life. Live for a purpose, just like Jesus did.”

– Mark Pedder

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elcome to church. Smiling faces greet people at the doors, and the love and acceptance of Jesus draws people in – just the way He did when He walked the earth.

But perhaps take another look in the shadows of your church – there may be those who long to step into the warmth of church life but shrink back because they struggle with disabilities in a society more focused with a picture-perfect, able-bodied world. Resilient yet silent, they can so easily be overlooked among the crowds; in fact some may even stop coming because it’s all too hard.

The Church – the body of Christ Himself – has every opportunity to keep extending open, loving arms to acknowledge and find new ways to include them with the grace and dignity they deserve as children of God. Let’s celebrate the diversity of each individual in our community and champion those with special needs.

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Elsden - photo by Deb Herbert 17

DS SPECIAL NEEO UR IN

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BY EMILY MESSIEH

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t is a great privilege to be invited into the lives of people in our community: their hurt, pain, devastation, joy, celebration and transformation. The Church, the body of Christ, with all of its broken pieces, along with its many gifts and talents, is beautiful. But as we know, it isn’t perfect. By any means. It needs to be conscious of embracing some of society’s most vulnerable and valuable members – our comrades and companions with a disability.

DID YOU KNOW...?

• Did you know that 80% of marriages end up in divorce when there is a child with a disability in the family?

Imagine how the Church could support these families.

• Did you know that special needs families feel isolated?

Imagine if the church be the place where they feel included.

• Did you know that special needs families feel constantly judged? Imagine if the church was the place where there was no judgement.

The Church is one of the largest communities in the world, and we called to come alongside people. We serve in partnership with our Government, abide by our country’s laws and fulfil our faith filled purpose and calling as investors of people. We engage and welcome the vulnerable: which includes people with disabilities.

•Did you know that people with disabilities are the largest minority in the world?

This is a huge need!

There are many ACC churches that have amazing community programs for children, families, and adults with disabilities. These churches and leaders are the trailblazers and changemakers; the pioneers of inclusiveness. But I have to ask the question, what about the rest of us?

Disability is a part of life. People with disabilities are part of the Body of Christ, and we need them just as much as they need us. We are all connected in this journey, everyone of us.

The fact is that we have an unreached people group in our own backyard, who have been marginalised by society for too long. It is time that as the Church, we embrace them, accept them, and celebrate them.

Our beautiful Church has much to learn about loving, accepting and embracing people with a disability. We need to create awareness and educate our leaders on innovative pathways to engagement. Learn from the pioneers. You and I must be a part of the solution.

Let’s pray for God to open our hearts and our eyes to the needs of adults and children living with disability. Let’s figure out how to do life together – to embrace, forgive, celebrate, accept, and love unconditionally. Let’s never forget that those with disabilities are people first, fearfully and wonderfully made.

So how does the Church receive those living with disability?

Here is a sad reality, 80% of families that have a member with a disability do not attend church. Think about it: eighty per cent!

Take up the challenge: What can you do as a leadership team or as an individual to engage people with disabilities in your community?

Here is another way to look at this: 20% of the population has a disability. So at the average church, are 20% of their members people/children with disabilities? Probably not. Have you ever wondered why they aren’t sitting in church?

Emily Messieh is the co-ordinator of ACC Community Engagement under National Director Paul Bartlett. www.acccommunityengagement.org.au

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CHAMPIONING

KIDS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS “

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he first time I heard Craig Johnson’s story about raising an autistic son, it impacted me immensely,” says Andy Kirk, national leader of ACCkids.

“He shared his life story as a pastor at Lakewood Church (USA) and through his own family’s experiences, created and launched a ministry designed for children with Additional Needs called Champions Club.”

In 2015 Craig Johnson was invited as the keynote speaker for the ACC Kidshaper conference, where he introduced the Champions Club concept.

Following an information session for churches who were interested, Craig returned to the USA and held online discussions and an interactive walk through’s of Champions Clubs at Lakewood. He returned to Australia to continue working with local churches who were ready to launch their own Champion Clubs.

“We now have four Champion Clubs in ACC churches,” says Andy, “and more churches are currently being trained by the Lakewood Champions Club team.

ACCkids will continue to partner with Champions Clubs and connect churches to this network to be trained and equipped to minister to Special Needs in their community.”

Craig Johnston will be returning to Australia in July and ministering at Calvary Christian Church, Hope Centre Brisbane, Influencers Adelaide, Bridge Church Melbourne, Hope UC and Globalheart Church. . For more information: Andy & Christie Kirk with Champions Club founder, Craig Johnson (centre). info@acckids.org.au www.championsclub.org

RESOURCE

CHAMPION

BY CRAIG JOHNSON

‘Champion’ is an updated version of Craig’s second book ‘Unrehearsed Destiny’ which is being made into a movie later this year. ‘Champion’ is a book that captures more than a story but speaks the heart of God to every reader and as you read it your faith will be stirred. My prayer since the day I met Craig was that the Australian Churches can catch the heart of this book and serve the many families of additional needs children in their communities.

– Andy Kirk, ACCkids Order from www.amazon.com

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‘Special needs is rising at an alarming rate around the world. Every country I visit says the same thing… we are meeting more special needs families needing help and we don’t know how to help them.

Autism is now the #1 developmental disability in the world. These families are hurting, feel rejected and forgotten. But there is hope.’ craig johnson founder champions club

INTERVIEW

Q&A ACC EMAG spoke to AMY HOOD who heads up the Champions Club at Hope UC on the NSW Central Coast.

Q: Hope UC is one of the first ACC churches to run the Champions Club program for kids with special needs. Can you share how you launched the program and what it involves?

AMY: Our journey began with our son, Roman. A traditional kids program would not work for our family as it was not suited to additional needs. It was through a conversation with a friend, that we heard about Craig Johnson and Champions Club at Lakewood Church in the USA. When we found out Craig was coming to Australia you can bet we were passionate about having him come to our church.

After Craig’s first visit to Hope UC, I put my hand up for our church to start Champions Club. We worked closely with Lakewood Church in starting Champions Club while gathering interest from within our church to build a team of volunteers. We have been very blessed with the wonderful people who have approached us to be involved.

Most of our input has been from Norma, at Lakewood, who is kindness on legs. There are some simple steps to follow, from sending room dimensions, and advice on what materials are necessary. Lakewood also has a curriculum, and resources to make sure your Champions Club is fantastic from day one. We began with a soft launch so we could get to know our children and their families before diving into a curriculum.

‘Champions Club for the parents is often their first opportunity to be in a service, sometimes after years of missing out or being secluded at home.’ – amy hood Champions Club for the parents is often their first opportunity to be in a service, sometimes after years of missing out or being secluded at home; an opportunity to be leaning into the word, having an adult conversation and making new friends.

Q: Have you found running the Champions Club program has broadened the reach of Hope UC in the community and embraced many who didn’t feel they could regularly come to church?

AMY: Absolutely! This is and will always be one of our primary focuses. We love hearing the stories that come from within Champions Club, the breakthroughs, the God-stories, and the miracles that take place. We are blessed to be part of these stories.

Q: What do you think are some of the key areas that local churches can help or assist families with additional needs?

AMY: The number one need I see is that everyone needs a place to find community. Our families need support, and prayer, and more often than not, churches have members who have the ability to help in multiple ways. This can vary from counsellors who could help process the hard questions; business owners who have potential to hire additional needs kids; teachers who can provide perspective on alternative learning methods, etc. This feedback and experience can then go towards constructing a place in church to support

Q: Can you describe what the experience of Champions Club is like for the kids with additional needs and their parents?

AMY: Champions Club is a place where the kids have their sensory needs met; they make new friends, learn some sign language and visual aids to enrich their development in communication, hear Bible stories and get to enjoy being at church. We keep worship music on in the background and boy, do we have a lot of fun!

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Andrew and Amy Hood, with their three children, Ruthie, Ava and Roman.

these families in a new environment. A great coffee is always welcome too!

Q: Is there anything Hope UC does to ensure that the congregation and other kids programs grow in understanding and including those with special needs?

AMY: Once a month our church gathers as a team during the week, on these nights we set aside time to be training and discussing Champions Club, this is an open invite to our entire church.

We opened the doors to Champions Club a week prior to commencing so that every member of the church had the opportunity to hear more about what we do and gather some understanding around this important ministry.

When it comes to including youth and adults with additional needs and the adults in our congregation, this is something we are navigating as a church, and will continue to be something that we tweak in an effort to reach as many Champions as possible.

Hope UC Champions Club furnishings children, you can start with as little as $100 and purchase most of your items from local retailers. The best advice we have is to head to www.championsclub.org to initiate your 10 step program towards starting your Champions Club.

We are more than happy to take you through our facility at Hope UC to show you what we have and how it all works.

Contact us at championsclub@hopeuc.com to book your tour. It may be very simple beginnings but the outcome will be amazing.

Q: How would you like to see the Champions Club grow in your church, and in other churches across the nation.

AMY: At our church, we always say, ‘Hope UC is a church for everyone’. We do not take this statement lightly and ultimately every Hope UC campus will have a Champions Club. We are not there yet, but we will get there. We are praying and believing that every church will have a Champions Club or the ability to have a similar program to nurture kids with additional needs and support their families.

Q: Why do you think churches can unintentionally neglect to cater for those with additional needs?

AMY: Throughout history, anyone with additional needs has been dismissed or labelled as misfits and outcasts. In the last ten years, along with better testing, research and diagnosis ability, additional needs has been better understood and more commonplace.

The last five years of our journey with Roman has been eye opening – we are absolutely certain that just because his brain is wired a little differently, it doesn’t make him inferior in any way. God has (and has always had) an enormous plan and purpose for him. We believe this is God’s plan for every >

Q: How would you encourage a local church to start a similar program in their church, even if they didn’t have a lot of money or workers?

AMY: Absolutely any church can start a Champions Club. All you need is a room and some volunteers to love on these 21

‘Elements of our Christmas show were adjusted, such as a shortened performance...it was a powerful outreach to a sector of our community that hasn’t seen outreach for along time.’ amy hood

additional needs child but unfortunately, a lot of people with additional needs struggle with social and community situations.

This is where Champions Club has the potential to be an inviting place for additional needs families to come and thrive in the context of local church community.

We are so grateful for Craig Johnson and Lakewood Church’s example in this area as they pioneer Champions Club globally, especially as it is estimated that over 90% of churches have no ability to cater for these additional needs families. However, this statistic is improving over time.

Q: As a mother and as a leader in ministry, what is your hope for the future in church life when it comes to ministering to those with special needs?

AMY: We are in a day and age where we encourage expressions of worship from our children in a new way, and we get to see that being unique to each child in Champions Club. The way these children portray God is unfiltered and pure, and we love watching these children and their families bond as they finally have a place to call home because of Champions Club.

We are all learning, growing, and understanding how to help, but this is a need that the Church cannot ignore anymore –we have to do something. We get to see miracles every day by being involved with any precious child with additional needs and we can’t wait to hear more of these stories coming from other churches as well.

For Andrew and I and our whole family, we count it one of our highest honours that God would choose our family to bring awareness to this need at such a personal level, and our hope is that Roman’s journey will be a catalyst of great change for the many others .

I love John 9: 1-3: ‘While He was passing by, He noticed a man [who had been] blind from birth. His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi (Teacher), who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?” Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but it was so that the works of God might be displayed and illustrated in him.’

Q: Hope UC ran a special Christmas Spec show for those with additional needs last year. Why did you decide to do this?

AMY: We opened our Christmas event to the community in and around our entire region so that every child had the opportunity to attend a Christmas Spec performance. This was, and will continue to be, a powerful outreach to an area of our community that hasn’t seen outreach for a long time.

Elements of the show were adjusted, such as, a shortened performance, no surprise bangs, the room was well lit, the main characters met all the kids in the foyer beforehand, Santa blew bubbles instead of throwing lollies and kids were encouraged to visit Santa if they felt comfortable, the lighting was stripped back to be more basic, the overall volume was lowered, and the kids were allowed to wander around the room (even on stage for some) during the performance. We are so proud of our production team, band, and cast & crew, as this was the first time we have ever attempted something like this and they were incredible.

Amy Hood is the co-ordinator of the Hope UC Champions Club. For more information, email: championsclub@hopeuc.com

Main characters met the kids before the show 22

Impact Barossa wins Autism SA Award SOUTH AUSTRALIA – Impact Barossa were honoured to win the Autism South Australia Community Bridging Award in 2017, following their tremendous work in facilitating training their community for those with special needs.

In January 2017 Impact Barossa launched Australia’s first Champions Club, the church-based programme for children and families with special needs.

The church was honoured to have Craig and Andy Kirk visit the Barossa in 2016 which became the catalyst for launching their own programme.

“We have high rates of disability and autism in the Barossa Valley and found that typically most churches struggle to meet the needs of these families,” says Cathy Troup, the Champions Club Coordinator at Impact Barossa. “In response to our community’s need, we began a journey with parents and volunteers and in 2017, that culminated with the launch of our very own Champions Club.

“We also launched our Playcafe KidsWorld as an ‘Autism Friendly’ Cafe, and both Kidsworld and Champions Club appear on the Autism Friendly Charter in SA (businesses who are Autism Aware and facilitate Autistic Families in the State) .

Impact also ran various training for local businesses, sporting and community organisations in the Valley including Autism SA training during their initial year. It is through this initiative that Impact Barossa was nominated

by Autism SA in 2017 and won the Autism SA Community Bridging Award. ,The church received considerable media coverage and their Federal Member, Tony Pasin, formally acknowledged their success.

“We are very proud of our hard working and dedicated team., and are grateful to be recognised for our pioneering steps towards an inclusive and disability-friendly church environment in our state and the nation.”

Impact currently reaches out to more than 20 families and children with disabilities in their community, with this number continually increasing. These families are now coming to significant events at Impact because of the relationships they are building with the church team.

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Hillsong’s special needs facilities

T

reasure Chest is Hillsong’s ministry for children and young people with a diagnosed disability or special learning needs. The children who attend the program may be on the autistic spectrum, have Down Syndrome or other intellectual disabilities.

The Treasure Chest team take great care in presenting Jesus in a way that is fun and relevant to each child’s individual needs so that every child, young person and young adult can find their place, feel valued and call the church home.

At the new Epi Centre facility at the Hills Campus, they run a specially designed program for children with moderate-high levels of needs, which involves the children being grouped into small groups and spending 25 minutes in each of four rooms: Active Play Room

• Active Play: This room has a ball pit, swings, climbing equipment, soft play and gym mats to help their gross motor development, such as climbing, jumping, balance, building muscle strength etc.

• Sensory Room: The sensory room has specialised equipment to help the children with their sensory processing. It is a beautiful calming environment with a bubble tube, fibre optics, light projections and TV screen (video and quiet music). There are also bean bags, soft fluffy rugs and relaxing sensory activities.

Hillsong’s Sensory Room

• Worship Room: This is the room for worship and Bible stories. The room is light, and has an acoustic worship style (i.e. guitar, drum box, singers only no flashing lights or electric music). They intentionally use simple kids worship songs that are the same each week so that the children can learn the songs and actions. Some children with autism have difficulty with sound sensitivity (so they find loud music intolerable), hence the acoustic worship.

They also provide head phones/ear muffs for those that prefer it. Children participate in worship too, with musical instruments to play.

Worship Room

• Learning Room / Young & Free Room: In the Learning Room (for 4-12 year olds) and the Youth ‘Young & Free’ Room (for 13-17 year olds), they help the children with their cognitive development through reading stories, doing puzzles, craft activities, colouring, writing or imaginative play.

Young + Free Room

Hillsong has also recognised that families who have a child with a disability experience isolation, so aim to build community by organising morning teas to allow parents to connect and ‘date nights’ where the Treasure Chest team look after their children.

‘The Church needs to be in the world of disability, we need to be supporting in any way we can.’

– david wakerley

More info: http://hil.so/treasurechestblog

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YOUTH

WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

BY RENEE BENNETT

Y

outh ministries play such a crucial role when it comes to youth with special/additional needs or disabilities. At a time in their life when any teenager wants to blend in, not stand out, this can be a challenging time for not only them but their families.

life when they will drop out of social interactions as the whole teenage world is a lot more intimidating to navigate than a primary school or children’s church.

The key is in understanding their need and then finding the tricky compromise between making allowances and catering for them whilst helping them to feel like any other teenager.

• What behaviours might we expect?

2. Parents are your biggest source of information Don’t be afraid to ask the parents questions, such as: • Does your child have anything that will trigger them?

• Are their physical implications we need to know about e.g toileting etc?

UNDERSTANDING THE NEED There is a very diverse range of potential additional needs, so understanding exactly what you are dealing with is so important.

• How do you deal with any ‘episodes’ or problems that might arise?

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is amongst some of the most common special needs you might come across in a youth ministry. ASD is characterised by symptoms such as social interaction difficulties, communication challenges, and tendency to engage in repetitive behaviours.

• Is there anything at youth that might be a worry to your child e.g loud noises, games, social interactions, lights etc.?

•Are they on any medication?

Without this knowledge, these youth can easily be mislabeled.

What you think is poor social skills or bad behaviour can actually be a symptom of one of these issues.

3. What to do when they come to Youth:

How those with ASD might behave: is to refuse or ignore requests, behave in socially inappropriate ways (e.g do runners), be aggressive or have tantrums; engage in behaviours such as rocking or hand flicking; struggle to start or keep up a conversation; react to loud noises; and don’t like change

• Put the parent’s mobile number in your phone incase you need to ring them

• What special interests does your child have?

Make sure you meet the parent and youth at the door to help that transition

• Update the parent during the night just to let them know how their child is going • Have a small group of youth to look after them – make sure they sit with them, include them and mostly, just treat them like normal

To top it off, no two ASD people are alike. The above short list will show you very quickly how disastrous a youth environment can be for someone. Youth is a place where they need to engage in conversations, loud noises and bright lights abound and change is happening all the time.

• Have a room set up that they can withdraw to if they need • Let them know exactly what to expect as the night goes e.g if there will be any noises, games, lights etc… Make sure nothing is a surprise.

With at least 1 in 63 children being diagnosed with ASD, we have a responsibility to understand so we can engage these young people.

• Be firm on the behaviour you expect. Keep your voice low, soft and firm if you need to give instructions or kerb behaviour.

WHAT WE CAN DO TO HELP:

• Get them connected in with a small group.

There are many things once we understand the additional need that we can do as youth pastors and leaders.

• Support them during the week with pastoral care, especially be interested in how things are going at school for them

1. Go to them because they might not come to you

God has plans for these young people just like any other. We have the opportunity to bring so much hope and love to these youth and their families will be forever grateful.

Find out by going to your church database to see if any families might have a young person with special needs. The children’s ministry will also be a wealth of information. Once you have identified these young people, give the family a call or go around and visit. This will begin to build a huge amount of trust with the parents and the young person. Often it’s this time of their

Renee Bennett and her husband Cameron, are the national directors of Youth Alive Australia. www.youthalive.com.au

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Wondering what the next steps are when considering Inclusive Practices within your church, or workplace? It’s important to become well informed and equipped.

Reaching out to other services which are further along this journey is a helpful start, as well as becoming trained to develop skills and implement services.

At Alphacrucis College, with the Education and Applied Social Science courses, students are trained and equipped to consider Inclusive Practices and responding to the special/additional needs of those in our care.

Visit www.ac.edu.au – Education and Social Sciences to see our undergraduate and postgraduate degrees and diplomas.

INCLUSIVE PRACTICE INCLUSION

LIKE JESUS DID…

W

hen Jesus was being roundly criticised for being with people who were considered as ‘undesirable’ at a friend’s dinner party, He noted the spirit on the hearts of those around him. He responded to the grumbling with a medical metaphor: Who needs a doctor: the healthy or the sick? I’m here inviting outsiders, not insiders – an invitation to a changed life, changed inside and out.’

(Luke 5:31,32 The Message).

INVITATION The Alphacrucis Education Department is hosting a training day on 27th April 2018 focusing on Inclusive Practices, at Alphacrucis College, 30 Cowper Street, Parramatta.

How might we apply this metaphor to our communities of faith? The starting point would be answering the question ‘Who are the outsiders in our community?’ We need to continue to ask ourselves this question if we want to extend to these people the same invitation that Jesus gave – a changed life, inside and out. And our starting point would be the same as Jesus – being willing to sit and be with them in the routines of our everyday lives.

Outsiders may include those whose background does not fit the ‘norm’, or those whose life circumstance gives them an unstable home life, or those who have some characteristic that means that they cannot relate to others in the usual patterns of life.

People in these kinds of situations often experience emotions that declare “I don’t fit in anywhere”, or “I only get into trouble wherever I go”, or “Life is just too hard, and I am dumb.” Sadly, the response to these emotions is often giving up on relationships as God intended for us.

So, the challenge for us is the same as given to the original children of Israel: how will we welcome ‘outsiders’ (the “aliens” of the Old Testament) to affirm that they are made in the Image of God, just like all of us… and that just like everyone else, their sin and pain can find healing in the Grace and Truth that is Jesus.

THE ALL-STAR TEACHER

How To Reach Every Student, Teach Every Student, & Remain Passionate: Strategies for Working with Exceptional Students Have you ever wondered why some teachers make it and some don’t? Do you have what it takes to remain passionate for the long haul? Have you thought about what makes a great teacher great?

To teach is to embark on an incredible journey. A journey of joy, adventure and influence. To teach is to influence lives forever. Knowing how to teach different students who have different strengths and different capabilities is essential to your success and longevity as a teacher.

Join us for this professional development day on 27th April with our three guest presenters, who are a family trio of Mum+daughter+daughter! Margaret Howard, Voni Howard and Megan Dredge collectively have over 80 years experience as passionate educators.

This one day seminar focuses on the importance of inclusive education and the incredible rewards of teaching all students, and strategies for Special Needs students and how to propel them on their learning journey.

More info: www.ac.edu.au

–stephen j fyson (Education Faculty Alphacrucis)

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PRACTICAL STEPS WAYS THAT WE CAN CHAMPION THOSE WITH ADDITIONAL NEEDS IN CHURCH LIFE How can we continue to improve and keep lifting the bar to champion those with additional needs in church life?

First take a look at what you are already doing, and see how you can build on that. Below are some simple ways to ensure you are assisting those with disabilities in your congregation.

q

EDUCATION & RESOURCES Equip your leadership team with additional skills. Make contact with the Champions Club (www.championsclub.org) and read the new book ‘Champion’ by Craig Johnson. Check out the Education & Social Science options available at Alphacrucis College. www.ac.edu.au

q

PHYSICAL DISABILITY SUPPORT

Check the access points and facilities in your church building, including car parking; level entrances, ramps or lifts; automatic doors; disabled toilet facilities; reserved seating options including wheelchair access. Volunteer assistance can be a great help to greet those arriving at church services.

q

SPECIAL NEEDS AWARENESS

Be aware of hazards within your service for those with special needs, such as visual and audio impairments, sound and lighting considerations and flexible seating priorities.

q

PROFESSIONAL ADVICE

Take time to ask questions and listen to advice from professional workers, carers and those with additional needs themselves who deal with challenges of life from day to day.

q

INCLUSION IN CHURCH LIFE

Include those with special needs in your regular church marketing and events, such as imagery in photos and videos.

q

SAFER CHURCHES

The need for Safer Churches when it comes to those with disabilities or special needs is affirmed in the ACC Child Protection Policy and Guidelines, which states that ACC people shall “understand and respond to the special needs of Children or Young People with developmental delays or disabilities.”

“We acknowledge that Children or Young People with developmental delays or disabilities have special needs.”

“We expect ACC People to act in ways that communicate effectively with and are supportive of Children or Young People with developmental delays or disabilities..”

“We also understand that we will need to be proactive in recognising the additional vulnerability to harm that Children or Young People with developmental delays or disabilities experience.”

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ALPHACRUCIS COLLEGE

A

lphacrucis College (AC) celebrates its 70th anniversary in 2018. The college story is really the story of Australian Christian Churches (ACC), as we have all shared in, and contributed to, this vision of training Christian leaders to change the world.

“The Greatest Event in Australian Assemblies of God History!”

The college started out of an urgent need for training in the Assemblies of God (AOG). In 1947, eight young men and women wrote to every Bible college in Australia but were rejected because they spoke in tongues.

Eventually, they were accepted into an interdenominational institute in Sydney but were soon reprimanded for holding a Pentecostal prayer meeting. The students approached the AOG National Executive, pleading for a national college.

So, on 14 February 1948, Commonwealth Bible College (CBC) commenced in Richmond Temple, Melbourne. NSW AOG superintendent, Alec Davidson, hailed it as the “greatest event in Australian Assemblies of God history!”

The following year, the AOG purchased the New Farm campus in Brisbane, as the movement’s very first national asset.

New Farm Campus A Soul-Winning College In line with AOG expansion, the college was active in church planting, outreach and overseas mission. CBC Principal, James Wallace, envisioned “a Soul-Winning College” with young people “trained, prepared, equipped, anointed, on fire for God.”

term missionaries in Papua New Guinea, helping establish the AOG across that nation.

Church Planting The Heartbeat of our Movement To accommodate growth, in 1961, the college moved to the purposebuilt Graceville campus on the bank of the Brisbane River. AOG General Superintendent and CBC Principal, Ralph Read, wrote, “Our Bible training programme is the heart beat of our Movement…

Should the Lord tarry many of these present C.B.C. students will stand to minister in the 21st century.”

Open Air Outreach

1948 Commencement service, Richmond Temple

In 1960, at a time when there were just 59 churches in the whole movement, CBC students pioneered 11 churches in the city of Brisbane alone. Between 1951 and 1969, the AOG doubled from 50 to almost 100 churches, most growth occurring during Wallace’s time at CBC. Over 60 graduates also became long-

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1974 floods - Graceville Campus After the 1974 floods devastated the Graceville property, AOG churches across Australia rallied together to purchase a new property in Katoomba, NSW. Into the 1980s, the college remained a central focus for the movement, with over 60%

1948 –

CELEBRATES 70 YEARS

Katoomba Campus of the national and state AOG executive leaders being CBC alumni.

The Vision for a Christian University In 1996, President of the newly named Southern Cross College (SCC), David Cartledge, envisioned establishing Australia’s first Christian university. So, the campus moved to the 17-acre, former RAAF base at Chester Hill, with 258 single rooms; 21 flats; a house; dining room; administration block; oval, tennis courts, squash court and pool – purchased for $8.2 million. Never before in the history of the movement had such a major financial undertaking been attempted and there was overwhelming support across the churches.

Pursuing Your Destiny

Chester Hill To advance the university vision, SCC joined an interdenominational

theological consortium, in 1998, to offer undergraduate and postgraduate degrees.

In 2004, SCC opened its second campus, based at Hillsong Church in Baulkham Hills. As President of ACC, Brian Houston wrote, “Southern Cross is a great school with an excellent track record in training men and women for effective and fruitful Christian ministry. I highly recommend it as the place for you to pursue your destiny.” Many more campuses and other delivery sites soon followed.

Brisbane Campus Influencing our Nation and the World AC has now achieved the same selfaccrediting authority as state universities, with campuses in Adelaide, Brisbane, Hobart, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney and Auckland. We also have multiple local church colleges, third party arrangements and exchange programs across Australia, New Zealand, Europe and the United States.

Korean students in traditional dress Shining Brightly at the Foot of the Cross Recognising the need to tap into a wider market, the college became an independent Higher Education Provider and grew to three faculties, including: Business; Theology; and Education/Arts/ Social Sciences.

In 2009, the college was renamed Alphacrucis College. Stephen Fogarty explained, “Alphacrucis is the brightest star in the Southern Cross, and it’s at the foot of the cross… we want our students to shine brightly at the foot of the cross.”

Once again, the college upscaled to a $20 million Parramatta campus, with another property added later in Woolloongabba, Brisbane.

– 2018

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Auckland Campus With over 30,000 alumni, 4000 student enrolments and 30 doctorates on staff, AC is well-positioned for an exciting future. As ACC National President Wayne Alcorn states, “Alphacrucis College, in partnership with Australian Christian Churches, has great potential to influence our nation and world by becoming a Christian university.”

Associate Professor Denise Austin is Director of Accreditation for Alphacrucis College. She is an ACC ordained pastor and her area of expertise is Australasian Pentecostal History.

ALPHACRUCIS 70 YEAR TIMELINE

Female Graduates, 1963

1937 – Assemblies of God in Australia founded 1948 – Commonwealth Bible College commenced at Richmond Temple, Melbourne: Principal Frank Sturgeon 1949 – purchased property in New Farm, Brisbane: Principal Leonard Palmer 1950 – Principal Philip Duncan

Class of 1980 (in front of Three Sisters, Katoomba)

1951 – Principal James Wallace 1961 – purchased property in Graceville: Principal Harold Bartholomew 1969 – Principal Chris Harrison 1971 – Principal Ralph Read 1974 – Principal Aeron Morgan; Brisbane floods destroyed campus; interim year at Glad Tidings Tabernacle 1975 – purchased ‘Palais Royale’ at Katoomba, NSW 1977 – purchased ‘Homesdale’ at Katoomba, NSW

Chester Hill Footy on the oval

1979 – purchased ‘Delmar Flats’ at Katoomba, NSW 1982 – Principal David Brydges 1989 – Principal Aaron Morgan 1990 – joined Australian College of Theology 1993 – renamed Southern Cross College; Principal Jeremy Griffiths; President David Cartledge 1996 – purchased property at Chester Hill, Sydney; commenced Korean (LOTE) programs 1998 – Principal: Stephen Fogarty; joined Sydney College of Divinity

‘Alphacrucis’ painted by Tim Hall

2001 – established Pentecostal Heritage Centre 2004 – Baulkham Hills campus 2006 – Oxford Falls campus (until 2009) 2007 – Auckland campus, New Zealand 2008 – BCM; Brisbane campus 2009 – renamed Alphacrucis College; Higher Education Provider status AC Israel field study, 2011

2010 – MTeach (Primary), GradDipEd, MA, GDA, GCA, GCL; purchased property at Parramatta, Sydney 2013 – BMin, BBus, BBus/BMin, MTh, BTh, AssocDegMin 2014 – DMin, MLead 2015 – Perth campus; Third Party Arrangement with Iso Kirja College, Finland; PhD, MPhil, MTeach (Secondary), BEd (Primary), Dip Arts; Learning Centre, Oxford Falls; opened Australasian Pentecostal Studies Centre (APSC)

2008 Masters students - graduating with leadership specialisation

2016 – Hobart campus; Self-Accrediting Authority status; GradDipAppSocSc, BAppSocSc, BEd (Primary), MTeach (Secondary), HE Diplomas 2017 – purchased Brisbane campus property; launched Centre for Learning and Scholarship Studies (CLASS) 2018 – Adelaide campus; Melbourne campus; Third Party Arrangements with Hillsong College and Planetshakers College 30

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DID YOU KNOW...

• We consume media for approximately 7 hours 40 minutes per day • Australian teens spend 2.7 hours per day connected to social media • There are over 6 billion Google searches per day • Over 300 hours of YouTube videos uploaded every minute

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DISCIPLESHIP IN A

W

SHIFTING SOCIETY

BY CLAIRE MADDEN

e don’t have to look far to know that our irrelevant within a short timeframe. society is continually shifting. The convergence While a life following Christ and being formed by Him in a of rapid technological advancements, rise process of discipleship is not a matter of mere information, this of global communication platforms, and the attitudinal reality does raise important questions. For one, how impact of significant demographic change in recent years has do we begin to translate spiritual disciplines such as studying redefined how people live, work and play. and meditating on Scripture to our young people?

Furthermore, the daily barrage of clickbait media articles True discipleship does not happen at a surface level. It and social media feeds, along with a political discourse which involves the process of deep character and life transformation is increasingly driven by popularity polls, is shaping the metathat gradually, progressively works itself out through a person’s narratives of our communities commitment to the Word, the and changing the moral leading of the Spirit, involvement and ethical foundations of in a community of believers and Emerging generations, our society. These shifts are input from others with spiritual who have access to ten influencing all aspects of maturity. thousand preaching people’s lives, including how Paul writes in 1 Corinthians podcasts, YouTube videos they engage with and outwork 4:15-16, “Even though you have and countless Bible their faith. ten thousand guardians in Christ, translations on their The challenge and you do not have many fathers, for smartphone, may not have opportunity for the Church is in Christ Jesus I became your father many fathers and mothers to convey the unchanging truth through the gospel. Therefore I in the faith of the gospel in our constantly urge you to imitate me.” changing world. How the As we think about the Church can most effectively emerging generations, who have carry out Jesus Christ’s Commission – to make disciples - in this access to ten thousand preaching podcasts, YouTube videos and era of unrelenting distractions? countless Bible translations on their smartphone, perhaps they There are many examples of the ways in which churches do not have many fathers and mothers in the faith; those who have utilised the tools we have at hand in our current moment invest in the patience-growing, sometimes meandering journey to spread the gospel and form people in faith. Technology has of mentoring discipleship. enabled unprecedented access to resources developed by Perhaps our young people are in many cases even unaware church communities; think of the Bible available on smartphone of their own needs and the nature and process of spiritual apps, preaching podcasts, and use of platforms that enable formation. In a society obsessed with shortcuts and speed, the instant, catchall communications to church communities. Yet Church has an opportunity to embrace new technologies, and gaining cut-through in an environment of information overload also to find ways that ensure the emerging generations are not (where there are a billion hours YouTube videos consumed growing up with just ‘ten thousand guardians’ of preachers from every day ) can seem like an uphill battle. podcasts, but that they have access to mothers and fathers in As our society has placed value on speed and currency, the faith. we have substituted, in many ways, depth for breadth: a depth of relationship for a breadth of connection; a depth of Claire Madden (clairemadden.com) is understanding for a breadth of Siri and search engine answers! a social researcher, keynote speaker, media The need to ‘remember’ information seems less important for commentator and author of Hello Gen Z: today’s younger generations who value the speed of access and Engaging the Generation of Post-Millennials. currency of information - rather than memorising the content www. helloclarity.com.au ‘just in case’ they may need it in the future, it is about being able to access it ‘just in time’. They see little value in putting energy into memorising lists when the content is likely to be deemed 33

THE KEY TO GROWTH IS IN YOUR COMMUNITY

BY PAUL BARTLETT

2018 Community Engagement Conference

PLANT GROW HARVEST

A practical two day conference with some of the nation’s best speakers on community engagement, helping you see your community differently!

Ideas in conversation 5th & 6th September The Woolshed 601 Princes Highway Yallah, NSW

REGISTER OR FOR MORE INFORMATION | EMAIL COMMUNITY.ENGAGEMENT@ACC.ORG.AU | CALL 0431269961 WEB ACCCOMMUNITYENGAGEMENT.ORG.AU www.acccommunityengagement.org.au | #ACCSNAPSHOT #ACCCOMMUNITYENGAGEMENT 34

I

n a recent survey of churches in our ACC movement, we see high numbers of decisions for Christ, yet our churches aren’t growing on Sunday as a result.

For years, excellence has taught us that if we could just make Sunday better, more people will come. If we could get more lights, more guitarists, more smoke machines, make it cooler, hotter, warmer – whatever it is that we need – if we could make all this better, people will come.

I believe we’re at the end of that season. We live in a secular nation that doesn’t believe in God, and Australians aren’t waking up Sunday mornings thinking, “What’s a great church I can go to?” So how can we bridge that gap?

Imagine how different it would be if instead of hoping everybody would come to us – we would go to them.

COMMUNITY We need to move towards community. We need to go to them, not just expect them to come to us.

In 1 Corinthians 9:19, Paul says, “When I am with those who are weak, I share their weakness. I want to bring the weak to Christ. Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some. I do everything to spread the good news and share its blessings.”

Here’s what he’s saying: In order to reach the world, I live with the world, but I won’t become like the world, in order to win them to Christ. I will hang around people that are contrary to my lifestyle, but I won’t live their lifestyle. Common ground. I will be willing to become something I’m not usually. I will become something I don’t want to be, in order to reach those that God has not yet reached.

The Kingdom of God will succeed when every Christian understands who they are and that their workplace is their calling. If you go to work not knowing who you are and if you think you only go to work to earn money, then you are missing out on the purpose of God for your life. Here’s the problem: You’ll go to work, you’ll earn money, but you’ll act like the people that you work with. They won’t be able to tell the difference.

You’re there to be salt. You’re there to be light. Not perfect, not “got-it-together” – but you’re there to represent Jesus.

Imagine how different it would be if instead of hoping everybody would come to us – we would go to them.

Don’t build churches – build community centres. That’s why at Lighthouse we built The Woolshed. We created a space, in the community, because people won’t leap over to us – so we created a space mid-way, that we can connect to them. Create a space – because people are not ready to leap, so we need to fill in the spaces. That’s what we do Monday-Saturday.

You and I need to move ourselves in the direction of people who are far from God. What is on your life is going to change other people.

Community Engagement validates every Christian, every day of the week. Through the process, the community begins to see value in the church. We are beginning to reclaim the pillars of society: Education, Politics, Sport, Hobbies, Family, Health and Business. Let’s keep creating leaders over every sector of society.

And I believe, ultimately, we will see more people come to Christ.

– PAUL BARTLETT

THE CAUTION OF COMMUNITY We need to be careful that the focus doesn’t become social justice only. One of the distractions for the community generation, is cause. If there’s something that breaks your heart, run after it, but is it connected to Kingdom transformation?

There’s a thousand good causes out there, but they’ve got to be Kingdom-centric. Their end goal has got to be to change the community for Christ.

If we are smart, each generation will take a little of something from the previous generation, find what’s good and use it in their current season. We would be unwise to think that what we have and what we do is the only way to do things. God’s way bigger than that.

Therefore, if this season is community, what does the Holy Spirit look like in community? What does excellence look like in community? If we could, as a movement, feel very strong and very clear that God is calling us to be champions of marketplace people: to make the people in our churches the heroes: so that we wake up Monday morning convinced that God has gone ahead of you to do great things. He’s already prepared it.

Jesus’s goal was to bring heaven to earth. What does that look like? It doesn’t just look like a great Sunday service. It has to involve seven days a week. It has to involve barristers serving in a café. Heaven to Earth involves accountants sitting behind a laptop doing finance. It’s got to involve labourers building with a hammer. It’s got to involve nurses putting bandages on somebody. It has got to involve you.

Paul Bartlett is the senior pastor of Lighthouse in Wollongong and the national leader of ACC Community Engagement.

He is the author of the book ‘Thank God it’s Monday: Sunday’s not enough’. www. acccommunityengagement.org.au

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COLOUR 2018

SPIRIT-FILLED WIND IN HER SAILS “… not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord.” [Zech 4:6] “Being found with the wind and breath of God’s Spirit in our sails is prophetic,” declared Bobbie Houston on the opening night of COLOUR making room for the Holy Spirit to work among the 16,000 delegates who attended the two events held in Sydney’s ICC theatre.

It is now 22 years since Bobbie Houston first heard the whisper of the Holy Spirit to host a gathering for women of all ages from all walks of life.

This year, the annual COLOUR ‘gathering’ came of age, and with it a maturity and responsibility that is reflected in the depth and heart of this unique women’s conference.

Indeed, COLOUR has mobilised women of all ages, backgrounds and cultures over its 21-year journey and the emerging testimonies are powerful.

Prayers for the infertile in 2017 have welcomed over 185 babies so far into loving arms. Thousands of children Don’t try to be each other – Be Jesus!

–Bob Goff

sponsored in developing nations. And there was more... with a feast of anointed worship and inspiring messages on the table – something for every woman present.

The effervescent Bob Goff (USA) added his contagious spirit of joy with his messages on keeping Jesus as your ‘true north’, to live a noteworthy life and have a spirit of gratitude.

Charlotte Gambill (UK) encouraged everyone to breathe life into dry bones, to “Speak God’s Word to your future” (Ezekiel 37:7) Brian Houston (Hillsong) shared on the power of pain and loss, “When something is over, you are not supposed to stop.”

Preemptive Love’s Jeremy Courtney (Iraq) shared on the harsh realities of women in the midst of the Syrian conflict, leaving the challenge to “be brave to love anyway!”

When you are winded or breathless, breathe again!

–Charlotte Gambill

Added to the voices were the local Australian women who brought the wisdom of their life’s journeys: Christine Caine, Julia A’Bell, Donna Crouch, Cassandra Langton, Nicola Douglass, Margaret Stunt, Kety Samways, Angela Bachtle, Laura Toggs and Catherine Thambiratnam.

Throughout the conference sessions, joy and laughter followed by tears and compassionate prayers added layer upon layer of depth as the Spirit moved, including the intimate moment of thousands of taking communion together.

At the close, Bobbie’s heart revealed the purpose of the conference, ““Our prayer is that as we set bold sail in our own convictions and calling, we shall continue to bless the world we inhabit with unshakeable faith and hope”.

REGISTER FOR COLOUR 2019 www.colourconference.com

Dare to love first – ask questions later.

– Jeremy Courtney Jeremy Courtney will be the speaker at the She Stands For Justice Conference hosted

by Lyn Alcorn on Saturday, 25 August at Hope Centre, Brisbane. Register: www.hopecentre.com

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COLOUR

TWENTY-19

the wonder. the colours. the favour.

BE FOUND IN THE NEW Colour Conference. Placing Value Upon Womanhood.

Colour is a global movement of everyday women, with hope in their heart and “change” in their step.

A twenty-two year journey has seen this diverse and fabulous host of women help multitudes of others. If making the world a better place resonates with you, you belong within this miracle story.

Sydney

The Theatre at ICC Sydney INTRODUCING TWO WEEKEND CONFERENCES Conf One: 14-16 March 2019 | Conf Two: 21-23 March 2019 Colour Conference Twenty-19 endorsed as the ACC annual women’s conference

Your host Bobbie Houston and the Hillsong worship, teaching and leadership teams.

Special guest speakers

Christine Caine Sydney (Conference 1&2) John Gray Sydney (Conference 1) Lisa Harper Sydney (Conference 2)

colourconference.com/sydney colourconference.com/sydney 37

NEW RELEASES

LOVE LIKE YOU’VE NEVER BEEN HURT

By Jentezen Franklin

The human heart was created with a great capacity to love. But along with that comes a great capacity to feel pain. There is no denying that those who love us, who are closest to us, can wound us the most profoundly. That kind of pain can be difficult, if not impossible, to overcome.

And it can feel even more impossible to continue loving in the face of it. Yet that is exactly what we are called to do.

Sharing his own story of personal pain, pastor and New York Times bestselling author Jentezen Franklin shows us how to find the strength, courage, and motivation to set aside the hurt, see others as God sees them, and reach out in love. Through biblical and modern-day stories, he discusses different types of relational disappointment and heartache, and answers questions such as ‘Why should I trust again?’ and ‘How can I ever really forgive?’

The walls we build around our hearts to cut us off from pain are the very walls that block us from seeing hope, receiving healing, and feeling love. Here are the tools and inspiration you need to tear down those walls, work through your wounds, repair damaged relationships, and learn to love like you’ve never been hurt.

www.amazon.com

EVERYBODY, ALWAYS

Becoming Love in a world of setbacks and difficult people

By Bob Goff What happens when we stop worrying about today’s challenging world full of difficult people and tough situations and instead, simply love?

In his new book Bob Goff shows us that healing starts with every person stepping up to love all people, all the time. With his disarming sense of humor and sharp self-awareness, Bob builds each chapter of the book around vivid anecdotes that portray universal love in action – moments in his life when he dropped his barriers and it made all the difference.

He writes about the potential transcendence of everyday people: a blind Paralympian, an airport security officer, refugees, a convict, and many more. He paints stunning portraits of humble service and grace, all to create an inspiring tapestry of humanity striving to accomplish what he argues we were all born to do: become love.

“What I’m learning about love is we have to tackle a good amount of fear to love people who are difficult,” Bob writes. “Oftentimes, when I encounter someone who makes me feel afraid, I instantly put up barriers. I put them up with my big words and opinions.

Barriers make me feel right, and that makes me feel safe. Except it’s not what Jesus did. He showed us what it means to become love when He spent His last meal with a man who He knew would betray Him.” www.amazon.com 38

A PROPHET WITH HONOR The Billy Graham Story

By WIlliam Martin A Prophet with Honor is the biography Billy Graham himself requested and liked for its sympathetic but frank approach.

Author William Martin was granted unprecedented access to the Billy Graham archives and team members.

His biography of the most successful evangelist in modern history is written with the authenticity and transparency of no other. In it, Martin raises and answers key questions about Graham: his character, contributions, and influence on the world religious scene, ultimately dubbing him “a man of rare integrity.” Tracing Graham’s life and ministry from his rural and religious roots in North Carolina to his place as the elder statesman of American evangelicalism, tracing both his triumphs and his tribulations, Martin shows the multidimensional character of the man who has become one of the most admired persons in the world.

This engaging and comprehensive book offers a detailed understanding of the most successful evangelist in modern history, and the movement he led for over 50 years.

www.amazon.com

BEYOND YOUR WILDEST DREAMS

W

THERE IS MORE

When the world says you can’t, God says you can

By Brian Houston The Senior Pastor of Hillsong Church and former ACC National President shows how, with God’s power, you can believe and achieve a life that exceeds every earthly expectation.

When you surrender control and follow God’s guidance, you become empowered and equipped to do the impossible, reach higher, and go further than you could have ever imagined-giving Him all the glory.

By building our lives around godly principles, surrounding ourselves with wisdom, and living for a cause greater than ourselves, we can effectively live out God’s purposes and have an enduring impact.

As Brian Houston has personally discovered, when we depend on Jesus as the source for our identity, our lives can be a lasting legacy that maximize the gifts He has given each of us as unique individuals.

There is More is for anyone who wants to be challenged to live with expectancy.

Ephesians 3: 20-21 is a call to release the immeasurable potential within you and the exceeding, abundant, and above plans and purposes of a Holy God that are beyond your greatest imagination.

www.hillsongstore.com.au

hat are your wildest dreams? Your craziest ideas, deepest longings, and grandest plans – the things you’ve not dared to tell anyone and barely allowed your soul to imagine? Because it is exactly that dream, that vision, those grand plans of yours that I’m telling you aren’t enough. What a small thinker you are! All of heaven is looking down upon you, shaking their heads, and saying, “Is that all? Is that all he wants? Is that all she can dream of?

Allow me to stretch your thinking here, dear reader, because we serve the ultimate Big Thinker. No plans of yours even compare to His. Your heart’s cry for more has been answered with a chuckle and a grin from a Father’s heart that takes what you see and expands it into something you can’t see.

God can take every limitation that has been put on your life – by yourself or by others – and expand your heart and purpose in a way that is way bigger, way higher, way more effective than anything you could imagine.

I’ve seen it in my own life. I can testify to His faithfulness when it comes to more – more than I wanted, more than I dreamed, more than I ever thought I would need. I’m not speaking of simple material matters, of monetary things or things that can be counted or valued by earthly standards. I’ve watched as God has exceeded the dreams in my heart, the visions I’ve had for my own life and the lives of my family and those closest to me. I’ve experienced the ‘much more’ favour of God when it comes to my marriage, leadership, children, and friendships.

For many years, while standing in one of our Hillsong Church auditoriums or by the side of the stage at one of our annual conferences, people have asked me, “Could you see all this when you started?”

You know, I have always been a determined visionary, but in my wildest dreams I could not have imagined all God has done and is doing. I couldn’t have planned it, executed it, or dreamed of the days we are living in now. And I’ve stopped trying to. You can never outdream God. © 2018 Extract from Chapter 1, There Is More by Brian Houston

THERE IS MORE Hillsong Worship

Hillsong Worship’s 26th live praise and worship album There Is More, truly is a statement-of-belief more than a record title. With songs such as, ‘Who You Say I Am’, ‘Be Still’, ‘The Passion’ and ‘New Wine’, There Is More strikes the balance of contemplative devotion and powerful declarations of praise for both individuals and congregations alike.

Songwriter Brooke Ligertwood states, “There is more at stake than we dare realise - souls, communities, families, nations on the other side of our wrestle through the night seasons. Our personal freedom is for corporate revival. There is more of God and more to God and His love than we can possibly conceive of.”

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The prophetic proclamation that ‘There Is More” is a theme of Hillsong Church in 2018, with Brian Houston’s book and the annual Hillsong Conference carrying the same title..

2018 DIARY MAY YOUTH ALIVE LEADERSHIP SUMMIT 15–17 May 2018 Surf City Church, Gold Coast www.youthalive.com.au/futuresummit

www.youthalive.com.au/futuresummit

JULY PANASIA MISSIONS CONFERENCE 30 July - 2 August 2018 Novotel Phuket Resort, Thailand www.accimissions.org.au/panasia2018

www.accimissions.org.au/panasia2018

AUGUST KIDSHAPER CONFERENCE 14 – 16 August 2018 Gold Coast www.acckids.org.au/kidshaper18

www.acckids.org.au/kidshaper17

UNITED WE STAND - YOUTH ALIVE 17 August 2018 Australiawide http://united-we-stand.co http://united-we-stand.co

SEPTEMBER COMMUNITY CONFERENCE 4 – 5 September 2018 The Woolshed, Wollongong NSW www.acc.communityengagement.org.au

www.acc.communityengagement.org.au www.acccommunityengagement.org.au/community-conference/

CHAPLAINCY CONFERENCE 6–7 September 2018 The Woolshed, Wollongong NSW www.chaplaincyaustralia.com

Chaplaincy Australia

Chaplaincy Conference NSW/ACT 2018

Caring for the carer www.chaplaincyaustralia.com Thursday 6th - Friday 7th September, Thursday evening and all day Friday.

The Woolshed, Wollongong

INDIGENOUS EMERGING LEADERS CONFERENCE 7 – 9 September 2018 Tweed Heads NSW www.ganggalah.com

www.ganggalah.com For more information and to register see our website www.chaplaincyaustralia.com

Chaplaincy Australia Those in the helping professions constantly

give out to others, this is an opportunity for

Chaplaincy Conference NSW/ACT 2018 YOU to be refreshed, inspired and cared for!

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Caring for the carer