ACC Emag #3 2018

#3 2018

EMAG

quarterly publication for acc leaders

AUSTRALIA IN DROUGHT

ON THE FRONTLINE CALL TO ACTION FARMING PASTORS BRING HOPE CITY & COUNTRY CHURCH PARTNERS DEALING WITH DEPRESSION & SUICIDE UNDER ATTACK

PLANETSHAKERS FREE FREE RADICALS RADICALS

FREEDOM OF SPEECH

extract extract from from god is good god is good for for you you

WHY RELIGIOUS FREEDOM? INSIGNIFICANCE: INSIGNFICANCE: A BIGGER THREAT THAN PERSECUTION

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ON THE FRONTLINE This edition of ACC EMAG gives focus to the Australian drought and the ACC pastors and churches on the frontline bringing hope. We also look at persecution and the attack on freedom of speech and religion.

IN

NEWS News snapshots from across the ACC movement.

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AUSTRALIA IN DROUGHT CALL TO ACTION ACC National President Wayne Alcorn calls the ACC movement to action to support those on the frontline of the dorught.

Cover: iStockphoto

ON THE FRONTLINE Inspiring stories of those taking action in drought communities: Bush chaplains in the outback; Farming pastors bringing hope; Generocity’s campaign to feed a farmer’s family; City and country church partnerships.

DEALING WITH DEPRESSION & SUICIDE Ralph Estherby gives insights on how to deal with those who are depressed and suicidal.

DEPRESSION AMONG CHURCH LEADERS Mal Fletcher addresses the issue of depression and mental health issues among those in ministry as a problem for us all.

FREE RADICALS Extract from the book ‘God Is Good For You’

by Greg Sheridan, reveals his experience at Planetshakers and value of Pentecostalism.

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UNDER ATTACK FREEDOM OF SPEECH James Macpherson discusses how Julian Porteous and Israel Folau were taken to task with regard to freedom of speech.

WHY RELIGIOUS FREEDOM Mark Edwards shares his conversation with a political leader and the concerns about religious freedom.

INSIGNIFICANCE: A BIGGER THREAT THAN PERSECUTION? The CEO of Open Doors, Mike Gore, discusses the question of persecution coming to Australia.

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GO & MAKE DISCIPLES Q&A with Bryan about living in a ‘closed country’ as an ACCI field worker.

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IRL VS ONLINE RELATIONSHIPS Claire Madden looks at the difference between ‘real life’ and ‘virtual life’ and

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FROM SPORTS STAR TO THEOLOGY STUDENT Testimony of the Hungarian-born water polo champion who is now studying at Alphacrucis.

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THE IMPORTANCE OF PROFESSIONAL SUPERVISION Interview with Susan Marcuccio about support for those in ministry through professional supervision.

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NEW RELEASES New books by Franklin Graham, Craig Groeschel, Greg Sheridan, Jim Stevens and Francis Chan, and new DVDs available.

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NEWS Halls Creek

Adelaide

Tasmania

Melbourne

Cheerful car park volunters @enjoychurch

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Indigenous Conference

Canberra

Jane and Tristan with their Kunwinjku bibles presented by Jonathan Harris

Donna Crouch @crouchydon with the delegation of Christian women leaders who met with MPs in Canberra on issues such as advocacy, justice, poverty and treatment of women, coordiated by Micah Australia.

KUNWINJKU BIBLES PRESENTED Bibles translations in Kunwinjku were presented to Jane and Tristan who had flown to Tweed Heads from Arnhem land for the ACC Indigenous conference in September.

Emerging leaders were the focus on this year’s ACC Indigenous Conference. Jonathan Harris of the Bible Society was honoured to attend: “Wow! What an amazing weekend! This conference was unlike any other I have attended. Pastors Will and Sandra Dumas, along with the church family of Ganggalah created such a welcoming space with a focus on coming together to train up emerging leaders….they definitely achieved that.

From the welcoming faces at the door as you walk in, to care packs, the fabulous array of food, workshops, culture, speakers and definitely not least the fellowship. I won’t forget the conversations we were able to have- not only about our work with Indigenous people, but also how we journey together with the Lord.

Gabi and Jane

Tristan on his way to conference

“The crowning moment though, was seeing Jane and Tristan from Arnhem Land receive the complete New Testament Kunwinjku Bibles from the Bible Society. To hear Jane read us a few of her favourite verses in her own language was awe inspiring. Watching the Bible Society’s mandate of ‘making a Bible available to people in their heart language’ unfolded before my teary eyes. Thanks be to God and all the incredible people that partner with Bible Society Australia to make this happen.”

Rangi and Eli with Edwina & Darryl Lingwoodock at Juriga

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PanAsia Conference

Q&A

with DAVID HALL Pastor DAVID HALL of Lifepoint Church in Adelaide travelled to Thailand in July to attend ACCI’s global missions conference –PanAsia. He shares his conference highlights with Jo Sutton and the way his heart has been forever changed by hearing from men and women who are putting it all on the line for Jesus.

Q. This was your first time at PanAsia Conference.

How did you find it?

DAVID: It was pretty incredible; heartbreaking at the same time. Every missionary gets your heart when they speak. I often found myself thinking about pastoring in a big Australian city versus leaving everything you’ve got, and everyone you know, and going to the middle of nowhere to fulfil the Great Commission. Pastor Alun asked me to speak on one of the nights and I genuinely felt like the least qualified person in the room. I felt like I was in a room full of giants; a local church pastor in a room full of heroes.

Q. Did hearing from the missionaries your church supports help you feel more connected to their work?

DAVID: It puts a face to a name; it makes it real. You’re not just supporting a name on a piece of paper; you’re hearing them speak, you’re sensing the anointing that drives them and the touch of God on their lives. It also helps connect you to the people they’re working with and you realise that everything you give is actually touching a kid or a person in poverty; or it’s bringing the Gospel to the closed Muslim parts of the world. To me, it’s the fulfilment of the Great Commission and it’s got the spirit of revival on it.

Q. How did hearing from some of these people challenge and strengthen your own walk with Jesus?

DAVID: It not only makes you want to give but also makes you search your own heart as a Christian and as a fellow believer. Like, what am I putting on the line to fulfil what God’s calling us to and what am I doing to win souls for the Kingdom that’s outside of my own comfort zone?

It had a profound impact on me when I looked at what these people had left, in order to do what they’re doing.

were sharing, I almost couldn’t stay in the room. I found myself thinking, I’ve got my middle-class church in my middle-class city and my middle-class house and these people are just doing things that I couldn’t even imagine...Everything stays with you.

Q. Do you think attending this conference will change anything about the way your church does missions?

DAVID: We will up our giving to some of the missionaries we already support and probably cease some of our support of non-ACCI missions projects and start directing a lot more through ACCI because these people are the real deal; they’re full of the Holy Ghost.

They carry the same heart; the same passion. They’re doing exactly what we’re doing in Adelaide in the far corners of the world.

Q. As a pastor, you must get invited to a lot of events and conferences. What made this one special?

DAVID: I enjoyed the meetings, the presence of God and connecting with other pastors. And I enjoyed hearing testimonies of what was happening all over the world. It was encouraging and it was faith building. It also made me proud to be part of a movement that has such a big vision. It reaffirmed my desire to serve it; to be part of it. It had a big impact on my heart.

Q. What has particularly stayed with you since the conference?

DAVID: I think the Groves in Africa — Josh and Belinda — who are giving hope and a fresh start to kids who were living on the street. That messed with my heart a whole lot. There was also a couple working in Thailand, Erik and Marianna Klar, who described the situation of young girls and women in the sex trade and the work they’re doing to prevent it. When both of these couples

SEE MISSIONARY INTERVIEW PAGE 30

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CHANGE BETWEEN HILLSONG & ACC

Gold Coast

Hillsong Church has advised its desire for a change in its relationship with the ACC, as they now have more constituents and churches outside Australia than within.

“In a way, this can be likened to a child who has grown up and now has a larger life outside the family home,” said ACC National President Wayne Alcorn.

“May I emphasise that the relationship between Hillsong Church and ACC is strong,” stated Wayne. “The change in relationship has been facilitated by Hillsong’s global growth, rather than any disagreement. Both parties are committed to working together towards a new effective partnership.”

Hillsong announced its intention of establishing its own international denomination to credential their pastors, whilst remaining in Kingdom partnership with the ACC. Pastor Brian Houston wrote a personal letter to the ACC pastors, affirming his love for the movement and explaining that their global footprint is now greater than their Australian footprint.

KIDSHAPER HIGHLIGHTS Kidshaper 2018 was an inspiring time for Kids pastors and leaders with incredible ministry from the Kidshaper team and guests Mark Varughese, Shane Willard and Steve Adams.

One of the great highlights was the connect groups, with teams able to connect with one another on the Gold Coast, riding mopeds, the coffee shops crawl and Timezone fun.

Reports from those returning home revealed just how whole teams were. inspired, encouraged and refreshed

Discussions continue as to how Hillsong becomes an associate church with the ACC, while foregoing voting and other rights associated with full members.

For those wanting to access the media pack they are ready for download now here: http://acckids.org.au/ resources/

Sydney

Kidshaper 2019 will be on the Gold Coast 13–15 August. www.acckids.org.au Mark Varaghese at Kidshaper

At the book launch of ‘God is Good for You’, Planetshakers’ @nicole.yow and Darryn Keneally with Prime Minister Scott Morrison (then Federal Treasurer).

AUSTRALIAN COMMUNITY SURVEY

READ EXTRACT ON PAGE 21

The National Church Life Survey team released their results from the 2018 Australian Community Survey in September. Key findings from the survey include:

Brisbane

• One in five Australians (20%) attend religious services at least monthly. These latest results confirm the decline in religious service attendance is slowing.

• Over a quarter of Australians (27%) report having a mystical or supernatural experience and three in ten pray or meditate at least once a week.

• Two thirds of Australians have no close friends who attend church regularly.

Director of NCLS Research, Dr Ruth Powell, said, “Churches are incredibly active in serving their communities. Understanding the latest trends in spiritual and religious practice, belief and experience of Australians, is essential for church and ministry leaders.”

“The findings on connections with Christian churches, in particular, provide valuable insight and potential for churches to strengthen their place in the fabric of their local communities and in society as a whole,” said Dr Powell. www.ncls.org.au

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AUSTRALIA IN DROUGHT

CALL TO

ACTION

BY WAYNE ALCORN

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2. DONATE Financial donations are a great help to those in farming communities who are struggling to put food on their own tables or feed their livestock. In August, we launched the Drought Disaster Appeal through ACCI. Thank you if you have already made a donation. All the funds raised will be channelled through our ACC churches who are coordinating responses to families with the greatest need.

We are believing we can empower our rural ministries to be in a greater position to help. Maybe you can take up a special offering, or make a donation from your missions’ fund, to help those struggling to make ends meet at this time. If we all did something, we could make a huge difference.

he Church is meant to be a place of healing, where those who are broken, in pain and weighed down with problems can engage with a loving God. All across our land, families and communities are struggling and now is the time for the Church to step forward and stand with those who are on the frontline of the severe drought conditions that are gripping rural Australia.

I have been hearing some wonderful reports of what our pastors and local churches in drought-stricken areas are doing in their own communities – from hay runs, to vouchers to feed farmer’s families, to building the morale of farming communities. . You can read about some of them in the following pages..

I believe that as we shoulder the weight of this drought together, we will see God work in incredible ways to change the circumstances.

We can all do something. Here are three ways our movement is supporting those in the midst of drought.

3. SUPPORT Let’s walk beside those who are on the coal face of the drought. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 reminds us that ‘two are better than one and have a greater return for their labour’. Our churches in the drought affected areas have been supporting farmers and their communities for a long time, and we need to keep them strong.

How could you partner with a rural church? Perhaps you can send out a team, hold a community outreach, or give a rural pastor a well-needed holiday? If you’d like to bless a rural ministry with no other agenda except kindness and care, contact the NSW or QLD State ACC office. .

I believe that as we shoulder the heavy weight of the drought together, God will do something powerful across our nation.

1. PRAY Think about the prophet, Elijah. In James 5:17-18, it describes him as ‘a man with human frailties, just like all of us, but he prayed and received supernatural answers’ (Passion Translation). If an ordinary man can pray and change the weather patterns, as Elijah did, I believe we can do that too. Many of you have already been praying, but let’s ramp this up a notch in the next month. Maybe you want to assign a particular Sunday, or a focus day of the week where you fast and pray for rain to fall upon our drought ravaged land.

Wayne Alcorn is the ACC National President. He pastors the multicampus Hope Centre in Brisbane together with his wife, Lyn. 8

I BELIEVE AS WE SHOULDER THE WEIGHT OF THIS DROUGHT TOGETHER WE WILL SEE GOD WORK IN INCREDIBLE WAYS – WAYNE ALCORN

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AUSTRALIA IN DROUGHT

ON THE FRON The ACC is responding to the call to action by getting behind initiatives to assist drought ravaged Australia.

Here are some of the inspiring stories of those ACC pastors and ministries who are on the frontline, supporting those struggling in the severe drought conditions across Queensland and New South Wales.

BUSH CHAPLAINS TO OUTBACK

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ENIS AND ROSE WOOLDRIDGE are well acquainted with the realities of the drought in south west Queensland. Denis is a third generation farmer, yet inbetween planting and harvesting their own cotton and cereal crops, they visit outback families as bush chaplains.

Several times a year they travel out west, their friendly faces a welcome sight to those in sparsely populated areas, who are doing it tough. Denis and Rose are always willing to pitch in and help with whatever is needed; with Denis mending gates or doing stock work on the properties, and Rose helping with household chores or remedial teaching support.

The Wooldridges are based at New Hope church in Toowoomba and the South West region of Queensland is their personal ‘mission’ project.

With the nearest ACC church a five hour drive away in Roma, they are committed to take be ‘the church’ to those in remote areas.

At a time when farming communities are under immense pressure, their ongoing friendship and goodwill has made an impact on those who have little faith experience.

“It’s about supporting people in our own backyard,” explains Rose. “We stay long enough to develop relationships and we keep coming back.”

Denis & Rose Wooldridge – Bush chaplains in south-west Queensland. Photo: Outback magazine

Church in the pub ‘The Fox Trap’ is the pub/road house at Cooladdi, Queensland’s smallest town with a population of three, yet still has its own postcode. When the Wooldridges are in the area, about 20 to 30 locals meet at The Fox Trap to have meal and hear an inspiring word from Denis.

The Fox Trap

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NTLINE

IT IS IN THIS TOUGH TIME THAT THE CHURCH CAN BRING HOPE – MICHAEL DUTCHSKE

FARMING PASTORS BRING HOPE

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astor MICHAEL AND JANENE DUTSCHKE can personally relate to the effects of droughtravaged New South Wales. On one hand they are the pastors at Christian Community Centre in Nyngan, and on the other hand, they run a 7,000 hectare farm some 75kms beyond the town.

“The farm gives us an income so we aren’t a burden on the church,” says Michael, who has pastored the congregation for seven years. “Usually five days a week we farm, and then on Sundays, we preach and minister in our church.”

Michael & Janene Dutschke Christian Community Centre, Nyngan

Nyngan is a rural service town on the edge of the outback in central NSW, where most livelihoods are connected to the farming community. While many neighbouring farms are facing the challenge of feeding their stock in this time of drought, the Dutschke’s are grain farmers and reliant on rain to water their crops.

“Last year’s crop wasn’t a good year,” says Michael, “and this year we sowed our crops dry in April and May. We had 30ml of rain by the end of June and may only harvest 1,000 hectares this year.”

Field of crops in 2016

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With little rain and costs going through the roof, the entire community is struggling with the widespread drought.

“When you talk to some of the older farmers, who’ve been on the land for decades, most of them say they’ve never experienced such severe drought conditions,” says Michael.

So how do they stay full of hope when many are feeling depressed and despondent.

“We just hang in there and believe for miracles,” states Michael. “I believe this is a good time to get more involved and serve the community as a church, and help others who may be in a worse place than ourselves.”

“This involves keeping an eye on the mental health of neighbours, and boosting the community morale,” he explains.

Donations can purchase vouchers and groceries will help local businesses, and in turn, help families in need.

“We cannot let this opportunity go past the Church,” says Michael. “It is in this tough time that the Church can bring hope.”

Same field during the drought in 2018

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FEED A FARMER’S FAMILY CAMPAIGN

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hen he saw the harsh realities of the drought first hand, Pastor MATT RENDELL was so fired up to take action and rally support for farmers, he made a Facebook video on the spot. The heartfelt video has since had over 7,000 hits, and was part of launching Generocity Church’s Feed A Farmer’s Family initiative.

THE DROUGHT HAS A FAR REACHING EFFECT ON EVERYONE... IT’S LIKE A NUCLEAR BOMB HAS GONE OFF – MATT RENDELL

“I was visiting my cousin who has a farm at Alectown, near Parkes, and I saw for myself the struggle facing farmers across rural Australia,” said Matt, who is the lead pastor of the Narromine Generocity Church in the heart of New South Wales.

This prompted Generocity Church, which has 11 campuses and 2 plants across regional NSW, to hold a round table thinktank, to be strategic and identify the families with the greatest needs in hardest hit regions . While aid for stock farmers in the way of buying hay is one solution, there are a large number of crop farmers in difficulty because of lack of much needed rainfall.

After almost seven years of worsening drought conditions, many are facing financial ruin and loss. These sort of environmental conditions can erode the confidence of the most resilient generational farmers, with some simply breaking and falling into deep depression, anxiety and other emotional health issues, which has resulted with a rise in drought related suicides across a number of regional farming communities.

Matt believes support for the drought is also a greater community outreach.

“Most country towns are underpinned through the different facets of stock and crop farming industries, so the drought has a farther reaching effect on everyone than just the current sufferings,” he explains. “In a way it’s like a nuclear bomb has gone off, as it will directly effect local businesses and employees who will all struggle with loss of income over the next 18 months and on.

It is a collective effort that will make a difference.

“Partnership is the key,” affirms Matt. “We are partnering with other organisations such as the Salvos, local councils, post offices; and Chaplaincy Australia has

Matt & Linda Rendell from Generocity Church: Narromine

chaplains on the ground.” Funds raised through the ACCI Drought Relief Appeal will also assist their campaign.

“Most Aussie farmers take great pride in that they are the food bowl of Australia,” Matt says. “They see it as their contribution to the nation, to be able to put food on the table of the average Australian home.

So when that is taken from them, they will often feel a sense of failure and shame that they have let their fellow Australians down.

It genuinely is a heart issue that is taken very seriously. That’s why boosting their morale is so important.”

The Feed A Farmer’s Family campaign suggests either donating a $100 food voucher or $100 fuel voucher that can boost morale and remind them they are not alone or forgotten.

“I have come to appreciate just how many Christian and God fearing people these very farmers are that we are concerned

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about,” says Matt.. “Because farmers are often very private people, we have to respect their dignity. Sometimes the way to go is putting anonymous vouchers in their letterboxes. or as we have now had to do, identify strategic locals who are like ‘secret squirrels’ who keep us in the loop as to which families need direct assistance now.”

To view Matt’s video and find out more about Feed A Farmer’s Family, visit https://generocitychurch.com.au

CITY & COUNTRY IN PARTNERSHIP

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etersham AOG in Sydney is one of the oldest churches in the movement, and has a long history of relating to country churches and ministries. Pastor ANDREW HUNTER shares how their church support and partnership with Western Air Ministries has been a great blessing.

Petersham AOG’s relationships with country churches have always been one of mutual encouragement with a desire to assist each other in fulfilling the Great Commission. With the ongoing drought affecting many outback areas of New South Wales, we asked Dave & Kerry Jackson of Western Air Ministries if we could help them in any way with the great work they have been doing for so many years.

Many of us would know Dave & Kerry or someone similar to them – those quiet achievers who just get about the Lord’s work. We have found that a friendly phone call, a word of encouragement and over time building that relationship with a desire to assist those on the ground with what

they are doing allows reciprocal rewards which are amazing.

Sometimes just asking “How we can help?” has opened doors to great opportunities.

For the work we do with Western Air Ministries, we have named our Missions Team ‘Farmers Outreach’. Apart from being able to provide financial support to Western Air Ministries, we have had opportunities to take teams to the longterm drought region to see first hand the day-to-day life of our drought affected farmers and communities.

As an accessible ‘missions’ trip’, we have seen new believers inspired and long-term church members ‘re-fire’with a passion to get about the Lord’s work, showing the love of the Father by meeting practical needs of ‘real’ people, doing it tough.

We have found the teams return and build on their individual and team relationships and display a greater sense of community within our church and a greater desire to reach those in the communities outside the walls of our church building.

Partnering with Western Air and the

Hay Run April 2018. From left: David & Kerry Jackson from Western Air ministries with Andrew Hunter (centre) and a team from Petersham AOG.

country churches associated with Dave and Kerry, has enabled everyone who is part of the ministry, whether as a participant on the trips, as an admin or financial partner or as part of the prayer support network, to take a real sense of being part of the ministry.

Visiting a drought-stricken region in our ‘own backyard’, and spending time with the farmers who have been living this life for many years is an eye-opening experience and to have the privilege to share this via stories, testimonies, videos or photos and inspiring others to be involved has been a great blessing to us at Petersham.

– Andrew Hunter

SUPPORT THE NOVEMBER NYNGAN NUDGE 16 - 18 November 2018 This is an open invite event to anyone interested in visiting the real drought region for a weekend. Petersham AOG is taking a team out to Nyngan for a few days to support 3CN by offering practical help and to bless to the community. They are organising a family Saturday afternoon event with a car/bike show, live band, jumping castles and a ride or two with a sausage sizzle.

To bless the community, they will visit the cafes, shops and restaurants, stay in the cabins, motels, and then visit 3CN church on Sunday morning.

For more info, email: novembernyngannudge@gmail.com

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COMMUNITY ACTION

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he Church is responding to the call to action as we provide practical assistance, support and literal lifelines to our drought effected farmers and communities.

The first step is deciding what you can do to help.

A good place to start is asking the question what’s already in your hands that you could use for our farmers doing it tough? We have so many generous people in the ACC and here are a few examples of those who asked that question and came up with amazing initiatives to help our farmers:

struggling for years with severe drought conditions that affect their crops, cattle and sheep. They are under extreme pressure to provide food and water and to farm their properties and, as a consequence, are suffering financially and with their health as they battle these conditions and try to cope with the banks pressuring them to pay mortgages and threatening eviction.

News of Generocity Church’s campaign to Feed A Farmer’s Family made news in the local Cobar Weekly newspaper.

Through Western Air Ministries, David and Kerry provide food and essentials parcels for dozens of families throughout the west plus organise semi-trailers loads of hay to be delivered to the farms to feed the animals.

Donating goods Working in conjunction with a Job Active Provider, Citywide Skills and Services in Queensland utilised local volunteers and some unemployed members of their community who purchased and collected a variety of donated goods and products for local farmers. A van full of long life food, personal items and personally hand-crafted and written cards of encouragement was delivered to Kilcoy. Local chemists and local stores all were willing to contribute when they discovered this effort would assist local farmers. The response was very favourable and encouraging for all involved. Something great happens when we give in tough times.

David’s compassion for these people is second to none and he has travelled over 700,000 klms ministering to these needy people with practical aid as well as providing counsel and assistance with more personal matters that these people face on a daily basis. David is an incredibly generous person and voluntarily gives of his time, his finances and his compassion. Not so long ago he had an operation to remove a brain tumour and is still recovering, but he is so passionate about helping these people he has not allowed his own circumstances to hinder his work throughout ‘God’s own country’, as he fondly describes western NSW.

Food for farmers and stock

Fund-raising

Pastor David and Kerry Jackson who run Western Air Ministries from Gilgandra, travel extensively to assist people in some of the most drought affected areas of NSW. Many of these farming families have been

Lighthouse recently partnered with a local business Station Square Brewers, with every coffee sold for 24 hours, fifty cents went to help our local farmers. Little things can make a big difference.

WHAT’S ALREADY IN YOUR HANDS THAT YOU COULD USE FOR OUR FARMERS DOING IT TOUGH?

MAKING NEWS

TAX DEDUCTIBLITY UPDATE Western Air Ministries is now able to provide tax deductiblity on donations to their hay runs through Western Air Care Incorporated as it has been registered as a PBI with the ACNC.

What’s in your hands that you could use? Imagine if every church developed partnerships like this. What a relief we could bring to those who are in crisis in our nation.

– Paul Bartlett

David Jackson and drought affected horse

– PAUL BARTLETT

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Drought Relief Appeal www.accimissions.org.au/mdisaster

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DEALING WITH

DEPRESSION & SUICIDE

BY RALPH ESTHERBY

SUICIDE IS THE LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH FOR ADULTS AGED BETWEEN 15 AND 44 IN AUSTRALIA.

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2016).

Causes of Death, Australia 2015,

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Photo: Andrew Hunter

EVERY YEAR, ABOUT 3,000 PEOPLE IN AUSTRALIA DIE BY SUICIDE. THAT’S AN AVERAGE OF 8 PEOPLE EVERY DAY.

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n June I travelled to central New South Wales and spent a wonderful few days with our pastors and leaders who are ministering to their communities in the midst of the drought.

This drought is clearly a ‘depressive change in circumstances’ – feeding stock by hand, waiting week after week for the promise of rain, watching crops fail, culling stock and knowing that there is not going to be an income for the foreseeable future are enough to get anyone down. I spent some time talking to farmers about managing depression and dealing with thoughts of suicide.

I am not suggesting that there is nothing that we can do to help them, quite the contrary. I strongly advocate getting some professional help but I also believe that there are many practical and spiritual things that we can do as pastors, leaders and chaplains.

Some things NOT to do: • Don’t try to ‘jolly them out of it’ .

• Don’t quote a list of scriptures proclaiming that they should overcome it.

• Don’t say anything that adds judgement or guilt to what already is a very full plate.

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Some things that really help:

e all face ups and downs; we experience days that are filled with joy and others that are crammed with sorrow and despair. The Bible speaks of the ebb and flow of seasons and the fact that there is a ‘time for every purpose under heaven’. Most of the time we navigate the changing tides of our circumstances but sometimes, no matter how hard we try, we find ourselves not being able to ‘bounce back’ or not even being able to ‘bounce’ at all.

• Offer unconditional support and understanding • Let them know that you are there in the midst of the dark valley they travel.

• Remind them of what the Word has to say about people who are suffering – the Lord is near them, even when they don’t feel Him. One of the things to be aware with when people are struggling with depression is that they may also be experiencing thoughts of suicide. Not every depressed person is suicidal but a ‘depressed mood’ coupled with a ‘depressive change in circumstances’ places the individual in a higher risk group for thoughts of suicide.

Between 6-7% of people aged 16-85 will struggle with a depressive disorder in the next 12 months. Depression is not just about feeling sad. Sadness and grief are a normal part of life but depression is something very different.

Depression is a mood disorder. It occurs over a protracted period, lasting for at least two weeks. It affects the emotions, the thinking, the behaviour, the physical wellbeing, the ability to study, the work we do and the satisfaction that comes from relationships.

People struggling with depression are often unaccountably tired, feel worthless or guilty, struggle with normal activities or decision making, have interrupted sleep, are unable to settle or have overwhelming feelings.

Risk of suicide What this means is that if someone is already struggling with depression and then something particularly negative happens in their life, then their risk of suicide has increased.

Apart from the suggestions already listed I am adding a response on what to do if you suspect the person is thinking about suicide.

The simple action to take is to ask them – directly and without hesitation – “Are you thinking of killing yourself?”

Depression is described as ‘The Black Dog’ that is with you wherever you go. As one woman told me recently “It is like being trapped in a dark pit with super slippery walls…there is just no way out!”

The directness of the question and the open way you ask it will usually get an honest response.

If they answer “Yes”, then you need to ensure that they get immediate help, refer them to a Chaplain or take them to their GP or the hospital.

Understanding issues that people face in the area of mental health is a valuable asset to the individual who is seeking to minister to our diverse community. We are going to encounter individuals who are struggling with depression and it is important that we offer them effective help – and the good news is that the right help will actually help. Most people when supported with effective assistance recover from depression and move forward to productive and satisfying lives.

If you deem it an immediate risk and they refuse the help you offer then call 000.

In 2016 there were 2866 people who died by suicide in Australia.

It is a national problem and one our pastors and pastoral care workers need to be equipped in. I would encourage you to take a course which upskills you in these areas.

The best option for depression is early intervention. The earlier assistance is found the earlier recovery can start. This also reduces the depth of the depression and can limit the areas that are impacted. The best intervention is found in effective support – whilst we will obviously offer them prayer and encouragement, the best place to start is by referring them to a GP. The depressive condition can have many ‘moving parts’ and the GP will be able to point the person towards further effective treatment options.

This might involve a psychologist or in cases of severe depression a psychiatrist.

Further training There are short courses available in Mental Health and Suicide as well as the Chaplaincy Training courses which cover these areas in detail. The Ministers Chaplaincy Upgrade Course is a great example which upskills you over three days to understand these issues and respond accordingly.

For more details of training options visit www.chaplaincyaustralia.com

Ralph Estherby is the national director of Chaplaincy Australia..

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DEPRESSION AMONG CHURCH LEADERS A PROBLEM FOR US ALL

BY MAL FLETCHER

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Like leaders of any stripe, in any sector, church and other religious leaders need benchmarks and heroes from whom they can learn and whose example inspires them to reach for more.

Sometimes, however, the glittering prize proves to be perennially out of reach.

he news media recently carried the story of a young church minister in California who committed suicide. His wife, though aware that he suffered from depression and anxiety, was in no way prepared for this outcome.

“Never in a million years would I have imagined this would be the end of his story,” said Kayla Stoecklein of her beloved husband, Andrew. He left behind three young children. His death has inspired many other pastors to write online about their struggles with mental health.

Faced with the resulting frustration, most people adjust their expectations. However, for individuals already struggling with identity or anxiety, this can prove harmful.

The fact that religious leaders will suffer in this way is not just a problem for churches. It poses a challenge for the wider society because religious groups - especially churches - carry a huge load in terms of helping to alleviate suffering among the deprived and dispossessed in society.

Until now, little has been said or written about the issue of church leadership and depression. Yet there is no reason to believe or expect that religious leaders should not be impacted by an issue which, according to the World Health Organisation, now affects 300 million people worldwide.

Many smaller charities are directly linked to local churches.

Moreover, some of the biggest and most famous British charities have historically owed their existence to churches, though they may now play down the connection.

In the UK, there is little data on the scope of mental health problems among church leaders. Yet levels of depression among the wider population suggest that more than a few will suffer from it.

In 2013, the Office of National Statistics said that nearly one-fifth of British adults suffer from either anxiety or depression. In the US, the National Institute of Mental Health estimated that 16 million adults had at least one major depressive episode during 2015. In Australia, 3 million people are living with anxiety or depression, and it is estimated that one in seven Australians will experience depression in their lifetime. No matter how strong their personal faith, church and other religious leaders cannot hope to be immunised from the effects of such a global problem.

Mental health problems among religious leaders do not represent a problem for their various denominational groups alone. In many cases, they represent a problem for society.

For many church leaders, the problem of depression or anxiety will be exacerbated by the psychological and emotional burden inadvertently placed upon them by parishioners and peers. A part of this is the expectation that they should somehow have their lives completely “together”.

This is especially true in those wings of the modern church where leadership has taken on a more corporate or even ‘tribal’ and less collegiate form. By ‘tribal’, I do not mean primitive in any sense. I certainly do not mean dictatorial, though that danger always exists.

Social media have helped to spread the success stories of a relatively small number of rapidly growing mega-churches. (I’m referring here mainly to churches in which more than 10,000 people gather on a Sunday.) Leaders of these churches, at home and abroad, are often seen as role models for pastors of much smaller groups.

I mean that in some churches leaders are expected to represent everything other people aspire to be. They are expected to be at least a little more patient, tolerant, accepting of criticism, culturally aware and compassionate than the average citizen.

The scope of their success is viewed as a realistic goal, despite the fact that their growth represents a statistical exception rather than the norm.

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IT IS TIME FOR CHURCHES AND OTHER RELIGIOUS GROUPS TO TAKE SERIOUSLY THE POTENTIAL FOR MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES AMONG THEIR LEADERS.

In some quarters, church leadership has also become more corporate, in the sense that senior leaders are expected - by governments as much as anyone else - to be as business savvy as CEOs of large companies.

–MAL FLETCHER

Some are encouraged by the weight of peer pressure to engage with an audience beyond their congregations via electronic media.

(This is especially a problem in parts of the United States.) Of course, not everyone is gifted for this particular brand of communication. More than a few leaders become frustrated with their inability to break into media in any significant way.

Neither churches nor their ministers had levels of income to support this. And there was little or no tolerance of this notion within the local or wider church, especially where most congregations were comprised predominantly of working-class people.

Meanwhile, church leaders are sometimes expected to be as naturally charismatic as prominent figures in politics or entertainment. Celebrity has become so much part of the fabric of everyday life, that it can’t help but influence the attitudes of some parishioners to the gifted men and women who stand before them each Sunday.

Arguably, too, there was little need for the sabbatical, except perhaps in relatively rare cases where ministers suffered from diagnosed clinical depression or other anxiety disorders. The trend for sabbaticals is a modern one; it demonstrates the pressures placed upon many church leaders.

This weight of expectation is both unrealistic and dangerous. For one thing, it can be harmful to self-esteem. It can set church leaders up for an eventual fall, be that moral or financial, by encouraging in them a lack of accountability; a sense that their choices will be above reproach by virtue of their position.

It is time for churches and other religious groups to take seriously the potential for mental health issues among their leaders.

In some religious leaders, unrealistic expectations lead to strained familial ties. A pastor cannot possibly be a perfect marriage partner or parent. Yet many, consciously or inadvertently, place that expectation upon themselves. Some find that their partners or children expect from them what they cannot deliver.

It is time for all of us, religious or not, to offer at least moral and, if we can, practical support to those leaders whose efforts, directly and indirectly, promote the common good.

Mal Fletcher is a speaker, social futurist and media commentator (BBC etc), based in London. He is chairman of the 2030Plus think tank and an ACC minister.

No individual who seeks to expound biblical truth should be expected to, completely and at all times, live up to the standards it presents. They should be expected to try - but that should be the expectation of every believer. If teachers and preachers held off speaking until they’d personally mastered every part of their message, nothing would ever be preached.

Published with permission. © Copyright 2020plus.net with Mal Fletcher

In recent times, a trend has developed in which leaders of churches large and small take sabbaticals after a lengthy period in ministry. In previous generations, this was considered unusual.

19

FREE RADICALS

BY GREG SHERIDAN

20

‘GOD IS GOOD FOR YOU’ is the new book by respected Australian journalist GREG SHERIDAN, who spent time at Planetshakers as part of his research. The following extract from Chapter 8 reveals his impressions of this dynamic ministry and the Pentecostal church.

T

On the other side of the building is a music recording studio and a little television studio. Planetshakers posts a lot of spots on YouTube. The Planetshakers band is huge in Christian music, in Australia and internationally, and from everything I hear that day it’s good quality, musically somewhere between upbeat soft pop for the slow numbers and rock ’n’ roll for the rest. If I’d paid good money to go to the service as a rock concert I would have felt it was good value.

he city campus at Planetshakers doesn’t look like a traditional church. I spend most of a Sunday there and find the place and the people invigorating, full of energy, as friendly as a bowl of punch on a hot afternoon and guilelessly likeable.

Pentecostals, like most Christians, generally get a bad press in the mainstream media these days. They know all about that.

They’re okay with it, neither too fussed nor too paranoid.

They don’t want their efforts misunderstood, but their efforts look pretty clear to me. Inscrutability is not a feature commonly associated with Pentecostals. They may sometimes speak in tongues, but when they speak English they make themselves as clear as day. You would have to work hard to misunderstand what the folks at Planetshakers are on about.

The building has a chic ‘distressed’ aesthetic all the way through. During the day I meet both the founder, Pastor Russell Evans, and his collaborator, Pastor Neil Smith. They transformed the building when they took it over to remove, downstairs at least, any accretions of stuffy office-style formality. They emphasised the industrial look: strong, stark, bold, almost modern brutalism. Black steel beams and bare bricks abound. But with its huge ceilings and cavernous spaces, combined with busy clusters of activity and lots of people, it doesn’t feel unwelcoming. It’s a coherent, inner-city aesthetic, but an aesthetic rarely turned to the purposes of God, or at least not to the purposes of God through organised religion.

The city campus in Melbourne is a huge converted warehouse. Over the course of several hours I wander around most of it. There is a big, central auditorium, which is where they have their church services. This consists of a large stage, on which the band plays, the preachers preach and the announcers announce. There’s a big space just in front of the stage where people come forward when they are called or when the Spirit moves them. And hundreds of chairs.

Upstairs there are offices, conference rooms, work areas and lots and lots of computer terminals. The total staff establishment is around 80, a big workforce for any Christian organisation in Australia.

Outside the auditorium space is a big, contemporary coffee shop with foaming lattes and sweets, beside it another big informal get-together space, a little kiosk selling Planetshakers music and memorabilia. There is a children’s playground, with a nominal entry charge, of the type you see these days in a lot of shopping centres. Parents, mostly mums, can bring the kids to play and supervise them from a short distance while they have a coffee and chat with other parents. In such a dense, inner-city part of Melbourne, this is a useful and muchpatronised resource.

Pentecostalism is the fastest growing branch of Christianity.

In its modern form it was originally a movement within evangelical Protestantism. There is now a huge swag of churches which identify themselves denominationally as Pentecostal.

There are also Pentecostal traditions within the mainline churches. There is a first cousin in Catholicism, a big, lively and growing ‘charismatic’ movement (charismatic and Pentecostal are almost interchangeable terms; the former connotes a slightly more conservative ambience).

Round the corner from the kids’ room, on the other side of the auditorium, is an indoor basketball ring, not quite a fullsize court but a bit more than just a ring and circle to shoot from. The day I’m there a bunch of kids are hanging out with a pastor and shooting some hoops. There is a designated catch-up lounge where newcomers can talk to Planetshakers pastors and staff. The day I visit, the principal of the Planetshakers College is there, ready to answer any questions.

Modern Pentecostalism had the most unlikely roots. It grew out of the Azusa Street revival in the first years of the 20th century. This was a mixed-race church in Los Angeles led by the African American William Seymour, the son of freed slaves.

There were Pentecostal preachers before Seymour, but he pioneered the new style with its very heavy emphasis on the 21

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PLANETSHAKERS UPDATE

THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS, CERTAINLY MORE THAN HALF A BILLION, PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD WHO WOULD NOW DESCRIBE THEMSELVES AS PENTECOSTALS – GREG SHERIDAN

gifts of the Holy Spirit.

The two most controversial gifts, let’s get right to the point, are healing and speaking in tongues. Seymour’s church experienced a great deal of speaking in tongues.

PLANETSHAKERS CHURCH is now in its 14th year and God has been incredibly faithful! We currently have five campuses in Melbourne with 15,000 people calling Planetshakers Church their ‘home’.

When Holy Spirit gave us the mandate to be ‘planet –shakers’, we never dreamed that the impact would be so vast! We are truly humbled to be a part of the ACC movement and to be used by God to see His Kingdom come in the city of Melbourne and all over the planet.

Multitudes of lives have been impacted for Christ since its start, with Planetshakers seeing over 65,000 people make decisions for Christ. On average, we now see 189 salvations on a weekly basis making this one of the most exciting seasons in our history!

As a church, we strongly believe in a culture of prayer and now see over 700 people attending 7am prayer meetings weekly and over 1,500 people attending our combined monthly prayer meetings.

Likewise, we strongly believe in the power of discipleship which has resulted in over 3,300 Planetshakers people attending small groups fortnightly all over the city.

Every Sunday over 150,000 people all over the world view our services online. We have launched four international campuses in the continents of Europe, Africa, Asia and the USA, which are all enjoying significant growth. In addition to two annual conferences held in Australia, Planetshakers runs three international conferences with over 50,000 people in attendance. Our band tours the world playing to over 400,000 people annually, face-to-face, in worship concerts.

Our music is sung by millions of people all over the world and almost 150 million people have viewed Planetshakers on Youtube!

We are now seeing the dream of ‘discipling nations’ become a reality by helping to bring systemic change and Kingdom-impact throughout the Earth. We can only echo the words of Ephesians 3:21, “To Him be the glory in the church”, giving Jesus all of the praise and honour for what He is doing in and through us as a church!

– Russell Evans

The chief New Testament passage which inspires the Pentecostals about the gifts of the Holy Spirit is found in Acts of the Apostles.

The passage reads: When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability. (Acts 2:1–4) There is a lot more about speaking in tongues in the New Testament, and about healing, but this passage about the gifts of the Spirit is central and, as you’d expect, subject to great disagreement about interpretation. Some Christians argue that the specific gifts of the Spirit described applied only to the times of Jesus’ first followers, to get the ball rolling, so to speak, and were not applicable later. Other mainline denominations have occasionally pointed out that it would be easy to mistake hysteria, or even charlatanry, for such gifts. On the other hand hysteria and charlatanry are dangers in many areas of human activity. You watch out for them but don’t need to avoid things that are good in themselves.

And there is no denying the sincerity and force of Pentecostalism as a global Christian movement. There are hundreds of millions, certainly more than half a billion, people around the world who would now describe themselves as Pentecostals.

The Azusa Street revival seems to have the right feeling about it, in the sense of God perhaps choosing to offer inspiration to an unheralded and anonymous little group of marginalised black people in America without enough money even to rent their own church at the start of their efforts in Los Angeles.

Published with permission. © Greg Sheridan 2018 This is an extract from God is Good for You by Greg Sheridan (Allen & Unwin) available in all good bookstores and online.

22

UNITED WE STAND VIC

FRIDAY 17 AUGUST 2018 QLD

One Friday night in mid August, youth groups gathered across Australia for Youth Alive’s annual United We Stand.

“With 27 500 in attendance across the states and 3,250 responses to Christ, it is obvious that when we unite for and with our young people, something powerful is unleashed,” reported Youth Alive national director Cameron Bennett..

THANK YOU “A massive thank you to Pastor Wayne Alcorn, the biggest champion of our young people, all the senior pastors that hosted a UWS in their venue and our amazing state and regional directors who carry the vision in their hearts. To all the hundreds of incredible youth pastors and leaders, you stepped up to unite like never before! Thank you.

To all the musos, singers, sound, lighting, production, graphic designers, chaplains, bus drivers, cleaners and mums and dads, you all played a roll that helped pull off this historic event! Thank you all! This is just getting started.

WA

www.youthalive.com.au

NSW

TAS 23

SA

UNDER ATTACK

FREEDOM OF SPEECH

BY JAMES MACPHERSON

24

JAMES MACPHERSON examines two examples of freedom of speech by Australian Christians – Julian Porteous and Israel Folau – who were taken to task and made media headlines for weeks.

W

hen Catholic Archbishop of Hobart Julian Porteous wrote a booklet entitled ‘Don’t Mess with Marriage’, it never occurred to him that the Tasmanian AntiDiscrimination Commissioner was about to mess with him.

and wasted a year of his life agonising over whether or not he would be criminalised for expressing his sincerely held religious belief. Commissioner Robin Banks didn’t need to punish Bishop Porteous. The process was the punishment.

The Catholic bishop was merely doing what Catholic bishops do. He wrote a booklet outlining Catholic doctrine for Catholic parents interested in Catholic teaching.

The activist could afford to drop her case against the Catholic Bishop because she didn’t need a judgment in her favour in order to win. She merely needed to make an example of one minister, and a thousand ministers across the country, not wanting the expense or the stress of being dragged before the courts, could be counted on to censor themselves.

That’s when a transgendered activist and federal Greens candidate stepped in.

The activist complained to the Commission that the booklet was insulting. As well as an apology, she demanded that Catholic Education implement a lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex awareness program for all staff and students.

The case against Bishop Porteous was dropped, yet the law in Tasmania remains. I was with pastors in Hobart earlier this year, and they were well aware that if they say the wrong thing, there is nothing stopping someone from claiming to have been offended and then hauling them before Robin Banks’ successor.

It’s a mystery why she did not go further and insist that Catholic boys and girls also be taught - in between learning to “love thy neighbour” and “do unto others as you would have them do unto you - about a-sexuals, andro-sexuals, gyne-sexuals and pan-sexuals. But baby steps, right?

Think about that for a moment. If you say the wrong thing in Tasmania - and by the ‘wrong thing’, I mean the suddenly unfashionable thing - there’s a Government bureaucrat who can punish you.

In Tasmania, it is illegal to engage in conduct that insults, offends or humiliates someone on the basis of their sexual orientation if it is reasonable to anticipate that someone might be insulted.

Hell breaks loose Israel Folau used to be known for his exploits on the rugby field. But one fateful day earlier this year, when asked a question on social media about God’s plan for homosexuals, he foolishly gave his honest opinion - that gays would go to hell unless they sought forgiveness.

So you have to anticipate the feelings of complete strangers before you say anything. And failing to correctly anticipate how your words might make someone whom you’ve never met feel, can put you in breach of the law.

Well all hell did break lose, against Israel Folau.

This was Bishop Porteous’ mistake! He should have anticipated that a transgendered activist might intercept his letter to Catholic parents and be suddenly offended by Catholic teaching that has been well known for 2000 years.

Suddenly, a footballer’s opinion about the afterlife created more outrage than the fact that Australia hasn’t won a Rugby World Cup in almost 20 years.

Tasmania’s Anti-Discrimination Commissioner Robin Banks (a great name if ever there was one, but I digress) concluded that the complaint against Bishop Porteous had merit.

Australian Rugby boss Ralene Castle said that Folau’s religious belief about eternal judgment had been “the singularly most difficult thing” she had ever had to deal with!

Ms Banks said the Bishop’s booklet asserted “messing with marriage is messing with kids” and this was a problem because it “brings to people’s minds child abuse.”

Don’t worry that Rugby, unlike AFL, is not on free-to-air television. Forget that NZ Rugby has asked the ARU to reduce the number of Australian Super Rugby teams because they are worried about the poor standard of our players … the greatest challenge to Rugby Union in this country is a fullback’s musings on eternal damnation.

Bishop Porteous was to be held responsible not only for the words he wrote but also for the thoughts that might come to mind when people, lacking in basic comprehension skills, read them.

The ARU boss told The Australian newspaper: “I really wish I could sit here and say that by sanctioning him we’ll fix it. But it really is not that simple because of the freedom-of-speech element.”

So Tasmanian taxpayers were to fund an investigation into whether or not Catholic teaching on sex and marriage might be offensive to a transgendered activist with an eye on garnering much needed publicity for an upcoming tilt at a federal election.

The Anti-Discrimination Commissioner was not just robbin’ banks!

Ah yes, that pesky freedom of speech element. You know, where people’s speech can’t be controlled by their betters. And trust me, our betters would love nothing better than to control our speech.

The activist eventually dropped her complaint, but only after Bishop Porteous had spent thousands of dollars on lawyers

The former Human Rights Commission President, Gillian 25

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Triggs, told a crowd in Hobart last year that: “Sadly you can say what you like around the kitchen table at home.”

Well what is this country coming to when, from Hobart to Cairns, families are still able to speak freely around their kitchen tables!

IF EVERYBODY ONLY SAYS WHAT EVERYBODY AGREES, THEN THERE’S NO NEED FOR FREEDOM OF SPEECH. – JAMES MACPHERSON

If only a bureaucrat could sit at every dinner table around the nation, adjudicating what family members can and can’t say to one another!

It sounds ridiculous. But the ridiculous people are not joking.

The same people who rightly insist that they should not be told what to do in their bedrooms, want the power to tell you what you can say in your kitchen.

The question is not whether you agreed with Israel Folau. The question is whether he should have the right to say what he thinks. And be careful how you decide.

Because the same principle you use to deny Folau the right of expression is the very principle that may well be one day used to deny you of yours.

Australian rugby sponsors said their commitment to diversity and tolerance meant they could not tolerate Folau’s divergent view. They would celebrate diversity by using their sponsorship to enforce conformity.

They insisted that rugby must prove it was all about inclusion, and how better to celebrate inclusion than by excluding Folau …. because of his views on what happens after you die, for goodness sake!

It must have been a surprise to Folau to learn that corporations had such strong convictions about what does and does not happen after a person gives up the ghost.

The difference between Folau and the corporate sponsors was this - and it’s significant. Whilst Folau said he believed homosexuals would be judged in the afterlife, those who disagreed with Folau wanted him judged now!

You tell me who is the greater danger; the religious footballer who, in answer to a question, says he believes some people will be punished after they die; or his detractors who say that someone must be punished in this life, merely for what they believe about the next?

A Qantas spokesperson said Folau’s comments were disappointing. Well God forbid that any of us hold religious views that might disappoint an airline.

But here’s the part of the Folau story which was truly frightening. And it didn’t get anywhere near enough media focus. One

of Australia’s Human Rights Commissioners told the media he would make himself available to counsel Israel Folau about “how better to express his views”.

How thoughtful. We now have a Government bureaucracy of highly paid public servants who make themselves available, via the media of course, to help you better express your religious views.

Human Rights Commissioner Edward Santow told the media: “I will write to the Australian Rugby Union to offer to meet with Folau - to hear his side of the story, and to discuss how he can live out his faith while being conscious of the impact his words can have on others.”

What qualifies Mr Santow to tell Israel Folau - or anyone else for that matter how to “live out your faith”?

Here’s the frightening thing; in an inclusive culture, it increasingly seems that the logical next step is for dissenting voices to need State permission to speak.

What seems to have been missed in this whole episode is that not a single Australian Human Rights commissioner sprang to the defence of a Polynesian Christian who was being vilified and threatened with sanction for merely answering a question about this religion.

Just as not a single Human Rights Commissioner sprang to the defence of a Tasmanian Bishop who was being vilified and threatened with sanction for merely saying what Penny Wong, Julia Gillard and Barak Obama had all been saying a few years earlier.

Ralene Castle from the Australian Rugby Union said that she was trying to find a balance between Folau’s right to speak and other people’s right to not be offended.

She said that she was committed to helping Israel Folau “walk the line”.

It all sounds very reasonable, doesn’t it?

Striking a balance. Finding the line.

But what’s the point of free speech unless it’s for speech that is over the line and unbalanced?

26

If everybody only says what everybody agrees with, then there’s no need for freedom of speech. And if no-one is allowed to say anything that deviates from Governmentpoliced parameters, then speech is not free at all.

To be candid, it doesn’t seem like corporations or activists or government bureaucrats are that interested in striking much of a balance. They’ve drawn a line and they are increasingly outspoken about which side of that line they are on.

Whether it’s climate science or gay marriage or gender fluidity – one side has gleefully swapped that Voltaire line about disagreeing with what you say but defending to the death your right to say it, for an easier two-word phrase: “Shut up”.

This does not bode well for our future, particularly when it comes to the subject of religion.

Religion, properly understood, is our set of answers to the big questions. Where did we come from? What’s the purpose of life?

How do we determine what is right and wrong? What happens when we die?

If we are not free to honestly discuss those issues, without fear of being dragged before a Government tribunal or pushed out of our place of employment, we are left with something far worse than a few people with hurt feelings. We are left with an eerie silence.

We are left with a world in which everything has been settled. Science is settled. History is settled. Truth is relative.

Religion is neutered. There is nothing left to discuss, nothing left to learn and so nowhere left to go.

Free speech and a dynamic, growing, advancing culture are intimately linked. A culture that is too weak to bear a dissenting word on race or religion or gender fluidity or reef science is a society that will cease to grow and then decay and then decline, and fast.

As author Mark Steyn once said, a safe space is where a culture goes to die.

James Macpherson is the Senior Pastor of Calvary Christian Church and member of the ACC National Executive.

WHY

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM?

BY MARK EDWARDS

I

paintings, both in Australia and certainly overseas, someone had painted a figure of a deity. Usually that painting was near pictures of animals long since extinct but the meaning was clear. The painter had wanted supernatural help to find and kill the prey that would keep the tribe alive. The painter had the freedom to do this. The freedom to express one’s belief in a deity is indeed the oldest freedom known to the human race.

had waited two hours to see this particular political leader so, as you can imagine, in my mind I had rehearsed everything I was going to say. The topic was ‘Religious Freedom’ due to the government instituting an Inquiry into this subject. My role was to convince this politician that religious freedom in our nation should be taken seriously and must be protected.

Armed with very specific proposals on how this could happen I was ushered into the ‘room’ with the mandatory warning from a staff minister that the Minister has only twenty minutes for me. No pressure I thought, I’ve only waited for two hours.

Government has a duty to be more than a reactive legislative body; it has the obligation to protect this most ancient freedom. It is the freedom of an individual or community, in public or private, to manifest religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship, and observance without government influence or intervention.

After the usual polite conversation this particular politician with a reputation for his prestigious intellect looked at me and said, “Mark, how’s the legal action going against you?”

So with a fragile degree of confidence I told him I wasn’t exactly sure what he meant as I hadn’t a legal action against me.

Does that mean I can exercise that freedom without limits?

Some would like that but I certainly do not believe in that unfettered freedom. My freedom, as a Christian, is to exercise that freedom within the boundaries of the mandate of Jesus, which is to live out the Christian purpose of life. Put simply, that means, I exercise a love for my God and a love for my ‘neighbour’. It is inconceivable that my expression of freedom would deliberately depreciate another human being. My freedom is servant to the greatest commandment.

“Exactly,” he said. The next moments were insightful into the thinking of someone both supportive and opposed to formal religious freedom protection.

I believe in freedom of religion passionately and now is the time for all of us to pray that this ancient and unalienable freedom WILL be protected by our government.

Of anything he could have said to me, this took me completely by surprise. My immediate thought was, “Have I got a legal action against me – of course not – does he know something I don’t – of course not?”

The point he was making was simply that in all the years I had preached, has anyone sued me? Therefore why change the ‘status quo’, everything is working “just fine”?

Mark Edwards is Senior Pastor of City Hope Church in Ipswich QLD.

I took a deep breath as I recognised the potency of this moment. A silent prayer helped because my mind went blank.

Then I spoke. I told him that on the most ancient of cave 27

I N S I G N I F I C A N C E

A BIGGER THREAT THAN

PERSECUTION?

BY MIKE GORE

RIST

N CH

LLIO 15 MI

• 2

ARE IANS

• PAKISTAN T HE M

OST VIOLENT

A • NORTH KORE

IS THE MOST

E PERS

COUNTRY ON

E ON EARTH TO DIFFICULT PLAC

28

LY

L LOBA

DG CUTE

EARTH FOR C

HRISTIANS

FOLLOW JESUS

Source: Open Doors 2018 World Watch List

WE SHOULD BE RUNNING TOWARDS IT WITH COURAGEOUS OBEDIENCE, KNOWING THAT WHEREVER THE GOSPEL IS BEING SHARED, PERSECUTION EXISTS. Is persecution coming to Australia?

– MIKE GORE

As the Church wrestles with the rapidly changing nature of religious freedom in our country and the changing societal values around sex, gender, morality and family, this is without doubt one of the questions I am asked most often: Is persecution coming to Australia?

It’s a question that is rarely asked with positivity or optimism, and most always asked in fear and trepidation, but have you ever stopped to think about why people are persecuted?

generosity but without mentioning ‘Jesus’. It’s as though in those moments I sell Jesus out for the hope a receiving a ‘Yes’ or to protect myself from the fear and embarrassment of a ‘No’.

Every single instance of persecution in the Bible, whether it was directed at Jesus, His disciples or His followers, was always and only ever linked to a public profession of faith or a public outworking of a life devoted to faith in Jesus. Now more than 2,000 years later, nothing has changed. If the people we serve at Open Doors in more than 70 countries want persecution to stop. They need only stop sharing the gospel publicly, showing the gospel personally or living out the Gospel in community.

My friend in Central Asia told me, “There may be nothing more cruel than to leave Jesus out of our language because in those moments, all we’re doing is paving the wide road to hell with generosity and good deeds.”

The people I meet in Central Asia tell me that despite what their obedience will likely cost them, the simplicity of the Gospel is being able to articulate who Jesus is and what He has done in your life.

Their greatest reward is to one day see Him face to face and that Jesus is the most serious thing in their life. They tell me that in those moments of obedience, they’ve become used to water being their pavement. Can you imagine being so used to stepping out of the boat that the water felt like solid ground?

I believe in Australia if we continue to suppress public expressions of faith and remove Jesus from our language then as a church we are far more likely to slide into a place of insignificance than persecution and personally, that is a far more terrifying thought.

A conversation about the serpent

You see, unless there is a Jesus distinctive to our language then I fear that we are no better than the serpent who hears the voice of God but doesn’t obey. We shouldn’t be trying to avoid persecution.

We should be running towards it with courageous obedience, knowing that wherever the Gospel is being shared, persecution exists.

It reminds me of a conversation I had with a Christian friend who lives in a country that is closed to the Gospel.

“What does it mean to be wise as a serpent?”

This was the question my friend asked me as we stood outside a bustling cotton market in Central Asia, a region of the world that sees the violence of Islamic extremism and the relentless pressure of Communism collide.

Over the past few decades we have seen many western societies move from Christian values to anti-Christian sentiment and when you marry this with the rise of intolerant atheism and the lukewarm Church, you begin to see the potential implications of a Church defined by insignificance as opposed to passion in Jesus.

I didn’t have an adequate answer, so I chose to remain silent.

My friend continued, “Well tell me, can the serpent hear God?” Again, inadequacy and fear of getting it wrong rendered me silent.

However, I want to really encourage each of you reading this. The most visible, vocal and valiant expressions I see of Jesus within our culture come from the ACC movement. I don’t choose these words lightly and want to encourage you to keep leading your churches with a passion and courage that shares Jesus visibly, vocally and valiantly.

He said, “The serpent can hear God but doesn’t obey God…” My friend paused and, with a warm and genuine tone, smiled and said, “Sounds a lot like you, right?” He went on to say that the scriptures talk about the sheep and the shepherd. The sheep hear and obey His voice for they are His most valuable possession. The scriptures also talk about the 99 and the 1.

Let’s never forget the 99 and the one – the question is which one are you?

Then my friend said, “Have you ever thought that you might be the one? Because when I look at people in your country, I see people who claim to know God, but when He asks them to do something rarely obey.”

Mike Gore is the CEO of Open Doors Australia & New Zealand.

Open Doors has been serving the Persecuted Church for more than 60 years and works in more than 70 countries. More info: www.opendoors.org.au

To be honest, I’ve never thought I’m the one, but for the first time in my Christian walk I realised at that moment… I am the one.

I’m a sheep treasured and valued by the shepherd, I hear his voice but unless what I’m asked is safe, comfortable and guaranteed to work, I rarely obey. Looking back, I realise that in those moments of obedience, I often mask my evangelism with kindness and 29

GO

AND MAKE DISCIPLES

For the past 20 years BRYAN S*, 75, has lived in a ‘closed’ country in Asia, which is known for its persecution of Christians. In his time as an ACCI field worker, he learned to rely on ‘Dad’ in every situation. Bryan recently returned to Australia where ACC EMAG spoke to him about serving God in a foreign land. *Surname withheld for security reasons

Q: What led you to step out and go to a foreign country?

BRYAN: I was brought up in a moderate Christian home in New Zealand but later started going to a Pentecostal church. As a young man, I had a leaning toward Missions but it wasn’t until my friend who was going to a Bible School in Australia, challenged me to go with him. I was a little hesitant as I was very shy and hardly knew what to say to people. One Sunday morning I asked the Lord, “Do you want me to go or not? I need to know this morning.” At church there was a message in tongues and interpretation “That which is in your heart to do, do it” so I said, “All right Lord, but you will have to go with me” Then someone else stood up and had a verse of scripture for someone in the congregation,. It was Matthew 28: 19-20 and I knew it was for me.

I went out from that meeting determined to do what He wanted me to do and have experienced His provision all the way. I was 20 when I enrolled at the AOG Commonwealth Bible College (as it was known then). in Brisbane. Whatever was asked of me, I was determined to do, so when we had a prayer meeting I would take my turn at praying out loud every week. With Dad’s help, it turned me into a stronger Christian and helped me overcome my shyness.

After many years and different experiences God began to deal further with me and eventually the time came for me to put up my hand and go overseas.

Q: What happened that prompted you to go to the country in Asia that you have such a passion for?

BRYAN: God has heard the cries that have gone up because of the oppression and persecution in that country. He has been calling people to go and help release His people there, in the same way Moses was called. Before I ever went there, I saw a video of the underground church and realised they really knew how to intercede. We also had some teachers in Mackay who

spoke the language and helped me to understand a little bit more of their culture. Twice I went to deliver tracts and Bibles and after that I really felt that God had placed that nation on my heart. This was confirmed by prophecies and other people who were with me so, in August 1997 I entered the country to learn their language at a university .

Q: What are some of the challenges you faced and what helped you to overcome them?

BRYAN: .There were three main challenges: the culture, the language, and the sense of isolation.

When it comes to culture, there are a number of ways Dad helps you. First of all, read as much as you can of the history of the culture or about the development of the country over the years.

This helps you see why the culture is what it is today and so you can begin to understand today’s version.

The challenge of the language comes by trial and error as you will make mistakes and some could be very embarrassing; such as when I asked my teacher for a ‘kiss’ instead of if I could ask a ‘question’! The words have the same phonetic spelling but just said differently She took it in good light but it emphasised the need to be careful.

After a very intrepid time, I began to practice it. It was very hard for me and after many times of coming out of class and thinking “I wish I knew what she said.” I finally began to use it even when I did not understand the question. So many times my answer would not be related. However today it is a lot better and mostly I understand enough to have a conversation with folk.

The sense of isolation can be overcome by communication with back home and the sense that other people are praying for you. This was really brought to my attention this year when I had an accident and so many people from all over the world were Alun Davies celebrates Bryan at PanAsia 2018.

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praying for me. I am here today in answer to their prayers. Thank you for them. The other way is by being friendly as people will respond to someone who is friendly and kind. At first, many of my friends were from the English clubs I attended and they were so happy to spend time with you.

Q: What are some things that you would share to encourage others who have a similar passion to serve God in a foreign country?

BRYAN: First of all, make sure it is God’s call and develop a prayer support team that will keep behind you in your journey. Secondly, a major challenge is to develop a financial support base. It is one Q: Looking back, what was the greatest fruit of your time on of the most difficult things to do and you will need to keep it the mission field? before the Lord. My experience will not be everyone else’s but I BRYAN: I was in different places for over have found that because I had few people seventeen years., and in each place, there supporting me, I had to fund much of my were people who came to know the Lord. own support. It is only as you step out In my first year there were two who and do something that others get behind TWICE I WENT TO made a decision and I came back after a you and help you along. It was a hard period of leave back home, trying to raise DELIVER TRACTS AND journey but if Dad is behind you, He will funds, and one had started a home church BIBLES, AND AFTER never leave you alone and without food. which grew and grew. I am not sure how Sometimes I would smell some wonderful THAT I REALLY FELT many lives have been touched through her cooking and wished I could have some, THAT GOD HAD as they were handed over to others as then found myself boarding with a family PLACED THAT NATION she moved on to other things and is still and enjoyed their cooking.

ON MY HEART. reaching out to others.

Dad has a way of rewarding those who – BRYAN SCOTT In the second place, there were many are prepared to sacrifice for Him. I had each week who came to hear of the enough money to last me between six to Good News. Some remain to this day as nine years when I started and I wondered solid Christians. In the third place, it was a if I would make it until the time I could totally different situation and often I was claim a pension or not. But God was good ministering in the foreigners’ fellowship, and now it has lasted right up until now. and there was one lass who I was able to disciple and baptise in So always remember your finances are in Dad’s hands and He will water. There were many others who I could help along the way. never let you starve but will always provide for you wherever you What was the greatest? There is nothing greater than a life are. changed and transformed and growing in God. More info: www.accimissions.org.au

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IRL vs

ONLINE

RELATIONSHIPS <IN REAL LIFE>

BY CLAIRE MADDEN

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“Connected, yet lonely. Aware, yet lazy.”

– Chris (b.1998) “Appears well on the outside, but longing for emotional connection.”

– Andrew (b. 1996) “People are more connecting on social media than face to face.”

– Grace (b.1998)

T

he acronym ‘irl’ is short for ‘in real life’, used to distinguish comments online from situations in the real world offline. The fact that such an acronym has been developed as part of Gen Z’s lexicon highlights there is “real life” as distinct from perhaps ‘virtual life’. It highlights that the ubiquity of the internet, social networks and smart devices has created somewhat of an alternative ‘life’ and place where people are increasingly ‘hanging out’, like they used to just do in ‘real’ offline environments. The increased connectivity we have to each other has opened up an unprecedented number of connections that we can make and maintain with ease, yet it is worth considering the unintended consequences and implications of these technologies influencing more and more of our ‘real life’ and ‘real relationships’. development. Positive relationships also provide emotional, material and informational support in times of need and are even linked to improved immune responses, buffering of stress and faster recovery from illness. Social skills and appropriate behaviour are also best learned in the context of relationships with others.

Connected yet lonely Chris described his generation (Gen Z, born 1995-2009) as “Connected, yet lonely. Aware, yet lazy.” He went on, “Because everyone is so connected and everything comes so quickly, genuine relationships and patience have become extremely scarce!” Gen Z are hardwired towards socialisation and this underpins their approach to almost everything.

Rates of intentional cyber bullying among youth vary in current research, ranging anywhere from 10% to 40% depending on the context of the study and the age of the respondents. Averages suggest though that roughly 1 in 4 Gen Zs have been the victim of repeated cyber bullying at some stage. This is concerning as the effects of cyber bullying on wellbeing are extensive. ‘Real world’ effects include depression, feelings of sadness, anger, shame and frustration.

Those who neglect relationships or do not have a healthy social support network have been shown to be more likely to suffer from a decline in emotional wellbeing and depressive symptoms.

Loneliness and isolation, which can be experienced by many Gen Zs who are heavily absorbed with online interaction, can impact on mood and weaken the immune system. Contrastingly, people who are embedded in communities high on support, trust, information and norms are likely to have access to the relational resources that support healthy living and are therefore less prone to risky behaviours such as smoking or binge drinking. Family, school, home and community environments play a vital role in protecting young people from physical and emotional harm, which can have significant effects on their health and wellbeing both in the short term and throughout their adult life.

What does it mean for the Church?

What does this mean for the church and our communities? Having a presence on social media can help people stay connected, be kept up to date, have a place to share certain aspects of their lives.

Yet online communities bring with them new complexities that we must be aware of when leading and pastoring people. These online networks also fail to provide the emotional intimacy that they human heart desires and the sense of being authentically known and belonging – which can only truly be satisfied from being ‘irl’ and building offline relationships and community. Online connections have a role and a place, yet they will never replace what can be experienced in a genuine, loving community where people belong,

Having strong relationships in these spheres is not only crucial for personal development, it is necessary for providing various levels of support. When young people were asked in a study to indicate from a number of sources where they would turn for help with important issues in their lives, the top three sources listed were friends, parents and relatives, or family friends (86.7%, 76.4%, and 66.4% respectively). These relationships are integral to Gen Z (along with all the generations) maintaining positive relational wellbeing.

Claire Madden is a social researcher, keynote speaker, media commentator and author of Hello Gen Z: Engaging the Generation of Post-Millennials. www.clairemadden.com

The benefits of healthy relationships are well documented and include such positives as practical support, self-development, physical health improvements, access to opportunities and healthy social

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Do Ministry & Business belong together?

Sure they do.

We are offering a new opportunity to ministry/theology/divinity graduates of Alphacrucis College and other accredited theological colleges. You can now complete the Alphacrucis Bachelor of Business as an add-on to your previous studies. You will gain credit for your previous studies and may be able to complete a full degree as an add-on in two years of study. It can be completed full-time or part-time, on-campus or on-line.

business.ministry.ac

A L P H AC R U C I S C O L L E G E

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FROM SPORTS STAR TO THEOLOGY STUDENT Hungarian born PETRA KOVACS gave up her professional water polo career to study a Bachelor of Theology at the Sudney campus of Alphacrucis.

I

was born and raised in a tiny village of 400 people in Hungary. The national sport of Hungary is water polo and every child from a tender age is expected to participate and train. Early on I was identified as possessing a certain talent in the pool and underwent a rigorous training regime to perfect my skills.

This talent in the pool was a ticket out of my tiny village and away from a life of poverty and at the age of 16, I moved to the Netherlands to play water polo professionally.

At 17 I was offered a full scholarship to play water polo in the United States at California Baptist University and to study a Bachelor of Business. A kind Christian family took me in and for the first time I was exposed to the Gospel. For two years this family sowed kindness and love into my hardened heart and showed through their actions what the Gospel meant. In 2012 I came to love and know Jesus and was saved in every way imaginable. My life has not been the same since.

MY DEEPEST DESIRE IS TO BE SO FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT AND POSSESS SUCH A STRONG FOUNDATION OF THEOLOGY THAT I CAN BRING HIS WORD TO PEOPLE IN EASTERN EUROPE.

Despite the accolades and steady career which water polo afforded me, including training for the Olympics, I felt God ask me to lay it down to study His word, and Australia was where I needed to base myself.

It was my high profile water polo career which allowed me to be given Australian citizenship under a special ‘Extraordinary Talent’ provision and allows me to study at Alphacrucis and be based here. An enormous privilege and miracle that surely only God could have provided and foreseen when I was first placed in a pool at the tender age of six.

– PETRA KOVACS

Hungary is a post-communist country since 1989 and although my generation was born into freedom, the mentality of communism remains. The need for His word is very strong and currently there is no study Bible in Hungarian. My deepest desire is to be so filled with the Spirit and possess such a strong foundation of Theology that I can bring His Word to people in Eastern Europe and impart it regardless of their exposure to church and level of education.

Earlier this year, California Baptist University inducted me into their Hall of Fame as someone who acted as a “building block” to elevate their university to a higher level. As I stood on stage and collected my glass trophy I was struck by the improbability of my story. From impoverished farm girl in Hungary who didn’t even know who Jesus was and who only got her first pair of new shoes at the age of 16, to where I am today - on fire for His Word, surrounded by incredible teachers and mentors, determined to bring the Gospel to Eastern Europe. Only God could do this.

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Q&A with SUSAN

MARCUCCIO

THE IMPORTANCE OF

PROFESSIONAL SUPERVISION Q: What is Professional Supervision, and why is it so important for pastors?

SUSAN: Professional Supervision (Pastoral) provides a safe, confidential space for pastors to discuss what’s happening in their ministry, with someone who is trained to provide this support. It follows the Biblical principle of having partners in ministry, modelled

by Jesus in Matthew 6: 6, 7, 30-32, providing encouragement, accountability and time out to rest and reflect. It helps people to identify their core values and to understand more about themselves and why they respond or react the way they do. Supervision helps people to thrive in ministry, to discover what they love to do, how to make good choices, have good boundaries and practice holistic self-care. One of the great flow on effects of this is the health of our churches.

Q: In what vocations is Professional Supervision mandatory?

SUSAN: Professional Supervision (Clinical) is standard practice for most people working in the helping professions such as counselling, psychology and social work. More recently Professional Supervision (Pastoral) has become either compulsory or highly encouraged by many Christian denominations for its ministers, chaplains and pastoral carers.

Q: What has encouraged the church to now recommend Professional Supervision for Pastors?

SUSAN: The Child Abuse Royal Commission Final Report (2017), recommended that “each religious institution should ensure that all people in religious or pastoral ministry, including religious leaders, have professional supervision with a trained professional or pastoral supervisor”. It is a duty of care issue, with a strong theological basis (Robinson, 2007).

Having Professional Supervisors that can assist pastors and leaders to work through ethical dilemmas and legal issues is so important in the times we are living in. With such a variety of complex situations 36

that churches now face, providing high quality care and knowing how to access vital resources is imperative. Supervisors are trained to assist in ensuring best practice.

Q: What are the dangers of not having supervision?

SUSAN: Supervision assists people to grow and develop both personally and professionally. When this doesn’t happen there is a gap and it sets people up to fail. Here is a simple diagram I developed that shows what can happen when those in leadership positions don’t have the emotional maturity to handle being in those positions. They tend to eventually either burnout or have a spectacular fall…

Q: What sort of feedback are you getting from pastors who receive supervision?

SUSAN: A well-known ACC pastor said to me recently, “I don’t know what I did before I had supervision. It just gives me so much clarity and perspective regarding situations in my ministry. Thank you…”.

To find a Professional Supervisor: www.chaplaincyaustralia.com/supervision/ How can someone become a Professional Supervisor? There is a supervisor training program held at Alphacrucis College. Visit: www. ac.edu.au/awards/graduate-certificate-professional-supervision-clin/

Q: How do you find a supervisor, and how often do you recommend seeing them?

SUSAN: It is recommended that people see a supervisor once a month or at least every second month. This way you don’t only deal with crisis situations but you begin to build resilience and engage in skills development and transformational learning. It not just about what you do, it’s about who you are. You are your best asset – you better look after yourself!

Susan Marcuccio is an ordained ACC Minister, ACC Chaplaincy Australia National Supervision Director, a Professional Pastoral Supervisor Trainer, and Chair of Training Standards for Australasian Association of Supervision (AAOS). For more information contact Susan: supervision@chaplaincyaustralia.com

Susan Marcuccio speaking at the Chaplaincy Conference

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CARING FOR

COMMUNITIES

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

CHAPLAINS REFRESHED

Plant, Grow, Harvest. The theme of the 2018 ACC Community Engagement Conference held in the iconic Yallah Woolshed on the South Coast of NSW. With Pastors and Leaders from across the country gathering to learn, be inspired and collaborate with the core purpose of finding authentic ways to engage with our communities.

The 150 Chaplains who gathered for the NSW/ACT Chaplaincy conference in Wollongong walked the ‘red carpet’ at the door and were greeted by applause and smiling faces.

The theme of the two days was ‘Caring for the Carer’ and focussed on making sure that our Chaplains received the well deserved acknowledgement of the incredible work that they do day by day and week by week in our communities.

National ACC Community Engagement Leader Paul Bartlett set the scene, asking all to consider that perhaps historic church thinking gathers and keeps people that fit within our models but can sometimes exclude the people in our communities that we ‘don’t get’ or they ‘don’t get us’.

Speakers included Pastor Paul Bartlett who spoke on the importance of rest and refreshment, Dr Bec Loundar who gave two brilliant sessions on Self-Care, Pastor Susan Marcuccio who expanded on the importance and nature of Professional Supervision, Rev Paul MacFarlane who spoke on the challenges of Ambulance Chaplaincy and how to have resilience on the front line, and Pastor Ralph Estherby closed the conference with a reminder that Jesus is the ultimate carer and that He is always caring for us.

Over the two days the company of inspiring speakers included author of ‘The Very Good Gospel’, Lisa Sharon Harper all the way from Washington DC; Jarrod McKenna, the co-founder of the First Home Project, for recently arrived refugees, from Perth; and Kara Martin, project leader with Seed and lecturer at Mary Andrews College. It was also great to hear from Andy Gourley, founder and Director of Red Frogs Australia, a global support program that provides direct relief from alcohol and drug related issues.

Chaplains were each given gifts, many were awarded with 10-year service pins, and everyone was encouraged, well fed and surrounded by support.

It was the biggest conference Chaplaincy Australia has held and the atmosphere was charged with potential and expectation for the future.

Over 40 people attended the ‘Building Strong Communities Workshop’ held the day before the conference, designed to practically equip people for strength-based community development. take part in the workshop. This workshop is available to be hosted in ACC churches across Australia, providing practical tools that will assist you in working with the community and asset mapping the strengths of your community.

A huge thank you to all our Chaplains for the incredible work you continue to do in touching our communities with the love of Jesus!

Conference partners provided opportunity to join with different organisations engaging their communities. Australians Together; Christians Against Poverty. Kids Hope Aus and Circuit Breaker The purpose of the conference was not merely just to listen to great speakers, actively involved in community space but actually to get all of the right people in the ACC in the room so we have ideas in conversation. Ideas in conversation are one of the strengths of our conference it is when we can actually share our knowledge around community engagement in our own local churches.

Our thinking was grown and challenged around what authentic engagement is and what does our community actually require in order to thrive.

Chaplains at The Woolshed in Wollongong

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LEADING THE WAY IN RISK MANAGEMENT RESOURCES

FOR CHURCHES, SCHOOLS AND MINISTRIES In 2006, ACS Financial published the first version of the Risk Management Guide, a comprehensive manual which helped pastors, leaders, board members and volunteers of churches and ministries navigate the often complex arena of risk management and insurance.

In an exciting new developement, we have brought this resource to life in a vibrant, interactive online resource, which puts hundreds of fact sheets, risk managment tools, Work Place Health and Safety policies, articles and other church related resources at your finger tips.

This amazing tool is available exclusively to ACS Insurance Services clients, and the best part - IT’S FREE! This comprehensive online Risk Management Guide will provide your organisation with an evolving resource portal which will be regularly updated with relevant articles, risk assessments and resources specifically geared to the unique needs of Churches and ministries.

Some of the key features of this resource will help you and your organisation to:

• Develop strategies to help you ensure good stewardship of the resources God blessed you with.

faith driven risk management

Risk Management Guide for Churches Caring for People • Property • Professional and Pastoral activities

• Resource your teams to identify and manage hazards not only at your venues but within your programs, enabling them to run effective and safe events.

COMPLETE WORKPLACE HEALTH AND SAFETY PROGRAM One of the most challenging matters facing churches today is the development and implementation of an Occupational Health and Safety program.

Organisations are now subject to strict legislative requirements around adoption of formal OH&S policies. Failure to comply can result in significant financial penalties.

Your new portal now includes the delivery of a comprehensive Workplace Health and Safety Policy strategy specifically geared for your church.

This new feature will help organisations meet their obligations in this area in a meaningful and purposeful way.

• Develop your own risk management program for your Church.

“Our Church clients will now have access to a complete WH&S program written for churches by a leading expert in the church space!”

This new online Risk Guide will take the headache out of developing church forms by providing you with easy downloadable customisable template documents including: • Risk Assessments • Asset Registers • Incident Reports Forms • Permission/Waiver Forms • Venue Hire Agreements • Volunteer Workers Applications • Annual Hazard and Review Schedules • Housekeeping and Property Maintenance Checklists

WISH YOU WERE AN ACS FINANCIAL CLIENT? Call: 1800 646 777 or visit www.acsfinancial.com.au 39

ABN: 91460778961

AFSL: 247388

NEW RELEASES

THROUGH MY FATHER’S EYES

By Franklin Graham

Most people know Billy Graham as the great evangelist but Franklin Graham knew him in a different way, as a dad. No one can speak more insightfully or authoritatively on that subject than a son who grew up in the shadow of his father’s life and the examples of his father’s love.

Billy Graham’s stated purpose in life never wavered: to help people find a personal relationship with God through a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. This was a calling that only increased over time, and Billy embraced it fully throughout his active ministry and beyond. Yet Billy pursued his life’s work, as many men do, amid a similarly significant calling to be a loving husband and father.

This vulnerable book is a look at both Billy Graham the evangelist and Billy Graham the father, and the impact he had on a son who walked in his father’s steps while also becoming his own man, leading ministries around the world, all of it based on the foundational lessons his father taught him.

“My father left behind a testimony to God,” says Franklin, “a legacy not buried in a grave but still pointing people to a heaven-bound destiny. The Lord will say to my father, and to all who served Him obediently, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant’ [Matthew 25:21].”

www.koorong.com

HOPE IN THE DARK Believing God is Good when Life is not

By Craig Groeschel

“I want to believe, I want to have hope, but…”

Pastor and bestselling author Craig Groeschel hears these words often and has asked them himself. We want to know God, feel his presence, and trust that he hears our prayers, but in the midst of great pain, we may wonder if he really cares about us. Can God be good when life is not?

In Hope in the Dark, Groeschel explores the story of the father who brought his demon-possessed son to Jesus, saying, “I believe! Help my unbelief!” In the man’s sincere plea, Jesus heard the tension in the man’s battle-scarred heart. He healed not only the boy but the father too.

Groeschel shares his pain surrounding the current health challenges of his daughter, and acknowledges the questions we may ask in our own deepest pain: “Where was God when I was being abused?” “Why was my child born with a disability?” “Why did the cancer come back?” “Why are all my friends married and I’m alone?” He invites us to wrestle with such questions as we ask God to honor our faith and heal our unbelief.

Rediscover a faith in the character, power, and presence of God. Even in the questions. Even now.

www.koorong.com

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GOD IS GOOD FOR YOU A Defence of Christianity in Troubled Times

By Greg Sheridan

The Judeo-Christian tradition has created and underpined the moral and legal fabric of Western civilisation for more than 2000 years, yet now we’re reached a point in both Australia and many parts of the West where Christianity has become a minority faith, rather than the mainstream belief. It’s a situation that’s fraught both for Christians and our wider society, where the moral certainties that were the foundation of our institutions and laws are no longer held by the majority.

At this point of crisis for faith, God Is Good For You shows us why Christianity is so vital for our personal and social wellbeing, and how modern Christians have never worked so hard to make the world a better place at a time when their faith has never been less valued. It carries a vital torch for Christianity in a way that’s closely argued, warmly human, good humoured yet passionate, and above all, convincing.

..................................................................................

“God is Good for You is insightful, compelling and challenging” –Wayne Alcorn, ACC National President

READ THE EXTRACT FROM GOD IS GOOD FOR YOU ON PAGE 21

TAPING OVER GOD

By Jim Stevens

What if there is more to God than we first thought? And what does God really want from us anyway?

Like so many others, Jim struggled with the unanswered questions about God, and the certainty with which many Christians seemed to present ideas about Him. But at the same time as he was uplled towards settling into cynicism, Jim was still continually drawn towards God with ongoing intrigue and the hope that God was better than he had thought.

In Taping Over God, ACC pastor Jim Stevens looks at how updating our early and less developed thoughts about God with deeper insghts and further conversations can lead to greater awareness of God and life, steering us towards richer and more meaningful relationship, maturity and repair for us and the world around us.

Taping Over God will confront the deep desire we all feel to be right and to have all the answers, and come through discovering practical ways to find and experience God.

www.koorong.com

LETTERS TO THE CHURCH

By Francis Chan

If God had it His way, what would our churches look like?

In his most powerful book yet, Pastor Francis Chan digs deep into biblical truths, reflections on his own failures and dreams, and stories of ordinary people God is using to change the world.

As Chan says, “We’ve strayed so far from what God calls Church. We all know it.

We know that what we’re experiencing is radically different from the Church in Scripture. For decades, church leaders like myself have lost sight of the inherent mystery of the Church. We have trained people sitting in the pews to become addicted to lesser things. It’s time for that to change.”

When Jesus returns, will He find us caring for His Bride—even more than for our own lives? Letters to the Church reminds us of how powerful, how glorious the Church once was … and calls us to once again be the Church God intended us to be.

www.koorong.com

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THE HEART OF MAN DVD

The Heart of Man is a cinematic retelling of the parable of the Prodigal Son, intertwined with contemporary and poignant true testimonies of personal and sexual brokenness. These two genres are combined as never before to reveal the compassionate heart of God the father for his sons and daughters illuminating an age-old truth: Shame is not a barrier to God’s love, but a bridge to absolute transformation, victory, freedom and hope.

Starring Robert Fleet (Father), Justin Torrence (Prodigal), William Paul Young (himself), Jackie Hill Perry (herself), Dr. Dan B. Allender (himself) and Tony Anderson (himself).

SAMSON DVD

Samson is based on the powerful, biblical epic of a champion chosen by God to deliver Israel. His supernatural strength and impulsive decisions quickly pit him against the oppressive Philistine empire. After being betrayed by a wicked prince and a beautiful temptress, Samson is captured and blinded by his enemies. Samson calls upon his God once more for supernatural strength and turns imprisonment and blindness into final victory. www.koorong.com

CALENDAR MARCH COLOUR WOMEN’S CONFERENCE 14 - 16 March 2019 / 21-23 March 2019 Sydney, NSW www.colourconference.com

www.colourconference.com

APRIL ACC NATIONAL CONFERENCE 30 April - 2 May 2019 Gold Coast, Queensland www.accimissions.org.au/panasia2019

www.acc.org.au/conference

JULY PANASIA MISSIONS CONFERENCE 29 July - 1 August 2019 Novotel Phuket Resort, Thailand www.accimissions.org.au/panasia2019

AUGUST KIDSHAPER CONFERENCE 13 – 15 August 2019 Gold Coast, Queensland www.acckids.org.au/kidshaper19

www.acckids.org.au/kidshaper19

ACC SUPPORTS

AWAKENING AUSTRALIA 16 - 18 November 2018 Marvel Stadium, Melbourne Vic

Join thousands from all over Australia coming together with one purpose: ‘AUSTRALIA FOR JESUS’. This is for all believers and also an amazing opportunity to bring unsaved friends to experience God. • Three full days in the stadium • Huge outreaches flooding the city • Thousands coming from all around the world • Leaders and churches coming together as One to show our country a united family of God

www.awakeningaustralia.org

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