The Starburst Effect by Ralph Estherby

The challenge for churches

Compiling all the documentation lenders require before considering your church for a loan can seem an insurmountable task. The biggest challenge faced by churches seeking a loan is that the organisation doesn’t “fit” the standard lending models, in very much the same way Saul’s armour didn’t fit David. Some lenders won’t even consider applications from churches or not-for-profits as they struggle to understand the way these organisations operate.

LENDING FOR CHURCHES

Lending and finance landscape

When it comes to church loans, too often it can feel like a David and Goliath scenario. The challenge of obtaining finances for a church or Not-For-Profit can seem completely overwhelming and impossible to achieve. Remember where your help comes from.

The ACS Difference

We get church. We share your faith values and understand the “ins and outs” of church finances. We can simplify the lending process for you from beginning to end. The banking sector rarely know where to start with church lending due to complex church structures, making securing a loan in the mainstream market very difficult. Our team of experts can provide the right advice and ensure that you are getting the best product for your needs. We can also help you avoid excessive fees which can often be associated with some lenders.

1800 952 373

THE STAR BURST

EFFECT

BY RALPH ESTHERBY

Nothing enhances an ordinary photo more effectively than the ‘Starburst effect’. It occurs when a powerful point of light is allowed to radiate its impact over a wider field of view than the normal eye can see. It is attractive because it draws the eye and it causes almost everything else to dim and you are left with a clear understanding that the point of light is what you should be concentrating upon. The last 12 months has taught us all many things and brought us challenges and opportunities beyond anything and anytime we have ever known. Our churches have been limited and stretched at the same time and our creativity and responsiveness have been pushed beyond any previous limits we have set. The extended Drought followed by the Bushfire crisis, followed by COVID 19 and followed (in recent weeks) by

NSW/QLD floods have all reinforced the potential for impacting our communities with light and hope. Churches all over the country have released Chaplains to ‘Starburst’ out of their congregations to bring both comfort and consolation to anyone impacted by these crises. The value of Chaplains always shines during these huge challenging times and it is great that they do – but there is a great opportunity available for all of our churches that is not being maximised – It is opportunity to structure your church so that it will constantly capture the ‘Starburst Effect’. I want you to imagine the possibility of well trained, highly skilled, motivated and passionate individuals radiating out from your church to connect and support every sector of the community which you desire to serve and save. This is potential of Chaplains within your church. On top of this, these Chaplains then are able to contribute powerfully to enhance the Pastoral

Care your church offers. We are finding many are employing the strategy of making

Chaplaincy part of the DNA of their church and it is reaping huge benefits. Chaplains have the opportunity to go where the

Church can’t. A chaplain is seen as a non-threatening individual who can share the journey with people who are not even close to considering connecting with a church. Wherever there is a group of people – there can be a Chaplain. 2019-2021 CHAPLAINCY STATS

• 500+ Chaplains and Associates currently available across 26 sectors.

• 25 Chaplains involved in Rural communities during Droughts.

• 100+ Chaplains engaged in direct BushFire response and long-term support of communities.

• 50+ Chaplains mobilised during COVID19 in ADF, Aged-care, Hospitals, Community and other supports.

• 20 Chaplains in recovery centres in 2021 Floods.

We are challenged to “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16) This is an individual challenge but also one for our Churches to embrace. I firmly believe that a way to get the ‘Starburst Effect’ happening in your church is to empower and release Chaplains. Your community is diverse and complex, you need a multifaceted team to achieve what the Lord has put into your heart. I encourage you to think and pray about Chaplaincy and how it might shine to your community. Chaplaincy Australia would love to help you Discover the potential Chaplains in your Church, Develop them through training and, Deploy them where they can make a difference. Not only will your church be ready for the next national emergency but your community will see the continual ‘Starburst’ and be drawn towards Jesus - the true source of light!

meet with Federal Ministers

CANBERRA– Stephen Fogarty, President of Alphacrucis, was among more than 20 Christian CEO’s who gathered in Canberra in March to seek greater understanding of the needs of Government during times of crisis. It was an in-house discussion relating to government relations and faith-based institutions, that initiated this ‘Church Community Restoration’ round table with Federal members of government, which took over eight months of intense effort and planning. The day involved a whirlwind of back-to-back visits from the Ministers for Social Services, Pacific Development, Government Services, and Legal Affairs, as well as shadow Ministers for Education and Veteran’s Affairs. All were keen to encourage the important engagement of the Church and Christian social institutes with their portfolios as part of the significant costs of COVID recovery. A presentation by the leader of the Opposition, Anthony Albanese, set out his vision for the ‘overlapping values’ of churches and the Labor Party. The final appointment of the day was with Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who was generous with his time, and seemingly comfortable with the group who largely shared his biblical worldview and was respectful of the difficult role he had to play. He described himself not as a ‘Christian politician’ but rather as a ‘secular leader with an open faith’, highlighting the simple pragmatics of making unprecedented decisions around border closures, billion-dollar relief funds and vaccinating an entire population during the global pandemic. He admitted that the most significant impact that his faith had had was providing the strength to continue during these seasons of great trial and highlighted his recent ‘i4give’ day push as one of the keys to continuing to strengthen relationships across society. A letter signed by all the organisations involved was delivered to the Government that vowed to reinforce and encourage right relationships across all spheres of community and public life—to support families who are wounded, to shine a light on darkness and despair, and to be ambassadors of reconciliation that repair broken bonds of society and state. The growing challenge of religious freedom was a point raised repeatedly throughout the day. The issue was that it was no use having holistic visions of biblical human flourishing if State legislation (such as the recent ‘anticonversion laws passe in Victoria) removed the ability for Christian institutions to articulate and practice these important truths. This event showed that the Pentecostal movement has developed to a level where it now not only has an important voice at the table but can actually use its energy to work as a key facilitator and networker across a range of spheres and denominations. Such a major role would have been almost unheard of only a few years ago, but perhaps this demonstrates a coming of age and increasing respect for the fastest growing Christian movement in our country. The project was successful in planting multiple seeds which will grow into creative and innovative opportunities for service.

ACCI

CHANGING LIVES IN 2019 & 2020

It’s amazing what we can do when we work together. In the past two years, with your support, we’ve seen: • 110 missionaries serving • 255 new churches planted • 3,927 leaders trained • 3,678 salvations • 1,608 people baptised in water • 698 people baptised in the Holy Spirit • 520,947 adults and 174,629 children assisted through community programs • 123 communities benefit from community transformation projects Thank you for your continued support of ACCI missionaries and field workers around the world!

1DAY CAMPAIGN

In 2020, ACCI’s 1Day campaign raised $47,122 for Missions and $80,948 for Relief. These are two projects that benefited from your generosity.

MISSIONS:

Matthew and Rebekah Rodda – Teen Challenge Centre for Women, Tbilisi, Georgia

In 2020, 1Day giving helped the Georgian Teen Challenge team start a centre for women in Tbilisi. The centre, which is the first of its kind in the region, aims to help women who are involved in prostitution, addicted to drugs or alcohol, or suffering from other life-controlling issues. “We expect to see changed lives, where women find lasting freedom from their addictions and discover the life-changing power of Jesus,” Rebekah says. ACCI also works with some larger in-country national partners on a range of community development activities. In 2020, many had to pivot to respond to the needs that emerged through the COVID-19 crisis. Here’s a look at how two of them assisted their communities last year:

VISION RESCUE, INDIA • Gave 33,417 bags of groceries to struggling families and individuals (with around half distributed in partnership with police, local government and other local charities). • Donated enough groceries for a group of community kitchens to make 78,000 cooked meals for people in need. • Provided water, food and snacks to migrant workers being sent home on buses and trains. • Provided soap and washable masks to vulnerable families, and hand sanitiser, face shields, gloves and other protective items to police and government workers.

4AFRICA, EAST AFRICA • Created and aired nine radio talk shows to provide critical information about COVID-19 to 1.5 million people. • Provided 144 handwashing stations in a range of locations, with a health worker stationed at each. • Created a ministry radio program for 1.5 million people to share messages of hope and encouragement, and to pray for people during tough times. • Donated personal protective equipment and medical supplies to frontline workers, and soap and jerry cans (for water collection) to vulnerable families.

Note: ACCI Relief directly handles all the Australian tax-deductible donations for each of these national partners.

RELIEF:

Typhoon season, central Vietnam

In 2020, Vietnam endured one of the worst typhoon seasons in memory, with wave after wave of category two, three and four typhoons. 1Day funds helped the AOG WR team provide practical support to 26 communes – or around 150,000 people. Support included bleach and cleaning supplies for health stations, tablets to sterilise wells, cholera tablets, soap and a range of other essentials for families in crisis.

GOD HASN’T FORGOTTEN THE MIDDLE EAST

J and A* live amongst the Kurds, the world’s largest stateless people group, who are spread across Iraq, Syria, Iran and Turkey. The Kurdish people have known decades of instability, oppression by their hosts, conflict, genocide and displacement. J and A, along with their three children, are believing that God will bring healing to these people and lay the foundations for a pioneering Kurdish church. They share their story with ACC EMAG.

* Names cannot be shared for security reasons.

Q: How are you helping families and communities navigate life in this difficult context? A: Our work is primarily medical but we also provide material relief – like water, food and school supplies when the situation demands. We run two emergency clinics and we also work alongside the Ministry of Health and rural clinics to implement the maternal health program throughout the region. Sometimes we deliver medical – or first responder – training to government clinics and communities that are exposed to regional conflict or unrest. We feel that providing medical assistance to families is a really beautiful way to express the Gospel. It’s important that we’re in the public space, participating in the community and putting our values on display every day. We love our projects but they’re just a platform that allow us to be present in the midst of all the trauma, corruption and conflict, and minister to those who need it so much. Through these platforms, we find people of peace, share meals with them, visit homes and work towards our ultimate goal, which is to make disciples and see the birth of the local church. Q: How did COVID-19 affect your work in 2020? A: Our organisation was given an essential service exemption last year and our clinics remained open for the entire lockdown duration. While the restrictions have eased a lot, COVID-19 continues to be a major threat to people’s wellbeing and the country’s economy. As the economy stalls, hundreds of businesses have closed, currency has devalued and government wages have gone unpaid for almost 10 months. In 2021, as we continue to navigate the pandemic and economic challenges, our goal is to remain present in our communities by showing up each day and standing alongside them. Continuing to serve these communities, as the region begins to recover, is a tangible way of reminding them that God hasn’t forgotten them.

Q: What drew you to serving in such a challenging environment? A: We feel God’s pull towards nations and communities that are unreached; that don’t have national churches or local Bible translations. Before we moved here, we spent significant time in the tribal lands of India, amongst rural communities that have been largely forgotten by the government and the national church. It’s these challenging environments and regions that often host unreached and unengaged communities. It can be difficult but, at the moment, there is an open door into this part of the world. We don’t know how long the door will be open but while it is, we want to be there to love families and believe for disciples and a national church.

Q&A with ALUN DAVIES

For 32 years Pastor ALUN DAVIES has sat on the ACC National Executive, and in the office of Vice President since 2005. He ends a great season of leadership at the 2021 National Conference, as well as transitioning from 12 years in the role of Director of ACCI. ACC EMag interviewed him about his incredible ministry journey so far.

Q: What were some of the early influences on your life that led you to become a pastor? Alun Davies: I accepted Christ at an Easter Youth camp in Melbourne, a month after arriving in Australia from Wales. My senior pastor was CL Greenwood, one of the founders of the Australian Pentecostal Church, and a leader in the Sunshine revival that initiated the Pentecostal movement in Australia. My youth pastor was John Lewis, who had a significant influence on my early Christian growth. Spending my early years in Richmond Temple certainly shaped my values and passion in ministry.

Q: The call of God would have been strong over your life. How did you move into full-time ministry? Alun: I began preaching on the streets of Melbourne 55 years ago. I started there because it was the only outlet for the call I had and the passion I felt for ministry. I learned there, and in many roles since, many fundamental values that shaped my experience in ministry. I learned to maintaining a passion to serve and minister. I learned to accept the opportunities given by God no matter how small. I learned that there are always sacrifices to be made in ministry in fact ministry is marked by the sacrifices we are willing to make. Yet our sacrifices are made out of our passion to serve the Lord and they are vital to our growth and progress in character and ministry. I attended Commonwealth Bible College in Brisbane, and graduated before the flood that destroyed the college in Graceville. I became assistant pastor at Albury NSW for two years before becoming the pastor

of Charlestown AOG in Newcastle for four years. From there I returned to the Bible College in Katoomba as a lecturer before moving back to Melbourne to become the Senior pastor of Dandenong AOG (Faith Christian Church) for 30 years where I transitioned the church to Pastor Matt Heins and took over the role of National Missions Director for the ACC.

Q: What were some of your dreams as a young pastor? Alun: I have always had a call and a passion to preach. I love to teach and have been blessed to be called and equipped to lead in many facets of the Church. I recall my dreams as a young student to pastor a strong missionary church that would have an influence in the nation and around the world.

Q: There has been a strong leadership gift on your life. You were elected to the ACC National Executive in 1989. Can you share some of the challenges and wins for the movement in over three decades of national leadership, and including State leadership of Victoria for 12 years? ALUN: I have been privileged to be a part of the leadership of our fellowship over the last four decades. I have witnessed and participated in the explosive growth of our churches, seen the impressive impact of our fellowship in Australia and in many parts of the world. I have also witnessed enormous change. We grown from an insignificant, inward looking, small group of churches into a mature strong denomination of influence in our nation. Many things had to change on that journey – from the way we worship and the way our churches are structured. It seems that everything has been changed in some way. The result is a vital growing fellowship that has room for diversity ministry around a strong vision to be an effective influence for Christ in our communities, our nation and across the globe. Yet during this amazing transformation, we have maintained our passion for the lost planting churches, ministering to our communities, training leaders, sending and supporting missionaries and keeping our Pentecostal experience and distinctive. We have endured many challenges and there have been, and always will be, forces within and without that threaten our unity and our distinctiveness. I suppose that is the challenge that growth brings to us. We develop strong churches, strong leaders, strong ministries that require a strong sense of family and a strong unity of vision to hold us together.

Q: Missions has obviously always had a special place in your heart. How has the past 12 years of spearheading ACCI Missions and Relief been a fulfilling time for you? ALUN: I have always had a strong passion for missions. I felt very early in my journey that I was called to “hold the rope” for missionaries. I have sought to be faithful to that call and privilege to serve our missionaries as Director of ACC missions and relief for the past 12 years. I am proud to have worked with some amazing people as we have developed together many new aspects of missions, such as our national disaster program, our community development programs, our Kinnected children’s initiative, the annual One Day Appeal and so much more. Though we have faced many challenges together, we have been able to be a significant help to over 2.6 million people in the past 12 years, as well as planting over 2,200 churches. Despite the challenges, we have seen much fruit for the kingdom of God as many of our churches have partnered with us.

Q: What are you feeling as you transition to a new season? ALUN: I come to the end of this season of ministry feeling that I have completed the purpose of God for me in ACC Missions. For me it is job done and now I await His directions and opportunities in this next season of ministry. Right at the beginning, I made a sincere commitment to give my life to the Lord in ministry. I look forward to continuing to be His servant in anyway He wills to use me.

Thank You

The ACC Family thank God for Pastor Alun and the decades of faithful leadership and service he has given to the movement. To Joan and the Davies family, we thank you for releasing him to follow his heart to serve the Kingdom of God over this time, and sharing in the great fruit he has produced. We love, honour and appreciate you.

WAYNE ALCORN ACC National President

Alun has been a tremendous asset to me in leadership. Ever since I took on the role of National President 12 years ago, he’s given me phenomenal support. He has been a great friend and wise counsellor, through all kinds of seasons, and I’m immensely grateful for his wisdom, experience and clarity in every situation. Lyn and I want to thank Joan for releasing him and standing beside him during this leadership season They have both been a wonderful gift to our ACC Family and beyond. SEAN STANTON ACC National Secretary

Pastor Alun has been an inspiration in his service to our Movement. I am proud to know him as a mentor, a colleague in ministry and a wonderful friend. Joan’s contribution and willingness to release and support him should not go unmentioned; it is undoubtedly greater than we know. I believe that only eternity will fully reveal the significance of their contribution to the Good News of Jesus Christ and the advancement of God’sKingdom in Australia and across the world. ,

JOHN HUNT ACCI Director (from 22 April 2021)

I have never meet a man with the depth of empathy and the height of intellectual as Alun Davies. His heart to help and mind to solve puts him in rarified air, it’s been an honour to serve alongside him.