Inspirational Women |

The women of our movement are incredibly inspirational! They have continued to offer leadership; to cast vision, as well as host various meetings, and at times, creative ways to gather throughout the 20212023 period.

Each state has a very capable and gifted leader at the helm who is empowered to lead the women of her state according to the needs and opportunities therein. As a result, the leadership structure of ACW has evolved to mean that there is no longer a single figurehead leader, but rather, a group of leaders several who share ideas, contribute to one another’s success and run their race in their state with a focus on empowering, equipping and inspiring the women within their sphere.

I see my role to encourage and gather those leaders with a view to providing a space for collaboration and co-inspiration. I continue to be encouraged by the passion and leadership each of the state leaders bring to their role.

Current State ACW leaders

QLD/NT: Michelle Fredericks

NSW/ACT: Roz Zaia

VIC: Franca Heins

TAS: Karen Sharples

SA: Yvonne Zerna

WA: Sharon Chelliah

Leadership changes

Victoria: Georgie Baxter passed the leadership for ACW in Victoria onto Franca Heins at the end of 2022. Georgie led ACW in Victoria for a number of years and her Enjoy Women’s Conference was a highlight for so many women over that time. Thank you Georgie for your leadership and encouragement to the women of Victoria and beyond.

South Australia: At the end of 2021 Janine Donato stepped down from the role as ACW representative in South Australia & Yvonne Zerner stepped into the role! Janine is an incredible encouragement to so many and had the ability to gather women and make them feel seen and loved in a way that was truly inspirational Thankyou Janine for your leadership in South Australia. Yvonne is looking forward to launching online meetings for women to increase connection and with her experience in ministry over many years, she will be a huge blessing to the women across the State!

Tasmania: Alix Morse handed the leadership for ACW onto Karen Sharples at the 2022 state conference. Alix has such a heart for female leaders and has been passionate about seeing them encouraged and equipped. Thankyou Alix for all you have sown into the women in Tasmania.

Highlights and Future Goals from each State

TASMANIA – Karen Sharples has been re-establishing relational connection between the female leaders in Tasmania after the disconnect that resulted from Covid-19. Karen’s heart is for authentic relationship which is foundational for the small but beautiful state of Tasmania. Larger gatherings are planned for the women of the state in coming months. Further, Karen is passionate about equipping and empowering female leaders to grow in their gifts and have opportunity to develop their leadership potential across various areas within the movement.

QUEENSLAND + NT – Michelle Fredericks has held 8 events over the last two years which have been close to 3,500 women attend. This is remarkable considering the restrictions on gatherings. The gatherings have been in the form of localised Let’s Get Together Dinner Parties, Webinars and Instagram live events which aimed to move away from larger gatherings, to gathering women together in their hometowns. This has been very successful. Michelle has created the content, and then the women gather together in the way that best suits them. Gatherings can look like a couple of women watching from a lounge room to 100’s gathering in local churches. The content for the dinner parties has been provided from incredible leaders such as Sue Mulhare, Dave and Jenny Gilpin, Ruth Limpkin, Kirsty Emery, Julia A’Bell, Darlene Zschech, Robi Sonderegger, Deb Candler and Renee Bennett. Michelle plans to hold 3 Dinner Parties and a

2-night retreat for female senior pastors and/or wives of, on the Gold Coast in the next year. Her heart build community so that no woman feels alone. Together we love Jesus, others and become someone’s biggest cheerleader.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA - Highlights from the last 2 years across the state include; XO Conference hosted by Donna Hall from Revival City Church with guest speakers Nadia Clark, Laura Toggs & Sjhana Greenwood including a leadership breakfast for women around the State. Pauline Sanostefano from One Heart Church in Port Lincoln hosted a Spring retreat with guest speaker Layla Nahavandi where women encountered the Holy Spirit! Influencers Church celebrated 20 years of bU Women’s Conference and Fashion Show with founder and Senior Pastor Jane Evans, hosted by Sjhana Greenwood and celebrated over 47 decisions for Christ including the Mayor of Salisbury, SA! It is incredible to report that from 2021 to 2022 the following has been raised;

$40,773 donated to Cancer Council through Pink Ribbon Morning Teas

$26,195 donated to Eastern Adelaide Domestic Violence Service

$3,600 donated towards nourishing meals for new mums

$2,500 donated to local Primary School to help newly arrived Afghan families.

VICTORIA In the last two years, there have been 40 women who have become full credentialled ministers (OMC), 45 women obtain their PMC and another 8 obtain their SMC in Victoria. Franca is passionate about seeing more women rise up into leadership positions and step into their ministry callings throughout the next two years. At the 2022 State Conference Franca ran the first ‘Women in Ministry’ lunch. 230 women attended and heard from our phenomenal panel about leadership, ministry, balancing family and ministry and so much more. This is something that will be built upon at the Victorian state conference each year. Coming out of a time of covid isolation, the women in Victoria are strong, leading with strength and unity and supporting each other on this ministry journey.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA In 2021 Sharon Chelliah launched a new initiative called ‘Breakfast with the Girls’. These breakfasts are social gatherings aimed at strengthening and encouraging the formation of relationships between the female leaders and pastors in our movement. In May 2021, Generations City hosted a breakfast in the North with 55 women in attendance. The South gathering hosted by Centrepoint Church saw 59 women in attendance. In May 2022 our breakfasts saw 67 women attend our North gathering at Chorus Church in Beechboro. For the South gathering 60 women met at Chosen Church in Kelmscott. These breakfasts are now an annual event, with a different church hosting these gatherings for North and South each year. In August 2021 WA held a One day Conference at Kingdomcity in Mandurah where 430 women gathered together. It was an incredible time of encouragement. In August 2022 the One day Conference was held at Globalheart Church in Joondalup where over 500 women were in attendance. We are so excited for what God has been doing in our midst. Looking forward to 2023 we will continue to host the breakfasts and the One day Conference. As a new initiative we would like to send a female contingent with our state’s regional ministry team to minister to the women in our outback churches and communities.

NEW

SOUTH WALES + ACT

In 2021, Roz Zaia hosted a retreat for female senior pastors which provided a space for connection and encouragement. Due to Covid, the annual state conference lunch could not go ahead, so two Instagram lives with Darlene Zchech and Julia A’Bell provided inspirational teaching to the women of NSW. In 2022, gatherings and conference returned in Canberra, Tamworth, Singelton and Sydney. Lunch at the October State conference with Ally Cawthorn also went ahead. The topic was “letting go of false expectations.“ It was absolutely brilliant and the 100 women who attended enjoyed getting to know Ally. In November, there was a leadership retreat where fifty women spent two nights away with guest preachers, breakout sessions, panel, walks in the country, a touch of shopping and coffee. This was a highlight for ACW in NSW as leaders gathered in a space where they could build relationships and be equipped for their leadership journey.

New Initiative

As part of the ACC’s commitment to empower and equip female leaders, a new initiative called ‘ACC Align’ will be launched in the second half of 2023. This is a national leadership program focused on developing, upskilling and providing opportunity for greater networking among women in leadership. The program is online and runs once a month - for five months. The program will be:

Formational – Each month will include online/live teaching that will cover a topic pertinent to the goal of the program;

Reflective – Following the teaching, each participant will be offered a worksheet that encourages a reflective engagement with the material. This reflection will not only encourage reflection on the teaching, but how that teaching informs their current practice and leadership reality; and

Relational – Small groups will be formed and continue throughout the 5-month program. There will also be opportunity to engage with woman from across the nation, thus prompting greater relational networks among female leaders in the movement. More information regarding this program will be emailed soon – so keep an eye out for that.

What an incredibly fruitful two years it has been. I look forward to seeing that God is going to do in the coming years as we continue to build our movement together.

Ally Cawthorn ACC Women Portfolio