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Planting & Health

Planting & Health

State Church Growth Director

Ps Ian Kruithoff Ps Ian Kruithoff

 

P.O. Box 518

Frankston Vic 3199

Tel: 0412 778 220

Email: ian.kruithoff@accvic.com.au

 

 

 

 

 

Church Planting

The Assemblies of God in Australia has had a Church Planting focus since its inception. Church planting has been our heritage and it remains our future. Why do we plant more Churches? We do so to reach more people.

Making the Church more accessible geographically and more diverse culturally will provide opportunity for more people to be reached and discipled in the Faith.

Church planting is not the aim of our Movement, it is the proven method we have chosen to fulfil our mission; to reach more people. Church planting requires us to work together to foster Churches of thousands and thousands of Churches.

Our vision is to see a meaningful ACC presence that can reach and teach people, in every community with a population over 1000 people in Victoria.

Such a ‘presence’ may be stand-alone fully-functioning churches, satellites, preaching points, campuses, public house churches or some other creative expression of the Church in a community.

 

Planting a Church is an exciting venture. Establishing a fellowship of believers who will, long after the Planter has moved on, continue to preach faith, pray for the sick, bring comfort, teach children, train leaders, and assist people in the journey of life, is a work like none other.

 

Resources & Assistance

Following is a list of resources that are available to help ACC Church Planters.

  • Personal Consultation – your opportunity to sit with the State Church Planting Director to discuss your thoughts.
  • Target Communities List – demographic information for communities which have been targeted for new church plants.
  • Governance – setting up structures for a new church
    • Consumer Affairs Victoria – to establish an incorporated association
    • Australian Taxation Office – to gain an ABN, FBT approval, and PAYG number
    • Australian Christian Services (or other insurer of choice) – to organise insurance. The following insurances are required for churches wishing to be endorsed as an ACC church in Victoria:
      • Public Liability Cover
      • Professional Indemnity Cover
      • Officers and Directors Insurance
      • Volunteer Workers Cover

(A package including these insurances has been produced for ACC plants at an affordable rate.)

  • Advice
    • Establishing a Critical Mass
    • Developing a Leadership / Ministry Team
    • Funding
    • Outreach Strategies
    • Applying for Endorsement as an ACC Church
    • Gaining an ACC Credential
  • Church Planting Intensive – an annual two-day training intensive for church planters. Information will be sent out annually. Please check the website for dates.

Church Health

It is our aim to not simply have more Churches but to have more healthy Churches that can achieve what they were birthed for; to reach more people and to take them on a journey of growing and staying in the faith.

 

This desire for health keeps our focus firmly on our stated aim of reaching more people with the gospel. Healthy Churches reach and disciple more people.

 

We have a view on what a healthy Church looks like in the ACC in Victoria: a body of people growing quantitatively and qualitatively in the Faith evidencing the embodiment of Christ within their fellowship and their community under called and competent pastoral and fiduciary oversight.

 

Note that there is no mention of style. We are a broad Church that accommodates a diversity of styles but espouses a common faith statement.

 

Note that there is no mention of expression. As we embrace diversity of expressions we hold to a common culture that upholds relationships and conduct that are based on biblical teachings of honour, love, fidelity, integrity, grace, faith and purpose.

 

Note that there is no mention of size. Size of the membership doesn’t matter, as long as there is both qualitative and quantitative growth occurring. Different communities will have different capacities for size but all communities will have capacity for growth.

 

Resources & Assistance

Following is a list of resources that are available to help existing ACC Churches / Pastors.

  • Personal Consultation – your opportunity to sit with the State Church Health Director to discuss your thoughts.
  • Mentoring Program – a twelve-month program for personal growth and development.
  • Training Boards – a workshop for healthy fiduciary and financial management.
  • Consultancy – a program to assist churches to address issues of health (uses NCD).
  • Team Training – a program that assists leadership teams to work together effectively (uses “Leading from your Strengths”).
  • State-Based Training – training for pastors and churches is regularly conducted at State Conference and at Supa-Regional Events.