Caroline Springs Anglican

2015/16 ANNUAL REPORT

Photos by Catherine Elise Photography www.facebook.com/catherineelisephotography

03 PASTOR 05 YOUTH 07 SMALL GROUPS 09 KIDS 13 INTERNSHIP 15 MUSIC & EVENTS 17 SUNDAY SERVICE 19 WARDENS 21 THE FUTURE

03 PASTOR Our mission is to be a community of people helping people make all of life all about Jesus. This year has been the most fruitful one yet in terms of visible evidence that we are achieving our mission.

That is a beautiful sentence to write.

I often say that one of the most obvious reminders of God’s grace is his gift of people. I want to fill the rest of this page with thanksgiving for just some of those people…

If you look up the word ‘indefatigable’ in the dictionary - and you really should - you’ll see this:

adjective (of a person or their efforts) persisting tirelessly | see: John Hargrave.

No one in our church (including me) knows how much John does to keep everything running. No one.

Except Jesus. Jesus knows, and Jesus promises that God will reward his people for their otherwise unseen ministry. I praise God for the indefatigable John Hargrave.

Jimmy and Simon are my right and left hands. Without them I’m left trying to do everything with my teeth and my toes.

Jimmy has worked like a titan to see the Youth Ministry flourish by God’s grace. The past three years working with him has been a joy. He is simply wonderful in his role.

Simon, likewise, is a gift from God. Since the day he, Beck and the boys decided to call Caroline Springs Anglican home, he has given himself to our mission - far beyond anything I could have asked or imagined. I praise God for Jimmy and Simon.

Suzanne and Ali and David love your kids. They really do. They love them in the most loving way possible - by teaching, and striving, and praying to the end that your children know and love Jesus.

When I think about my own children, and the blessing it is to entrust them to brothers and sisters like these, it always, every time, without fail, leads me to worship. And so, once again, I praise God for Suzanne, Ali, and David.

Sarah and her musicians, Ian and his technicians, are God’s gift to a man like me. I know nothing about scales, chords, amps, or faders - but I do know that every Sunday I’ll be the recipient of God’s grace through the ministry of music.

C. S. Lewis once wrote: “I think we delight to praise what we enjoy because the praise not merely expresses but completes the enjoyment; it is its appointed consummation.” He’s right. I enjoy God more because of the songs we sing on Sunday. And I praise God for Sarah and Ian.

You need to hear this. I was very strict in setting the word limit for reports in this booklet. I didn’t think you’d read them if they were longer than 500 words. (I was right, wasn’t I?). The downside is that I don’t have space to write about everyone who is worthy of a mention. Before I finish, though, I want to thank Greg Blatch for joining John as a warden - you’ve been such an asset to the team. The Parish Council has also worked hard to keep our church on mission - a vital ministry for which I am very grateful! I praise God for each person engaged in ministry and mission at our church.

Finally, I thank God for giving me Renée. Next to the gospel, she is the most consistent reminder of God’s goodness and grace. How do I know God loves me? he sent Jesus to die for me, and he sent Renée to walk with me. Along with India and Judah, she cultivates a home that is a ministry to me and to others. She is a wonderful mother, a trusted advisor, and a steadfast friend. I praise God (most of all) for Renée.

Keep reading, my friend. There’s so much to be thankful for…

- Jono Smith

05 YOUTH Leading the CSA Youth Ministry team in 2016 has been an enormously encouraging experience as we continue to make steps towards making all of life all about Jesus. Since arriving at Caroline Springs Anglican three years ago, there have been many moments where I have felt like we have planted many seeds without seeing the harvest. 2016 has felt like the harvest season for the Youth Ministry.

We have seen incredible growth in spiritual maturity, watched new Christians giving their lives to Jesus, and baptised five young people, confirming another. God continues to mould this rag-tag group of young people and leaders into Jesus-following disciples.

In January, our Key Leaders sat down to set goals and objectives that would guide us. It has been exciting to watch as we journey towards completing these goals. They are: • Build Dynamic Intergenerational Ministry Opportunities • Establish a Thriving Small Groups Ministry • Increase Discipleship & One-on-One Leadership Opportunities • Invest into New Leadership Team • Increase in Gospel Fluency

Looking back over the year fills me with pride as I watch our high school students take up leadership opportunities in the Arrow Kids, Worship and A/V teams among others.

At the start of the year we changed tack with our small group strategy and started meeting on Tuesday nights. Since then we have had an average of 15-20 young people involved weekly, providing a real proving ground for their faith. This has also been met with an increase in one-on-one conversations between leaders and youth, especially since midway through the year at LF8R Camp. In many ways, we have achieved our goals for 2016 and continue to listen for what God has next for the Youth Ministry.

From my perspective overseeing the Youth Ministry, this has been one of my most enjoyable years as a leader, filled with highlights and God-glorifying moments. Some of my most enjoyable moments include: • Watching multiple high-school students become Christians and get baptised! • Packing-out our winter LF8R Camp with a whopping 118 campers • Training new leaders and watching them grab a hold of what it looks like to invest in

the next generation • Listening to our high school students share their ‘Jesus Story’ with our church. • Sharing the gospel week in, week out, and listening as students make the

connection between the gospel and how we are called to live • Developing a mission mindset among our teens. Following Jesus isn’t about you, it’s

always about Him and following him means serving others.

What a year of celebration! The last three years of Youth Ministry has often been lonely work, but once again in 2016, we have been blessed with a gospel-centred running partner in Suburban Baptist Church. They continue to be an enormous encouragement to us and our team. God has blessed us with good friends!

Lastly, an enormous thanks for the support and encouragement I have received from our staff and leaders: Jono, Suzanne, Simon and Albert have been encouraging and challenging in equal measure when needed. Erin, Kyle, Dev, Harriet, Evan, Danita and Sarah; you are an incredible team and I am humbled to work with and for you. Thank you to those who have been praying for our ministry and our church, your prayers are a blessing to us and without them, our ministry would not have flourished. In all things though, I am grateful and humbled by what God has done with broken people; to him belongs all the glory, forever and ever. Keep trusting Jesus!

- Jimmy Young

07 SMALL GROUPS The leadership agree that Small Groups are massively important for our church if we are to realise our vision.

“Making all of life all about Jesus” is about connecting our faith and spiritual lives into the home and the everyday. Small groups are a vital key to unlock this, where we can share our everyday problems and our pain with people we trust, and help each other learn how God can join us and engage with our specific problems.

Using the illustration of a rocket… Sundays are like the main booster engine essential for take-off. Small Groups are the stage 2 engines that drive the shuttle once the boosters are jettisoned.

Our church has known this for several years, however the small group ministry hasn’t thrived as has been hoped. So this year Jono asked me to review the entire ministry and make a plan for the future, in light of our previous successes and failures.

We did this in the first few months of the year; observing, praying, discerning, planning. Then, after identifying the uniqueness of our church, we developed and implemented a new strategy. This strategy includes: • Ongoing training and support of leader (incubator). • Pathway for growth and starting new groups. • Real and specific connection with Sunday worship/teaching ministry. • Integration with future welcome ministry.

Here is a current snapshot to give you a picture: • Youth Juniors (Tuesday nights at the church) • Youth Seniors (Tuesday nights in Caroline Springs) • Young Adults (recently started) • Sydenham (our longest running group!) • Melton (just started!) • Men’s (working on it) • Women’s (working on it) • Plus our incubator group, which is where we grow new groups and leaders.

One of the things I love about working with Jono and the leadership team at our church is the way they embrace the important leadership values of: • Fail fast • Fail forward

What happened in Small Group ministry this year is an example of that. We try to: • Fail Fast… When things have failed, we identified them quickly, so the church

was not wasting energy and resources on things that were not working. • Fail Forward… We use failure as a launching pad for new ideas, growth, and

learning better strategies.

This attitude is so important in Small Group ministry, which is all about being flexible and agile so that we can keep moving forward in the middle of all the change and movement that happens in the lives of everybody in the groups.

I am super excited about what has happened so far, and even more excited about those who have joined the ministry, the leaders, and the possibilities for the future!

Thanks to our small group team who have inspired and encouraged me this year!

- Simon Beasy

09 KIDS Our new name ‘Arrow Kids’ is inspired by Psalm 127 where we are reminded that kids are a heritage from the Lord and are like arrows in the hands of a warrior. Our children can be sharpened like arrows by God’s word, ready to be used by Him to penetrate the darkness of the world and bring the light of the Gospel to those around them.

Arrow Kids Crèche: David & Ali There has been lots of fun, singing, crafting and joyful noise in Crèche over the year and it is a great delight to share the truth of the gospel with the most energetic members of our church! We have read from the bible and learnt about how well God knows us and how he sent Jesus to show us how much he loves us. We have also reminded the whole church that our God is so “BIG” as we sing our favourite song about our glorious Creator.

It’s an incredible blessing to share the parenting journey with our crèche families and to unite in teaching our little ones that Jesus loves them. We are thankful to Ryan and Hayden Beasy for their enthusiasm and willingness to help out, and it has been lovely to see the kids respond to them. We look forward to seeing our team grow with those of you ready to jump in and learn alongside us! Pray that our kids will trust Jesus as their Lord and Saviour!

Arrow Kids: Suzanne As kids ministry leaders, our prayer is that the children will meet Jesus in the Bible passages we explore, that they will come to understand what he has done for each of us and inspire their passion to know more about Him. We teach from the Bible, ask lots of questions, memorise passages of scripture, sing and learn a catechism. All of these activities are to point to Jesus, the Creator, Saviour and author of our faith.

Arrow Kids takes a break on the first Sunday of each month and during the school holidays. This provides families and the team a chance to worship together as one body. During these breaks we have implemented a Kid’s Space at the front of the church. Thank you for your support as we seek to engage each child. To this end we have produced an ‘All in Sunday’ reference page. We encourage everyone to read it so that we can support each other in making disciples and teaching our children about the great blessing of worshipping together.

This year we have been thankful for the provision of helpers in Kid’s Ministry with a special thank you to Cathy Varghese who gave of her time to lead and minister to our children for a season. Her continued prayers for the children and her love and support for the kids ministry has been such a great blessing. I’m thankful for Ruth and Rebekah leading on Sundays and watching them grow in responsibility and leadership has been a great joy. And lately we have had the support of Bella, Jasmine and Talyah, I’m so thankful to God for them all!

mainly music™: Suzanne The ‘mainly music’ ministry continues to provide a great opportunity for us to meet with families from our community, to encourage them in their roles, care for their children and provide a safe place where they feel supported. Each Wednesday during the school term we run two sessions of music and movement for pre-schoolers and their parents (33 families). After the session we provide morning tea and while the children play we have the chance to get to know these families. This year we have seen these relationships strengthen and several families have asked us to pray for them as they have gone through difficult times.

Families have been blessed by this year’s special events: at Christmas, Easter, Mother’s Day and, a real highlight, the Father’s Day Olympic Games: 17 families came and enjoyed the fun. Thanks to tall who helped out at these events, it was greatly appreciated!

Special thanks to the faithful ‘mainly music’ team members; Irene, Nancy, Elizabeth, Nicole and John who share the many roles required to run this program. Thanks also to the mums, Renée, Alison, Delia, Jenny and Debbie. I thank God for each one of you, for ‘living and talking’ your faith, sharing your lives with others and developing relationships outside the sessions. Pray for wisdom as we look for opportunities to share the gospel with the families we meet.

- David & Ali Veale & Suzanne Hargrave

People Helping

People Make All Of Life All About

Jesus

13 INTERNSHIP Having struggled with career path choices at the end of last year, I felt God calling me to serve in a local church in one way or another. After a few months of trying to resist this call, I was an intern at the church.

This past year has been a great challenge, and an even greater encouragement. Looking back at it, I did not expect it to be this much fun. The challenging part I braced myself for but the amount of joy God has given me through this, I could never have dreamed of. I have seen myself grow in knowledge and love for God through study and service, while combating my nightmares of speaking in front of more than two people. In spite of this fear, Jimmy and Albert’s Adventures cut straight through the forest of my anxiety and doubts.

During the course of the year I began to lead Sunday morning services which will continue to the end of this year. Leading services was my first big challenge and although it would involve days of prior planning and prayer, I had to learn to trust that the Holy Spirit would guide my heart on Sunday morning, according to God’s purpose.

LF8R Youth Camp was definitely a highlight of this year! As an intern, I attended the camp as a Year 13 Leader and I realised just how sufficient the grace of God is. Leading at a youth camp for 5 days demanded much more than I could give but God is powerful, and this power is perfected in my weakness.

Recently started, the Young Adults ministry is extremely exciting and continues to move forward with a mission. We meet every Wednesday night for bible study and fellowship at varying locations, averaging around 10–15 young adults. God has blessed the church with a crowd of young people who love God and his desire to share this love with the world.

Unfortunately, at this time of year, time is swallowed up with exam preparation, increased work hours and holidays so we’ve seen a slight drop in weekly group attendance, but we are excited to see what God has planned for us for the rest of this year and the coming of the next.

The internship has given me the opportunity to preach my first sermon, which is one of two for 2016. Although a humbling experience, I am truly blessed to be a part of such a loving church gang who genuinely desire to help me make all of my life all about Jesus!

It has been a great encouragement in my walk with Christ, to know that my brothers and sisters whom I have known now for one year, pray earnestly for me. I thank God every day for this family.

Working with Jimmy and Jono has been an absolute pleasure. A big thanks for their patience and energy, modelling for me a life lead by Jesus. I couldn’t ask for more Christ-centred leaders!

This year has been a tough journey, but filled with joy. The Lord has done great things! God is good!

- Albert Young

15 music & events Music: Sarah Over the past 12 months, I have been blessed to watch CSA’s Music Ministry Team grow and use their talents for God’s glory and our benefit. The people on our team are ordinary people, willing to share their God-given talents with us for God’s glory and so that we might be encouraged to look to Jesus. Month by month, God continues to bring to our church people who are self-sacrificing and ready to use their musical gifting to lead others in worshipping God through song.

Working closely with the audio-visual team, we have been blessed with some new microphones this year. We have had all-in practices, tried new songs, grown together in friendship and sought to pursue excellence as we use our God-given gifts.

Over the next 12 months, keep a look out for upcoming “Worship Nights”, as we set aside time outside our Sunday service to worship God through song and allow him to speak to us and work amongst us. I am also looking forward to working with members of our team to equip existing team members and newbies with resources to fine-tune their skills.

As I reflect on my experiences from when I first started leading worship at CSA, I am encouraged to have seen God stir our affections for Jesus and make us more expressive in our worship of him. It is my ongoing prayer that our singing and music-making on a Sunday is just one of the ways that we are making all of life all about Jesus and helping others to do the same.

Events: Erin Reflecting on the year that has passed, we have been blessed to see the family of God strengthened and uplifted. This year God has placed the idea of spiritual family on my heart. This is not just about the words we say, but something much deeper, something we must endeavour to live-out each day. God has called us to be family: Though we are “many, [we] are one body in Christ (Rom. 12:5) and we are to Love one another with brotherly affection (Rom. 12: 10).

Women’s Coffee Nights were specifically for the women of the church to spend time together and to grow in the love of Christ. It was an overall success, with conversations that were very much Spirit-lead. However towards the end of the year, other commitments have made this night not as well-attended as it previously was. The coffee nights will continue into November and then break, as usual, for the school holidays. However, we will consider whether this event is having the desired outcome or whether to try a different approach.

As a parish council we decided that a good way to bring the church together and welcome newcomers would be to have a family dinner to coincide with the seasons of the year. We had our first Winter Dinner on the 4th of June. This event was more successful than we could have imagined, with around 80 people and heaps of delicious food and great music!

Overall this year, I felt that events has grown us a church and brought us closer together as spiritual family. Please be praying for the year to come that our events will continue to strengthen our relationships with one another and bring us closer together in Christlike relationship.

- Sarah Young & Erin Winchester

40

55

70

85

100

115

OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP

17 SUNDAY SERVICEATTENDANCE • 2014/15 • 2015/16

SERMON STATS: OCT 2015 - SEP 2016

DOWNLOADS & PLAYS

7,816MOST PLAYED SERMON

“I AM THE NEW WINE” - JOHN 2:1-25TOP 7 LISTENING LOCATIONS (BY CITY)

MELBOURNE | LONDON | LOS ANGELES | MANCHESTER | NEW YORK | PARIS | Rio

19 WARDENS “With faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, we seek to hear his prompting and respond in the best way we know, to bring Him Glory and build his Church”.

This year we were blessed with growth on many different levels. Working together as the churchwardens, Greg and John shared many enriching experiences, not least the joy of getting to know one-another better. This has also been a wonderful year, particularly for Greg in his first term as a warden, learning more about Caroline Springs Anglican, through deeper involvement in parish activities.

Through various challenges, we have demonstrated the resilience of our parish by: • maintaining and developing a leadership team (one churchwarden and one parish

council member were obliged to leave the team for personal and family reasons) • being good stewards of our limited financial resources, meeting our budgeted

ministry, mission and maintenance expenses • submitting a well-prepared application for funding from the Collier Charitable Fund • positive progress on meeting our increased parish assessment

We have also been blessed in many ways, especially through: • support from the Melbourne Diocese enabling consolidation and refinancing of parish

loans, establishment of a Motor Vehicle Replacement Fund for our Pastor, and the generous pay-out of some long-standing establishment debt

• a generous donation which enabled purchase of much needed audio equipment • growth in personal giving over the year, enabling us to meet budgeted expenses • a surplus of income over expenses for our ‘mainly music’ ministry • regular payments from tenants who use our space in a professional manner • extension of the Brotherhood of St Laurence land lease payments to June 2017

There have also been a number of notable achievements and milestones: • replacement of defective church roof, eliminating leaks and improving drainage • a major office cleanup and extension of usable office work space • establishment of robust agreements for our utilities • a decision to increase our monetary support of the Church Missionary Society, We

anticipate a meeting with the Walkers, our linked missionary family • improvement of our funds management with establishment of new streamlined

bank accounts for ministry expenses and cash reserves • the commencement of regular parish loan repayments • an improved methodology to establish our budget for 2016/17  

Working from this platform, the following key initiatives are proposed for next year: • build the leadership team, especially in the areas of finances and budgeting • establish book-keeping services • monitor and forecast against budget so to better control income and expenditure • improve church administration using proprietary software systems • implement a building maintenance and improvement program • establish a key financial partnership to construct and operate a facility on land

adjacent to the church

We are so grateful for the on-going support of Jonathan, Jimmy, and the Parish Council. Special thanks to Kirk Berenger, Petra Pike, Chris Vagai and Evan Beattie for their service and expressions of support for our church leadership.

“We are thankful for God’s blessing: his Grace, poured out on us, in our weakness!”

- Greg Blatch & John Hargrave

21 THE FUTURE #Discipleshift There’s a reason Ephesians 4 has been preached in our church more than any other passage. I chose it as the text for my first sermon back in January 2012, and I want to tell you more about it now.

The Apostle Paul writes: “So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” - Eph. 4v11-13

Do you see the mechanism for spiritual maturity there?

As the head of the church, Christ gives gifts of leaders (see my report on p.3) to equip the church to build each other up - to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ!

That’s a powerful mechanism. That’s a beautiful picture. That’s people helping people make all of life all about Jesus.

In 2017, we will throw everything we have behind the calling of God to equip you, the people, to disciple one another to maturity in Christ. We’ll preach sermons, teach classes, read books, and model lives that are focused on this undertaking.

So please pray for us as we take up Paul’s mission outlined in Colossians 1v28-29:

“Christ is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me.”

#PastorJimmy After 3 years of ministry as Youth Director, I’m excited to achieve our plan to commission Jimmy as a fellow pastor at Caroline Springs Anglican. I believe Jimmy has demonstrated the character and competency required to take on this weighty calling.

Pastors lead the church (1 Tim 5:17; Titus 1:7; 1 Peter 5:1–2), teach and preach the Scriptures (1 Tim 3:2; 2 Tim 4:2; Titus 1:9), protect the church from false teachers (Acts 20:17, 28–31), exhort and admonish the saints in sound doctrine (1 Tim 4:13; 2 Tim 3:13–17; Titus 1:9), visit the sick and pray for them (James 5:14; Acts 6:4), and judge doctrinal issues (Acts 15:6).

I’m so glad to have Jimmy join me in what will, God-willing, be a growing team of pastors.

#Rebrand It was the night after I interviewed for the pastor’s job at TACCS (The Anglican Church Caroline Springs). I was lying awake. And I was dreaming.

Dreaming about what God might be up to in that strange new suburb. Dreaming about the great opportunity for ministry and mission in a new area of Melbourne. Dreaming, not for myself, but for the person who would get the job.

We weren’t going to take it. Thanks anyway.

We had already decided to head west, but much further than Caroline Springs - Cottesloe Beach in Perth was our next destination. And yet.

As I lay awake dreaming, my head filled with ideas to help TACCS grow into a church of disciples on mission. Amid the deluge of thoughts and ideas and dreams, a kind of vision came to my mind of a name - a name that would brand the church and tell the world what was at the heart of the gospel message.

After nearly five years of ministry here, I’m excited to finally pursue this vision in 2017. I can’t wait.

- Jono Smith

People Helping People Make All Of Life All About Jesus