In our world, where personal gain and the mighty dollar seem to govern the affairs of many, it takes courage to want to get back to living the way God originally intended: loving God, loving our neighbours, loving sacrificially & with mercy.

But it takes more than courage. We need God's help. Each one of us is naturally trapped in the sins of greed, self-interest, pride, and lack of faith in God. How can we be free to live as God wants us to?

Well, the Bible tells us that long ago God had said to Abraham:

The result of this blessing was to be 'shalom', a peace and freedom which would permeate every aspect of life. To fulfill this blessing, God finally sent His Son Jesus to inaugurate the Kingdom of God. Jesus announced His mission with these words:

The following pages seek to outline what is on offer in our community in our quest to help everyone live a full and abundant life! I am excited about what is in store for us as we follow Jesus. I hope you will be too!

God bless you,

Peter Kutschker
Community Chaplain, East Preston / Reservoir

To be a Christian community of 500 people by 2005, genuinely worshipping the Lord, loving our neighbours, laying down our lives for each other, such that this area will be known as a great place to live within the City of Darebin.

To see our example spawning Christian growth of 10000 by 2010, with "Christian Communities" similar to ours forming around each of the State Primary Schools in Darebin.

To see an entity called "Darebin City Church" emerging, incorporating 50000 Christians and all denominational outlets under its umbrella by 2050.

To see this "unity in Christ" spreading across each LGA in Greater Melbourne, such that one-third of Melbournians will be part of Christ's church.

To ultimately see God's name revered and respected all across the earth, to see God's kingdom come in its fullness, and to see God's will done on earth as it is in heaven. And that it firstly begins with each one of us personally.

"Life was meant for living". Life is all about relationships and walking hand-in-hand in harmony with God and each other as we go about doing the delightful beautiful tasks God has laid before us.

By God's grace, in accordance with His will, and with His help we seek to:

We believe all the above is an expression of what it means to live in love as Jesus said:

See further the Kingdom Manifesto in Matthew chapters 5-7

(Jesus' Sermon on the Mount).

We take Jesus' words seriously when he said the following:

As a result, the most important relationship we wish to cultivate is that between us and the Lord our God!

We believe that the following six steps, which can be easily memorized and applied in the following jigsaw diagram, provide a holistic, true, comprehensive, yet simple way of understanding life and how God wants us to live:

1. Being "born again"
2. Identity in Christ
3. Christian Community life
4. Daily living in the world but not of the world
5. Gifts and talents
6. Servant leadership

The fact that these six steps form the shape of the cross is significant, because the cross represents DEATH TO SELF. Jesus said:

"If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it." (Luke 9:23,24).

If we crucify our selfishness, we become free to be in relationship with others, and so experience abundant life!

We celebrate the fact that the human family is the basic social unit of society, and also God's original "mini-church". We as a Christian Community seek to encourage and help each family community, providing the support and protection each family unit may need.

Our Christian community is just a small part of the worldwide community of Christians. All people who love Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour are our 'brothers and sisters'.

We are part of a worldwide movement of God which began at the beginning of creation and will be complete when Jesus Christ comes back again. Through Jesus Christ, God is turning people who are naturally rebellious and sinful into a people who will live faithfully and humbly with Him for all eternity.

The apostle Paul, one of Jesus' first missionaries, wrote:

In pictorial form, the plan of God may be presented as follows:

We want all of what we do to be in line with this 'big picture' of what God is doing on the earth, even if it means we must suffer and undergo persecution. We love God very much and are eagerly waiting for the day when Jesus Christ will return, after which there will be a new heaven and earth in which there is no more evil.

Whilst not denying the enormous influence upon my thinking of all my upbringing, church background, novice ministry experiences, Bible College training, and further reading, the six steps model is basically the synergy of the following seven models:

3. Process of Discipleship (Bible College of Victoria)

4. Steps in Planting a New Church (in Church Planting Workbook, by Philip Bryant, and published by Baptist Union of Victoria)

5. Ten Church Plant Distinctives (by Dietrich Schindler, Church Planter with TEAM in Germany)

6. Riverside Training Pathways (Riverside Community Church, South Morang)

7. Apostolic Church-Planting Team Strategy (Grace Brethren International Missions)

Mission is probably best summarized in the following six steps:

These can be expanded into the following dynamic model for church planting, which is again a synergy of the seven models presented in 'Model for Ministry':

You will notice that the nine steps in the above dynamic mission model (and the six summary steps) form a chiasmus, with the core resulting development being the existence of spiritual families. This links in beautifully with the above jigsaw diagram, in which being part of spiritual family is the heartbeat of the cross.

Steps zero through eight can be followed through sequentially in order, and will most probably need to be done so where pioneer missionaries are working alone or in small teams (especially when doing E3 evangelism and church planting). Where a larger team of church planting missionaries are available, the formation of spiritual communities may be approached from both ends of the spectrum (as indicated by the arrows). This approach allows E1 and E2 evangelism and church planting to occur much faster, and probably more effectively. In the ministry here in East Preston / Reservoir, I began sequentially, and have now progressed to the bi-directional approach.

The upward arrow from steps eight to four indicates how those lower steps can complement the upper steps (eg people being evangelized one-on-one in step 2, can also be evangelized and exposed to the gospel in a corporate worship setting, step 6; people being discipled in learning foundational spiritual growth disciplines can also be taught key aspects of servanthood, and hence leadership, by helping out in essential tasks in the preparation of the corporate worship times, step 5).

The significance for this in Christian mission is that when we are evangelising, apart from verbally laying the foundations of 'A' and 'B' above, we need to ensure that we are covering all five levels of the covenant pyramid.

Providing a 'safe environment' for people who need it (eg adequate housing, establishing 'Neighbourhood Watch' safety programs, etc) will be interpreted by people as you bringing good news to them just as much as you talking about Jesus.

In fact, I venture to say that level 2 is perhaps the greatest initial focal point for evangelising the children and teenagers that come from single parent dysfunctional families. And this takes more than just words. It takes long investments of time and being there for broken and hurting people. I believe this is one of the greatest challenges for evangelism in the Western world today. People very easily rebel against laws and standards (level 3) if they are not grounded in the experiential knowledge that they are loved, significant, and an important part of the family/society. Laws and standards (level 3) are an essential aspect of living together in harmony in society, but they don't work if level 1 and 2 have not been well laid! Respect for leaders (level 4) also falls apart, let alone coming to Jesus (level 5) for transformation of their character to be in line with the love of God. But praise God that Jesus is alive today, and is able to intervene and minister to people at ALL levels in the pyramid!!

May God continue to teach us and work through us to appropriately bring and be good news to the people we meet.

Combining the previous ministry and mission models leads us to the following growth design statement or motto:

The five growth planes are: spiritual, intellectual, social, emotional, physical.

The entire process of seeing someone come to experience abundant life in Christ can be mapped out into a chart, which incorporates the Growth Design plus all the following elements from Playgroup to Community Development.

For mums with young children especially (0-4yrs), this group is to help foster wholesome Christian relationships between women and provide a healthy Christian environment for young children to relate together. It is planned that a morning program, weekly from 10am to 12noon during school terms, would look like this:

For children in years 7-9 at high school, the group aims to be fun-packed and spiritually stimulating and to give each child a comprehensive grounding in what it means to be a Christian in the real world. Based on the "six-steps" which cover four levels of growth (all beginning with 'E': Evangelising, Establishing, Equipping, Empowering), the aim is that by the end of year 9 each child will be thoroughly grounded in being the leader God wants them to be. Hence the name of the group: Leader-In-Training-E4.

The group operates on Friday nights during school terms, starting at 6.30pm and going till 8.30pm or later, depending on the activities. The program generally alternates between an outing one week, and a local based fun activities night the other week. All activities are designed to complement and help teach a set curriculum each year. Leadership tries to implement three key words when designing activities: FUN, ORGANIZED, GROUP. Wherever possible, the activities/games are designed to be 'different' from what the kids would normally experience/do, however this is not essential. The time frame is generally from 6.30pm to 8.30pm, however for outings etc., the finish time may extend to 10pm, with parental approval.

[Note: the first year(s) of operation of the youth group may see youth participating who have had no exposure to basic Christianity or the CRE program at primary school. This will mean that progress may be 'slower' in imparting biblical truth, for basic foundations such as the existence of God may not yet have been laid in their lives. It will also mean that they may have no established respect for the Bible, and may not like to read it, and may not be familiar with actually handling a Bible. These factors need to be taken into account when designing activities for the youth each week.]

The same general curriculum framework (but with varying activities) is envisioned to be followed every year, but as youth progress from Yr7 to Yr9, they are given increasing levels of responsibility in the youth group!

• Year 7's, in their first year in the youth group, are basically given exposure to the whole curriculum, and they have no real responsibility in the group. They are there to learn and have fun!
• Once Year7's get to Year8, they become helpers in implementing the decided plan for that week's activities.
• Once Year8's get to Year9, they are the planners and 'leaders' of the group (under the supervision, oversight, and authority of the adult leaders). These planning meetings will most probably occur either during the week or during school holidays.

So in summary, it is envisioned that Year8's will be Year9's helpers in preparing and putting into practice a great youth night which all Yr7, 8, and 9's will enjoy! In this way, not only is the curriculum covered three times by a youth group member during her/his time in LITE4, but one progresses from being the recipient to the teacher, thereby I believe maximizing learning and leadership abilities.

The youth group is also to be 'family oriented'. This means that youth must have their parent's permission to be a part of the youth group, and the parents must have met one or more of the adult leaders of the youth group before the child is allowed to participate. Wherever practical, the homes of the youth are also to play central roles in the life of the youth group. Whether for actual youth activities themselves, or starting points for outings, or for planning meetings during the week, the concept of having the youth group very community/family/home based is I think a good one. However, as the youth group expands in numbers, a dedicated location/building will still be required. But even then, the family home should not be avoided.

LITE4 is also to be a place where Junior High Youth are 'given safe space' to discover themselves and to exercise their God given identities with their own peers under a different leadership structure to what they are used to - ie, learning to come under the safe authority of other people in addition to their parents. I see it as 'horizon widening', but in no way undermining the primary authority of their parents under God.

The rules and guidelines expected to be followed can be summed up in one word: RESPECT - respect for God, for those in authority (leaders, parents), for others in the group, for property. Appropriate discipline procedures will be implemented if necessary so that the group remains a SAFE place to be for everyone. However it will also be emphasized that these rules cannot really be kept unless one first opens up their heart to Jesus! As it is written: "I can do all things through Christ Jesus who strengthens me." (Philippians 4:13).

I consider the ministry of LITE4 to be a partnership with parents in helping their teenagers become the mature young adults Jesus wants them to be. After completing Yr9, youth can then enter the Senior High Youth Group called 'Wings of Eagles', where the foundational learning in LITE4 is put to the test in the real world.

My overall aim for youth development can be stated quite simply: I want youth to be equipped and prepared enough for life so that if it is the Lord's will, they could be married and start successfully raising children from the age of 18. From my perspective, this is what it means to be mature, to be an adult. May God bless these plans and endeavours.

For youth in years 10-12 at high school, this is where the foundational learning in LITE4 is put to the test in the real world. Youth are encouraged to "spread their wings", and through many outings, experiences, discussions, and fun!, are challenged to soar above problems, and even face them head on, like eagles.

It is planned to meet on Saturday afternoons and evenings in school terms, with holiday periods lending themselves to exciting surprises and activities!

As with LITE4, the same general curriculum is planned to be followed each year, with different levels of responsibility given to the youth as they progress.

The role of a Community Chaplain, as I have been practicing it, is to be a "front-end" for the church, an evangelist or apostle "at the coal face". Thus the main role is seeing people evangelised and born again, and then ensuring that Gospel foundations are laid in their life.

This process can be broken up into the following five steps, all undergirded with prayer:

1. Prayer group(s) established to pray for the area and all its inhabitants (continues through all five steps);
2. Initial visits to the door where I introduce myself and pass on my details;
3. Delivering monthly newsletters ("Chaplain's Notes") to keep in touch. These are in actual fact like "written sermons". The people are treated like they are already part of the flock (even if they may currently be "lost sheep"), and they are not treated as if they were ravenous wolves or 'Pharisees'!
4. Re-visiting, and as the opportunity arises, turning the topic onto the spiritual. Through showing genuine concern, and grace, and being real and down-to-earth, trust is established.

1. Re-visiting, and making opportunity (as appropriate) to discuss the spiritual;
2. Beginning to work through the five basic evangelistic questions:

1. Do you believe that God exists?
2. Do you understand that God loves you and wants you to experience abundant life as you obey Him?
3. Our world and our lives have been and are in such a mess because we have all sinned against God. Do you admit that you are a sinner?
4. Do you believe that because God loves you, He sent His own Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross as the penalty for your sins, and rise again so that you could have abundant eternal life as you follow Him?
5. Will you now turn from your sins, turn back to God, ask Him for forgiveness, and begin following Jesus as your Lord and master?

1. Genesis 1:1 - 12:3
2. Isaiah 61
3. Luke 4
4. An overview of the Six Steps to abundant life

Now since not all people will make a decision for Christ at the defined point in the above process (at the end of stage 2), but they may wish to continue to meet with you for Bible studies and learn more, the above five points can be tackled according to the following flow diagram (in which 'C' stands for Celebration Sundays or other Corporate Outreach):

The later in life a person becomes a Christian, the more their previous life experience "in the world" needs to be undone. People need one-on-one discipling, care, and encouragement in the Christian faith and in the marvelous truths and promises of Scripture.

Three basic elements are envisaged to comprise this component of recovery and steps to wholeness:

1. Prayer ministry
2. Journeying through the booklet "Building a better life: a pocket-guide for Christian living"
3. Commencing "Way of Life" Bible studies.

Prayer is an essential aspect of coming to wholeness in spirit, soul, and body. We as a Christian Community are committed to praying and seeking God's direct intervention in people's lives for their total well-being. As far as our Christian values will allow, we also seek to work together in co-operation with our local hospitals, emergency services, and other State or Christian support services in Darebin and Melbourne for holistic healing of each person.

After this comprehensive broad foundation has been laid, the person should then be ready to launch deeper into the Word of God, and firmly establish themselves in Christ and the Christian way of life.

"Way of Life" Bible studies involves reading and studying Paul's letters to the churches for their encouragement and building up in the faith. Specifically it involves a study of:

1. Ephesians and Philippians for an understanding of your identity in Christ, plus any of Romans 1-11;
2. Luke & Acts as a prelude to studying Colossians, Galatians, 1 & 2 Corinthians, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, for an understanding of life lead by the Holy Spirit and not just by our bodily desires and also not legalistically.

This is envisaged to be a three year course of teaching and personal tutoring after the Recovery phase has been completed. It is based on the model our Lord Jesus gave us, where He had 12 disciples who followed with Him everywhere He went that He might prepare them for Christian life and witness.

Note that if a person has come through CRE, LITE4, and Wings of Eagles (ie they have had good strong Christian upbringing), they are able to commence at Year 3, not Year 1.

The three years of teaching have the following form:

1. In the context of seeking advice from other Christians who know you, and whilst being aware of the desires of your heart, your established abilities, your personality and your experience, study Romans 12, Ephesians 4, 1Corinthians 12, and 1Peter 4 (here we find lists of spiritual gifts) and ask God to reveal to you what gifts you have;
2. Studying 1&2 Timothy, Titus, and Philemon, the "Personal letters to leaders", put yourself in the shoes of the recipients of those letters and then discern how one should exercise the gift one has received.
3. Practical supervised ministry in accordance with your gifts.

The practice of your gifts will inevitably bring opposition and persecution. The Christian must be prepared for this. To do so, this year focuses on studying the letters which concern "Surviving attack from within and without" (within: heresy and false doctrine in the church; without: violent persecution from non-believers). This will involve studying John's Gospel as a prelude to studying Hebrews, James, 1&2 Peter, 1&2&3 John, Jude, and Revelation, for an understanding that Jesus alone is the Messiah, and that He really is all sufficient, and that we should never swerve away from Him, and that truly in Him we know what God is like.

This year's study aims to tie all the previous years together so that the Christian has a sound worldview and understanding of God's purposes for him/her and the world. Basically speaking, it can all be summarized into the following statement: 'Becoming a faithful and humble servant is everything!'

To come to this understanding, we will study Matthew's Gospel as a prelude to again studying 1&2 Timothy, Titus, and Philemon, and then followed by Romans. We will put ourselves in the shoes of the writer and the recipients of those letters, so that as witnesses, evangelists, and leaders, we know the right use of the law, what the Christian life is, and how / how not to teach and lead in the above.

Our God is an awesome God, and He has gifted each one of us with awesome abilities and gifts. He has given to us all that we need and more, and above all, He has saved us from our sins through the death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ! There is no better reason to CELEBRATE HIS LOVE AND GOODNESS!

On Sunday afternoons we love to gather together as a whole to praise and worship our God, and we invite everyone and anyone to come along and enjoy God's presence! We love to praise God, to hear His Word preached, and to experience His gracious presence afresh in an attitude of prayer and humility. Our time together is also open to participation by all, from children to grandparents. Whether it is through singing songs, playing an instrument, sharing some good news, or encouraging us from the Bible - we want to hear from you! These times are truly wonderful times together, and we also have a combined meal afterwards. So, come and enjoy God with us!

On Sunday mornings or other times during the week, our Christian community also meets in smaller groups for worship together. Catering for different age groups, or family circumstances, some groups meet for worship in someone's home, others may choose to go on an outing as a group and have worship in a park or even at the beach! It is flexible and informal, but most importantly it provides the opportunity for people to seek God in a real and intimate way and which also promotes the building of good friendships and relationships with each other. Each group decides for itself what they will do when they meet, but we generally try to incorporate the following: Singing songs and praising God, Prayers of thanksgiving and confession, Holy Communion, Prayers for each other's needs, Teaching and encouraging from the words of the Bible.

To be a Christian woman in the 21^st century is not easy. We aim to be a group of women who get back to God's original intention for our lives. When God created us he called us "helper". Helper means to be one prepared to "come alongside, help, stand in the gap, and be a blessing". Regardless of whether you are young, single, married, divorced, widowed, with or without children - let us gather together for mutual encouragement and teaching from the Word of God, so that we can be awesome blessings to all in our sphere of influence.

We meet in different groups at different times in the week during school terms, depending on your schedule, and no-one is too old to join with us!

We need each other. We need the counsel and sound advice of years of experience, as well as the vigour of youth. We especially need the wisdom of God in facing the challenges the world puts to us each day, whether in the family or at work.

On weeknights or Saturday mornings we meet together to catch up and talk, as well as be towers of strength for each other. We will let God challenge us through the words of the Bible, and sometimes have visiting speakers/experts address us, including leaders in the wider community, opening up issues to ultimately help us be the men, husbands, and leaders God is calling us to be.

In line with our values and the Word of God, we believe that one person's abundance in time, skill, and resources is to supply another's lack. We as a community actively seek to help everyone amongst us develop to their God-given potential in accordance with God's will for their lives. We encourage everyone to use their God-given gifts, skills, and aptitudes to bless others, whether here or overseas, with a spirit of generosity and service, and live out their responsibilities as community members and world citizens. To this end, under godly and wise oversight, we also encourage the voluntary pooling of our resources in order to distribute and invest in the lives of others as God leads us. In all the above, as far as our Christian values will allow, we seek to be in active co-operation with local and international schools, governments, and banking institutions.

But beyond our individual development, we also want to grow in being a happy caring community where we really enjoy being with each other! To help facilitate this, we have an annual camp together, and we encourage many other group recreational times throughout the year. What a blessing it is to be a follower of Jesus!

Our community is open to all who desire to follow Jesus and be a Christian.

The decision to become a follower of Jesus is the most important decision you will ever make in your life. It affects everything you will ever do, both now and for eternity. But it is the best decision you can ever make!

Jesus Christ said: "Come to me, all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light" (Matthew 11:28-30)

Jesus also said: "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6) and "I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly" (John 10:10).

Allow me to ask you a few questions:

(Read Genesis 1:1 and Psalm 33:6 in the Bible to help you)

(Read Jeremiah 29:11 and Deuteronomy 5:33 in the Bible to help you)

(Read Romans 3:23 and Romans 6:23 in the Bible to help you)

(Read John 3:16-17, 1 Corinthians 15:3,4 and John 6:40 in the Bible to help you)

(Read Acts 16:31, Romans 10:8-13 and Matthew 4:19 in the Bible to help you)

If you have answered "yes" to all these questions, you are ready to become a follower of Jesus, and become part of our community! It is appropriate that you now pray a prayer like this:

Today I have prayed the above prayer with all my heart.
I have received Jesus Christ as my personal Saviour and will trust in, rely upon and adhere to Him as my Lord.

Name:

Date:

If you have prayed the above prayer from your heart - welcome!! We look forward to you joining and growing with us! If you have any questions about any of the above, we would be more than happy to try and help you work them out.