ACC SA Convener’s report
to the National Council
& ACC National AGM
Rev Dr Phil Marshall
Confessing the Lord Jesus Christ
Proclaiming the Truth
Renewing the Church
I want to begin by expressing my thanks to everyone who has made a contribution, large or small, to the ACC SA movement. You are the “salt and light” (Matt 5:13-16) of this movement. Every contribution of time, talents and finance are deeply appreciated and my prayer is that our combined efforts will bring glory to God, renew the church and foster the spread of the gospel in the communities in which we live.
The ACC SA movement is committed to assisting believers live out a vibrant evangelical, reformed and orthodox faith within the UCA. Central to this is the confession of Christ crucified as our hope and salvation. In SA, we are a movement of 50 congregations, two cluster groups and 259 individual members.
The ACC SA Executive for 2009/2010.
The ACC SA Executive Committee members have been:
Convener: Rev Dr Phil Marshall
Deputy: Rev Don Purdey
Secretary: Ian Croft
Treasurer: Kevin Fielke
Prayer: Mandy Scott
Rev Rod James (Retired from the field work role at the end of 2009)
Elected Members: Rev Ben Usher & Jill Walker
The committee meetings are open to every member of the ACC and we receive good support from our members. We have been meeting monthly at Glenunga UC with an average attendance of 10.
At our AGM in 2009 we adopted the following theme to guide our work in SA.
The theme was:“Confessing Christ from the Basis of Union”
· in our hearts
· in the congregation
· in the world
Our major foci have been:
· The “Dig Here” seminars in regional areas (Mt Gambier, Cleve, Halbury, Adelaide). The next “Dig Here” seminar is planned for the Riverland hosted by the Waikerie UC.
· Encouraging local members in non affiliated churches through smaller cluster meetings (there are two ACC clusters in SA).
· Developing the Prayer ministry of the ACC in SA.
· Supporting field work done by members of the ACC SA Executive. The field work has been characterised by encouragement, teaching, testimony and prayer.
· Developing a strategy of supporting emerging leaders in the ACC congregations.
Attached is a one page description that we developed to promote the work of the ACC in SA. We commend it to you and if the National Council finds it useful, it can be adapted to other state movements.
One development that deserves special mention is that the ACC in SA has held its first Prayer Retreat in 2010. Praise God.
The future work of the ACC in SA has a new exciting focus for 2010/2011. We want to support and resource emerging leaders in ACC congregations. Again we are offering grants to emerging leaders to attend the National Conference.
I give thanks to God for the opportunity to convene the ACC in SA for the past 2.5 years. I am not planning to continue in the role of Convener of the ACC in SA and we look for God’s provision of leadership for the next season of ACC work in SA.
The work of the ACC is not over. The ACC has an important and unique role in the life of the Uniting Church. It is the only national association of congregations putting forward the evangelical, reformed and orthodox position on matters of importance to us all.
Rev Dr Phil Marshall
Tea Tree Gully Uniting Church. SA.
22/6/2010
Presented at the ACC SA movement AGM
Introducing the
Assembly of Confessing Congregations
within the Uniting Church in Australia
Who we are
Within the Uniting Church context of a very broad range of theology and practice, the ACC is a nationwide body of congregations and individuals whose vision is confessing the Lord Jesus Christ, proclaiming the truth, renewing the church.
Our goals include
v Encouraging the confession of Christ according to the faith of the one, holy, catholic and apostolic church, as that faith is described in the UCA’s Basis of Union.
v Providing resources, seminars and conferences to build up believers, develop their gifts, and equip them for life, mission and works of service.
v Encouraging Christian believers in earnest prayer through our Prayer Network.
v Encouraging younger members of the Uniting Church in their faith and participation.
v Communicating about current events and issues through our website, our national magazine ACCatalyst and local newsletters.
Our logo
The cross and the Bible speak of our faith in Jesus Christ and the authority of Scripture. The UCA’s “Forward Together” version of the dove and flame underlines our desire to offer our conviction and action within the UCA and for its benefit. The intertwined “C”s symbolise our confession of Christ and the congregational basis of our formation.
Working nationally
Six commissions enable the ACC to speak and work with expertise nationally. They are:
Doctrine and Theology Discipleship and Evangelism Social Responsibility
Ecumenical Cross Cultural Networks Development
What does ACC do here in SA to help you?
The ACC South Australian Movement (ACC SA) has an active leadership team conducting meetings, events and seminars to assist believers
§ to grow in their faith and be active in prayer, worship and fellowship
§ to share their faith and respond to current issues in the church and the world
§ to develop their congregations as vibrant expressions of the Good News.
§ to experience God’s Word in action through healing broken lives and reconciling relationships
We offer printed, audio, and audio/visual resources on a wide range of topics.
We are willing to come to your church, or visit you personally, wherever you live.
For further information contact
A.C.C. South Australian Convenor: Rev Dr Phil Marshall
+WEB: www.confessingcongregations.com +EMAIL: +Mail: PO Box 30 St Agnes SA 5097
Assembly of Confessing Congregations Incorporated ABN 73 794 518 715 ARBN 128 001 785