MinisTree: Building a Community for Outsiders in Bendigo with Fiona Preston

MinisTree in the Central Victorian town of Bendigo is a dynamic and vital ministry which serves many local people living on the margins in locations across the city. Beginning just eighteen months ago, Fiona Preston, the church planter and community chaplain, has found a purpose and a rhythm that is sustainable, and is life giving for those to whom she ministers. 

Fiona has a background in campus ministry in Melbourne and most recently in Bendigo at La Trobe University, a town of 120,000 an hour and a half north of Melbourne. 

After conversations both with her local pastor and her bishop she considered, and then pursued, ordained ministry within the Anglican church, and by the end of 2019 she was an ordained Deacon. At that point Fiona began working as a Chaplain at Tarrengower Women’s Prison, where she still works today. After some time at Tarrengower, Fiona added Hospital Chaplaincy to her work schedule. Fiona found herself working with many men who were experiencing desperate addiction and isolation. These two experiences began in her a new and deeper insight into the grace of the gospel, and has inspired her work with MinisTree. 

When asked about the work of MinisTree, Fiona reflects:

“MinisTree Bendigo, that was the dream. It was the idea that we wanted to go outside the walls of the church and do ministry on the streets, the ‘tree’ part representing growth and life, born out of the view that everybody is made equal and in the image of God.” 

Fiona is passionate about providing dignity, respect, love, and grace to the people who find themselves in places of great need; specifically, people who are “rough sleepers”. Rough sleepers is a term that encompasses more than what is connoted by the term homelessness. A person who is a rough sleeper might not have a home, might be couch surfing, might have social housing but spends the bulk of their time with other rough sleepers, or might be a squatter living in a vacant property. A rough sleeper spends the majority of his or her time on the streets. Many have been incarcerated, have experienced complex trauma, and have complex mental health issues. Some are addicts. It is a close community, with the bonds within it frequently being the closest those members have. The majority of rough sleepers are unlikely ever to qualify for social housing because their mental health precludes the functional capacity required to perform the daily tasks necessary for managing and operating a property. They do not have support networks large or functional enough to enable them to begin to develop those kinds of skills and capacities. The leap is just too great, and the chasm too vast. And since these people are unlikely to come to a traditional church for any reason, Fiona has gone to them. 

MINISTREE ON THE STREETS

FIONA PRESTON

Over four days per week, Fiona will spend time in the streets of Bendigo, visit the women’s prison, carry out speaking engagements, and spend time in the Neighbourhood House in the suburb of Long Gully. At the Neighbourhood House Fiona will lead a pastoral care group for women (which draws on Fiona’s expertise in Spiritual Direction), and also provide some one on one support. It is the balance between all these aspects of her role as a Community Chaplain that enables Fiona to stay energised for her work, and not become exhausted by it. 

Since beginning in a Church Planting Cohort with City to City, Fiona has begun to consider that the work she does on the streets can be considered church, although she would hesitate to call it that just yet. Her work encompasses many elements of church, just in a highly deconstructed form. There is no Sunday service, so there is not necessarily a “gathered” element which is usually associated with church, but there is very much a “scattered” embodiment of many facets of church life. Fiona will pray for people, read the Bible with them, offer pastoral care, and provide practical support in the form of small food items and clothing, and hopes soon to have a portable communion set. For many who have been in prison, chapel was a place of calm and nurture, and communion was a big part of that. Because of that strong connection, and because it is part of the life of believers, Fiona would like to be able to continue to provide communion for those for whom it is significant.  

Being part of a Church Planting Cohort with City to City has helped Fiona to think more broadly about the work she is doing. She admits that she can fall into thinking “I know what I’m doing, I’ll put my pastoral hat on”, but now she thinks about supports: “Who might I ask to pray? Do I need more volunteers? Do I need to consult with people with different giftings? And if this grows, in God’s grace, who do I need to wrap around (what is already here)? And if it grows and has more staff, where might I seek financial support for that?” The cohort has also been a great encouragement to Fiona in that although neither her work, nor the work of other members of her cohort, might fit neatly into the box of a traditional church plant, the principles taught are still applicable and useful to her work. Their facilitator affirms and accommodates their non-traditional models with skill and insight, and is able to ask questions that aid understanding and development of all their work. 
In all her work, one of Fiona’s greatest joys has been praying with those to whom she ministers, and having them not just join her in prayer, but to express genuine delight in their belonging to God, and His love for them. She expresses this, saying: “You wouldn’t replace that for the world, would you, those moments of your life? Because people are really in desperate need of God. I just love them. I love them.” 

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Written by Jane Duff

Revitalise Nelson: Hearing What the Spirit Says in the Diocese of Nelson

A process of discernment began in the Anglican Diocese of Nelson at their annual Synod in September last year. 

It was not necessarily a comfortable process, nor one which yielded solely comfortable results. Presented with statistics and graphs which illustrated the diocese-wide decline of its churches was deeply sobering for all present. It was recognised that there was and is rampant and rapid change in the western world, and that it was a critical moment for paying attention to the Spirit, the prevailing culture, and potentially making some big changes. But how that change might occur, and what it might require, was unknown. 

In the Anglican Prayer Book in New Zealand there are two statements to be said after scripture is read. The reader will say: “Hear what the Spirit is saying to the church”, and the congregation will respond: “Thanks be to God”. One thing to whom those present at Synod could attest was a sense that God was calling the diocese to pause, listen, and discern; to “Hear what the Spirit is saying” at that precise point in time. As the season of discernment proceeded, it was decided that the entire Diocese of Nelson would engage City to City Australia to implement a revitalisation consultation program: Revitalise Nelson. All twenty-three parishes in the Diocese would individually undergo the Revitalise program. This was launched recently at Nelson’s Leadership Camp in July, the theme of which was ‘Hearts Transformed by Jesus’.

REVITALISE NELSON

It is no small thing to have an entire diocese undertake a process of change at a foundational level simultaneously in every parish. Given this herculean proposition, attendees arrived at the Leadership Camp with many questions. Once it had been articulated and understood that there was not going to be a single uniform and rigid program rolled out over the twenty-three parishes, but a highly individualised and consultative process, uniquely contextualised for each parish, with research and analysis of all facets of the life of each church, and a clear plan devised which would be implemented in concert with their City to City Lead Consultant, a sense of hopeful anticipation began to grow. 

Andrew Katay, CEO. of City to City Australia, and Jamie Bester, Lead RA Consultant for Tasmania and for Revitalise Nelson, gave several examples of real churches, very similar to those in Nelson, where deep and lasting positive change had occurred through the revitalisation process. 

Many attendees of the Leadership Camp, which comprised clergy, leadership, and lay people, had arrived expecting answers of a concrete nature to the many questions they had about what was going to happen in the revitalisation process.

What they received, however, was the discovery that within the essence of revitalisation at City to City:

“There is a philosophy, or even a theology at work with this idea that we haven’t encountered before: and it makes sense.”

  – Simon Martin, Bishop’s Chaplain, Nelson

That philosophy or theology was found in Jamie’s message: listen to what Jesus is saying about abiding in him and being connected to him, and the life and the fruit that comes from him that is produced in us. Similarly, one of Andrew’s key points was that transformation in our churches is not a product or a result of our work, but is borne out through a work of God in our lives. And so, according to Simon:

“The shift in thinking went from ‘Yes, we want change, but how?’ to ‘Through us, in us first, and through us to others’. And this is the way we’re wired. So there’s a sense of anthropology which gave people a wake-up call to the humanity of change. It was refreshing in the way that it wasn’t a system, or mechanics, or a program, it was a realisation that this is the human condition, this is how God made us, this is how God works. It’s how He effects change.”

This invitation to rethink how change happens in our church communities from a gospel perspective with Jesus at the centre was not quite the concrete “how-to” that many had anticipated, but it was life-giving revelation that began to bear a deep hope and excitement.

GROWING EXCITEMENT IN THE DIOCESE

The result was that there began a lively buzz in the breaks between sessions and at meal times. People were lining up to enquire further of Andrew and Jamie about the ideas and principles they had been sharing. Numerous requests were made for copies of all the slides used in the presentations, recordings of the talks, and which books might be useful to read for further insight into gospel renewal and transformation. Many ‘a-ha moments’ were felt and shared across the camp. Attendees grew in eagerness to begin, and to know what was next. Excitement for the future was palpable and tangible.

Conversations with the many young adults present showed that they had collectively been struck by the concept that change begins in the heart and works outwards. This contrasted strongly for them with what they often understood from many sermons: that change is a result of gaining more knowledge, which can result in a moralistic invitation to “try harder, or have more faith, or love God more”. Heart transformation from gospel renewal was received as a tonic by many, coupled with statements marvelling: “Of course! Yes! But how is it that we’ve missed that?”  

The camp ended with the majority of attendees feeling optimistic and genuinely hopeful about the future. The teaching sessions from Andrew and Jamie had been revelatory and life giving, and had deeply challenged people as they considered the import and implications of their theme “Hearts Transformed by Jesus”. Change for the Diocese of Nelson is certainly in the air, and the desire to see it transpire has been galvanised through this recent camp. Please pray for this diocese as the process of Revitalise Nelson begins!

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Written by Jane Duff

Building Local Outreach in the New Housing Estates of Melbourne

Kathryn was in the Ordination stream in the Baptist Union in 2019 when she heard a Church Planter tell a story about church planting. In her words, while listening to the story of an 18-year-old-church plant: “I heard something in the story, and something came alive in me.” Being an associate pastor at Mill Park Baptist in the northern suburbs of Melbourne at the time, she shared her experience with the leadership there and began to discern the call to plant. And then COVID hit.

Kathryn reflects that part of her experience of the COVID pandemic was freedom, in that it stripped back some of the excesses of modern church life, and made way for a ‘cocoon of growth and development’ where she was free to dream and pray about the call to planting. During this time she further discerned her sense of call with trusted others, and it only became stronger. Her church was supportive of her and the call to plant, and made plans to bring it to fruition. 

Mill Park Baptist released Kathryn to begin planting Donnybrook Community Church (DCC) with a small team in the new housing estate of Olivine in Donnybrook in June of 2021. Olivine houses a lively and diverse community, with 20 percent of the population from an Indian background. She began working one and a half days per week, which increased to three days in her second year, and has now increased to four days a week. In the early stages, the church met as a house church in local members’ homes. It launched publicly in June of 2022, and has just ticked over one year of public meetings. 

Being bi-vocational has been of great benefit to Kathryn during this time, and not just from a financial perspective. She feels her work as a counsellor has given her credibility within the community, especially in the wellness space. 

Perhaps one of the happiest eventualities for Kathryn and DCC is the confluence of the arrival of two other strong Christian presences within the Olivine community alongside their own, while the community as a whole is in its infancy. There is a local Placemaker, akin to a Chaplain to the whole local community, as well as a café called “Shared Cup”, an initiative of the Baptist Union where those who struggle to find employment can find it, and all profits are returned to the community. These three bodies collaborating means that the community can be served in vastly more ways than if only one of these three were present. 

For example, Kathryn meets regularly with Michelle Mitchell, the local Placemaker, and it is through this relationship that Michelle introduced Kathryn to Nimi. Michelle knew that Kathryn is keen to run an International Expo with food, music, and dancing at some point in the future, so when Michelle met Nimi in the course of her daily work, and learned that Nimi, a Punjabi woman, had extensive experience in community work, she introduced her to Kathryn. Kathryn and Nimi met and discussed what an International Expo could look like in Donnybrook, and in the course of that meeting, Nimi learned that Kathryn was a pastor. Nimi expressed her desire to learn more about Kathryn’s faith and work, and now they are studying the Bible together.

Similarly, the members of DCC have inaugurated and established a quarterly event called “Raise Your Glass” which happens at Shared Cup. The aim of the event is to build community connections for locals, and to nurture an affirming and pro-social culture. It is an evening meal with a guest speaker (themes have been the importance of community post-pandemic, the love languages, or most recently a trivia night in place of a speaker), and an opportunity to publicly acknowledge local residents. There is a section of each event called ”Toasting not Roasting” where anyone may stand up, raise a glass, and toast a community member for their positive contribution to local life, large or small. This is a brilliant antidote to the Australian pastime of demonstrating acceptance by verbally roasting one another, and at the same time shows that the church is a place where that can be sidelined in favour of genuine affirmation and warmth. Each “Raise Your Glass” event includes the offer of opportunities to talk further about any of the themes of the evening, and information about upcoming community events. 

In terms of City to City Australia’s (CTCA) assistance and involvement with this process, Kathryn is most grateful for being part of the Church Planting Cohort. In that group, she says, “...in the early formation stages (of DCC) they were there to discuss all the ‘firsts’. It was so helpful to have a live conversation to help with what we were experiencing in real time.” Some of the relationships she formed in that cohort are ongoing, and continue to be a source of support and nurture for her. Kathryn also highly valued the sustained support, prayer, encouragement and ‘the right questions’ from Brett Mitchell, her CTCA coach. She says that CTCA has supported her ‘on every level, with funding, training, and coaching’, and that each of these three has been key.

Of the path of a Church Planter, Kathryn observes that “it’s a slow path, and not necessarily efficient. Self discipline of the ego of the leader is involved, and it doesn’t appeal to everyone.” On the flipside, reflecting on the context in which she has planted, Kathryn says “To be able to shape culture in a new housing estate where everything is rising up all around you is incredible”.

"But I'm Not An Evangelist..."

Every pastor has heard this response to the suggestion that their church look outwards and talk to some unbelievers about Jesus. In fact, the name Jesus needn’t even be mentioned. The word “outreach” is often enough to draw the same response: “But I’m not an evangelist”. It’s a dead-end phrase, a complete roadblock, and deeply disheartening for a pastor to hear, because an attempt to address it can feel like an attempt to challenge the congregant’s identity, against their will into the bargain. This can feel like an irreversible defeat in the quest for evangelism and mission, and can discourage both pastors, and gifted evangelists in the church who long to see people come to faith in Jesus, and their flock grow in numbers and in vitality. This need not be the case. There are many ways in which to share the good news about Jesus, and many methods of proposing those ways to churches, and it is possible to do so in ways which affirm and empower believers. Much ink has been spilled on the topic of evangelism, and of evangelism hesitancy, and this article will only attempt to scratch the surface by the barest of margins and offer some thoughts, which are hopefully useful to some. 

Many of the subtexts of a person’s belief that he or she is not an evangelist are a collection of things that are actually true, but which do not preclude sharing faith. Objections can be “I’m an introvert”, “I don’t know enough about apologetics”, “I’m a new Christian”, or even “I don’t know any non-Christians”. While any of these things might be true for any number of believers, none of them rules out the ability to talk about faith in Jesus. It just means that those particular believers might not be ‘Big E Evangelists’. 

It can be useful to point out to members of the church at the point of these objections that there are big E and small e evangelists, and they come in all temperaments, academic capacities, and stages of maturity. (Not all subscribe to this theory, but it can be a useful language in distinguishing between those who are gifted in evangelism, and those who are not.) A big E evangelist is a believer who is particularly gifted in evangelism, and who finds himself or herself energised by sharing his or her faith, and actively looks for opportunities to do so. Not all believers fall into this camp, and no believer should be made to feel as though it is required. Anyone who is not a big E evangelist is by default a small e evangelist, and as a matter of obedience is charged at the very least to “…be prepared to give an answer to anyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” (1 Peter 3:15). So the answer to “But I’m not an evangelist” can sound like “No, you might not be, but we’re all called to be able to share our faith.” It can sound less daunting, but only slightly.

The simple truth is that obedience is costly, and it is hard work at times, and preparing to talk about faith in a way that is compelling and persuasive can feel like more that we are willing to give, or even that we are capable of. It is at this point that another scripture is pertinent: “he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion” (Philippians 1:6). God would not ask anything of us for which He is not going to equip us. There is great liberty in this, in that we are reminded that our confidence does not need to come from within ourselves or from our abilities (and indeed ought not to) but it comes from God. With a few simple ideas and tools, sharing faith can become a joy, and something we long to do. The biggest obstacles to evangelism, and to creating a culture of evangelism in our churches, can be in our thinking and in our beliefs about what it is and how it ought to happen. 

In attempts by pastors to overcome evangelism hesitancy in our churches, there are some common shortfalls which, while having some benefit, still miss the mark and do not yield ongoing evangelism or build a culture of evangelism. One such attempt is to teach a formulaic/rhetorical script to share when talking about Jesus. While these can be very useful, and there are some great examples of them, the truth is that there is not one single way to talk about Jesus and the beauty of his redemptive work. There are, in fact, myriad ways. Church members can feel that they ought not stray from the pattern they’ve been taught to say, and feel constricted to stay within it, even when they can sense that it is not being well received. Also, those hearing the taught formula can feel that the Christian who is sharing it is simply following a script, and has not really engaged with them or listened to them. 

Another way churches can miss the mark with evangelism is by having a one-off evangelistic event. Again, these can be great things, and many people who have never heard about Jesus can hear the wonderful story of his love and salvation. But if the big event has no plan to follow up those who want to know more, or if church members feel that the evangelism box has been ticked for the year, then the mark has been missed. Additionally, it can be a significant drain on the church budget, while yielding very little return. An event like that is far more effective when the church who has hosted it has an ongoing culture of evangelism, and a number of options to offer those who are interested to pursue Jesus further, like an invitation to an Alpha program or similar.

Evangelism attempts can also be unfruitful when the good news being shared is incomplete or indistinct, or if the appeal is being made on the basis of something other than the gospel of the scriptures. When this happens, it can mean that those hearing the message are perhaps being called to a nice way to live, or a new group of friends, or a higher moral code that they previously held – and not the saving grace of Jesus. 

There will be a lack of evangelism in churches where the pastor/s do not lead by example. It is vital for any church leaders who hope for evangelism to occur within their flocks to engage in evangelism themselves, and to share stories from their attempts. In so doing, leaders will foster and grow a culture of ongoing evangelism and demonstrate how it can be a part of everyday life, not just something done as a push for a big event, or as part of a program. Evangelism can additionally be stymied where church members are not taught how to be discerning and how to proceed when there are objections or hostility. Some pastors might choose to share and teach the concept of ‘people of peace’ to help with this. 

How, then, might pastors go about cultivating an outward-looking church where members are willing and equipped to share their faith? A good starting place is to identify which members of a church are gifted, big E evangelists, and which are small e evangelists. Teaching each group will look different, and identifying the differences will give clarity and comfort to those who are fearful. Then, it is useful to think about both corporate and individual evangelism. How might a church reach out to and engage with its community as a community of believers? How might individuals think about sharing their faith one on one in their various contexts in ways that are relational and engaging? And how can individuals learn to share faith, and participate in corporate mission and evangelism in ways that feel authentic and not foreign to them. These are all important areas of evangelism to differentiate, to investigate, and to offer training in: big E, little E, corporate, and individual. Breaking it down like this takes away some of the fear of the unknown, and can give a sense of agency to those who feel ill-equipped to talk about their faith. 

Another critical area to consider when teaching and leading in evangelism is that of contextualisation, with regard to both the broader Australian context, and the local context of a particular church. Understanding the context in which we will share our faith will have a large bearing on the manner and the methods with which we share it. Helping church members to think about this, and the kinds of people they will be sharing with, can demystify the process further, and can reinforce the idea that evangelism really is about the people with whom we share, and God being at work, far more that it is about ourselves and our gifts of lack of them, perceived or otherwise.

Even before methods, giftings, or contextualising, though, come prayer and expectation. Prayer, both individual and corporate, is the underpinning of evangelism. Prayer for both those known to us who we would love to see enter the kingdom of God, and more general prayer for the communities where we live, work, and worship. Expectation, then, will be a result of our prayerfulness. When we pray for God to move, we ought to expect to see Him do so. And that expectation will engender a desire to sharpen our focus on the world around us, and our skill in engaging with unbelievers with empathy, curiosity, and a desire to listen and learn how best to offer the wonderful, redemptive, and merciful love of Jesus.

As with any goal a church leader has for his or her church, a shared vision can be a highly effective motivation to help all members participate in the goal. The following quote from J. Mack Stiles in his book “Evangelism” describes a beautiful vision of church, and evangelism within it, to which any believer could joyfully subscribe:

““I long for a church that understands that it – the local church – is the chosen and best method of evangelism. I long for a church where the Christians are so in love with Jesus that when they go about the regular time of worship, they become an image of the gospel. I long for a church that disarms with love, not entertainment, and lives out countercultural confidence in the power of the gospel. I long for a church where the greatest celebrations happen over those who share their faith, and the heroes are those who risk their reputations to evangelise.””

This vision of every day evangelism within a community of believers is truly compelling, but might seem too far off to reach. If a church like this is what you would love to see, hear, and lead, then Ripple Effect is a highly effective tool to begin the journey there.

Ripple Effect is a multi-layered program offered by City to City Australia. Over twenty-two churches have participated in the program, and more that fifteen hundred people have participated in the online courses on offer. There are four different ways to engage with the Ripple Effect material. The first is a Workshop (conducted over a weekend) which is designed for an entire church to participate in. In it, every day Christians (small e evangelists) are equipped to share their faith. The second is an Online Course which is designed for small groups (mostly made up of small e evangelists) to access together, and looks at shifting the culture of congregations towards embracing and living out evangelism. The third is a Missional Engagement Incubator for Senior Leadership Teams to attend together with other Teams from other churches intermittently over a 12-month period. This helps leaders think about the structure of their churches, and where the pathways are for people to become Christians. The fourth is a Cohort offered to gifted Evangelists within Australia and New Zealand, and helps them to thrive and be utilized within the church, and to have a real love for the church and for the community. One church leader had this to say about the program:

““Our church has benefited from the multilayered approach of ministry leaders training with a cohort of peers through the Missional Engagement incubator, a workshop run by Julie Anne at our church, using the Ripple Effect course in our small groups, and Julie-anne’s coaching of gifted evangelists in an online cohort. This approach far outweighs doing any one of these elements in isolation or dislocated from the other elements.””

If any of these offerings is appealing to you, please get in touch with Julie-anne Laird, CTCA Specialist Consultant of Evangelism and Mission.

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Written by Jane Duff