Want to h ar

it again?
Every year Empower Church in the Shire reaches thousands of
people across the world with its inspiring messages. If youve missed
a message or would like to hear anything again, the sermon

recordings are all available online.

ITS OUR TIME

Time for us to reach out, press in, and believe for
breakthrough.
Time for us to dream big, work hard, and connect
with our next.
Time for us to take the step, run the race, and live out
loud.
We want to welcome you to our new look Vision
Magazine, which contains a summary of some of the
most important things you need to know to find your
place of belonging at Empower Church.
We wholeheartedly believe that its neither haphazard nor coincidental
that you are reading this article; but rather a divine act of providence that
God has brought you near to our church family for such a time as this.
Our genuine hope is that you would find God in our midst that you would find life, and
friendship, and wisdom, and belonging, and strength. We strive to be a church that offers
real solutions out of the timeless principles, promises and practices of scripture to your
world right now.
We believe that God has something to say to you, and our prayer is that you would hear His
whisper in our midst.
We believe that God has a divine plan for your life, and our desire
is that you would find it in our company.

KNOWING

Were convinced that eternity is calling your name

and wanting to offer you the greatest gift that the
world has ever known, and our wholehearted
longing is that you would find that gift whilst youre
with us.
Because that Gift is why we gather.
He is why we live.

Sermon podcasts now available for all of

these great series and more on

He, we contend, is the greatest thing that could

happen to you.
In His name, we welcome you to Empower
Church.
The name above all names.
The name of Jesus.

Visit empowerchurch-theshire.podomatic.com

Luke & Amber

Lead Pastors
Empower Church - Shire

Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her . . . to

present her to Himself as a radiant church, without stain or
wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.
(Ephesians 5:25)
Jesus has filled His Church with good things, for the
benefit of its members and the wider community at large:
...We are filled with the good things of Your house, of Your
holy temple. (Psalm 65:4b)

Church is a wonderful and powerful thing!

Church [Shudder] just the word can illicit a whole range of reactions cant it?
It is a group of believers with whom we can link arms and make a positive difference. It is a family of faith in
which we can find a place of belonging and a mission entirely worthy of our contribution. The Church is Gods
plan advancing in the earth.

Perhaps the word immediately brings to mind images of steeples, stain glass windows, big wooden crosses
and pipe organs? Or, if youve experienced a more modern church, perhaps the word brings to mind a blaring
rock band (also known as Weapons of Mass Destruction to the elderly), impressive multimedia projectors,
good coffee at the after service caf, and those friendly door greeters who are always trying to hug you.

BUT, a warning . . .
(hello . . . personal space please!)

Whatever your image, if it mainly consists of

things or a building, or stuff . . . youve got a
different picture than God. You see, when God
thinks of church, He doesnt just think of the place
that you go, He thinks of the people that go there.
He doesnt just think of the things that you do, He
thinks of the ones that do it. When God says,

church,
Hes not just talking about a building . . .

Hes
talking about people. A people once lost, but
now found by His grace.

Church is NOT perfect. God is perfect, Jesus is perfect... but not church. Why? Because the church consists
of people. We are all Gods work in progress, we are all half-painted canvases, we are all seven chapters into
a twenty-three chapter story. Our hearts and attitudes swing from triumph to tragedy depending on the day;
were hopeful, but also hurt; were faith-filled, but also foolish; were joyful about the present, but a little jumpy
about our past. The church consists of puzzling, broken, beautiful, redeemed humans . . . just like you.

Friend, you are so welcome at Empower church no matter what you background, story, past, or baggage

there is a place for YOU!

Heres some of the things that the bible says about the church:
The Church is very important to Jesus, He paid the
ultimate price for it:
Keep watch [in the] . . . church of God, which He (Jesus) bought
with His own blood. Acts 20:28
Jesus is personally committed to building, protecting, and
advancing His Church:
I will build My church, and the gates of Hades (Hell) will not
overcome it. Matthew 16:18b
Jesus loves the church and is constantly working on making
it more righteous and beautiful.

Wed love to invite as a valued guest to one of our a Sunday services soon. For those of us that have already
taken that step, we can confidently say that being a part of a church has restored our relationship with God,
has deepened our personal confidence and has benefitted our families and relationships powerfully.

That can be your story too are you ready to come and see for yourself?

Because were ready to welcome you!

empower

future

CHURCH BUILDING FUND

FOR NEXT EMPOWER CHURCH HOME

2020 vision

We#are#now#raising#funds#towards#our#Valiant#Church#Building#fund#where#we#will,#in#the#coming#
years,# seek# to# purchase# or# lease# a# permanent# home# for# our# Weekend# Services# and# Mid>week#
Vision#and#Opera@ons.###
Your#generosity#here#will#help#to#restore#a#place#of#permanence#and#stability#for#our#church#vision#
and#ministry#to#the#Sutherland#Shire#community.

TAX DEDUCTIBLE
OPTION AVAILABLE

THE SUTHERLAND SHIRE...

We love our land, we love its

Christian heritage, we love that
traditional Judeo-Christian
values are still for the most part
embraced by our residents and
are part of our cultural DNA and
thinking. But the reality is you
can enjoy the fruits of second and
third generation faith without
personally being connected to the
vine and that is tragically where
the majority of our population
lives. Enjoying the good life and
good luck of Gods blessing upon
us without personally being
connected to His salvation plan
through Jesus Christ for our lives
is still a lost life in need of
conversion. We as Empower
Church are called to do something
about this.

approx.

220,000

Residents

1/5th < 14 y.o.

We believe that the power of

the Holy Spirit is an incredible
gift available to every believer
and essential to victorious
Christian living.

< 2000
pentecostal

Approximately 220,000 people

live in the Shire and just under
1/5th of our population is 0-14
years of age, making the biggest
harvest point available to us as a
church being our childrens
ministry! So watch this space for
more
initiatives
and
opportunities to engage with the
rising generation for Jesus. We
must ensure that we direct our
children onto the right path, so
that when they are older, they
will not leave it. [Proverbs 22:6
(NLT)]

Of the 220,000 residents of the

Sutherland Shire, less than 2000
called themselves Pentecostal
which means that less than 1%
of our community is walking in
the fullness of the Holy Spirit
made available to every born
again believer. As Empower
Church were called to do
something about this as well!

pentecostal

approx.

1,100,000

visitors p.a

In addition to 220,000 residents

that we have here - the area
also sees approximately 1.1
million visitors each year,
particularly in the peak summer
season. Meaning that God has
placed our church in the very
heartland of our harvest.

CHATROOM VIMEO SERIES

FOR INC CHILDRENS MINISTRIES
In#August#2015#we#will#be#taking#a#team#from#our#Childrens#Ministry#to#Kidshaper#Conference#on#
the#Gold#Coast.##Whilst#there#we#will#be#lming#a#Chatroom#interview#series#with#leading#childrens#
and#family#ministries#to#help#resource#leaders#in#the#INC#&#ACC#Networks.##
Your#generosity#in#this#area#will#help#to#see#an#excellent#ministry#resource#created#for#hundreds#of#
childrens#ministries#Australia#wide!

$3500 TARGET
PROJECT BUDGET

BUILDING INFRASTRUCTURE
IN DISASTER AFFECTED VANUATU
Finance#raised#towards#this#ini@a@ve#will#go#towards#Empower#Churchs#new#Vanuatu#building#and#
land#package#and#in#assis@ng#the#Villa#local#church#as#they#minister#to#disaster#aected#people#of#
Vanuatu.#
Your#giving#will#open#the#way#for#us#to#partner#with#Ps.#Joshua#&#the#ministry#of#INC#in#Vanuatu#as#
we#con@nue#to#bring#hope#to#the#people#of#Villa.

TAX DEDUCTIBLE
OPTION AVAILABLE

GENESIS 11:6
THE LORD SAID, IF AS ONE PEOPLE SPEAKING THE SAME LANGUAGE THEY HAVE BEGUN TO DO THIS,
THEN NOTHING THEY PLAN TO DO WILL BE IMPOSSIBLE FOR THEM.

If youre interested in being connected into one of our amazing

Urban Connection please make sure to see one of our INCREDIBLE

URBAN CONNECTION
LEADERS

Urban

Connections
WE BELIEVE IN CHURCH COMMUNITY. We as Christians are not supposed to be isolated. On
the contrary it is when we are together in unity that we are our most powerful. Biblical
Christianity is not isolated Christianity (unless perhaps youre on the island of Patmos). In the
early church we see an account of a vibrant, healthy, caring, embracing family of faith that not
only met in the temple courts over the weekend, but also did life together house to house during
the week (Acts 5:42). This is one of the greatest keys to healthy church life that there is!
Christians loving one another, caring for one another, discipling one another, and using their
house as an extension of Gods house! As believers we are commanded to love one another, to
show one another hospitality, to teach one another, and to honour Jesus whenever we meet
together.

Jon Adams

Thea Sole & Johanna Hyytinen

Leslie & Vera Braganza

Michael & Sarah Winnett

Urban Connections at Empower Church are the strategy by which we outwork these biblical
principles. We dream of a church that not only has inspiring weekend worship services, but also
mid week connection points in responsible peoples homes where the local church vision can
continue to outwork!

John & Ronda OBryan

The 3 crucial elements of EVERY Urban Connection are:

1. DEEP COMMUNITY

Jaco Herholdt
Arlene Adriano

We want to see people building authentic relationships, standing

together in faith, prayer and genuine friendship.
2. DISCIPLESHIP AROUND THE WORD

Scott & Leanne Hurren

The Word of God is an essential component of an Urban Connection

Meeting. It is in this group environment that we can re-emphasise and
delve deeper into our Sunday series topics in order to discuss the How
Tos of applying the taught truth to our lives.
3. AN OUTWARD FOCUS
Far from an insular Holy Huddle, our Urban Connections maintain a
passion for outreach and work intentionally on being open to the unsaved,
to evangelism, and to inviting others who could find Christ in their midst.

For more information on beginning or joining an

Urban Connection please contact Pastor Luke
Harris on l.harris@empowerchurch.com.au or
contact one of the people on this page for more
details on their group.

Love & Respect

in mar!a"
by Ken & Cheryl Parrott

Love and Respect is the single greatest secret to a successful marriage. Psychological
studies confirm this secret that has been in plain view in scripture (Eph 5:32-33) for nearly 2,000
years. Cracking the communication code between husband and wife involves understanding one
thing: unconditional respect is as powerful for him as unconditional love is for her. The
knowledge of love and respect is the secret to marriage that every couple seeks; yet few couples
find.
A wife has one driving need to feel loved. When that need is met, she is happy. A
husband has one driving need to feel respected. When that need is met, he is happy. When
either of these needs isnt met, things get crazy. Dr. Emerson Eggerich, in his book, Love and
Respect, refers to this as the Crazy Cycle.
Without love from her husband, a wife reacts without respect; without respect from her,
he reacts without love; and around and around the Crazy Cycle goes. She needs love just like
she needs air to breathe. When a husband denies his wife her deepest need, he will see the
spirit of his wife deflate, and she will react negatively. In not meeting her need, the husband is
stepping on her air hose. She is not getting the air she needs to breathe. The husband needs
respect just as he needs air to breathe. He also has an air hose that runs from a big tank labeled
respect. As long as the air is coming through, he is just fine.
How the need for love and the need for respect play off of one another in a marriage has
everything to do with the kind of marriage you will have. Unfortunately, marital craziness has
thousands of couples in its grip.
The good news is: There is a way out of the Crazy Cycle. First, the communication code
must be deciphered. Why is communication between husbands and wives such a problem? It is
an established fact that we send each other messages in code, based on gender, even though it
is not our intention. What she says is not what he hears, and what he thinks he heard is not
what she meant at all and vice versa. For example, she says, I have nothing to wear. She means
she has nothing new. He says, I have nothing to wear. He means he has nothing clean. As long
as spouses do not learn how to decode the messages they are sending to each other, the Crazy
Cycle will spin and spin some more.
Always ask yourself: Is what I am about to say or do going to feel unloving to her? Is
what I am about to say or do going to feel disrespectful to him? What do you want for your
marriage? Want some peace? Want to feel close? Want to feel valued? Then why not try some
Love and Respect.
Rich Relationships Counseling www.richrelationships.com.au

VISIONARY

PRIORITIES
At Empower Church we are all about loving God, sharing faith,
empowering leaders, reaching families & discipling generations.
Heres how were going to do it in the season ahead:

>

>

1. Worship & Teaching through . . .

3. Outreach to Families through . . .

Gathering people for unified:

We believe in our Empower Kids Childrens Ministry. We

want to be obedient to the scriptures in training our
children and encouraging the next generation to remember
their Creator in the days of their youth.

Celebration
Service
Spiritual impartation

Sacrament
Scripture
Sending

Goals:
Goals:
Launching ETV for Church News and Sermon Media
Potentially starting a second Sunday AM service to cater for guests in the near future
Increase visibility where we are permanent signage, A-frame advertisements, bigger
greeting & ushering team
Greater presence in the mall with Empower Kids mascots, invitations to families, community
interaction through ETV

How You Can Help:

Invest in the House through serving in our Service Team, Worship Team, Guest Services,
Greeting team, Set up & pack down team & Kids Mascots
Participate in our current sermon series through mid-week study and invitation
Become raving fans / punctual attendees / passionate promoters of Empower Church and
the good news about Jesus
Repost/retweet church Social Media promotions for online invitation
Financially partner with tithes and offerings, sponsor our media gear and signage, and invite
guests to our services

>

2. Discipleship & Community through . . .

Every member connected relationally in an Urban Connection
and encouraged towards living the Empowered Life:
Inspired by God
Inviting people to Christ
Investing in Gods house
Involved in Deep Community
Influencing your world

Goals:
Create Message Notes to aid Urban Connection Leaders
Create Media clips to aid Urban Connection discussion
Launch more Urban Connections throughout the Shire
Increase effectiveness of reporting so we can jointly share testimonies & breakthroughs
Ensure that every generation is being effectively cared for and discipled through at least one
regular Urban Connection
How You Can Help:
Participate in or apply to run one of our Youth, Young Adult, Adult, Empower Her, Man Up &
Young Families Urban Connections

Build our Empower Kids team

Outreach Kids Concert in the Cronulla Mall stage late 2014
Increased Scripture involvement in local schools
Empower Kids / Young Families resource website, music & clips
Explore growth options with bigger space for Sunday Morning Kids programming

How You Can Help:

Join the Empower Kids Team
Pray for the Empower Kids Ministry
Accompany our mascots for a Sunday afternoon outreach
Invite families to church
Give financially through our V3 Campaign: Victory Generation

>

4. Training & Team Building through . . .

After God and His Son Jesus, the most

precious resource that we have is the people
that call our church home. We are
committed to training our volunteers and
leaders to be the best that they can be, in life
and ministry.
Goals:
Bi-Monthly 'ELEV8' meeting where we train leaders & volunteers and pray for church vision
Launch Bi-monthly U.C. Leaders meeting to help connect members & guests through
relationship
Monthly Training / Collaboration with Urban Connection Leaders
Launch Monthly Band Practices in church hall 4th Sunday of the month
How You Can Help:
Pray for or serve in one of our Sunday afternoon teams Ministry Leadership Team, Urban
Connection Leadership Team, I.N.F.L.U.E.N.C.E.R.S team, Finance Vision Team, Worship Team,
ETV team
Attend our ELEV8 prayer and training night

e
v
i
L
I
o
D
w
o
H
So

INVITING People to Christ

Through our Home // Our Church // or a Prayer of Salvation

What weve found in Christ at Empower Church is TOO GOOD to keep to ourselves. Weve GOT to
spread the word. To be a disciple of Christ means to intentionally invite others (friends, family, work
colleagues, etc) into finding faith in Christ, and experiencing the power of his House. We believe that
one of the greatest gifts we could ever offer somebody is the gift of our invitation to church // to our
home to build relationship with us so that we can show them the love of Jesus // or if the opportunity
arises to lead them directly to Christ through a prayer of salvation.

INVESTING in Gods House

Time // Talent // Treasure
Disciples at Empower Church generously invest their time, talent and treasure in Gods house. We are
a tithing people (see Mal 3:10-12) and we are a participating people; for we are stewards, servants, and
partners in Christs advancing Kingdom. We look for opportunities to roll up our sleeves and serve
generously, knowing that we are investing in the greatest cause on the face of the planet the Church
of Jesus Christ. We are not just consumers of Gods house, but rather contributors towards Gods
house with our faith, finance, and service.

INVOLVED in Deep Community

Sharing // Caring and // Daring each other on in our Urban Connection Groups

ave you ever wondered so what do I do now? Now that Ive become a Christian and a
member of Empower Church, what part am I supposed to play in Gods plan? What sort of life
am I supposed to live? What sort of difference am I supposed to make?

Write the vision and make it plain that he may run who reads it. (Hab 2:2)

Theres more to church than a great Sunday Service, and Disciples at Empower Church dare to go
deeper in community by discovering the power of authentic relationships. In our Urban Connection
groups we can together share life and Gods Word with each other, care for each other, and dare each
other to reach for all that God has for us. Youll find us praying with each other, supporting each other
through trials, forgiving each other, and serving each other because thats what family does. Go ahead
and find your place of belonging in one of our Urban Connection Groups soon because we are better
together than we could ever be separately.

Isnt it easier to hit the mark when you know what the target is? Isnt it easier to run with the vision
when somebody makes it clear to you?

INFLUENCING Your World

Were glad you asked!!

Thats why at Empower Church we have come up with the Empowered Life which is essentially a
picture of a disciple of Jesus Christ at Empower Church. Its our best attempt to clarify the 5 INs
that we need to be All in as committed disciples of Christ.

INSPIRED by God
Prayer // Reading the Word // Holy Spirit

It all starts here a vibrant devotional life: where you pray with faith, read and apply Gods Word (the
Bible), and seek the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. This is THE foundational quality of the
Empowered Life. As a church we value the miraculous power of God, the voice of the Holy Spirit,
building a strong confession of faith, and cultivating a rock solid belief system based on Gods Word.
The more effectively we position ourselves for the empowerment, infilling and inspiration of God, the
more that we will empowered to live a limitless life, sold out for the cause of Christ.

Family // Friends // Focus areas

We are the influence of Christ going somewhere to happen! Therefore we ought to be lighting up the
darkness and making a positive difference wherever we go and in all that we do. Our influence of good
starts at home towards our families; and beyond there into the marketplace, workplace, and the mission
field that surrounds - we aim to carry the influence of heaven with us. We choose to speak up for those
that cant speak up for themselves, we choose to fight for freedom from oppression where we see it, we
choose to actively carry an excellent spirit of influence to our family, friends and lifes focus areas. The
world needs us; so we will not hold back.

So there it is, the 5 INs that we need to be All in at Empower Church now the only question is
will you live the Empowered Life?
Matthew 5:16 (NIV)
16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and
glorify your Father in heaven.