To the Annual General Meeting of Members, to be held at the Ministry Hub, 1 Main Street, Springfield on Tuesday, 18th March 2025, starting at 7.30pm.

Disciples Church Springfield is a public, not-for-profit company limited by guarantee and registered as a religious institution.

It was officially incorporated on 17 December 2010.

ACN: 147 916 818

Disciples Church Springfield is a member of the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches.
www.fiec.org.au

Neumann & Turnour Lawyers
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KBP Audit Services
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www.kbpaudit.com.au

Welcome to the 14th Annual Report of Disciples Church Springfield.

Once again, we find ourselves joining with the Psalmist in giving thanks to our great God for His faithfulness and provision throughout a year filled with change and growth.

"Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever!” - Psalm 136:1

In 2024, we stepped into a new season as a church. After more than a decade meeting at Springfield Lakes Boulevard, we moved our Sunday services to the Event Cinemas. This was no small transition, requiring significant effort from staff and volunteers alike. Yet, we saw our church family rise to the occasion, stepping into new roles and serving with joy and commitment (Colossians 3:23).

Alongside this, we established our new Ministry Hub at Orion Shopping Centre—offering not only a physical presence in the heart of our community but also new opportunities to connect with those around us.

If all of that weren’t enough, we also experienced a leadership change!

Through it all, God has been gracious. We’ve seen growth across our ministries—DC Kids, Youth, Discipleship Leaders, and our membership as a whole. With this growth has come new challenges, but we continue to trust that God is leading us forward (Psalm 32:8).

We invite you to read through this year’s reports and reflect on what God has done among us in 2024. We pray you will be encouraged to give thanks to our Heavenly Father (1 Thessalonians 5:18), and that you’ll join us in seeking His will for the season ahead.

In Christ,
The DC Elders

That's a fancy word for "system of government." While our Constitution requires the activities of the church to be reported to the members of the Church, it is the Elders who have the responsibility and authority to make decisions for the good of the whole Church. You can read how this is spelt out in our Constitution.

Callum Mansfield has served as the Lead Pastor of Disciples Church Springfield since July 2024.

By God’s grace, Disciples Church has been running for a long time now—and it’s not because of any one person, but because Christ is at the centre and His people follow His lead.

Stepping into the role of Lead Pastor this year wasn’t a sudden change for me, but one that God has been preparing for over many years. My love for Jesus—the Great Shepherd—and for His flock here at DC has grown steadily as I’ve served among you, particularly in leading our Worship Services. What I have been most encouraged by, however, is not the task or the title, but the humility of Christ that has been on display throughout this season of change.

At the core of the gospel is this radical humility—that Jesus gave up His life for us. And this same humility has been reflected in the way our church family has navigated change. Greg Gardiner, in his wisdom and care, made way for this pastoral transition with grace. Pastor Sly has been a constant source of support, wisdom, and encouragement to me. Not to mention the entire staff team, our MCG and Discipleship Leaders and all of you, the members, have embraced this season with kindness, love, and a willingness to serve wherever needed.

It has been a wonderful reminder that growth in the Kingdom of God looks different from the world. It’s not about who’s at the front, or who does what—it’s about people humbling themselves, like Christ, and trusting God to work through them.

I’m deeply grateful for each of you, and I praise God for the spirit of humility that He has fostered in this church. It’s a privilege to be part of a church that seeks to lift up Christ’s name together. And as we continue to grow—both spiritually and practically—may we do so with our eyes fixed ever so firmly on Him.

In Christ,


Callum Mansfield
Lead Pastor

We have five Elders, four of whom serve on the Board of Directors of Disciples Church Springfield. This is their report on the activities of the church in 2024

In 2024, the Elder Board was made up of the Chairman, Pastor Callum Mansfield (BTh), Pastor Anthony Sligar (BTh), Pastor Greg Gardiner (BMin), David Machin (BSc), and Nathan Rule (BRTP). Even the board experienced a transition, Emily Oliver stepped into the role of Board Secretary, providing vital support during this season of change. We also extend deep gratitude to Hannah Simpson, who transitioned out of the role after more than a decade of faithful service.

Looking back on the year, one word stands out: change.

From leadership transitions to moving our Sunday services and establishing our Ministry Hub, there have been significant shifts in the life of Disciples Church. Yet, through it all, Jesus has remained faithful (Hebrews 13:8), and our church family has responded with grace and humility.

Our move to the Event Cinemas has been a major blessing. For the first time in years, we’ve been able to meet together in a single service, rather than being split across two. This has allowed for deeper connections within the church body, while the nearly 100 additional seats have enabled us to welcome more people to hear the gospel. In fact, we’ve reached over our previous building's capacity several times—a tangible reminder of why we made this move.

The logistics of meeting in a space that isn’t our own can be challenging, but God has gone before us. The partnership with Event Cinemas has been better than we could have dared pray for. They’ve allowed us to leave our equipment on-site, significantly reducing setup and pack-down time. Parking is easier, access is smoother, and the foyer provides ample space for community catch-ups after the service.

The opening of our Ministry Hub at Orion Shopping Centre has been another significant step. Its proximity to the cinemas has made the transition out of our old building much easier, allowing us to store and access items quickly. Beyond logistics, having a presence in a bustling shopping centre has opened new opportunities for community engagement. During December alone, more than 40,000 people a day passed through Orion, and our office space became a meeting point for ministries, training sessions, and outreach events. The Hub also served as a drop-off point for Operation Christmas Child, connecting us with people from across the region.

We’ve also been blessed with spiritual growth throughout the year. Baptisms have been a recurring highlight, as the Lord continues to move hearts to respond to the gospel. Our Missional Community Groups remain central to  church life, as members continue to love, care for and disciple one another in meaningful ways.

The church’s financial story has been one of both challenge and provision. Despite the challenges of rising costs and significant transitions, our members have remained faithful in giving. We’ve also been able to add more paid staff than ever before—at one point carrying three paid pastoral staff—something we couldn’t have imagined just a year ago! This is a testament to God’s provision and the generosity of our members.

Our financial systems underwent major changes as we moved venues and leadership shifted. These transitions were costly, but the benefits have far outweighed the costs. The increase in capacity, the new connections within the community, and the opportunity to focus more on pastoral care have all made the investment worthwhile.

As for the Springfield Lakes property, the rental arrangement continues with a Hope Church. While they are still considering purchasing the building, either outcome will benefit DC—whether through increased cash flow from rental income or the ability to begin looking for a new venue if they decide to buy.

Through all these changes, the Elder Board has remained unified. It’s a testament to the Lord’s work in each of our lives and to the graciousness of the board members, who’ve navigated some huge decisions with humility and care. There has been no conflict—only a shared desire to see Christ proclaimed and God’s people shepherded well (Ephesians 4:3).

As a church family, our goals for 2025 are simple, and they involve all of us:

• To keep proclaiming Christ in all we do and disciple one another as we follow Him together.
• To encourage and equip our discipleship leaders—because discipleship is something we all take part in.
• To prayerfully consider the future as we finalise the sale of the building and seek God’s wisdom for what’s next.

We ask for your prayers as we continue to shepherd the church in this season of growth. In particular, we ask you to pray for more leaders to be raised up within our congregation. We are encouraged by how many people are stepped up into leadership, but as the church grows, so too does the need for more godly leaders to care for the flock (Luke 10:2).

May we continue to work together in unity, love, and zeal for the Kingdom of God.

In Christ,

The Elder Board

The Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ is the heart of all ministry at Disciples Church Springfield. Here is our report on ministry in 2024.

2024 was another exciting year of growth and gospel impact for our Missional Community Groups (MCGs). We began the year with seven groups, including the successful multiplication of the Hunsperger’s/Logan’s co-led group into two autonomous MCGs. This transition marked a new chapter for both groups as they continue to live out Outreach, Care, and Discipleship in their unique rhythms.

Our Newcomers Group had another year with a consistent flow of people. Through 2024, there were 30 adults (plus numerous children) representing 18 households joining us. Greg and Fiona Gardiner led terms 1 and 2, and after the venue move, we shifted to a Sunday lunchtime rhythm, with Callum and Sly tag-teaming the leading of those sessions. This post-service routine proved highly effective in helping newcomers connect with our church family. Those who pursued membership were able to integrate into MCGs.

Discipleship saw significant growth in 2024. After a focus on discipleship at our annual leaders’ retreat, the number of Discipleship Leaders grew by over a third, from 14 to 22. This increase greatly expands our discipleship capacity, enabling more people to grow in their gospel identity while pointing each other to Jesus. We rejoice in the impact this is having, and will continue to have in the future, across our MCGs and the broader DC family.

We also saw more not-yet-believers regularly engaging with our community groups. We are prayerfully hopeful that these seeds will bear fruit, and we look forward to seeing many come to saving faith in Jesus (Lord willing this year!).

As we reflect on 2024, we remain prayerful and expectant, asking the Lord to continue raising up leaders, multiplying groups, and bringing His Kingdom to bear in Springfield and beyond. To Him be the glory!

In Christ,

Anthony Sligar
Discipleship Pastor

In 2024, we saw exciting growth in discipleship at Disciples Church. More people stepped into Discipleship Leader roles, and we continue to see the fruit of intentional discipleship as people walk alongside one another in faith.

A particular highlight has been the opportunity to trial our own discipleship content alongside the Genesis to Jesus sermon series. This content was designed to help people engage deeply with God’s Word and connect it to their everyday lives. The feedback has been incredibly encouraging, with many reporting a greater understanding of how Scripture points to Jesus and how it shapes their discipleship journey.

We give thanks to God for the increasing engagement with discipleship and pray that this growth continues as more people take steps toward following Jesus together.

This year marked a transition in our Women’s Ministry, as Fiona Gardiner stepped down from her role, and we officially welcomed Rebekah Sligar as our new Women’s Ministry Support Worker. Rebekah and her husband, Pastor Anthony Sligar, have both bene fited from the Restoration Groups intensive they participated in, under Peter Sondergeld at Restoration Church Toowoomba. This has further equipped them to care for our congregation.

Biblical Counselling continues to happen as needed, providing gospel-centred support to individuals facing personal challenges. The focus remains on helping people apply the truths of the Gospel to their specific circumstances, aiming to see growth, healing, and transformation over time.

Reflecting on 2024, we are filled with gratitude for God’s faithfulness and the ways He has continued to bless us through our Sunday Services at Disciples Church Springfield.

This year marked a season of significant transitions, growth, and opportunities to proclaim Christ. In a major shift, we moved our Sunday Services from the Springfield Lakes building to Event Cinemas. Along with this change in venue, we transitioned from two services to one, fostering a deeper sense of unity within our congregation.

A highlight of the year for our Worship Collective was the Worship Retreat in June, which served as a time of teaching and encouragement for our teams. Additionally, DC had the privilege of leading worship at the Acts29 Regional Conference in August, getting to share in God’s work across the broader church community.

This year, we introduced ten new songs to our worship set list, each enriching our worship with gospel-centred truths:

• "Give Me Jesus," 
• "I Believe," 
• "Sunday Is Coming," 
• "It Was Finished Upon the Cross," 
• "Let the People Sing," 
• "No Other King," 
• "Jesus My King," 
• "His Glory and My Good," 
• "Nothing Left to Say," and 
• "Creator." 

What a blessing to encourage one another with such great songs!

   We also celebrated the addition of Jamie Wiedemann to our production team, whose skills and love for us all have been such a blessing.

   In December, we held our first Christmas Eve service at Event Cinemas, a special milestone that proclaimed the joy and hope of Christ’s birth in our new space.

We remain deeply thankful for the many volunteers who have served in various capacities—whether leading us in prayer and Scripture, welcoming guests, or ensuring our services run smoothly behind the scenes. The love of God is clearly felt as we are served so well week after week.

 As we look ahead, we pray that God will continue to use our Sunday Services to glorify His name and proclaim the good news of Jesus!

At Disciples Church, we delight in gathering each Sunday to sit under the preaching of God’s Word. We remain committed to expository preaching, which brings the whole counsel of God into focus and deepens our understanding of the Scriptures together.

This year, we were blessed by a team of preachers who faithfully opened the Word for us. Pastor Greg Gardiner, Pastor Anthony Sligar, and Callum Mansfield shared the majority of the preaching duties. We also welcomed guest preachers, including Matt Price, Callum Trevorrow, and Nathan Rule. Additionally, it was exciting to see two student preachers step into the pulpit for the first time—Tom Cera and Matthew Gardiner—as part of our commitment to raising up future leaders.

In 2024, we preached through five main sermon series:

• Term 1, 2 & 3: The Gospel According to Luke
• Easter: Sunday’s Coming
• Term 4: Genesis to Jesus (Genesis 1)
• School Holidays: The Book of Psalms — After years of preaching from the Psalms, we have now preached 22.67% (34/150) psalms.
• Christmas Advent: Hidden Christmas

This year’s preaching had a strong emphasis on biblical theology—tracing how the story of Jesus unfolds throughout all of Scripture. There was also a focus on slowing down through key passages, particularly in Luke and Genesis, to help the church understand the depth of God’s Word and how it applies to our lives today.

We are thankful to God for the humility and faithfulness of those who preach each week. As we head into 2025, we remain committed to keeping the gospel central in all we do and to proclaiming Christ crucified and risen for the glory of God and the good of His people.

The transition to a single service and a new venue this year presented a significant challenge for the DC Kids team. Moving from dedicated classrooms into a cinema space required flexibility and creativity, but our volunteers stepped up to support the change, ensuring that the children’s ministry continued to flourish. We also saw growth in attendance, with an increase in both regular participants and visiting families.

The DC Kids volunteer team grew to 40 dedicated volunteers, the highest it’s ever been. Their willingness to serve and adapt in a new environment has been a huge blessing, and we give thanks for their faithfulness in investing in our children.

We continued with The Gospel Project for Kids Curriculum, working through the story of Scripture in a way that is both gospel-centred and age-appropriate. The material has been serving our children well, helping them see how all of God’s Word points to Jesus.

One highlight this year was the amount of children that graduated from Grade 6 into DC Youth - our largest cohort yet! Praying for these young people together as a congregation was a blessing.

As we look ahead to 2025, we are excited to continue investing in the next generation and to see how God will continue to grow this ministry for His glory.

The Youth Ministry at Disciples Church had a strong year in 2024, despite the many changes in venues. The youth participants and volunteers showed incredible adaptability, adjusting to meeting in different spaces throughout the year. The Ministry Hub has provided a steady location for our weekly youth gatherings, and while we recognise the need for a larger space in the future, the current setup is serving us well for now.

Our 4Real discipleship program continued to be well-attended in 2024. This program is designed to give high schoolers the opportunity to dig deeper into God’s Word and grow in their understanding of what it means to follow Jesus. However, we remain committed to the belief that discipleship starts at home. 4Real is a supplementary tool, not a replacement for the primary role of parents in discipling their children. We are grateful for families who prioritise their children’s spiritual growth and see 4Real as part of that journey.

Both Summer and Winter Camps were held this year and were well-attended, with youth enjoying times of fun, relationship-building, and hearing the gospel. A huge thank you goes out to all the volunteers who gave up their time to invest in our youth, forming mentoring relationships and sharing the love of Christ with them.

We continue to pray that God would shape the next generation through the work of the Youth Ministry, that they would grow in their love for Christ and their desire to follow Him in every area of life.

Our 2024 Leaders Retreat was a significant time for deepening our focus on discipleship—both personally and within our church.

As we gathered in July, we spent time working through key passages from the wisdom literature of the Bible, including Job, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes, praying that God would grow us in wisdom and humility as we lead His people.

The retreat emphasised that discipleship is not a solo pursuit, but something we do together in community, and that wisdom from God’s Word equips us to lead others with grace and faithfulness. It was a refreshing time of prayer, reflection, and encouragement, reminding us that our leadership must be shaped by the gospel of Christ.

Disciples Church Springfield was planted in 2012 with a desire to become a church planting church. We want to see the Gospel go out beyond Springfield and to be active participants in God's redemptive mission.

At Disciples Church, we remain committed to supporting Gospel ministry, particularly through church planting efforts. Our policy is to set aside 10% of our Tithes & Offerings for this purpose, with 2% supporting the Acts 29 Church Planting Network, 2.2% to our denomination (FIEC), and the balance going directly to expanding the kingdom.

In 2024, we were blessed to extend financial support to several individuals and ministries as part of this ongoing mission. We were able to contribute to;

• Matt and Tiff Price as they continued their church-planting efforts with Nations Church Oxley Creek and supported;
• Mark Glenn from The Fields Church in their gospel work.

Closer to home, we sought to support potential ministry workers who seek to study theologically.

• A portion of our church planting funds went toward supporting Callum Mansfield through his final semester of theological training as he prepared to step into the Lead Pastor role. 
• Additionally, we helped fund Tomas Cera’s theological studies by covering his tuition at VBC, preparing him for future ministry opportunities. 
• As Greg and Fiona Gardiner transitioned from DC into new gospel ministry through FIEC, we were honoured to support them during this important next step.

Globally, we also made a one-off contribution to resource a church in Japan, that is part of the Acts 29 network, helping to further gospel outreach in another part of the world to a primarily unreached people group. Through these partnerships, we trust that God is using our resources to plant seeds of Kingdom impact that will bear fruit for years to come.

We give thanks to God for the ongoing fruit of these church planting partnerships and remain prayerful that He would continue to raise up new Gospel workers and new churches to proclaim Christ.

Disciples Church Springfield runs a January to December financial year. Our Auditor is Raj Prahbu from KBP Auditors. Here is his report on our finances from 2024.

We have audited the financial report of Disciples Church Springfield, which comprises the Balance Sheet as at 31 December 2024, Income and Expenditure Report, for the year ended, and notes to the financial statements, including a summary of significant accounting policies. In our opinion the financial report of Disciples Church Springfield, is in accordance with Division 60 of the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profits Commission Act 2012, including:

• giving a true and fair view of the registered entity’s financial position as at 31 December 2024 and of its financial performance for the year ended; and
• complying with Australian Accounting Standards to the extent described in Note 1 to the financial statement, and Division 60 the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission Regulation 2013.

We conducted our audit in accordance with Australian Auditing Standards. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor’s Responsibilities for the Audit of the Financial Report section of our report. We are independent of the registered entity in accordance with the ethical requirements of the Accounting Professional and Ethical Standards Board’s APES 110 Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants (the Code) that are relevant to our audit of the financial report in Australia. We have also fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with the Code.

We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.

We draw attention to Note 1 to the financial report, which describes the basis of accounting. The financial report has been prepared for the purpose of fulfilling the responsible entities’ financial reporting responsibilities under the ACNC Act. As a result, the financial report may not be suitable for another purpose. Our opinion is not modified in respect of this matter.

The management committee have determined that it is impracticable to establish control over the collection of fundraising and donation revenue prior to entry into its financial records. Accordingly, our audit procedures with respect to these sources of revenue had to be restricted to the amounts recorded in the financial records.

The members of the committee of the Disciples Church Springfield are responsible for the preparation of the financial report that gives a true and fair view and have determined that the basis of preparation described in Note 1 to the financial report is appropriate to meet the requirements of the ACNC Act and the needs of the members. The responsible entities’ responsibility also includes such internal control as the responsible entities determine is necessary to enable the preparation of a financial report that gives a true and fair view and is free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.

In preparing the financial report, the members of the committee are responsible for assessing the registered entities ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters relating to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the responsible entities either intend to liquidate the registered entity or to

Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial report as a whole is free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor’s report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with the Australian Auditing Standards will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of the financial report.

As part of an audit in accordance with Australian Auditing Standards, we exercise professional judgement and maintain professional skepticism throughout the audit. We also:

• Identify and assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial report, whether due to fraud or error, design and perform audit procedures responsive to those risks, and obtain audit evidence that is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion. The risk of not detecting a material misstatement resulting from fraud is higher than for one resulting from error, as fraud may involve collusion, forgery, intentional omissions, misrepresentations, or the override of internal control.
  
  
• Obtain an understanding of internal control relevant to the audit in order to design audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the registered entity’s internal control.
  
  
• Evaluate the appropriateness of accounting policies used and the reasonableness of accounting estimates and related disclosures made by responsible entities.
  
  
• Conclude on the appropriateness of the responsible entities’ use of the going concern basis of accounting and, based on the audit evidence obtained, whether a material uncertainty exists related to events or conditions that may cast significant doubt on the registered entity’s
  ability to continue as a going concern. If we conclude that a material uncertainty exists, we are required to draw attention in our auditor’s report to the related disclosures in the financial report or, if such disclosures are inadequate, to modify our opinion. Our conclusions are based on the audit evidence obtained up to the date of our auditor’s report. However, future events or conditions may cause the registered entity to cease to continue as a going concern.
  
  
• Evaluate the overall presentation, structure and content of the financial report, including the disclosures, and whether the financial report represents the underlying transactions and events in a manner that achieves fair presentation.

We communicate with the responsible entities regarding, among other matters, the planned scope and timing of the audit and significant audit findings, including any significant deficiencies in internal control that we identify during our audit.

Yours sincerely

KBP Audit Services
Raj Prabhu
Director-Audit
Date: 19 Feb 2025

The following statements report on our Income and Expenditure during 2024, and our Balance Sheet as at 31 December 2024.

In 2024, we saw God’s provision through new income sources like leasing the Springfield Lakes property and proceeds from selling equipment. Increased expenses reflect our investment in ministry growth, including paying both pastors full-time for the first time and expanding our ministry spaces to reach more people with the gospel.

In 2024, our assets grew with investments in essential equipment for our new venues, reflecting our commitment to expanding ministry opportunities. Increased liabilities are primarily due to higher staffing costs and financing investments, demonstrating our dedication to supporting our growing church community.

NOTE 1: STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

This financial report is a special purpose financial report prepared for use by the members of the committee.

The members have determined that the entity is not a reporting entity. The financial report has been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the following Australian Accounting Standards:
No other applicable Accounting Standards or mandatory professional reporting requirements have been applied.

The statements are prepared on an accrual basis. They are based on historic costs and do not take into account changing money values or, except where specifically stated, current valuations of non-current assets.

The following specific accounting policies, which are consistent with the previous period unless otherwise stated, have been adopted in the preparation of these statements:

Each year, so many people deserve to be thanked for their ongoing commitment to the ministry of Disciples Church, and that is the case once again for 24. However, it has been our habit to especially recognise the efforts of a couple of people who went above and beyond during the year, and to praise God for them.

This year, we want to take a moment to offer a special thank you to Greg & Fiona Gardiner, who have faithfully served Disciples Church since its very beginning. Greg, as the Founding Pastor, has led the church with humility, wisdom, and grace for more than a decade, while Fiona has provided invaluable care and support through her Women’s Ministry role and involvement across multiple ministries. Their love for Jesus and their commitment to seeing the gospel proclaimed has left a lasting impact on our church family. We are deeply thankful for their years of service, their graceful leadership transition, and their ongoing presence as valued members of the DC community.

We also want to acknowledge Vanessa White, who has served faithfully in our DC Kids Ministry for many years. Vanessa has been a faithful and consistent presence, contributing significantly to our children's knowledge and love of Jesus. Her heart for teaching kids about Jesus and helping them grow in their faith has been a blessing to many families in our church. We are grateful for her dedication and the role she has played in helping shape the next generation at Disciples Church.

In all these ways and more, we continue to see God’s provision and grace through those who serve His church so faithfully.

We end our Annual Report with a brief look at the things we see approaching, and the things we are praying for in the year ahead.

2025: Thriving, Not Just Surviving

After a year of massive change, 2024 was about surviving the transition—moving venues, restructuring teams, and adapting to new rhythms. Everyone sacrificed to make it work, and by God’s grace, we did it together. Now, as the dust settles, it’s time to shift our focus from stability to growth, from survival to thriving (John 15:8).

In many ways, we are experiencing the fruit of a decade of faithful, gospel-centred service at DC. But this is only the beginning. If we are to think generationally and move from surviving to thriving, we must prepare the soil now for future growth, investing deeply in our ministries and equipping our people for what’s ahead.

Here’s how we plan to invest in that future this year:
 

• Discipleship – Our training program has begun, and The Heart of Discipleship will support and strengthen leaders to guide others well. In Term 3, we will walk through this content as a church, spending time together learning, practising, and deepening our discipleship in relationship with Jesus and each other (Matthew 28:19-20).
• Cultivating a Hunger for the Word – We want to see a self-feeding excitement for engaging with Scripture, encouraging people to bring their Bibles to church, open them, mark them, and wrestle with the text for themselves (2 Timothy 3:16-17). This is a core goal of the Genesis series, helping people develop a love for God’s Word and see Jesus as the fulfilment of  Scripture (Luke 24:27).
• Liturgy Teams – A DC Youth band is forming, raising up young musicians to lead worship and grow in their gifts (Psalm 150:4). Additionally, with enough volunteers now in place in the production team, there is room to refine, train, and improve the experience for both teams and the church.
• Youth Ministry – Both Friday nights and 4Real are bursting at the seams. With momentum from baptisms, our focus is now on equipping youth to share the gospel boldly (Romans 1:16).
• DC Kids Ministry – With a huge volunteer team, we’re working on supporting and equipping them in discipling the next generation. Recent feedback has helped shape this focus.
• Crèche – Plans are underway to expand the space, making room for the growing number of families.
• Staff & Volunteer Teams – Expanding our volunteer staff teams will help alleviate pressure, building robust leadership across all departments (Ephesians 4:11-12).
• Future Facilities – We are exploring options to purchase land and build, creating a space that serves the mission of the church (Proverbs 16:9).
• Growth to the Next Cinema – We are not far from outgrowing our current cinema, and discussions about moving to VMAX are already underway. We are already well equipped for this move, and the extra room will allow more people to hear the gospel (Isaiah 54:2).

This next season is about preparing the ground for what God will do. We trust that Jesus is building His church (Matthew 16:18), and as we step forward, we do so with faith, expectation, and a deep reliance on His Spirit (Zechariah 4:6).