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Revival in the church, Evangelism through the church, Training for the church
Ambassadors for Christ was established in Australia in 1949. Together, an evangelist and a businessman caught a vision for effective evangelism here in Australia. John Ridley, probably the greatest evangelist Australia has produced, and Alf Davey, a Sydney businessman, pooled their gifts and resources to birth a new kind of ministry. Originally called the Australian Institute of Evangelism, the ministry became Ambassadors for Christ International as it expanded into other nations. AFCI now ministers in almost 40 nations and is having a powerful impact around the world. Two things set AFCI apart:
First is the fact that our teams around the world are made up, not of foreign missionaries, but of people reaching their own nations.
Second is our motto, which sums up the focus of our ministry: Revival in the church, Evangelism through the church, Training for the church Rather than simply working alongside the local church, the ministry of AFCI is focused on the local church itself. We minister into the life of your church.
GrowthWorks is a DVD-based ten-week small group study designed to help any believer move into long-term spiritual growth. The course takes many principles and truths commonly understood and some which are not commonly understood, and fits them together into an overall understanding of how spiritual growth takes place in the Christian life. The course is visual, energetic, enjoyable, and life-changing. Every church that has used GrowthWorks has been deeply impacted.
There is no other course like GrowthWorks available to churches today and you will be blessed if you use it. Click here to go to the GrowthWorks website for full details.
The message of the gospel is constant and unchanging, but we speak this message into a constantly changing scene. We live in a generation that is open to spiritual things, but that is totally changing its approach to truth. If the Church does not adapt its evangelism to connect this new generation with the unchanging message of the gospel, our evangelism will completely miss an entire generation of Australians. We must refocus our evangelism!
AFCI has responded to this need by developing LifeWorks, a tool that enables churches to start with pre-evangelism and move to evangelism in a relational small group context. LifeWorks enables church people to introduce their friends, family and co-workers to Christ in a way that is welcoming and relaxing even for a totally nonchurched person. Through LifeWorks, hundreds of Australian churches have come alive with a passion for people and are seeing many people turn to Christ. Find out more at the LifeWorks website.
Ambassadors for Christ is partnering with radio stations around Australia to produce a daily devotional magazine called Time With God. We are working hard to have three major distinctives that set this devotional apart: 1) It is very Australian (Australian authors, pictures, and feel); 2) It is truly devotional (connecting you relationally with God each day, not just teaching you); and 3) It is interactive, providing you with space to journal your own response to God. If you are interested in learning more about Time With God, click here.
While the Australian Church is employing new strategies and methods in its approach to ministry, there is a need for deep spiritual renewal within the Church—a return to prayer, the way of the cross, and life in the Spirit. The Church’s ministry into the world must be the overflow of a rich spiritual life in the Church itself.
We need revival! The AFCI team in Australia is made up of people who preach and teach for the renewing of the spiritual life of local churches. Many pastors are gifted leaders and teachers, but may not be gifted in bringing people to decision (the gift of the evangelist). Their ministry is greatly enhanced by regularly bringing in those who are gifted to call people to decision. AFCI evangelists and Bible teachers are gifted to call believers to decision about commitment to Christ, choosing an eternal perspective, reaching their friends for Christ, living in constant communion with God, and becoming people of prayer. Contact the AFCI office if you are looking for this kind of ministry in your church.
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