About us

Churches of Christ in Victoria and Tasmania is a movement of around 130 churches who, committed to the cause of Christ, want to effectively reach Victoria and Tasmania and beyond with the Good News of the Kingdom.

Churches of Christ in Victoria and Tasmania strives to be a network or system that serves congregati0ns that have voluntarily united together in interdependence for mutual support and encouragement to do what most churches would find difficult to do alone. We strive for this in the context of the type of relationship of mutual belonging and unity that God proposed in Ezekiel 11:20: “They shall be my people, and I will be their God”.  We seek to provide a sense of belonging to something bigger.

We exist to cultivate an environment where a diversity of healthy and growing churches can thrive; where imagination and experimentation are encouraged and honoured. In this way we can together participate in God’s dream for the world: congregations and systems that serve them, thriving as the sign, foretaste and witness of God’s kingdom in Jesus in the midst of continually changing environments. It is this Kingdom dream, our common mission, that unites us.

In coming together we celebrate that each church is called to reach their own community (or mission context) in their own unique way, but that there are ways we can assist one another to be more effective in this. There are resources we can share as well as mutual benefits and responsibilities we have as we commit to one another in partnership and mission. At the heart of this relationship is the recognition that we are all united under the Lordship of Jesus Christ and are committed to key biblical beliefs and distinctives that reflect the Restoration movement of which we are a part.

The movement or network of churches known as Churches of Christ in Victoria and Tasmania, known by many as ‘Conference’ is an incorporated body. Our Constitution can be found here.

Our office is at Fairfield, Victoria. We have four Partner Departments that join with us in the work we do for our churches and the communitiesin which they are located.

These Partner Departments are:

Mission & Ministry, www.missionandministry.com.au, The Mission and Ministry team provides leadership, encouragement, expertise and support processes for congregations and their leaders to create and sustain healthy local mission shaped church communities.

PropCorp, www.propcorp.org.au, The Properties Corporation understands the special needs and issues confronting churches when it comes to dealing with property and financial matters.

Community Care, www.ccare.com.au, Community Care seeks to stand alongside people in the community, particularly those with special needs.

Stirling Theological College: a ministry of Churches of Christ, www.cctc.edu.au,  welcomes new students of all ages, offering exciting contemporary study programs designed to nurture faith and enhance Christian spirituality.

Statement of Purpose

What is our COMMON MISSION?

To be a movement of the people of God gathering around the central figure of Jesus Christ, empowered by the Holy Spirit, living out his Way in our local contexts and inviting others to do the same.

What are our SHARED VALUES?

The Gospel
We passionately value the good news about God as revealed to us in Jesus Christ, and are committed to the mission of communicating it and sharing it with others, making disciples who can make more disciples, and so extend the Kingdom of God.

The Scriptures
We value and affirm the centrality of the scriptures as our authority for Christian belief, identity and practice.

Diversity
We value and recognise the diversity of Christian understanding, belief and experience. Therefore, we value the freedom, flexibility and creativity of a variety of ministry practice and expression, and are committed to the nurture of a diversity of healthy and growing mission-shaped churches that, by crossing frontiers and impacting cultures, are a sign, witness and foretaste of all that God has for the world through Jesus Christ.

Formation
We value various spiritual practices and disciplines described in the New Testament as aspects of our formation as disciples of Jesus, and our constant renewal by God and the Holy Spirit. Therefore we passionately encourage active personal formation through practices and disciplines that include (but are not limited to) baptism, the breaking of bread, fellowship, prayer, worship, meditation, stewardship, spiritual gift discovery etc.

Collaborative Ministry
We value the unique contribution to ministry of each individual believer, and are committed to equipping believers (through, for example, the five-fold ministry pattern of Ephesians 4:11-16), and releasing them to participate in ministry and mission on the basis of their giftedness and capacity.

Servanthood
We value the biblical principles of servanthood and therefore seek to be a servant church committed to responding to human need with love and compassion and to identify and release servant leaders.

Justice
We value the dignity, equality and inherent worth of all persons regardless of gender, race, economic standing or belief system. Therefore, in announcing the Kingdom and expectant of its arrival, we will work for social justice, equal opportunity for all persons, and the responsible care and management of the environment.

Collaboration and Unity
We value the close fellowship, community and collaboration of all those who accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour. Therefore, we passionately seek to promote unity in the wider church and are committed to the ultimate ideal of visible unity.