Month: July 2022

Mark Matthews

Mark Matthews is the Empowered Faith Communities National Manager and Indigenous COACH Lead. Mark has worked in the social welfare sector of Melbourne for 30 years. He holds Diplomas in Social Science and Business and is trained in providing professional supervision and counselling. Mark’s work has involved providing direct casework to clients, leading teams of Social Work and Health professionals in service provision, and being instrumental in designing, developing and managing major crisis accommodation centres and housing programs across Melbourne. Since 2007, Mark has been responsible for the ongoing development of the COACH Community Mentoring program. Mark currently leads a community church in Rosebud (Victoria) that is offered to people who don’t feel they could easily fit within a mainstream church. Listen in to Mark’s story, and about his new Book, co-authored with Toby Baxter called, “Ordinary Mentoring for Extra-ordinary Transformation.”

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Steve and Ainsley Apirana

Steve and Ainsley Apirana are Singer/Songwriters based in the Sunshine Coast, Australia. Steve’s music career began in the band Butler who shared the stage with bands like Black Sabbath back in the seventies. It was during his days in Butler that he found faith in Jesus and began his career as a soloist. Nowadays he shares the stage with his wife Ainsley, who writes her own songs, has recorded two albums and plays rhythm guitar, whistles and flutes. Together they aim to encourage, uplift and inspire audiences through their stories and songs through their personal experience of 40 odd years of marriage, of life on the road, and of life as a Christian. Steve and Ainsley play anywhere they are invited and are used to a wide variety of audiences from school classes to prisons to the various denominations of churches, to festivals, house concerts, cafes and pubs. Listen in to their story!

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Namila Davui

Namila Davui (aka Myshon Kyd) was born in Lautoka, Fiji. He’s played Rugby League for the Parramatta Eels, the Canterbury Bulldogs and Fiji, playing a handful of test matches and was chosen in the squad for the Fiji Bati in the 2008 Rugby League World Cup. He’s also hip hop artist, and is training to be a minister in the Uniting Church. He is the Director of Davui Productions, who specialise in youth development programs and consultation in the Brisbane region. Listen in to his story!

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Jason Perkins

Jason Perkins is the Network Director for the Australian Irresistible Churches Network. Through years of leadership, he’s experienced some of the highest highs and some of the lowest lows. In 2015, Jason accepted a lead pastor position at a North Point Strategic partner church in Colorado Springs where after years of growth in attendance, engagement, and giving, he came face to face with burn out. It was in this season that Jason realized the importance of soul care, and how it doesn’t have to mean sacrificing your strategy or success. Jason is passionate emotionally healthy leadership and about helping leaders and teams reach their strategic goals without losing their souls. He spends his time outside of the Irresistible Churches Network offering coaching and consulting services to ministry leaders and their staff.

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