MESSAGE FROM OUR MANAGER
THE INCARNATION - CHRISTMAS 2019
Dear friends,
Recently I was pleasantly surprised to hear Christmas Carols playing in some of our local shops. These were real Christmas Carols depicting the birth of Jesus Christ. They were not just our traditional Christmas songs about reindeer, and jingle bells, which we also enjoy.
I want to encourage my own family and friends and you in our Australian Christian College community to stop and carefully consider the message of Christmas, this year.
Whilst as Christians we acknowledge the gift-giving and the holidays that Christmas brings to our Western culture; we have cause to celebrate the greater, foundational message of the birth of Jesus the Christ. This is the message of THE INCARNATION.
What is the Incarnation?
The term “Incarnation” refers to the fact that at one time in earth’s history, God Himself BECAME a man and lived on this planet. God did not just put on a “man-suit”. Nor did He just breathe his Spirit into an already existing man. He became a man.
THERE IS NOTHING IN THE HISTORY OF PLANET EARTH LIKE THE INCARNATION.
All of History turns on the day that God became a man. History before the Incarnation is different to history after the Incarnation.
What Does the Incarnation Show Us?
The Incarnation demonstrated that God considered humans to be so valuable, that He came to this planet, as one of us, to deal with humanity’s biggest problem – our sin. God didn’t send an angel or a proxy. This shows us that God so loved people that He gave His only begotten son, to be our Saviour.
The historical event of God becoming a man is far more incredible than any fantasy or science fiction tale that any author could fabricate. It is the ultimate incredible event! But it did happen. It is a credible, historical event. Only God Himself could have achieved such a feat – no one else has such ability.
The Reason for the Incarnation
God sent His Son, Jesus, to become a man, so that he could live among us and then, at the right time, die on the cross, to take the punishment for our sins. He then rose from the dead, to show His mighty power.
All people who receive Jesus as their Saviour, are forgiven of their sins and are part of God’s own family. This is God’s message of salvation, forgiveness, love and freedom. It is for you and your children. Have you made Jesus your Lord and Saviour?
This good news message has both blessed individuals and also changed the world over the last 2,000 years and it continues to do so.
Discussion Points with Your Children
This Christmas I encourage you all to talk to your children about how amazing the Incarnation is. You can:
- retell the story of the birth of Jesus;
- talk about how amazing it is that God became a man;
- talk about the reason why God became a man – the salvation of people;
- talk about God’s gift of Jesus to the world and that this is why we give Christmas gifts to others as we imitate God, who is the greatest giver.
May you all enjoy your Christmas break, and may you appreciate what God has done for us in sending His son to be the savior of the world.
God’s Gift is to All Who Believe in Jesus
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16
Yours for Christ and Christian home education,
Terry Harding
Manager.
IMPORTANT NOTICES
Christmas Closing Dates
The office at ACHS will close on the 20th of December 2019, and reopen on the 6th of January 2020. The staff would like to thank you for a fantastic year and we look forward to serving you in 2020!
The Warehouse will also be closed from 12pm on the 20th of December until the 6th of January. Orders placed after the 3rd of December will be processed, but we are unable to guarantee delivery before christmas.
2019 Celebration & Graduation Date Claimers
Thanks to all the families who have responded to our survey on our celebration and Graduation events. We have got some great responses but would still love more feedback. Based on the results so far, we have some dates for two events.
Victorian 2019 Celebration and Graduation Weekend
Date: 7-9th of February 2020
Venue: TBC
Possible events:
- Fellowship Dinner
- Awards Night (Graduates, Academic and spiritual awards)
- Meet and greet Lunch
- Info sessions for new and existing families (including 1 on 1 sessions with staff)
Queensland 2019 Celebration and Graduation Fellowship Dinner
Date: 22nd February 2020
Venue: TBC in SE QLD
If you have any suggestions for these events including venue options, simply respond to the survey if you haven’t already and if you have, give us a call or send us an email with your ideas.
The ACHS team are looking forward to fellowshipping with as many families as can make it to these events to celebrate 2019 successes
HOLIDAY READING LOSS
BEWARE! of Holiday Reading Loss
Research has shown that over the long break reading skills of students can decline significantly. This loss can accumulate to 3 years of lost reading skills by the end of Year 5. It is important to keep your child’s learning process going through the holidays so your child doesn’t lose what he or she has gained this year. Keep them reading!
We don’t want your child to start studies next year with a mild case of “rusty brain”
Keeping children reading reduces summer reading loss. It also helps children develop better reading habits and learn to love reading.
Here are some strategies to encourage your child to read during the holidays.
- Find a topic your child enjoys
- Make reading a part of your everyday routine
- Get a library card
- Plan a trip to the bookstore
- Read aloud with your child
- Read a book that has a movie that your child would like, then watch the movie
- Start a new series of books
- Read graphic novels or comics (these can help children who struggle with reading)
CHRISTMAS AND NO CRIME? ALMOST!
The Welsh Revival - 1904
Christmas ideally is family time. But for some Australians it can be a time of sadness and substance abuse. Christmas in Wales in 1904, was dramatically different when compared to the alcoholism of the Christmas, the year before. The story of the Welsh Revival illustrates how the Gospel of Jesus Christ can change the lives of individuals and of nations.
Boxing Day 1903 in Wales saw 40,000 people, mainly miners, go to Cardiff for a big celebration and many of them ended up all the worse from their excessive drinking, as was quite common. Boxing Day 1904 saw only about 20,000 people go to Cardiff but there were only one or two recorded cases of drunkenness. The incidence of arrests for such unsocial behaviour dropped by a massive 60%.
Families were happier, many fathers and mothers were not spending their hard-earned money on excessive alcohol purchases and gambling. Many children, for the first time, received Christmas presents and some children, for the first time, experienced regular meals and some decent clothing.
It was reported that the miners ceased using bad language, so much so that the pit ponies no longer understood them, leading to a slow-down in the mines. Bad language dropped everywhere.
There were further reports of people who had quarreled for many years and held grudges, forgave each other and were reconciled.
Evidence shows that as a fifteen-year old teenager, Evan Roberts, who was a strong believer in the things of God and a follower of Jesus, wondered what he could do to help his people and their needs? He cared for these people and he could see that they were destroying themselves, their families and the community with their alcoholism, violence and neglect of their families. Evan knew God had a better plan for their lives and he started praying for his town and nation. During the spring of 1904 he was repeatedly awakened at 1:00am. He met with God in prayer until 5:00am. God answered Evan’s prayer and visited his town and most of the towns of Wales.
Evan initially preached in his own town, where sixty people became followers of Jesus in the first week. Within two weeks the Welsh Revival, as it became known, was national news with reports of a reduction in crime, a decrease in sexual immorality, workers working harder for their employers and people beginning to have a sense of purpose and joy instead of despair. Over the next few years between 100,000 and 180,000 people responded to the salvation message of Jesus, which in turn, created positive change across Wales.
Dramatic differences were seen when people did “open the door” of their lives to become followers of Jesus. The changes of attitude and behaviour were recorded in many of the Welsh newspapers. This is but one of many newspaper reports.
The Welsh Gazette on December 29th, 1904 reported
Travellers by the crowded trains on the Cambrian lines on Saturday had a new and wonderful experience. The Revival in Glamorganshire was the topic of conversation. At Maschynlleth, where the Aberystwyth and the Barmouth portions of the trains had to be divided, all the passengers from both trains congregated on the platform and an impromptu prayer meeting was held, earnest supplications being offered up that each person might carry the sacred fire with him to his destination, and there assist in the setting of his own district ablaze. How the prayer has been answered - a dozen Northern Counties can already testify. Statistics giving the number of converts in connection with Churches of South Wales collected up to the beginning of last week showed 19,654 converts.
Mr D Davies, Chairman of the Maesteg District Council giving his views as the effects of the Revival, say there is practically no police work now as the quarrelling and drunkenness seem to be almost to an end. He had lived in the district all his life and had never seen the houses and the children so well cared for.
Last year something like 40,000 people mostly colliers visited Cardiff on Boxing Day, and crowds of them became the worse for drink. This year only half last year’s number were taken to Cardiff, and among those returning only one or two cases of drunkenness were noted. Number of persons taken to the Police Station for drunkenness decreased by at least 60%.”’
David Collier, the pastor who had seen the membership of his church grow from 500 to 750 in a matter of months, remained in no doubt that they had been privileged to be part of a strange but life-changing movement of God. It has been estimated that between 100,000 and 180,000 lives were transformed by this movement.
These facts surely would want us to seriously consider our own society and consider if and how it would be possible for Australia to experience a return to Jesus Christ and His Gospel?
Written by Graham McDonald for the DIDUNO Network
www.diduno.info
Resources: The Welsh Revival (BBC)
http://truthinhistory.org/the-welsh-revival-of-1904-1905-2.html
HIGH SCHOOL MATTERS!
The Last month has been busy in this department, both with processing certificates and assisting customers with pathways to post-home schooling tertiary studies.
As part of a new and improved process, as 1085 tests are returned we are checking results, looking for results that may have been missed or lost in transit and checking that your student is on the correct pathway.
If you have a student doing PACE 1085+ you may receive an email or a call from me looking for missing results or clarifying things.
On another note we are well on track to surpass 2018 Graduating numbers with over 30 applications to graduate this year and more coming still.
Check out the date claimer for our planned celebration and graduation events
This will become a regular item in the newsletter, sharing tips, information on pathways and certificate updates, so if you have a child coming up to PACES 1085 or already working on a Certificate pathway, remember to look out for “High School Matters” in future newsletters.
Nathan
FACEBOOK UPDATES
Hi Families!
Just wanting to send everyone a quick update to let you know about what we are planning for our closed Facebook Group next year.
Starting next year, I will be posting new videos weekly. They will be short thoughts and reflections to provide a space to encourage one another.
If you would like to become a member of our Facebook Group but haven’t been added yet, just send us an email or click on the link below. Then keep an eye open for the weekly videos starting next year.
Looking forward to connecting with you!
Karen
Bal-A-Vis-X
Here is a WONDERFUL exercise which will assist in your child’s personal development. It is called “Bal-a-vis-x”.
Using bouncy, rubber balls you can encourage your child to develop coordination skills and cognitive growth. It is cheap, effective and it’s a lot of fun, it can be addictive as children seek to perform more difficult manoeuvres.
Why not try “Bal-a-vis-x” during the holidays? It may be one way to avoid “Rusty Brain” during the holidays.
There are plenty of videos to teach you variation and development.
Check the first 2 videos which are quick and give you a good idea of Bal-a-vis-x.
The third video gives you a deeper understanding of this great new form of exercise.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mbQv34Zs-w&t=73s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2S7C8bi-Js
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUU-wcyfyvI
Scripture Memory
At the start of lessons every morning, have your children read aloud, with you, the Monthly Scripture Memory Passage. Have them read either from their Bibles or from a printed sheet. Adjust the size of the passage to fit your child’s age and skill level. This exercise should only take a minute or so.
After a single, aloud reading every day for a month, your child may have memorised the passage. If not, they may need some dedicated time to practice e.g. at night after dinner etc.
When your child can say the Scripture passage to you by heart, record this on your Supervisor’s progress card and the Monthly Attendance Sheet. Put a Bible sticker on their Star Chart and don’t forget to give them a reward for this important achievement.
You are free to use any version of the Bible for this activity. You may wish to download an electronic version of the Bible, for printing the Scripture passages for your child to learn, or you may click on the passages below for a printable version.
Trading Post
Trading post will continue to be a place where you can connect with other families, who might be looking for 2nd hand score keys or resource materials. You may email us here at ACHS with your advertisements, and we will endeavour to list as many as we are able. When sending us items to be listed for sale, please follow these important guides:
- Used PACEs and PACE tests are NOT ALLOWED to be resold. Only used score keys and resource materials such as literature books may be advertised through the trading post.
- Ensure that you provide accurate contact details. The ACHS office does not manage the transactions listed in the trading post. If you would like people to buy your items, provide them with the best way to get in contact with you.
- When listing your items, list them clearly and accurately.
- Maths SK 1037-39, 1040-42, and so on.
- English SK 1037-39, 1040-42, and so on.
- It would also be advisable if you are able to identify if the Score Keys are edition 3 or 4. As there may be differences in content between editions 3 and 4, it will assist you in finding a buyer.
SCORE KEYS For Sale: $2.00 Each
Contact - Sheryl at [email protected]
(Postage Paid by Buyer)
SCIENCE: 1085-1087 (4th Edition)
BIBLICAL STUDIES: 1097-1099, 1100-1102 (4th Edition)
MATHS: 1055-1057, 1061-1063, 1064-1066, 1067-1069
WORD BUILDING: 1085-1087, 1088-1090 (4th Edition)
GRAMMAR: 1-3
WORLD GEOGRAPHY: 1097-1099 (4th Edition)
Attendance Sheets
Keeping a record of your children’s attendance to their learning is an integral part of the procedure here at ACHS. Not only does it form part of your record keeping requirements for your homeschool registration, but it helps us see an overall picture of how the students are working. You may download the attendance sheet for December here: