Distance Education Update - 11 September 2026
Updated: 22 hours ago
DISTANCE EDUCATION MINISTRY UPDATES Mr Sanga Palu (Ministry Team Member)
Ministry in Distance Education (DE) has continued to be a really important part of connecting with our students and helping them grow in their relationship with Jesus. Even though our DE students are learning from home and are spread across different places, we have seen some really encouraging opportunities for students to connect, build friendships and grow together in their faith. I thought I would share some of these opportunities we have had with our broader ACC Community.
At the beginning of Term 1, our DE Ministry Leaders attended MinCON (Ministry Conference), which was a 2-day Ministry Leadership development event held On-Campus. It gave our students an opportunity to spend time together, meet other Ministry student leaders and be encouraged in their faith. It was also a great opportunity for our DE Ministry Leaders to grow in confidence as they stepped into their leadership roles for the year.
Jesus Over Lunch Time (JOLT) DE JOLT (Jesus Over Lunch Time) is a space for students in Years 7-12 to come together online once a week. We attract almost 40 young people a week! JOLT includes games, Bible teaching, discussions, prayer and opportunities for students to share. We have tried to make JOLT a place where students can have fun, be themselves and have honest conversations about faith and what following Jesus looks like in everyday life.
One of the highlights of the year was our DE JOLT In-Person Day. It was really special to bring our DE students together in person. The afternoon was filled with games, activities, food, conversations and plenty of time for students to simply hang out and get to know one another. Seeing students who normally only see each other through a screen laughing, talking and participating together was a real highlight. It was a great reminder of how important community and connection are for our DE students.
Encounter 2026 Another major highlight was our recent Encounter event. It was an afternoon of fun and community, with activities including basketball, games, tug-of-war, line dancing, a photobooth, food and youth group booths.
It was great to see our DE students have the opportunity to attend and be part of the wider College community. The night included worship, a teacher testimony and a Gospel message, and it was incredibly encouraging to see students respond and make decisions to follow Jesus.
DE Chapel DE Chapel is providing students with an opportunity to stop during their week, hear from God's Word and spend time thinking about their faith. Our Chapel usually includes a game, announcements of upcoming ministry events, Scripture and our “5 Minutes of Fire” student testimonies. Hearing students share their own stories and experiences of faith has been one of the most encouraging parts of DE Chapel. Anna, one of our Year 10 heroes shared her testimony of Encounter through our Chapel Discussion Groups (CDGs) which has been a really valuable space to have conversations about faith in an non-intimidating environment.
DE Student Ministry Leaders Our DE Student Ministry Leaders have also played an important role throughout the year. They regularly participate in JOLT and Chapel, help with planning and leading sessions, attend leadership meetings and model the CHRIST values within the DE community. It has been great to see students grow in confidence as they take on more responsibility and look for ways to encourage and serve others.
This week we had our last ministry leaders meeting where we reflected on what these leaders learnt and appreciated from this experience. Thank you Thea, Anna and Sofia for your heart, love and commitment to our DE Ministry team. We trust the plan God has for your future.