VIC/TAS State Conference

Join us at the 2023 VIC/TAS State Conference.

2-step registration process in 2023

We are excited, this year, to introduce a 2-step registration process, which will see staff from our CSA member schools register individually for State Conference. You can find out more information in the 'How to Register' section, below.

State Conference Overview

The VIC/TAS State Conference will be held in person across two venues for this year. All school staff will be together this year for both metro and regional conferences (unlike last year where teaching and non-teaching staff were in separate venues).

Metro: Monday, 10 July 2023 (CityLife Church, 1248 High Street Rd, Wantirna South)
Regional: Tuesday, 11 July 2023 (Victory Christian College, 6 Kairn Rd, Strathdale)

The theme for our 2023 events is:

A Place to Grow:
The formation of practice | the practice of formation

During our 2023 State Conferences, we will look at how the Christian story speaks to and resonates within the cultural landscape of 21st Century Australia. How does a school community most effectively embody this story?

An overview of the programmed sessions is provided below and further information about the State Conference can be found further down this page:

Session 1 Focus: personal formation and the marketplace of ideas, which can seem like a battlefield, and the beauty of the Christian story through the frame of truth, suffering and success.

Session 2 Focus: touching on religious freedom, youth spirituality, and the gospel foundations of so much that characterises contemporary culture - how can we tread with creativity, confidence, and persistence?

Session 3 Focus: applying the principles discussed in session 2 within individual school/team contexts.

Conference Program

An overview of the program is detailed below:

8:45am Arrival
9:15am Worship and Welcome
9:40am Setting the Scene: a personal story - Eric Agyeman (Youth Mentor and Speaker)
9:55am Session 1 (via video link): Living Faith on the Battlefield of Ideas
- Max Jeganathan (Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Public Christianity)
10:45am Morning Break
11:30am Session 2 (live presentation): Public Faith for a Parched World
- Dr Natasha Moore (Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Public Christianity)
This session will include time for group discussion and Q&A with Natasha.
1:05pm Lunch Break
2:00pm Session 3: Formation in Practice:
Discussion time to explore how the content from the previous sessions applies to our everyday practice.
2:40pm Session 4: (via video link) Lead like it Matters with Craig Groeschel (Senior Pastor, LifeChurch)
3:15pm Close of State Conference

Please note this program is subject to change.

Important Information for conference:

• QR Code Registration: Ensure you check-in via QR code (to receive your PD certification - available via your profile on the CSA website post event).
• Name badge: Please wear your school name badge or lanyard.
• Please bring a full water bottle.
• Download your CVENT app before the event (instructions at the bottom of this email).

Conference costs ($75 +GST per person) will be invoiced directly to each school through the CSA accounts team.

Speakers

Eric Agyeman

After his fourth suspension in high school, Eric Agyeman was given a holiday ticket back to his birthplace, Ghana. He was told it was a 3 week holiday, a gift from his father. This so called ‘holiday’ became the toughest but most life changing 7 years of Eric’s life. 7 years of experiencing poverty, isolation and deep depression led him to a breaking point; attempted suicide. Near the end of this dark period in Eric’s life as a teenager, he stumbled into a Church and gave his life to Christ. It was there that he began to understand there was a purpose in living. Eric is now the author of 3 inspirational books and a John Maxwell accredited leadership coach. He is a previous a nominee for the Young Victorian of the year for his work with youth and, most recently, he was awarded the 2022 African Australian Achievement award. Eric and his team are on a mission to reach, inspire and transform 1 million Youth by 2031, bringing life and hope to young people. Some people allow their past to define them, others allow it to refine them, Eric is an example of the latter!

Max Jeganathan

Max Jeganathan is a Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Public Christianity CPX. A former lawyer and political & policy adviser, Max was educated at the Australian National University and the University of Oxford and is undertaking a PhD in Law. Max speaks on the intersection between faith, culture, economics, finance, technology and moral reasoning. He has spoken in businesses, universities and political institutions, including Samsung, Lego, Goldman Sachs and Amazon. He loves movies, good wine with his wife Fiona and making his kids laugh.

Dr. Natasha Moore

Dr Natasha Moore is a Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Public Christianity (CPX). She has a PhD in English Literature from the University of Cambridge and is the author of For the Love of God: How the church is better and worse than you ever imagined (2019), winner of the 2020 Australian Christian Book of the Year, and The Pleasures of Pessimism (2020). Her writing has appeared, among other places, in The Sydney Morning Herald, ABC News, ABC Religion & Ethics, SBS, The Spectator Australia, Eureka Street, and Christianity Today, on topics that include domestic violence, Scripture in schools, war, Thanksgiving, singleness, freedom of speech, death, and taxes. Natasha recently moved from Sydney to Adelaide where she lives with her husband and a comically large dog.

Craig Groeschel

Craig Groeschel is the founding and senior pastor of Life.Church, an innovative multi-site church that began in Oklahoma. Together with his wife Amy, Pastor Craig started Life.Church in a two-car garage in 1996 as a place where people could come just as they are to experience the life-changing love of Jesus. Under Pastor Craig’s leadership, the church has become known for its innovative use of technology to spread the Gospel, launching the first church online experience in 2006 and creating YouVersion, the most downloaded Bible app in history. A New York Times bestselling author, Pastor Craig has written more than 15 books on topics like marriage, prayer, purpose, church leadership, and more. His most recent book, The Power to Change: Mastering the Habits That Matter Most, was released in February 2023. Pastor Craig and Amy live in Oklahoma and have six children and five grandchildren. To learn more about Pastor Craig, visit craiggroeschel.com

Your Host, Dr. Maria Varlet, CSA State Executive Officer, VIC/TAS

Dr Maria Varlet has been involved in Christian Education for over 30 years, holding a variety of leadership positions including Head of Research & Innovation and Campus Principal. She has served on a number of Boards including as Deputy Chair of the CSA National Council. Maria has completed extensive formal study including a doctoral thesis which contributes insights into how Christian schools might utilise professional learning strategies to address tensions between ethos and assessment practices. As the Executive Officer, VIC/TAS, Maria is looking after the portfolio of Professional Learning. She is passionate about promoting and developing exemplary education practice, challenging the status quo and equipping and inspiring others. Her professional interests include teacher professional learning, leadership development and school improvement.

How to Register - Individual Registration

We are excited to introduce individual registration this year! Staff from CSA member schools are able to register themselves individually to State Conference. Incorporated in the registration is a 2-step registration process, which is outlined below for your information:

Click "register" on the right (you will need to be signed in to your account) and follow the prompts to register (ensuring you click 'proceed to checkout'). You won't need to worry about selecting a location at this point.
Check your inbox for an email with "Action Required:..." in the subject and click on the "url link" within this email and complete your registration by filling out the relevant fields (including location) and submitting your registration.

Once you have completed these steps, you will be registered for conference.

If you're having trouble logging in to your CSA online account or registering for this event, please contact your school admin team.

Detailed Session Information

Please refer to information below about each of the sessions being presented at the upcoming conference.

Session One: Living Faith on the Battlefield of Ideas with Max Jeganathan

In a world increasingly polarised and uncertain, the marketplace of ideas can seem more like a battlefield. How can personal formation play a role in enabling us to meaningfully engage with the big issues of the day? In this session (provided by videolink), Max Jeganathan will consider the philosophical, sociological and cultural currents shaping 21st century society. He will then set out the relevance and beauty of the Christian story through the frame of three fundamental issues that are central to our cultural moment: Truth, Suffering and Success.

Session Two: Public Faith for a Parched World

In a time of anxiety, tribalism, and social upheaval, it’s easy to be sucked into a narrative of “culture wars”. But what if we saw the places where we disagree less as battlefields and more as soil in need of careful tending - parched ground in need of living water - furrows where seed can be sown? Touching on religious freedom, youth spirituality, and the gospel foundations of so much that characterises contemporary culture, Dr Natasha Moore sketches a path across no man’s land that Christian educators might tread with creativity, confidence, and persistence.

Session Four: Leading like it matters with Craig Groeschel

Our relationship with God affects our leadership and influence. Our faith influences everything we do and has direct impact on others and how we lead. Formation of our faith is foundational to who we are and how we lead in Christian schools. In this session, we will hear a little bit around Craig's own personal and spiritual formation/development, as well as hearing some of the principles from Craig's recent book, Lead Like it Matters, This session will specifically look at your personal formation and how to hold onto it.

Qualify for CPD Hours

A certificate of Professional Learning (for 5 CPD Hours) will be issued following the event and accessible via your member dashboard. The event will address the following AITSL standards and newly released Christian Distinctive Focus areas:

AITSL professional teacher and leadership standards:

» 6.2 Engage in Professional Learning and Improve Practice
» 6.3 - Engage with colleagues and improve practice
» 6.4 - Apply professional learning and improve student learning
» 7.4 - Engage with professional teaching networks and broader communities

Christian Distinctive Focus Areas:

»  6A - Engage in professional learning which aids the development of a philosophy of Christian Education based in Biblical principles
»  7A Knowledge about and engagement with the school, its Christian ethos and vision
»  7B Contributes to the development of distinctive Christian practice in the school, profession and wider community

Want to learn more about the CSA Christian Distinctive Focus areas? Click here.

Cancellation

If you are needing to cancel your State Conference registration, please ensure you make contact through your school administrator. Schools may notify us of cancellations to the respective CSA state office in writing. Unfortunately, no refunds will be issued after 15 days out from the event start date. Any cancellations made after this date will be charged the full registration fee. 'No Shows' to the event will be charged the full registration fee.

The event program is subject to change and we may not be able to provide prior notice.

Please note that registration fees do not include insurance to cover loss of any fees/deposit through cancellation of your participation in the event or through cancellation of the event itself.

A full refund will be issued if the event is cancelled by the organiser (CSA) due to COVID-19 restrictions or any other reasons out of the organisers control.

COVID-safe Information

We are committed to the health and safety of our member community and are following government guidelines regarding the spread of COVID-19.

Learn more about how we are keeping you safe at CSA events.

Event Sponsors

We are so grateful to our conference sponsors who have helped to make this event possible.

Metro Venue

Platinum Sponsors

The School Photographer

The School Photographer is currently enjoying 36 years of operations throughout NSW, ACT, South Australia, Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia and the Northern Territory. We pride ourselves on producing high quality photographic student packages from our modern production facilities and superior customer service. Our innovative “360 Virtual School Tour” and our “Fly Through Video” products are proving to be an invaluable marketing tool to showcase the very best images of your school. Additionally, we can produce for your school a wide range of marketing products such as window film, pull-up banners, fence banners, tear drop banners, school prospectuses, report folders, stationery and much, much more. We have implemented COVID-safe measures throughout our company to ensure the safety of schools and their communities.

Mercer

At Mercer, we believe in building brighter futures. Together, we’re redefining the world of work, reshaping retirement and investment outcomes, and unlocking real health and well-being. We do this by meeting the needs of today and tomorrow. By understanding the data and applying it with a human touch. And by turning ideas into action to spark positive change. For over 75 years, we’ve been providing trusted advice and solutions to build healthier and more sustainable futures for our clients, colleagues and communities. Welcome to a world where economics and empathy make a difference in people’s lives. Welcome to brighter ...

Premium Sponsor

Eric Agyeman - School Speaker. Youth Mentor

“After his fourth suspension in high school, Eric Agyeman was given a holiday ticket back to his birthplace, Ghana. He was told it was a 3-week holiday, a gift from his father. This so-called ‘holiday’ became the toughest but most life-changing 7 years of Eric’s life. 7 years of experiencing poverty, isolation and deep depression led him to a breaking point; attempted suicide. Near the end of this dark period in Eric’s life as a teenager, he stumbled into a Church, gave his life to Christ. It was there that he began to understand there was a purpose in living. Eric and his team are on a mission to reach, inspire and transform 1 million Youth by 2031, bringing life and hope to young people. Whether it’s his captivating story of resilience or developing students' leadership skills or his signature Boys to Noble Men program, Eric has been a great support to Wellbeing teams in Christian Schools across Australia..

Regional Venue

Platinum Sponsor

The School Photographer

Premium Sponsors

Positive Action for Christ

“Positive Action for Christ Bible Curriculum” - is a not -for- profit publishing ministry specializing in Bible studies and curriculum for schools, churches, and home schools. Our mission is to equip Bible teachers to magnify the majesty of God. We believe that God gave us His Word to reveal His glory, His grace, and His love. Therefore, we write our studies to magnify His majesty, His works, and His nature. We challenge students first to stand in awe of God, to know and love Him, for that is the first step of any true change of character.