CVA News Bulletin
23 March 2020

Dear CVA Members 
 
The challenges and changes that our industry and ministries are facing are truly unprecedented. Information and advice are being released from a number of sources, sometimes hourly, and your CVA team is working hard to ensure that accurate and relevant information is distributed to you with care and in a timely way. We are also exploring ways to support and offer guidance where appropriate.
 
My intention is to send out a weekly bulletin during the COVID-19 crisis. This will summarise any changes or provide additional information that we have received during that week. Of course, if more urgent or critical updates are received, these will be sent out immediately as ‘Breaking News’. We believe that, with the considerable challenges you are currently facing and the sheer volume of information out there, we do not wish to flood your inbox with even more information that is not immediately relevant to you. 
 
However, we have created a  COVID-19 resources webpage   on the CVA website and will post all relevant information there as we receive it. I would urge you to bookmark this page and visit it to check for updates. 
Below is a Current Summary of Information Relevant to You:
 
Membership Fees 
The CVA Board met on Thursday, 19 March and approved the following in relation to membership fees:
 
  • A 50% reduction in all membership fees for 2020/21; and 
  • For membership fees to be paid no later than Saturday, 31 October 2020 (though we would obviously appreciate it if you can pay before then). 
 
We still require you to complete the membership renewal process now, as you would ordinarily do. The fee calculated will be the ‘non-reduced’ fee. We will then issue you with an invoice that will reflect the 50% discount.  
 
For those who have already paid their membership fees, two options are available to you: 
 
  • Contact the office (accounts@christianvenues.org.au) with your account details and we will refund you the 50% of membership fees paid; or 
  • Consider if you are able to request less than the 50% reduction. CVA, along with all within this ministry is suffering financially. We certainly do not expect it, but would appreciate any additional financial support our members can provide. 
 
Big Studio and CCLI Video Licences 
Traditionally these licences are due now. Please note, we are negotiating an amendment to the timing of licence renewals with the suppliers, acknowledging that currently no music or video is being used in our venues. An update will be shared once we know more on this. 
 
Connect20 
We have taken the decision to cancel our National Conference this year, both as a reflection of the challenging economic times we are in, as well as acknowledging that any gathering of this size may still not be possible in July (though we hope and pray that this crisis will have moderated by then). 
 
All conference fees already paid will be refunded in the coming days. 
 
I am, however,  pleased to announce  that  Phillip Island Adventure Resort (PIAR) has offered their site at NO COST for the week of the conference  if we find ourselves able to gather together in support of each other. No consideration of what format this gathering might take will be considered until the landscape for such gatherings becomes clearer. 
 
I thank Marcel Edmonds (Manager, PIAR) and Mark Rowe (CEO, CYC Limited) for their incredibly generous offer to the CVA family. 
 
The timing of the next Connect conference will be announced later in the year. 
 
Spirit of Sharing Awards 
As with the Connect Conference, these awards have been postponed to a date yet to be determined. 
 
Summary of Impact Survey 
As you are aware, we issued a survey to members late last week. We will collate these findings in the coming days and provide this information to you. 
 
Online Devotions 
Our CVA Chaplains have agreed to run twice weekly online devotions for our membership. The live stream will be of no more than 40 minutes duration and will include both a devotional time and a time for sharing.  
 
These will be held every Tuesday and Friday at 2pm (NSW, VIC, TAS time), commencing tomorrow, Tuesday, 24 March 2020 . The devotions will be recorded and made available to members to watch in their own time if they cannot join the live event. 
Federal Government Stimulus Package 
As you are aware, the Government has announced two stimulus packages. I would encourage you to seek clarification on the details of these packages directly from the relevant official websites, however a brief summary of the key points, as I see them, are below: 
 
Financial support is available for all small businesses  (defined as being under $50,000,000 turnover) including not for profits and charities, and will be provided via the tax system as part of a business’ April BAS lodgement. It seems that the minimum payment is $20,000. 
 
To quote the Treasurer from the Prime Minister’s press conference   from 22 March: 
 
‘The second part of our package sees a massive scaling up of support for small and medium sized businesses across the country. We are increasing cash payments to SME’s to boost their cash flow and to keep their workers employed. All employing businesses will receive at least $20,000. All employing small businesses will receive at least $20,000 and some of the larger SME’s will receive up to one hundred thousand dollars . And we are extending this measure to around 30,000 not for profit organisations, which have an annual turnover of less than $50 million dollars . This will be a lifeline for hundreds of thousands of employers like the local hairdresser, the local cafe, the local mechanic whose income has been significantly reduced over this difficult period. This is the single largest measure in this second package, and together with the first initiative in the first package for small businesses is worth $31.9 billion dollars in total. This payment will be automatically paid through the tax system largely over the next six months with the first payment after 28 of April.  No new forms will be required from Australian small and medium sized businesses .’  (Emphasis added) 
 
Financial support is available for casual workers  who are no longer able to acquire shifts due to this downturn. Again, to quote from same press conference: 
 
‘Today, the government is announcing the doubling of the Jobseeker Allowance, formerly known as Newstart, through the introduction of a temporary coronavirus supplement. The government will also waive the assets test and waiting periods for the Jobseeker Allowance, allowing more Australians to more quickly access the support that they need. The coronavirus supplement will provide an additional $550 a fortnight on top of the existing jobseeker or Newstart payment and will be available to sole traders and casual workers who meet the income test. This means anyone eligible for the maximum jobseeker payment will now receive more than $1,100 a fortnight, effectively doubling the jobseeker allowance. In the first package on the 12th of March, we announced a $750 payment for Australians on income support. Today, we announce that from July 13, a further $750 payment to those on income support that are not eligible for the coronavirus supplement.’  
 
Potential Opportunities for Members 
We are currently exploring whether there are opportunities for our members to be part of the provision of meals to the isolated and disadvantaged in our community. If this possibility becomes more viable; I will make contact with each of you as appropriate. 
 
Options for Members
Without question these are uncertain times for our industry, yet I encourage each of us to prayerfully consider how we can utilise our skills, expertise and resources to reach a changing market in new ways. Remember, our God has the capacity to surprise and provide for us in ways that we can’t even begin to imagine; perhaps there is an opportunity to stretch and grow through this time? Invite God into this challenging time. Let Him open your eyes to the possibilities He has for you beyond the closures.

An example might be found in the fact that many families are now faced with weeks (if not months) of home schooling and restricted movement. Parents could well begin to look elsewhere for inspiring ways to engage and entertain their children while schools are closed. Maybe you can package elements of the camping experience as a resource to be made available for families to purchase and use at home?

Get creative with the gifts you have, and please share your ideas with the rest of the CVA family via email or phone call to the CVA National Office, or through the Camping Professionals or CVA official Facebook and pages.
 
Graphs of first 1000 Cases 
I found some comfort in the graphs below which appeared as part of the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC) media release of 23 March . 
Whilst it is true that we are still likely to see an increase in cases in the short term, driven largely by more Australians coming home from overseas, as I read the evidence shown, we are in a relatively better position at this point of the cycle than other countries have been. 
 
Finally, and most significantly, let us not forget that God is good, and God is sovereign. In the midst of this understandable despair and anguish, can I encourage each of us to turn more towards God. In the words of the Psalmist, ‘ Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and He delivered them from their distress.’ (Psalm 107:6) . We need not only to support each other, but also to continually remind ourselves that God is loving and loyal to those who seek and trust in Him, during these times and in all things. 

Blessings, 
 
Graeme