Church @ The Peak Day 4

March 25, 2021 by

So when the crowd came together, Pilate asked them “Which one do you want me to set free, Barabbas or Jesus?” Some of the Kindergarten students yelled out, “Jesus! He’s done nothing wrong!” When the crowds called for Barabbas to be set free, the students cried out “No!!!”.

The story of Jesus and Barabbas clearly had an impact on these students at Peakhurst South Public School. It was a wonderful opportunity at the Easter Assembly to share how Jesus similarly takes the punishment for us, and how this forgiveness is a gift we don’t deserve. We also had lots of fun with them singing songs and learning a memory verse.

Please be praying for the 80 students who heard the Gospel message, most of whom are from non-Christian homes. Pray that they would accept the gift of forgiveness by saying sorry to God, asking for forgiveness, and thanking Jesus for what he has done.

In the afternoon we were sent 2 by 2 with maps in hand around the streets of Peakhurst. With every knock there was nervous anticipation. Would they be home? How will they respond? There were a number of good conversations, and most people were happy to take the Easter Event fliers. We chatted to Dave who said he’d never read the bible before and was happy to take a Gospel of Luke to read. While we were on the front porch of another house further up a car pulled up and a guy called out to us. I braced myself, thinking he was angry with us for being on his property. But he said, “Hey can I have one of those fliers too? And one of the Gospels?” That was certainly a surprise! It turns out he was a cousin of Dave who we had spoken to earlier.

Thank God for how He works in unexpected ways. Pray that both Dave and his cousin would read the Gospel of Luke and put their faith in Jesus. Pray for others who showed interest, that they would in fact come along to an Easter event. Pray for those who showed disinterest, that God would slowly be softening their heart.

To keep in your prayers:

– Youth group and a Parent’s BBQ on Friday night
– ‘Grill the Pastor’ Q&A event on Saturday night
Read more . . .

Church @ the Peak – Day 3

March 25, 2021 by

We decided that Tuesday would be our day off to make sure we could maximise the sunny days forecast for later in the week.

Please pray that our group can rest well for the intense evangelism opportunities we’ll have throughout the rest of the week.

However, despite being a day off, we were able to visit the majority of the growth groups at Church @ the Peak. We had 1-3 members from our chaplaincy group attend each growth group. We studied Jonah 4 together with the intention of receiving personal applications from Rusdyan’s sermon on Sunday. Alongside that, each of us was able to share our testimonies with the group to either spur them on in the faith or encourage them towards considering full-time ministry.

Thank God for the gift of fellowship and spaces to build one another up in faith for the sake of Christ. Please pray that the encouragement that the groups felt by having us take part in their gatherings would bear fruit that glorifies God and that God would work in the hearts of those he is calling into full-time ministry so they can take that next step.

One of the most praiseworthy things to happen was that after Ming shared his testimony the night before, he was able to spend today hanging with a church member who wanted to be more intentional about sharing the Gospel with their friend (who they also brought along). Ming’s testimony of how God worked through his hardship was able to encourage this friend in their current hardship.

Praise God for the work he did through Ming’s testimony and the strides that were made in Christ’s name. Please pray that this conversation would be a place where God was able to work and bring this friend to a saving relationship with Jesus. Pray that God would bless Ming for speaking vulnerably for the sake of the Gospel.

Prayer points to keep in mind:

That God would work through us in our Coffee Cart evangelism and our Door Knocking as our time is more limited now than it was before.
That the preparation we make for Scripture, Youth, and Retirement Village services would be for God’s glory.
That the congregation at Church @ the Peak would be encouraged and spurred on by the mission work we do alongside each other throughout the rest of the week.

Emu Plains Mission Day 4

March 25, 2021 by

After a day of rest, our team arrived back to a sunny and somewhat drier Emu Plains. It was a good day to come back to after a day off, with so many different ministries happening throughout the day.

A couple of the team started with a morning filled with jumping and jiving with some local mothers and their children. It was encouraging to see a ministry that so many non-believing women were going to and see the importance it has in their lives.

After some team time, a good feed and running from some hungry caterpillars. We headed out for another day of doorknocking to invite the community back to church (this time we ditched the umbrellas for hats and sunscreen). Again, we returned with many stories of conversations, that lead to opportunities of team members sharing their stories, and even being able to pray with the people they met. While the team was out, one person even had an opportunity to go doorknocking virtually, when they saw a post on a local mother’s Facebook group asking for advice on a church to attend to start a relationship with God. Pray that this opportunity will bear fruit and this woman along with the many reached, will come to church this Sunday.

The evening quickly came and the women of EPAC and their friends gathered together for a choc and chat night where Tiff shared a powerful and vulnerable story. It was great to see the church hall buzzing with women chatting all night and getting the chance to reflect on what Tiff shared. One of our team members Cait sat at a table where 3 friends came and joined the night.

“I was so encouraged to see the women of EPAC inviting their friends, and to be at a table where the split of church and non-church attendees was half. I had two great chats with the two friends sitting on either side of me. Both were keen to talk a little bit about their background with faith and continue to be asked about coming to church. It was such a joy to partner with the women who brought these friends.”

Please be praying for the women that were reached and for continued conversations and reflections about what they heard at choc and chat that may bring them to church to meet Jesus personally.
Read more . . .

Liverpool South Mission Day 3

March 24, 2021 by

Today a few of us went to John Bales’ home to discuss the DMM (Disciple-Making Movement)/CPM (Church Planting Movement) with him and his wife Jan. His challenge to us was: Are there more effective and biblical ways our churches can be structured to reach Sydney and the entire world with the gospel? DMM is being put forth as a great church model to see the Great Commission fulfilled in Sydney and beyond. A disciple-making movement is a rapid and exponential increase in disciples making disciples, spreading wide and deep to at least four generations and beyond. The emphasis is not on growing an increasingly large church but on multiplying small groups of disciples who make disciples using the simple DBS method (discovery bible study). Please pray that this may be a source of many people being brought to full maturity in Christ across the world in places that are gospel poor.

Six of us had the privilege to be involved in ESL teaching. *T attended the beginner level class and although she has very little English, google translate and non-verbal cues readily helped build rapport and a loving relationship with Christians. Intermediate ESL class was an encouraging time of unpacking the Easter story using a variety of listening and writing exercises. What we gained most from ESL teaching was being a learner from our friends from various cultures.

We also got to be a part of their weekly Anglicare food pantry ministry where we got to meet 15 locals from the community that came to collect groceries through the rain. Many half conversations were had in the waiting line before their number was called. Pray for the Mandaean sheikh who came, that he may keep connected with Liverpool South and that he will come to see his gnostic religion as no way to the Father, but only through Jesus Christ our Lord. Please pray for fruit to bear from all these positive interactions we had today by further follow-up by church members.
Read more . . .

St Andrew’s Cathedral School Mission 2021 Day 2

March 24, 2021 by

The team gathered in the foyer of the school, the rain still ongoing. We started the day sitting in on the staff meeting, which begins with a devotion from the head of school, that the whole staff team participate in. How good that the whole staff team, Christians and those who are not yet Christians get to hear the word of the Lord explained at the beginning of the week.

The team heard from Mr. Sam Hwang, who sets up the senior school Christian Development (CD) class curriculum. It was helpful to hear the three spheres of influence that teachers aim to reach students with the Gospel, through the curriculum in the Christian Development classes, but also through class time, and teacher-student interaction, and an awareness of hidden curriculum, subtle things that the school promotes for example celebrating achievement in assemblies can communicate worth in success or achievement, if not framed well.

Most of the day the team split off into pairs and were able to sit in the back of CD classes, and interact with and meet some of the students. The year nine class was learning about agape love, and what showing God’s love to each other looks like. They seemed comfortable asking hard questions in the class space, and discussing the answers, weighing ideas with each other. The year nine students have had to attend a youth group as part of a school assignment, and there were a few of the boys who were very excited to see Amani.

Members of the team were approached by students whose parents had attended Moore or were missionaries overseas. It was a great opportunity to encourage them in their faith amongst friends who don’t yet know Jesus.

SACS also runs Gawura, a school, within the school, a campus for boys and girls from years K-6 who are of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander background. The school runs cultural lessons, lessons learning the Wiradjuri language, as well as covering standard K-6 curriculum, and has a focus on community and parent involvement. Some of the team were able to sit in on classes here too, and loved it.

The rest of the day was spent in preparation for year seven and year eight chapel the following day. So good to have time to prepare and pray well for the students.
Read more . . .

St Andrew’s Cathedral School Mission 2021 Day 3

March 24, 2021 by

We’d love your prayers for many students at St Andrews Cathedral School who joined us for chapel services on Jesus’ crucifixion today (Luke 23:44-49). Please pray that students would hear the invitation to Cru Lunch Groups later in the week, and to join the centurion who crucified Jesus in praising God for his death.

We were also involved in a bunch of Christian development classes, chatted with Cathedral staff about the unique privileges of cathedral ministry, and listened in on a program helping Christian schoolteachers educate from a Christian worldview.

“About 120 year 7 children sat on the floor and listened attentively as we talked about Jesus, or shouted raucously as we played a Kahoots-style game. Nic Trev did the talk, looking at the Roman Centurion who discovered Jesus’ innocence and at the torn curtain which speaks of our access to God through Jesus. He talked to year 7 about another year 7 kid who never thought much about these things until one day he found the truth in the gospel. When he announced that he was that year 7 kid who had become a Christian, some of them said, ‘I knew it’ out loud.” (Philip Kern, on Tuesday at SACS)
Read more . . .

Church @ The Peak Day 4