Pop-Up Church Christmas
What an incredible year we’ve had bringing the gospel and the love of Jesus to over 300 people at Labuan Square, Norlane! It culminated with a lovely Christmas event which we’ve captured here for you on video. Evangelists from 10 churches and a big group from the Filipino church One in Christ have been loving the poor and broken folks who gather here preaching the gospel, making friends and praying for miracles.
Christmas at Rosewall Park
We ran a second outdoor Christmas event in Corio at Rosewall Park. Over 90 people came including our Filipino friends and friends from Mynmar. Although there weren’t lots of non-Christians, it was still a valuable time of unity in outreach for the local church and we were like ‘the aroma of Christ’ in a very poor part of town.
Team Prayer & Fasting for God’s Direction
I’ve been studying George Muller. He insisted his team wait upon the Lord for direction and provision. Just because some of our ministry work has been ‘successful’ and some has been less ‘successful’, we can’t make planning decisions on numbers alone. As we see throughout the Bible, God’s ways are beyond our ways. He confounds the wisdom of the wise. So we need to wait on God so that we will be guided by the Holy Spirit. Not following the schemes of man, but walking by the Holy Spirit with the gift of obedience. The team meeting is scheduled for Wednesday 4 January. Fasting endears heaven more keenly to our cause.
Experimenting in Outreach & Ministry
The shaded areas in the chart above represent efforts to reach out to and engage the children of Corio and Norlane with the gospel of God. Each effort was well-planned and evaluated: Tree Planting, Family Pizza Nights, Kids Club. The BonFire Night was a gift from God where we combined boys from our local area and Christian men. Is God wanting us to continue with this interesting ministry method? Our immediate challenge is to evaluate these events before God as a team and to make decisions about what to do next year to improve our fruitfulness in loving the locals in Jesus’ name.
New Helpers Arrive
We’re thankful to God for providing three new helpers over the last few months; men and women with solid testimonies of God’s saving love and power who are also seasoned in bringing the gospel in the streets and keen to love the locals in Corio and Norlane.
Given a Sound Desk
Completely out of the blue, a friend came over and gave us this small mixing desk which we really need as we’re getting more people and instruments on stage. It includes 6 microphones, loads of leads and a projector! What is God saying?
End of Playgroup?
End of Playgroup? Numbers have been very light lately so we’re re-evaluating this ministry. Perhaps its time to finish up?
Helpful Lads
Helpful Lads These locals lads have been helping distribute flyers and setting up the sound system for outdoor events.
The Winner Is..
The Winner Is…. If you look carefully at the table of numbers above, you’ll notice that the Tree Planting ministry stands out. We held 3 events and we engaged 80 people. That is a high rate of engagement. For Tree Planting, we go to new places and engage new people. We have good solid family fun. We plant trees and then we teach a parable of Jesus. We might be onto something here. Perhaps we run “Kids Church in the Park” in future?
Thank you for your prayers and courageous faith.
I trust God that we will indeed walk in His ways in 2023; that we will have the gift of obedience. One prayer is that we won’t settle for what is easy, or what ‘works’ in man’s eyes. We will pursue those who God is pursuing; the lost, the sick, the lonely, the broken. And we will bring love, the gospel of God and prayers of faith to life-changing miracles leading to revival in Corio and Norlane!