Greetings all,
This month we're pausing to take stock of the great things God has done for the Geneva Network. Now, we could bang on about numbers – couples assessed, churches planted, the unchurched attending etc. etc. – and that wouldn't be wrong. It's very humbling to see the ground God has graciously opened up through your Geneva Push Network. But there's another way of being thankful we think is a little more inspiring.
We'd like to thank God together as a Network for the people God has raised up.
In the end it is God who will decide upon the level of success that any venture to spread the Gospel enjoys. As Proverbs 19:21 reminds us,
“Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.”
And again in Psalm 3:8,
“Salvation belongs to the Lord; Your blessing be upon Your people!”
What we can do as followers of Jesus is put our time and talents at His service, and pray that He will bless the harvest. And this month we'd like to draw your attention several couples around the country – representatives of a much larger network! – who are doing just that:
- Give thanks with us for Ben and Kate Murphy who are in the early stages of their Wilson plant in Western Australia. Ben and Kate share all of the things they have to be thankful for in our latest webinar and what you can be praying for in 2016.
- Join us as we give thanks for Tim and Emma Clemens from Green Square in Sydney, New South Wales. Green Square is set to become the most densely populated suburb in Australia with massive growth in high-rise housing over the next three years – and Tim and his wife Emma are thanking God for the inroads they've already been able to make with Grace City Church.
- In our latest Planter Session webinar Luke and Kim Williams from Officer in Victoria provide plenty of reasons to give thanks. The Williams are engaged in a fresh church plant that has been doing everything it can to draw peoples' eyes to God – like an epic balloon launch to capture the hearts of its community.
- Meet Paul and Margie Sheely from Albury on the NSW-VIC border – pushing frontiers of a different sort! Paul and Margie have planted in the last twelve months and they're busy using the TAFE as a base of operations for spreading the Gospel in the region. Tune in to hear all the things they have to thank God for!
- Join us as we jet around the country in our latest Planter Session webinar and meet Jai and Jay-Ellen from Mackay, Queensland. Jai and Jay-Ellen are in the fifth year of planting MAKE Church in the tropical north and have lots to thank God for as they make their home in a community considered too hard for many main-stream denominations.
- Been to Tassie lately? Let us take you there to meet Dan and Georgia Headley from Snug. Dan and Georgia have broken ground this year and planted a church in a small coastal town 30 kilometres south of Hobart. They share everything they have to be thankful to God for and the challenges ahead for 2016.
And if you're thankful, like we are, that God is doing great things through the lives of these and many other faithful servants in the Geneva Network, then maybe you'll consider giving to the work so that we can ensure more can go spread the Gospel in this very thirsty country.
While you're giving thanks and praying over the need, you might also benefit from listening to our latest series from Sam Chan. Sam has also been flying around the country, delivering a series of talks on Evangelism In A Sceptical World that include the following key titles:
- UNPACKING A POST-MODERN EVANGELISTIC BIBLE TALK
- UNPACKING A POST-MODERN EVANGELISTIC BIBLE TALK – Q&A
- DEALING WITH DEFEATER BELIEFS – HOMOSEXUALITY
- DEALING WITH DEFEATER BELIEFS – HELL
Thankfulness is of course only the beginning; we have a very open field in front of us in Australia and the workers are few. Pray that the Lord of the harvest sends out more workers, prepare yourself to serve to the best of your ability – and give us much more to be thankful about in the future!
– Ed.
