the matthews family

team australia / church planters

4.01

Happy Easter & Citizenship

HAPPY EASTER! To all of our freinds family & supporters. We are grateful for all you do for us in prayer and support. The Matthews would like to wish you all the happiest, safest & healthiest Easter. We hope that beyond the chocolate, eggs and Easter bunnies that you can rejoice with us in our Saviour’s resurrection. He is risen! Happy Easter!

Citizenship: For all who have sent questions on our citizenship application. We did receive the letter of acceptance for dual citizenship in Australia. Quite an exciting day. We will be attending a swearing in ceremony soon and it will all be official. To clarify, we will be dual citizens in Australia and the US.

Sending lots of joy your way during this incredible celebration season,

The adventure continues…
Russ, Cathy, Bec, Hope, Josh & Caroline

1.08

A tale of two nights…

We were given a gift to come and housesit at a mate’s house for a summer holiday. We did get some time to relax and rest after a busy year. During that time we had friends stop by for a bbq, a swim and/or coffee throughout the stay. In a matter of two evenings we had the privilege of being part of conversations that challenged and encouraged us. The conversations also were a small glimpse into the spiritual state of Sydney. [Read more...]

1.08

Matthews Finances for 2010

We wanted to update you on our current financial needs in 2010. Our updates are focused on our ministry opportunities, we only report the financial details every six months. This decision is to show our focus is on the ministry and not just finances. Yet, we are willing to discuss these details at anytime of the year. [Read more...]

12.15

Latest pictures of Matthews family in Sydney

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=355400&id=734085472&l=024af82dd7

12.15

Thankful in 2009: Action and Waiting

Psalm 130:5-6
I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning.

“All that wait on the Lord, cheerfully stay themselves on him. This redemption is redemption from all sin. Jesus saves people from their sins… All that wait on God for mercy and grace, are sure to have peace.” –M. Henry [Read more...]

11.19

Thanks for your prayers

Evangelistic talks – I finished a series of five evangelistic talks in the city. Lighten your Load – The Answer to the Atlas Syndrome – based in Matthew 11:28-30. Each talk grew in attendance throughout the past few weeks. The oragnisers stated that 30-50% of the audience for each talk was from a non-Christian background. Each session had various questions on the issues of rest, the yoke and the burden of the human race. We had over 20 people interesting in Life of Jesus courses or Bible Reading Groups as follow up to the talks. Thank you for your prayers with these events.

Church leadership change- One prayer request was for a potential leadership change at Glorious Hope. Through well managed discussions and prayer, our Youth Pastor will be stepping down from his role in January. We have a new leader starting in the New Year. The youth is excited about the process and what the New Year will bring. Please pray for our current youth pastor and his new journey of ministry and our youth programme in 2010.

Citizenship- Please keep us in your prayers for our application for citizenship to Australia. We will begin the process next month. Also please be in prayer for all the preparations for our furlough in 2010.

We are grateful to you all for your support and prayers.

The adventure continues…

Russ and Cathy Matthews

10.30

Evangelistic talks in CBD: Lighten Your Load – Suffering the Atlas Syndrome

I will be starting a series of evangelistic talks in the Sydney CBD this coming week. Four talks throughout Sydney, Lighten Your Load: Suffering the Atlas Syndrome – Matthew 11:28-30.

I would appreciate your prayers for these events and the impact of the talk.

Thanks to all of your support and prayers.

Russ Matthews

9.23

Visitors, talks and a dust storm

We have had an amazing time with Kevin and Jeanie Thomas. These good friends came to serve from Saylorville Baptist Church for the past two weeks. The plan was for them to serve in Australia and it has been an encouraging, intense (in a good way) and incredible journey. Kevin and Jeanie have been a blessing to the church and the team that does outreach in the city. They have assisted with all of the evangelistic events in the city over the last two weeks, which has been exhausting and fruitful. Then on top of that work they have done a parenting seminar, spoken to a mens and ladies groups at Glorious Hope Baptist Church, Kevin preached on Sunday and has given three seminars on effective, Biblical communication. Their service has been amazing.I think they might need a bit of rest when they get home and I do not think they will have a problem sleeping on the plane.

They have had some great experiences with the people, the city, the beaches and we will be going to the Blue Mountains this weekend. Yesterday morning, as we were waking up, the sky was red. Thankful it was not a bushfire, we came to realise it was  the worst dust storm in 40 years. It dumped 1000 tonnes of red dust on Sydney. Trains were covered, cars were covered and it made its way into everything. We felt like we were walking on Mars. Kevin and Jeanie have had quite an experience here in Sydney. Our family, friends and church have been grateful for their time and service. Caroline said to them, “Why can’t you just stay here?” Thank you to Kev and Jeanie for this time in Oz. It will be hard to let them go. Please pray for their safe journey home on Monday.

Thank you for all of your prayers and recent correspondence. Here are the latest prayer requests from our family and ministries.

1. Seven more evangelistic events and follow-up courses in the city in September and October. Please pray for strength and perseverance of our team throughout the preparations, promotion and attendance for all these events. The events are called Inspiring People. We have had close to 400 people come to the past five events and 65+ people desiring to be in a follow up course called ‘Life of Jesus’ (Six week course on the life of Jesus). Please pray that many people would come to know Christ through these events and courses.

2. Russ will be preaching an evangelistic message at Glorious Hope Baptist Church on Sunday, 27 Sept. Please pray for many to come and that the Lord would be glorified in the talk.

3.Russ will speaking at five evangelistic events in November; the talk will be ‘Lightening your Load”.  Based out of Matthew 11. A talk on rest, but with a twist. Please pray for preparations & many would be in attendance.

4. Cathy  working through current children’s Sunday school curriculum at Glorious Hope Baptist.

5. GHBC’s church camp in October. Looking ahead to 2010 and how we will reach our community for Christ.

6. The kids will continue to have a servant heart at church. Also, Little athletics (Track and Field) has started for Josh and Caroline. Also, Karate will continue for Cathy, Hope, Becca and Josh, they all have achieved their orange belts.

Look forward to hearing from you. Thank you for your prayers and support.

The adventure continues…

Russ & Cathy Matthews

8.11

Test of Regular Communication

To all of our financial and prayer supporters,

Thank you for your continued support of the work we are doing in Australia. We hope you enjoy our regular updates on the events in Sydney with the city outreach and church efforts.

We want to ensure that we are communicating to as many people about what the Lord is doing here in Australia.

The limited mission budget and the financial downturn in the global economy has caused us to limit our ‘hard copy’ communications. Yet, we strive to have monthly updates & e-mail correspondence with you. www.matthewsdownunder.com

We thought we would have some fun in testing the effectiveness of this means of communication. Would you be willing to send us as update of your family, your church, Sunday School classes or just your own personal update. It would be encouraging for our family to get the communication from you and it is a means of seeing if you are receiving the updates from us.Cyberspace is an amazing gift and tool, but sometimes it is difficult for us to know its effectiveness.

Thanks for participating in this test and we look forward to hearing from you.

Thank you for all of your support and prayers.

The adventure continues…

Rus & Cathy Matthews

8.01

“The most godless place under heaven”

Psalm 10:4

In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek him; all his thoughts are, “There is no God.”

In the past few months, I have been asked by different people, “Why Australia (as a ministry field)?” Many determine it does not have the physical difficulties that third world areas present, so,  it cannot be that tough. Without being cheeky and answering the question, “God.” It would be easy to communicate in a defensive or condescending manner, but that gets us nowhere in the discussion. So, how to answer people on this topic? Finding a satisfactory answer has had its difficulties, then we received the newspaper this morning…

A book review in the Sydney Morning Herald helped to strengthen our position within the discussion.  A new book came out called, “Losing My Religion: Unbelief in Australia” authored by an Anglican bishop, Tim Frame. One of the quotes from the book states that throughout history, Australia is considered to be “the most godless place under heaven.” Wow, quite a statement. I have not read the book yet, but that seems to be an extreme category to place a whole country. If we did not live it everyday, I would think it was a bit sensationalistic. After the past three years experience, I do not think Tim Frame is too far off in this statement.

In the article they say this can be one of the most discouraging places for ministry work  in the world. Tim Frame states, “Australians seem to have been perennially immune to enthusiasm about belief.” The difficulty for the people asking the question, “Why Australia?”  think that Australia is merely the USA with a different accent, but this could not be further from the truth. The statistics would support the argument presented by Frame. The Christian population of Australia is approximately 3% of the total  compared to the 40% Christianity in the USA.  So, where does that leave this discussion? Well, it could leave us in one of three positions:

1) Defeated: Historically, Australia has been known to be one of the most difficult places to reach people for Christ. Some have even called it the missionaries’ graveyard. Solution: Give up and go back to the US.

2) Apathetic: Just accept things as they are and go about business and hope for the best. Solution: Complain about the ministry field, talk about how great we had things in the US, stay isolated from the people and wonder why we do not see fruit.

3) Amazed: Being sent to an area of the world like this with such a dire position on God must mean God has something He wants to accomplish. The realisation that we are nothing special, but the Lord we serve is capable of all things even when things seem at their bleakest. Makes us take notice and continue in life saying, “watch and be amazed.” Solution: Commit to being here for life, the life that He gave us for His purposes, then work & watch.

This may seem a bit simplistic, but in analysing the solutions it came down to these three categories. So, we choose category three. We might not see the fruit directly, we do continue to go through ups and downs, but we look forward to all God will do for His glory. During this time we do the work we are called here to do. This supports the discussion and continues to give us the determination to do the work God has called us here to do. What an amazing gift from God.

Psalm 10: 17-18

O Lord, you hear the desire of the afflicted; you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed, so that man who is of the earth may strike terror no more.

Here are some of the solution steps for what we are doing here in Australia. Please pray for the action in the coming months in Australia:

1. Six to nine Evangelistic events and follow-up courses in the city in September and October. Preparations, promotion and attendance for all these events.

2. The next two series at City Bible Forum from Ruth (On the wings of refuge) and on Work & Rest (Genesis 2).

3. Russ speaking at five evangelistic events in October and November. Please pray for preparations & many would be in attendance.

4. Cathy developing and working through current children’s Sunday school curriculum at Glorious Hope Baptist.

5. Key decisions at GHBC with leadership and training.

We are grateful for all your financial and prayer support. Your partnership is an encouragement to us. Thanks to those who ask the questions. It is great to think through how we can answer them for the glory of our Creator.

The adventure continues…

Russ & Cathy Matthews

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