1) The Forum - Life & Death & Who Decides?  This was the best attended Forum of the year. We had a multitude of non-Christians come along to this Forum. We set a new record for the North Sydney venue. It was a good opportunity to share the gospel with many who had not heard it before.  More details are on City Bible Forum/Theforum, The Forum or videos of 2011. We are following up this Forum with a series on Origins: The Flawed Masterpiece. Al Stewart will show how Genesis answers the big questions of life. Is there a purpose to the universe? Why are we here? Does God want us to enjoy life? If the world is good, what seems to have gone wrong? Please pray that people come along to these talks. 

2) Evangelistic Talk – Shadow Days - Good attendance and the organisation of this group was very detailed. We were able to see over 50% of the group were from a non-Christian background. It was a tough talk to prepare, but it was well received and we will see what fruit comes of it over the coming months. The team was very encouraged by the events and the talks. Pray for many to come along to the follow up courses. 

3) Pamper Day at Glorious Hope Baptist Church – We had friends and family in the US send down gifts for this event. Thank you for your support! Cathy will be sending you an update of this event. Our good friend Kelsey Wilson from International Teams shared about her ministry of outreach in the brothels of Sydney. Winning souls for Christ and helping women out of this horrible industry and slavery.

4) We Bought a Car: Thank you to those who have responded to our needs. We were able to get a later model car with low kilometres. Pray that it serves the family well over the coming years. 

5) Mens event: Sharing your faith at work - Russ gave a talk at Central Baptist in the city on Saturday. It was a men’s breakfast and the talk was sharing your faith at work. Great turn out and a great morning of discussion, prayer and mobilisation to serve the Lord at work.

The adventure continues…

Russ, Cathy, Becca, Hope, Joshua and Caroline

Dear Russ,

Thanks for your prayers and we prayed for you today at our ministry team meeting, as well as in our personal prayer time 

It is with joy and anticipation that I can let you know that we are expecting around 45-50 people tomorrow. We are a bit concerned about how we can fit everyone into the new room that we have booked. We plan to remove the tables from the room and see how many chairs we can fit in. 

For the 275 Kent St talk next week (Next Tuesdays talk), we have about 30 acceptances so far. 

The most encouraging thing about all this is that of all those who have RSVPd, there are about 30 non Christians which is great. Now, I understand what we have been experiencing persecution because of these events, but we will keep moving forward and trusting the Lord. 

I hope you are excited about  this and not too nervous! 

See you tomorrow 

Michelle 

To all our supports, please pray.

Thanks for your prayers and support,

Russ

Prayers: May is turning out to being a very busy month. Can we ask for your prayers?

Shadow Days Talks @ Westpac, Speaking at various churches, Speaking at Australian Christian College, Pamper Day, decisions on the car and our finances

Spelling: We have had a few questions about the spelling on our website over the years. We find a few mistakes periodically, but the majority that might seem strange would be due to Australian spelling. Living in Australia, going on seven years, our spelling and our computers spelling only utilises Australian spelling. It is different in someways to American spelling, but thankfully it is still English and easy to discern for the reader. Our supporters should desire for us to acclimate to the culture and this is an inevitable change.

A blockade to us effectively communicating the Bible and the Gospel to people in Australia is the over use of American material. Some material is okay, but people want to get their information in a manner that is familiar to them. Naturally we would want to reach the people of this nation and the best way is with the language of the nation. Hope this explains the spelling differences.

Thanks for your support and prayers.

The adventure continues,

Russ, Cathy, Becca, Hope, Joshua and Caroline

1) The Forum - Life & Death & Who Decides? We will be having a panel on euthanasia. Should it be legal, how should our society respond to suffering and ageing? We have invited some of the leading minds on both side of the topic coming in to discuss this topic. We will cut to the heart of the philosophical and practical matters that are driving the debate. More details are on City Bible Forum/Theforum

We will follow up this Forum with a series on Origins: The Flawed Masterpiece. Al Stewart will show how Genesis answers the big questions of life. Is there a purpose to the universe? Why are we here? Does god want us to enjoy life? If the world is good, what seems to have gone wrong?

In 2011, we started doing large public panel / forums on key topics in the city. Examining current topics calmly without the media hype. Bringing in people with differing positions and discussing the implications of the topic on our society. Allowing the audience to participate in the discussion through questions and answers. After ‘The Forum’ we would follow with a four to six week series on the Biblical position on the topic. The last Forum was great…’Would Jesus go to the (gay) Mardi Gras?’ if you would like to see the videos click on this link. The Forum or videos of 2011

2) Mission during the ‘Global Atheist Conference’

In April 2012, some of the worlds leading authors and expositors of Atheism will be in Australia. Richard Dawkins, etc. Our team will be participating in events, evangelism and debates that will be going on at the conference and will be doing outreach. The Mission went very well, better than we could have expected. All discussion forums and talks were full to capacity. Also, the debates went exceptionally well.

3) Evangelistic Talk – Shadow Days - A few months back I was asked to do an evangelistic talk at Westpac. Recently they  went through layoffs of close to 1500 people and the atmosphere has had a Shadow Days feel to it. I will be working through the first portion of the story of the blind man in John 9.

4) Pamper Day at Glorious Hope Baptist Church - Our church meets in an economically & spiritually challenged area of Sydney. Most of the women in the area live hard and fearful  lives. To be treated with respect and love is a rare thing in many of the lives of these ladies. On Saturday 5 May; Glorious Hope Baptist Church will hold our fifth annual Pamper Day for the ladies of the community around our church. Women of all races, faiths, economic and social backgrounds have been invited for a day of hand & foot massages, makeovers and haircuts. Also, included in the day were a delightful morning tea, a delicious lunch and a gift bag. Our good friend Kelsey Wilson from International Teams will share about her ministry of outreach in the brothels of Sydney. Winning souls for Christ and helping women out of this horrible industry and slavery.

All the ladies of the church are encouraged every year by the opportunity to touch and pray with women of our church community in a unique way. Touching many women that this world considers untouchable.  Blessed by the opportunity to be the hands and feet of our Saviour, Jesus.

5) Great visit from a good friend – We want to say a special thanks to Lisa Pedersen for coming to visit us. She was able to see many of the various components of our ministry and our lives in Australia. Lisa was a blessing to our family, friends and church. Thank you to Saylorville Baptist Church for giving her the time off to come. We hope to see her back soon!

6) Ministry vehicle: Thank you to those who have responded to our needs for vehicle replacement. Our current van is getting to point of needing replacement or minimising its usage. We had to sell the Honda for part, our mechanic told us it was too dangerous to drive and it would have cost too much to repair.  We have been given some very generous donations for the car and we will strive to find something that will work with the funds that have been sent. Any further donations would be appreciated.

Thank you for reading through these details and praying for all of these projects. Please pray for all of the Lord to be glorified through all of these events.

The adventure continues,

Russ, Cathy, Becca, Hope, Joshua and Caroline

To support any of these projects, you can send your donations to ABWE and enter Matthews City Ministry or Car and number 0132363.

One of the requests was  for assistance with a ministry vehicle.  We asked our supporters to consider assisting us with replacing our current ministry vehicle. Our current van is getting to point of needing replacement or minimising its usage. Also, we have been given a 1988 Gold Honda Civic to supplement our travel needs, but it is older and in need of replacement.  We were asking for assistance in replacing these vehicles.

A friend donated the 1988 Honda (Old Goldy) to us. What a generous gift. We did not have to pay much for it over the six months we had it. Today we took it for it to be registered in New South Wales. The mechanic called today to tell that the vehicle is not road worthy. He started listing off the problems and stopped after the cost exceeded $4000.

It is hard to tell teenagers that the car that they were learning to drive in, it will have to go away. Yet, 2011 and 2012 have been years where the Lord has provided mightily for our needs. Many times in a ‘Just in Time’ manner.

So, we have been blessed by the Honda this year and we are sad to see it go. Also, we know the Lord will provide for us, He always does.

Faith does have evidence. It is not a blind faith, but one that is backed by the evidence that God does provide. Most importantly, He is there for us to believe in for salvation through His Son.

R.I.P. Old Goldy!

Our family costs are supported through churches and individuals in the US and Australia. Yet, the actual cost of City Bible Forum is covered by the donations of many of our ministry partners in the cities of Australia.

Once I explain this to most people the next two question tend to be, ‘Are there any projects that need specific support and how can we help?’

Here are three key projects for 2012 that you could help us with this year. Two of them are ministry costs and one is a personal request.

1) The Forum – In 2011, we started doing large public panel / forums on key topics in the city. Examining current topics calmly without the media hype. Bringing in people with differing positions and discussing the implications of the topic on our society. Allowing the audience to participate in the discussion through questions and answers. After ‘The Forum’ we would follow with a four to six week series on the Biblical position on the topic. Example: ‘Crossing Over: Is the anything after this life?’ if you would like to see the videos click on this link. The Forum or videos of 2011

We will continue ‘The Forum’ in 2012. We have been able to get prominent people to participate in these engaging events. The costs are in regards to travel for the speakers and audio and visual costs. We are asking for assistance to off-set the costs of these Forums.

Annual Cost: $15000

2) Mission during the ‘Global Atheist Conference’

In April 2012, some of the worlds leading authors and expositors of Atheism will be in Australia. Richard Dawkins, etc. Our team will be participating in events, evangelism and debates that will be going on at the conference and will be doing outreach. We have been the front runners in mobilising Christians to do outreach during the Global Atheist Conference. Cost will involve venue hire, material production and housing costs. We are asking for funds to off set these costs.

Cost for mission: $10000

3) Ministry vehicle: we are asking our supporters to consider assisting us with replacing our current ministry vehicle. Our current van is getting to point of needing replacement or minimising its usage. Also, we have been given a 1988 Honda Civic to supplement our travel needs, but it is older and in need of replacement.  We are asking for assistance in replacing these vehicles.

Needed funds for vehicle: $5000

Note: Our family does not do a financial appeal monthly, we strive to keep it to special occurrences and a twice a year update for your information.

Thank you for reading through these details and prayerfully considering supporting one if not all of these projects. Please pray for all of the Lord to be glorified through all of these events.

To support any of these projects, you can send your donations to ABWE and enter Matthews City Ministry or Car and number 0132363.

Personal note: We just wanted to celebrate with all of you. We have officially been in Australia for 6 years and Cathy & I will be celebrating our 20th anniversary on 21 March. It has been an amazing ride together and we look forward to all of the years the Lord has to offer us. Thanks for being part of these six years in Oz and 20 years as a couple.

The adventure continues,

Russ, Cathy, Becca, Hope, Joshua and Caroline

Not long into our first term on the ministry field of Australia, I began to struggle and wonder if what I did mattered or helped in any way. At the time we were homeschooling, and yes, I know that was very important and vital, but it was more than that. I spent most of my days at home.

How did that help? My truly wise husband helped me to see that as I did my “job” well, it enabled him to do his that much more effectively. Coming home each evening to a clean, orderly home, dinner waiting, happy children, washing done…well, those things freed him to study, prepare, or even stay late at an event sharing the Gospel. But now the children are “in” school. That means I have approximately 8:30 am to 2:30 pm to fill as I please. Not much has changed and as you’ll see, my day isn’t that much different than yours. It is still my responsibility, one of my highest callings and I might add a great pleasure to be a manager of our home. Getting the washing caught up, grocery shopping, and even dusting or cleaning a toilet (two of my least favourite things) fill my day. Baking special treats for lunchboxes or after school is a highlight. There’s also the chauffeuring that a mum gets to do. As the year picks up Bible study starts. Friday afternoons I have the privilege of reading and helping in Caroline’s classroom.  As opportunities present themselves or as I organise them, I build into other women’s lives. Maybe sharing the truth of the Gospel over the back fence. Or having a cup of tea with a fellow believer who is struggling or just needs some encouragement. Sometimes its preparing a Sunday School lesson for the little ones in our church or preparing a brief devotional to share at a ladies night.

But its not all work, work, work.  I do allow myself some down time. I have regularly found ways to get out in the community and connect. Weight Watchers, karate classes and at the  present, going to Curves. When I’m out and about and I pass a second hand shop or antiques shop, I love to stop if I have the time and peruse the shelves. I have enjoyed collecting a variety of tins, both Australian and American to decorate the top of my kitchen cupboards. I’m no master gardener, but there is something very satisfying about getting my hands dirty and making something grow in the earth. That first commission God gave man in the garden still rings true today. A good read on my Kindle is always a good escape. And finally a real luxury is the occasional afternoon nap.

Why do I share all this? Besides the fact that it may satisfy some curious minds, I hope it encourages those whose days are similar to mine. Just done in a different country or culture. Today I read in my devotions:

 “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:9 

This verse can be applied on so many levels. But today it encouraged this wife, mother, daughter, friend, ministry worker to keep on keeping on. My harvest may be different than yours. But God isn’t into the comparing game and I shouldn’t be either. So as I sign off and get ready to hang a load of washing, thanks for letting me share. I hope a page from the book of my days encourages you in yours.

(Russ had to comment- I am so thankful for the incredibly talented partner in ministry that the Lord has given me to work with daily. Your hard work makes me able to do my work more effectively. Cath, thanks for your transparency and I hope this encourages many who do the work you do for the sake of God’s glory. Well done and I love you!)

Crest Baptist Church Family Camp

It is summer break in Australia and this is the time for the beach, holidays, Australia Day and camp. Our family was asked to come to a Family Camp for Crest Baptist Church. It is an Arabic church in the heart of Sydney. People from Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon, Iraq and other areas of the middle east. A loving and vibrant church that was getting away for the weekend. The camp was in the beautiful tip of the Southern Highlands.

I was asked to talk to the English speaking portion of the church throughout the weekend. Yet, most of the time it was an interesting mix of Arabic & Australian culture. Consistently I had to remind myself where we were and even though I did not speak the language of the majority of the people, the testimonies and enthusiasm for the Lord was contagious. It was a great reminder that Jesus & the Holy Spirit transcend cultures and languages.

Highlights:
1. I was speaking through Nehemiah, the church leaders asked for this series due to the building time in the church culture. The first night I brought a huge tub of Lego to encourage them to build something individually, a fun way to start the weekend. The following night I asked I asked them to take apart their individual creations and make something as one unit, for one purpose and for one name. Building something together, like the people of Jerusalem in the book of Nehemiah. It was late and the Legos just sat there until I went to bed at midnight. I woke up the next morning for a run and as I came into the main hall, there was a bit of a buzz. As I turned around to see what everyone was so excited about, I saw not just a wall but a city had been built! Pictures are on Facebook.

2. Ammon – on Friday night I got to meet Ammon. He is the same age as Joshua (our son). Quiet and friendly, but kept to himself. After my first talk on Saturday morning, I noticed one of the leaders actively engaged in a conversation with Ammon, who had just started coming to the church. Then I noticed that they went to go pray. After my second talk I had an opportunity to talk with the leader. Ammon had become a Christian that day! Nothing mores satisfying to hear.

3. Gus- after the Sunday morning talk, the music leader asked me to pray for a man who had just come to the camp after. An invitation during a church building project. Gus is a truck driver who was on medical leave from his job. Right after we prayed, Gus came walking up to us and began peppering us with questions about the church, the Bible and why these talks were so different than anything he had experienced in church. He was not ready to become a Christian at that time, but you can be praying for him.

4. The girls were not there! This may seem a bit negative, but it is a gift to us. We wanted to the Hope & Becca to be with us, but they were counseling at a camp on the Central Coast. It was a sacrifice to not have these incredible young ladies with us, but it was worth it. They were counseled at a camp for under-privileged children. It was their third year counseling. This year they had the incredible opportunity to lead 14 girls to the Lord! I know it is all of the Lord, but I am so proud of what the Lord is doing through our daughters. Praise His Name!

Prayer points: we would like to share a few prayer points for 2012

1. Exciting start to city ministry: panels, evangelism training, new fellowships in the city and evangelistic events inside corporations. Please pray for their start this year and for the Lord to sustain the ministry in 2012.

2. Glorious Hope Baptist Church: growth and direction for 2012

3.Hope and Becca’s final year of high school : wow, are they growing up!

4. School year begins on 31 January: New uniforms, new teachers, new challenges

5. Finances: we would appreciate anyone willing to assist us with a new ministry vehicle

6. 20th anniversary: Cathy & I celebrate 20 years of marriage this year. We are looking to get away in March for a long weekend.

7. Wisdom in our decisions with ministry partners and direction for 2012

Thanks for your faithful support and prayers.
The adventure continues,
Russ, Cathy, Becca, Hope, Joshua & Caroline

As pastors and teachers teach through the Luke account of Jesus’ birth this weekend, I wonder how many people begin to do the ‘seen it, done it, been there’ experience. We get wrapped around everything else this season and lose sight of the true meaning of the season. I recently preached through Luke 2:22-35. Forty days after Jesus’ birth,  Mary and Joseph run into a man named Simeon. A man who had been promised to see the Messiah prior to his own death. Now, in the temple Simeon not only sees the Messiah, but gets to hold Jesus in hands. What does Simeon do? Sings. Not what most men think would be the response of the most significant thing in a man’s life. But I cannot imagine it was the singing you would see on Glee, with all the right wardrobe and choreography. No, I would like to think this is the singing you see in the eyes of those who have experienced a win by their favourite football team. Or of a child getting the ultimate gift at Christmas. Simeon is singing from a position of the anticipation and emotion that comes from seeing the promises of God fulfilled in your life.

Take the time to read through this portion of scripture and see, maybe for the first time, the fulfillment of the promises to a man, a nation and to all mankind. The gift of eternal life that could only be found in His Son, Jesus. 

So, mate, break out in song and celebrate the entrance of the King into this world. It is all good, God did it for you, too!

Thanks for your prayers:

1. Josh’s knee has healed well and has been given the okay to participate in sport.
2. City Bible Forum finished well this year. Exciting year with the panel discussions this year. We had the opportunity to introduce the Gospel to so many who had not heard it before. Please pray for our preparations for 2012. Check out the videos.
3. Plans for 2012, Glorious Baptist Church have gone well and we are looking forward to seeing what the Lord will do through the church this year.
4. I will be speaking at a Family camp in January, could use your prayers for the preparation.

¹ I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: ²preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. ³ For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, ⁴and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. ⁵As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

The Big E

I was leading a training course in the city, ‘How to Renovate Your In House Group.’ It was exciting to see the room packed with people who wanted to do evangelism inside their workplaces. They see the workplace as a strategic place to evangelise. Since they spend the majority of their time there (Look at the statistics, more time working in your life than doing anything else) and seeing that the Lord has placed them in this work space, these leaders see the opportunity to reach people for Christ. Many had given the Bible reading group a go in their company, but they did not see much growth and that is why they had come to this seminar. We had lawyers, IT specialists, accountants and various other backgrounds attending. One attendee invited his pastor to come, also.

We walked through the three Ps (Prayer, Purpose and Plan) and two Rs (Resources and Realistic Expectations) of renovating or starting and In House Group. (Any good renovator has a plan, knows what resources he has to work with and seeks his purpose through the Masterbuilder - if you want more details, email me.)

The key question of the day from one of the attendees was, ‘I have been in many Bible groups at work and most of them have peaks and valleys in regards to attendance. Also, most eventually cease to exist. How do you fix that?’

Great question and I had two answers. First, any ministry will experience peaks and valleys, in the workplace, church and on a mission field, but you need to be committed to be there for the long haul. Do not be focused on the numbers as much as they direction you are going and why you are doing it in the first place (hopefully for the glory of God and reaching people for Christ). Secondly, your group needs to have at its core, evangelism. Realistically, any work place only has 2% Christian working within its population (Australian statistic). If that is the case, the only way you can grow this ministry is to reach out to your workmates with evangelistic zeal. Also, if all you are doing is rallying the Christians (which we should be doing in our churches) you will start to see the minor issues that can divide the church opposed to the core of the Gospel. Look at it this way. If you link arms as Christians and continue to look inward at one another, you will get tired of the view and will eventually stop linking arms. But if you link arms as Christians and look outward with the purpose of Evangelism (The Big E), you gather strength from one another, through the Lord and will be unified to reach your workplace for Christ.

Interestingly, the pastor chimed in at that point. ‘Wow, what a concept! This should be implemented by all Christians and especially our churches.’

Outside of being a bit disappointed that a pastor had not taken on this idea before, he was right.

You can take on so many different objectives in your group, home and church. All of them can and should have eternal benefits for people. Yet, if we forget to incorporate evangelism into the mix. Our groups, ministries and churches will die.

Quick CEO story: I remember a CEO of a company I worked for any years ago. He was addressing huge audience of managers at a conference. He was addressing the  question of over saturation in a specific market. Had this Fortune 500 company, which he had started, grown as big as it could grow? The CEO stepped up to the podium and merely stated, ‘If you do not grow, you will die.’ Then he sat down. No numbers crunching, no inspirational speech, just the cold hard fact. ‘Growth means life, no growth means death.’

I think this truth can be applied to all things and especially to our spiritual life. We need to grow personally in our walk with God, we need to grow in our relationships with others and we need to grow through Gospel work to reach others for Christ.

I have had numerous discussions on this topic in my short tenure in ministry and talking with missionaries, pastors and ministry workers. With the ever changing focus of world wide missions. The churches get on a band wagon of the latest catch phrase: Social Justice, Disaster relief, Church Planting, Tent-making, 1040 window, etc. None of them are bad and I do get excited about these ventures (Come on, we are part of them), but if we lose sight of the growth opportunity ofevangelism and proclaiming the Truth of the Bible, any and all of these things will die.

There maybe nothing new for you here, but hopefully a reminder as you look ahead to 2012, is your spiritual life &  your ministry growing? If not, have you looked at the Big E? Are you doing all you can to reach others for Christ and growing His Kingdom or just focused on building your own ‘kingdom’? It has been a good reminder for me and I am looking forward to what we can do for Him in 2012.

(For more details of our work in evangelism in Sydney, check out our latest newsletter, City Bible Forum, Sydney)

Thanks for your support and prayers,

Russ, Cathy, Becca, Hope, Joshua & Caroline