Christmas in Corio

Vital Statistics for December

Outreach in our garden

- Total attendance per week: 5, 6, 4, 50
- Miracles reported per week: 1, 6, 3, 7
- Christmas outreach
- Planning for next year
- Update on trees
- Unity of the North
- A minor setback

Corio Christmas Miracles Night

Each kid got one

What an amazing night! With the outstanding financial and practical support from over 20 Christians from Bethel Church, we made pizzas with 19 local non-Christian kids and 7 adults. Then we had a "Christmas show" to teach them the real Christmas story through role play, pictures and song. 

Making Pizzas

Then we shared God's desire to do miracles and prayed for about 10 kids and gave them a book of scripture about Christmas. We prayed for a few adults and felt the night was a real success in building positive community in Jesus' name.

Next Year - We need God's Strategies
Making pizzas, like tree-planting, is a useful, practical skill. We will continue to use useful, practical activities within the community to develop trusting relationships which we can then use to bring in the kingdom of God, a bit like 'boys brigade', but with prayer for supernatural encounter. 

The next event is planned.

I'm also in favour of running 'events' instead of trying to create a 'church'. This gives us agility and the ability to focus on seeking and saving the lost and building up traction with those who are being saved. It also gives us the freedom to stop and listen to God for Heaven's Strategies. Please pray for us to fully embrace Heaven's Strategies for Corio in 2020.

Tree update

We've got 50 trees to keep alive through summer then next year we need to plant more to keep up with all the miracles God is doing! Each miracle requires a tree as a living testimony. To the end of December, we have a total of 88 miracles which God has done. So next year the kids are keen to plant more trees to keep up with God's loving action!

Unity of the North

Smashed on Christmas Day

Last month I mentioned a leadership prayer meeting is being transferred to our home. We're sensing God wants us to focus on creating and supporting unity of the church leaders in the north of Geelong. Please support us in prayer as we seek God's strategies for unity in the North. I also feel God's call to help more Christians in Geelong reach out in Jesus' name.

How to be involved?
- Please pray we'll fulfil God's best plans for Corio in the years ahead.
- You could contribute financially if you would like as this is my main job now excepting handyman work 2 days per week: 
BSB: 013259 Acc: 248826009
- Celebrate with us God's breakthrough power in our ministry here in God's Corio :)
- Come and get involved with us on the ground if that's on your heart.

Opposition
Someone jumped our fence and smashed our back window on Christmas Day while we were away. Praise God nothing was stolen from the house. All is fixed now, but it is a reminder of the 'violent' area we live in, perhaps a demonically inspired attack as we're gaining traction.

"Are you doing this tomorrow, as well?"

Who wants to see a miracle?

Vital Statistics for November
- Total attendance per week: 2, 0, 0, 3
- Miracles reported per week: 6, 1, 0, 4
- Third Tree Planting about 25 kids
- Christmas Outreach!
- Corio Leaders Prayer Team

Third Tree Planting
More and more local kids and families came out to care for our 50 trees and hear of the miracles of our loving heavenly Father.  The Lord showed me to explain that each tree represents a miracle and that God, our creator does miracles when we pray in faith in Jesus' name. I asked the children, 'who wants to see a miracle?' and they shot up their hands. 'What do you want God to do for you?', I asked. They told me, 'get a billion dollars'. 'That's not in your best interests', I replied, 'so I won't pray for that'. 'I want to stay out of trouble with the law and have a good life', said a young teenager. 'That's a good prayer', I said and we prayed.

'Are you doing this again tomorrow?', they asked us. 'No but here is a flyer for our Christmas event'.

Christmas Outreach
Thank you prayer team! The local church here is helping us run our "Corio Christmas Miracles Night". We're making a pizza oven so the community can make pizzas and we'll have live music and even a jumpy castle! 1000 flyers are going out to advertise and I'll be engaging our Tree Planting friends to help plan and run the event.

Corio Leaders Prayer Team 
Several local leaders have asked Christine and I to host a fortnightly intercessory prayer group. We confirmed this was from God through two of our close prayer warrior friends and so this started last week. This is a further responsibility but I've sensed from the beginning that God wants us to focus on creating unity in the church here in the North of Geelong, so here goes!

Prayer and Fasting for Outreach
Please spend a day fasting for the outreach here and pray. We are seeing great opportunities for prayer and prayers being answered. Two neighbours have jobs since we've prayed for them!

Home Group still small
Our weekly home group still usually only has one person, but we'll still press on and keep inviting others to join us. It's great that the outreach is so strong!

Waiting on the Lord

Vital Statistics for October

- Total attendance per week: 8, 5, 3, 3

- Miracles reported per week: 5, 3, 4, 3

- Tree Planting in Jesus name! 40 people

Tree Planting was Fantastic!

Over 30 kids came into the park and enjoyed drawing on the tree guards, making signs, using the drill to dig holes, hammering in the stakes and using the staple gun to secure the tree guards. The atmosphere was beautiful. The boys particularly enjoyed this challenging teamwork. The parents got busy helping too.  We had a BBQ and gave the children certificates and a baby wattle tree for their gardens. I explained each tree represents a miracle of healing, restoration and love. We now have 50 trees in Rosewall Reserve.

Waiting on the Lord

We must go with the God ideas, not just the good ideas. So, although the tree planting is a great way to build trusting, positive relationships with the locals for evangelism,  I'm sensing the Lord is asking us to pause on the Tree Planting for a while and focus on working with other local pastors on something for Christmas. Working in unity focusing on loving the locals and doing something lovely for Christmas. Perhaps a BBQ, games for the kids, carols and presents for the kids.

One on One Ministry

The main focus of ministry now is praying for our neighbours. We are seeing a lot of sweet little miracles. It seems God is using the opportunity of prayer for unbelievers to show His love; a cool model of evangelism!

Financial Counselling

We are trialling linking a volunteer accountant keen on helping the poor with a single mum who's trying to manage her money. This could become a useful way of loving our neighbours. Financial mismanagement is rife here. Praise God this has opened up so quickly!

Community Engagement!

Vital Statistics for September
- Total attendance per week: 2, 3, 2, 5, 3
- Miracles reported per week: 0, 3, 0, 2, 3
- Corio Evangelism Forum: 16 people
- Tree Planting in Jesus Name! 40 people

Corio Evangelism Forum
Sixteen of us enjoyed lunch together in our home and discussed the best ways we can work with God as He brings people to know Jesus. Building trusting, caring relationships then bringing an anointed word of life seems to be best. Then we need to work to disciple new believers.

I spoke on radio 96Three about evangelism and two people came because of the interview. Unfortunately the interview has not been posted on their website yet, so I can't send it to you. It went better than expected, though :)

Tree Planting in Rosewall Reserve
Wow! What a marvellous event! The Corio Prayer Team came and prayer-walked the park the day before, then provided, cooked and served all the sausages!

About 40 people attended and families enjoyed working together decorating their tree-guards. The artwork is amazing. We planted 40 trees and hammered in the pretty guards and watered-in the baby trees.

Each child got a certificate and I explained that the trees were planted to honour God's miracles in Little Miracles Home Group. We have had 40 miracles since we started so we planted 40 trees. A video of this is on our Facebook page and lots of pics.

The purpose of the event was to build trusting and relevant relationships with the local community in Jesus Name and we did it! Several pastors came too!

Next Steps
The next Tree Planting is scheduled for 20 October and we're thinking of a Christmas event, something small and intimate in our home.

House of Good Hope

Cross in our back yard

Getting our home ready for revival!
We have a gate opening onto the park to welcome people and a new sign saying "House of Good Hope". We also have a rugged cross in our back yard where we hope to host worship and teaching ministries.

You Can Help by Praying and/or Funding!

BSB:  013259
ACC: 248826009

Please pray for the gift of obedience for us as leaders so we walk in God's ways, not just 'good ways'.

Strategic Evangelism

Vital Statistics for August
- Total attendance per week: 3, 2, 2, 6
- Miracles reported per week: 4, 2, 1, 5
- Corio Evangelism Forum
- Tree Planting for Jesus
- Moved to Home

Corio Evangelism Forum
Next Sunday we're hosting the Corio Evangelism Forum, in our home. Telling people about God's love can be terribly challenging. So we're hoping to unite and encourage those called to evangelise our area and focus us on God's strategies. I've recorded a radio interview on 96three about this which will play this Wednesday morning and I'll send you the link next month.

Council gives us 40 Manna Gums

Community Tree Planting
Our tree planting is starting on Thursday 26 September in Rosewall Reserve as a school-holiday program for kids. A growing group of locals is keen to spread the word that trees are good and to protect our new trees from vandalism. The council has given us 40 Manna gums, tree guards and stakes. Next month I'll show you the photos. So far 37 miracles have been reported at LMHG, so let's plant 37 trees to thank Jesus!

Neighbours & Family Helping Clear our Block

From Community Centre 
to our Home
We recently stopped meeting at Rosewall Community Centre and shifted the Home Group to our Home. We felt God's call to do this and it seems many locals don't really like the community centre. Plus we save about $70 per week. The group is very quiet at the moment so we are concentrating on inviting our neighbours over for dinner and praying with them as appropriate, building relationship and trust and quietly releasing the supernatural power of God into their lives. We're in no hurry.

Revival
Many Christian leaders here are believing for revival! It's an exciting time to join them in Corio!

Now we really get started!

Vital Statistics for July
- Total attendance per week: 5, 3, 5, 2
- Miracles reported per week: 5, 2, 1, 1
- Leaders moved in
- Council gives blessing to plant trees
- New Flyer made ready for distribution

New Flyer
One of our group suggested we make a flyer which attacks ICE addiction so we've made a new flyer with money given by a supporter! It will be distributed in August.

Leaders Move In
So we've moved into our new home in Corio and we're loving it. We love the new challenge of getting to know everyone in our neighbourhood and fixing up our house and garden. Its stronger when the leaders are on the ground.

Commissioning and Dedication

The first ever meeting in our new home was a powerful prayer meeting, a dedication and cleansing of our home and a commissioning and anointing for us. Hosted by June and John Bennet, the leaders of the Corio Prayer Team, the meeting had 15 people including three local pastors. Isaiah 61: 1- 4 stood out among the prophecies. One of the pastors identified us as a prophetic vanguard.

Help on the Ground
Recently God blessed us with the opportunity to move two tall boy drawers to a young family in need. 

1 Miracle = 1 Tree

We believe God has called us to honour His miraculous works in people's lives by planting a tree for each miracle reported at LMHG. This means work. I met with council representatives from Parks and Gardens and Community and Recreation at Rosewall Reserve. They are happy to authorise us to run revegetation in Rosewall Reserve. They have cleared some grassland which they will mulch for us and they will provide trees. Our job is to get the community on side so the locals don't vandalise the tress. There is a meeting about this at our home next week. We expect this project will take years to fully materialise. Combatting violent attitudes to the park will take time and commitment and the miraculous work of God. More next month. 

Council prepares for planting.

To contribute financially:
BSB: 013 259
ACC: 2488 26009

Thank You!

We're Moving In!

Vital Statistics for June

June/July Flyer

- Total attendance per week: 4, 4, 3, 3, 3
- Miracles reported per week: 2, 1, 1, 3, 3
- Ad published in 'Northerly Aspects' 11,000 readership
- New Flyer made and distributed: 250

We're Moving Into Corio!
Since last post, we have sold our home in Belmont and bought a new home in Corio, right near the Rosewall Neighbourhood Centre! This is in response to 'God's call on our lives' to love this particular part of Corio. Settlement is in late July when we'll actually move! All this activity is why we haven't delivered many flyers this month!

Shall we make it actually 'Home-Based'?
We currently run Little Miracles Home Group from Rosewall Neighbourhood Centre, but we're thinking that when we move to into the neighbourhood we might run this from our home. Obviously we'd be more 'vulnerable' but it would also be more 'homey'. Please pray for God's wisdom for us as we make this decision :)

Our flashing lights and the smashed door

Here is a picture of the flashing lights we use on Sunday nights to show people something fun is happening. You can see that the door of the centre had been kicked in just prior! It's a sobering reminder of where we're working!

Sharing the Story
My sense of calling is to share this model of 'a military hospital' with the church more widely: a focus on seeking and saving the lost and then training and empowering for leadership and service. As such I have been invited to share this vision at Geelong Vineyard Church on Sunday 14 July. Please pray for me for this and for the development of this side of the ministry long term :)

Success so far
We are wrapt with the ministry so far. We love hosting Little Miracles Home Group, making and distributing flyers and creating a culture that focuses on reaching the unchurched and developing leaders.

The Miracles are Little :)
The 10 miracles reported in June are personal, things like children suddenly changing for the better, us moving into the area, and new freedom from past sources of control. We're still trying to get the council to allow us to plant a bush or tree for every miracle - a monthly planting. So far we have to plant 6 from May and 10 from June!

Oh Yeah! It's a Hobby not a Business!
Obeying Jesus is about loving others: "Love your neighbour as yourself". Loving is giving freely. 'Christian love' is even sacrificial. Therefore we should stop seeing 'Ministry' as a way to make money. This gets us into all sorts of trouble. Outsiders see the 'church' as greedy because it brings money into conversations about love. It is a profound confusion. Therefore let's stop seeing ministry as way to make money and see it as a hobby which we do out of love and for the very excitement of doing it and thus we're prepared to spend money to make it happen. Like building a lovely garden!

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Thank you - Lots of LOVE!