Coronavirus Lockdown - Ministry Changes

Vital Statistics for March
- Christians Engaged: 30
- Pre-Christians Engaged: 13
- Miracles Reported: 12

The Leaders' Dinner was Awesome

I had such a special night. God showed me that 'Unity in the North' is a huge priority for Him and that He wants me to really focus on it. I ran the event from the front like a cross between Steve Irwin and Jackie Brockie! We had 30 leaders all up and we all shared in small groups and prayed for each other and for revival! Now I need to keep working on supporting all the pastors in North Geelong and as soon as the Coronavirus is over, bring them together for more unity events. The crew from Bethel Christian Fellowship gave me money, cooked food and served the guests! Amazing!

Easter Events Now on Video
We've decided to create the best series explaining Easter and put it on FB, Instagram and YouTube. We distributed 400 flyers in our area inviting people to follow Little Miracles Home Group FB page to see the videos.

Creating evangelistic videos has been a hobby of mine for ages. I keep learning how to both engage young people and effectively teach them at the same time. Please pray I can get really good at it in this demanding times.

Tree Update
I'm so thankful God provided me with a 'random' meeting with council worker Gordon Collins. He loves our work with the trees and he gave me the number for this boss Matthew Osborne. Another lead to follow up as we seek to get everything ready for when the Coronavirus ends and we can plant again!

Traction in the Community!

Vital Statistics for February  
- Christians engaged: 16
- Pre-Christians engaged: 33
- Miracles reported: 16
- Sorry there are no photos! I was too 'present' to take any!!

Fabulous February Outreach!
I had scheduled the event for a Thursday evening and received lots of cancellations. The local school had scheduled a BBQ that night and there was a Youth Group meeting on too. So I was expecting no-one or perhaps just a few. I saw it as a test to see how much people really wanted what we were offering, both Christians and Pre-Christians.

We had 11 wonderful Christian leaders from Bethel who helped with worship, cooking, love and prayer and 15 Pre-Christians who learned about Jesus healing the bleeding woman. Then we worshipped and prayed for each other. Then the kids played and ran group games.

Since then I have had about 6 people come to my house to ask, "When is the next one happening?" Praise God for traction with the locals and the local church as we teach the power of the presence of God!!

Geelong Pastor-Couples' Dinner

12 March, Paul Hills and I are hosting a dinner to bless and enrich God's leaders here in North Geelong. This is part of God's burden on us for UNITY.

Kids Front and Centre
Listening to stories of revival, I see children can receive and share the glorious revelation of God and this encourages me as the children here in Corio are sneaking out of home to attend our events. They want us to pray for them so Christine and I are going to plant trees with the kids after school in the park and then pray for them. We heard bullies are threatening kids in our park with knives and knuckle dusters. Let us meet this challenge head on with prayer for our mighty God to intervene on behalf of the innocent children and teach the kids to pray too!

Easter Outreach - Bigger than Ben Hur
Trying to follow Heaven's Strategies, as my first pastor Kevin Smith taught me, I've decided to take on Easter as an opportunity for outreach. (Ed Silvoso talks about Heaven's Strategies in this Podcast). This will involve inviting local Christians to door-knock, offer prayer, offer bibles and invite the Corio Locals to two Easter Events at our home. We will host Good Friday and Easter Sunday (and perhaps Maundy Thursday too) and push hard with prayer and love to see people saved, healed and transformed. This means we will have several prayer meetings with fasting prior to declare the coming of the kingdom of God to Corio.

Trees & Miracles Update
We are now going into the reserve after school to meet kids and fix up the trees; put in new stakes, replace some trees, guards and water etc. I'm still trying to wrangle the council to work with me to make an 'offical plan' for planting in 2020.

We have 50 trees in the reserve, but we have a total of 115 miracles from God to date so we have to catch up and plant 65 trees to honour God for changing peoples' lives here in Corio!!!!

Bethel Christian Fellowship
I've been blessed with friendship, opportunity and support from Paul Hills and the lovely folk of Bethel. It is such a 'God Thing' to be involved together!!

It's Pretty Exciting
Personally I am absolutely stoked by the season we're in, the things God is doing and the things that are unfolding. More of God. More of God. More of God.

2020 January

Vital Statistics for January

- Total Christians: 24
- Total pre-Christians: 14
- Miracles reported: 11
- Pastor's unity dinner
- Family pizza-making night
- A strategic change

A Strategic Change
We have decided to stop our weekly Home Group dinners for 2020 because only one Christian person usually comes. We will still support this person. I'm surprised the offer of free dinner, continuing loving relationship and caring prayer did not take off.

Instead, we can better serve the non-Christians in Corio by focusing on a monthly Tree-Planting event to gather in new people and follow this with a Family Pizza-Making Night at which we teach the Word of God, conduct worship and offer prayer leading to a supernatural encounter with Jesus. I am also going to begin door-knocking to offer prayer and invite people to Tree Planting events.

January Pizza-Making Night
We started with a small rubbish-collection event in the local park because it was too hot to plant trees. Then we made pizzas in our garden and learned about the Sermon on the Mount. We sang two worship songs and then each non-Christian was prayed for by the Christians there.

Pastor's Unity Dinner
God has given me a real burden to work for Unity of the North, so I'm pleased to report I hosted a Pastor's Unity Dinner at our home in January. Twelve came altogether and we farewelled Lee & Jacinta Wong who are leaving Fire Church soon. We are working on another Pastor's event for March and I'll keep you posted.

Little Miracles & Trees
So far we have 99 little miracles reported including several children wanting me to pray for them at our last event. For each miracle we are committed to plant a tree. So far we have 49 trees alive in Rosewall Reserve. That means we need to plant another 50 just to keep up with God's miraculous work in our community! Please pray for favour with the local council as we get permission to continue planting in 2020!

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'.