Beautiful Relationships Abound

Play Group is so beautiful
God is using the Play Group as a strong spiritual ministry. The group is growing with about 20 each session and we are seeing so many beautiful acts of God bringing life and health and peace to these migrants and their children. And the  non-Christian are singing the God songs!

Kids Club - Amazing

22 people attended our 2nd Kids Club and listened to the teaching of the Word. We had a strong team of 7 leaders who all contributed passionately and by the Spirit. Several of the kids can't read and one kid has been completely expelled from the school system at age 13. Since we changed to monthly from weekly gatherings, we've noticed everyone seems thirstier! Here is a short video of the Kids Club highlights.

 

Introducing Sandra Harvey - Admin Assistant

Thank you for praying God would grow our team, because we have a strong team now and Sandra Harvey is stepping up to help with administration, leadership and ministry. She is a prophetess who is passionate about sharing the love of Jesus. She is experienced in event management and is a good friend of me and Christine. 

Here is short video introducing Sandra Harvey. Please pray for her.

Pop-Up Church in Labuan Square Norlane
We hosted our 2nd monthly Pop-Up Church in March and were blessed by a local Filipino Church joining us in the outreach. Here is a video of our 2nd Pop-Up church. Our next one is this Saturday so please pray for salvations and discipleship and the team growing in faith and power to bring revival. 

Prayer Seminar with Ps Check Chia

During March we helped host the Journey in Prayer with legend pastor Check Chia. It was so good to sit under a very wise and accomplished teacher/intercessor. He really impressed upon us the importance of FASTING to draw closer the our Heavenly Father and encouraged us to GO FOR IT like never before. We had 100 people from 20 churches learning more powerful prayer. Such a big win for Geelong. 

Easter Tree-Planting Festival

On Easter Sunday we're hosting a Tree-Planting Festival and outreach in McKinley Ave Reserve Corio. It is a tiny park but we hope to bring some love, hope and friendship to the area as we host a fun family day. Please pray for salvations and Jesus' love to be manifest. 

Free Publicity

Praise God I have an open door at the radio station 96Three. Here is an interview I did to publicise the Pop-Up Church and the Prayer Seminar to give you a taste of what's going on. 

My Best Sermon Ever

I wanted to share this teaching with you, my best ever. It is on Jesus' call on us to be fruitful. I call it Hyper Yield. I hope you like it!

Finally - Spread the Word

If you think this is worth sharing to encourage someone to press on for revival, then feel free to share it with them.

Thank you for being a crucial part of this exciting adventure. We couldn't do it without YOU! 

Two new ministries launched

Super Sunday Kids Club Begins!

I'm so grateful for God's wisdom and the prayer support of many people behind the switch from weekly Family Pizza Nights to monthly Super Sunday Kids Club where we focus more fully on teaching the kids to follow Jesus. We are also fulfilling all legal requirements to host the children in a supervised environment for 2 hours. Parents can drop them off, sign in and come back to 5pm.

We have a team of 7 leaders and have decided to continue monthly for this year as best we can. 

Here is a video of the February Kids Club 

Please pray for real salvations and true and effective discipleship from Kids Club in 2022. Thank you :)

Easter Tree-Planting Festival Coming Up

Please pray for God's wisdom and enabling as we plan a significant Easter event. Currently I have permission from the council to plant trees in McKinley Ave Reserve (pictured below). I seek to couple this with a dramatisation of Jesus' death and resurrection and have some games and food. Our regular Kids Club kids and leaders will be there plus we'll outreach into the locals around the park to spread the word. I think the Lord will give us more evangelists to join our crew. 

Pop-Up Church begins!

In February we created our first ever "Pop-Up Church". First time we called it 'church' and we think many people came because it was church. It ignited a hunger in them. Our pattern is group prayer, singing, words/testimonies, then we have a break and go into the crowd and pray for miracles for people saying, "God wants to show you His love for you by doing a miracle in your life. What do you think God wants to do in your life?" 

Because we're well known and trusted, we find people are open and ready to bare their souls to us to pray when we approach them like this. After the service is over, we have fish and chips with the locals and build friendships over a meal.

Play Group is growing beautifully

Yesterday we had our second biggest playgroup ever  (23) with more newies than regulars! Thank you for praying as this is a significant ministry confirming their faith and being a lovely witness to unbelievers. I'm thankful that we have so many refugees from Myanmar who are genuinely needy and that they are soaking up the Christian teaching hungrily. And Christine has started helping them overtly with English. 

No Man is Greater Than His Prayer Life - Loenard Ravenhill

As the Lord calls me forward and upward into leadership and governance, to be a powerful evangelist, the more I have to pray, the more I have to pray. This picture shows a lonely, narrow path at Avalon Beach which I share with solitary fishermen and my faithful hounds, my prayer-dogs. This is the engine room of revival. The path gets narrower the further you go along! You have to give up lust, greed, sloth, selfishness, fear, small-mindedness, etc....

Have I not commanded you? Be Strong and Courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.

Joshua 1: 9

Planning and Reflection

January was a holiday month but we had one very important planning meeting with seven core team members. We planned to step up our evangelism in Term 1, 2022 with two main projects.

Super Sunday Kids Club: 

Every second Sunday at our home in a large marquee, we will have games, competitions, songs, drama, craft and teaching to try to begin discipling the 7-12 year old local kids.

Labbo Pop Up Church: 

Every second Saturday at Labuan Square we will host 'church' and build relationships of love involving individual prayer, preaching, worship, testimonies.

This all begins in February, so next post will be much more interesting.

End of Year Christmas Special

Introduction

Thank you so much for being part of the success of Little Miracles Home Group Corio in 2021. To help keep me on track and you well-informed, here is a review of the year's ministries focusing on learning how to love our neighbours better. I'm so excited about next year and the opportunities we have to bring the gospel more effectively and efficiently to the people of Corio and help lead the church in a growing season of outreach and revival and I hope and trust you can be part it!

The Importance of Intercessors

I am wildly grateful for the Intercessors who literally cut the trail upon which we've walked since coming to Corio in April 2019 and nothing of value would have been achieved without their prayer. But more importantly, I thank those who have gone before, who have prayed for revival, for unity in the church, for the Holy Spirit to bring the Presence of God thickly in the streets and homes of this disadvantaged suburb to turn people's hearts to Jesus. Now it's up to us to play our part.

The Vital Statistics for 2021 and since the beginning - April 2019

I'm including the numbers because I think one goal is to 'reach' everyone in our postcode 3214 with the gospel. There are about 40,000 people in our postcode. This is how we're tracking so far. I'll do it again next year. This is a fairly solid estimate:

                                                        Numbers for 2021

                                    Family          Tree         Harvest        Play        Leaders

                                    Pizza         Planting      Team          Group      Dinners

                                    Nights

Events held                    24                  4              20              23             2

People engaged             50                150           120             30             50  

Total people                                                                                            

Engaged since 4/19       60                 220           120            30            60   

Total unsaved reached since beginning: 400 

Total - Trees Growing: 70   Parks Planted: 2  Intercessors Backing Ministry: 35

                                                       

Tree Planting - We're a "Christian Nature Group"!

Despite Covid, we've hosted 4 events this year and currently have 70 eucalyptus trees growing nicely in two parks. Vandalism is still a problem, but far less a problem than in the past because of our community engagement model. Cooperation with the council is high and we've learned a lot from our last major Tree Planting Festival and Christmas Show.                     Video of Christmas Tree Planting

Our team debrief and telephoning participants revealed important learning. This time we didn't have live music and it wasn't needed. We didn't have the Lion's Club BBQ and didn't need it. We had gifts, but they weren't important. The trees weren't even important drivers for our guests. 

Tree Planting & Christmas Show

This time, the guests loved playing together and making friends. They enjoyed tug-o-war, stilts, three-legged race and egg-and-spoon. They loved the Cheezel and ice-cream game and they didn't even mention the full throttle gospel presentation and worship. They said they loved the event and would like to come to another one. Local Pastor Steve Greenslade was a fabulous leader in the kids events. 

Looking Ahead for future Tree Planting Events

Over the years we have a built a strong, trusting relationship with the City of Greater Geelong. As a Christian Nature Group, we are committed to plant trees in all the small neglected parks in Corio over the coming years and to use the opportunity to create grassroots community festivals. Alongside the tree planting, the focus is to maximise the impact of the gospel and 'draw the children on' in Christ. Establish a fun event, with check in, music, publicity, games and get skilled ministers of the word to bring the gospel up to the crowd with laughter and skill. I will try to funnel the new-comers from these future events to our regular events at home.

Family Pizza Nights

Family Pizza Nights

This year we hosted 24 events and engaged 50 locals. Each evening we cooked together, usually making pizzas, played some games and then learned about God. During the year I felt I couldn't continue and the very next week the Lord provided two new leaders to teach the Word. I learned from this that my job is to set up events and get the crowd and the Lord will provide skilled folk to teach the people. The year ended with several amazing nights when 10 to 13 kids would sit quietly as we taught about Jesus. This really is a dream come true.

Looking Ahead to Future Events

Next year I believe God is calling us to focus more on teaching younger kids about Jesus with more of a focus on big events. Could you please join with me in praying about "Super Sunday Kids Club". Replacing weekly Family Pizza Nights, we would host Kids Club once a month on Sunday afternoon at our home in Corio with a marquee and full scale performance, music, dancing, games, food, prizes. Less frequent means more special and my crew will be fresher and more eager with a monthly focus rather than every week. Plus focusing on younger kids means getting them before they go off the rails and drawing them on in Christ - a Kids Church? This change also means engaging a lot more kids.

Harvest Team

Carols at Labuan Square

What an amazing story. Last January the Lord gave me a strong vision to start a church-wide outreach group. He said He'd give me people to lead and so we got started using 'Jesus at the Door' but soon learned the best way is to host events so we hosted a small rally then a Carols event which exceeded all our expectations. We have built relationships with the locals and then brought in skilled and passionate Christians to bring the Word. We hosted 20 events and engaged roughly 120 non-Christians this year through Harvest Team events.

Looking Ahead to Future Events

I believe the Lord has told me to host monthly 'church events' for the folks at a small local shopping square called Labuan Square next year from a vacant shop at the square. I can run these events without a council permit so we can easily bring the church to the people, people God has put us in loving contact with. Again, the focus is on maximising the fact that we have 30 non-Christians quietly listening! Please pray we will bring the Kingdom of God in Power. These are hungry, needy folks. 

Play Group

This year we started the playgroup and hosted 23 events and engaged 30 folks with an average attendance of 14. We have developed a lovely culture together with lots of singing, learning about Jesus and prayer as well as creativity, play and nurture.

 We have mainly Karen migrants with one Chinese family and a blended Indonesian family. It is such a joy to help these young families learn to enjoy education and Christianity. Next year we will change the day to Friday and advertise more and try to attract Anglo children who need training before school. We will also start the mornings with singing because this releases more joy and unity over the group and they love singing. 

Inspiring the Wider Church

Part of my vision is to inspire to the wider church so that more of us can love our neighbour, particularly to the poor. I have done three radio interviews this year with 96Three on outreach and preached several sermons at Bethel Christian Fellowship on loving our neighbour and learning to bring the gospel to the poor. People have received the teaching really well and many new folks have joined our outreach endeavours as it seems we've stepped into a context fully prepared by the Lord. We also send out an Evangelism Prayer List to enable intercessors to pray people into the kingdom.

Unity in the North

We hosted two Leaders' Dinners this year and we are connecting with many church leaders and intercessors through Pastor Paul Hills' monthly prayer gatherings. Our outreach events are also bringing in Christians from many churches to work together. Sharing this blog is a tool to inspire Aussie Christians to love their neighbours and evangelise. Despite this, I acutely feel the loss of relationship and connection which is happening too as we go forward. Many churches are uninterested and a bit negative about what we're doing. Some close people I thought would come alongside, seem uninterested. 

On a Personal Note

I am being paid just under $400 per week from Bethel Christian Fellowship where I am the Assistant Pastor with lots of admin and spiritual leadership responsibilities, which I absolutely love. Christine is working 3-4 days per week with the Australian Bureau of Statistics and we are madly in love. We are passionate gardeners and Christine is raising new chickens. 

The Big Picture

Christine and I have been in Corio two-and-a-half years and we've made a good start in building for revival. We are learning to serve God better every day and we're totally blessed by what He is doing. But we have to be tough because we're asking Christians to focus on others within a context of an attractional church culture - where Christians come to church to receive. This is a massive shift and I come back to the idea that 'if they wanted to do outreach, they would'. Loving others is very difficult but it is God's requirement of us; to be fruitful. So it will take years of persistent service to build an army of skilled outreach workers and advocates; people who get that revival mission in Australia is God's call on us right now. That means every church goer giving their lives to lift others up and sharing with the poor the triumph of Jesus Christ as the time runs out for each of us. Let us teach the children to follow our Saviour with increasing skill, effectiveness and efficiency. 

How to Help

Photo of borrowed goods

We are largely self-supporting, but if you'd like to help, here are some simple things we need for ministry in the new year:

• Marquee $100 (second hand 6 x 3m)
• Wood to make stilts $70*
• Tug-o-War Rope $100*
• Stationary for publicity and events $100
• Get involved or recommend a friend: We provide solid covering for frontline operatives in a very needy area with strong prayer backing. 

* pictured here when borrowed from Hawthorn West Baptist Church

Finally

Thank you for sharing the journey with us and for praying. Please continue to hold us up in prayer and please drop me a line if you have any prophetic words or wisdom for us. And if you have any friends who would like to receive our monthly blog, please give me their email and I'll include them in the list. Or forward this along. 

If you don't want to receive this in future, please let me know.

Financial Support

BSB: 013259   ACC: 248826009

When we pray for non-Christians in LOVE, God moves in POWER. 

On a revival wave

We are gaining traction in ministry in Corio in many different ways and I'm very thankful to you for praying for me and Christine. Here is an overview of the highlights of our ministry in November.

New Style of Outreach

In early November, we started a completely new type of outreach. Instead of just making friends and offering prayer to the folks at Labuan Square, we hosted a small concert. It was such a beautiful evangelistic event. In fact it was the best evangelistic event I've ever done! Here is a video of the event.

On Saturday 18 December, we will use the same people and more to host a Carols event at Labuan Square with a strongly evangelistic thrust. The focus will be on testimonies of healing. And God has provided me with a growing team of helpers, just as He said He would. Please pray for this "Carols @ Labbo" event!

Loving the Rejected Ones

This photo shows God's answer to our prayers for a local kid called Chance who's been expelled from several schools and seems to be on a path of crime at age 13. In this photo he's trying a new pathway; the group for men and boys which I set up with Ken (also pictured) at the beginning of Covid. The group is perfect for Chance who really loves engines. Please pray he will continue at the group and in his discipleship.

Tree Planting Festival and Christmas Show

After a lot of red tape and jostling with the City of Greater Geelong, I'm thrilled that I now have a permit (and the 6 foot high trees) to run this event next Sunday. This will be the a big step up from our last planting event with more ministers bringing a strong evangelistic thrust during the Christmas Show. 

Family Pizza Night - really cutting through

I have been astonished as the Lord has provided new leaders to help Christine and me serve the children and families who come to Family Pizza Nights; especially with teaching the Word of God and the craft of Christianity. My faith is growing as I learn more of God's ways as we offer consistent, passionate and sincere love to the children and families who come. And the amazing thing is they are staying at the end to hear God's Word. One child arrived recently and said, "What do I have to do to become a Christian?" My jaw hit the floor. I am so thrilled that after just two years, we are getting some really solid results in many avenues! Thank you Lord. 

Play Group - What a lovely first year!

We average about 15 in total each session and we love it. Next year we will keep going, but change the day to Friday and we will do some more promotion to try to attract more needy anglo families and LOTE families. Notice the Nativity Scene in this photo!

Leading and Preaching at Bethel

We are amazed at the 'success' of our ministry efforts this year, or rather it seems we're on a wave of revival. Please pray for more humility, pruning and fruitfulness. Here is my latest sermon at Bethel for your interest. It is about our Place, Purpose and Plan - as a church.

Bless you heaps!

Angus & Christine

The Miracle Zone

Evangelistic Rally at Labuan Square

Next Saturday 6 Nov I'm hosting our first ever Evangelistic Rally at a poor and dilapidated public square in Norlane where we have been praying for the locals around 10 times this year. As part of my Harvest Team, this rally will involve about 8 ministers of the Word each speaking for 7-10 mins, communion, prayer and an alter call. 

Please pray for the kingdom of God to come in power during this time.

Play Group

We had the best ever playgroup last week with 21 in total. The sweet presence of Jesus during our worship time, prayer time and teaching about Jesus was the highlight. Seeing the children and parents grow is also very satisfying. 

Preaching and Leading in Church

I am now being paid about $350 per week for my work at Bethel - what dream come true! Also today I preached on using our spiritual authority and shared these laminated cards for those ready to take their God-given spiritual headship over their family.

You can watch the video here.

Youth Group - back with a bang!

"What do you have to do to become a Christian?" asked the first kid to arrive at Pizza Night after lockdown. Later that night, this boy and another girl sat still as two new youth-group leaders laid down the gospel for them to follow with compelling spiritual authority. 

I suspect we are in 'The Miracle Zone', a place in which the Lord is acting in POWER to achieve His purposes and I am just one small part of His mighty works.

That night we had 12 in total. We played 3 legged race and egg and spoon race and other games, getting ready for the Tree Planting Festival we're hosting as soon as we can.

Tree Planting Festival

Covid restrictions have meant the council is delaying giving me a permit to host a large event with the Lions Club etc but I believe it will happen soon. Most of the legwork is done regarding changing the new park into at place to plant 17 large trees, so the festival will follow soon - surely.

Please pray for this simple outreach strategy as we seek to multiply it throughout Corio over the years ahead.

On a Personal Note

Christine and I went camping recently at Lake Elizabeth in the Otway National Park. It was wonderful!

Thank you for praying for the Kingdom of God to come in power. Love you heaps!

I am so happy!

Dear Prayer Buddy, 

I so love writing to you because it gives me time and space to reflect and, in real terms, linking with you is linking with a powerhouse of prayer, someone well-known in Heaven who can help me reach out to the poor with the powerful living word of God.

 Harvest Team Labuan Square Outreach - Crunch Time

Can you please pray for God's clear leading and intervention? Next Thursday I will put it to the locals that we go next level, that we commit to Every Second Thursday in Term 4; for worship, communion, prayer, the Word. The purpose would be to draw them from merely being 'fond of Jesus' to being filled with the person, works and fruit of the Holy Spirit. Please pray for Joseph & Shelia, as I will need their commitment, charisma and leadership, if this is going to work.

Lockdown Youth Group in the Park!

Thank You Jesus! Over the last few weeks we have transitioned to Youth Group in the Park because we can't meet in our home. We've been 'kicking the footy' over a BBQ and today we even started practicing for the FESTIVAL we will hold soon with the THREE LEGGED RACE! We will practice knot-tying and other games so that when the public arrive for the festival we will ALL be able to lead them. I am committed to 'get really good at youth-group leading' as I see this as a vitally important ministry, so please pray I will become excellent at it and lead a team of red-hot practitioners!

Tree Planting Festival

Can you please pray for God to open the way for the best ever Tree Planting Festival here in Booth Crt Reserve Corio?! Months of lobbying to come together with various groups so that the JOY and LOVE and CONFIDENCE of God will come through like an old-fashioned SUNDAY SCHOOL PICNIC! Thank you xxx

Bethel Christian Fellowship

Please pray as we grapple with accomodating the Vaccinated and the Unvaccinated in the months ahead. On the bright side, this Sunday we have soup after church around cafe tables and we'll meet our new prayer buddies for October. This is to enrich our family relationships with the power of GOD, who is able to bring life to the dead.

And now for my BIGGEST JOY - PLAYGROUP

We had a Playgroup during the school holidays and 14 people came along. I get the sense that Term 4 will be massive. We have several 4 year old boys who will start school next year, so in our last term with them we will really try to get them confident and strong and ready to hit school as ready as can be!

On a Personal Note

I can scarcely believe how wonderful life is at present. Christine is joining me at playgroup and we feel, as spring ushers in growth, the last quarter of Term 4 will be a time of solid growth for all our ministry endeavours.

I hope this blog encourages you and I am able to pray for breakthrough in YOUR LIFE if you would just contact me and let me know what's going on. Our heavenly Father is able to do more than we might imagine if we have faith and believe.

Love you heaps - Angus :)