G’day mates,
I hope you are having a fantastic day! I know over the last week with the sudden shock of the earthquake and the news of Christopher Laurie’s (Pastor Greg Laurie’s son) tragic accident, it can be an emotional and draining time. One thing to keep in mind through it all is that God’s is sovereign and in control. We never know when our time or our loved ones time here on earth is up; therefore, we need to live our lives wholeheartedly for the Lord and be prepared each day as if it were our last.
With that in mind, I do want each and everyone of you to know how much I appreciate your friendship, your prayers, your support, and for your constant love. It is such an honor and privilege to have you on our team (the Aussie Connection) partnering with us. We would not be able to reach the people here in Melbourne, Australia without you. I know that each and every member of our congregation also sends their love and gratitude for supporting and praying for us.
Next Season of Ministry
We are so thankful for the time of rest and refreshment that we were able to receive while on furlough in the states. What a blessing it was to spend time with our family, friends and many of our supporters. It usually takes several weeks to adjust back to full time ministry, but we have hit the ground running and are ready to plow ahead. This last Sunday, we had a phenomenal turn out in church and a fantastic luncheon and fellowship time afterwards.
This seemed like a key moment in the life of the church, we are seeing how God is working in the lives of the people and how they are getting healthier and healthier. We have had a steady growth of new families attending.
In this next season of ministry, we are focusing more on prayer, discipleship, and outreach. We will be strategically implementing each of these essential elements into the church. We have already seen some amazing results over the past several weeks, with these elements being the essential focus.
Recent Conviction
The Lord has been convicting me and has pressed upon my heart the need to spend more time at His feet in prayer. I need to bath my family, the congregation, the churches, the community, and the country in prayer if I want to be used to make an eternal difference in the lives of the people here in Australia.
If we have a need, we pray. If we have a problem, we pray. If we need healing, we pray. Prayer is what will make the difference. If we want to see a harvest of souls, we need to pray. If we want to see revival, we need to pray. It is that simple, yet so hard to do because of time, business, or our willingness.
As followers and disciples of Jesus Christ, we need to make prayer a priority in our lives. Will you commit to pray more this month than you have last month? Will you take the time to pray for your family, for lost souls to come to Christ, for the Lord to bless your church, to intercede for the missionaries, and for your country?
Children’s Ministry
What an exciting month! We had our graduation ceremony for the completion of the Armor of God series, and are half way through our 6 week Missions Curriculum. The kids are going on exciting and fun adventures every week where they get to visit and learn about a variety of different countries, and the missionaries that God used there.
They have been on an African Safari, have visited the jungles of Ecuador and have experienced a glimpse of India. Next week we will be visiting China and exploring the culture, food, language and the persecution that the Christians face there. We are very blessed to have several children’s ministry leaders who speak Chinese and can give an insight into this culture.
It has been such a blessing to be a part of the children’s lives here at Calvary Chapel Melbourne. They are an amazing group of kids that love the Lord with all their hearts. It has been wonderful to see God continue to bless and add to this ministry. It touches my heart to hear the parents say that their kids love coming to church to learn about Jesus.
It has also been an amazing time for the Children’s Ministry leaders. We are now experiencing a new found unity within the team. Everyone has come together and really stepped up to make this missions curriculum the best that we can for the children. I am so proud of all the hard work and dedication the team has put into making this series a life changing and memorable one for the kids. Would you please pray that the Lord would continue to strengthen, bless, and unite the leaders?
Special Thanks
We would also like to say thank you Jim Russell (my pops) for being such a blessing to us. Thank you for bringing the family home, for your love and support, and for your constant prayer and dedication to serving the Lord wherever the need. May the Lord bless and keep you, may his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you.
Prayer Request
for wisdom, guidance and vision
for continued finances and prayer support
for health and strength
for God’s anointing in teaching and pastoring
for a fresh poring of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
Hope you have great day. Until next time….
Blessings to you and until next time,
Pastor Andrew Russell
Andrew, Niki, Joshua, & Christian
