Please, can someone tell me when things will slow down? As the year fast approaches Christmas, can you believe that it's just over 87 days until my new grandson will be opening one of his 257 presents, life can only be described as FULL! This year we have experienced countless changes and sometimes we try to avoid change as much as possible. Change is not a bad thing. It can often mean a change towards an upgrade or a change leading to new and exciting experiences. So I choose to see the many changes facing us as a blessing, not as a burden. When Jesus is leading us, we must quickly accept that change is inevitable because He loves us too much to leave us where we are.
So welcome to our September Church update and thanks for taking the time to read it.
THE JURISIC HOUSEHOLD IS GROWING
Front room renovated...CHECK!
Soundproof wall completed...CHECK!
Office relocated...CHECK!
Mummy and Baby furniture purchased and ready...CHECK!
Chanelle moved back home...CHECK!
Grandpa slippers and cardigan ready...CHECK!
Excuses to not change dirty nappies rehearsed...CHECK!
Baby boy arrival...SOON AND VERY SOON!
I'll say it now so that I don't have to keep on explaining myself, I am very excited to meet and hold my first grandson and please don't get frustrated if somehow he makes it into every sermon I preach, every conversation I have and every photo I take. Everyone in my household is eagerly getting ready to welcome him into our family and have our quiet home erupt into the sound of a newborn child. Your prayers are greatly appreciated.
When baby arrives within the next couple of weeks, we will be making some minor adjustments to our ministry involvement and time so that we can settle into the groove of this new chapter. I know that I don't need to ask for grace and space because I know you are all full of love for us, so I thank you in advance for your loving support and understanding. We can't wait for you to meet him too! As much as we can we are now prepared for this child to arrive. Please continue to pray for Chanelle that the birth goes smoothly and she adjusts well to motherhood for the first time. As her dad I am covering her in prayer and choosing faith. I know God is redeeming this and once again proving His power to turn things around for His glory and our blessing. He is so, so good!
God keeps on reminding me that true strength is found in deep rest. Living from a position of rest is not being inactive or lazy, but is a posture of the heart where there is an inner knowing that no matter what is going on, He is present, He is powerful, He is purposeful and He is peace. I don't know about you, but I really need to be reminded of that a lot during this season.
OUR GATHERED CHURCH AND HOME CHURCHES ARE THRIVING
This year has been a massive adjustment for everyone as we stepped into the beauty and wonder of the new vision God had set before us. I appreciate that it hasn't always been easy and for some, it was too much, but I look at what we are experiencing now and I am extremely thankful. I am thankful for you and the way you have embraced this journey with such grace and faith. I am thankful for those of you who have jumped into something new and trusted that we have heard from God and are wholeheartedly following His lead. I am thankful for our Home Church leaders who have taken a leap of faith to open up their home and heart to see the vision fleshed out. I am thankful for Graeme and Sharon who have taken on the leadership role of overseeing our Home Churches and for the way they love you all. I am thankful for fresh vision, renewed hope and a secure future. We are a part of something very powerful and though it is just the beginning, our best days, months and years are ahead.
We are also having a great time together when we meet for our gathered Church every fortnight. Both Melton and Torquay are experiencing rich times of God's presence and the unity is such a blessing. I love seeing you all give God such passionate worship and sweet surrender. I am also encouraged to see the hunger in your hearts as I share the message God has given me each week and the way so many of you are taking it personally and making an intentional decision to live it out. Yesterday I had a wonderful phone call from one of our Church family members in Melton who expressed how my message titled "UNIFIED" affected him and how he chose to humble himself, go to God and ask if there was anything in him that was not flowing in the spirit of unity. That kind of response blesses me so much because it means that what we are doing is not just imparting information, but more importantly, fuelling transformation. It all depends on how we come and how open we are to encounter God whenever we gather - in homes or at one of our gathered locations.
Both Cazz and I get so excited when we hear testimonies from our Home Churches of how God showed up and everyone was so blessed to have been a part of what Holy Spirit was doing. The prayers of faith. The genuine love. The strong unity. The pure joy. The selfless care. The refreshing generosity. It is all such an inspiring expression of what we knew would happen when this became personal. Please, be sure to send us a message with any testimonies that you have so that we can celebrate with you!
If you are reading this and have not yet committed to become an active part of one of our fortnightly Home Churches or Gathered Church, then please consider taking a step of faith and see what God will do. I can honestly say, you are missing out and so are others when you're not there. We need each other to see the Father's family become all that we know we can be.
FROM MY HEART TO YOURS
I'd like to end this blog post with a brief word to you, The Living Room Church. If there is one thing that this past year has shown me, it is how deeply I value you and how much I love you. This transition has been a huge challenge to me and I've had many moments of doubt as I questioned whether or not what we were doing was actually from God. These doubts where often fuelled by what I was seeing around me and how the emotional part of it can have power to cloud my vision. Oh still so much to learn! But even in that, God has been so faithful and your prayers and timely messages of encouragement have been such a precious gift to Cazz and I. I have tried to lead through this with a heart full of faith and a commitment to help you embrace this "new thing" that God started. Never doubt how much Cazz and I love you and are trying our best to lead our Church into something that is often unseen and unknown. Together we are growing into this and will see miracles that will far exceed anything we could ever have imagined. I'm all in because I know that this is what the Father is doing and saying. He has our YES no matter what!
In all honesty, when I look ahead I am filled with eager expectation that where God is leading us is beyond our own effort to manufacture or comprehend. He always goes above and beyond. Next year I am seeing growth for our Home Churches, both in number and depth. The beauty of not being bound by one geographical location means that we can literally have Living Room Churches everywhere! Can you imagine having Church family in multiple states and nations? Why not!
I am also talking to God about the rebirth of our Supernatural School/College (unsure of the name yet) because I so desperately want to see people live in their supernatural identity wherever they go. Our previous college was such a resounding success that I still get comments about how significant it was and how much it meant to their spiritual growth. This time around we will not be restricted by the limitations of an accredited teaching structure, but rather have specific courses that anyone can take, possibly 8-9 weeks long. Similar to the topics we covered before but with a more personal touch and flavour that is an expression of who we are and what we carry. Anyway, more on that as it unfolds.
Finally, let's end this year strong and united. Let's stay true to who we are in Christ and not waver in our zeal and passion for Jesus and His Church. Stay connected and resist any temptation that wants to pull you away and isolate you. But above all, stay childlike in your love for Jesus and devoted to Him with a humble desire to give Him what He deserves. When our love for God exceeds our love for anything or anyone else, we are immovable, unbreakable and are empowered to overcome the world!
Love and Blessings!
Mark.