Prayer Points…

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Scripture… We need urgent prayer right now re: high school scripture. We have been working hard over the last 2 years to get Scripture started in the local high schools. We are praising God for opening the door to both Forster and Tuncurry campuses (we get to teach 5 lessons to year 7 students). We are almost finished our 5 lessons at Forster, and the first lesson at Tuncurry is scheduled for the 4th May. Sadly, there is serious opposition amongst the local ministers association to the syllabus that I wrote. One of their specific objections is to the lesson about ‘Why Jesus Died’. The have said they do not believe in the substitutionary atonement (that when Jesus died he was standing in my place, taking God’s wrath and judgment for my sin so I can be forgiven). They say this teaching is a denominational distinctive and we need to find a new syllabus that we can all agree on. A special meeting of the ministers association has been called to deal with this (13th April, 1pm). Thank God for the bold support of the Presbyterian and C3 church pastors who are willing to stand firm with me on this. Please pray for wisdom and courage for other ministers who should be taking a stand; and that as a result, the wolves would be silenced and the pure gospel is able to be presented in the local schools. This is a heavy burden, and much is at stake. Please pray.

Slowly Growing… God continues to gather His People. About 60 Adults and 30 kids now regularly attend the CoastEC church service, and 46 Adults are attending our Home Groups (bible studies). Praise God for drawing people together. Ask that as we grow in number we’d also grow in depth and maturity. Also ask that God would raise up more leaders to train for home groups so we can continue to cater for the growing number of people who are keen to join a group.

Another Service?… Pray that God would give us wisdom as we consider starting another service some time down the track to help us connect with even more people (we’re not sure, but we’re thinking about a 10am service and a Sunday arvo service on top of that…once we have the right core group and enough resources).

Staff… Praise God for the great start Ruth Shooter has made! Ruth is our Ministries Coordinator and also heads up Music. She has been establishing ministry teams with team leaders; helping us all be more focussed on certain areas of ministry, and helping new people to church get involved in serving. Pray for God to give her wisdom. Thank God for her energy, enthusiasm and the encouragement she’s already been to many.

Youth…
Evan, Leesh and Bec have been doing a great job! There are now 22 regular kids at our youth groups (15 at Grommets yr5-6; and 7 at Wired yr7-10). Unfortunately we had to find another venue, so please pray that the transition from the Scout Hall to the Girl Guides hall would be smooth. Also ask God to raise up more leaders for this ministry (especially another bloke), and that a new core group of year 5 kids would emerge.

Finances… Praise God for the continued generosity of His people. We are slowly growing to be more self-funded (currently about 35% of our expenses are being covered by locals; the rest is being graciously supplied by other individual supporters and partner churches). Our goal is to be at least 50% self funded by the end of the year. Please pray for us to get there, and that in the mean time the external support would continue.

]]> http://www.coastec.net.au/prayer-update-march-april-2011/feed/ 0 http://www.coastec.net.au/prayer-update-jan-feb-2011/ http://www.coastec.net.au/prayer-update-jan-feb-2011/#comments Fri, 28 Jan 2011 01:40:37 +0000 chris http://www.coastec.net.au/?p=2694 Hi friends!
I hope you’re all well. We really value your prayers and support. 2011 is shaping up to be an exciting year. Here are some things to bring before the throne of grace. In Christ, and for His glory,
Chris (on behalf of CoastEC)

Prayer Points…

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Scripture - Year 7 Scripture kicks off on Wed 9th Feb at the Forster Campus! Praise God for this amazing answer to your prayers! We are really excited about the opportunity to present Christ to the students. We get to teach 5 fortnightly lessons. Ask God to empower teachers and to open up many of the students’ hearts to Jesus. Please also ask for many students to transition into our high school youth group where they can grow in their faith. Ask God to also open the door to the Tuncurry campus (Chris will be meeting with the principal to discuss this soon).

Growing numbers - Numbers are not everything, but each number does represent a real person who Christ died for and we praise God for the opportunity to keep pointing them to Jesus as they meet with us week by week. 57 adults and 31 kids now regularly attend the CoastEC church service. Please ask God to keep gathering His People to Himself. Ask that as we grow in number we’d also grow in depth and maturity.

Home Groups - Last December we had 4 adult home groups (bible studies) with 28 people involved. This year we have kicked off with 7 groups and 45 people. Praise God for growing these groups and raising up more leaders (Mark, Tom, John). Ask God to equip them for this new ministry and for the groups to grow well under their care. Ask for group members to care for one another well, and for God’s Spirit to open eyes & hearts and change wills in light of the truth He reveals as the Scriptures are opened each week. Pray for God to raise up more leaders so we can keep growing the groups and multiplying them when they get too big.

Kids ministries - Thank God for the growing number of kids attending the service with their families. Pray for Tom and Ali as they oversee Coasties (kids church) and for us to find adequate spaces for the Squidz (yrs3-5) and Squirtz (0-2). Ask God to raise up more leaders for all these ministries.

Staff changes – praise God for the faithful and hard work of Alicia Barnes, who has just finished her 2 year ministry apprenticeship with us. Under God, Alicia and her husband Evan laid a brilliant platform for our youth ministry. They will now both start theological education by correspondence and will continue to oversee our youth ministry. Please pray for God to continue to equip them for gospel ministry, and to provide for their needs while studying. Ruth Shooter has just started on staff overseeing our Ministries. Please pray for her to settle in well and to effectively mobilise members of CoastEC for ministry.

1 Corinthians - We will be studying 1 Corinthians for the 1st half of the year. Please ask God to refine our beliefs and behavior as we sit under His Word. Ask for the Spirit to bring permanent and God-honouring change wherever it needs to occur.

Finances - I am totally blown away by the generosity of God’s people. Last year we managed to make budget thanks to the giving of many individuals and partner churches. So Thanks! It’s such a tangible expression of fellowship, and a great reminder that the gospel changes lives and makes people generous. Currently we are about 30% self funded and 70% funded by external givers. Our goal is to be at least 50% self funded by the end of the year. Praise God for providing! Please pray for members of CoastEC to keep stepping up their giving. Please pray that external support would continue while we grow to be locally funded.

Youth - Grommets (yr5-6), Wired (yr7-10), Chicks (high school girls bible study)
Please pray that the kids will get excited about getting into God’s Word together and that a solid Christian core will continue to develop and grow. Praise God that a new leader (Beck) is joining the Youth ministry team (leading the yr 5-6 girls). Ask for God to equip Beck for this new ministry.

]]> http://www.coastec.net.au/prayer-update-jan-feb-2011/feed/ 0 http://www.coastec.net.au/prayer-update-nov-dec-2010/ http://www.coastec.net.au/prayer-update-nov-dec-2010/#comments Mon, 08 Nov 2010 01:26:45 +0000 chris http://www.coastec.net.au/?p=2409 Hi friends!
I’ve just come back from a refreshing 2 week holiday and I am pumped to get back on mission with the brothers and sisters of CoastEC. We really value your ongoing partnership with us in the spread of the gospel in this region. Here are some things to praise God for and to ask our Heavenly Father to supply according to his wisdom and power.
In Christ, and for His glory,
Chris (on behalf of CoastEC)

Prayer Points…

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• Scripture –Praise God for answering many prayers! We have finally received the green light to start teaching scripture to year 7 students next year at the Forster campus of the Great Lakes College! Chris is now meeting with the deputy to negotiate time-tabling at the end of November. Ask for lesson times to be compatible with availability of teachers. Chris is also meeting with the Executive of the Tuncurry campus on Wed 17th Nov to present the proposal for year 7 Scripture to be held there too. (It will also get discussed at P&C on 1st Dec). Ask for an open door!
• Weekend Away – Praise God for a great time of fellowship together as we recently camped down at Pacific Palms. It was a great chance to hang out and enjoy God’s creation and each other’s company.
• God is still graciously adding to our numbers – We have had lots of new people attend our services lately, please pray that they find salvation in Jesus and a church home at CoastEC. There are currently 43 adults and 28 kids who regularly attend the CoastEC church service.
• Change of service time – On the 31st October we changed from 10am to 5pm for the summer. It was a great first week in our new time slot, with about 70 people (adults and kids) there for the service and bbq afterwards. Ask that our new time would work well for connecting with more people.
• Jonah – We just finished studying the book of Jonah. Please thank God for Dave Sheath (Lakes Evangelical) and Ben Molyneux (St Faiths, Narrabeen) for their servant hearts and faithful preaching while Chris was on holidays. Ask for God to seize our hearts so that we are as concerned about the nations as our great God is.
• Parables – We just started a new series on parables from Luke’s gospel (on Nov 7). Pray for boldness to invite many newcomers to hear Jesus’ words for themselves – especially over the weeks 7th, 14th and 21st November. These 3 Sundays will be evangelistic messages. Ask for soft hearts.
• Christianity Explored – Pray for many to attend a short course explaining the Christian faith, kicking off on Wed night 24th Nov and going through to 15th Dec. Ask for many to come to faith and enter the kingdom.
• Training – Pray for Chris as he identifies and trains new bible study leaders so our home groups can expand and multiply. (Training will be on Wednesday afternoons, starting 10th Nov).
• Finances – Praise God for the generosity of his people. Our (ambitious!) goal this year was to be 50% self-funded as a church, and 50% externally funded (from other churches and individuals). A big thanks to all who’ve given because we’ve hit our external goal! Please pray for us to keep growing in number and generosity locally so we can grow to be a church that is 100% self-funded and also generous in our giving to other church plants. I think this may take us another 3 years. Ask for wisdom for our Admin Committee as they seek to finalise our budget for 2011.
• Staffing – Praise God for the faithful and hard work of Alicia. She has done a great job laying a solid foundation for our youth ministry with her husband Evan. Alicia is finishing up her ministry apprenticeship with us in January, when she will start her theological education by correspondence so she can still be part of CoastEC. Pray for God to keep equipping her and Evan as they serve Jesus here. Please also ask God to keep providing the resources to train more apprentices and employ other staff to head up different areas of ministry. Ask for wisdom in recruiting the right people.
• Youth – Praise God that each youth group (Chicks, Grommets and Wired) is slowly building a small core group of kids. Pray that the core groups will become firmly be established and the youth will impact their community for Christ. Pray also for Evan and Alicia, that God would sustain them in these ministries, and also raise up people to partner with them.
• Kids – Praise God that Coasties Kids Church has been growing lately (with about 14 kids each week). Thank God that more Coasties leaders are stepping up to partner in this ministry, pray that this continues. Ask God to soften the kids hearts and settle them when they look at God’s Word. Pray that Tom and Ali Brittle will have wisdom as they head up this ministry.
]]> http://www.coastec.net.au/prayer-update-nov-dec-2010/feed/ 0 http://www.coastec.net.au/prayer-update-sept-oct-2010/ http://www.coastec.net.au/prayer-update-sept-oct-2010/#comments Thu, 23 Sep 2010 23:45:20 +0000 chris http://www.coastec.net.au/?p=2302 Hi brothers and sisters,
We really appreciate your partnership in the gospel expressed through your friendship, prayer, encouragement and generosity. We are still working hard to get the gospel out in Forster-Tuncurry and surrounds, and we long to see many of the 25,000 souls living in our region come to new life in Jesus.
Here are some things to praise God for, and some requests to lay at His feet.
In Him and for His glory,
Chris
(on behalf of CoastEC)

Prayer Points…

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• God is graciously adding to our numbers – There are currently about 40 adults and 20 kids coming to our Sunday service, and another 30 kids coming to our youth groups.
• Baptisms – Please pray for Tami and Jess who are getting baptised at church on the 26th Sept.
• Weekend Away – we are going camping together on the 15-17th October down at Pacific Palms. Ask God for a great time of fellowship and for Him to bind us together so we are of one heart and mind about our mission and strategy.
• Change of service time – on the 31st October we are changing from 10am to 5pm for the summer. Ask for God to bring many new people into our fellowship.
• Jonah – we are studying the book of Jonah from 17th – 31st October. Please ask for God to seize our hearts with a firm conviction to be on mission. Please pray for Dave Sheath and Ben Molyneux as they travel up the coast to preach on 24th and 31st October. (Thanks guys! I am looking forward to my holiday over that time!).
• Parables – we are then going to check out some parables from Luke’s gospel (starting Nov 7). Pray for boldness to invite many newcomers to hear Jesus’ parables – especially over the weeks 7th, 14th and 21st November.
• Christianity Explored – pray for many to attend a short course explaining the Christian faith, kicking off on Wed night 24th Nov and going through to 15th Dec. Ask for many to come to faith and enter the kingdom.
• Training – pray for Chris as he identifies and trains new bible study leaders so our home groups can expand and multiply.
• Finances – praise God for the generosity of his people. Our (ambitious!) goal this year was to be 50% self-funded as a church, and 50% externally funded (from other churches and individuals). A big thanks to all who’ve given because we’ve hit our external goal! Please pray for us to keep growing in number and generosity as it looks like we will come in under budget for our local giving by about $12,000 this year.
• Scripture – Chris met with the School Executive of the Forster campus of the Great Lakes College to present our Scripture proposal and to field their questions and concerns. Since then he has written to them addressing their concerns by appealing to the current legislation. The executive have met again to discuss it, and Chris is waiting for the principal of the school (Judy) to return his calls.
• Staffing – pray for wisdom as we work out what to do next year when Alicia finishes her ministry apprenticeship. Ask God to provide the resources to train more apprentices and employ other staff to head up different areas of ministry.
• Treasurer – praise God for raising up another treasurer. Pray for Matt as he takes this on, and for Evan as he oversees the handover.
]]> http://www.coastec.net.au/prayer-update-sept-oct-2010/feed/ 0 http://www.coastec.net.au/august-2010-prayer-update/ http://www.coastec.net.au/august-2010-prayer-update/#comments Sun, 01 Aug 2010 05:35:48 +0000 leesh http://www.coastec.net.au/?p=2164 Hey people!

Guess what!? God has given us a baby daughter – Hannah Grace! What a blessing! Praise God.
Thanks for your friendship, encouragement, and prayerful support of CoastEC. We are excited about what God is doing amongst us, and we’d love to see His kingdom grow like crazy in this region. So please keep praying…and ask BIG.

Thanks,
Chris Ekins

Prayer Points…

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• Genesis Series – Ask God to reveal more of Himself and His purposes for us as we study the first twelve Chapters of Genesis, starting on the 8th August. Ask for wisdom and insight into this part of scripture and for our hearts to be soft and responsive to the Spirit.
• Babies – Thank God for the safe arrival of babies Hannah and Aquila. Ask for their parents to be great carers and good examples of Christ-followers. Pray for Heather’s pregnancy to go smoothly and for their little child to be born healthy.
• Scripture – Chris is still trying to negotiate with the high school principals about starting an SRE program for yr 7 in the near future. Ask for God to intervene and speed up the process and to open the door so kids can hear the gospel. Please also pray for energy for Ali, Alicia, Evan and Bruce as they teach Primary School scripture at both Forster and Tuncurry Primary Schools. Ask that kids would respond to the gospel and come to either Coasties kids church or Grommets youth group.
• Newcomers – Praise God for the new people who’ve started calling CoastEC their home church. Ask for them to find their feet quickly, and that God would equip them to partner with us in our mission.
• New Home Groups – Pray for Bruce Hocking as he heads up a new men’s bible study at Halliday’s Point and Sharon Hocking as she leads a women’s group. Ask that God would draw many people from Blackhead, Redhead, Diamond Beach and surrounding suburbs into fellowship through this ministry.
• Staffing – Pray for wisdom as we work out what to do next year when Alicia finishes her ministry apprenticeship. Ask God to provide the resources to train more apprentices and employ other staff to head up different areas of ministry.
• Treasurer – Please ask for God to raise up another treasurer for us (unfortunately Grant is moving to Sydney with work).
• Guest preachers – Thank God for the ministry of Sam Hilton and Graeme Fuller as they cover the preaching when Chris and Sharon’s baby arrived.
• Holiday Hang Out – Praise God for the great success of Holiday Hang Out 2010! The West Pennant Hills Mission Team was a great blessing – with hard working, servant hearts that faithfully shared the gospel. Praise God for the 35 kids that attended, and pray that they’ll get linked into Coasties Kids church, and/or Grommets youth group. Check out a HHO video here.
• Youth Ministries – Praise God that the groups (Grommets, Wired and Chicks), have established a solid core of kids, and that a solid ‘Christian culture’ is slowly developing. The majority of the kids have very soft hearts to Jesus, and praise God for the two Grommets boys gave their life to Christ at youth last week!!! Please pray for Evan and Alicia to be sustained as they run these ministries, that other like-minded leaders will be raised up, and that these groups will bring glory to Jesus.
]]> http://www.coastec.net.au/august-2010-prayer-update/feed/ 0 http://www.coastec.net.au/june-2010-prayer-update/ http://www.coastec.net.au/june-2010-prayer-update/#comments Mon, 21 Jun 2010 06:27:15 +0000 leesh http://www.coastec.net.au/?p=1957 Hi friends,

Thanks for your partnership in the gospel. I love knowing you’re praying for us and for this region. I am thankful to God for the many great blessings in my life. In the next few weeks Sharon and I will be celebrating four years of our amazing marriage, and also welcoming our 2nd child into our family and the church. We are still passionate about serving Jesus here, and to be part of a growing number of like-minded brothers and sisters at COAST EC.

Thanks also to those of you who are already supporting us financially. We couldn’t be here serving in this capacity without your generosity and sacrifice. If you are interested in helping us fund this ministry, please consider a one-off gift to our tax deductible Scripture fund before June 30th (these funds will help us continue to staff the work we’re currently doing in primary schools and the new work we are seeking to establish in local high schools). For more info, head here.
Once again, thanks for your prayers!!

In Him,
Chris

Prayer Points…

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• Scripture – Chris is still trying to negotiate with the high school principals about starting an SRE program for yr 7 in the near future. Ask for God to intervene and speed up the process and to open the door so kids can hear the gospel. Please also pray for energy for Ali, Alicia, Evan and Bruce as they teach Primary School scripture at both Forster and Tuncurry Primary Schools. Ask that kids would respond to the gospel and come to either Coasties kids church, or to Grommets youth group.
• Newcomers – Praise God for the arrival of some new people and young families at church recently. Ask that they’ll grow in their love for Jesus and His people, and that they’ll partner with us in our mission to reach the 25,000 or so people in the region.
• Band – We are still trying to establish more musicians. Pray for God to equip and empower them.
• Women’s Home Group – Please pray for some of the new women at church to get connected to this group. Ask for energy for Sharon as she leads this group, and for the group to be good at incorporating more ladies.
• Pregnant mums – Pray for Sharon, Ange, Heather and Jenyce to have safe pregnancies and deliveries, as well as healthy babies that will grow to love and serve Jesus.
• Guest preachers – Pray for Sam Hilton (25th july) and Graeme Fuller (1st August) as they cover the preaching while Chris finds his feet with the arrival of his 2nd kid. Thank God for these good friends and willing servants.
• Youth Ministries – Pray for Chicks, Grommets, and Wired youth groups – that God will establish a core Christians group that reaches out to their friends. Pray for Evan and Alicia as they oversee the youth ministry, and that God will provide people to partner in these ministries with them.
• Staffing – Pray for wisdom as we work out what to do next year when Alicia finishes her ministry apprenticeship. Ask for God to provide the people and resources to employ and train the necessary staff.
• Holiday Hang Out – A 3 day kids mission (for yrs 3-6) on 5-7 July. Praise God for the crew from St Matts West Pennant Hills who’ll be coming up to run this mission. Pray that the planning will come together smoothly, that many kids plus their families will get linked into COAST and that kids will respond to the Gospel.
• Holidays – Pray for refreshment as Evan and Alicia (youth ministry); Tom and Ali (kids ministry) and Chris and Sharon all have holidays at various times in July.
]]> http://www.coastec.net.au/june-2010-prayer-update/feed/ 0 http://www.coastec.net.au/may-2010-prayer-update/ http://www.coastec.net.au/may-2010-prayer-update/#comments Tue, 11 May 2010 03:51:44 +0000 leesh http://www.coastec.net.au/?p=1822 Hi everyone,

I hope you’re all well. I’ve just come back from a great week’s holiday at Yamba. I’m feeling refreshed and ready to go for another season. Can’t wait to see what God does amongst us in the next few months! Thanks for your prayers and encouragement (and visits!). It is so good to know that we’re not in this alone!

Much love
Chris

Prayer Points…

Print Version

• High School Scripture – Chris has been invited by the principal to make a presentation to the executive of the Forster campus who are mostly opposed to introducing scripture lessons at the school. Please ask for wisdom for Chris and for God to change their hearts. Pray that students get to hear the gospel and be saved. We’re still waiting to hear back from Tuncurry High. Ask for God to move there too.
• Home groups – A new home group (bible study) is starting this month about 20 minutes north of Forster (in the Hallidays Point, Red Head, Black Head, Diamond Beach area). Pray for Bruce and Sharon who will lead this group. Ask that many new people from the area will join the group and grow in their faith.
• Leadership Development – Pray for wisdom as we seek to train more leaders to oversee various ministries. Ask that we’d be able to identify godly people to invest serious time into, and that people would be willing to step up to drive ministries forward.
• Service Time – We’ve just shifted our service time back to 10am. Pray for a good transition, that we don’t lose any people who started coming while we were at 5pm, and that God would continue to grow the church in number and maturity.
• COAST EC On Tap? – We are praying about a possible new ministry at the pub on a Sunday afternoons to reach the young adults in town. A small core group has started meeting weekly to pray, research and discuss possibilities. Pray for wisdom, clarity and boldness.
• Band – We are trying to establish more musicians. Pray for God to equip and motivate them!
• Pregnant mums – Pray for Sharon, Ange and Heather to have safe pregnancies and deliveries, healthy babies, and that their little ones will grow to love and serve Jesus.
• Admin Committee – Pray for wisdom as we meet on 23rd May to discuss church finances and where to best direct our resources.
• Youth Ministries – Praise God for the solid core groups that have developed (in Chicks, Grommets and Wired). Pray for God to sustain Evan and Alicia, and give them wisdom about how to make young disciples of Jesus
• July Mid-Year Mission – On 5-7 July, COAST will be hosting a 3 day kids mission (for yrs 3-6). Praise God for the crew from St Matts West Pennant Hills who’ll be coming up to run this mission. Pray that the planning will come together smoothly, that many kids plus their families will get linked into COAST and that kids will respond to the Gospel.
]]> http://www.coastec.net.au/may-2010-prayer-update/feed/ 0 http://www.coastec.net.au/april-2010-prayer-update/ http://www.coastec.net.au/april-2010-prayer-update/#comments Sat, 03 Apr 2010 23:00:36 +0000 leesh http://www.coastec.net.au/?p=1727 Hi Brothers and Sisters,

COAST EC is celebrating its 1st birthday this Easter! Thanks for supporting us in so many ways.
View an update of where we’re headed this year, and here are some prayer points.

Much love
Chris

Prayer Points…

Print Version

Praise God for bringing us this far. It has been an amazing first year at Forster. We feel God has established a firm foundation, and we are eager to keep building the kingdom in this region.

High School Scripture – Chris has written to the Principals of both the Forster and Tuncurry campus’ of the Great Lakes College with another proposal to get year 7 scripture started there. Ask for God to work in the hearts of these leaders and to open the door for this ministry to start.

Home groups – We are hoping to start a new home group (bible study) about 20 minutes north of Forster (in the Hallidays Point, Red Head, Black Head, Diamond Beach area). We have a couple who are keen to lead, and another couple who are willing to be part of the start up group. Pray for this group to get some traction and for them to connect with many others in that area. God willing, the group will grow, and form the core group of a congregation plant up there in the next year or so.

Leadership Development – Pray for wisdom as we seek to train more leaders to oversee various ministries. Ask that we’d be able to identify godly people to invest serious time into, and that people would be willing to step up to drive ministries forward.

Service Time – We’ll be shifting our service time back to 10am in May. Pray for a good transition, that we don’t lose any people who started coming while we were at 5pm, and that God would continue to grow the church in number and maturity.

COAST EC On Tap? – We are praying about a possible new ministry at the pub on a Sunday afternoon to reach the young adults in town. Pray for wisdom, clarity and boldness.
Marriage Course – Praise God for the couples who have attended the marriage course. Ask that God would strengthen them and grow them as great husbands and wives.

Staff holidays – Pray for refreshment for Alicia as she has 5-13 April off, and for Chris as he has a break from 26 April – 3 May.

]]> http://www.coastec.net.au/april-2010-prayer-update/feed/ 0 http://www.coastec.net.au/march-2010-prayer-update/ http://www.coastec.net.au/march-2010-prayer-update/#comments Mon, 01 Mar 2010 07:48:13 +0000 leesh http://www.coastec.net.au/?p=1596 Hi people!

Thanks for your prayers, encouragement and support. Praise God for the start we’ve made, and ask for God to continue to grow His church, for His glory.

We had our Vision 2010 day on Sunday, and I was really encouraged by the response of the members of COAST EC. We talked about our strategy for the years ahead as we seek to make more and better disciples of Jesus in our region. If you’re interested in the plan, check it out here.

Prayer Points…

Print Version

• Praise God for the foundation that has been laid over the last 12 months. God has graciously drawn together a like-minded bunch of people who now call COAST EC their home church. Praise God for their friendship and willingness to partner together to see the gospel go out to the 25,000 people living in our region.
• We need more leaders – Pray for God to raise up more leaders (for home groups, youth groups, and children’s ministry). Ask for wisdom as we seek to identify and equip godly and gifted people for these roles.
• Home Groups – Pray for all our home groups to grow in size and multiply into 2 separate groups this year. Pray for Tom and Ali as they have just started to lead a home group (Bible study) on top of heading up the kids ministry (Coasties kids church). Ask God to strengthen and sustain them.
• Mission – Ask for wisdom as we look toward starting new congregations up and down the coast. Pray for God to raise up godly and passionate core groups that we can send out.
• Admin Committee – Pray for wisdom for the AC as they meet on 28th March to hammer out some of the finance and business aspects of the church. Pray for wisdom for Chris as he leads, and ask that we’d be great stewards of the resources we’ve been entrusted with. Thank God for the faithful service of Evan Barnes who has now passed on the baton of treasurer. Pray for Grant Burrow, our new treasurer, that God would equip and energise him for his new role.
• Finances – Thank God for the generosity of the other churches and Christians who have pledged their financial support again this year! Our goal is to be fully self funded after 3 years, so this year we are striving to hit 50% of our budget from local giving. This will be a big stretch – so ask God for joyful, generous and sacrificial giving from COAST EC members.
• Primary School Scripture – Praise God for the 8 primary school scripture classes we’re teaching at Forster and Tuncurry Public Schools. Pray for Evan, Alicia, Ali and Bruce as they share Christ with the kids. Ask for wisdom as we work together with other churches to teach scripture in the local primary schools. Pray that many kids will start coming to Coasties Kids Church and Grommets (youth group).
• High School Ministries – Pray for God to open the door to both the Forster and Tuncurry campus’ of the Great Lakes College, so we can teach year 7 scripture there. Ask for wisdom and soft hearts as we negotiate with the schools.
  Alicia has been participating in three high school Christian groups the Chaplains run (aka Bible studies). Pray for wisdom for the Chaplains as they run these groups and other ministries, and ask God to connect the local kids into youth groups were they can grow to know Jesus.

• Youth Groups – Grommets (yrs 5-6) and Wired (yrs 7-9) have gained great momentum. Praise God that we were able to start Wired this year and for the small core groups that are attending each youth group. Pray that the kids will grow in Jesus and be bold at inviting their friends, and for wisdom and energy for Evan and Alicia as they lead the youth ministry. Ask God to raise up (or send up!) more youth leaders.
• Youth home groups – Chicks (for high school girls) and Barracks (*new* group for high school boys) have kicked off this term. Praise God for the core groups in chicks, and pray that Barracks will develop a solid core groups of kids.
• Marriage Course – Is run on Friday nights over March and April. Ask God to strengthen the marriages of those in our church.
• Easter Celebration – COAST EC turns one!. Pray for a great time to celebrate Jesus’ resurrection and the birth of COAST EC. Ask for many opportunities for our people to present the gospel over this weekend to their friends and families, and for many guests to attend the service so they can hear the gospel.
• Staff Holidays are coming up – Alicia – 5 to 12 April and Chris – 26 April to 2nd May. Ask for refreshment and safety in travel. Pray that they’ll be sustained until their holidays.
]]> http://www.coastec.net.au/march-2010-prayer-update/feed/ 0 http://www.coastec.net.au/february-10-prayer-update/ http://www.coastec.net.au/february-10-prayer-update/#comments Mon, 01 Feb 2010 00:23:51 +0000 leesh http://www.coastec.net.au/?p=1447 Here’s the latest prayer points for COAST Evangelical Church.
Thanks for your partnership!

Print the Prayer Update here

PRAISE GOD

• Our home groups (Bible study groups) are growing. We have just multiplied our Wednesday night group into 2 groups. Pray for Tom and Ali as they lead this second group. Praise God for the 3 new people who’ve started coming – ask that God will reveal Himself to them as they read His Word. Please also pray for God to raise up more leaders for more home groups.
• Praise God for the new people who’ve started coming to church since we transitioned to the 5pm time slot. Ask for them to come to a deep and sincere faith, and to partner with us in reaching the 25000 people living in the region.
• Praise God for the Solid Rock Cafe Mission during January. It was the best mission I’ve seen – the team did a sensational job of connecting with local youth and sharing Christ. Pray for the girls who’ve become Christians, and ask God for wisdom for Alicia as she meets with them on Sunday arvo’s to read the Bible and pray. Pray they’d grow in their faith, and be effective witnesses amongst their family and friends.
• Praise God for the generosity of His people. He has faithfully provided the resources we’ve needed so far to launch to the church.
• Praise God that the youth ministries are all up and running (which includes a new youth group – Wired, and a boys home group – Barracks). Pray for Evan and Alicia as they head up the youth ministries and ask that God will sustain and energise them. Also that the kids will come to a deeper relationship with Jesus, and that the groups will grow a solid core group. Pray also that God will raise up like minded leaders to partner with us (from within the church, and other regions).

ASK GOD

• We’re starting a new teaching series on ‘church’ (looking at the various metaphors used for church in the Bible). Pray that this will encourage and convict people attending COAST EC– to see themselves as God sees them, and to treat others as God intends them to. Pray that we’d be a church that reflects what God says about church.
• Pray for the 2 pregnant mums at church (Sharon and Ange). Ask for health and safety, and for the kids to grow up soft-hearted to Jesus.
• Pray for God to continue to equip our muso’s as we seek to establish a band at church.
• We’re hoping to start a ‘marriage course’ in the next month or so. Pray that God uses this to strengthen marriages in our church and our community.
• Forster High School said ‘no’ to our request to teach scripture to year 7 students next year. Ask for wisdom as we work through the issues with the school. Pray for God to overrule, and open the door. Ask that many kids might get saved.
• Pray for the SRE (Primary Scripture Classes) Allocation day on the 3rd Feb. Pray that we’ll be able to teach the ages we are trying to build ministries around (years 3, 5 and 6). Pray that there won’t be ‘clashes’ as these classes are allocated, and that God’s Name will be glorified through SRE.
• Pray for the local ministers association to be more open to gospel ministry. Ask for God to change some of their hearts. Ask for wisdom for Chris as he seeks to work with them (or apart from them).
• We are hoping to be a self-funded church after 3 years. Last year 25% of our giving came from local members. This year we are hoping to double that to 50% (and the year after we’ll be shooting for 80%). So, please pray for the locals to give generously, and also for the continued support of our external givers.
• Alicia will be spending at least 3 hours a week in the local high schools, attending and helping to run the Christian lunch time/recess groups. Pray that this time would be really effective for building relationships with the youth, and that kids will get linked into local churches and youth groups where they can grow to know Jesus.
• Pray for Tom and Ali as they head up kids ministry. Ask that God will give them wisdom as they plan for the future, and pray that God will raise up leaders to partner with them. Pray also for the kids coming to Coasties Kids Church, particularly for the kids that are a ‘handful’, that they’ll have soft hearts and open ears to Jesus.
]]> http://www.coastec.net.au/february-10-prayer-update/feed/ 0 http://www.coastec.net.au/december-09-prayer-update/ http://www.coastec.net.au/december-09-prayer-update/#comments Wed, 23 Dec 2009 02:02:55 +0000 leesh http://www.coastec.net.au/?p=1162 Print the Prayer Update here

PRAISE GOD

• We have renewed our contract with the school, so we have a venue for our public meetings next year.
• Our home groups/Bible study groups are growing. We are going to multiply our Wednesday night group into 2 groups at the start of next year. Pray for Tom and Ali as they step up to lead the second group.
• Praise God for the new people who’ve started coming to church since we transitioned to the 5pm time slot. Ask for them to come to a deep and sincere faith, and to partner with us in reaching the 25000 people living in the region.
• Praise God for the opportunity to partner with the SU Beach Mission team, and the Solid Rock Cafe Mission team during January. Ask for many to hear the gospel, and for effective follow up of any locals contacted.
• Praise God for providing a new treasurer for our church. Evan has done a great job, and is handing over to Grant. Pray
  for God to equip Grant for this service.

ASK GOD

• Pray for our first ever Christmas Eve Service tomorrow. Pray that many locals will come, trust in Jesus and link into the church. Pray also for energy for all involved in the service (we’re a bit low on man power).
• Pray for the 2 pregnant mums at church (Sharon and Ange). Ask for health and safety, and for the kids to grow up soft-hearted to Jesus.
• Pray for God to equip our muso’s as we seek to establish a band at church.
• Chris is preaching at the ‘Men and Meat’ outreach night (run by Forster Beach Mission) on the 4th January. Pray for gospel clarity, and for the Spirit to open minds and convict hearts.
• Forster High School said ‘no’ to our request to teach scripture to yr 7 students next year. Ask for wisdom as we work through the issues with the school. Pray for God to over rule, and open the door. Ask that many kids might get saved.
• Pray for the local ministers association to be more open to gospel ministry. Ask for wisdom for Chris as he seeks to work with them. Ask for God to change some of their hearts to be more inclined to partner with gospel ministries.
• Pray for the SRE (Primary Scripture Classes) Allocation day on the 29 January. Pray that we’ll be able to teach the ages we are trying to build minsitries around (years 3, 5 and 6). Pray that there won’t be ‘clashes’ as these classes are allocated, and that God’s Name will be glorified through SRE.
• Pray for God to provide the resources we need for this ministry. Praise Him for the generosity of so many people who’ve ‘got us going’ and who are ‘keeping us going’. Ask that He will grow His church here, and that we will be self-funded after 3 years.
• Pray for Alicia as she attends the Next Generation Conference (kylc) at Katoomba during the 18-22 January. Ask that God will better equip her for ministry and teaching His Word throughout this conference. Pray that she’ll have energy throughout this week of training.
• Pray for the Kids and youth ministry plans for 2010. We’re really excited about the ways we can connect and share the gospel with kids and youth. Pray that God will provide the extra helping hands that are needed to partner in these ministries, and ask for wisdom for Ali and Tom (Kids) and Ev and Alicia (Youth) as they plan and seek to develop their ministries.
]]> http://www.coastec.net.au/december-09-prayer-update/feed/ 1 http://www.coastec.net.au/novemberdecember-09-prayer-update/ http://www.coastec.net.au/novemberdecember-09-prayer-update/#comments Thu, 03 Dec 2009 07:50:03 +0000 leesh http://www.coastec.net.au/?p=1088 Hey everyone,

Thanks for lifting us up in prayer! We take great comfort and encouragement knowing that we’re not going it alone. Here are some things to keep you busy in prayer. You can also check out our most recent supporters update video below.

Prayer Points

Download a printable version here

PRAISE GOD

• Sharon in pregnant with our #2! Praise God for giving new life. It’s only early days so please pray for health and safety.
• Our home groups/Bible study groups are growing. We are hoping to multiply our Wednesday night group into 2 groups by the end of the year. Pray for a smooth transition and for Tom and Ali as they step up to lead the second group.
• We’ve made the transition from a 10am to a 5pm service. Praise God for already drawing in some new people.
• Thank God for all our hardworking partners in the gospel, who frequently give up their time and money to support our mission in the Forster-Tuncurry Region.

ASK GOD

• Pray for God to raise up more muso’s so we can a establish a band at church. Ask for God to give energy to Dave and Min as they head this up.
• Pray for wisdom for Chris as he works with the local ministers association in regard to gospel ministry in the schools.
• Continue to ask God to open the door to the local high schools so we can teach Scripture. (Praise God for the initial positive response we’ve had from the Principal at Forster High, and ask that as we approach Tuncurry High the principal will also be open to it).
• Pray for wisdom for the Admin Committee. Our budget next year is just over $100,000. Our goal is to be self-funded after 3 years. But in the meantime we need serious financial support from other churches and Christians. Ask God to provide the resources we need for this ministry.
• Pray for wisdom (and leaders!) as we finalise plans to significantly expand our children’s and youth ministry next year (we’re hoping to start 2 new primary school groups, and 2 new high school youth groups). This will be biting off a lot, so pray for energy and many to step up to serve.
• Pray for our regulars to be bold at inviting their friends along to church as we get stuck into John’s gospel together. Ask for God to stir our hearts with a passion for His glory and a desire to share Christ with others.
]]> http://www.coastec.net.au/novemberdecember-09-prayer-update/feed/ 2 http://www.coastec.net.au/october-09-prayer-update/ http://www.coastec.net.au/october-09-prayer-update/#comments Fri, 30 Oct 2009 05:07:37 +0000 leesh http://www.coastec.net.au/?p=1009 Hi people,
Thanks for your prayer support! I know it’s impact will ripple throughout eternity…so get busy!
Chris

Download a printable version here

PRAISE GOD

• Praise God for growing our adult bible study groups (we’ve got 16 adults in a Wednesday night group and 4 ladies in our women’s bible study group on Tuesday arvo). Please pray for us to grow in maturity, godliness, knowledge of the scriptures, love for Jesus and passion for reaching the lost.
• Praise God for Dave and Min who are leading our music ministry! Pray for God to equip and sustain them.
• Praise God for Deb and Bruce who are doing a great job of looking after our catering. Ask for God to sustain them.
• Praise God for the great fellowship we’re experiencing as God draws together a new community.

ASK GOD

• We’re changing the service time from 10am to 5pm for summer (from 15th Nov) in an attempt to be more accessible to the young families who are involved with Nippers. Ask God for the transition to be a good one, with the result that more people come to Christ.
• Ask God to open the door to the local high schools so we can teach Scripture. (Praise God for the initial positive response we’ve had from the Principal at Forster High, and ask that as we approach Tuncurry High the principal will also be open to it)
• Pray for wisdom for the Admin Committee as they seek to finalise the budget for 2010, and ask for God to provide the resources for the mission. (We are looking at a budget of around $103,000 and will need plenty of God’s people to be generous!)
• Pray for Chris, Sharon and Caleb as they have 2 weeks holiday (26 Oct – 9 Nov). Pray for good time together and for refreshment
• Pray for Matt Jacobs and Chris Allan as they preach at Coast EC on the 1st and 8th Nov.
• Pray for wisdom (and leaders!) as we finalise plans to significantly expand our childrens and youth ministry next year (We’re hoping to start 2 new primary school groups, and 2 new high school youth groups). This will be biting off a lot, so pray for energy and many to step up to serve.
• Pray for our regulars to be bold at inviting their friends along to church, especially as we re-launch for summer and get stuck into John’s gospel together.
]]> http://www.coastec.net.au/october-09-prayer-update/feed/ 0 http://www.coastec.net.au/september-09-prayer-update/ http://www.coastec.net.au/september-09-prayer-update/#comments Thu, 24 Sep 2009 08:46:27 +0000 leesh http://www.coastec.net.au/?p=919 Hey people,

Thanks for your encouragement, support, generosity and prayers. This ministry would not be possible without your partnership.

Keep your eyes on Jesus,
Chris

_____________________________________

Download a printable version here

PRAISE GOD

• Praise God for drawing together a great core group of locals. Coast EC has now got 30 regular adults coming to the Sunday service. Ask for God to make our love for each other increase and to overflow in mission to the region.
• Praise God for the womens bible study group and the youth girls bible study group (’chicks’) that kicked off on 15th Sept. Pray for Sharon and Alicia as they lead these groups, and for God to use them to draw many women into deeper fellowship and maturity in their faith
• Praise God for raising up musicians! Pray for Dave and Min as they step up to lead us in praising God and encouraging each other through song.
• Praise God for the wonderful provision of a house for Chris and Sharon. Ask for it to be a great base for their family and the church.

ASK GOD

• Ask God to draw more people to Himself as we move the service time from 10am to 5pm for summer (in an attempt to be more accessible to the young families who are involved with Nippers).
• Ask God to open the door to the local high schools so we can teach Scripture. (Praise God for the initial positive response we’ve had from the Principal at Forster High, and ask that as we approach Tuncurry High the principal
• Pray for Tim Scott (pastor of the CCC church in Forster) and his 4 kids. Tim’s wife Cathy died unexpectedly. Pray for God to use her death for his glory.
• Pray for wisdom for the Admin Commitee as they meet Sunday 27th Sept to manage church finance issues and to draft a budget for 2010
• Pray for Alicia as she has two weeks of time off over the October school holidays. Pray that it would be enjoyable and refreshing for her.
]]> http://www.coastec.net.au/september-09-prayer-update/feed/ 0 http://www.coastec.net.au/august-09-prayer-update/ http://www.coastec.net.au/august-09-prayer-update/#comments Wed, 26 Aug 2009 00:45:34 +0000 leesh http://www.coastec.net.au/?p=864 Hi everyone, thanks for partnering with us in prayer!
Here are some prayer points for COAST EC. Printable version here
• Praise God for drawing people into fellowship. We’ve got about 25 adults and 10 kids who call COAST EC home; 8 boys coming to the youth group (Grommets); and 17 people coming to our home group / bible study on Monday nights. Pray for them to grow in maturity, and to partner with us in our mission.
• Praise God for the kids who’ve started coming to kids church (Coasties) as a result of contact made at the recent kids outreach program (Holiday Hang Out). Pray for God to also draw their families into the kingdom. Ask for God to grant Tom and Ali wisdom and energy as head up this ministry.
• Praise God for a good time of fellowship at the FIEC conference on 10-12 August @ Collaroy. Ask for God to use this network of like-minded churches to make a huge impact on our nation, and that many more Christ-honouring churches will be planted in the next few years.
• Ask for God to burden our hearts with a deep love for the lost that drives us to prayer and mission. Pray for wisdom and boldness as we seek to connect with many locals. Ask for opportunities and courage to share the gospel.
• Pray for Chris as he prepares to speak at St Matts (West Pennant Hills) Mission weekend (28-30 Aug).
• Pray for God to open the door into the Primary Schools (so we can run a lunchtime outreach group for kids in years 5-6), and into the High Schools (so we can teach scripture to year 7 next year). Pray for other ministers in the area to get on board with this so we can approach the school with a unified front.
• Chris, Sharon and Caleb are moving into the house they bought on 11th and 12th Sept. Ask for God to use this house as a great base for their family and the church. Pray for good connections with their new neighbours that lead to gospel conversions.
• Caleb (7 months old) is being dedicated to the Lord on Sunday 13th Sept. Pray for him to grow up knowing, loving and serving Jesus. Pray also for the family and friends who attend to be convicted about the truth of the gospel and their own need to respond.
• Pray for the women’s home group and the teenage girls home group to get established on a Tuesday afternoon (starting 15th Sept)
• Pray for Alicia (doing MTS) – for God to heal her from tonsillitis soon.
]]> http://www.coastec.net.au/august-09-prayer-update/feed/ 0 http://www.coastec.net.au/july-09-prayer-update/ http://www.coastec.net.au/july-09-prayer-update/#comments Sun, 26 Jul 2009 04:01:59 +0000 leesh http://www.coastec.net.au/?p=780 Hi everyone, thanks for partnering with us in prayer! Here are some much needed prayer points for COAST EC. Print friendly version here.
• Praise God for drawing people into fellowship. We’ve got about 25 adults and 10 kids who call Coast EC home; and 6 boys coming to the youth group. Pray for them to grow servant hearts and to get involved in serving.
• Praise God how Holiday Hang Out came together! We had a couple new kids join us to have fun and learn about Jesus. Praise God for the St Faith’s Mission Crew that came up and worked hard for the Kingdom. Pray that the kids that came (and their families) will be linked into Grommets and Coasties and keep coming to learn about Jesus.
• Praise God for good relationships with the school we’re meeting in (We renewed our lease until the end of the year)
• Praise God that he has provided regular work for Ali and Tom! Please pray that God will provide work for Stu really soon, and that Evan will find some part time work too (Evan is starting a Certificate in Aged Care in August).
• Pray for Coasties Kids Church, that the new kids that have been coming will keep coming. Pray that local families will use this great resource of kids ministry, and that Tom and Ali will have wisdom as they lead Coasties.
• Pray for the upcoming Christianity Explored Course starting Wed 5th August. Pray for people to attend and get saved. And also for those at COAST EC to be bold and have open doors to invite people.
• Pray for a good time of fellowship at the FIEC conference on 10-12 August @ Collaroy.
• Pray for wisdom for the Admin Committee as we meet on 2nd August to work through the finance issues.
• Ask for God to burden our hearts with a deep love for the lost that drives us to prayer and mission. Pray for wisdom and boldness as we seek to connect with many locals. Ask for opportunities to share the gospel.
• Pray for Chris as he prepares to speak at St Matts (West Penannt Hills) Mission weekend (28-30 Aug).
• Pray for God to open the door into the Primary Schools (so we can run a lunchtime outreach group for kids in yrs5-6), and into the High Schools (so we can teach scripture to yr 7 next year). Pray for other ministers in the area to get on board with this so we can liaise better with the school.
  ]]> http://www.coastec.net.au/july-09-prayer-update/feed/ 0 http://www.coastec.net.au/june-09-prayer-update/ http://www.coastec.net.au/june-09-prayer-update/#comments Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:49:20 +0000 leesh http://www.coastec.net.au/?p=679 Hi friends,

  Thanks for taking an interest in this church plant and supporting us. We know that ‘unless the Lord builds the house, the labourers labour in vain’. So please pray for the Lord to change many hearts!

  You can read the prayer points below, or download a print friendly version.

  Praise God for:

  • The 15 adults and 7 kids who’ve started calling COAST Evangelical Church their home church since we kicked off 12 weeks ago.
  • The new women’s bible study group that Sharon started 2 weeks ago. So far, 3 new women have joined.
  • The kids that are regularly attending Grommets (year 5 & 6 youth group) – we had 6 there last Friday!!!
  • The great opportunity Alicia Barnes (doing MTS) gets to share the gospel as she teaches two year 2 scripture classes at Forster Public School.
  • His amazing love and provision for the church.
  • For the regular work that Tom and Ali Brittle have received.

  Ask God to:

  • Provide jobs for Stu and Evan, plus more shifts for Tom. This is becoming increasingly urgent. Ask for continued motivation for these guys to apply for jobs, and for them not to get discouraged.
  • Keep helping us understand and apply Colossians, and to support each other in living it out.
  • Help us connect with many people in town – to build friendships, to love and serve them, and to have gospel intentionality with them. For boldness and wisdom.
  • Open doors to the high schools (so we can teach Scripture to year 7 next year), and
    the Primary Schools (so we can start a yr5-6 SUPA club on a monday or wednesday lunchtime). We are trying to work with other pastors in this – ask for wisdom for Chris as he leads this process.

  • Keep providing the finances (especially in light of the serious unemployment issues in our church).
  • Help Alicia and Evan as they plan the Mid Year Mission (22-24 July). Please pray that this Mission reaches many unsaved year 5 and 6 kids in this region, and that they become linked to Grommets. Pray for the St Faith’s Crew who are coming up to serve, that they’d grow in godliness and maturity.
  • Keep working in the core team as they head up their various ministries. That they’d have energy and wisdom as they serve, and be able to start training others to serve. Pray that they’d stay focused on Jesus and bathe their ministries in prayer.
  • Refresh Chris and Sharon as they have a week off (28 June – 4 July).

  Thanks people!

  ]]> http://www.coastec.net.au/june-09-prayer-update/feed/ 0 http://www.coastec.net.au/may-09-prayer-update/ http://www.coastec.net.au/may-09-prayer-update/#comments Mon, 25 May 2009 01:36:47 +0000 leesh http://www.coastec.net.au/?p=537 Hey people,

  We’ve been going for 7 weeks now! Here’s some recent news and praise/prayer points…

  The core group (all 7 of us!) have been working hard at building relationships through the soccer club, mother’s group and work places. Please pray for us to shine brightly as we live for Jesus, and for wisdom and boldness to share the gospel.

  We’re praising God that several local people have decided to join the church! So far 2 families, and about 8 others have said they’re keen to call Coast Evangelical their home church. Many people who’ve been coming along are people who’ve fallen out from going to church in the last 6 years or so. Pray that they’ll get through their past pain, rejoin fellowship, and make a fresh start of serving Jesus.

  We’re building a kids church and youth group around the children who have started coming. The kids are keen to invite their mates, and the parents are going to start inviting other parents and kids from the local schools. Please pray for heaps of kids to get converted and for them to bring their families to church too.

  Praise God that our Youth group (yrs5-6) started two weeks ago with 3 kids regularly coming. Pray that they’ll keep coming, growing in their faith in Jesus and that they’ll invite their mates. Pray for Evan and Alicia as they head up this ministry. We’re planning a mid year mission to yr5-6 kids (July 22-24 July) – pray for the young team from St Faiths Narrabeen who are coming to help us.

  Please pray that we’d be able to start a second home group / bible study group soon. We’re trying to round up a core for that, and one of the new ladies who’s joined the church is praying about hosting.

  I met with some pastors and the principal of the Great Lakes College to talk about getting High School Scripture started next year. The proposal has now gone to the school board / P & C. Please ask for God to open this door, and for Him to raise up gifted teachers to share Christ with the 1600 students at the College.

  Also pray for Tom, Ali and Stu – that they’d get regular jobs soon (and stay positive and motivated to keep looking).

  Give thanks for the generosity of God’s people who’ve made this ministry possible so far, and ask for God to keep providing the funds and resources we need.

  Thanks for your prayers and support

  Chris
  (and the COAST EC team)

  ]]> http://www.coastec.net.au/may-09-prayer-update/feed/ 0 http://www.coastec.net.au/april-09-prayer-update/ http://www.coastec.net.au/april-09-prayer-update/#comments Thu, 23 Apr 2009 10:18:52 +0000 admin http://www.coastec.net.au/?p=336 Praise God for a great launch! It was a great day and we couldn’t have hoped for a better start. We had our first public service on Easter Sunday – and we were amazed that 100 people showed up. 80 were people on holidays or friends who’d come to support us (thanks guys!), and 20 were locals (which we’re praising God for!). A number of locals have already contacted me saying they’re keen to call Coast Evangelical their home church and to partner with us in our mission.

  Please pray for good follow-up of locals and that God would draw a large like-minded core group together, and that we’d work to see Jesus glorified in the region.

  Pray for energy for the core team who are serving in multiple ministries on Sunday to make it all work. Logistically, we NEED MORE SOLDIERS to make the public meeting viable long term. But that said, everyone’s very encouraged and keen to work hard.

  Please also pray for more jobs for our core team. Forster has high unemployment (over 10% and growing) so it’s been really hard for the team to get solid work. (Most jobs are by word of mouth, and when you’re from out of town, you’re also out of the loop). So far Evan has a part time job at ALDI, Tom has some casual nursing shifts, and Ali has had a few casual shifts at an outdoor rec centre. That is all the paid employment we have. Myself and Alicia (doing MTS) are paid staff (we’re trying to raise our own external support). My wife Sharon is at home with our new baby boy Caleb, and Stu is still looking for a job.

  Please pray for an open door to the high school to teach Scripture. I’ve had a positive response from 3 other pastors in the area who would be keen to see it happen, and I have the job of writing the syllabus. We’re meeting with the principal on 29 April.

  We’re also starting a youth group called Grommets – for kids in years 5 and 6. We are hoping to kick it off in the next few weeks, but have a lot of connecting (and praying!) to do. Please pray for a great start, and that we can build from a solid core.

  Thanks for your prayers guys. Stand firm!

  Chris

  02 6555 4093
  chris@coastec.net.au

  ]]> http://www.coastec.net.au/april-09-prayer-update/feed/ 0