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Prayer

We acknowledge that we are powerless to change anyone's heart. But God is powerful and He can do anything!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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…

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• 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.

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…

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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.