MY PERSONAL TESTIMONY (4)

I need to make one further comment regarding our time in Sydney. There were many young adults and some young couples and very few families with children. I wondered if I could every Pastor a Family church. The large amount of young adults began my journey into Biblical Discipleship as well as Missions.

We arrived in the large regional city now with a greater understanding (although of course still developing) on how to build a local church according to the pattern  of the Word of God.

I ministered every Sunday for three months on the Biblical basis for praise & worship, this must have been a magnet to many Christians, as the worship ministry really developed. I was able to invite a young man to join me on the team who took the worship to another level.All the keys I shared in my last series I sought to implement into the church. All these keys produced further growth.

We were able to purchase a large catholic church property which could house the growing congregation and the Christian Day School which developed up to year 12. In 1982 we took our first Missions team of 17 to Singapore/Malaysia/Thailand, this was a fantastic success. The following year 24 travelled to Asia.

In January 1985 I went to India for the first time (with a team). The first week was in Hyderabad, I had an anointed time in the classroom. But when I looked at the teeming masses of people, now over 1 billion, 82% Hindi, 13% Muslim and only 1% Christian, I got discouraged, and thought why bother India will never be won for Jesus. We had prayer together before we flew across the state to Vizag, and in the prayer meeting I had a life changing experience. In a moment of time I knew Jesus Christ SHALL  be Lord of India, This revelation changed my life and put such a passion and drive within my spirit for Missions.

My burden for Discipleship & mentoring continued to grow. We commenced a Timothy Class, with a large group of young men. They all grew dramatically. We literally came to the place where we never had a shortage of leaders or prospective leaders.

Our time in this city was a God success story, causing the church to become one of the largest evangelical congregations in the city. To God be all the glory.

Well into our 7th year again we felt those stirrings in our spirit regarding a move of some kind. I couldn’t believe it. The ministry was at such a peak of blessing. The Eldership very kindly sent us away for 2 weeks to seek the Lord regarding our future. We also met with some key leaders around the nation seeking their counsel. I began to think perhaps it is time to move to the Mission field, but the Lord had a surprise for us, that was beyond our wildest dreams. This next step in our spiritual journey caused so many open doors and ministry development that I could not have foreseen.

Again, we concluded a 7 year stint in Pastoral ministry that was filled with the blessing of God from day one until the end.