Ministry Update

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What a great month we have had! In just the last few weeks we have seen more than 2,000 people come to Christ!! The second half of the year is already bearing much fruit - it’s amazing what we can do when we partner together to advance the Kingdom!

Hillsong Conference this year in Sydney was fantastic! It is so great to see the Church uniting as one to truly bring God’s love and justice to the earth. There were many unforgettable God moments. One special moment for me was while I was teaching an elective on evangelistic preaching and altar calls, and halfway through I just felt to stop and do a salvation altar call. (Remember: I was in the midst of teaching how to give one.) Twenty-four people surrendered their lives to Jesus then and there - it was AMAZING!! It was so exciting to see God moving in such powerful ways across Conference; especially to see the Church gathered and inspired to reach our world in new ways.

After Hillsong Conference, we headed off to Healing Place Church in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. I had the privilege of speaking to the Kingdom Builders, and then touring the new Healing Place Arena which is shaping up to be a phenomenal facility that will release the church to whole new levels of impact and effectiveness - it is stunning and a great testimony to the goodness of God and the faithfulness of His people. We also had a great weekend in church which was co-sponsored by Raising Canes (the fried chicken finger place)... so it was the Caines and the Canes - over 12,000 chicken fingers were consumed. (I love the SOUTH!) Lots of guests came to church for chicken fingers but many also got a whole lot more of eternal value as they responded to the Gospel. Another highlight for me while we were there was my 2-year-old Sophia standing on stage at the 10am service and singing to the congregation. Check out the photo on my blog!

I also had the honour of speaking at Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas last month. I was so inspired by their 16,000-seat building with the most amazing children's facilities. I love that there is such a stunning modern day Cathedral that gives glory to God right in the middle of the city. It was great to spend some time with Pastors Joel and Victoria Osteen and some of the family who are truly the most sincere and authentic people whom God is using powerfully at this time to impact millions.

Another highlight in the last few weeks happened during Joyce Meyer’s conference in Detroit, Michigan. I had the privilege of giving the altar call and we saw more than 700 people come to Christ that night!! It was absolutely amazing!

We got a real taste of the South when we headed back down to Arkansas to visit New Life Church. Their southern hospitality is an example of what I think Jesus meant when He told us to love one another. However, I don’t understand the strange bumper stickers we saw while we were there – check out the photo gallery and you’ll see what I mean!

From there we drove to Lafayette, Louisiana. We have been having the best time on our road trips this month. We’ve been singing and playing games with the girls – however I think I’m in trouble because driving on the right side of the road is starting to feel normal!! It was great to arrive at Our Savior in Lafayette, and we had a fantastic mid-week service with many lives changed!

We finished up the month in Memphis, Tennessee to visit our friends John and Leslie Seibling at Life Church. I must admit, I had a bit of a shock while driving down the highway and seeing a giant billboard with my face on it (photo on my blog). The church was advertising the weekend event and wanted the city to know that the Australians were in town. We had an unforgettable weekend and saw tons of salvations while we were there!

Now that the A21 Project Centre is operational in Greece, we are beginning to move ahead implementing the next part of the strategy, and have already found great favour with some key government and legal authorities. In order to help prepare for the next phase with A21, some of our team just went to Cambodia for research and training on aftercare housing and programs for trafficked victims. They were able to spend time with rescued victims, visit brothels and meet with several NGO’s that are making a significant impact on the issue of human trafficking. The team had such a fruitful trip and we are so excited for this project as we move closer to seeing victims of trafficking in Greece and throughout Europe find hope for their future!

One message that has really been on my heart lately is realizing the fact that we need to value the “exchange zone”. It is so crucial to ensure that we are thinking about the future and passing the “baton” to the next generation. During the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Marion Jones passed the baton to Lauren Williams in a relay race. However, Williams grabbed the baton too late and the exchange happened outside of the designated zone. As a result, the team was disqualified. One lesson we can learn from this is that we are all dependent on one another, and like in a relay race, nobody wins until the final runner crosses the finish line. If one is disqualified, all are disqualified. We need to make sure we are not just building accomplishments now, but that we are building for the future. In Judges 2:10 – we read that when Joshua died, another generation arose that did not know the Lord. The fact is, Joshua was a great leader and achieved a lot…but he never passed on a legacy because the generation that came after Joshua didn’t even know the Lord.

Right now, the baton is in our hand and we need to be thinking about the generation that is coming after us. How can we set them up for a win? In Hebrews 11, the great chapter of faith, we learn that there are great men and women of God that have come before us – they are former baton runners leaning over the banisters of heaven cheering us on. Let’s determine to run OUR race well and ensure that we are valuing the “exchange zone”. Let’s remember that everything we do with our time, talent and treasure is crucial to keeping the flame alive and passing the baton so we can win this race!