Prayer Letter March 2023
What’s up with The Way?
This Christmas we invited everyone on our street to come to our house for a Christmas party. Over 30 of our neighbours turned up, with food to share, and everyone had a great time. We had a BBQ, outdoor games for the kids, chalk drawing in the driveway, we read the Christmas Nativity story and sang Christmas carols together. It was such a blast! As a result, Sarah is now doing a “Discover Jesus” bible study with one of our neighbours who doesn’t yet know Christ.
In February, Nick and Sarah spent a week in Australia, being trained in evangelism and disciple-making with people from “No Place Left”. (Look it up - it’s brilliant!) A highlight was hearing how teenagers as young as 12 are sharing the gospel and discipling new believers - some even starting churches! After the training, some of the No Place Left team from California (a couple of teenage missionaries and their Dad) came to NZ and ministered to the Youth and adults on the Hibiscus Coast and in Wellington. We were all deeply impacted and inspired to keep going in the Great Commission.
Here are some highlights from the last three months:
Outreach and Discipleship
Lots of innovative ideas are being put into practice as people reach out to friends and neighbours:
Door to door to pray for families and share some local love
Inviting all the neighbours to come to bible study & dessert nights
Offering a optional Gospel Workshop during a work conference
Starting a prayer group with colleagues
Doing a Discovery Bible Study with colleagues
Regular walks and talks with neighbours
Starting a community garden with neighours
Inviting neighbours for marshmallows and firepit in the driveway
Putting up posters and inviting the community to study the bible
Offering English lessons, using the bible
People are growing in boldness, as they share the gospel
Intentionality is growing as each person gets involved in discipling others
People are growing in ENDURANCE and PERSEVERANCE as they encounter trials of many kinds.
Equipping Team
Three of the leaders are looking to move into the role of “trainer”. Others are also getting involved in training by helping with the “church based training”. These significant steps enable The Way to continue as a sustainable discipleship movement.
Leader Training
Wellington - next group starts in April
Auckland - new group started in February
Church-based Training
This year sees The Way working with some beautiful NZ churches (Crossroads Church, Palmerston North and Tasman Church, Nelson) helping them to become churches on mission. Paul and Grace, pastors of Awaken Church, have recently completed The Way training and this month are starting a missional group in Upper Hutt.
We would appreciate your prayer for
Our first annual Hui, coming up on King’s Birthday Weekend
A gathering of The Way leaders to answer this question:
“How will we reach our neighbourhoods with the gospel in 2023?”
Each person who the gospel is being shared with:
That they will repent and believe the Good News!
Every Jesus follower in NZ to be devoted to the Lord and to His Great Commission
Crossroads Church and Tasman Church as they become churches on mission
Awaken’s new missional group
William and Irish and their work in Korea and The Philippines
Barbara and Matthew and their mission to reach those around them in Slovakia
Home church leaders, as they encourage and train others to make disciples
Perseverance & Endurance as leaders face trials of many kinds
And he said to them
Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel
to the whole creation. Whoever believes and
is baptised will be saved, but whoever does
not believe will be condemned
Jesus to his Disciples
(Mark 16:15–16)
A book we’ve read recently is “Live A Praying Life” by Jennifer Kennedy Dean.
This book has been a game changer for our prayer life! Here’s a wee taster:
“The person who is living a praying life is living a life of faith. That person understands that prayer is always releasing the power of God for the purposes of God. Therefore, once prayer has begun, whatever direction a situation takes, it is taking the direction that will accomplish the purposes of God. That's faith. In response to the prayer of faith, God releases His power to accomplish His purposes in each situation.”
Get your copy here
Thank you for praying for us as we seek to develop:
A movement of everyday missionaries
A collective of home churches
