Jack De Vries was hired on by the Christian Reformed Churches of Australia and began his work as Ministry Training Coordinator in January 2008. In 2012 this role shifted to that of Ministry Development Coach.
Jack came from Canada where he pastored three Christian Reformed churches: Alliston CRC, Alliston, Ontario(1983-87), a church plant:...
Jack De Vries was hired on by the Christian Reformed Churches of Australia and began his work as Ministry Training Coordinator in January 2008. In 2012 this role shifted to that of Ministry Development Coach.
Jack came from Canada where he pastored three Christian Reformed churches: Alliston CRC, Alliston, Ontario(1983-87), a church plant: New Life Community Church, Pickering, Ontario(1987-95), and Bethel CRC, Listowel, Ontario (1995-2007). Jack is a graduate of Calvin Theological Seminary (Master of Divinity - 1983) and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (Doctor of Ministry - 2003) Jack and his wife Jeannie currently live in Petrie, a northern suburb of Brisbane in Queensland. They attend and are members of Bray Park Community Church. They have four adult children and seven grandchildren living in the USA and Canada.
In Isaiah 58:11 we read: "The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail." Australia has seen times of drought and floods. There is another type of drought in Australia; there is a spiritual drought. But God promises to provide refreshing rain, a never ending supply of refreshing water. The water he provides will satisfy the needs of all Australians. As we take up the missional vision God has given us we extend the life changing invitation of Jesus: "Come! Whoever is thirsty, come, and take the free gift of the water of life!" (Revelation 22:17)
Do you understand the culture in which we live? The Australian culture? The western culture of our day? The culture of the current decade in which we live? In the Bible we read about "the men of Issachar, who understood the times and knew what Israel should do—200 chiefs, with all their relatives under their command;" (1 Chronicles 12:32). This observation about the men of Issachar came at a crucial juncture in the history of Israel, when...
Will our children have faith? This is a question I have been asking ever since I read John H. Westerhoff III's classic book with that same title: Will Our Children Have Faith? This question is even more weighty than when Westerhoff first penned it in 1976. According to today's statistics, if you had 100 youth in your church – 9 of them will become resilient disciples of Jesus; 28 will be church goers – but not...
Every October I am reminded of this one word: witness! It is not the only time I think of this word, but 'witness' has an extra punch this time of the year. And I would like to explain why. Why this reminder each October, and why this one word ought to be etched strongly in our minds and impact how we live? Not just in this month, but each month, each and every day! I was...
Silence. This is how I as a child remember Sunday worship services beginning. In silence. Gathered worshippers were asked to begin with silent prayer. I never really knew what to do during those times of silence. I always thought that prayer had to do with words, with audible voices, not silence. Over the years I have come to discover, the truth of what Cicero, the ancient Roman statesman, once said: "Silence is one of the great...
What is the one thing that sets Christians apart from the rest of the world? What is it about the church that makes it so attractive to those outside the church? You might think it is our faith, our steadfast faith in what God says to us in His Word. Our belief in Jesus, that he is the eternal Son God, the One who died for humanity's sin, and has opened the way for us to...
