Discipleship Matrix

  • Are you exploring the Christian faith or considering what steps God might want you to take to move ahead as you follow him? Check out the Discipleship Matrix Read More
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Organic Outreach

  • The Organic Outreach Series by Kevin & Sherry Harney can be purchased here. Read More
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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, Jack took on the role 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 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) More

Welcome?

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I might get into trouble for saying this, but I am not a fan of the usual 'meet and greet' times in so many of our churches.   Oh, it might work well for people who are regulars at church.   They do this every Sunday as they sit in the same pews or seats, and they usually shake the hands of the same people.   Week in, week out.  But this could be the...
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58 Hits

Cleaning Fish

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I always found catching fish easier than cleaning fish.   Not that I am that good at catching fish, but cleaning fish is not easy.   It smells.   Your hands become filthy.   The fish is so slippery that it moves all over the place.   And what do you do with all the guts?   Years ago I would bury the guts in the ground, but we had this dog that loved to dig...
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  63 Hits
63 Hits

Good Different

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The Australian cultural landscape is changing, and changing rapidly.   More than 20% of Australians speak a language other than English at home.   1 out of 4 Australians were born overseas.   50% of Australians have an overseas parent.    Australians identify with over 270 ancestral backgrounds.   And all of this in a country is home to the world's oldest continuous cultures.   Visit the downtown of any major city or travel to...
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61 Hits

Bend Me!

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God found a young man who refused to miss a prayer meeting as he cried to the Lord:  "Bend me!"    This young man, Evan Roberts, was used by God as an instrument to see the gospel spread like wild fire during the Welsh revival in the early 1900's.    Roberts began asking God for a 100,000 lost to be found and brought to faith.   Not only did God answer Robert's prayer for 100,000...
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  79 Hits
79 Hits

Dirt Matters

Dirt crop
I did a dirt experiment.  I wanted to grow some spinach seedlings to transplant into our veggie patch.   I picked up the cheapest bag of dirt at the local garden supply store - $2.99.   The dirt looked clumpy, full of bits and pieces of who knows what.   I dropped the seeds into the individual pods of 'cheap' dirt.   It took a long time for the seeds to germinate, and I kept...
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  147 Hits
147 Hits