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)
How would you describe your prayer life? For many of us, we might find it hard to pray. Perhaps you do not know how to pray. You might have learned how to pray as a child, or recite the Lord's prayer, but with the passing of years you find praying not a delight, but a struggle. Besides, the pace of our modern life leaves little time to pray. And then there is the doubt. You wonder whether...
How important is prayer in your life? In your marriage? In your family? What about in the life of your church? If people were to meet you, or drop into your church on a Sunday, would they notice a prayerful urgency in your life and that of your church? In our missional strategy to reach the lost for Christ we maintain that prayer is our first task. So it is no wonder, then, as we consider...
How does one keep going in life and in ministry? Both personally and as congregations? If only it was as easy as putting an Energizer battery into our ministry or church sockets! Perhaps you have seen (or remember) those images of the Energizer bunny. While others quickly run out of steam, the Energizer bunny just keeps going and going and going .... The tasks of church ministry are not easy! Church life is not always a...
Who has your back? Is there someone in your life who takes responsibility to make sure that you are living your life in obedience to Christ and to the glory of God? What about your church? Are you just doing your own thing, or are there others who watch over you and hold you accountable? Personally? As a church leader? As a church? For some, being answerable to another for who you are and what you...
Loneliness is more common than you think. According to a report out of Harvard University, more 50% of people say that they are lonely. In an August article in Scientific American, before the COVID pandemic, more than two-thirds of Americans considered themselves lonely. A loneliness report,published here in Australia, might sound a bit more encouraging, noting that one in four Australian adults are lonely. The reality remains, there are a lot of lonely people. It is natural...
