AUTUMN 2020
unveiled Released
IN THIS ISSUE
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Released
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Empowered to Be Released
Learning to Listen
Studying the Daily Rhythms of Jesus’ life
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Partnering with God to Spread the Good News of Jesus
Family Without Borders
14 No one is Beyond His REACH! Are we really all called to go?
Pastor Scott reflects on his recent trip to Thailand
Bringing Hope to Farmers out West
30 He is Enough for Me Partnering with Iris Ministries to Support Indigenous Youth
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Financial Summary
Preparing Our Kids Spiritually for the Road Ahead
Tracking Riverlife’s financial progress.
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Are you Teaching your Children How to Live a Christian Life?
In the Spotlight
Meet some of our Latest Riverlife Staff Members
36 Wildflower
From Prophecy to Reality: Scott and Annie’s Lullaby Album Brought to Life
44 Beyond our Walls
Celebrating What Our Church Family is Doing in the Wider Community!
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In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.. M AT T H E W 5 : 1 6 ( N I V )
In a previous occupation I was a physical education teacher, and one of the more challenging sports to instruct was archery. As you can imagine, having thirty 13-year-olds with weapons in hand was a risk management nightmare! Despite the risks involved, it was great to see young people master a skill and hit the target, even better the bullseye. The challenge for many wasn’t knowing where the target was, it was having the strength and technique required to pull the bow string back to a point where the arrow could be released with power. Being released without the power produced, for some, pretty funny shots at the target.
Christ’s Kingdom. Before being released, this requires that we know our potential and power. It is then that we can be released as an authentic expression of God’s powerful love to the city of Brisbane, declaring and demonstrating the Kingdom of God wherever we go.
Our vision for the year ahead is that we are released as empowered people who will declare and demonstrate
I trust you will enjoy this edition of Unveiled. Grab a cuppa and be inspired as you read the articles that follow.
Arrows aren’t a lot of use for hitting the target when they are held in the quiver. Likewise, we as God’s people need to be released to the world around us to bring the Good News of Jesus into the community. Many of the stories in this edition of Unveiled take a closer look at people in the Riverlife family that have been released to make a difference for the glory of God.
God bless, John Robertson Senior Pastor
Released If our desire is to reach everyone with the Good News of Jesus, how do we play our part in releasing what we carry to those around us?
The entire globe has been affected by the threat of the Coronavirus. Sadly, thousands of people have lost their lives and many more people fallen ill. People are in quarantine; borders are closed, and economies are suffering. The virus spread from one reported case to 76,000 reported cases within six weeks! Viral outbreaks can spread quickly – like a wildfire, they are hard to contain and cause a lot of damage.
I believe God still wants this to happen today. We cannot afford to read the pages of our Bible and see them only as a history lesson. Instead I believe
This year it is vital that we find the rhythms of Jesus.
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The Good News that was being spread, of course, is God's salvation (the forgiveness of sins) offered to all people (Jew and Gentile alike) through the death and resurrection of Jesus and by the power of the Holy Spirit. This Good News of Jesus spread far and wide, it changed whole cities in a day and eventually affected entire cultures.
In the last few years we have navigated some of the most defining years in the history of our church. We have bravely taken some huge steps of faith towards the destiny God has for us and the realisation of many years of vision. But I sense that this year, 2020, the start of a new decade, is poised with potential, and is pivotal for us if we are to continue to see the fruit from these steps of faith. Pivotal because it would be too easy to sit back and take a long rest believing that the vision was accomplished with the building of a fantastic facility. But that’s only a part of the vision God has given us. Now we must take every opportunity to advance the Kingdom of God through a powerful demonstration and declaration of the Good News. It’s time that every person who calls Riverlife their church family to be Released into a missional life for the glory of God.
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In a similar, yet positive way, the Good News of Jesus can spread like a virus. In the earliest days of the church after Pentecost, the Good News spread from Jerusalem to Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth, just as Jesus said it would (Acts 1:8).
God is desiring us to see these testimonies as an invitation for Him to grow the church like that again. Just like the experience for those first century Christians we desire that the Good News spreads far and wide through us as we enter this wonderfully exciting season as a church family.
A coming in to: + Intimacy in prayer and worship as we gather + To care for one another + To be fed and fuelled + Surrender our agenda to Christ’s agenda Released to Go Out:
two things together and that’s what we mean when we use the term Released. You are an empowered person who is being released to the world for the glory of God. When we come in to worship together, it’s always for the purpose to be released to go out.
+ Into the gifts God has given
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+ Into the authentic expression of God’s powerful love to the city of Brisbane + In power to declare and demonstrate the Kingdom of God We come in, so that we might go out. If you reach out without the Holy Spirit’s love and power, then we take nothing of significant difference with us, and if we simply stay in our intimate huddle we will soon become a puddle.
Good News Spreading
Our vision at Riverlife is to be a family embracing the Father’s presence, releasing an empowered people who will declare and demonstrate Christ’s kingdom. The link between coming in – embracing the Father’s presence, and going out – declaring and demonstrating Christ’s kingdom, is releasing an empowered people.
I’d like to think that the viral nature of the Good News of Jesus is so infectious, that if caught properly, it couldn’t help but spread as we scatter throughout our city. I’m praying that one day a great revival that sweeps the world, might be traced back to a bunch of Gospel-infected Christians from a little-known place called Riverlife in Brisbane, Australia!
This year we really want to do everything we can to link these
In Acts 11 we read about the establishment of the first
God’s mission continues, the Church grows, and the Good News comes to the Gentiles and it’s from here, in Antioch, that
For this to be a reality we need to be Released! Released into a missional heart and lifestyle. Released to take His presence with us everywhere we go, infecting the population of Brisbane with an experience of this Good News. What is required for you to be released as a carrier of the Good News? Will you join us to see this vision come to pass? To hear more about our vision for the year, catch up via our Going Deeper podcast
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It was there, in Antioch that the word ‘Christian’ first came into use. ‘Christ’ is the Greek word for ‘Messiah’, the ‘anointed one’, ‘God’s anointed King’. The followers of Jesus were so infectious with their declaration and demonstration of the Kingdom that they were known as ‘the King’s people’, ‘Christians’. They were so infected with the Good News; people could pick them out in a crowd as anointed ones. The way they declared and demonstrated Christ’s Kingdom made them stand out from everyone else, but perhaps more importantly, they didn’t want to keep this Good News to themselves.
the Good News continues to spread to the rest of the Gentile world. Fast forward thousands of years and the reality is that we too can be an Antioch church. We too can allow God to have His way through us as a people who carry the Good News to the furthest places on earth.
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Gentile church, with Paul and Barnabas starting their missionary journeys to the Roman world. Antioch becomes the geographical focal point for the spread of the Kingdom throughout the world. These men of Cyprus and Cyrene (Acts 11:20) had caught the Good News and they weren’t going to be kept in isolation, containing it to their household of Jews. They started to share it with everyone they met, and it spread like wildfire.
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Empowered to Be Released Spending time in the presence of God is equally important as doing His work. Pastor Jo Leutton looks at the juggle we all face in finding a sustainable daily rhythm.
Mark’s gospel shows us Jesus had simple, regular patterns of withdrawing from the busyness of His life to be with the Father (see Mark 1:35, Luke 5:16). We know from Matthew’s gospel that Jesus already had received the Holy Spirit at His baptism, so His times apart with the Father weren’t because of the absence of the Spirit’s presence. Mark Sayers, in the book ‘Disappearing Church’, labels Jesus’ practices as a ‘withdraw/ return’ rhythm. This is a way of looking at our daily lives that gives us the time and space to recentre on the Father and His purposes for our lives, but also gives us opportunity and impetus to be a part of everyday society. Historically, for some reason (probably the complexities of human nature!), Christians have tended to gather around either end of this rhythm. People seem to be drawn toward withdrawing to be with God, forsaking all others and all distractions. This is understandable: when we’ve been in the presence of God, nothing else compares,
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As such, when we come to a big idea like reaching out to others, sometimes called evangelism or mission, it’s probably important, as Christians, to take a moment and have a look at what Jesus did in this area. It is pretty easy to make a few general observations: “Jesus was always on mission”, “Jesus loved everyone He met”, “The Kingdom of God was at ‘hand’ whenever Jesus was there”. But if we take a closer look, Jesus had patterns and rhythms to His life that shaped His activity. Jesus Himself admits in John 5:19 that He only does and says what He sees Father God saying and doing. Which may seem convenient when the only way people could see the Father at that point was
through Jesus. But as Jesus went about the Father’s instructions, He shows us a pattern that helps us understand not only how He did His ministry, but also how we can be about the same activity that He’s given us to do.
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When we think about church, many of us think about the building, the programs, worship songs and services, and maybe even the people who go there. When we think of Christians, we can have almost as many different ideas of what that looks like! But the reality of what the Bible tells us church and Christians are is simply this: Christians are people who have a living relationship with Jesus (the Christ) and follow His ways and teachings; and the church is the name for a group of these Christians.
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nor seems to matter. David echoed this in the Psalms, where He would rather one day in the courts of God than a thousand anywhere else on the planet. And this rings true for us when we’ve encountered God, because we were made in His image, and we find peace, acceptance, and the ultimate expression of love when we are in His presence. The other extreme people are drawn to is the going out. People catch the heart of God that wants none to perish without a relationship with Him (see 2 Peter 3:9). They feel the burden of love that drives them to stop for the one person, to fight against injustice, to speak and show the love and power of God in myriad ways to people who have yet to taste and see the goodness of God (see Psalm 34). Jesus, in His last instruction to us in Matthew’s gospel (28:18-20), tells us that we are now being sent to tell everyone about Him, to train them in His ways, to help them encounter Him. It makes perfect sense: when we capture the heart of God for the lost and broken, we cannot help but go. We often, therefore, find ourselves bunched at one end of this pattern, preferring one
expression of the daily life of Jesus over the other. And yet, when we take seriously our apprenticeship to Jesus, we should embrace both! Each node of our daily rhythm helps inform and empower the other. The coming in exposes us to God’s presence and empowers our going out; our going out exposes us to the sheer need of human brokenness and drives us back to come in on our knees in the presence and love of our God. But where do we start? We might find ourselves preferring one side of this over the other. Is it too late? Have we missed our opportunity? By no means! It’s a simple process of humbling ourselves before God and surrendering our agendas back to Him.
When we find ourselves out on our frontline to the exclusion of all else, without adequate time with God in the coming in, we’ll soon run out of anything worth giving. When we spend every moment soaking in God’s presence to the exclusion of giving it away, we become a closed system, a ‘dead sea’, and we can become frustrated and stalled in our journey with God.
Or, are you in a season of coming in? Are you soaking and praying and worshipping? Are you unable to get enough
The beauty of God’s ways is that no matter where we are, we are surrounded by people who He loves! Everyone you have seen today, and yesterday, and tomorrow, and for every day for the rest of your life, is someone who the Father loves unconditionally, and that Jesus died to restore into relationship with the Father. To make it a double blessing, when Jesus sent us in Matthew’s gospel, He made it very clear that we weren’t going alone: “…and surely I will be with you, even to the end of the age!”
Click here to listen to Part 1 of 4 in our ‘Rhythms of Release’ podcast series
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So, are you tired from the frontline? Are you worn out from the battle for people’s eternal salvation and their right-now conditions? Jesus invites you to come in, to rest, to receive from Him what you can’t give yourself. Take the opportunity to pray, to meet with a Life Group, dive into the Bible, spend time in our Worship Rooms, Sunday Services and Streams courses. Intentionally seek a place to be with God. Allow Him to love you and teach you to be in His presence.
of God’s presence? Ask Him to start to show you His heart for the lost and broken. Ask Him to let you feel even an ounce of His heart for the world. His love, as it soaks through your entire being, will empower you and compel you to ‘show and tell’ people about Jesus!
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The first section of Acts 3 reminds us that we come into God’s presence and receive from Him, for no reason other than He’s worth being with. But in the ‘being’ we are fundamentally changed, and we are empowered by His presence, filled with love, peace, joy, and all the things that God has for us. And so, when we go, like Peter and John, we can give away what we have. Our going out becomes an expression of God’s Kingdom engaging with the kingdom of this world, and we start to see supernatural things happen naturally. That is the beauty of the rhythms of Jesus.
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No one is Beyond His REACH!
Every single person who calls Jesus Lord, is called to be part of the Great Commission – the mandate Jesus gives us to “Go, make disciples of all nations”. Matthew 28:18-20 Perhaps you have wondered, “Are we really all called to go?” When it says, ‘make disciples’ it actually means ‘as you go – disciple all nations’ or ‘as you
are going’. It speaks about the journey we go on in life where we are to model what it looks like to have Jesus as Lord of our lives, declaring and demonstrating Jesus in us and following a new way of living.
No hands, no feet on earth but yours, Yours are the eyes with which he looks Compassion on this world, Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good, Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world. Yours are the hands, yours are the feet, Yours are the eyes, you are his body. Christ has no body now but yours, No hands, no feet on earth but yours, Yours are the eyes with which he looks compassion on this world. Christ has no body now on earth but yours.
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Christ has no body but yours,
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As I reflect on God’s mission that He has invited us to co-labour with Him on, I find power in the poetic words of St Teresa of Avila’s Christ Has No Body:
Riverlife is all about the coming in and the going out! This year we are focused on mobilising the body and the incredible opportunity that we as believers have. REACHout – Engage the unengaged As we allow God to transform our heart toward His heart, His missional heart, and as we live a missional life – we realise we all have a frontline God has entrusted us with, to REACHout to those who are not yet engaged with Jesus. Who is on your frontline? Can you REACHout to them from the overflow of God’s love in your life? REACHbeyond – Reach the unreached Did you know that Brisbane Australia, geographically speaking, is one of the furthest cities from the upper room in Jerusalem where Jesus gave His final instructions to the disciples? We are recipients of the great witness of Jesus, through the power of the Holy Spirit at work in the Apostles, that moved from Jerusalem, to Judea and Samaria and to quite literally to the ends of the earth! While the good news has spread to us,
of the 11,495 people groups in the world, 6,827 people groups remain unreached – that is over 2.4 billion people who have never heard the life-giving message of hope and peace that is available through Jesus Christ. (For an interactive map of unreached people groups click here). As recipients of this message, we are now compelled by love to REACHbeyond our culture to partner with ministries reaching unreached people groups, and the rise of the first nation, persecuted and ethnic church taking up the commission to make disciples. REACHforJustice - Speaking into systems that perpetuate Injustice As we advocate for justice, we bring a Kingdom voice that speaks truth and power with Jesus’ love, challenging systems that perpetuate poverty and injustice around the world. All that is required for evil to triumph is for God’s people to declare or do nothing! Micah 6:8 REACHupwards - Aligning with God’s missional heart We know that fruitfulness is found through abiding, as Jesus reminds us in John 15 – it underpins all we are and do.
What doors of favour is God placing the keys of heaven in our hands to unlock? To find this we need to be a praying and listening people, to gain a Kingdom perspective beyond our own!
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“May today there be peace within. May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith. May you use those gifts that you have received and pass on the love that has been given to you”. Prayer of Peace St Teresa of Avila
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But we also require Holy Spirit to move in power and authority - His presence filling us and flowing through us is what ensures no one is beyond His REACH! We as a FAMILY embrace the Father’s presence so God through us embraces the world through PEACE. We become His peacemakers.
Get in Touch If you would like to explore REACH opportunities, the first step is to complete the Expression of Interest https:// riverlifechurch.org.au/reachexpression-of-interest/ . This will help us connect with you and set up a time to find out more about how God is awakening you to join Him in His mission!
Reach + RI Teachers 2020 (27 Riverlifers) + Chaplains 2020 (8 Riverlifers)
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+ Street Teams November to March (58 Riverlifers) + Light Party Riverlife October 2019 (300+ Riverlifers) + ABLE (11 Riverlifers) + Schoolies Red Frogs November 2019 (45 Riverlifers)
+ English Conversation Classes (11 Riverlifers) + Alpha Team Term 4 2019 (21 Riverlifers) + Alpha Prisons Term 1 2020 (7 Riverlifers)
+ SMAD December 2019 (5 Riverlifers) + Buckets for Joy December 150 Families, 375 Kids (80 Riverlifers) + Bush Run December (5 Riverlifers) and February 2020 (8 Riverlifers) + Christmas Shoe Boxes (40 Riverlifers)
+ Micah Voices for Justice Canberra December 2019 (5 Riverlifers)
+ Israel – Australian Prayer Network Nov 2019 (1 Riverlifer STM) + India – YWAM Nov 2019 (1 Riverlifer STM) + Thailand - Kingdom Family Movement & other Partners Nov/Dec 2019 (16 Riverlifers STM)
+ Cambodia - IJM 2020 pending deployment (2 Riverlifers – 1-2-year commitment) + Papua New Guinea – YWAM pending deployment 2020 (1 Riverlifer – 5-year commitment)
+ Egypt – Ethnic Church Dec 2019 (2 Riverlifers STM) + West Asia – CRU Dec 2019 (1 Riverlifer STM) + Alice Springs – IRIS Jan 2020 (14 Riverlifers STM) + Cambodia - Iris Feb 2020 (1 Riverlifer STM) + Penang – Global Mission Awareness Family Gathering Mar 2020 (4 Riverlifers STM)
+ Citywide Prayer Gathering King George Square 5th January 2020
+ Malaysia / Borneo – Ethnic Church March 2020 (2 Riverlifers STM)
+ IJM ‘Liberate’ Online 28th March 2020
Family Without Borders
“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” ACTS 1:8 (ESV)
We landed in Bangkok where we spent most of our time in prisons, ministering to Thai and international prisoners from
For the first time, the team were invited to run a leadership and an inner-healing prayer ministry
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In November/December of 2019, a team from Riverlife comprising of youth, young adults and some not-so-young-adults (…oh and a very cute baby, but I guess I’m biased!), continued to sow into Riverlife’s long term partnerships to reach the nation of Thailand for Jesus. With more than a decade of short-term engagements with various organisations and churches investing into what are now deep enduring relationships, the team was blessed to see God at work in some incredible ways over the two and a half weeks.
12 years to 80 years old! The Australian team’s presentation of Jesus and the Gospel message through musical performance and use of Thai voice-overs have become popular over the years, even amongst the prison officials. Over our two days of ministry we saw more than 100 prisoners come to faith in Jesus! This was in addition to the other 5,000 prisoners that are receiving Christ each year through this prison ministry. The Riverlife team were almost shocked to see such a response in each prison - as testimonies were shared and song and dance brought truth and joy.
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Thailand is a predominantly Buddhist nation with 111 different people groups, 76 of which are considered unreached. To put it into perspective, that means 2.7 times the total population of Australia are yet to hear of Jesus in Thailand!
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session for the hard-working prison ministry team (most exprisoners themselves). Male and female leaders of all ages gathered in a room to receive from our team, as we ministered in love. Each person received a written prophetic word from a Riverlife Life Group, an A4 Riverlife worship art piece and personal ministry as we taught on receiving the Father’s love. To finish, we washed their weary feet. Weary; not physically but spiritually from ministering so often and to so many people. It was here that we saw God break out across the room as His reckless love broke off demonic spirits, cleansed hearts, and pulled them closer and closer to His heart. These images of divine encounter will remain in my memory for years to come. From there the team moved to Chiang Rai where we partnered with the Life Impact
Foundation Team as they spread the good news through love to some of the poorest communities in Thailand. People affected by HIV/AIDS are outcast and are often unable to retain their ordinary jobs, so the team assist in setting up income generation projects that are self-sustained at their home. It’s hard to forget the faces and houses/huts that we ministered to in these regions. We may not ever know if God answers our prayers over them, but I am certain that God is faithful to grow the seeds that were planted. Finally, we travelled to Chiang Mai where we partnered with Riverlife’s Gehrke family and the Global Kingdom Family Ministry team, as well as with our long term ‘family’ at Hope Alive Foundation. These days were filled with yet another approach to ministry in Thailand centred around the family dynamic, resting in His presence and leading leaders. Of course, having the Gehrkes join us for the whole mission
In every sense, the trip was a great example of “a family, embracing the Father’s presence, releasing an empowered people to declare and demonstrate Christ’s kingdom.”
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In God’s grace, Riverlife released this team to declare
and demonstrate the love of the Father to many ethnic Thais. But some of the most powerful moments were when, from young to old, the team was released to give what we have received; life to the full, the love of the Father and a family centred around His presence. Often we went off the page to allow God to move as we prayed, worshipped, soaked, prophesied and healed in Jesus’ name and it was in these moments that we felt like the team was walking most closely with God and His will.
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trip was so encouraging for the team. But it was equally encouraging for their entire family to see and hang out with some Aussies. After being released to Thailand two years ago, Grant and Kelly have committed their time to not forsake the family unit for ministry and mission but have instead committed to being a family on mission. This family approach to ministry inspired Annie and I to do the same for this short-term trip. Getting a passport for a 1-month-old is interesting enough but taking a 3-month-old to a foreign country is just mad, so I thought. How wrong I was, as Marley ministered love in her own unique baby way!
Learning to Listen Ray Jensen recently led a team on another Bush Run out west to bring hope and supplies to those doing it tough on the land. Jo Bickerton shares their story.
“The reality is that when the farmers do it tough, the whole town does it tough. The guys who sell fertilizer aren’t selling as much, the equipment repair guys aren’t repairing as much, the whole economy of some of these towns, cycles around the land and when nothing happens on the land, nothing happens in town. It’s not just the farmers who are suffering.” Rev Ted Brush, the Bush Church
We delivered one such hamper this trip and were met with overwhelming gratitude at “…what a lifesaver this is!! We haven’t been able to leave the farm in weeks”. I was
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Ray and Barb Jensen have been visiting some of these farmers for over a decade now. They have established a foundation of generosity and integrity, but also of faithfully obeying the Lord’s prompting. Ray will often pack something because he “just has a feeling” and the farmers are starting to notice, commenting that he “…somehow always turns up with the exact thing I need!”
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As we stood in the dust swatting flies away, the farmer prepared to return to the paddock. Pulling his boots on, our new friend paused, looked me in the eyes and said, “it just feels like a prison, ya’ know?”
overjoyed to watch our whole team embrace this sensitivity to the Holy Spirit’s leading as they represented Jesus on this Bush Run. At some properties this meant celebrating that drought breaking rain was finally beginning, and at others it meant grieving severe loss. Our sixth stop took us to a homestead where the lady of the land had passed away only three days prior. She had created a beautiful home amidst extreme hardship, and our time around that table felt like holy ground. This property was yet to see any relief from severe drought and would face years of arduous recovery when the rains did come, yet it was a precious time of laughter, reminiscing and encouragement. I was consistently intrigued
to notice, that the most significant connections were not made during moments of appreciatively receiving donations, but in being still together. One such memory I will long hold dear happened after dinner on our second night. We said our farewells before an early morning departure and as we stepped out into the night were captivated by the dazzling sky above us. We must have been a sight, wandering in circles, nearly falling over each other, as we craned our necks to take in the majestic view. Our hosts realised what we were doing and thoughtfully turned off all the property lights. They brought out chairs for us and then, to our delight, chairs for themselves too. What followed was another hour of raw and authentic conversation enshrouded by a twinkly blanket of stars. Everywhere we stopped along our 1500km journey, we were entrusted with tales of suffering and resilience. These properties have weathered droughts before, but some are now in unparalleled positions of self-sacrifice, having invested everything, and then some, to keep their land. The unending cost of providing nourishment that the earth would normally
offer, has emptied homes of furniture and broken families apart. For some, days become weeks of not talking to another soul, as they fulfil multiple roles that paid workers used to fill. Faced with such heartbreak the “doer” in me was anxious to help; to clean something, to make a plan, or rally more supplies.
It struck me just how much this journey felt like the early church; being released to reach beyond our homes and comfort zones, travelling hundreds of dusty miles to bring a message of hope, one household at a time, guided by Holy Spirit. God is answering our prayers, and the farmers are acknowledging it! Hearts that had hardened to survive a brutal drought are
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I watched in wonder as tales of past shenanigans birthed genuine bonds that led to multiple opportunities to pray, releasing the Kingdom of Heaven.
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Led by Ray’s gentle example we quickly learned the most valuable thing we could bring was relationship - to slow down, usually with a cuppa in hand, and simply listen.
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softening as Holy Spirit ministers to them over tea and tyre repair kits. The Lord confirmed the validity of this approach beautifully on the last day when our intercessors back in Brisbane shared a word for Ray as we drove home.
But Jacob said, “My master can see that the children are frail. And the flocks and herds are nursing, making for slow going. If I push them too hard, even for a day, I’d lose them all. So, master, you go on ahead of your servant, while I take it easy at the pace of my flocks and children. I’ll catch up with you in Seir.” GENESIS 33:13-14 (MSG)
It was such a tender reminder that God knows these farmers on a very personal level. He hasn’t forgotten them and is gently wooing them unto His heart with a rascally shepherd who understands their pace. When our friend with the boots agreed to being prayed for, the team eagerly took turns bringing his needs before the Lord, releasing the promises of Jesus
over his property. The drought breaking rain is coming, the Reign of Heaven is coming, and it comes as no surprise then that the prisoners are being set free. REACHupwards in Prayer We thank you for the resilience of those who work with the land, for farmers and their families, for those who rely upon the land for their life and relationships across Australia in rural and remote places. We know that so many have been, and still are, very close to breaking point due to drought, debt and fire. Loving God, we pray that you will keep them strong, united and hopeful. We come before you, upholding them in ongoing prayer. We give thanks Lord for recent rains and recall the promises you have spoken in Isaiah of the refreshment of creation, of water in the desert, of renewed hope for the land, of hope, of life. Bring follow-up rains Jesus, where first rains have fallen, let germination be sustained all the way to harvest. Thank you for the opportunity to partner with them. Amen.
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He is Enough for Me A growing partnership with Iris Ministries resulted in a Riverlife team travelling to Alice Springs in January to support the work Iris does with at-risk indigenous youth. Pastor Dylan Krause led the team and his wife, Kady, reflects on their time away. I was filled with giddy excitement in the lead up to the Alice Springs mission trip. I hadn’t been a part of a group trip since 2016 and my heart was exploding with anticipation. This trip would be much different than any missions trip I had experienced to date. With my 1.5-year-old hanging on my hip, my role as a mother and leader had me concerned one of the two would suffer for my attention. I knew I did not have enough for both roles, let alone giving to the local people. Still, I felt God assured me to go and to not worry.
in 40-degree heat (with our screaming child for half of it), we arrived at our home for the week, 22 hours later.
We woke early Tuesday morning to meet our team at the airport. After two plane rides, a 6.5-hour ride on an unairconditioned bus
We had gone to run a youth program with Iris Ministries in the mornings and in the afternoons, we were sent out
The next morning our team was already exhausted. I heard no complaining from anyone. Instead, everyone went straight into worship after breakfast. The Lord met us there. Every day, worship always came first. And every morning He filled us to overflowing. We went out from worship seeing just how beautiful our Father God is and were filled with faith for the people of Alice, along with being physically refreshed.
in smaller groups for street evangelism, camp visits and hospital ministry. At night we joined with a team from Melbourne for revival meetings.
We went to Alice because Jesus had called us and released us to go. When He released us, it was with His power and with more than enough to accomplish His desires. Seeing what He can do through our obedience and our weakness was so humbling and so fulfilling for our team. We are nothing without Him! I personally would never have been able to be enough for my child, the team and Alice. But thank you Jesus, that when I am weak, then I am strong in you! (2 Cor. 12:10).
To find out more about the work of Iris Ministries in Alice Springs, click here
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Since being back from Alice, our team has had a new fire for prayer and worship burning inside of them. Being faithful to go when God called us has propelled us all into a deeper passion for Jesus. In being obedient, He has given us so much more than what we gave away in Alice. He is enough for me.
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Throughout the week we saw healing after healing. The aboriginal culture is very sensitive to the spiritual realm, which made words of knowledge an easy tool to reach them with and made them open to prayer. One evening a handful of our team went out for street ministry, handing out oranges and asking to pray for whomever the Spirit led them to. A woman had been sitting begging for money when our team went to talk and pray with her. She said that she was having leg pain, so they began to pray. After a few minutes of praying, as they were getting up to say goodbye, she exclaimed that she could see. A little confused, they found out she had also been dealing with cataracts and while praying for her legs both her legs and eyes were healed! She then became a booming voice telling other passers-by to come and receive prayer because she had been healed. That night and throughout our time in Alice we saw many backs, legs and eyes healed. Nearly everyone we prayed for was healed of something and more than 15 people gave their lives to Jesus.
We were overwhelmed at God's love for the indigenous people.
Preparing Our Kids Spiritually for the Road Ahead
We think nothing of teaching our children how to drive, cook or clean for themselves, but how are we preparing them for living their Christian walk outside of the family home? formation of kids. Preparing kids spiritually to be released into the world is crucial.
So, parents, as a kids pastor who cares deeply about your child’s faith development, can I
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For many years, people considered the church to be the key player in the spiritual formation of kids. Every week, kids would gather and learn about God and how to be a follower of Jesus. This was the family routine. Times have changed though, and in the busy world of 2020 where Sunday morning sport reigns and families find it harder to be at church every week, the fact is that kids are spending less time at church than the generations before them. No longer can the church be responsible for the spiritual formation of kids. Studies are also showing that the number one influence on a child’s faith is not their church, but their parents. More and more churches are now realising that in order to have influence over the spiritual formation of kids, they need to be supporting and empowering parents to be the chief faith influencers.
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The role of the parent is to prepare kids to be released into the world. The image comes to mind of the mother bird encouraging (or pushing) her baby closer to the edge of the nest in preparation for the big jump and, hopefully, the big fly! The mother bird’s job was to prepare her baby for this moment. Human parents essentially do the same thing - prepare their babies to fly the nest and take on the world for themselves. So much effort and energy are poured into this preparation process - from learning manners to getting an education, to mapping out a career pathway etc. The ‘preparation for flight’ process is a lengthy and involved one. But how often as part of that process do we consider the spiritual preparation of kids? As they grow, kids are being formed in many ways, including spiritually, whether we’re aware of it or not. Given that kids today are growing up in a society where it’s going to get tougher and tougher to be a Christian, it is more important than ever to be intentional about the spiritual
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encourage you to be intentional about preparing your kids spiritually? Will you consider how you can influence your child’s faith formation? The most important thing you can do to encourage your child towards a tangible relationship with Jesus is to model a tangible relationship with Jesus. Will you model what it looks like to follow Jesus? I guarantee you that you are their main knowledge source on the topic of following Jesus, you are modelling to them what a Christian is. This doesn’t mean that you should try to be a perfect human, or even pretend that following Jesus is all rainbows and good times. Model a real relationship with Jesus and show them what it looks like to walk with Jesus through good times and hard times. Better yet,
invite kids into those momentsshow them how you pray, how you worship, how you do ‘quiet time’, how you reach out to those around you who don’t know Jesus. Allow kids to be part of those moments so they can learn how to engage in those things themselves. Allow them to see that following Jesus is an active thing, not just something we say. At Riverlife we want to support you with awesome kids and youth programs, but ultimately the greatest power of influence lies with you. Let’s not push our kids out of the nest without having invested in their spiritual formation. Let’s be intentional about shaping them spiritually so that we may see their faith fly.
On the Bookshelf
She is Yours: Trusting God as You Raise the Girl He Gave You
current cultural situation and offer a God-led plan of counterattack, laying out the Sword of truth in response to the rampage of suicide, depression, addiction and fatherlessness.
Jonathon and Wynter Pitts
Raising Giant Killers
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Bill Johnson
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Written by the parents of four young daughters, this book will provide practical advice and encouragement to help you improve your daughter's relationship with God, with you, and with the world around her.
With honesty, humour, and keen biblical insight, bestselling authors Bill and Beni Johnson help you discover the keys to successful parenting in God's kingdom. Lost Boys Cindy McGarvie Scripture warns that the enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy and that’s exactly what we are seeing with our young men. Yet history is replete with seemingly helpless battles turned by determined and courageous leaders. Cindy uses her military background and extensive research to illuminate the
You'll discover how to parent to their uniqueness, gifts, and strengths, as well as how you can demonstrate and reveal who God is to your kids. The authors also address pressing issues parents face today, including how to be fully engaged in hearing what the Lord is saying over each child, maintain relationship and discipline, develop character, train your children for worship and fan the flame of what God has put in their hearts.
Wildflower “You were singing in the womb. You were worshipping. You were worshipping before you took your first breath, you worshipped me…One thing remained – you didn’t stop singing…Right now, I am responding to your worship. It was dark and you worshipped anyway, and it was cold, and you found a song anyway and you sang in the night, you sang in the night, you sang in the night. Songs in the night. Worship lullaby CD. Create the worship lullaby CD. Premature babies will get healed as they listen. Autistic babies will be healed while they listen. Mothers who are infertile and can’t give birth will be healed and conceive while they listen. Worship lullabies – worship lullabies.” David Wagner, 1.09.18, Convergence Conference
We caught the breath of God through a prophetic word given to us in 2018. God was pulling us up out of the plans we had crafted for our life and calling us to something deeper, something far greater. It was at a corporate gathering where God had spoken to us to write an album that would reach out to those in need.
Once we put the time aside and began to write and create, there was an ease to the process unlike the struggle that can often come with song writing; the Lord’s grace and favour was so
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We believe that the prophetic is an invitation. The prophetic is a gift to be unwrapped, explored and enjoyed. It wasn’t created to be spoken into void. It requires action, obedience, community and, of course, the unwavering grace of God. We are so thankful for Jesus who, by His sacrifice, we are able to enjoy such intimacy, dialogue and communion with the Lord. With God initiating this prophetic dialogue, it was now our turn to release the songs in our heart to Him and to the world.
We actually had to dig into the word given to us and agree with what was spoken. We were to be a part of this – it wasn’t going to happen if we weren’t going to do anything about it. God was showing us what it means to trust Him and be in partnership with Him. We needed to take the time to write these songs – prioritise seeking Him and His presence through this project. We needed to experience the partnership of a Good Father.
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After receiving the prophetic word to “Create the worship lullaby CD”, we took some time to pray about what the Lord was saying to us. The Lord was speaking to us about family, about resting in His promises and about slowing the pace of our lives down. He was revealing to us a greater perspective – showing us a picture of miracles we could barely dare to dream up for ourselves.
After receiving this personal revelation from God about creating “worship lullaby” songs, (something we had never even considered before) we were very intentional about accepting this invitation and stewarding what the Lord had shown us. It was around this time that we were beginning to make plans to start our own family (funny how the Lord’s timing is always so perfect). When Annie fell pregnant in November of 2019, worship lullabies didn’t just appear in the sky with an angelic choir proclaiming the songs to be recorded (though, that would be a welcomed experience!) In fact, nothing happened at all.
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evident. He had released us to create. Released us to work with Him. It is from this place that we were able to record these songs and have them out in the world, a little over a year from when we first started digging into this dream. These songs are now ready for people to hear them. We have already seen the peace that they have brought our own daughter and friends with pregnancy scares. We are uncovering the depths of this project and learning that God is calling us all to rest; the cradle and the wise. He is singing these songs over new parents, experienced parents, yet-to-be-parents, daughters, sons; all His children. He is bringing us into a new revelation that we are all His children.
This title doesn’t require striving and it doesn’t require rushing – the simple receiving of rest and the simple action of obedience. Perhaps we are yet to see the full extent and fulfilment of the word, and perhaps we only will in the life that is yet to come, but we do believe we serve a gracious Father who loves to use His children to release them, to bring hope to the world He loves. So, all we can do is stand in confidence, with the faith that He desires, trust that He will fulfil what He has promised, for “…He who promised is faithful”Hebrews 10:23.
To listen to Wildflower, click here
Sounds of the House Several of our Riverlife Worship Team have also released music recently, make sure you check them out!
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I Kick Clouds
Alex Walker and Jacob Li
Ada Richards
Ahead of their first EP, Alex and Jacob have released two singles ‘The Only One’ and ‘Beautiful Saviour’. Keep an eye out for their EP ‘Freedom’s Crown’ due out early April.
Following her previous two EPs, The Jacaranda Tree and Kansas City, Ada has five singles currently on Spotify ahead of her album ‘Rich Young Ruler’, which will be released later this year.
Click here to listen to Sanctuary Co
Click here to listen to Ada Richards
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Sanctuary Co
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
We’re excited to have welcomed several team members over the past few months!
Scott Wilson UNVEILED AUTUMN 2020
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Operations and Facilities Manager What were you doing prior to coming to Riverlife?
You are the Facilities Manager as well as the Operations Manager, what do those two roles involve? As Facilities Manager I oversee the maintenance of the facility, as well as liaising with external and internal parties who want to use and access the space. From prayer meetings to school graduations and more! As Operations Manager, I have the privilege of working alongside all staff and ministry areas to help improve our systems, processes, communication, connection and interaction, and to ensure we stay on track and are focussed on what we feel God has inspired and led us to pursue for the year ahead.
My background covers multiple fields including marketing, event management, non-profit management, specialty coffee and logistics. Most recently I served as Executive Director for Leif Hetland’s ministry, Global Mission Awareness, based in the USA. I have also worked for Global Awakening and Iris Ministries in the past few years as a consultant.
How has what you’ve done in the past set you up for your current role? I love people and helping them see from a different perspective. I believe that everyone has an opportunity to reveal God in a way that no other person
We have a lot of passionate and gifted people who God is igniting to not only pursue Him but to really step out and pursue the manifestation of the Kingdom. Whether that looks like extravagantly loving their neighbour without an agenda or really cultivating a healthy discipleship culture, I am excited to see our culture really embrace
I love my family and enjoy spending time with them and being the fun Uncle to my three nephews. I also love to cook and work with my hands building furniture and creative projects. I also love to ski and will take any opportunity to be on the slopes at least once a year!
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What are you excited about for Riverlife this year?
How do you like to spend your spare time?
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will ever do – we are unique yet made in the image of God. I feel that my experience in the corporate world and with international ministries in multiple countries has given me skills, tools and perspective to help people partner with the Holy Spirit and with each other to really step into their potential. I also am very practical and can oscillate between strategy and the hands-on side of things, which means that it is sometimes easy to fast-track the realisation of an idea because we can switch gears and just get it done!
the opportunity and potential in front of us. We owe it to the world to show them how good Jesus really is by simply living from a place of surrender and overflow!
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
John McKenzie Worship Admin Assistant
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How do you like to spend your spare time? You are the Worship Admin Assistant, what does that new role involve? I assist Nick in planning and coordinating worship teams (e.g. rostering and communicating to volunteers). I also assist with audio production, live streaming and recording.
What were you doing prior to coming to Riverlife? I spent 2019 travelling with my wife Bessie (#bessieannehair), we converted a van into a camper and drove around Europe and spent time with our UK family.
You also have an alterego – what do you do when you’re not at Riverlife? From Wednesday to Friday I work with Ben Graham at Parallel Roasters - it’s awesome!
Spending time with my wife Bessie, falling down musical / audio rabbit holes… and catching up with mates!
What does worship mean to you? For me worship is to posture my life, heart and mind towards Jesus - making Him the central focus in all I do! I love the way we do that here at Riverlife, and that I get to utilise my musical passion to worship Him when we gather corporately.
Favorite worship album? Josh Baldwin – The War Is Over
Maree Adams
Kids Min Admin Assistant
What does your new role as Kids Min Admin Assistant involve?
Because it’s fun! It's a privilege to be part of a child’s life and a joy to watch them learn and grow, particularly in their relationship with God. It also deepens my own relationship with God!
What else are you involved in at Riverlife? I’m part of the Girls’ Brigade group, which includes nearly 100 school-aged girls from Riverlife and our local community. Girls’ Brigade is an opportunity for girls to develop/extend their relationship with God, make new friends, learn new skills
How do you like to spend your spare time? I also work part-time at the Prince Charles Hospital Foundation looking after their volunteers. Both roles feel very God-given and I’m loving the change of direction. My favourite days include time with family and friends and time squirreled away reading, listening to podcasts or working on my latest craft project.
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Why do you love working with kids?
I also help out with English Conversation Classes on Tuesdays. The group is the friendliest, most welcoming group I’ve ever had the pleasure of being part of. Our team is about creating community through English Conversation classes and helping our students connect into the wider Riverlife community. If this speaks to you and you’re free on Tuesday mornings, please touch base with Pastor Robyn Robertson. We’re keen to grow our team!
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On Sunday mornings I’m in the Kids Min foyer as part of the team welcoming families. On Tuesday afternoons I’m in the office providing admin support to our Kids team and volunteers.
and of course have fun. I cannot recommend Girls’ Brigade highly enough for church and non-church girls!
Beyond our Walls Here at Riverlife, we want to celebrate the incredible things that our church family are doing in the wider community!
Jack Sims As a Boarding Master at Brisbane Boys College, Jack Sims basically has 150 little brothers. A former BBC student himself, Jack came to know God during his high school years when he attended BBC’s Inter School Christian Fellowship (ISCF) group. “My faith was nurtured through a safe place at ISCF and gave
me the freedom to explore the deeper things of God with people who knew and loved me enough to walk the journey with me,” Jack said. Living on campus at BBC means that even though Jack is only technically on duty three nights a week, he sees his role as 24/7. He makes an effort to be available whenever the students need help with homework, someone to play footy with, a few words of encouragement or a laugh to cheer them up when living away from home gets rough.
“Because I saw the passion my own mentors had for Jesus and got to do life in close proximity with them, God used that to birth something in my heart and gave me the desire to pour my life into young people and see them become passionate disciples of Jesus who are sold out for Him,” he said.
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Jack also runs a voluntary Chapel meeting each Thursday night for boarders, which sees a core group of 20-25 boys
No stranger to the concept of spiritual warfare, Jack is certainly aware of the enemy’s plans to thwart the minds of those living in the boarding house and weigh them down with mental insecurities, physical injuries and temptations, peer pressure and
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It is no surprise that Jack is currently undertaking a Bachelor of Education, with plans to pursue high-school teaching for boys. He has a unique ability to connect with and reach out to them and believes God has given him a heart to be a positive witness on this frontline and speak truth into their teenage years. With so many issues facing the young men of today, there is such value in older males coming alongside them to mentor and provide encouragement and hope into their situations.
regularly come together for dedicated worship, prayer and small group discussion. One night a group of the boarders decided to commit to 30minutes of Bible reading together on their own accord back in their rooms. After this, they felt led to pray for each other and saw God perform four miracles where boys were healed from physical ailments right in front of their eyes! So excited by what they had seen, they rushed to Jack’s room to tell him all the details and praise God for His goodness.
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negative self-talk. He makes prayer a priority and is careful to regularly cover his mission field with the authority of Jesus. “Within just a few months of God calling me to study education, He opened a door for me to actually make this place a frontline for me to live amongst. I didn’t really love the idea initially of living at my old school, but as the saying goes, you never know what’s on the other side of your obedience,” he says.
“In hindsight I can see how faithfully God has demonstrated His Kingdom to the boys through my ‘yes’ to Him and as Mark Sayers writes, “God is looking for people amongst whom He can dwell”. I hope that by intentionally choosing to dwell here at the boarding house, God can use me to make a difference in the lives of these boys and create young and passionate disciples of Jesus.”
How you can Pray for Jack on His Frontline: + For deeper relationship with the boarders + For spiritual protection over the house + For opportunities to share his faith and lead boys to Christ + For favour with the school community and parents 47 UNVEILED AUTUMN 2020
A new Pushpay function has also been set up to allow for greater flexibility in this current season. To access, simply click here
Actual Income
% of Budget
Budget Variation
February 2020
83.8
-$51,128 -$76,780
Pastor al
29%
ty
18%
try
19%
s ini
34%
Administratio n
er op Pr
Co sts
M
Expenditure by Expense Category
2020 YTD (2 mths) 87.9
Mis so n an d
Financial Summary
We know that right now things are difficult for many people as they live under the uncertainty of the future and financial strain. Let's continue however, to demonstrate faith by being generous whether large or small in our gifts for God so that we can show love and care for those around us.
For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have. 2 CORINTHIANS 8:12 (NIV)
Per annum
Per week
$11M
Per auditorium seat
$2,532
$49
$7,333
Per regular attendee (18+)
$2,246
$43
$6,471
2018 2020
2017
0 .75
0.8
2019
0.7
Income vs Budget
0.85
0.9
0.95
1
1.05
1.1
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Income Budget Debt
49
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
MORE TESTIMONY Have more testimony on what God has done at Riverlife and the surrounding community? We’d love to hear about it! Please email your testimony along with your name and contact details to church@riverlifechurch.org.au
By submitting testimony you are giving Riverlife Baptist Church your permission to share this testimony verbally in messages or sermons and in written form in reports and email newsletters.
Unveiled is a publication of Riverlife Baptist Church If you have any further questions about anything you have read, please visit the information desk in the foyer on Sundays, call the church office during business hours or visit our website. Our regular service times are 9am and 5pm every Sunday.
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Jennifer Street, 17 Mile Rocks Qld 4073