Above & Beyond in 2022
After two of the most challenging years that many of us have faced, it is with heartfelt thanks that I come to our wider church community today. I am so thankful for the many people who chose to stay deeply connected to our community through online services, zoom life groups, intermittent gatherings and unpredictable restrictions. It was a season where it was never easier to drift out of a life-giving church community, but you chose to rally, build, and stay the course despite the cost.
It is because of your resilience and the faithfulness of our Beyond Church community that we now launch into a new year emboldened to believe again for the miracle-working power of an unchanging and always faithful God to be at work through His church.
Our theme verse for this year is Mark 11:24 TPT Mark 11:24 TPT
’This is the reason I urge you to boldly believe for whatever you ask for in prayer—be convinced that you have received it and it will be yours.’
Therefore we are choosing to boldly believe God for an Above and Beyond kind of year in 2022. We want to invite you into this adventure. We want to see you inspired to partner with the vision of this church. We want you to join together in prayer and pray for a year that moves us all forward toward a year far above and beyond any year before it!
On Sunday, March 13, we launched our ‘Above and Beyond Offering’ goals for 2022. You can rewatch that presentation HERE. In this presentation, we receive the invitation to partner with the ‘Above and Beyond’ goals of Beyond Church in 2022. This year our heart is for the following:
Project 1: Vietnam
Continuing our community transformation work with our partner families in Vietnam. This partnership has extended almost 15 years now and has seen us contribute to improving the lives of the poor and vulnerable in Vietnam through a range of practical projects, such as swimming training programs (drowning is a major cause of death for children under age 5 in Vietnam), entrepreneurial programs giving families in villages the start-up funds and training to run their own small businesses to support their families, life skills and values programs to protect women and girls from abuse and sex trafficking, and programs which purchase medical equipment and provide clean water for remote villages.
Project 2: Cessnock
Continued upgrade works to our Cessnock church facility through the purchase of new chairs for the auditorium. This adds to the work in previous years of reconfiguring the auditorium, building new kitchen and café spaces, creating new office spaces and parents room, purchasing new sound and video equipment for services, laying new carpet in our Front Room community space, and last year completing the carpeting works into our auditorium space.
Project 3: Scone
Continued savings toward a permanent facility purchase in our Scone location. We are still working toward providing high-quality Christian childcare as it is a desperate need in this community, and are boldly believing to be able to move closer to this goal this year.
Project 4: Toronto
Replanting our Toronto location this year. We will be matching funds received from the Church Planting department of NSW Australian Christian Churches and continuing to build on works already commenced to launch our Creative Academy in Toronto, connect with the local community through print media and creating a space which is warm, welcoming and easy to find at The Boulevarde, Toronto.
Project 5: ALL LOCATIONS
Creating a source of funding to quickly act of Above and Beyond generosity toward others in our local communities of Cessnock, Scone and Toronto. Part of these funds will go toward our contribution to the Can We Pray For You campaign, as well as being ready and able to bless people in our communities who go above and beyond for others, such as Above and Beyond coffees, Fathers Day hampers and meals through our community spaces.
Our Above and Beyond Offering gaol for 2022 is $50,000.
I would ask that you prayerfully consider how you might partner with this vision in 2022. Contributions can be made via the link below from today.
Ps. Luke Main