BRINGING HOPE TO THE URBAN POOR IN OUR CITIES (COMMUNITIES) Pastor Conrad Fenton (Founding Director) Slide 1.

BRINGING HOPE TO THE URBAN POOR IN OUR

CITIES (COMMUNITIES) Pastor Conrad Fenton (Founding Director)

Slide 1

We all have a mission field.“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10)

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• God has a unique plan for every Christian’s life

• Every believer needs to find and follow God’s plan for their life • It is the key to all Christians experiencing the “abundant” life that Jesus spoke about in John 10:10

The Lord said to the Prophet Habakkuk,“Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it.” (Habakkuk 2:2a)

• The importance of every church having a clear God given vision for reaching the lost

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“And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the EQUIPPING of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God.” (Ephesians 4:11-13)

• The primary role of those in the five-fold ministry is to equip the saints for the work of the ministry

• Every church should have a clear vision for equipping and mobilising all believers into their ministry callings

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• Wherever God places us, we have the ability as believers to see our workplaces, families and communities impacted by the love of God

• The potential for local churches to bring transformation to entire communities

• As Christians we need to be missions minded

• We must continually believe in the power of the gospel to change lives

The Apostle Paul wrote, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.” (Romans 1:16-17)

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We need to share the hope that we have in Christ with those who are lost.“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

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• God is able to restore the most broken of lives

• God is the God of second chances

• When a person is truly Born Again he is a new creation in Christ

• He who the Son sets free is free indeed

• Past failures will never stop God from using a person to do great things for Him in the future

• God is able to do the impossible where there seems no way

• In Christ everyone has a hope and a futureSlide 7

King David wrote,“Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits; Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, who redeems you life from destruction, Who crowns you with loving kindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” (Psalm 103:2-5)

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The importance of practically reaching out with the love of God to those who are in need.

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“Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, To undo the heavy burdens, To let the oppressed go free, And that you break every yoke?

Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out; When you see the naked, that you cover him, And not hide yourself from your own flesh? (Isaiah 58:6-7)

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CHURCH OF HOPE:• Reaches out into the streets of Melbourne and Kings Cross to establish connections with the homeless communities

• Provides every Saturday night a free meal for the disadvantaged in Melbourne prior to the church meeting

• Provides every Sunday morning a free brunch for the homeless in Kings Cross as a part of the church service

• Will be buying a bus to serve food and drinks to the marginalised in the city of Melbourne this year, and

• Will be holding major outreaches for the disadvantaged in the North Melbourne Town Hall with three course meals, gospel music, testimonies and a message of hope.

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CHURCH OF HOPE ALSO ACKNOWLEDGES THE IMPORTANCE OF PRACTICALLY SUPPORTING OVERSEAS MISSIONS:

• Helping to support pastors who run orphanages

• Assisting pastors who run programs to feed the beggars in Bangalore and Kakinada

• Helping to meet the practical needs of widows in India and now Africa, and

• Helping to support pastors who run food outreaches in the slum areas of Bangalore

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CHURCH OF HOPE ALSO REALISES THE IMPORTANCE OF BRINGING KINGDOM VALUES INTO THE HOMELESS AND MARGINALISED COMMUNITIES:

• The importance of preaching the gospel in all meetings

• The importance of mentoring and discipling key people in the homeless communities

• Sharing practical keys from the Bible which help the marginalised to develop healthy relationship skills, and

• Encouraging those who attend our meetings to grow in their faith and to pursue God’s plan for their life

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PEOPLES LIVES ARE TRANSFORMED WHEN:

• They become connected to a church fellowship where they feel loved and accepted

• They are able to hear the gospel and come to faith and then receive good bible based practical teachings

• They are encouraged by the ministry leaders to fulfil their God given potential

• They commit to a church which has worship meetings in which the presence and love of God is strong, and

• They become actively involved in the life of the church

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If we lay down our lives for the cause of Christ, our lives will make a great impact in this world.Jesus said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.” (John 12:24)

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WE MUST BE COMMITTED TO REACHING OUT TO THE LOST AND TO SERVING THOSE IN OUR COMMUNITY

Jesus said to His disciples, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet is shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave - just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:25-28)

WE NEED TO COMMIT TO LAYING DOWN OUR LIVES FOR THE CAUSE OF CHRIST

“For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10)

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Jesus said, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed. To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.” (Luke 4:18)

JESUS SAID IN THE PARABLE OF THE GREAT SUPPER AFTER THOSE WHO HAD BEEN INITIALLY INVITED DECLINED TO COME

“...Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor and the maimed and the lame and the blind.” (Luke 14:21)

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Working together as a team the church has the potential to see entire communities transformed by the love of God.

Jesus said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35)

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CHURCH OF HOPE HAS WORKED TOGETHER WITH SEVERAL OTHER CHURCH GROUPS AND CHURCHES• Church of hope has a Kingdom of God Ministry Focus

• Primarily we have a short-term shepherding role to those who are living on the streets of Melbourne and Kings Cross. However several of those who have come of the streets are now also being trained for ministry

• Christian Life Assembly has partnered with our work in Melbourne

• St Johns Anglican Church has provided a venue for our church to hold Sunday meetings and mid-week bible studies in Kings Cross

• Several other church groups have also helped to cater for our Melbourne Saturday night meetings, and

• Several Christian groups and churches have also helped to finance the missions work both here in Australia and abroad

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WORKING TOGETHER AS A TEAM WE CAN ACHIEVE MUCH

The Apostle Paul wrote,“There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all:” (1 Corinthians 12:4-7)

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Today will you partner with God to fulfil His plan for your life.“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 15:58)

If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honour.” (John 12:26)

Slide 21

• We all have a mission field

• We all need to choose to follow God’s plan for our life

• We must all like the Prophet Isaiah simply choose to respond to God’s call

“Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: “Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?”

Then I said, ‘Here am I! Send me.” (Isaiah 6:8)

God is looking for those that He can use to be His hands and feet in this world

Slide 22

The Apostle Paul wrote, “See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” (Ephesians 5:15-17)

The harvest is ripe NOW.

Jesus said, “Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!” (John 4:35)

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GIVEN THE LATE HOUR THAT WE LIVE IN AND THE IMMINENT RETURN OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, WE NEED TO BE BUSY DOING THE WORK OF THE FATHER

THERE ARE MULTITUDES IN THE VALLEY OF DECISION

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Website: www.coh.org.au

GPO Box 3552Melbourne, Vic, 3001

Australia

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