www.rousehillchurch.com - a fellowship of Christians for the Hills District

Team Update
www.rousehillchurch.com - a fellowship of Christians for the Hills District

Fresh website on the way!

31 July 2008
We have been working to update and expand the website, which will be ready in August. Initially the site was created to help inform supporters and to advertise to the community. We plan to improve in those areas, with more emphasis on informing the community.

We are excited about the recent progress in the church plant, and we want the updated site to reflect that. Will be in touch!

Ben

Scripture Class Update: Confessing Your Sins

10 May 2008
I just never expected to be confessing mine to 25 kindergarteners! Last week while teaching the Easter story I was trying to help my students understand that we have all done bad things. Some of them really got the idea because one asked if "even teachers do bad things?" When I assured him it was true, another piped up wanting to know, "What bad things do you do?" Which is how I came to find myself confessing to a bunch of five year olds that "sometimes I drive my car faster than I'm supposed to."

Elisabeth

Team Update: Friends At Faith

25 March 2008
Faith Baptist Church in Dundas invited the team to a Missions Dinner last week. The event was lively and full of exotic foods and fun activities. One highlight was the church's missions report, which noted about 25% of the church's income is designated toward supporting missionaries. For a small church, this was very encouraging and shows a solid commitment to supporting missions. The dinner also featured video and photo reports from missionaries. We gave a progress update concerning Rouse Hill and I spoke briefly on evangelism.

Faith Baptist has also committed to sponsoring our work in Rouse Hill. We're grateful for their help and look forward to partnering with them for the advance of the Gospel. Thank you, friends at Faith!

Ben

Weber Progress Report

28 January 2008
The Weber family are making progress in gathering financial support in the US. They have visited about 20 churches in the past three months, reporting to sponsors and meeting new helpers. Please pray God will provide the remaining $1500 / month needed. You can read their latest family update here.

Ben

Weber Progress Report

14 December 2007
Here is news from the Weber family, who are currently reporting to their sponsoring churches in the US:
- They have visited 15 churches in the past two months and have received more financial support.
- Praise point: the Webers unexpectedly received a minivan for their long trips. They thank God for this timely help!
- They have a full schedule of church meetings until April. They currently need $1600 per month. Please pray God will provide what is needed.

Lord willing, the Webers will return sometime in 2008. They appreciate your prayers! To contact them, email webersdownunder (at) gmail.com.

Ben

Scripture Class Update

27 November 2007
This is the last week of class for all of my Scripture kids.  It's been such a special year, and I've enjoyed it so much.  Last week we talked about the Christmas story.  I think the year 4's and 6's were a bit surprised to learn just how much they didn't know!  This week my year 1 classes were going to read The Legend of the Candy Cane: about how the shape can be a shepherd's staff or a J for Jesus, the red is for Christ's blood, and the white represents the purity of our heart after Christ takes away our sins at salvation.  It's a great summary of both Christmas and Easter and a fun way to end the year.

Elisabeth

Update From Elisabeth

24 October 2007
I had a wonderful time overseas. In Togo, West Africa, I was able to assist with developing some second language acquisition curriculum for use in the Christian schools. This was an adventure as I speak neither Ewe (the local language) or French (the official language)! It was a special blessing to be able to meet Harry and Bea face-to-face and see first hand the work they do training the Togolese to be teachers and helping churches start Christian schools.

In Thailand, I had the privilege of teaching at an English camp for high schoolers through adults. I taught a first year university class, the students had moderate English abilities and it was fun to see them try new phrases and words. The week was made extra special because my parents were also teachers at the camp. It was wonderful to spend some time with them since we so rarely see one another.

Elisabeth

Where Did Everybody Go?

22 October 2007
We've been a little slack on team updates lately, so here's a brief report from this month:

After four years of service in Australia, the Weber family have returned to the US this month to report to their sponsoring churches. We worked together to pack and to help with the big move. Lord willing, they will return next year after they have gathered additional support. We'll post their monthly prayer letters here and will pray for them during their absence.

Elisabeth has just returned after travelling overseas the past couple weeks. It's been a busy season for her too! She'll provide her own update soon.

Di's parents and brother visited from New York, so we took time out for hospitality and sightseeing. They were a blessing, helping around the house and with the children. Also, I was encouraged by a ministry conference in Queensland last week.

It's a memorable month for the team, and we look forward to what God has in store.

Ben

New Photos

28 September 2007
We've posted new photos from this month in our Photos section.

Ben

Growing in Unity

29 August 2007
One of the highlights of my week is Wednesday evening when the Kwoks, Webers, and I all get together for a meal and planning. Each week the time is filled with good fellowship, great food, and a lot of laughter. It's amazing to see how God has brought us all together from very different backgrounds and ministries to form one team.

Elisabeth

Seeing God At Work

20 August 2007
I consider it a great privilege to be working with this new church. It is amazing to see God working and watch a church come into existence from nothing but an idea. I have greatly enjoyed working "behind the scenes" with the computer-side of our presentations and being "Aunt Elisabeth" to the kids in the group. I'm really looking forward to our first service on 2 September!

Elisabeth

Presentation at Cornerstone

20 August 2007
This past Sunday the team presented at Cornerstone Baptist Church, Erskine Park. Several years earlier, Pastor Steve Mayo led a team to plant the church, which has become a thriving fellowship. We appreciated their commitment to God-centred, reverent worship in their Sunday meeting. The team shared the vision for ministry in the Hills District and received many helpful responses, including a generous financial gift. Thank you, Cornerstone!

See photos here. (Elisabeth is not pictured because she was working behind-the-scenes, keeping things running smoothly!)

This will be our last presentation for a while, as we introduce public worship services next month. Thank you for your support and prayers.

Ben

Scripture Class Update

17 August 2007
This term in Scripture we have been learning about the kings and prophets of Israel and Judah. It has been so good to listen to the kids' questions and comments as we work through the various mistakes and turn-arounds in the Israelite's history. One highlight came last week after I asked them why God would protect Judah from Sennacherib when He allowed Israel to fall. One Year Four boy put it very clearly: Judah was obeying God and honouring Him in their actions and Israel wasn't. It's wonderful to see them understanding biblical truths and putting together the lessons on their own!

Elisabeth

Presentation at Faith Baptist Church, Dundas

14 August 2007
The team was invited to Faith Baptist Church in Dundas this week. We introduced our ministry vision, Elisabeth gave a testimony of God's guidance, and Paul preached concerning "the work of the Lord" (I Corinthians 15:58). Missionary John Wickline has led Faith Baptist as pastor for over 10 years. The church is comprised of both Asian and Anglo attenders, which reflects their community. We're thankful for the opportunity to meet with them and work together for the advance of the Gospel in Sydney.

Ben

Preparing for September

08 August 2007
This week Rachel and I began working on the curriculum that we will be using in our Sunday School classes. We have decided to start out with some materials written by New Tribes Mission in conjunction with AWANA. The material begins with who God is and then leads the children step-by-step through the Bible from Genesis through the life of Christ. Since the material was written with AWANA council times in mind, we are adjusting some of the work pages and adding a few crafts, games and other fun things. We look forward to starting Sunday School in September!

Elisabeth

Colour Club Week

26 July 2007
Last week the team provided Colour Club, an after-school children's event at Rouse Hill Community Centre. Four students from Bob Jones University assisted and letterboxed the neighbourhoods to promote the week-long event. The children formed two teams (Paints and Pencils) and enjoyed games, crafts and Bible stories. It was great to meet other parents and make new friends.

Colour Club was also supported by various AFBC churches. Emmanuel Baptist Church and Cornerstone Baptist Church provided materials. Inner West Baptist Church provided Christian tracts and books. Fellowship hosted the BJU students and Bethesda Baptist Church gave a cash donation. Friends assisted with letterboxing. Thank you for your kind support!

See photos here.

Ben

Kwok Update

15 July 2007
Where have the Kwoks been? Here's a brief update. From May to June, we were travelling in the US. We arrived in time for the wedding of Ben's brother to Di's sister in Albany, NY. It was a blessing to reunite with Di's family and Grace Bible Church. We also reported to several other churches which sponsor our work here. One highlight was a road trip to Greenville, SC to spend a weekend at our home church, Trinity Bible Church. The three children generally traveled well despite the lengthy trips. While the weeks seemed to fly by, we thank God for the opportunity to reconnect with friends. And we're glad to be back!

Ben

Brisbane Children's Ministries Conference

05 June 2007
This past weekend I had the opportunity to speak at a children's workers conference in Brisbane. Though there was a small turn out, those who came were keen to learn and had a lot of great questions and comments. I enjoyed getting to meet many new people, and learned a few things myself!

Elisabeth

Learning Biblical Archaeology

24 May 2007
This week and next I have the privilege, along with about 15 other pastors and Christian leaders from Australia and New Zealand, to attend a course on Biblical Archaeology through the Asia Baptist Theological Seminary (ABTS).  It is fascinating to see the biblical events come alive as we understand more of the history and culture behind the writing of the Scriptures.  I am praying that what I learn in this course will give me a greater passion and confidence not only as I preach, but also as I give a defence of the Scriptures to those who would try to discredit them.

Paul

Weber Family Adjustments

02 May 2007
Congratulations to Ben and Di on their most recent addition, Lydia Jane!  As for the Weber family, we are still adjusting to the arrival of Sarah Elizabeth March 15th.  Rachel and I are now learning to care for five children.  But it certainly is a good problem, as each member of our family is learning to do their part in keeping things going around the Weber household.  It is such a great blessing to be part of a family that loves and cares for each other in such a way.  We look forward to having a church family that does the same.
 
The Webers

Lydia Jane Kwok

25 April 2007
Di gave birth to our baby girl Monday night. Di arrived at the hospital at 9pm and delivered the baby 30 minutes later! Lydia is healthy, her parents are well, and the boys are excited. We praise God for His faithfulness.                  - Ben

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Learning Mercy From Samson

25 April 2007
Recently I had the opportunity to read a paper on the life of Samson. It struck me that he did little, if anything, right according to God's laws; and yet God still used him to destroy the Philistines. I am thankful that we serve a merciful God who doesn't just give second chances, but third, fourth, and as many as we need!

Elisabeth

Children: What Happened To Jesus?

16 April 2007
Each week I have the privilege of teaching Scripture in three different primary schools. The first term of this year was spent learning about Jesus' life and death for us. The children were all very attentive and asked great questions. One of my classes, a Year 4 group, said they want to know what happened to Jesus after He rose from the dead. So we're going to be starting term two by looking at Jesus' last days on earth, the ascension, and His second coming.

Elisabeth

Children's Ministry Training

04 April 2007
This past Saturday I had the opportunity to present three workshops at a children's ministry training course hosted by AWANA. It was a great day and attendees ranged from AWANA workers and Scripture teachers to Sunday School Teachers and young people who are interested in becoming teachers. I really enjoyed getting to meet so many and exchanging ideas and plans with other teachers from around the Sydney region.

Elisabeth

The Prestons-Rouse Hill Connection

28 March 2007
This past Sunday the team gave a presentation at Bethesda Baptist Church in Prestons. The Webers have assisted Bethesda in various ministries, since the church is young and growing. We (Kwoks) were first-time guests, but the most popular newcomer was the Webers' baby girl Sarah. She attracted many admirers! After the service, we mingled with the church family over refreshments.

Because Bethesda is relatively new, it's interesting to learn how God brought the church together. Pastor John Sirone planted the church in 2004 while working full-time, after years of preparation in the Word and ministry. From the outset, Pastor Sirone emphasized Bible teaching and has resisted the mainstream churches' trend toward featuring entertainment in worship. At the same time, the church is actively involved in evangelism through organized outreach and personal relationships with the community.

We were especially encouraged by the church's initiative to help sponsor our team's ministry to the Rouse Hill area. This will be a great help, as launching a new church requires initial financial support. Lord willing, we look forward to a productive partnership with Bethesda Baptist Church!

See the team with John & Thelma Sirone here.

Sarah Elisabeth Weber

17 March 2007
Welcome to the latest member of the Weber family and the ministry team! Sarah arrived on Thursday night and is adjusting well. Parents are in good shape too! See photo here.

Prayer Request: Baby Arrival

15 March 2007
Paul & Rachel Weber would appreciate your prayers as they expect a baby girl imminently.  Imminently--as in "any day now!" We look forward to seeing the newest addition to their family very soon. Thanks for taking time to pray for them.

In The Blue Mountains

19 February 2007
Pastor Wayne Robilliard invited us to Central Mountains Baptist Church in Hazelbrook, which we visited yesterday. Paul preached on faithfulness in sharing the Gospel and related the story of Frank Jenner, a man whom God used to impact thousands of people in Sydney through his faithful outreach.

We enjoyed a fellowship lunch after the service, making new friends and renewing acquaintances. Pastor Wayne started CMBC in 1993 and it's encouraging to see how God has blessed the church's steadfast commitment to extensive Bible teaching and evangelism. We're glad to be following in their footsteps! Click here for new photos.

First Presentation

12 February 2007
This past Sunday, we visited Allowera Baptist Church in Riverstone, where we presented our vision for a new church in the Rouse Hill area. Pastor Dan Proctor is one of our advisors and is sympathetic to church planting, having led Allowera since its beginning. The congregation was friendly and asked good questions about our ministry plans. We look forward to working with them in future ministries together.