Our second group was started last Sunday (Jan. 4) and our numbers increased immediately. Our first Sunday in two groups saw 36 people in attendance. We did have visitors (Ross, Cheryl, Jessica, and Andrew Wissmann) from the Philippines that we can’t expect back again, but still it was a great day.

Our two groups are going to be quite different from one another. As a whole, our morning group is older and most have been Christians longer. Our afternoon group has young families, young adults, and kids. I certainly wouldn’t want to say that I am going to enjoy one more than the other. I am glad to be able to be a part of both for the time being.

Quickly as we begin two groups, the men will begin doing some of the teaching. In relatively short order, I plan to do about half of the teaching/leading on Sundays. I will work with the men who are leading during the week so that they can feel confident and prepared. I will also be teaching a Wednesday night class for the church.

We are truly thankful for the way in which the church is growing. We are growing in numbers (we had 60% more people in attendance the first Sunday of 2009 than we did the first Sunday of 2008). We are growing in understanding of the Word. We are growing in our willingness to serve and lead.

We ask that you pray for the church as we grow and mature.

We are in the process of planning for a second church plant. Perhaps you should think of it as an expansion of the congregation we have already started. Our numbers have increased to the point where we simply cannot continue meeting in one house so we will expand into two. This has been our plan from the beginning.

In discussions with our group, they unanimously said that they want to continue meeting in homes. Everyone likes the ability to be involved in the Bible studies, the close fellowship, and the fact that our financial gifts can all be used for missions, benevolence, and evangelism. We hope to replicate these groups over and over again across our region. My role will be to provide training for leaders so that the churches can be independent of the need for outside help. We want to develop churches that are doctrinally sound, outwardly focused, and capable to being sustained and reproduced.

The plan we are discussing means that we will have one group meeting in the morning and one in the afternoon on each Sunday. We have a couple of nurses who are only able to come in the afternoon on the Sundays they work. We have other families who prefer the mornings; especially those who have to work early Monday morning or who drive some distance to get to the meetings. Some enjoy taking the morning to pray and read their Bibles quietly at home while coming together in the afternoon. We expect each group to retain our general schedule which includes plenty of fellowship, an in-depth Bible study, sharing the Lord’s Supper, a period of singing, a time of prayer, and a meal. Our gatherings usually last about four hours in total, but sometimes some of the folks hang around for up to six hours.

One Sunday per month, we plan to rent a community center and come together as a whole group. This will be a time to invite our neighbors and friends. People will be encouraged to visit between groups and keep in contact during the week. This is not meant to divide our group, but to expand our outreach.

We are determined to see the church as the body of Christ in this community, not just as a place to go on Sundays. Our Sunday gathering is just a small part of what we are about. Our desire is to carry out the mission of God in our community as we live for Christ 24/7.

We have had a few questions about the increasing strength of the US dollar and what it means for us. The Australian dollar has fallen about 30% since July when it reached .985 in value. As I write today, the Australian dollar is worth .689. A few days ago the Australian dollar reached as low as .605, but it has rebounded. What will the future bring? Will it continue to rebound and increase or resume the devaluation? Your guess is as good as mine. Back in July, the consensus was that the Australian dollar would actually top $1.00 US. Now, some think the Australian dollar will continue to decline in value, but there is quite a bit of uncertainty.

So what does it all mean? It means that if we transferred $5,000.00 US dollars in July, we would have received $5,076 Australian dollars. If we were to transfer the same amount today, we would receive $7,257.00 Australian dollars. That sounds like great news doesn’t it? And in many respects it is. Because of the decline in the value of the Australian dollar, we have been able to save enough to buy a much needed car soon. This would not have been possible if the dollar had remained so high.

If the dollar stays low it will help us as we continue to save to build an office for the ACTM. This is an vital project, but we simply have not been able to save anything for it as the dollar has been so high over the past couple of years. If the dollar remains low, it will help us get Daniel and Samantha to the field and provide for them once they are here.

The falling dollar benefits Australian exporters as their goods cost less to buy abroad and may help cushion some of the effects of a recession that is expected in Australia. The low dollar is a help to the Australian tourist industry and those who come to visit our work in Australia. Conversely, imported goods will cost more meaning that electronics, clothing, and a wide array of products will increase in price offsetting some of the benefit of a weaker dollar for us and other Australians. An illustration of this is the price of gasoline. Since oil is priced on the world market in US dollars it has remained high in Australian dollars. Even as the cost of a gallon of gasoline has fallen nearly 50% in the USA, it has fallen only 10% in Australia in Australian dollars.

The falling dollar is difficult for one of our church families because they run a franchise from a US company and their royalties and goods are priced in US dollars. Certainly they cannot raise their prices 32%, so their profits have been cut. So, the declining value of the Australian dollar has multifaceted effects some of which are good and others of which are not.

Obviously we don’t know what the future will bring. The Australian dollar may rise, just as it has fallen. It may continue to fall. Whatever the value of the dollar, we will attempt to be good stewards of the funds entrusted to us. If you have interest in the currency value you can check up the minute rates at: http://www.xe.com.

It is with a great deal of excitement that we announce that our oldest son Daniel, and our lovely daughter-in-law Samantha, will be joining the work in Australia. To say we are happy that they will be coming Down Under is an understatement. We need their help and we will enjoy their presence. That said, this is completely their decision. We would want it no other way.

This is not going to be an easy time to raise support for relocation and living expenses. We are well aware that the world economy is fragile and the future is uncertain. It seems that the USA is entering a recession that could be prolonged and severe. Likewise, the Australian government has indicated the likelihood of a recession here. The old saying, “When America sneezes, the rest of the world catches a cold” is true. World economies are so intricately tied together that a severe downturn in one part of the world affects the rest. Still, we are confident that God can provide Daniel and Samantha the resources to relocate to Australia and to live here once they arrive. God’s people are generous and God can use them to provide for Daniel and Samantha’s needs.

It was 23 years ago, that we began preparing to move to Grenada, so we know some of the emotions that they will experience. This will be a faith-building exercise for them. We appreciate any encouragement that you can give Daniel and Samantha. Your prayers for them are most welcome.

In the coming weeks, Daniel and Samantha will have their own page or pages on this website. Right now, their time is pretty tight. Daniel is involved in student-teaching in Knoxville and will complete this in December. Samantha is working at a Curves Ladies Fitness Center and selling Mary Kay.

We do ask for your prayers as they make their preparations to join the work Down Under.

Over the past several years, we have had a number of requests for a website. Well, here it is! I will agree that it’s not too much (at least yet), but we do hope to see it expand over the weeks and months ahead. The purpose of this website to keep friends and supporters of Southern Cross Ministries informed of our work. Here you will find archived newsletters, photos, and general information about the work of Southern Cross Ministries. If you have just stumbled upon this website and don’t know us, we welcome you too.

We have also developed a website for the new church plant, the Eastern Downs Church of Christ. Here you can see the work of the new church plant and here we will make available lessons and sermons for download. In the future we will also have a site for the Australian Christian Training Ministries.

I plan to use this blog space to make comments on things that you might (or might not) find interesting. As always, we want to hear from you. Please drop us an email to let us know what you think about the new website and anything else that you would like to see added.