On Monday afternoon, our beautiful sister Natalie Hockey went to sleep in this life, with her husband Joel and children around her, and woke up in the arms of her Saviour Jesus. Natalie is loved by a great many people, because Nat herself loved others so much. A lot of people will feel this very deeply, but none more than her precious family. 

At the Hockey's’ place during the week, we discussed how on Monday, the verse of the day on the Bible app was 2 Corinthians 1:3-4.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 

As a church, we are not unfamiliar with loss, and the pain it brings to people. Through numerous times of grief, however, we have experienced the very real comfort of God and his people. The timing of these verses reveals that while the troubles we have faced have been so hard, God in his Sovereignty has used them to form a church that is more ready and equipped to comfort others, with the comfort we have received.

Last Sunday we shared our vision called, Made for More. If you missed the service you can catch up on our YouTube channel and pick up a booklet from the information table. A key theme God impressed on our hearts was how our weaknesses, and the trials we have been through as a church, haven’t put limits on what God will do through us. Trials are really hard, but they also display how strong the love and power of God is. Instead of crushing us, the trials have made us for more of the comfort and compassion of God to flow to more people. 

There are many people in our very broken world, that need churches like this. Jesus placed The Grove in our neighbourhood to be a refuge and safe place for this very reason. 

Leanne and I are so thankful for our church family at The Grove for the way you continue to love one another through every season we go through. Thank you for the love that’s flowing to the Hockey family, and we pray all who come on Thursday to the thanksgiving service will be comforted and encouraged. 

                Marty

Pentecost Sunday is a like a birthday celebration for the church, remembering with joy how the church was born when the gift of the Holy Spirit was given. On that first Pentecost, 3000 people were baptised into God’s family, the church. 

Two thousand years later we are still baptising people, and this morning we celebrate Pentecost Sunday with the baptisms of Hannah and Ruby. These young women have beautiful stories of how Jesus found them and brought them to The Grove, to discover hope and life in Christ. Hannah mentions in her testimony how Dean overheard her talking about wanting to check out church, and he invited her along to The Grove last year. She came and never left! Praise God.  

Celebrating people saying yes to Jesus call has been a mark of the church since day one. We certainly love to celebrate people at The Grove, so let me share a few more reasons with you. Last Sunday at our church meeting, God’s call on a few people was approved to start new roles in the new financial year. 

Henry Leong’s role is changing from Youth and Young Adults Pastor to Next Generation Pastor. This means Henry will oversee the leaders of kids, youth and the 5.30pm congregation. On Vision Sunday next week we will commission Henry for this calling. 

Emma is part of the Next Gen team as our Children’s Worker, but now Jade Biddell will also join the team. Jade began in an Administration Support role this year, but her role shifts to include leading our prayer ministry and hospitality at the 5.30pm service, and overseeing our Café team across the church.  

Our worship and tech team has grown to 41 members, so it’s a joy to announce that Sinead Gardner is called by Jesus as our new Worship Director, receiving the Baton from Fiona Mansfield. We celebrate and give thanks for Sinead as she leads the team to serve God’s vision for worship.  

So on Pentecost Sunday we celebrate baptisms and new callings, because that’s why the Holy Spirit was given; to radically change people’s lives with grace and purpose. There is something else the church loves to do, and that’s to pray for people. All week we have been praying with churches across Queensland for the love of God to spread into every heart and home. This afternoon we finish our week of prayer with a final prayer meeting at 4pm, to pray for those who need healing in some way. You are so welcome to come and experience the love and help of God, through this special ministry of the

Holy Spirit through his church. 

Happy Pentecost Sunday, Marty

It’s an exciting time to be part of Jesus church. God is doing something on a grander scale than I have seen in my lifetime. The new report from the Bible Society in the UK is telling. Six years ago just 4% of 18-24 year olds went to church, today that number has quadrupled to 16%. That’s incredible! Atheism seems to be waning, and belief in God is rising in popularity again. Even Joe Rogan, the most listened to podcaster in the world, is now going to church and reading the bible after interviewing the apologist Wes Huff. 

We are seeing evidence of this move of God in our own nation, and at The Grove. Many years ago I used to dream of a day I got to stand up the back of a church building in Ferny Grove somewhere, and watch young adults leading the church, and passionately following Jesus. That dream has become a reality as I get to be an usher on Sunday nights, and my heart is so full of gratitude as I witness so many young people gathering and seeking after Jesus. Glory to God. 

There is an increasing hunger for God. We currently have two Alpha courses running, and one is full of teenagers including some brand new to church. There are also stories of people coming to The Grove to explore faith, because of some kind of spiritual awakening in their lives at home. More evidence of the Holy Spirit working is another three young people testifying to Jesus through baptism in the next few weeks, one who would have called herself an atheist last year.

I really like the term quiet revival, because it’s not like some explosive moment but a deep and wide current of the Holy Spirit moving. And rather than leading us into intensity, it seems that God is leading us out into lighter times of joy and wonder at all he is doing in many lives. We have seen such a tough mental health crisis in our nation, and confusion about identity, yet this quiet revival seems to be marked by a deeper peace and joyful confidence in belonging to Jesus.

Whenever God is moving, it’s still possible to miss out. To sleep through it, or get distracted by lesser things. That’s why prayer is so important. Prayer is being wide awake, or like the prophets defined it, being watchman on the walls (Isa 62:6-7) – alert to all God is doing. The week of prayer has come with timing that can only be from God. Let’s join our hearts together for the final week of our Fan the Flame series, seeking Jesus as we lead into celebrating Pentecost Sunday and beyond. 

As God’s grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, 

and God will receive more and more glory. (2 Cor 4:15 NLT)

Fanning the Flame of Unity

Last Friday night, we gathered with 10 local youth groups—across five different denominations—to worship together and hear from God’s Word. It was an incredibly encouraging night. Over 220 young people lifted their voices in praise, shouting and singing to God with passion. To witness that kind of unity and spiritual hunger in the next generation was something special.

That morning, as I spent time in prayer and reading through our Fan the Flame devotion, I was surprised to find the passage was Acts 10:23–48. It’s a powerful account of unity—one that brings together very different people in undeniably messy and uncomfortable circumstances. In the story, both Cornelius and Peter are learning something vital: that the gospel of Jesus is for anyone, anywhere, at anytime.

Peter refuses to let Cornelius worship him as a god, and in turn, Peter refuses to treat Cornelius as inferior—which, sadly, would have been culturally acceptable at the time. Instead, through the work of the Holy Spirit, two men from vastly different worlds are brought together in Christ.

Bringing together 10 youth groups from different backgrounds might sound like a logistical challenge—but the power of the Holy Spirit brings unity far beyond human effort. And I wonder: what parts of your life need that same power?

Is there a situation you need to bring before God? A relationship that feels strained or stuck? Maybe there’s a place where you’ve been praying for peace or healing. Be encouraged: the same Spirit that brought Peter and Cornelius together is still at work today. He can unite even the messiest parts of our lives—and when He does, the gospel goes forward, and the Word of God continues to spread. May he continue to fan the flame of unity across Queensland and our Nation.

Acts 10:34–35:

"Then Peter began to speak: 'I now realize how true it is that 

God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation 

the one who fears him and does what is right.'"

Blessings,

Henry

One of the highlights of my week this week came early on Tuesday morning at 6:30am at Ferny Grove Primary School. I had just dropped off half of our pancake supplies and was walking back to my car to collect the remaining supplies, when a young girl headed to before school care with her Dad spotted me coming along the path and began waving excitedly. I was tempted to look behind me to make sure she was waving at me, and not someone else, but I waved back and when I approached her I said, “are you looking forward to pancakes this morning?” She smiled and nodded and her Dad said “We thought you were the pancake lady!”  I’ll take it! My role is generally helping set up and prepare the pancake mix, ready for the BBQ team. A “behind the scenes” type role, but important nonetheless.

There is something special about serving in small, practical ways, especially when it brings joy to kids and families in our neighbourhood. That morning we cooked up 20kg of pancake mix and heard one of our best compliments ever! One boy said “These pancakes are better than a five-star restaurant!” We didn’t ask him if he’d ever been to a five-star restaurant, but again, we’ll take it!

On that same Tuesday morning, Pastor Henry was serving pancakes at Ferny Grove High School, and there is an opportunity to serve pancakes at The Gap High School with Chappy Kristen next week also! These opportunities are such a simple but powerful way to show God’s love and bless our next generation through yummy food, lots of fun and a connection that makes a lasting impact.

Jesus said in Matthew 5:16, and it is also written on the wall in our foyer, “Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

When we serve others, the light of Christ is able to shine into the darkest of places and when we serve with joy, people notice, not just the delicious pancakes, but the heart behind them.

If you’ve been thinking about serving in one of our ministry teams and would love to be involved, we’d love to help you find your place. There is more information in this week’s Newsletter about how to get involved, 

but let’s keep shining where God places us, even if its one 

pancake, one kind word, one smile or one act of love at a time.

God bless, Mel