Sydney Labouring Community Update Summer 2024

By Scott Brown

“In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.”
– John 16:23–24 –

If you’ve kept up with our updates you know we’ve repeatedly asked you to pray for more labourers – especially younger ones who will help us reach the upcoming generations for years to come. It fills us with joy to share a few ways the Lord has answered “yes” to your prayers recently.

Macquarie University

In our last update we asked you to pray for two students who were thinking of joining us in campus ministry. Gratefully, the Lord has given each of them a clear sense of calling and they have moved forward in faith!

Now, after discipling them for the last 3 years, Haven Barr and Jordan McMahon will be joining us as ministry apprentices at Macquarie University! They are both eager to labour life-on-life and to help the generation following them at Macquarie to grow in their love for God and their love for others as they fill their lives with His glorious purposes. By God’s grace, this will result in a growing community of young adults who launch new spiritual generations of labourers “rooted and built up” in the Lord (Colossians 2:7).

Please keep praying!!!!

Ask the Lord to strengthen, encourage and embolden Jordan and Haven as they respond to His call and step out in faith.
As they begin the process of raising support, ask the Lord to provide all they need to labour at Macquarie.
Ask the Lord to bring fruit through our apprentices – that generations would be built up in Him as a result of their lives and service.

Around Sydney

God has not only provided two young labourers for the campus, but He has added some younger labourers to our roster throughout the Sydney area.

Jonathan was also discipled at Macquarie during our early years in Australia. He works full-time as a business systems analyst, but is joining our Sydney team of labourers as an associate who is focusing on discipleship through the local church. In particular, he is largely discipling “tradie” men – a predominantly untargeted demographic of people who work in a trade job.

Our daughter Leah (Pieri),has taken up a position in the National Office and will be serving the Navigator community in a variety of ways. The faithful frontline office team enables us in the work of building generational labourers and is critical to everything we do. We are excited to have Leah working with us!

Mike & Sian Stucken have been a part of the Navigators for many years but have also joined our Sydney team as associates. Mike will be helping with our ministry among business professionals in the heart of the city, and together, they are discipling others in their local area on the Central Coast.

Another local, who grew up in a Navigator staff family and now works for the New South Wales Police, has recently felt the Lord leading him toward discipleship within the first responders community. Now serving as an Associate on our Sydney team, we are working together to pioneer new discipleship opportunities within the police force.

Your prayers at work

All of these people represent God’s gracious provision and your prayers at work! We are so grateful for all the Lord is doing and ask that you would continue to intercede for us, and for each of these precious labourers.

Other Prayer Requests:

Pray that each of them would bear fruit in season and that the Lord would multiply each of their lives for the glory of His name.
Pray that the gospel advances among non-believers as we work diligently side-by-side, sharing the gospel and our lives as well.
Pray the Lord will continue to raise up others to labour in the harvest field of Sydney, within Australia and throughout the Asia-Pacific region!

Scott Brown and his wife, Tami, lead the Sydney Labouring Community. To find out more or get involved with the Sydney team, contact us at navigators.org.au or visit https://navigators.org.au/staff/brownst/

_{Featured image of the Sydney Opera House by photoholgic on Unsplash.}

Q & A with Gary Allan

GET TO KNOW GARY ALLAN, Senior Executive Ministry

Gary Allan joined the Nav ministry while at RMC Duntroon in 1972. Since completing 27 years military service, he has worked in senior business roles. He has served as Chairman of the Australian Navigators Board and is currently the Board Chair for the Business Life Network.

Why did you begin this ministry?

Traditionally, the Australian Navigators ministry has focused on university and military people as future leaders of this nation. Over the last 30 years, many of these ‘Navigator’ people have been or are in very senior leadership positions in various industries with little opportunity to share or to be encouraged to serve God where they work. “As one piece of iron sharpens another, so friends keep each other sharp.” Prov 27:17 (ERV)

Who are you reaching out to and who can join?

These are an invitation only, semi-formal two-hour luncheon for senior executives that were first held in Sydney (from 2014) and in Canberra (from 2019). In Sydney and Canberra, the groups consist of 15-20 Christians and non-Christians who are members of Parliament, very senior bureaucrats, business leaders, educators and in the military.

Tell us about the meetings?

After a brief catchup over lunch, a pre-arranged management or leadership topic is discussed. The lunches are not a ‘preach session’ but a share time in the context of our faith journeys under an agreed strict ‘Chatham House rule’*. These roughly bi-monthly luncheons have meant many have been encouraged in the Lord, one has come to faith, and one even had a heart attack before he left the building (since recovered; Praise The Lord!).

What can we be praying for you?

We are hoping to begin them in Melbourne post Covid lockdowns. Please pray for that and for these luncheons to continue to serve the business leaders of this nation …

Col 1: 9-11 (ERV) “… that God will make you completely sure of what he wants by giving you all the wisdom and spiritual understanding you need; that this will help you live in a way that brings honor to the Lord and pleases him in every way; that your life will produce good works of every kind and that you will grow in your knowledge of God; that God will strengthen you with his own great power, so that you will be patient and not give up when troubles come.”

For further information contact [email protected]

Chatham House Rules: When a meeting, or part thereof, is held under the Chatham House Rule, participants are free to use the information received, but neither the identity nor the affiliation of the speaker(s), nor that of any other participant, may be revealed. (https://www.chathamhouse.org/about-us/chatham-house-rule)