The ‘friendship service’ at Holy Trinity Adelaide for the aged, frail and those who are in residential care is held midweek once a month.

Many are brought along by family or friends. Once a year I preach and lead communion followed by lunch where I give a 20-minute BCA update. This is my favourite BCA outing, but what is it that makes it so?

Many of these dear brothers and sisters in Christ have not only been praying for and supporting the mission of BCA for more than 50 years, but have also prayed so generously and faithfully for Geetha and myself since I became a Christian in 1992. It was soon after this that I started giving a day or two a week to explore vocational ministry at Trinity Church Adelaide!

Some travelled across the city every Sunday for 12 months to help Geetha and I plant Trinity Church Brighton in 2006. Many were there to help commission Geetha and I five years ago as we began this role as BCA SA/NT Regional Officer. They have continued to pray and are always hungry to hear ‘how it’s going’.

One dear sister in Christ, Jill has sent a birthday card to Geetha and myself and our four children for more than thirty years! How’s that for practical care?!

Across the years as we travel to churches to proclaim Christ crucified and spur his people on to join his mission to reach the more than 7.2 million boys and girls in the bush with the good news of Jesus, we have been so humbled and aware that we have been, and continue to be, upheld by the prayers of sisters and brothers in Christ like these.

I’m writing this as an encouragement and to say thank you to those who pray for BCA.

I’m also writing this to spur you on to please pray continuously to do what only our gracious Lord can do as we are exhorted by God to be doing:

Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison – that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak. Colossians 4:2–4