Establishing the church in Australia

Greetings, you who are loved by the Lord,

Chances are, if you flip to the end of any of the apostle Paul’s letters you’ll see something that you might typically skip over. There is usually a list of greetings and messages to people that Paul knew.

Do you know who those people are? They are the church—at least the start of it in Asia and Europe. Many of those he mentions are the hosts and leaders of house churches—people like Priscilla and Aquila, Archippus, Gaius, Jason, Lydia, and Nympha. They met in homes; gathered around the Word of Jesus in worship, study, and sacrament; discipled others; and were intimately involved in serving each other. They were guided, mentored, and taught regularly by Paul and others.

In Australia, we are starting our work of building up the church. We are meeting passionate and capable Christians who are willing to host others in their homes, teach God’s Word, and show the love of Christ. We daily encounter people from all over the globe: China, Japan, Korea, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, and many other places. They don’t know the good news of the eternal life purchased for us by the blood of Christ, but thanks to the help of WELS members like you, we are there and can share this with them.

When my family agreed to move to Australia with our coworkers, Missionary Matt Doebler and his family, it wasn’t to start a church. It was to guide the start of many churches—groups all over Australia who gather around God’s Word and reflect his love to others. Matt and I can be the “Paul” to these willing leaders and, as God blesses it, to even more leaders in the future. We can mentor, encourage, train, and connect them for fellowship.

I ask you to pray for us and consider giving toward this work. We are so grateful for all the WELS members who have supported World Missions in the past. We praise God for his provision and blessing as we continue to serve his kingdom in this new part of the world.

When you give an offering for the gospel work in Australia you are contributing the gift of time—time for us to be present, seize new opportunities, reach out to new communities, connect, make new friends, and deepen relationships. It gives us time to train and equip leaders and bring them together to unite them in our mission.

In closing, I ask one more thing. The next time you get to the end of one of Paul’s letters and you see one of those early church leaders’ names, say a quick prayer thanking God for the people who start churches—those who pray for and support the work, host the church, and lead the groups. Pray for this exciting new ministry in Australia.

Serving together,
Peter Janke
Missionary to Australia

Prayer: God, we praise you for using us to bring others to glorify you. We ask you to bless our new mission in Australia. Help the two missionary families who have settled into Chinese immigrant communities as they use a variety of ways to connect with neighbors, show them love, and share the gospel of Christ. Bless the partnership of these missionaries with our sister synod in Australia to reach even more people and grow the existing congregations. If it’s your will, bring small groups together around your Word and raise leaders for Bible study and worship. We know, Lord Jesus, that where your Word is shared, you are carrying out your work, and we joyfully anticipate your saving of many souls. Amen.