George McArdle joins the Band

Pictured: Cheyne, Steve, Kerrie and Jordan with the legendary George McArdle of the Little River Band.

Last Sunday night at the Hope Centre in Brisbane Steve Grace and Skypilot had the honour of performing a few songs with one of the all time great bass guitarist’s George McArdle. George was an original member of LRB and played Bass on the Children of the Western World album for Steve back in October 1988. It was such an honour for us to have George play some of the songs off the latest album Nullarbor to Nashville. 

Thank You Hope Centre

Pictured: Live in concert at Hope Centre, Brisbane.

We were stoked to be invited to present a few songs at Hope Centre, Brisbane last Sunday night. What a great church!!! Thanks Ps Wayne and Lyn Alcorn for inviting us to share the stage with Ps Ben Teefy of Desert Life Church, Alice Springs. Ben is a dynamic communicator and his messages had a great impact on Sunday. We were able to share visually some of the work that is taking place in remote Indigenous communities in the desert regions of Australia. Thank you again for your ongoing prayers and support.

Good Mates out on the Road

Pictured: Steve with Ray Herring and his beloved Nissan Patrol.

We’d like to thank Ray Herring for helping us out recently in Alice Springs and then at our Shed Night event in Dubbo NSW. We met Ray on the first Kimberley Gospel Tour a few years back and every year he turns up somewhere to help us in the ministry. Thanks mate. It is such an encouragement to have faithful friends who understand the effort that goes into touring Australia to share the Gospel. Nothing like having a few 'Tag a Long' mates to help out on the road!!!

Keep Turning Up

Pictured: Steve standing outside the old hall at Papunya community, Northern Territory. His first concert there was in the winter of 1996.

The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray.  Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.  Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.

1 Peter 4:7-10

Twenty years ago I rolled into this remote community called Papunya in the Western Desert about 330kms west of Alice Springs. Sammy and Gordon Butcher of the famous Warumpi Band had invited me to come and do a concert with them. The old aircraft hanger style shed was the concert venue. We started at 4.00pm and went till after midnight. The entire town turned up, even all the camp dogs. It was one of those unforgettable events that connect your heart to a people. Over two decades I’ve been back many times to Papunya. I’ve sung at funerals, church services, music workshops… I’ve prayed with heart broken mothers at the clinic for their dying, petrol sniffing sons, and sat on the ground and listened to stories from the old men outside the store. 

There’s something about turning up. People see your love and the truth of Christ when you turn up, again and again. It takes about three cups of tea and some good conversations before genuine relationship is established out there in the bush. This world changes every week, nations and religions rage at war while politicians and the media promote their jaded propaganda. Terrorism and fear, broken promises, confusion and accusations.. it all reflects the pride, paranoia and lostness of the human state. And yet Jesus never changes. God’s love for humanity and his merciful compassion for us stays the same. He keeps turning up.

There are no ‘two minute noodle’ instant solutions for the complex problems the world is facing at the moment. It’s a long slow journey of unconditional love, forgiveness and understanding that will bring real change. It’s about getting back to the message of Jesus Christ and living by his simple, eternal law of grace.

My advice… Keep turning up. Keep turning up in your relationships, to church, to family and responsibilities, to work and to all that God has called you to. Don’t give up and get all critical and bitter. God will do His miraculous work if we keep turning up.

Jesus Christ. He is the same yesterday, today and forever.
Hebrews 13:8

Thanks for your prayers and support.

Godspeed.

Steve Grace

Narrabri to Host Evangelistic Event in 2017

Pictured: An impromptu concert at the Namoi Christian Fellowship in Narrabri last week.

One of the exciting things about events like Reality in Alice Springs is the flow on effect it has in other parts of Australia. Country towns who pick up the vision to see a similar event in their region. After meeting Pastor Renee Ritchie of Narrabri we mentioned we’d be passing through her town on our return journey home. Immediately Renee invited us to do a vision concert and got the word out. To our amazement a week later on a rainy Thursday night we had a church packed with people for a great night of ministry. The BGEA will be promoting a Come Together event with Bill Newman in 2017. We hope to get involved in serving the campaign.

Back to Broken Hill

Pictured: Steve and Kerrie at the historic Baptist Church in Broken Hill, NSW

We were so honoured to visit the local churches of Broken Hill on the big drive home. A special thanks to Ps David and Maryann Trinder for their hospitality and encouragement. Steve took the morning service at Liberty Church and then sang and shared at a combined churches meeting at the Baptist Church during the afternoon. People have been gathering together on a regular basis ever since the 2014 Reality event with Will Graham happened in town. It was great to spend a couple days in this iconic and classic old mining town.

Vision for Evangelism and Discipleship

Pictured: Rev. Bill Newman with Steve at the Reality 2016 Alice Springs event.

We want to thank the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association in Australia, Canada and the USA for their support of REALITY in Alice Springs with Will Graham. The event was a powerful reminder of the great things God is doing despite many challenges and setbacks. Ultimately many came to faith in Christ and there is a real need to follow up, especially those in remote communities. Bill Newman preached some great messages over the REALITY weekend and is now preparing a follow up Discipleship DVD message that we will be taking out to communities in the desert, along with practical materials for new believers. Thanks Bill for your heart for Australia and for the Gospel!! 

Remote Communities Follow Up Tour

Pictured: Steve with Gordon and Allison Butcher of Haast's Bluff, Northern Territory.

We would greatly value your prayers for the coming two months of mission. The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association have asked Steve and World Mission’s if we can return to many of the desert communities and conduct follow up events after the success of REALITY 2016 in Alice Springs with Will Graham. Over 800 people committed their lives to Christ and many of them live in isolated regions. So during June and July our plan is to get back out to Alice Springs and begin serving remote churches and distributing essential materials. Pray for these small communities who often times have no resources and encouragement and yet have people hungry for Bible teaching and fellowship. 

The Power of Forgiveness at the Cross

Pictured: Our good friend Lenny Nelson with his father Johnny Nelson, survivor of the Coniston massacre in 1928. Photo: Paul McLaughlin

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 1 Corinthians 1:18

On August 7th, 1928 a Dingo hunter named Fredrick Brooks was killed by Aboriginal men after he had taken one of their wives. It was a time of drought and water holes were drying up. Cattle spearing by tribal groups in the region had caused tensions between Aboriginals and owners of Coniston station north west of Alice Springs in the Northern Territory. In the following weeks it is believed up to 170 Walpiri, Anmantyerre and Kaytetye men, women and children were massacred by a lawless group of men lead by the constable from Barrow Creek. (Some stories say many more were killed) 

Old Johnny Nelson, who was about 2 years old, is the only known living survivor from one of the attacks. A quiet man of grace and forgiveness. His son Lenny is involved with the Baptist Church in Ali Curung community and plays some of the best country gospel music you will ever hear on his Fender Telecaster guitar. Stories of the Coniston massacre are never far from their thoughts and memory.

The Nelson family know what it means to forgive. They know what it means to place all the pain and poison of the past at the foot of the Cross. It is only when we fully understand why Jesus Christ went to the Cross to forgive us all of our sin that we can live with real hope. The curse of unforgiveness and payback is like a cancer that kills.. But the symbol of the Cross reminds us not only of Christ’s sacrifice but the miracle of His resurrection and promise of eternity. 

In mid July the traditional landowners of the region near where the Coniston massacre took place are erecting a 30 metre high Cross to tell the world they have been reconciled to God through Christ and Christ alone. Other tribal communities in the desert such as Haast’s Bluff are also planning similar events. Our Indigenous brothers and sisters are leading the way to proclaim Jesus Christ as the only real hope for our nation. If you’d like to join us on July 15-17 head for Ali Curung. Or click on the Button below for more info: 

Thank God we have forgiveness from our failures and the shame of the past. Thank God we have a future because of Jesus!

Thanks for your prayers and support.

Godspeed.

Steve Grace