In John 15.4-5, Jesus says, “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”

Those final few words give us such an important and sobering God-given perspective on how much we’ll be able to do for the Lord by ourselves. How much? Nothing, nada, nought, zilch, diddly squat, empty handed, blank space, nil ... So, oh my, how we need the Lord don’t we! If we’re going to be able to do anything, the main thing we need is Him!  For apart from Him we really can do nothing!

With that in mind, here’s how you can be praying for some of our Global endeavours in the month ahead...

1. Please pray for the 20 young adults who are heading to Sovereign Grace Church, Sydney, Australia, from Cornerstone Church, Knoxville, US, 5th-14th July, to run a Kids Club with 50+ children from both inside and outside of the Church. Please pray that God would bless their ministry as they seek to share the gospel with both kids and adults alike, and that the great joy of Sovereign Grace partnership would be cultivated and enjoyed by everyone involved.

2. Please pray for the Sovereign Grace Philippines Regional Assembly of Elders, as they gather together in Cebu, 9th-12th July. During their time together they’ll be talking through the growing number of Churches interested in partnership with Sovereign Grace in the Philippines, the various updates needed and recommended for the SGC Philippines Book of Church Order, as well as whole host of ministry matters. May the Lord give these brothers great wisdom and insight as they gather together in this way, and extra measure to Jeffrey Jo as he seeks to lead this time.

3. Please pray for Bart Lipscombe, SGC Area Leader for Africa, as he heads to Zambia 11th-14th July, and then Namibia, 14th-18th July. Please pray that he’d be a great blessing to each of the pastoral teams and churches that those trips represent, and that He’d give Bart wisdom and insight as to how to serve them, encourage them and come alongside them well.

4. Please pray for the SGC LATAM Pastors Retreat, in Santa Marta, Colombia, July 15th-17th. There’ll be ten pastors from Colombia, six from Costa Rica and two from Bolivia, who will be attending the retreat, which will be led by Joselo Mercado (Key Leader in LATAM) and Rich Richardson (SGC Area Leader for LATAM). This will be the first retreat of this type outside of Mexico, may it be wonderful encouragement to all of our Pastors in this region.  

5. Please pray for the two teams from Covenant Fellowship that are headed to Playa Azul. The first team heads June 30th-July 7th, to complete a construction project and to build together in partnership and relationship as churches. Then July 7th-14th, the second team is a team of youth that are headed over to lead a youth camp for local kids, plus any kids from our local Sovereign Grace Churches that are there. Please pray that this would be a great blessing for everyone involved.

6. Please continue to pray for Michael Ostanin and Arche Church, Dnipro, Ukraine. That the war would soon come to an end, and that whilst they wait for that moment, that the light and hope of the gospel would shine brightly in the midst of darkness and suffering, and that the manifold wisdom of God be revealed through His church.  

… Thank you so much for prayers. As we abide in Him, may His grace truly abound to us all.  

In Romans 11.36, we read, “For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.” And as I look back now, just a week on from celebrating our fifteen year anniversary as Sovereign Grace Church, Wahroonga, Romans 11.36 is without doubt my full-hearted declaration. It has all been His work, and it is marvellous in our eyes.  

Humanly speaking, our story actually began back in 2004, when God led Mike Pasalich to write to C.J.Mahaney to see if Sovereign Grace would ever consider planting a church in Sydney, Australia. This letter, through a long chain of God-inspired events, would lead to our move. A move that was unexpected, unforeseen and unanticipated by us, yet a journey that God had so clearly began. We would’ve never even come on holiday to Australia if left to ourselves, it’s so far to come from the UK!! But God had other plans, and so in June 2010 my wife and I, along with our three small children, got on a plane to relocate to Sydney, Australia from Newport, Wales, to plant the church. Full of hope, full of faith, full of unknown, and yet full of clarity that this story had truly started with Him.

Did that make the transition easy? No. Honestly, it was really hard to be in a foreign land, 10,500 miles away from family and all that knew of as familiar. I had never actually planted a church before, nor been a lead pastor, nor ever pastored in a very different context to my own. But as I look back now with my family, fifteen years on, our view is filled with grace, grace and more grace.

In the last fifteen years, we have repeatedly seen His saving grace, with so many people: Jiy Lim, Celia Tan, Nick Gordon, Bri Edwards, Nick Beed, Steve Jackson, Momch Pasalich, Ryan O’Gorman and Annette Packham, to name but a few, coming to know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour. Some of these dear Saints we still get to worship alongside on a Sunday, others have already gone on to be with Jesus, and each one of them, is a wonderful trophy of grace.

There’s also been restoring grace, as so many of our folk have arrived at Sovereign Grace over the last fifteen years having previously given up on church or God, for a whole variety of reasons, and yet have been gently and wonderfully restored by His hand.

There’s also been sanctifying grace, where lives and marriages and families and workplaces, have been totally transformed by the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ. Lives that have been touched by the King, and people then who are being changed from one degree of glory to another by His gracious hand.

Then there’s been sustaining grace. Job tells us, ‘For as sure as sparks fly upwards, troubles fall’, and we’ve seen that. Health challenges, marriage challenges, relational challenges, parenting challenges, financial challenges, we’ve experienced them all... But what we’ve also seen time and time again is His people being carried in the grip of His grace and never let go.

And then there’s been His provisional grace. Since our very inception in 2010, God has provided for us as a church in incredible ways. Financially, we’ve rarely gone without.  In facilities, He’s always provided for what we need, often in abounding ways. And in personnel, His provision has always been a wonder to behold – musicians, worship leaders, pa, media, graphic design, set up, hospitality, welcoming, group leaders, sphere leaders and pastors. He’s provided it all.

In His abounding grace, He’s even given us the opportunity to send out our first church plant, Sovereign Grace Church, Parramatta in September of 2019, and watch the birth of Sovereign Grace Churches, Australia. Then there’s been the amazing work of His grace in Asia-Pacific, in places like South Korea, Nepal, India, Pakistan and the Philippines, in which He’s so kindly allowed us to be a part. It’s all so much more than we ever imagined we’d get to see when we arrived in 2010, but so indicative of the gracious and kind God He is.

For from him and through and to him are all things. He’s such a kind and gracious King... It’s all His work and always will be... And so may all glory go to Him.

Soli Deo Gloria.

Below is a video that we put together for our anniversary celebration. Fifteen years of grace. Enjoy.

An update from Pat Tedeschi, Pastor of Oasis International Church in London, UK…

On January 31, 2025, Dana and I were commissioned by our home church, Greentree Church (NJ), to begin a new season of ministry at Oasis International Church in London. We’re excited and grateful to be serving in one of the world’s most culturally diverse cities—with many millions from least-evangelized people groups from around the globe.

I have the privilege of serving as pastor alongside Randy Lawler, Oasis’s founding pastor, helping to oversee various areas of ministry. Dana is actively involved in women’s ministry, music, and hospitality. We’re also collaborating with Dave Taylor and Ed O’Mara of Sovereign Grace Europe to help Oasis become an Emerging Nations Church within the Sovereign Grace family.

These first five months we have focused on adjusting to a new culture, forming relationships, and planting Gospel seeds. Here’s a snapshot of what God is doing—and how you can pray.

---

Building Relationships & Gospel Conversations

We’ve been intentional about forming friendships with neighbors in our building, welcoming them into our home with the desire to love them well and share the hope of Jesus.

• I’m currently reading the Gospel of Mark with a young Italian man from a non-Christian background who’s eager to learn about Jesus.

• I’ve also connected with a Lebanese Druze man who’s interested in reading Scripture together.

• Dana has been meeting women from the church and recently began building a relationship with a young Japanese mother. Though she has no religious background, she’s open to hearing about the Lord.

Pray that we would remain faithful and Spirit-dependent in our witness, and that God would draw these friends to Himself.

---

Small Groups & Discipleship

We’ve launched men’s and women’s small groups, and it’s been a joy to see participants grow in faith and community—including several who are not yet believers.

Pray for ongoing spiritual growth, deepening relationships, and clarity in understanding the Gospel.

---

Evangelism & Outreach

Every month, we go out with church members for neighborhood outreach. Many in our congregation are still learning English, but they’re stepping out in faith and boldness to share Christ.

Pray for open hearts and greater confidence as we engage with our local community.

---

New Venue Search

Our current meeting space limits our ability to grow and reach more people. We’re prayerfully seeking a new venue in a strategic, diverse neighborhood where few Gospel-preaching churches exist.

Pray for God’s guidance and provision as we search for a new home for Oasis.

---

October Mission Team (Oct 3–13)

We’re preparing to host a short-term mission team from several Sovereign Grace churches this fall. Their visit will support our outreach efforts and help us connect with the community in fresh ways.

Pray for fruitful conversations and mutual encouragement during this mission trip.

---

We are so thankful for your prayers, support, and partnership in the Gospel. If you’d like to learn more or explore how you can be involved, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at pattedeschi@greentree.org

It was on the 24th of February 2022, that Russia launched its large-scale invasion of Ukraine, sparking dark and worrying times for the country. With outbreak of war, fear and uncertainty filled the whole nation, every day bringing increasingly alarming news, with continued shelling and growing numbers of casualties. Yet in the midst of this evil and carnage, there are pastors and their churches in Ukraine that have been labouring hard to care for people, and to offer hope that can only be found in Jesus.

To that end, we’ve been working closely with our historic partner church in Germany – Arche Church, in Hamburg, through this time. They planted a church in Dnipro, Ukraine around 5 years ago with a graduate from the Arche Pastors College, Michael Ostanin, a dear friend of Jeff Purswell and our family of churches, a friend and church that we’ve been eager to support.

Just recently, Jeff reached out to Michael, having read about the recent bombardment of Ukraine, to enquire of him and to let him know of our love and prayers. Here’s some of what Michael wrote back...

Dear Jeff,

Thank you for your prayers. God is truly protecting us!

We have just finished our summer camp for refugee children. On the very first day of the camp, there was a rocket attack on our city. There was a lot of destruction. 20 people were killed. About 300 people were injured.

One rocket exploded 200 meters from our church building during the camp. We did not have time to hide the children in the bomb shelter, because these were ballistic missiles, they are very fast. The children were very scared. But thank God, none of the children or adults were hurt.

Thank God, the church building was not damaged, the windows were not broken, because we reinforced all the glass in the church building with armoured film.

Immediately after the first explosion, we lowered all the children into the bomb shelter. The rocket attack continued for another 40 minutes, we heard loud explosions. The children were crying. Thank God we had ice cream and it somehow comforted the kids. That was the first day of camp. :)

But the next day of camp we had 50 more new kids!

We welcomed 8 new church members this Sunday.

And we still continue to minister to hundreds of refugees every Sunday.

Thank you, Jeff.

Your ministry and prayers are very important to me!

What an privilege we have to partner with our brothers and sisters in Ukraine. Michael and his team continue to preach the gospel, and shepherd their people, even in the midst of challenging circumstances and heartache. Their church of 140 members, continues to have over 700 people in attendance every week... And each week they seek to preach Christ and Him crucified, as they seek to win people to Christ.

So I want to ask you to please keep praying for Michael and Arche Church, Dnipro. Please pray that the war would soon come to an end, and that whilst they wait for that moment, that the light and hope of the gospel would shine brightly in the midst of darkness and suffering, and that the manifold wisdom of God be revealed through His church. Come Lord Jesus.

An update from David Del Castillo, Pastor of Gracia Soberana, Santa Cruz, Bolivia…

Dear Friends,

Over the last 12 months, God has been so good to us!

In July 2024, after four years of meeting in a small facility, God graciously opened the door for us to move into a new space. This was the result of much prayer and dependence on Him. The new place was unfinished—just exposed brick walls and a bare interior—but it was affordable, and we saw potential. We signed a long-term lease that allowed us to invest in improving the space while keeping the rent stable.

The rest of 2024 was marked by hard work. We dedicated time and resources to adapt the space for worship and ministry. But more importantly, we faced the beautiful challenge of ministering to a growing number of people who needed to be discipled. The physical improvements were necessary, but it was the spiritual growth among us that encouraged us the most.

This year, we are especially grateful to see how God continues to establish us—not just as a congregation that gathers, but as a church that is growing in faith, love, and mission. One of the highlights of the year was our January members’ meeting, where we shared our 2025 discipleship plan. The first step in that plan came to life in February, when we hosted a retreat titled “I Need to Be Discipled.”

This retreat was led by dear friends and gospel partners: Leo and Melissa Parris from Philadelphia and Alejandro and Paola Cueto from Barranquilla, Colombia. Through their teaching and personal investment, the retreat challenged us to take discipleship seriously—not as a program, but as a way of life together. Following the retreat, we launched three weekly small groups that are now central to our church life.

Our Sunday gatherings have also grown. We currently welcome around 140 people each week. This growth has created a joyful sense of urgency: more people are hearing the gospel, but many also need guidance and care. For the third year in a row, we have around 30 people going through our membership process. Lord willing, by September, we will have between 80 and 90 members.

As our congregation grows, so does the need for more leaders. That’s why we are intentionally discipling and equipping couples to start new care groups. Please pray for this effort, as we see it as one of the most important ways God is calling us to serve in this season.

This July, we are hosting a Biblical Counseling Seminar to further equip our church. One of the main speakers will be Pastor Abelardo Muñoz from Mexico, someone we deeply respect and love. While the seminar is open to other churches, about 30 of the 130 attendees are from our own congregation. Many of these were personally invited and are being trained to take part in the ministry of discipleship and care.

Looking ahead to August, we are excited to welcome more ministry partners. John and Nancy Loftness, Chris Deloglos, and Jacobis Aldana will be joining us for a time of encouragement and training. We’ll also be joined by Fabrizio Rudolfo from Gracia Soberana Música, who will help showcase what God is doing in our worship ministry. These visits are part of our intentional effort to build up the church and strengthen, the main topic is going to be "Spiritual Disciplines".

In addition to what’s happening locally, we are also walking alongside our sister church in Cochabamba, Bolivia. Pastor Erick Miranda continues to make progress in his ordination process, and it’s a joy to support his development and the growth of that congregation.

God has also given us opportunities to serve beyond Bolivia. In March, through the Simeon Trust ministry, I had the privilege of co-leading a preaching workshop in Guatemala alongside two other pastors. Over 50 pastors and preachers gathered to learn how to handle God’s Word faithfully. In May, we hosted a similar workshop here in Santa Cruz, which quickly filled with participants from five of Bolivia’s nine departments. These efforts are helping position our church as a resource for others in gospel ministry.

Now, as we begin July, we look back with hearts full of gratitude. From a room with bare brick walls to a church being built up in truth and love, we have seen God’s faithful hand in every step. We are thankful to Him, to our church family, and to our broader network of churches for the support and partnership that have made this journey possible.

Please continue to pray for us. We trust God is at work—and we long to be faithful with all that He has entrusted to us.

With love and gratitude,

David Del Castillo

Sovereign Grace exists to plant and strengthen churches for the glory of God, and in His kindness, we are presently in the process of planting fifteen churches, scheduled for either this year or next: six in the United States and nine outside of the United States.

One of those church plants is Vine Church, in Tampa, Florida, US, and Mario Figueroa, the Pastor of Vine Church, recently joined Mark Prater, our Executive Director, on his podcast.

He has a wonderful story to tell, enjoy!

(You can listen in here)