On Sept 4, I found an email in my inbox titled “Urgent prayer needed.” It was from Teresa, the lead singer and speaker of Stone, our band touring in Australia. She wrote:
“I woke up this morning with barely any voice and I’m struggling to try and warm it up for the two back-to-back shows we have this morning.
“Please pray for God to intervene and give me what I need to do these shows so we can share the gospel with these kids.”
The next day she sent this email:
“Thanks for those of you who prayed for my voice. God totally came through and even though I was totally hoarse before the shows yesterday, when I opened my mouth to sing, a very strong voice came out!! … I firmly believe that God stepped in and gave me what I needed and I am so grateful to him for that. Praise Him!!“
This wasn’t the only obstacle Stone faced while bringing the message of Christ to Australian high school students.
- The van they were supposed to use broke down and they had to arrange for other transportation.
- Four concerts at one school were cancelled after the host died suddenly a few days before. (The band asked people to pray that God would use his death to draw students and teachers to himself in a way that their concerts never could have.)
- Right before one concert, part of the guitarist’s equipment malfunctioned. As he figured out a work-around, the band prayed for God to show His power in spite of the difficulty … and 17 of the 35 kids in attendance trusted Christ!
Teresa said that she and the other members of Stone were amazed and humbled at the way God used them in spite of the obstacles they faced. They estimated that during the three-week tour they shared the gospel with over 2,400 students and about 245 indicated decisions to place their faith in Christ!
Prayer Requests
For the Australia Tour Follow-up
- for spiritual growth for the 245 students who indicated decisions to trust Christ during Stone’s concerts
- for Australian Cru staff as they work with school chaplains and religion teachers to follow up with these students.
For the Worship Arts Weekend
The Worship Arts Weekend (Sept. 23-35) is designed for worship leaders and teams. Until now we have hosted only Cru students, but this time we have also opened it up to church teams. Please pray…
- that those who attend will grow in their musical skills, their love for Jesus and their understanding of worship.
- for wisdom for me and for the other Cru staff who will coach, teach, and serve behind-the-scenes
Thank you so much for praying!