Welcome to the SOW Monthly: November Edition!

It's already November?! (Well, December now that you're reading this!) It's been a wonderful month of celebration as we inducted our 2023 Staff Members at our Staff Retreat, sent off our Cambodia Missions Team during our Missions Awareness Night, and welcomed our potential 2023 First Years during our Year 12 Welcome Night!

A word from Sij.

Dearest Alumni, I'm coming in to you from Cambodia right now. Maybe some of you remember going on a short-term trip with SOW back in the day. Although we haven't been able to send any out since 2019 due to the pandemic, we're really excited and thankful that the missions program is getting up and running again. The last time we sent a team to Cambodia was way back in 2012, the first year that SOW sent out short-term teams. A decade on, God's faithfulness in growing SOW but more importantly the ministry in Cambodia is an amazing and humbling thing for us as a team to witness.

Thank you for all your support throughout not only this year, but also throughout the Covid pandemic and going back even further. God has used your generosity, prayers and encouragement in massive ways to move the ministry forward. I hope that the reports of what God is still doing through this underdog of a ministry will be a small encouragement to you!

Sij

Staff Retreat

Sunny Cho (HR Department)

Staff Retreat for this year was another meaningful and intentional time to engage in planning, training and prayer for the ministry of SOW. It was a great time to for staff to meet with each other and enjoy wonderful fellowship over 3 days and 2 nights at Kihilla Christian Centre. The Praise & Prayer session allowed all of us to pray over every department for the spiritual well-being of SOW, our staff, the work of our hands, and God’s guidance and blessing for the building up of His Church in Sydney Campuses.

We enjoyed hearing updates from our lovely HoDs and Department Time involved a think tank where we innovated ideas that SOW could potentially implement. And when games time came it was a blast, literally as we engaged in a NERF battle that entertained us very well under the afternoon sun. When time for food came, every meal was prepared lovingly by our rostered teams, which were all delicious, and clean up teams afterwards did such a good job!

The last day was spent preparing for the 2023 SOW Camp as we engaged in thinking, discussing and planning in our respective teams for the camp ahead. I would say I was most thankful for everyone coming and bringing their hearts for the ministry to a retreat where we not only came together but where we could work in our departments and get serious for the ministry of SOW and the camp ahead. I’m also very thankful for the organisation that went behind in making the retreat happen.

I would request prayer for each Staff member’s walk with God that they may have a more intimate relationship with God as they serve, and that they may love God all the more. I would also request prayer for each facet of SOW to be working together, encouraging one another, and loving one another, all attaining the unity of the faith and the fullness of Christ, and that more and more students on campus may come to know the love of and believe in Christ.

Please also pray for SOW Camp 2023 that incoming members and our current members would feel the gracious love of God and know him more deeply and learn about what it means to fight the good fight of faith.

Missions Awareness Night!

Rebecca Lee (Missions Department)

It was great to see friends, families and supporters come to Missions Awareness Night to send the mission team out in prayer. This night brought a united sense of being on missions together as goers and senders as we learnt about the purpose of missions and how we can support the team and missionaries serving in Cambodia. We lift up prayers for each member in the team for safe travels and steadfast faithfulness as they serve in Cambodia. May God guide them and give them wisdom and courage as they share the gospel. We also pray for the missionaries in Cambodia, that God will guard their hearts as they continue to faithfully, joyfully and humbly serve.

Please continue to pray for the team: Sijin, Jess, Ed, Michelle, Erlina, Justin and Josh

Year 12 Welcome Night!

Sarah Kim (Campus Department) & Kiran Tam (Macquarie Executive)

The Year 12 Welcome Night which happened on 22nd November, was dedicated to celebrating the graduation of Year 12s, as well as establishing new relationships between graduates and SOW leaders as a means of plugging them into university ministry.

The night started with a short introduction to SOW; our purpose for existing and why we do what we do, followed by ice-breakers and game sessions which provided opportunities for graduates and leaders to form relationships naturally! We wrapped up with a classic dinner of pizza and garlic bread - and we’re happy to say that all leaders (and hopefully all attendees too) left the event with our hearts and tummies full!!

We are incredibly thankful for the SOW leaders and members who actively promoted this event, encouraging their younger siblings, friends or church brothers/sisters to rego for the night. We also praise God for how fruitful the night was - the graduates that attended were an exciting and energetic bunch!

Please pray for the attendees, that they not only light-heartedly enjoyed the night but that this event may have encouraged them to prayerfully consider committing to a university ministry when they begin their studies next year. Please also pray for any Year 12s around you, for all the decisions they will need to make regarding next year!

Kiran Tam's Reflection
I was thankful that there were quite a few year 12 graduates who seemed interested in joining SOW and were keen to have a chat to see what we're about. Bit of a shame that most people weren't considering Macquarie - but still grateful to meet younger Christians, hearing their ambitions and getting to know them a bit over games and food. A prayer point would be for them and other year 12 graduates to not stray during this transition period but commit to their churches and communities.

We also invited the attendees to SOW CAMP 2023, in hopes to see them join us for their very first SOW event as a member! If you know any Year 12s around you that may be interested, please encourage them to come to SOW CAMP by inviting them through this rego link:
https://www.sow.org.au/registration/sowcamp2023-fightthegoodfight

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this month's edition of 'THE SOW MONTHLY'!
We are always so thankful for your support and can't wait to update you again next month!

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