John Piper writes,

“Prayer has the wonderful capacity to highlight our emptiness and God’s fullness at the same time. It is wonderfully suited to express our inadequacy and God’s all-sufficiency.”

How true that is! By ourselves, we are profoundly inadequate, which is exactly why we need to fall on our knees and cry out to our all-sufficient God for His divine help. Oh how we need Him!

So here’s how you can be praying for us in the month ahead…

1. Please pray for Bob Kauflin and the SG Music Team who will be hitting the road again to run a number of ‘Prepare Him Room’ concerts this month. Evenings of Scripture, prayer, and the singing of songs from our Christmas albums - Prepare Him Room and Heaven Has Come. As they head to Living Hope Church in Harrisburg (3-4 December), Cornerstone Church Knoxville (5 December), Lakeview Christian Church in New Orleans (11 December), and Sovereign Grace Church of Louisville (13 December), please pray that the message that is proclaimed would save lives. Surely hope has come!

2. Please pray for the many Christmas outreaches of Family of Grace Church, our partner church in Wang Yang, Nakhon Phanom, Thailand. Please pray that the gospel would go forward with power and open many blind eyes to glorious person and work of Jesus Christ in this unreached community.

3. Please pray for Josh Montague (Chaska), and Ryan Chase (Sioux Falls) as they visit the Phillipines with TLI. Steve Whitacre as he heads to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to teach at the Pastors College, and Centre Church, Gilbert, AZ and Cornerstone Church Knoxville, as they send a small missions team to Rancho 3M.

4. Please pray for Ed O’Mara, SGC Area Leader for Europe, as he heads to the UK to visit London, Bristol and Swansea, both to strengthen existing partnerships and friendships, as well as help to cultivate new ones. Please pray that the Lord would give him great wisdom as he seeks to serve well on this trip.

5. Please pray for Jeffrey Jo, Lead Pastor of CCSGM in Cavite, Philippines, and Regional Leader of SGC Philippines, as he heads to Mindanao to teach at our Philippines Pastors Institute on hermeneutics and homiletics, as well as care for the pastors and wives in their marriages in that region. May Jeff and his wife Jeannie, be a wonderful blessing to all of our pastors and wives in Mindanao, and may much fruit come as a result of this trip.

6. Please pray that God would give us all opportunities, wherever we might live around the world, to invite unbelievers and the unchurched to Sovereign Grace churches as we hold our Christmas related events and service this month, and that as we do eyes may be opened to the glories of Christ. Pray also for opportunities to share the gospel with unbelieving friends, family members, neighbours, and coworkers over the holiday season… Who knows all that He may do through that.

…. Truly, may His all-sufficient grace abound to us all!!

Pat Tedeschi (Pastor in Oasis International Church in London, UK) together with his wife Dana recently led a Short-Term Missions Team in London, UK. They share this update below…

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“A Dream Team!”

Sixteen people — ranging from their teens to their 60s and representing two countries and five partner churches — came together for our very first short-term mission to London.

Talking with strangers in a new city isn’t easy, but this team arrived ready and eager to serve. Each day, they went out with joy, faith, and prayer, sharing the saving work of Jesus with people from every background imaginable.

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Team Reflections

Kathy:

“Doing a mission trip for the first time and sharing the gospel with strangers was scary for me. But doing it alongside brothers and sisters of all ages and from different churches was so helpful and encouraging. We worked together as a team and family. It was the best experience of my life — God helped me every step of the way!”

Cyril:

“The 10-day mission trip to London was, for me — faith-building, God-glorifying, Spirit-empowering, relationship-strengthening, compassion-instilling, and saturated with gospel conversations with so many Londoners.”

Will:

“Team devotions, mutual care for one another, sharing the gospel on the streets, fellowship with believers from other countries, and our end-of-day meals together were such blessings. Praise God for the opportunity to ‘soldier on’ with joy and love alongside our friends Pat and Dana.”

Josephine:

“God is at work! It’s humbling to realize this country was built on the unshakable foundation of Jesus. Even though many have gone astray, His work is not done. Participating in His kingdom work in another country gave me a newfound joy in seeing this privilege as God’s adopted daughter!”

Micaiah:

“It amazes me that the same Gospel message we shared with others is the very message I need to rehearse to myself every day — it’s not just for starters. The truth I urge others to believe is the same truth that daily sets me free from my own blindness and unbelief. My favorite times in London were the opportunities God gave me to walk through the spiritual questionnaire and Gospel track with those who did not know Christ. What a joy to progressively grow in boldness to where I could enjoy sharing the good news!”

Hannah:

“I was surprised by the incredible diversity of the city — so many different nationalities and religious beliefs. I’m grateful for the chance to visit London and meet new people. It amazes me that I could meet someone across the world whom I didn’t even know existed 24 hours ago — but God knew before the foundation of the world. Our God is great, and I’m excited to see how He continues to work through Pat and Dana and the seeds that were planted!”

Bryce:

“During our last day of debriefing, Pat teared up as he shared how encouraged he was by our being there and by our efforts and enthusiasm in evangelism. Dana shared how encouraging it was to hear all of our voices as we sang in worship. God cares for His people and He used our team of sixteen people to spur them on to continue running the race set before them as they look to Christ.” 

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Prayer Focus

• That God will continue to work in the hearts of those our team shared with.

• That God would continue to embolden each team member to share Christ.

• For those attending our follow-up Bridge Course (an introduction to Christianity) to recognize their need for Christ.
  
  

Thank you for partnering with us in prayer and mission.

With gratitude,
Pat & Dana

Jamaica

Joel Bain (Lead Pastor of Grace Family Church, Jamaica) shares this update on the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa which swept through his country on October 28th…

On Tuesday, October 28, Hurricane Melissa made landfall in the southwest of Jamaica. This slow-moving storm, with wind speeds estimated at 185 miles per hour, devastated the western side of the island, having significant but less severe effects in the east, where the members of Grace Family Church live. We are grateful that God spared us from the brunt of the disaster, but our hearts are broken for our countrymen who have lost family, shelter, livelihoods, security, and educational opportunities, and must rebuild their lives from scratch.

In the midst of the passion and panic of the immediate relief efforts, we’ve felt the Lord calling our church to patience and to keep our eyes open for the right opportunities to do good to others, especially those of the household of faith. We’ve been able to help a number of our members to serve family and friends who suffered loss and damage.

Recently, we mobilised our community to collect, sort and ship clothing to some local partners from Youth With A Mission (YWAM), to be distributed by a local church in Montego Bay serving a devastated community. We will continue to engage with partners to determine the ways we can serve during the long recovery ahead of us.

We are deeply grateful for the prayers and countless messages and emails from pastors and members of Sovereign Grace Churches during and after the storm. Our partnership with you all is precious to us. Please pray for increased zeal for sharing the gospel with those around us. We know that God’s interest is much bigger than how we rebuild, but that more and more people would come to know and trust Jesus, and build their lives on the only foundation that will survive the storms to come.

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Philippines

Jeffrey Jo (Lead Pastor of Cross of Christ Salvation Gospel Ministries in Manila, Philippines and National Leader for SGC Philippines), shares a report on two recent natural disasters that have affected the Philippines…

For the past recent months especially in the area of Cebu, back-to-back calamitous events transpired. The first one was a 6.9 magnitude earthquake that killed 69 people, injured 156 and ruined a number of infrastructures. This happened on September 30, 2025 (Virma Simmonete, BBC News, October 5, 2025).

After only a month, on November 4, 2025, Cebu was hit again, this time by Kalmagi hurricane that took 85 lives, injured 17 and caused 75 to go missing. Almost the whole city and countryside were flooded up to 2-storeys high. Most cars, trucks and other vehicles were swept by the strong current of the flood. More than 400,000 people have been displaced (Virma Rivera, BBC News, November 5, 2025).

Two of our churches from this region were greatly affected - His Dwelling Christian Church of Cebu City led by Nilo Ebo and His Dwelling Christian Church of Isabela, Bacolod led by Gilbert Tolentino. 15 families were displaced from the former church and 9 families from the latter. They were without water and electricity for days and any help from the outside was difficult and challenging.

Could God have prevented these natural disasters? Absolutely YES! But He allows it to happen for a lot of reasons, mostly for reasons known only to Himself. How then should we respond in times like these?

First, we should seek to glorify God in our circumstances. We should be more concerned about His glory than our relief. We live for the glory of God (Job 1:21, 1 Cor.10:31, Phil.4:11-13). Secondly, we should examine our priorities in light of the brevity of life (Ps.90:12). Lastly, we should grab this wonderful opportunity not only to share the gospel to the lost but also to care “… for those who belong to the household of God” (Gal.6:10).

This is where our gospel partnership in our family of churches comes in. Prior and after the calamities, we have been receiving a lot of messages, assuring us that we are prayed for and care for us as we go through this season of difficulty. Financial assistance was also sent to these churches both from our SG Asia-Pacific fund and local regional fund. We feel strengthened and indeed, we have not felt alone.

On behalf of our region, thank you for our partnership expressed in love, prayers and financial assistance. Your benevolence pleases and glorifies God and means so much to us. We are so grateful to God for Sovereign Grace Churches.

An update from Joselo Mercado, Lead Pastor of Iglesia Gracia Soberana de Gaithersburg, Maryland, USA, and Key Leader into Sovereign Grace LATAM…

Dear Brothers & Sisters,

I would like to share a brief report from our recent gathering held in Panama City from October 7 to 10. The meeting brought together Jacobis Aldana from Colombia, Sergio Estéves from Costa Rica, and David Del Castillo from Bolivia. Our time together was fruitful and encouraging, marked by prayer, fellowship, and clear progress toward strengthening our collaborative work within SGC LATAM.

The main purpose of this meeting was to begin forming a small leadership team that can assist in decision-making for SGC churches in Latin America. We desire to develop a structure that helps promote unity, clarity, and shared vision across our region. Each brother brings valuable experience and represents key areas where SGC has growing partnerships and influence. Together, we agreed that establishing trusted points of contact in each country will be vital for communication, coordination, and mutual care among our churches.

Throughout our sessions, we discussed several strategic priorities. First, we agreed to hold a Pastors’ Retreat in July 2026, which will serve as a time for refreshment, training, and vision alignment. This retreat will also provide a setting for pastors and leaders from various countries to connect more deeply and cultivate relationships that strengthen gospel partnership. The team will begin developing plans for the retreat’s location, program, and participation in the coming months.

Second, we identified the need to develop a pastoral training curriculum that can be used in our different countries. The goal is not to create a formal seminary, but rather a flexible and reproducible resource that equips pastors and future leaders with sound doctrine, gospel-centered ministry principles, and pastoral wisdom. The team will explore how to contextualize existing SGC materials and integrate them into local church training efforts, ensuring that theological depth and practical ministry formation remain at the heart of the process.

Third, we considered ways to foster greater unity both nationally and regionally. We want to encourage each country to gather its SGC pastors and leaders regularly for prayer, fellowship, and joint initiatives. At the same time, we hope to see stronger collaboration between countries, sharing resources, visiting one another, and supporting new church plants and leadership development efforts. We recognize that unity will grow not only through structures but through relationships marked by humility, transparency, and love.

An important part of our time together was also personal and spiritual care. We shared openly about our joys and struggles in ministry, prayed for one another, and reflected on God’s grace in our lives. It was refreshing to experience genuine biblical fellowship, where brothers strengthen one another’s faith and encourage perseverance in the calling to serve Christ’s church. We came away deeply grateful for the friendships the Lord is forming among us and for the renewed sense of purpose to serve His mission in Latin America.

In addition to our meetings, we had the opportunity to visit the Panama Canal, which was both a cultural and symbolic reminder of how strategic Panama has been for global connection. In the same way, we pray that SGC LATAM can serve as a bridge of gospel partnership across nations, linking pastors, churches, and ministries that share the same passion for proclaiming Christ and planting healthy, gospel-centered churches.

We left Panama encouraged by God’s faithfulness and with a stronger conviction that this initiative is a timely step for the future of SGC in our region. Please continue to pray for Jacobis, Sergio, and David as they help lead this effort, and for me as I continue coordinating communication and next steps. Our next virtual follow-up meeting is being scheduled to define specific tasks and timelines for the retreat and curriculum project.

With gratitude for your partnership in the gospel,

Joselo Mercado

After wanting to come to the US Pastors College for a decade, God opened the doors for Erik and Erin Schmaltz, along with their three kids, to spend the past year at the Pastors College.

Listen in to hear the story of how God led them to the PC and the amazing ways He used it to bless and shape their lives and prepare them for ministry. What a Saviour He is!!

Over on the Mark Prater Podcast, our Executive Director recently interview Josh Kruger, a Sovereign Grace ordained Pastor, who has recently planted a Sovereign Grace church in Windhoek, Namibia.

Listen in as Josh shares all about it… How great is our God!!

In his book, “Brothers, We are Not Professionals” John Piper writes,

“Prayer is the splicing of our limp wire to the lightning bolt of heaven.”

My friends, how true this is. At times, our efforts and endeavours to advance the gospel of Jesus Christ, can feel like a “limp wire”. But praise God, through prayer, we can join our limp wire to the “lightening bolt of heaven.” To the abounding power of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

What an opportunity, and so with that in mind, here’s how you can be praying for us in the month ahead…

1. Please pray for the Sovereign Grace Churches Pastors Conference, November 18th-20th, in Orlando, USA. With over 830 people registered for this conference, from at least 16 different countries. please ask God to work in a way that our relationships among our churches are strengthened, pastors and wives are equipped for what God has called them to do, and that our family of churches is united in our shared gospel mission all for the glory of God alone.

2. Please pray for the annual Sovereign Grace Churches Council of Elders meeting, on November 17th, in Orlando, asking God to give our pastors wisdom to make decisions that strengthen our mission, foster our unity, and that best serve our churches. Please also pray for the various interest meetings at the Pastors Conference: Evangelism Interest Meeting, Small Towns Initiative Info Meeting, Pastors College & Pastoral Ministry Interest Meeting, and Church Planting Interest Meeting. That faith would be stirred and further plans for partnering together in these ways can be fostered.

3. Please pray for Solomon Faris, graduate of our Ethiopian Pastors College, as he travels to Liberia and Sierra Leonne over this next six months, as we seek to discern what God would have us to do next as we seek to come alongside our dear brothers and sisters there. Please pray that the Lord would give Solomon great discernment, wisdom and sustanance for this next six months, and that he’d be a very real encouragement to the churches there.

4. Please pray for Joel Bain and the pastoral team of Grace Family Church, Jamaica, as they continue to care for folk after the recent passage of Hurricane Melissa. In God’s kindness, all their members are well and weathered the storm well. Like many, they are concerned about how they can help with relief and recovery efforts. But more than that, they are eager to use this opportunity to proclaim the gospel, so please pray for them, that many neighbours, friends, family members and co-workers would turn to the One who alone can save.

5. Please pray that God would give all the members and pastors of Sovereign Grace churches opportunities to share the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ with unbelievers in our communities and workplaces. For how beautiful are the feet of those who preach good news.

6. Please pray that God would continue to provide financially for Sovereign Grace Churches so that we can fund the gospel opportunities He is giving us throughout the world.

An update from Jared Mellinger, SGC Director of Publishing and Senior Pastor of Covenant Fellowship Church, Glen Mills, Pennsylvania…

On October 2–5, 2025, Arche Church in Hamburg, Germany hosted their annual Eckstein (Cornerstone) Conference. I travelled with my wife, Meghan, to spend time with the pastors and wives at Arche Church, to speak at the conference, and to learn what the Lord is doing in Germany and beyond. 

The trip was a great encouragement to us. Christ is building his church in Germany, and I was on the receiving end of many expressions of gratefulness for the difference Sovereign Grace Churches has made there.   

Some of those in attendance were graduates from the Pastors College in Germany, or are currently in their Pastors College. Pastor Markus Kniesel is Dean of the Arche Pastors College, who shared through tears of gratitude the impact Sovereign Grace has had in their mission. 

Pastor Frank Huck and his team have translated many Sovereign Grace songs into German, so that the work of Sovereign Grace Music is serving churches in Germany and beyond. It was a joy to hear familiar songs sung in a different language. I did my best throughout the conference to sing in German, but it wasn’t always pretty.

Messages of Peace 

The theme of the conference was “Peace: Not as the World Gives,” from John 14:27. I preached a number of times, and Meghan taught a session for the women on “Peace in Times of Trouble: Lessons Learned from my Daughter’s Battle with Cancer.” As Meghan told her story and shared how God sustained her, many were encouraged in the midst of their present trials. 

Other sessions brought God’s word to bear on a number of topics, addressing peace in our relationships, peace as a fruit of the Spirit, peace despite crisis and wars, peace when we disagree theologically, peaceful speech, and the hope of heaven as a world of peace.

The Gospel in Ukraine 

The theme was timely in part because many brothers and sisters from Ukraine were there. Some of them are from eastern Ukraine, only 10 miles from the frontlines of war. Missiles attack every day—a live map was projected at one point, showing where missiles struck while we were sleeping the night before. They said that every Ukrainian family has sustained the loss of family and friends in the war. One brother who prayed at the conference lost three of his sons. When the sirens start wailing, all the people and children must hide.  

Meeting these courageous saints, hearing updates from them and enjoying meals with them, has left a deep and lasting impression on us. They are a remarkable example of steadfastness in suffering, and we have much to learn from their example. 

I had the privilege of finally meeting Michael Ostanin, pastor of ARK Church in Dnipro, Ukraine. Over the past 3 and a half years, Michael and his church have distributed over 400 food packages each week. They are caring for many widows, children, and refugees due to the war, including many children refugees of fallen soldiers.

During an afternoon session of mission updates from church planters and international partners, Michael and his wife shared. He expressed his gratitude for the support and giving that has come from Arche Church and from Sovereign Grace Churches, so that they can continue to care for hundreds of people suffering from the war and preach the gospel to them. 

As they share the gospel with refugees, many are coming to a saving knowledge of Christ. Every other month, the church in Dnipro, Ukraine is having a baptism service. There were 12 people being baptized in the upcoming service. Even as suffering rises, the gospel continues its onward advance. 

Thank God for Arche Church 

By the grace of God, and through the faithful leadership of Christian Wegert and his fellow pastors, Arche Church continues to be a powerful gospel presence in Germany. Pastors are being trained at their Pastors College and Reformed churches are being planted and built in Germany and beyond.

We thank God for Arche Church, and for all the pastors and churches associated with them. This is a relationship that continues to bear much fruit and mutual blessing. It is a privilege for Sovereign Grace to be a part of what God is doing in equipping pastors and strengthening the saints in Germany. The fruit of our global fellowship has filled our hearts with joy, and with excitement for the ongoing advance of the gospel in Germany.   

An update from Jeffrey T. Jo, Lead Pastor of Cross of Christ Salvation Gospel Ministries, Manila and SGC National Leader for our work in the Philippines…

In the last chapter of John Piper’s book ‘Brothers, We Are Not Professionals’, he wrote something akin to a thesis statement saying, “The tone of the classrooms and teachers exerts profound effect on the tone of our pulpits. What the teachers are passionate about will by and large be the passions of our younger pastors. What they neglect will be likely neglected in the pulpits.”

With our growing churches in Mindanao, the southern part of the Philippines, we have observed that our pastors are not getting any younger. We have encouraged them to raise up elders who will serve alongside them and we do this by building friendship and ministry partnership with the men in their local churches and by enrolling these men and themselves in our PPI (Philippine Pastors Institute) level 2 that focuses on Pastoral Theology.

For the past two years, PPI has focused on Foundational/Systematic Theology grounding our pastors and kids teachers on a theological exploration of God, humanity, and human relationships with God and the world. We have had 24 graduates of PPI’s level 1 over the past 2 batches.

For PPI level 2, we now have 13 enrollees who we hope will grow in a biblical understanding of their pastoral calling and gospel-centeredness as they serve both their families and ministries. Moreover, they will learn why biblical leadership matters, plurality of leadership, accountability and humility. In terms of ecclesiastical responsibility, they will be learning homiletics, hermeneutics, church membership, sacraments, soul care (counseling) and discipleship, all these in 9 months.

We started our class on September 24 with 13 excited students, 7 of which are young pastors whom we look forward to seeing carry gospel faithfulness to the younger generations. Our goal for the first quarter of learning is for them to understand their sacred call and exercise it faithfully and with Christlike humility. The passion and zeal to serve should just be a by-product of their deep understanding and inspiration from the gospel of Christ, who has called them to both salvation and service.

Part of the PPI program is for students to nourish friendship and partnership in ministry. We hope to remind them of the significance of continuing their relationship even outside the walls of our classroom. We try to enhance the 4 ‘Fs’ every time we gather – faith, fun, food and fellowship. We end our week of learning by having our wives with us in singing, games and the study of God’s word on marriage and parenting. In this way, we see ourselves not in competition but in cooperation, not just learning academically but growing together as a family in unity, purity and humility.

This was Paul’s prayer as well for the believers in Philippi. He exhorted them this way:

“So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” (Philippians 2:1-8)

May both the teachers and students of PPI admire and be awed by the glorious gospel of Christ, inspiring our hearts to make His Name known not only in Mindanao but even to the different parts of the Philippines and the world.

In God’s abounding kindness, 2025 has been a great year for church planting in the United States. September alone marked four Sovereign Grace church plants and Mark Prater, our Executive Director, has been catching up with the church planters over on his podcast.

One such planter is Howard Varnedoe, who recently planted Hope Community Church, in Columbia, Tennesee. It was just a little while ago that his son, Josh Varnedoe, planted Christ Community Church in North Knoxville and so this is certainly an exciting story to tell. You can listen in right here. … Enjoy!

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

Dear Friends,

We want to share with you what God has been doing among us over the past few months.

One of the most meaningful events that took place was the visit of John and Nancy Loftness, Chris Deloglos, Jacobis and Keila Aldana, and Fabrizio Rodulfo. The main reason for their visit was to honor the life and ministry of my father, Pastor Jorge Del Castillo. Some dear friends from Sovereign Grace Churches in Latin America took the initiative to help us celebrate and give thanks to God for his ministry.

Although our local church began in 2020, God allowed my father to serve as a pastor for over 40 years. Both he and my mother, Teresa, have faithfully served the church throughout their entire active lives. It was Jorge—deeply convinced and theologically aligned with Sovereign Grace—who led the planting of our church. In recent years, his health has limited his involvement, yet it was through him that God initiated this work.

With that in mind, John and Nancy Loftness, Chris Deloglos, and Fabrizio joined forces with me as the local pastor to organize a service of honor. It was a wonderful time of thanksgiving to God for the lives of Jorge and Teresa Del Castillo. Many in our congregation had not known about their earlier ministry, so it was a special opportunity to remember and thank God for all He has done through them.

Since we had the privilege of hosting these wonderful guests, we also organized two additional events. The first was a church seminar on spiritual disciplines, with teaching from John, Chris, and Jacobis. They shared excellent messages that reminded our church of the importance of the spiritual disciplines and how they shape our lives. Each message was of great value and encouragement to our congregation.

We were also blessed by the visit of Fabrizio Rodulfo, whom God has used in a very special way in recent years. His work alongside Bob Kauflin has made it possible for us to sing Sovereign Grace Music songs in Spanish. This ministry has been a great blessing—not only to our local church—but also to the broader Spanish-speaking Christian community for more than ten years.

Taking advantage of Fabrizio’s visit, we hosted a conference for musicians, introducing them to Sovereign Grace Music and the many resources available. The event was attended by participants from Santa Cruz and several other cities in Bolivia. Like the English version, our Spanish music ministry has been a great help to those seeking theologically solid and musically contemporary songs. We thank God for this time together.

It is also worth mentioning that Jacobis and Keila Aldana visited our dear brothers and sisters from En Su Palabra Church in Cochabamba, pastored by Erick Miranda, who is nearing the completion of his ordination process. If the Lord allows, this will become the second Sovereign Grace church in Bolivia.

Finally, our church continues to grow, and we ask for your prayers as we seek to lead our people faithfully toward Christ. This year we’ve had to adjust to being a larger church. We currently have over 50 members, with about 30 more preparing to join through our membership class. Sunday attendance has also increased significantly, with around 130 people gathering each week. Our small groups are doing well, and home discipleship continues to be a strong support for our congregation.

All this growth brings new challenges in discipleship, and we ask for your prayers as we seek to strengthen this area. Our desire is to see God raise up leaders and pastors from within our church, to train and ordain them so that they can serve alongside us and plant new churches. 

Thank you so much for all your love and support.

With Ed Omara, Norman Pedd and Norman’s son Nathan

An update from Joselo Mercado, Lead Pastor of Iglesia Gracia Soberana de Gaithersburg, Maryland, USA, and SGC Key Leader for our work in Latin America…

From Friday 24th to Saturday 25th October, I had the privilege of participating in a remarkable men’s conference held in the city of Córdoba, Spain. The gathering brought together around 400 men representing 48 churches from across the nation. What made this event even more striking was that it reached that number without any paid promotion or external publicity—the hunger among the churches for gospel-centered teaching was the true catalyst. The sense of unity, spiritual vitality, and eagerness to learn was palpable from beginning to end.

The conference was organized by a coalition of local evangelical churches with a deep desire to see men transformed by the gospel and equipped to lead their families, churches, and communities faithfully. Although the event was planned primarily at the local level, it carried a national flavor because of the broad representation from multiple regions of Spain—Madrid, Granada, Málaga, Santander, Valencia, and beyond.

Group of pastors before the conference.

The sessions ran from Friday afternoon through Saturday evening, featuring teaching, worship, small-group discussions, and Q&A moments. I had the honor of preaching four times throughout the conference and participating in a panel discussion where attendees asked practical questions about applying biblical truth to real-life struggles faced by men today.

Each teaching session focused on showing how the gospel is not merely a set of doctrines to affirm but a living power that transforms character, relationships, and leadership. My goal was to lead these men to see that biblical masculinity flows not from cultural expectations or personality, but from knowing Christ deeply and being shaped by His humility, sacrifice, and servant leadership. 

The time was deeply edifying and relational. Many pastors expressed gratitude that these conversations moved beyond methods and strategies to address the heart of pastoral life. Several mentioned that they had been longing for spiritual refreshment in their own souls, and that this time together rekindled their sense of calling and dependence on God’s grace.

Worship at the Men’s Conference.

A Testimony of God’s Strength

On a deeply personal level, this trip was also a testimony of God’s sustaining grace. As many know, in recent years I suffered multiple strokes that significantly affected my health and physical endurance. Preparing and traveling for a conference of this magnitude would have been humanly impossible not long ago.

Yet throughout the weekend in Córdoba, I experienced a tangible miracle of God’s strength. Not only did He sustain my body to stand and preach four times in two days, but He also gave me spiritual vitality and deep biblical fellowship with brothers and pastors from all over Spain.

There were moments during worship and after teaching when I was moved to tears—aware that every word spoken, every conversation shared, and every breath taken was a gift of grace. The Lord reminded me again that His power is perfected in weakness, and that the work of ministry is never about human ability, but about the faithfulness of the Great High Priest who intercedes for us.

Many men who knew about my health challenges expressed how seeing me serve and preach encouraged their own faith. It became a living example of what Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 4:7:

“We have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.”

What God did in Córdoba was not just about sermons delivered—it was about the gospel embodied in weakness and grace.

With Pastor Israel Sanz and his wife

Relationships and Fellowship

One of the greatest joys of the weekend for me was spending extended time with Pastor Israel Sanz, who serves as one of the key leaders in the Spanish gospel movement. Our time together was encouraging and strengthening. We discussed ministry challenges, the development of leadership pipelines, and the importance of building gospel partnerships across Spain and Latin America.

My wife Kathy also had meaningful fellowship with Israel’s wife, Damaris, and several other pastors’ wives. They shared their own experiences of ministry, challenges in supporting their husbands, and the need for mutual encouragement among ministry families. Kathy returned deeply refreshed by the time of prayer and fellowship with these faithful women.

Additionally, Ed O’Mara, pastor of Sovereign Grace Church in Turin, Italy, and SGC Area Leader for Europe, attended the conference, accompanied by Norman Pedd, a Sovereign Grace church planter serving in Santander, northern Spain. Having them present brought a sense of partnership and shared mission, which was is encouraging to me.

Ed likewise expressed how encouraged he was to see the advance of the gospel in Spain—to see churches growing in sound doctrine, healthy leadership, and gospel unity. He commented that witnessing this work firsthand gave him renewed faith to believe that God can do the same in Italy. The time together with Ed and Norman also allowed for important conversations about how we can strengthen our family of gospel-preaching churches throughout southern Europe.

Pastor that was saved during outreach in Seville in 1992. He was 15 at the time, and is now the pastor of the church that was born out of the outreach.

Encouragements from the North of Spain

Following the conference, Kathy and I traveled to northern Spain, where we spent time with Norman Pedd and his family. Norman is planting a church in Santander, a city of great beauty but also great spiritual need. We had dinner with his family and heard firsthand about the joys and difficulties of pioneering gospel work in a post-Christian region.

It was humbling and inspiring to see his perseverance and his family’s faithfulness. They are building slowly, meeting with new believers, and forming the foundations of a healthy local church. Our time together included prayer, counsel, and mutual encouragement. It reminded us that God is at work in places where fruit may take years to appear—but His promises remain sure.

Conclusion

In summary, the Córdoba men’s conference was an extraordinary expression of unity, hunger for truth, and gospel-centered transformation among the churches of Spain. The event gathered 400 men from 48 congregations—without promotional resources—because the Spirit of God is stirring genuine renewal.

The opportunity to preach four times, lead a Q&A, meet with pastors about the practical implications of the gospel, reconnect with a church born from the 1992 missionary outreach in Seville, and witness God’s sustaining power in my own body and spirit made this weekend profoundly significant.

The fellowship with Pastor Israel and Damaris Sanz, the encouragement shared with Ed O’Mara and Norman Pedd, and the follow-up visit to northern Spain all contributed to a time filled with gratitude, vision, and renewed hope.

We return thankful to the Lord for the doors He continues to open in Europe and confident that the same gospel that is bearing fruit in Spain will also bear fruit across the continent and beyond.

With Norman and his family, including wife Barbara in Bilbao.

Psalm 139.7-10 declares, ‘Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there you hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.'

There is nowhere we can go where we are outside of God’s presence, nowhere, and that’s one of the many things that makes prayer such an incredible and daily opportunity. The King of Kings and Lord of Lords is always present, always with us, and always eager to hear us.

And so here are some specific things that you can be praying for, and talking with the King about, in the month ahead…

1. Please pray for Joselo Mercado (Lead Pastor of Iglesia Gracia Soberana de Gaithersburg, Maryland, USA, and Key Leader for our work in LATAM) as he pulls together a small group of SG LATAM Pastors in Panama, 7th-10th October, for the purpose of beginning the work of forming a wider leadership group for our work in LATAM. For David Del Castillo (Bolivia), Jacobis Aldana (Colombia) and Sergio (Costa Rica), would this be a wonderful time of creating unity and vision for the days ahead.

2. Please pray for the Ripple Youth Conference to be held in Manila, Philippines, on 18th October. Please pray that the same move of the Holy Spirit witnessed during the Men's and Women's Conferences over the last three months, will also powerfully sweep through the Youth Conference. In addition, please pray for the speakers and the messages to be delivered, so that the truth of Christ would so anchor the youth that they would stand firm in their biblical convictions, boldly proclaim the gospel, and be a salt and light in this time of confusion and darkness. Now, more than ever, this needy generation must hear the unwavering truth of Christ.

3. Please pray for Trinity Grace Church of Athens as they send out a missions team to Rancho 3M. Pray the team would be a blessing to everyone who is there and that they’ll be able to continue putting in the groundwork for a hoped for Church Plant at Rancho 3M in the days ahead.

4. Please pray for Sovereign Grace Church, Nairobi, Kenya, and Sovereign Grace Church, Windhoek, Namibia, as both churches look for new venues to meet in on Sundays. Both churches have experienced some wonderful growth, so please pray that God would provide two new meeting venues for them, that the work of the gospel can continue to expand to others in those two cities and beyond.

5. Please continue to pray for the ARK Church in Dnipro, Ukraine, led by our friend Michael Ostanin. This dear church continues to feed over 400 people a week, care for refugees on a daily basis, and share the good news of Jesus Christ with any and all that will listen. They are doing an amazing work in Ukraine, may we never tire of praying for these dears saints.

6. Please pray that God would continue to provide financially for Sovereign Grace Churches so that we can fund the gospel opportunities He is giving us throughout the world. We really do have more opportunities than we can fund and so we are so in need of His grace in this.

… May His grace abound to us all.

Sovereign Grace exists to plant and strengthen churches for the glory of God, and in His extraordinary grace, four Sovereign Grace churches were planted in September. I’m not sure I remember a month like this in our history and to celebrate, giving all the glory to the Lord, here’s some brief updates from three of the plants…

Cross of Grace Church, North Manchester, IN

“On September 21, 2025, Cross of Grace Church in North Manchester, Indiana. held our first service. This day was the culmination of a 5+ year process of taking steps toward planting in this town. 

God was so kind to us in our first gathering. Not only did everything go smoother than I ever would have expected, but we even had 118 people in attendance from the community--68 more people than our core group! Praise the Lord!

After our time of worship together, we held a spaghetti dinner in the gym, where people could continue to get to know one another. Around 80% of those people stuck around for dinner, and we had a wonderful time of fellowship. 

The gospel was sung, prayed, preached, and displayed on our first Sunday. Please pray that the Lord would cause that seed of the gospel to begin to grow for many. Pray that the Lord would bring back the non-Christians who joined us. Pray that he would use our church to make Jesus big in our community!"

Thank you!

Adam Penird - Lead Pastor

Emmanuel Church, Coatesville, PA

“God was incredibly good to us on the launch Sunday for Emmanuel Church! Our launch team of around 50 adults and children gathered with joy and anticipation—and the Lord exceeded our hopes by bringing over 30 guests to join us. Together we lifted our voices in heartfelt worship, prayed earnestly, sat under the proclamation of God’s Word, and shared communion together. It was a remarkably ordinary service — and it was fantastic, because our extraordinary God met us!

The atmosphere was filled with joy and expectancy. Guests commented on the life in the room and the sweetness of gathering around the gospel. Afterward, we lingered long over lunch, where conversations and laughter flowed freely, and genuine fellowship marked the day. It was a beautiful foretaste of the kind of church we long to be: a joyful, generous, ordinary church family delighting in the gospel deeply, applying it broadly, and proclaiming it boldly.

We are overwhelmed with gratitude for how God has already been at work and so excited to see what He will do in the weeks and months ahead. Praise God for such a joyful beginning. Roll on next week!”

Nathan Smith - Lead Pastor

Trinity Church, Galloway, NJ

“I never saw myself as a church-planter.  I am simply a local church pastor who wants to disciple people to love God and those around them for the sake of the Kingdom. I don’t have a pioneer spirit. So, when Greentree Church began to talk of church planting in Galloway, I assumed someone else would need to go. Two years later, God had worked in my heart to see that I was the one to go and plant this new church.

Galloway is about 30 minutes north of Greentree Church.  Most of the people who live there have no connection to any kind of Christian church. But by God’s providence, Greentree had a committed core of believers who lived in the Galloway area. They were committed members of Greentree, but the distance made it hard for some of them to be as involved as they would like and somewhat disconnected from Greentree’s emphasis on local outreach.

We planted Trinity Church of Galloway to disciple those people to reach their community for Christ.  We want their friends and neighbors to experience the corporate witness of the local church – to see the beauty and glory of Christ among his people gathered and sent out in his name.  We seek to be salt and light to the people of Galloway.”

Eric Huber - Lead Pastor

The team from Cornerstone Church (Knoxville, TN) visited Sydney, Australia in July to serve SGC Wahroonga.

An update from Leo Parris, US Global Missions Coordinator for Sovereign Grace Churches, and Pastor at Covenant Fellowship Church in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania…

It was a busy summer in our global partnership in Sovereign Grace Churches. By God’s grace, more and more of our churches in the West are building relationally with others around the globe to make disciples of all nations for the glory of Christ.

Below is a snapshot of some of the ways our churches fostered global partnership.

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Pastors visited Local Churches

For the past several years, Marty Machowski has travelled to Lord’s Grace Church in South Korea to strengthen pastor Songhwan Kang, and to preach at the church and a conference. Marty is carrying forward the many years of faithful ministry that Larry Malament invested in this church before the Lord took him home. 

Marty Machowski, Pastor at Covenant Fellowship Church (Glen Mills, PA) has travelled to Lord’s Grace Church in South Korea over the years to strengthen pastor Songhwan Kang and his church.

Josh Montague is a Pastoral Resident at Cross of Grace Church in Chaska, Minnesota. Josh has worked with Training Leaders International (TLI) for many years and has recently begun pouring into our SG pastors and pastoral candidates in the Philippines, walking them through the TLI curriculum on faithful exegesis and exposition. Josh, along with Chris Oswalt and Robert Sidlow, travelled there this past February and September, and Josh will return in December along with Ryan Chase.

Josh Montague, Pastoral Resident at Cross of Grace Church in Chaska, Minnesota together with Chris Oswalt and Robert Sidlow have poured into our SG leaders in the Philippines.

This is just a taste of how God is using our pastors to equip and care for our global partners as we continue to expand globally, but there are more examples! David Quilla in Pakistan. Chris Deloglos in Bolivia. Jared Mellinger in Germany. Jeff Purswell in Australia. Dave Taylor in the Philippines & Mexico. Bart Lipscomb and Doug Hayes to many locations in Africa… Many pastors travelling to Ethiopia. Oh yeah, and Bert Turner spent 5 weeks in Brazil! Wow! Thank God for the gifted and faithful pastors that Christ has gifted to Sovereign Grace Church. Isn’t it amazing how he is using them globally? To include a list of all the activity of our pastors would require a series of posts!

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International Teams

Many of our churches also sent teams of members to strengthen our global partnership this year. Different teams focused on construction, VBS, Youth Camps, direct evangelism, and fellowship.

Rancho 3M

Sovereign Grace has a long and rich partnership with this orphanage and school located in the dessert valley of Guadalupe, Mexico. Lakeview Christian Center (New Orleans, LA), Risen Hope Church (Summerville, SC), Cornerstone Church (Knoxville, TN), and Center Church (Phoenix, AZ) have all sent or plan to send teams this year to partner with this wonderful ministry. This orphanage continues to work in close relationship with our churches in Juarez, Mexico and El Paso, Texas. In the future, the leadership of Rancho 3M hopes to plant a Sovereign Grace Church on the ranch site.

Lakeview Team

Risen Hope Team

Playa Azul, Costa Rica

This year, Covenant Fellowship Church led 2 different teams to visit Iglesias Biblica de Playa Azul to continue growing our partnership there. The first team engaged in construction projects while the second one held a YouthCamp. The first team was made up of 4 different Sovereign Grace Churches, all partnering to invest in our global partnership. Both teams also had the joy of worshiping with the new church plant in Jaco, Iglesias Gracia Soberana. Trinity College also sent a team to work with this church earlier this Spring.

Construction team from four different SG churches.

Team of youth, youth leaders and parents holding a Youth Camp.

Running A VBS Sydney, Australia

In July, Cornerstone Church (Knoxville, TN) sent a team to lead a Pirate themed Holiday Kids Club at Sovereign Grace Church Wahroonga in Sydney, Australia. The hope of this trip was to reach young families and school-aged kids around the local area with the gospel, which they did with great zeal. A WAC (We Are Conquerors) evangelistic bi-weekly Kids Club was able to be launched off the back of this trip.

Church Strengthening Trips from Toronto

In February, Sovereign Grace Church of Toronto sent a small team of folks to pour into the new church plant in Sovereign Grace Church in Nairobi, Kenya. Then, they also sent a different team to strengthen Trinity Fellowship Church in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. These were relational trips aimed at having mature folks from their church come along side to encourage folks at these other churches.

A team from SGC Toronto, Canada serving Trinity Fellowship in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Another team from SGC Toronto, Canada serving a new church plant in Nairobi, Kenya.

And these are only some of the trips that have happened. In addition to visiting Rancho 3M a couple of times, Mercy Hill Church (Fredericksburg, VA) and Kingsway Church (Midlothian, VA) joined forces to send a couple teams to Bolivia in La Paz and Santa Cruz. Greentree Church (Egg Harbor Township, NJ) will send a team in early October to partner with Pat Tedeschi and Oasis Church in London there. 

All of this is visible grace in our family of churches. God is not only growing our churches globally in size and impact, he is expanding our hearts as well. May 2026 continue to be full of activity as we work together across many nations to proclaim the gospel and together support the maturation of the Body of Christ.

If you would like to learn more about how to connect your church to our global partnership, contact Leo Parris, US Coordinator of Global Missions, at lparris@covfel.org.

Team members from Cornerstone Church of Knoxville, TN travelled to Sydney Australia in July to serve SG Wahroonga and their Holiday Kids Club.

An update from Joselo Mercado, Lead Pastor of Iglesia Gracia Soberana de Gaithersburg, Maryland, USA, and Key Leader for our work in LATAM…

In July we had the joy and privilege of holding our very first Pastoral Training Retreat in Colombia, a milestone for the growth of gospel ministry in that country and across Latin America. This gathering marked the beginning of what we pray will be a long-lasting investment in raising up and strengthening pastors who serve faithfully in their local churches.

Pastors and leaders traveled not only from across Colombia—cities such as Bogotá, Medellín, Santa Marta, Cali, and Bucaramanga were represented—but also from Costa Rica and Bolivia, highlighting the regional impact of this retreat. Altogether, around 30 pastors and leaders participated, many of them bivocational men who labor sacrificially to shepherd God’s people while also providing for their families.

The retreat was intentionally designed to be both theological and relational. Rich Richardson and I were there to lead the training sessions and to continue cultivating relationships with the pastors. Their presence helped establish a sense of partnership and trust, reinforcing that Sovereign Grace is committed not only to sound teaching but also to long-term relational investment.

The main teaching focus of the retreat was the Seven Shared Values of Sovereign Grace—a framework that shapes our identity and practice as a family of churches. Each value was carefully unpacked, showing how these biblical convictions ground our mission and ministry. Pastors were encouraged to not only understand these values but also to apply them in the context of their local congregations. This was not merely theoretical instruction, but a call to embody these values in preaching, leadership, and daily pastoral care.

A particularly helpful session was led by Bob Wright, who taught on the topic of biblical generosity. Bob reminded us that generosity flows from the grace we have received in Christ, not from external pressure or human obligation. He traced biblical principles from both Old and New Testaments, demonstrating how gospel-shaped generosity becomes a powerful witness in our churches and communities. His teaching resonated deeply with pastors who minister in contexts where financial challenges are real and ongoing, and many left encouraged to model and cultivate a culture of generosity in their own congregations.

While the pastors were being trained, my wife Kathy gathered with a group of 12 wives who were present. This was a precious time of fellowship and encouragement for these women, many of whom quietly and sacrificially support their husbands’ ministries. Kathy listened to their stories, prayed with them, and shared insights from Scripture about walking faithfully with the Lord in the midst of the unique joys and challenges of ministry life. For many of the wives, this was one of the first times they had been intentionally included and cared for in this way, and their gratitude was evident.

One of the most significant moments of the retreat was the ordination of Jacobis Aldana as the first Sovereign Grace pastor in Colombia. This was a historic step, both for Jacobis personally and for the churches in Colombia that he represents. His ordination was a visible demonstration of our shared mission to establish healthy, gospel-preaching churches led by qualified pastors. It was deeply moving to see pastors and leaders from multiple cities and countries join together to affirm and celebrate this important milestone.

Afternoons allowed space for fellowship, prayer, and brotherhood among the pastors. Many of them serve in isolation, often without a network of like-minded leaders to encourage them. For them, simply being in a room with other pastors who share their joys and struggles was deeply refreshing. We heard testimony after testimony of how life-giving it was to pray for one another, to share meals together, and to realize, “I am not alone in this work.”

God was clearly at work. We saw men and women leave with renewed faith, strengthened convictions, and practical tools to better serve their churches. Some commented that this was the first time they had received focused training for their pastoral role. Others expressed gratitude for the relational depth they experienced, saying it was exactly what they needed in a season of weariness.

We return with great hope that this retreat was not simply an event, but the beginning of an ongoing work. Plans are already in motion to continue training pastors in Colombia on a regular basis, with the vision of equipping a new generation of leaders who will plant and strengthen churches throughout Latin America.

Please join us in praying that God would use the seeds sown in these days to bear much fruit for the advancement of the gospel in Colombia, Costa Rica, Bolivia and beyond.

August/September marked the start of the US Pastors College in Louisville, Mexican Pastors College in Juarez, and Trinity Fellowship Pastors College in Ethiopia. So much to be excited about as we consider both the year, and fruit, ahead…

US Sovereign Grace Pastors College

An update from Jeff Purswell, Dean of the US Sovereign Grace Pastors College in Louisville, KY…

In August, the US Pastors College kicked off its academic year by welcoming our 27th class of students. We are once again humbled by the sacrifices that these men, their wives, and their children made as they left their homes, churches, communities, and, for some, their home culture to pursue training for pastoral ministry.

Thirteen men have joined us in Louisville this year: eight from the US, three from Canada, and two families from the Philippines who braved the visa application process, jetlag, and the challenges of life in a foreign country to be a part of this year’s class. It is a diverse group: the students range in age from 22 to 41 and come from a variety of vocational backgrounds. All of them are married, and they brought with them 24 children (and one due to be born this month!).

At least four of the students are actively pursuing church planting, while the rest are eager to serve in a variety of contexts. Observing the combination of these students’ academic eagerness and their relational bonding gives us great encouragement for what the Lord has in store for this year. And we are once again reminded of the sacrifice of our churches in sending such quality men and women to be equipped in the college. Please pray for these men, their families, our instructors, and all that goes into the PC year—that the outcome would be faithful and fruitful laborers for the harvest, whose lives, families, and churches are built upon the gospel of Jesus Christ.

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Pastors College of México

An update from Edgar Flores, Pastor at Gracia Soberana Ciudad Juárez, Mexico & Dean of the Pastors College of Mexico…

We are thrilled to begin the 2025-26 year of the Pastors College in México. By God’s grace, our first PC graduation was in August. This PC year, we have four students: Alejandro Mascareño (Baja California, México), Eli Warren (Ciudad Juárez, México), Isaac Alarcón (Guadalupe, México), and David Calvo (Costa Rica). Three students and their families moved into the apartments on the church premises. Two students are exploring the possibility of planting Sovereign Grace churches. Eli Warren desires to plant a church in the west of Ciudad Juárez (one of the most troubled parts of our city), and Isaac Alarcón is exploring the possibility of beginning a church in Rancho 3M, a children's home in Guadalupe (one hour from our city). The Ranch is deeply connected to Sovereign Grace, and having a Sovereign Grace church in Guadalupe has been a desire for years.

Our desire for the Pastors College of México is to be known as a Sovereign Grace Pastors College. We want the College to be profoundly rooted in the shared values and virtues that Sovereign Grace embraces and in our Statement of Faith. By God's grace, the number of professors who will give classes in-person is growing, and this is the second year of Greek classes. We desire that our students will continue to cultivate a life of godliness throughout the year and be fully immersed in the life of our local church. It is an exciting year—thank you for praying with us as we equip future Sovereign Grace pastors. 

Graduating class of 2024-25.

A welcome gathering for the new class of 2025-26 and their families.

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Trinity Fellowship Pastors College

An update from Josh Pannell, Dean of Trinity Fellowship Pastors College in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia …

Greetings from Addis Ababa!

In the Lord’s kindness, a new year of Trinity Fellowship Pastors College has begun. This year, God has entrusted us with nine students: five from Trinity Fellowship in Addis, three from Nairobi sent by Brian Kiama, and one from Pakistan. The brothers from Nairobi are especially a mark of the Lord’s kindness to us, as they are the first students sent from a church planted by a TFPC graduate. Our brother from Pakistan represents a network of churches pursuing Global Partnership with Sovereign Grace Churches, and we rejoice to serve him here, trusting the Lord to strengthen many in Pakistan through his training.

Once again, many Sovereign Grace pastors have gladly agreed to cross oceans to teach these men: Steve Whitacre, Joseph Stigora, Jace Hudson, Mark Prater, Mark Alderton, Joel Bain, Jeff Purswell, Pete Payne, Andy Farmer, Dr. Josh Blount, Rick Gamache, and Brian Chesemore. Alongside them, six classes will be taught by TFPC graduates now pursuing MTh degrees through our partnership with Union School of Theology in Wales: a joyful sign of the maturity God is quickly working.

This year’s graduation will also mark our fifth anniversary as a pastors college. We give thanks for all the Lord has done, and we ask him to raise up more faithful shepherds for many churches from these men. Truly, the Lord is kind.

Over on the Mark Prater Podcast, our Executive Director recent gave an “around the world” update on so many things that have been taking place in Sovereign Grace Churches.

With so many stories to tell, please listen in… How great is our God!!

Around The World - Global Updates (Mark Prater)

Charles Spurgeon, in his book “The Power of Prayer in a Believer’s Life," writes:

        “Do not bring before God stinted petitions and narrow desires, but remember, as high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are His ways above your ways and His thoughts above your thoughts. Ask, therefore, after a Godlike fashion, for great things, for you are before a great throne.” 

In God’s amazing kindness, you and I get to come before his “great throne” and ask Him for “great things”. It’s an astounding reality, and so here are some ways you can be praying for our Global endeavours over the next month…

1. Please pray for the four U.S. church plants that are launching this month: Trinity Church of Galloway, NJ (Sept 14th), Hope Community Church, Springhill, TN (Sept 14th), Cross of Grace Church, North Manchester, IN (Sept 21st) and Emmanuel Church, Coatesville, PA (Sept 21st). May the Lord bless the labours of the church planting teams and may many unbelievers come to know Jesus through these noble endeavours.

2. Please pray for the many Pastors College students and their families that begin their 2025-2026 year in their PC’s this month: 13 students in the US Pastors College, 8 of them coming from the US, 2 from the Philippines and 3 from Canada. 4 students in the Mexican Pastors College, 3 of them from Mexico and 1 from Costa Rica; and 8 students in the Ethiopian Pastors College, 5 of them from Ethiopia, 2 from Kenya and 1 from Pakistan. Please ask God to provide for them and to give them much grace over the next year, as they learn to watch their lives and doctrine closely.

3. Please pray for Dave Taylor as he heads to South Korea, following on from the leadership team retreat in LA, to serve Songhwan Kang in Seoul, as Lord’s Grace Church celebrates their 15 year anniversary. Please pray that Dave will be a blessing to them and will be able to serve Songhwan, the Lord’s Grace Church pastoral interns and the Church well during this stay.

4. Please pray for the many ladies coming together in the Philippines for their ‘Ripple Women’s Conference’ this month, looking at the ‘Habits of a Godly Woman’. Please pray that both speakers and members alike will be envisioned, encouraged and built together as they gather together in this way.

5. Please pray for the Greentree Church missions team as they head to London this  month to work with Pat Tedeschi in evangelism; Josh Montague (Chaska, MN) and Chris Oswald (Kansas City) as they visit the Philippines with TLI; and Doug Hayes as he travels to Covenant Mercies locations in Zambia, Ethiopia, and Liberia.

  … As we come before this ‘great throne’, may His grace truly abound to us all.

An update from Riley Spring, Lead Pastor of Sovereign Grace Church, Parramatta and Regional Leader for SGC Australia…

In early August, we had the joy and privilege of hosting Jeff and Julie Purswell here in Australia for our TOGETHER 2025 combined churches retreat. We went away to the coast for the weekend and, even though it rained the whole time, that didn’t spoil it at all. We enjoyed rich fellowship, fun, worship, and time sitting under God’s Word. It was a special event for us as we held our largest church retreat yet, with over 340 people attending, and it marked 15 years of Sovereign Grace Churches Australia. It truly was memorable.

Over the weekend, Jeff unpacked the theme The Glorious Christ across four sessions, which you can listen to here. I highly recommend listening to these sermons. They were passionate, carefully exposited, clearly applied, and powerfully exalted Christ in our hearts and minds. God was very kind to us as He helped us sing with joy and faith, minister to one another with our gifts, and knit us together in love. It truly felt like one big family.

Jeff and Julie brought with them such warmth of love and an intentionality to greet, welcome, serve, and care for our churches. It was a joy to watch them in action—often catching them in prayer or embracing someone they had just met as if they were lifelong friends. This is one of the beautiful things about our partnership in the gospel across Sovereign Grace Churches!

We also held a separate training day on the Thursday before the retreat, where Jeff gathered with all of our pastors in Australia to look at the need for doctrinal fidelity and gave an edifying overview of the Pastoral Epistles—whetting our appetite for the PC Course in 2026. At the same time, the wives met with Julie and were blessed and encouraged by her example, experience, and endurance. That evening we all gathered together for an SGC Australia Pastors and Wives dinner, feasting on smoked lamb, sharing stories, and simply enjoying being together.

True to SGC form, “we may be small… but we are slow!” Yet despite this, the Lord is on the move here in Australia among us. There is a wonderful unity across our two pastoral teams and our churches. We have seen two pastors ordained this year, with more hopefully to come. Both of our churches are stepping out with even greater intentionality in evangelism through the Bridge Course, and we are seeing more people come to faith.

It is our hope that as we build well—and build slowly—we lay a foundation for the future: playing our small part in the gospel ecosystem of Australia, aiming to reach new people one at a time, to plant more churches in the coming years, and to raise up future pastors. We would love your continued prayers as we seek to plant and strengthen churches here in Australia.

We are already looking forward to our TOGETHER 2026 one-day event with the Global Leaders and Leadership Team!