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School Revival - Matt & Cathy Ransom
November 24, 2002
Revival. What must that look like? Well what we are seeing in our ministry at a Catholic high school here in Cairns, Queensland - is quite extraordinary. Matt (my husband) is full time Campus Minister at a large Catholic co-ed high school of about 1100 students, me, well I'm a teacher at the same school. In the past 3 months we have seen a tremendous increase in the fruit of the Holy Spirit.
We felt the Lord lead us to begin 'cell' groups. For about 12 months we had 2 very small, struggling groups - but groups made up of the most faithful and persistent young Christians. This Semester we have seen an explosion in these cells groups we now cannot keep up with the demand by students to join cell groups. Matt and I run a group each in every lunchtime - and Matt, in most shorter recess breaks. (Sometimes the 'cell' has grown too large, even before it's first meeting, and we need to 'split it'. Amazing!) We are approached almost daily by more students who want to join. We believe that the Lord has spoken to us about needing to change our paradigm of ministry(to accommodate these growing numbers), and develop strategies to meet the needs of these hungry young people.
What is also really cool, is that in these cell groups are some of the most 'unlikely characters' you might expect to find. We have a boy's Year 10 group that wants to be called the "Mafia" group. Shocked? Well it kind of gives you an idea of the kind of kids who are in that group. But guess what, they come every week, and they think it's cool, and we get an opportunity to evangelise and lead these kids to Jesus.
Matt plays football at lunchtime with many of the boys. He has developed a staff versus senior students, Year 8's, and Year 10 competition. The students love it - and this has provided an incredible foundation on which to build relationship and ultimately relationship with Jesus. (It also helps that Matt is physically fit - and can out-run most of the kids. He was a state-level sprint champion. It's kind of incidental, but in the eyes of the boys, it adds to Matt's credibility in their eyes. )
We recently had an orientation day for new students coming into Year 7 next year. Matt overheard a Year 10 student - who was giving orientation tours - say to a Year 7 student - "That's Mr. Ransom's office. He's really cool and he runs these groups that are really good - you can talk about any thing you want to. " The word going around is that you can be cool and still love Jesus.
That's gotta be God!
The other exciting development is with the staff. We decided to offer the Alpha Course to staff this term Many would know that Catholic schools often have teachers that are not practising Christians and at worst, live lives that are far from God. Well amazingly we have 11 staff doing the Alpha Course. This is absolutely awesome, and already is having a huge impact on the spiritual life of the school. And what is really exciting is that we have an incredible range of 'faith levels' among those attending the course. We have a couple of people who are basically un-churched and are starting from scratch. These are people really hungering for more. We are leading them to Jesus.
WE are seeing the culture, the atmosphere, the attitudes in our school changing. Our principal recently spoke at our School Assembly, about how Jesus is the Lord of our school. That Jesus is our ultimate Leader - and the leader of this school. Although our principal is a devout and active Christian, we have never head him speak so boldly.
This coming Sunday, my Year 10 cell group girls asked if they could come to church with us. Awesome! That's 10, 15 year old girls coming to Church, - I can't wait to see people's eyes when we all sit together this coming Sunday. We are hoping to be able to become 'stewards' of the school's 12-seater bus so that we can take kids to Church.
It is an awesome time - and we come home day after day, with amazing stories of what God is doing. It will come as no surprise to also hear that we suffer - at times - persecution and difficulty. Not everyone is excited about the impact we're having. In the past semester year 8 and Year10 have been doing 'sex ed' and our firm beliefs in this area have rubbed some of the staff, 'up the wrong way'.
God has been awesomely faithful to us, and he has sent to Cairns - our city - a dynamic young couple who are now Campus Ministers at the boys high school. Jonathon and Karen are also experiencing tremendous fruit and conversions. Jonathon has begun a 'chapel time' on Fridays called "Thank God its' Friday" where the worship band plays upbeat music in the chapel and contains a short preaching. This service is attracting up to 120 kids. The chapel can't hold anymore - the kids peer in through the windows! It's so cool.
Next year we will be working with Jonathon and Karen to have "Thank God's it's Friday" meetings on Friday nights. Already the students from both schools are excited.
We feel like we are looking at a harvest field ready for harvesting. To be really honest, we feel little resistance. People are ready - they are literally knocking on our door to know Jesus! We have served the Lord for 18 years - and been involved with youth ministry for our 12 married years - but we have never experienced such a time of grace and conversion, as now. Why, now? Who knows. In fact, who cares! No point in figuring out - just do it! (as some shoe company says!)
We're having an awesome, fun and amazing time in the Lord. The kids we are working with are like little birds with their mouths wide open. There is such a tremendous hunger for the Bread of Life.
Please pray for us. Please pray for us to have the grace and wisdom to shepherd as God would want us to. Please pray that the Lord would continue to lead others to help us in this work.
In January, we are going to come to Toronto to the Pastor's conference. We really need to be in a place to receive and be filled. So we will see many of you then.
Blessings
Cathy (and Matt) Ransom
mattcath@bigfoot.com
Location: Cairns, Australia
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