2019 AUSTRALIA TRIP RECAP
As I’m writing this, the clock is blinking 5:30am… because jet lag woke me up at 4:00am. Adjusting to a fifteen hour time shift will do that to you, but it’s a small price to pay for being able to join the Father in what He’s doing around the globe. #worthit
Our Time Down Under
I just got back from a wonderful and powerful time in Australia. I was invited by Kirk and Nichole Delaney, the National Directors of Vineyard Australia to come and speak at their national conference, as well as spend three days training and releasing leaders all across Australia to run School of Kingdom Ministry. God was so faithful and generous to us while we were there.
When first discovered by Spanish explorers, Australia was declared to be the “great southland of the Holy Spirit"—something that it seems still lives in God’s mind to this day. While we were there, the kingdom felt so available and ready to break in. We saw scores of healings, deliverances, and empowerings. The Holy Spirit was eager to work in His people! Here were a couple of my favorite stories that happened with me:
The second day of the conference we prayed for healing. I felt drawn to a specific couple, and it turned out the wife had significant hearing loss. As I prayed for her I felt that this was caused by a spirit of deafness. When I rebuked it, she arched backwards, shaking. After we drove the spirit out, she turned her hearing aides off and was able to hear a whisper from a couple of feet away. She was stunned when she turned to tell me she could hear me.
On the last day of the SoKM training, we were training and modeling the integrated healing model. As our team members were taking point demonstrating the integrated healing model, and as they made their way through, another person in the room started manifesting a demon. After a few minutes, another team member mentioned to me he saw demons all across the room stirred up. I went up to the front and told everyone that if they were feeling nauseous or uncomfortable to stand up. About 10-12 people stood up, and almost instantly demons began manifesting all across the room. Some people were knocked to the ground before people could even get to them to pray. Testimonies the next few days were greatly encouraging :)
A New Season
In the last year, God has brought Vineyard Australia into a new season of fruitfulness. I was stunned by the difference I saw in momentum and energy in the movement between last year and this year. Leaders that were burnt out are back in the saddle. New church plants are forming and people are radically leaning in for the kingdom in every possible way.
Kirk and Nichole are doing a stellar job leading this family. They have brought such a beautiful unity to Vineyard Australia and are boldly pressing into this new season defined by the Qualifying Love of the Father (Colossians 1:12), A Compelling Jesus (Colossians 1:15-23), The Spirit-Filled Life (Colossians 1:9-11), and Threshold Living (Colossians 1:13). I was so proud of how our team was able to come alongside them and add a bit of fuel to the fire in what God is doing down under.
Family on a Journey
This trip was the first time I’ve taken a group of people on an international trip. While it definitely added more layers of complexity, it was well worth it. The relationships I saw it strengthen in our trans-local-church family and the amazing opportunities each of our team members had to minister in unique ways were so wonderful. We were able to draw together fourteen people from eight different churches across the US to go minister to hundreds of people from dozens of churches across Australia. We connected more powerfully with each other as a US Vineyard family, and we bonded deeply with our Australia Vineyard family. It truly was a family on a journey experience, and more than ever I’m convinced God has wonderful things for us as we learn to do church together.
If you want to catch more photos, stories, and testimonies from our trip, check out our Facebook group!
Putty Putman
The Vineyard Church
Urbana IL