BEYOND Report

2023 saw a year of blessing and fruitfulness for our Beyond family and team. After consecutive years of raising almost $215,000, 2023 required some great generosity towards the end of the year, but through God’s provision and some very generous giving, we finished the year raising $217,234. Praise God that even through ongoing financial pressures for many in our Lifestreams family, we continue to be able to fulfil our commitments to our Beyond Family Partners.

One of the biggest highlights was finally welcoming some of our overseas family to visit us in person. In September, we held LGF (Lifestreams Global Family) face-to-face meetings, where Min Raj from Nepal and Efren from the Philippines joined us and shared at both of our South Perth and Bull Creek campuses. We also had meetings throughout the week as a leadership team and dreamed about what church planting through Beyond and LGF could be in the next ten years.

Several of our partners finished their long-term ministries in 2023, including Linda Hall, Caleb & Tiana Murfit and Colin Craggs. We honour their years of service and are grateful that we could support them for so many years. We were blessed to add new partners this year, including Sara David from Living Child (and our Bull Creek campus).

At our campuses throughout the year, we welcomed various partners to share (in person or via video). Those who shared included Pastor Efren and Min Raj during the LGF conference, Dwayne Frolek from YWAM Bali and Ross Nancarrow from IMM and EDM.

Our Beyond Committee still faithfully met throughout the year and we were blessed to even host lunches and catch-ups with our visiting partners, including the Besfords. A massive shout out to Margaret & John Bardsley, June Angus and Luke Tassell who volunteer their time on the committee and carry various loads of pastoral care, administrative support and accountability for our Beyond Fund. Also thanks to Liz Roberts, Grace Cook and Pastor Rod Thom for faithfully contributing their staff time to serve on the Beyond Committee.

Rick Pekan finished up in his role as Beyond Minister in November 2023.  Rick say’s “It was a true honour to serve as the Beyond Minister for over three years. I loved my time on the staff, my time in the pulpit telling the stories from the various Beyond Partners ministries and I loved my conversations with everyone in the church and serving overseas.  I’m saddened that Covid prevented me from visiting many of our partners in the field, but I’m encouraged how all our partners faithfully persevered during immense challenges and inspired by the generosity of Lifestreams Christian Church in faithfully contributing.  I hope I was able to give everyone who gives and serves with Beyond nearly as much as they gave to me.”

I started in the role in January 2024 and we look forward to how God is going to continue to equip us to help people everywhere find and follow Jesus.

Luke Tassell

Beyond Minister