Hi, I’m Vaughan Crawford. You may
remember me from gatherings such as MUCU
Small Groups, or Cross Cultures
Kitchen Kapers!
Growing up attending a small church in
Melbourne’s north, my faith grew in fits and spurts depending on the preaching
roster of pastors & lay preachers, or annual beach missions. More
consistent & substantial growth commenced when youth group & bible
studies were shaped by leaders who had been trained & mentored by AFES
groups at La Trobe & Melbourne Universities.
So when I began studying at Melbourne Uni,
I headed straight for the campus Christian Union group, hungry for more.
God was very kind, and as well as providing great biblical teaching through the
public meetings and small group syllabus (Mark/Romans, Genesis/Acts, letters/prophets,
…), I also learned a great deal about applying what I learned in how I served
others, worked and studied.
During this time, I met Cathy and David
Walter and was part of many small groups with and led by them. David
& I met regularly, working through questions and key concepts from the
public meetings and small group studies. It was often important to
remember two things for the following week, although there were probably more
and David was just being patient with me! In my final year I led a group
with Cathy, learning a great deal from her wise leadership, patience and group
development. I was profoundly influenced by the ways that Cathy and David
integrated their faith in daily lives and service.
By the time I graduated, my faith and
understanding of God’s love and sacrifice had drastically deepened, and I had
been challenged and trained to apply this in all areas of my life and
circumstances. Thanks to God’s work through people like David and Cathy
at CU, I was one of many leaving uni better equipped to live out my faith in my
workplace, relationships and my local church. It wasn’t a hard decision
to continue to support the work of AFES in prayer and financial contributions.
It’s been a delight to observe up close and
from a distance how Cathy and David have continued to serve Christ as they
moved into work with international students in Melbourne, Adelaide and (soon!)
Queensland. Similar to the great work I enjoyed at uni, students from
many countries are encountering Jesus through the bible and are growing in
their knowledge and love of him.
As the years have progressed there have
been moments of laughter, understanding, challenge, disappointment, struggle
and perseverance. What endures most is the joy of seeing so many people
who grew under God’s care through the work of David and Cathy at Christian
Union, Cross Cultures and Focus, now working in a huge variety of industries,
families, organisations and church communities, across many cities, states and
countries. Under God’s grace, we continue to work out our faith in these
situations, building on the foundations laid at such a critical time in our
lives.
Individuals, families and churches equipped
for many ministries and good works, growing mature in Christ and working for
his glory. That’s a great thing.
Would you help Dave and Cathy to continue in student ministry with AFES?
Please consider:
- Giving a one-off gift to help send Dave and Cathy to Queensland debt-free*
- Signing up for their regular newsletters so that you can pray and keep in touch with them
- Sharing this with others who might help Dave and Cathy go to Queensland debt-free
* Or even better, become a regular supporter!
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