Grow with God: Ascot Aglow in Western Australia.
Linley Barker Leader of Ascot Aglow shares with us some of the wonderful things God is doing within the branch.
Hello Fellow Aglowers,
Liz asked me if I would like to contribute to “Grow With God”, a new section to be included bi monthly in our Aglow National Newsletters.
I promptly said “Yes”, then put the idea somewhat on the side lines, hoping that something profound would percolate to the surface of my thinking over time.
Now I am here sitting at my desk, ready to share and find I am coming empty handed in a way. Then again, you don’t really want to know about me, but rather what the Lord is doing in me and through me. Is that right?
So I will share a little of my Aglow history to start with: I was secretary for Fremantle Aglow for about 8 years. We had a wonderful team led firstly by Susan Morisey, then for the year, by Lorraine Walker. Lorraine came to me in late 2018 and said she and husband Dave had bought a motor home and intended touring Australia in 2019 spreading the good news of Australia for Jesus. I knew it was my time to step up into her shoes as Leader for Fremantle Aglow. Daunting at the time as I knew I had big shoes to fill, but the Lord did not let me down. Isn’t it great knowing that we are never on our own? He is there. As the saying goes, “if the Lord appoints, He anoints”. God’s faithfulness has become evident to me time and again. If we go where he leads we can’t go wrong. I have felt His presence and leading along the winding road of life. Another twist occurred in September 2020 when I married Jeff Barker after 25 years of being single. What a Game Changer that has been!
We were keen to have a shared experience of growing in God and the inspiration for establishing a new couples Aglow group came to me. This new idea was shared at the same time, but by independent revelation to both Susan and Lorraine. (Lorraine was grounded and back in Perth due to Covid19). Susan has taken up the reins again as the Leader of Fremantle Night Aglow. This had been a long held dream of Susan’s and it appeared almost miraculously to be birthed at a single prayer meeting late in 2020. God’s hand was clearly in this change, and Susan and I were both delighted.
Ascot Aglow was launched in January 2021 with a go away get together of the original 3 core couples. We now have a core group of 4 couples and others come as they are able to our monthly dinner meetings. We rotate around each month, meeting in each other’s homes. We start early, at 5.30pm with a meal. So there is plenty of time for friendship and fun before getting down to the meeting proper as such. Praise, some prayer and whoever is hosting the evening also leads us in teaching and sharing from the Word or other Christian material.
It has been interesting watching and learning about the dynamics of developing a couples group. It is not like a ladies Aglow meeting. Never will be. Nor should it be. Each person is given an opportunity to stretch and grow, and we have been. I have learnt to trust God to help me with my catering skills which are basic. The maximum we have had to dinner in our home is 14, and the whole evening flowed beautifully. Our wedding placemats and plates and glasswear have come into handy use. For our wedding we had hired a retreat centre for the weekend and had provided our own matching place settings curtesy of Ikea. In God things are never wasted. Even the crockery.
So where to now?
I am thrilled that Aglow Australia is drawing us all together regularly in new and wonderful ways, mostly facilitated by Zoom. Covid has attempted to shut us down and instead it has forced us to open up nation wide. Our prayers for our wonderful Leader Kerry Ellen have forced us to draw together and look up to our Lord as our helper, and her healer. He is there. We are learning a greater dependence on Him and upon each other.
I love that we have not let go of Game Changers. It is SO rich. I have just glanced down at my open book and on page 27 my eyes fell upon these words:
“Here is one of the principles of Life in the Spirit. You cannot become a new person by changing your behaviour. You discover the person you already are in Christ and behave accordingly”. Living according to the Fruit of the Spirit is where we learn to abide in God’s nature. “The Fruit of the Spirit is the Power of God to enable us to become Christ Like”. (p 69).
It’s a never ending journey of discovery that we are on. Thank goodness God’s mercies are new every day and “The path of righteousness is like the first light of dawn,
Shining ever brighter till the full light of day”. Prov 4: 18.
May your journey be rich and your love of God be deepening and satisfying. He is faithful and SO good.
With love and Blessings.
Linley Barker
Aglow Ascot