The Inside Story - July Edition

Q: First Gaylene, a big congratulations at your new role as Aglow’s National Prayer Coordinator! There’ll be many who know you and some who don’t, so could you share a little of your Aglow backstory with us – you have quite a history! 

A: To put the last 43 years of my life in Aglow into a nutshell is not easy, as so much has happened and changed my life. But once I entered the Aglow doors via the invitation of a cherished friend, I knew I had found what my heart had been searching for…a Spiritual Home where there were no denominational tags, where we were all valued, all equal in the sight of God and each other and love covered all. Two years after that initial invitation, God called me to a leadership position and other than a three-year break in the middle of this time, God has graced me with such passion, love and wisdom to lead the Bundaberg branch of Aglow. 

Over the years, as a branch of Aglow, through much prayer and leading of Holy Spirit, we found ourselves hosting a State Retreat in Bundaberg, ministering to the Women’s Domestic Violence Centre, tangibly loving on the backpackers who were devastated by the floods here in Bundaberg in 2013, and visited flooded homes in our city with home-made baking and touches of love so that they knew our God is a God Who sees and Who cares. (I was always inspired by Holy Spirit from the testimonies of other Aglow leaders at our President’s Summits to look for ways to reach out into our community.)  

I was asked to lead the Prayer Team when the Churches in Bundaberg came together to present a Christmas pageant, “Bethlehem Live”, reaching out to our Bundaberg community and beyond. Telling them the true Christmas story inside the walls of a mini Bethlehem set up on the oval of school grounds, here our Aglow branch participated in various ways at the pageant over the years, especially at the Prayer Wall. We also ministered to the elderly in a Retirement Home. Through these different outreaches, God constantly drew women and men to the doors of Aglow where we would simply worship and love Jesus, each other, and encourage one another with the Word of God as Holy Spirit led us. 

Another privilege I benefited from was serving as a National Field Representative in QLD for a number of years and being a Mentor in QLD. It blessed my life richly, as the joy of my heart is to see others growing and flourishing in their relationship with our Lord and with others. 

I stepped down from leading our Bundaberg Aglow branch at the end of 2023 due to some personal health issues and because my Mum had severe dementia and needed my attention. 

Q: Leading us recently in the prayer vigil for Israel, by standing against the UN’s pending Peace Conference that’s promoting a two-state solution, tell us what moved your heart to initiate this? 

A: I helped host a meeting in Bundaberg with Stan Goodenough from Israel who shared about the October 7 massacre. Learning about how the United Nations believed that a TWO STATE SOLUTION was the way to bring peace in the Middle East - which was to be voted on in New York at a United Nations conference on June 2 - I heard with my heart. 

So, after Stan’s meeting, I sought the Lord as to what could someone like me do to help in this current situation. The Lord spoke to me from Esther 4, “Do not flatter yourself that you shall escape in 'Australia,' any more than all the other Jews.” In other words, just because we live in this nation down under, don’t for a moment think that you will not be affected by the repercussions of the nations dividing Isra'el into two states.   

Matthew 24 is very clear that when the Son of man comes… He will sit on the throne of His glory and ALL NATIONS SHALL BE GATHERED BEFORE HIM and He will separate the SHEEP NATIONS AND THE GOAT NATIONS.  The SHEEP NATIONS are those who took care of the LEAST OF THESE MY BRETHREN - this speaks about His people the Jews, Isra’el!  And then He will say to those at His left hand - the Goat nations, to be gone into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. v 41.  Like Stan, we should take the Word of God literally and have reverence for His Word. 

So, pressing into the Lord, I heard “Rally the Troops!” and He reminded me of how the delegates (I was one) attending an Aglow conference in Jerusalem in 2019 were commissioned and were sent out from Jerusalem to be watchmen, to become articulate ambassadors for Isra’el and to pray for the nation. This was a mandate that I could not ignore. The Lord also drew my attention again to Esther, “For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance shall arise for the Jews from elsewhere, but you and your father’s house shall perish. And who knows but that you have come into the Kingdom for such a time as this.”  And so, we began meeting to pray intensely for Israel and where this two-state solution was concerned. It was an amazing, awesome time being strategically led by the Lord. 

Q: Share a little with us about what it means to now be appointed for the role of Prayer Coordinator? 

A:  For me, praying is a huge responsibility that I do not take lightly. Praying is seeking, asking, listening, and obeying the promptings of Holy Spirit as to all that is on the Father’s heart, and for His will to be done and His Kingdom come in a given situation. So it is extremely humbling, an honour and a privilege to be appointed to this role. I look to Him entirely so that no flesh gets in the way. 

Q: You’ve come in right on the eve of our PRESENCE Conference mid-August. What are you looking forward to the most with this? 

A: Tasmania is the place of my birth, and so I have been keenly watching, waiting and listening to all that has been taking place in this state and especially recently as prophetic words have been catching my attention. I don’t believe it is by chance that Aglow is holding our PRESENCE Conference in Tasmania at this time. I so see God’s sovereign hand on both Aglow and Tasmania in this hour and as we embrace the changes that will take place both in Aglow and in our individual lives. As we throw off the old to receive the new mantles in order to move forward into the fullness of all the Lord has for us, I believe that this will be prophetically happening in the Spirit for the state of Tasmania, “Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth; do you not perceive and know it, and will you not give heed to it?”  (Isaiah 43:19) I believe it is time for Tasmania to “shine.” No longer the little overlooked state (as Nate Johnston shared.)   

Q: Lastly, we’d love a little inside look into you Gaylene and what you’re passionate about i.e., family, any interests outside of Aglow and so on? 

A:  I love Family.  Family - watching them grow, develop, change and becoming all they are meant to be. This includes our two sons and their families (our four grandchildren are the icing on our cake), my brother, sister and their families (we love visiting each other), including Kev’s family (Kev is one of six and we have just enjoyed another annual family reunion, catching up with where their families are, how they have grown etc.).  

Family also includes my Church Family and also my Aglow Family, both locally and nationally. I come away from these family times overwhelmed by God’s goodness and His love as I listen to their joys, their trials, their accomplishments. Having “family” around our table at home is the best. 

I also love gardening and the satisfaction of seeing things grow and bearing “fruit”. God teaches me much in my garden. 

Together with my husband, we love making our home a place where a big welcome is found right at our front door for those who need rest, comfort, a quiet retreat, a place to find encouragement, friendship or just a simple cup of tea.  

Traveling, be it around this amazing nation of Australia or overseas and seeing the beauty of God’s creation, is something else I enjoy, especially with my husband.