By Pastor David McDonald, COC Australia and South Pacific Chairman

I thank God that this Movement has always seen and valued the harvest in Australia and the Islands. One of the things that bold, adventurous tourists and citizens like to do when in Sydney is to climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge and look out at the expanse of one of the most beautiful cities in the world. What a view! There's nothing quite like it. The view is exhilarating, giving way to a connection with a city that has so much history and significance. The Harbour Bridge is one of our national icons; and standing on top of it gives a person a sense of being somewhere pretty special on this earth.

The effort to get there is significant, not to mention the overcoming of various fears that are common to man! I can see so many analogies here with what we are called to do for God. By far the most impressive thing you can see from up there are the homes of 4.5 million people who call Sydney home. It's a per spective that is both inspirational and moving to heart and spirit.

What things move you?
Seeing your life and its potential moved Jesus as he faced the cross. Hebrews 12:2 says that for the joy set before Him, Jesus endured the cross. That joy was looking at the scene of so many who would take advantage of so great a salvation that He offers. Being on a vantage point like the Sydney Harbour Bridge is so necessary for all of us. It's so important to go to our point of inspiration at special times when we take stock of what we want and where we are going. Take a good hard look at the call from His perspective! Can you see the multitudes around you? Are there dreams to reach them and see national change? God challenged Abram to look north, south, east and west and told him, "If you can see it, you can have it!" (Genesis 13:14-15) If it looks too big, then you are serving the wrong God. It ought to scare us, but never daunt us. Look at the size of Sydney and Melbourne and the other southern cities where two-thirds of Austral ians live, and ask God for the eyes to really see the harvest and what He will do through us to reap it.

Stand with me and focus on the southern cities of Australia!
I want to make an appeal to you today - an appeal to COC, to all my friends, and to every pastor, leader and member of this great move-ment. Stand with me and focus on the southern cities of Australia! If we truly believe that we are working for ‘Australia for Christ', we must look up and see that the majority live in between Newcastle and Wollongong, as well as in Melbourne, Canberra, Hobart, Adelaide and Perth. To reach Australia for Christ, we must reach our cities. Our resources must be focussed there. Our dreams must dwell on these places. In many parts of Australia COC is strong and people know who we are and what we stand for. In so much of Queensland and NSW - especially regional NSW - COC is obvious in every small town and known in the cities. Well done to the COC pioneers who have gone before us! In many towns down south, there are people who have never heard of COC. Some wonder if we are a cult!

The view is totally worth it!
I make this appeal as one who stands atop the vantage point where I can see in panoramic view where we need to go. I want to invite you up here to see what I see. It will take some effort and the overcoming of fears common to man, but the view is totally worth it. In fact it's essential!

During New Year's Eve at the turn of the new millennium, the Sydney Harbour Bridge was graphically lit up with the word "Eternity" spelled out in giant letters using fireworks. Approximately two billion people around the world saw that one word sermon that night, and it came from a very insignifi cant old man who was so very thankful for the salvation he received through the love of Jesus. Arthur Stace, born in 1884, was an alcoholic whose life was almost over when God intervened and he experienced a wonderful conversion in 1930 in Sydney. Following his conversion, his ongoing life in Christ blossomed and he felt the call of God to write "Eternity" on footpaths as a message to pas-sersby. Inspired by the verse in Isaiah 57:15, he wrote the message over and over again, in the very early morning hours each day, so that thousands of Sydney-siders would awake each day to a prompt to "consider their latter end". It is estimated that Arthur wrote this one-word sermon over 500,000 times over the years. So humble was his approach that it was many years after he began before anyone actually found out who had been doing this simple task. Nevertheless, this simple call to spread a message faithfully fi nally resulted in his word going out to around two billion people across the world. Only God can multiply such simple obedience and change the world through that call!

We have a call to the cities of Australia.
We have a call to Australia, to Sydney and to Melbourne... and to the cities of Australia. Before we consider the bigness of the task, let's consider the power of the message and the ability of our God to convert the simple task of dreaming a dream and speaking His Word over and over again into the result we truly long for. In practical ways we can focus our energy and our resources in the southern cities. Begin by coming to ‘Infusion06' conference in Melbourne on 23 - 25 February. It really does make a difference when we gather together and lift the vision there. I believe the ‘Infusion05' conference in Sydney really did have a positive impact into the Sydney churches. Now add the southern cities to your prayer focus. As leaders in COC we consider when planting churches, whether the couple planting are suited for city or country impact. It's a different prospect planting into a small town as compared with planting into a big city. If planters are "a fit" to the area they are going to, then their prospects of success are far greater. If our resources of planters are not suitable for cities, we can raise up youth ministries, music ministries and other leaders who can resource the planters that are starting in the cities.

Be a part of the move of God in the southern cities.
Both prayer and finances are im portant resources. Encompassing all these practical resources is what we are going to be saying every chance we get – Multiply healthy churches into these southern cities. I appeal to you to be a part of the move of God in the southern cities. Thanks for being part of a vision that's bigger than all of us, but one that is in God's heart and achiev able through His grace and power. Tricia and I consider it an honour to serve ‘Australia for Christ'. God bless you!