Our Plans & Prayers 2026
What Session, Board and our Ministry of Members are planning for and praying about in 2026
Towards the end of the year we start making plans for the next year, and to pray. So in November the Session (Session is a meeting of the Teaching Elder and Ruling Elders) met and planned the following for their prayers, and ours as a whole church.
What follows is an outline of what we pray the Lord may do among us.
Plans & Prayers of Session
Reforming Session has sought to cultivate a culture of prayerful dependence upon God for everything, and this has seen meetings embedded with things such as constituting meetings through share, care and prayer for one another. Only after this, and later in the agenda do we have a time called ‘Equip Elders’, where we spend time in pastoral theology development through reading, listening and thinking (1 Peter 5:1-5). It was then after these formative times in our meeting of Session that the Elders made the following plans, including a resolution about Men’s Friday Nights and Women’s Brunches.
Men’s and Women’s Events
251117.4 It was resolved to hold Women’s brunches every second month and Men’s events on the alternate month Friday evening between Feb-Nov (Feb Men/Mar Women).
After different approaches to men’s and women’s ministry over the years, the Session in partnership with the Reforming Women’s Leadership Team, are planning for 2026 to have Women’s Brunches and Men’s Friday nights hosted on alternative months, and completely rested in January and December. This makes 5 per year for each ministry.
After running Men’s Friday Night events in 2025, it’s very noticeable that we’ve seen more than double the number of men come to the Friday night event than we saw come to a Men’s breakfast. It’s been a very fruitful and encouraging ministry.
We’re excited about how this will help parents particularly where Saturdays get so full for families, and help husbands or wives focus on their spiritual formation at their respective event - whilst their spouse has their children under their care during that time.
5pm Monthly Prayer Services
We love to pray, and for those who don’t yet love to pray (but would secretly like to), this is for you too. Prayer is an expression of faith, of reliance on God our Father who cares for His children.
We live such full and busy lives that we must pray. The Apostle Paul writes in Philippians 4:6, ‘do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.’
We see how good prayer is, by seeing how good God is, and you’re invited to come and pray with us too at our monthly Prayer Service.
Profession of Faith Classes for Youth
During the year, and with a special focus on Term 3 of the school year, Session is planning on hosting Profession of Faith series for youth willing to make profession and becoming Communicant Members. This series will be hosted at our 5pm Prayer Services.
New Reforming Groups and Group Leaders
From February we’ll see Reforming Groups start up across our region, and so this makes for an opportunity to highlight the how and why of small group ministry at Reforming. Our biblical vision for small groups is that they a are wonderful way for people to apply those beautiful words from 1 Thessalonians 2:8, where we get to share the gospel and share our lives.
In 2026 we have plans for three, possibly four, new Groups gathering across the region! This is very exciting and when Session meets again on 2nd of February we’ll share details with the congregation.
Potential Elder Candidates
For some time now the Session has been praying, discussing, and now have decided by resolution on inviting certain men to our shepherd selection course called Cruciforming Eldership. It’s called such as we are praying for more Elders who take up their cross and follow Jesus - who live cross-shaped lives and lead ministries in this way. We are praying for more Elders to shepherd the flock of God among us humbly (1 Peter 5).
We are praying that we would continue to see Edlers of Reforming who don’t make this ministry all about them, about title, about status - but about going low like Jesus. We are praying for the Lord to raise up men, for the church to recognise men, who don’t seek to be decision-makers but disciple-makers.
Potential Elder Candidates will join this shepherd selection course that is designed to determine out of a group of potential qualifying men who the Lord is raising up, for the church to recognise via the Session selecting nominees and congregation electing them.
Of course undertaking the Cruciforming Eldership course does not guarantee that a candidate will be nominated by Session, nor elected by the Congregation. As such, the course is designed to determine this over a long period of time - both for the candidates and the current Session.
The future shepherd selection course is biblically designed for certain men to be invited to. For in the Scriptures there is the principle that elders are recognised by current experienced leaders (2nd Timothy 2:2, Titus 1:5). This is why this is a course where participants are invited by Session, and is not a course for everyone.
There has been much planning and prayer for a long time in the background around this, as it is no lite matter to appoint new elders. For some time now Session has talked with potential candidates and their wives about this. It really matters what a potential candidate’s wife thinks of her husband serving as an Elder, it matters to her and it matters to Session - as it should matter to the church.
We have also talked to others in the congregation about who they may see as potential candidates.
Over the summer we have now invited the selected Potential Elder Candidates, and these men face a formative and indefinite time of a couple of years of meeting in Russ’ study, reading deeply, being tested rigoursly and undertake all sorts of things from the Westminster Confession of Faith through to our Session Simulator. They will also be given larger pastoral responsibilities on which they will be tested on.
For all this Cruciforming Eldership will start meeting in the autumn, yet recently Potential Eldership Candidates join in with one of our training meetings with our Summer Student Minister, Harrison. There they listened in, and asked questions as Rory (our faithful Session Clerk) and Russ discussed with Harrison the history, present and future plans and prayers of Session all around the concept of cruciforming eldership.
Changing to ChurchSuite
ChurchSuite is a UK based company that are on a mission to build world-leading software that supports the church at an affordable price. Church Suite will be a ministry multiplier, a lattice system that enables children check-in and care, a church calendar, Reforming Groups ministry, pastoral care, room bookings and event planning. It is also constantly growing in features for the church.
Right now our staff team of Russ, Aimee and Ryan, along with Elders Rory and Cam, are working on developing Reforming’s ChurchSuite to be ready to roll out for you Reforming over the next few weeks.
Members who are serving will still be able to receive their Elvanto notifications and the crossover period will see you also receive ChurchSuite notifications. Then on a date will be announced when Elvanto is laid to rest and ChurchSuite is where we go.
Of course, there will be hiccups as nothing works perfectly in a fallen world. Yet we are praying that this new system will help us in our lattice ministry as we live for the Lord as His vine.
Plans & Prayers of the Board of Management
The Board also met in November to develop exciting plans that the congregation of Reforming keeps requesting and praying about - namely the building of a wall in Reforming House to provide a Chapel and a Cafe / Kids Teaching space.
Building Reforming Chapel and Reforming Cafe+Kids Room
At every Annual Congregational Meeting the Board collate questions and thoughts from the Congregation on the Budget and future facilities projects. It was so good to hear how the Reforming Studio has been developed, for our podcasts of ‘We are Reforming’ and ‘Cruciforming’. It was encouraging to hear how the Lord has always provided for us. It was also exciting to hear again how Members wish to see the Chapel build go ahead.
There are many in our congregation who find the current situation of Reforming House quite challenging. Our brothers and sisters who are senior saints particularly find the sound and temperature issues of Reforming House as she currently is, quite problematic for hearing the gospel.
So at November’s meeting of the Board the Reforming Managers met for an FOD (Fixed Order of the Day) with the Convener of the Building and Property Committee (PCV), Ralph Kop. All aspects of this project were discussed and the Board is praying that we’d be able to see the project come into fruition - for the sake of gospel ministry at Reforming and for our region.
Having a Chapel and Cafe / Kids Teaching space will not only solve our facilities two biggest problems of sound and temperature issues, but help us reach more people in versatility use of Reforming House.
Working Bees
The Board hosted and led working bees at Reforming House which have been so fun and formative for us as a congregation. It was there that different projects which connect to future plans were worked on, such as continuing to develop the Chapel Stage. A set of new steps have been put in place, along with one handrail, with the lefthand side handrail to be installed at the next working bee, Lord-willing.
Front Path and Safety Kerb
We’re grateful to the tradies who built our front path and safety kerb, and the future plan is to have rubber guards with reflectors on this. This safety kerb provides access to pedestrians as well as helping drivers have safe access.
Finishing the Outdoor Playspace
We’re also thankful to Jakeb for building an outstanding outdoor playspace, where soon we’ll see our new Reforming cross-panel put in place. Watch that space to see how we may see people in passing traffic notice Reforming’s presence in our community in this way.
Class 2 Food Premises
The Board is thankful for Helena arranging that Reforming Church apply to become a Class 2 Food Premises with the City of Greater Bendigo. This will help un into the future for our meals ministry and events hosted.
Beautifying Reforming House
Last from the Board for now, it has been very exciting to initiate work one of our Reforming Members, Katie, as she plans on beautifying internal parts of the church. As such the Board resolved the following.
251020.7 It was resolved that the Board of Management appoint Katie Pagliaro to undertake some interior designing for various rooms at Reforming House. Areas to include cryroom, front entrance and mum and bub’s space.The Board of Management will allocate an amount of up to $500 to this project.
Connected to this ministry of arts will also see another Reforming Member Michelle lead our ‘Wear Reforming’ swag and another Reforming Member Georgia lead our Socials ministry.
It is exciting to see Reforming Members initiate lead ministres across our church, for our region. Ultimately this is what our plans and prayers are about, and for all of us as Reforming Members making them - to reach the region with the gospel of Christ Jesus.
Prayer is a Ministry of Members
For Jesus gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:11-12). We believe this, and so we plan because of Jesus’s plans for His church. We pray because of Jesus’ prayers for His church. Now Reforming, as part of all our role of a Ministry of Members - let’s enjoy seeing how God establishes our steps (Proverbs 16:9) and answers our prayers.
