A number of people have called or emailed us, sharing about great conversations about the gospel and Christianity that they had with friends they brought to the launch. Praise God for these opportunities, and please keep on praying for them as they follow-up their friends and some start reading the Bible together with them.
<<hide

1. Pray for the safety of the performers, crew and audience. Pray that we bumpin as carefully as possible, and take the utmost precautions with all the tech gear, cabling and even food service. The launch is co-production with Newtown Theatre, to cover the public liability insurance so praise God that we do have cover, though we hope we will not need to use it!

2. Pray for those coming and those thinking about coming, that they will be challenged to find out more about Christianity. We still have some tickets left, so keep praying that people will be motivated to buy some! Also, pray for the Christians coming, that it will be good chance for them to network and encourage each other.

3. Pray for all the many hands, brains and voices involved in making the night flow smoothly, from caterers to stage crew to bouncers to musicians. Of course, there are a million and one last minute things to do and organise, but keep praying that we will trust God with it all.

4. Praise God for the many people who have supported and prayed for us along the way (especially all of you Knackledingers). In particular, we thank God for the interest shown by KYC, FM103.2 and the like. Please pray that we continue to stay focussed and make use of the many ways and opportunities to use music to glorify God even after the launch.

5. Most of all, pray that the message of the songs will be communicated clearly and powerfully on the night. It's so exciting to be able to sing these songs live and communicate the gospel in this way. We're all looking forward to a great night!

<<hide

1. Pray that all will go smoothly with the CD manufacturing. We are due to pick up the CDs on Oct 23. Praise God that once again he has provided everything we needed at just the right time, and we now have enough in our bank account to pay for the CDs.

2. Pray for the musicians, production team and huge cast of helpers as we prepare for the launch. Thank God that so many have come forward offering their assistance in many big and little ways. May we keep focussed on working together patiently and in love as we seek to glorify God and make his gospel known on the night.

3. Pray in particular for the musicians as they individually practise and also rehearse as a group. May the notes that we play support the great lyrics that we sing about God's salvation through Jesus.

4. Pray for any non-believers who might be coming that night, that they may be challenged by the message of the gospel through the songs. Keep praying for any friends you are inviting, that through your relationships with your friends as well, the gospel may be proclaimed.

<<hide

1. Praise God, that despite some technical and health complications, we are relatively on track with recording (thanks to some late night emergency sessions). We've been really encouraged to see the tireless effort that the creative team have put in. We're on the home stretch now with recording - time is tight and the potential for stress is high. Please keep praying for us.

2. Pray for the people who'll be putting together the artwork for the CD cover and the content for the liner notes. We really want to encapsulate the feel of the This Way Up - real, unique and challenging, with a clear gospel message. We're aiming to have this completed within four weeks.

3. The focus of the production team is starting to move towards launch now. It will be a mammoth task to co-ordinate, so pray that God will move people to help out and that we stay true to the vision of This Way Up and our desire to make the gospel known.

<<hide

We'd really appreciate it if you could pray for us specifically over the next week or two as we attempt to finalise a location for the evangelistic launch of This Way Up in November. The whole team is making a supreme effort to scout out potential locations all around Sydney. We are really praying that God will provide the right location at the right price!

As we plan for the launch, we have to consider a location that reflects the style of the CD, as well as being able to be accessible, have the technical requirements of enough power outlets etc, and also be able to fit a few hundred people. We really want to encourage people to bring their non-Christian friends and family to hear the gospel being proclaimed through song and through words and visuals on the night, so we need to find a space that it big enough!

If you want any more specific details or think you can help, please let us know. Otherwise, we would love to continue to share in the partnership of prayer with you.
<<hide

1. Recording can be a tedious and repetitive process, but also amazing when it all comes together. Please pray for patience for the creative team and the musicians involved. Pray also for the all the technical aspects – that we will be wise in our selection of microphones and other equipment, to balance quality and budget. Lastly, pray for us, our fingers, our voices and our hearts as we prepare to serve Him.

2. Our Sundays in July, August and September are filling up with opportunities to visit churches to share about This Way Up, and also to provide music for some evangelistic events and services. It's great to be in partnership with so many Christians all around Sydney. Please pray for a continuing passion for the gospel and for the vision of saltlight and This Way Up, especially for those in the team who'll be on the road most Sundays. It can be a tiring task, but keep praying for our endurance for the sake of the gospel, both in talking to Christians as well as working with you all to bring the gospel to your non-Christian friends leading up to, and during the launch.

3. We've now reached 50% of our target budget. Praise God for His providence and keep praying for us to trust in Him always in the coming months always to provide what we need financially to do His work.

<<hide

1. Pray for everyone involved in the recording session on Thursday in particular, and through the rest of June and July. Pray for our hearts and minds as we prepare to play and sing the words of truth, and for all the practical aspects - that we will be focussed on the task at hand and serve the gospel to the best of our ability.

2. We are finalising a venue for the launch of This Way Up and hope to be able to get a date to you soon, so you can put it in your diaries and start planning on inviting friends. Please pray for us, that we will be wise in our investigations and negotiations and that we will continue to trust God fully with these logistical details.

3. Pray for the team as they continue to make contact with people and churches and start sharing the vision of This Way Up with more and more people throughout July, August, September and October. We will be visiting or playing at a number of church and evangelistic events coming up, so please pray that we will all be able to work together effectively for the sake of the gospel.

<<hide

There is lots that you can pray for in the coming weeks. We really appreciate your partnership in prayer – it's a great encouragement for us knowing that you're all entrusting This Way Up into the Lord's hands.

1. Our first official recording date is May 31. On That Note (consisting of Veronica Abednego, Angeline Lai, Daniel East and Tom Barrett) will be recording the first and last tracks on the CD that day. Please remember us in prayer as we rehearse, polish the acapella arrangements and record, as we only have a short window of opportunity before Angeline goes overseas.

2. Rehearsals for the band who'll be recording This Way Up start on June 9. The first day in the recording studio will be June 19. It's a really crucial and intense time for us in the next few weeks, as we focus on the creative side of the CD. Please pray that we will be thinking about both the sound we are making and the reason we're making it!

3. Pray for Diana and her marketing team as they continue to spread the word about This Way Up and liaise with various churches and individuals. They have a big job ahead of them in terms of raising the remaining support needed (about $6000) and co-ordinating visits to churches and groups.

4. Last but not least, pray for us as we begin to plan for the CD launch later in the year. Please start thinking about non-Christian friends you can invite and pray for them. Remember, This Way Up is an avenue for you to share the gospel with your friends and will be a different kind of tool you can use as you build on your relationships with them.

<<hide