The impact of Peter’s fruit-growing vision has helped to raise-high the image of the church in the wider community of Newman – unchurch people have taken notice of the remarkable transformation of what once was a drab looking, life-less church property. When people stop to learn from Peter the key to the garden’s refreshing new lease of life, his response is “God!”
 
Peter and Maria’s fruit-growing ministry has been invaluable in bolstering the ‘witness impact’ of the church in the community of Neman to an unprecedented level. However, two months ago my mind was broadened further to see a lot more than flowers, fruit and vegetables resulting from Peter’s heart and passion. Seeing that Peter and Maria are fired-up visionary practitioners, I realised the importance of investing myself in them, proportionate to the extent of their commitment and sacrifice in their service to God. So, I initiated a weekly food-n-fellowship catch-up time with them on Mondays at the Manse.
 
Regardless of where our conversations began, we would soon find ourselves discussing certain characters of our church family. I was amazed to learn that Peter is not only focussed on the development of fruit in his garden but is more interested in the development of ‘fruit’ in God’s Garden (God’s children). Wow! Peter already had a great deal of my attention, but after realising that his passion extended to propagating fruit in God’s garden Peter had all my attention.
 
Friends, I look forward to our Monday morning fellowship times with keen interest to listening to Peter, and Maria, hearing of their concerns of various members of our church and the actions they had taken during the week to gather their friends together for meaningful times of life-sharing. At present, Peter is pastorally caring for four ‘needy’ men of our church who were not being followed-up by anyone.
 
Recently at our monthly Church Council meeting I moved a recommendation that Peter be appointed Property Manager of our church. (The leadership overwhelmingly voted in support of the recommendation.) The recommendation was not due to Peter’s ability to maintain the property himself but because of his passion and ability to network people of the church… learning enough about them and carefully drawing them together to address the maintenance needs of the property AND to enjoy times of top quality fellowship.
 
Friends, Peter’s heart is a reflection of God’s heart. Like God, Peter has a passion to grow fruit from his garden, and ‘fruit’ from God’s Garden. Peter is succeeding in seeing fruit bounding-in-growth from God’s Garden because he is applying the same principles he uses to grow fruit from the ground: Partnership with the Sovereign Gardner; role modelling fruit of the Spirit; self-less sacrifice; honest transparency; diligence and determination to love others without bias or favouritism.
 
Peter is one of my highly valued friends and role model in my life, and in the lives of many of our church. In the short time I have known Peter I have learnt much from him – My leadership ability has been greatly strengthened. While Peter’s focus lies in the growing of flowers, vegetables, fruit… and people, God’s focus lies in the growing of Peter (and Maria), more and more into the likeness of His Son, Jesus!
 
Best wishes,  
Bill Joukhadar