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About Illawarra Prayer Breakfast

The Illawarra Prayer Breakfast is an annual gathering of people who love the region, love its people and love God. The purpose of the Illawarra Prayer Breakfast is to give thanks to God, pray for God’s blessing for our region, pray for each other, pray for a release of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ in our region and prayerfully proclaim the words of the Lord’s Prayer “let Your Kingdom come, let Your Will be done” over the cities across Illawarra region.

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The aim of the prayer breakfast is to reach and to encourage Christians in the marketplace, especially civic and business leaders in their faith and love for our Father in heaven. Promoting unity between all those who are followers of Jesus Christ the son of God and challenging them to be salt and light to the City and the world they live in.

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The coordinating team for the Illawarra Prayer Breakfast is

  • Hengki Widjaja (CEO of DayspringCare),

  • Wayne Morris (Chairman of Pulse 94.1),

  • Warwick Marsh (CEO of Dads4Kids),

  • Mr. Jude Hennessy (Director Renewal and Evangelisation - Catholic Diocese)

  • Ps Shane Cook (Shellharbour Community Church), and

  • Rical Wirawan (Prayer & Unity Advocate)

which represent different local churches in the Illawarra. Other people of faith who are business and civic leaders from a broad array of churches will be sought as Ambassadors of the Illawarra Prayer Breakfast to ensure wider representation from as many churches as possible.

Coordinating Team
Hengki Widjaja

Hengki Widjaja is the CEO of DayspringCare software. Hengki has lived in Wollongong since graduated with a Computer Science degree from Wollongong University. Hengki has been actively involved in the ministry and is serving in the leadership team of Life Centre Wollongong church.

 
Wayne Morris

Wayne Morris, a qualified accountant and company secretary, is the Secretary of The Churches of Christ Property Trust and is also the Ministry Facilitator of Careworks, the Churches of Christ in NSW welfare arm. Prior to this role he was CEO of the Wollongong Hawks and immediately preceding that role was CEO of IMB. He is a director of Newcastle Building Society, Warrigal Care, Destination Wollongong, Illawarra Performing Arts Centre, Wollongong Symphony Orchestra Foundation and serves on the Council of Illawarra Venues (part of Venues NSW). He is also a member and serves as Treasurer of Southern Illawarra Church of Christ.

 
Warwick Marsh

Warwick Marsh has been in full time ministry for 23 years and he is very involved in the prayer movement. Warwick is a minister, prayer leader, writer, family advocate, musician and TV producer. In 1989 he and his wife founded Australian Heart Music and travelled extensively throughout Australia and around the world with their musical family performing and sharing the message of Christ. From 1995-98 Warwick worked with Indigenous Australians whilst coordinating the Praise Corroboree and in 2002 Warwick & Alison Marsh established the Dads4Kids Fatherhood Foundation as a ministry to fathers. Warwick is well known in Australia for his advocacy for marriage, family, fatherhood and faith.

 
Jude Hennessy
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Jude has been married to his wife Kerrie for over 30 years and has 2 daughters. Jude is the Director of Renewal and Evangelisation for the Catholic Diocese of Wollongong, with oversight of key ministries that focus on equipping Churches to bring all people to an encounter with the risen Jesus, including SRE, Youth Ministry, evangelisation programs, and faith leader formation. Jude hosts ‘The Journey Podcast’, a weekly program that airs on over 30 Christian Radio stations with a key aim of promoting Christian unity. 

 
Pastor Shane Cook
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Pastor Shane Cook has been Senior Pastor for over 25 years and has spent the past 11 leading Shellharbour Community Church. In 2018 the vision to pastor our city through providing quality Christian long day care for working parents came to life through the establishment of Sprouts Early Learning Centre now serving families and children at Shellharbour Community Church. In 2014 he spearheaded the City Serve initiative in Shellharbour where the combined churches of the city have partnered with the local council and community groups to transform Shellharbour through service. In 2008 he launched the church’s Food Care program that reaches out to the community by feeding over 3000 families each year. Shane is the INC Missions Director over the nation of Vanuatu and has been in collaboration with INC churches in NSW with the vision of setting up a Bible College to train pastors in Vanuatu to reach their nation for Christ. Shane’s heart is to see each member of the local church working in their unique giftings to reach their local community and the world with the transforming message of Christ.

 
Rical Wirawan
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Rical has been helping and organising the Prayer Breakfast since its beginning when it was still focused on Wollongong area. He has burden and desire to work out unity among Christians from different churches and denominations. He loves to see them working together to bring more and more of God’s Kingdom to the area and community. In fact, the first ministry that he had, years ago when he was at university, was starting a regular fellowship between believers from different denominations in the area where he studied. Currently he is also part of Macarthur Christian Network committee. Rical has two wonderful children and currently is working for NSW government in Information Technology sector.

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