2005 (July)—the Whaleys and the Griffiths survey the Sunshine Coast north of Brisbane, Australia and explore the opportunities for mission work there with the help of the Point Church’s leaders.

2005 (August-September)—The Whaleys and the Griffiths begin meeting again as teammates and invite Rex and Laura Butts to join them. The team deliberates forming a partnership with Missions Resource Network.

2005 (November-December)—The Buttses decide they are being called to seek an established ministry opportunity and so withdraw from the team partnership. The Whaleys and the Griffiths complete applications for partnership with Missions Resource Network.

2006 (January-May)—The Whaleys and the Griffiths complete psychological testing and invite Jon and Sara Grizzle to begin “dating” the team and seriously consider joining. After hearing responses from people familiar with church planting in Australia, the team decides to survey Wollongong, Australia over other alternatives in the country. Shawn Griffith and Jason Whaley take Global Evangelization with Stan Granberg; their wives, Kendra and Nicole, audit the course.

2006 (March)—The Whaleys and Griffiths spend a weekend with members of a previous mission team to Australia including their children now grown [Kent and Nancy Hartman, Dale and Sheila Hartman, Charlie and Debbie Powell, and Tony and Betty Kesee]. We don’t see all the former team members, but we discuss family and strategy questions and we worship God and have fun together.

2006 (July)—The Whaleys, Griffiths, and Grizzles take a survey of Wollongong, Australia. We talk to locals, to fellow believers, and to leaders from various churches in the Sydney area. We worship with the ten or so brothers and sisters who met for communion, acapella singing, sermon, bible study, and a fellowship meal. We exchange some ideas about sharing the life we have in Christ with more people in Wollongong. We also have a meal on Saturday night with a mix of Christians and non-Christians thanks to Binh Truong’s hospitality. She’s a member of the Bankstown church in Sydney.

2006 (August)—The Grizzles commit to the Griffiths and Whaleys and to the mission to the people of Wollongong. The team begins to get to know the Mullinses who have just moved onto campus where the Whaleys live and begin participating in the life of the Park Avenue church.

2006 (October)—Kairos church planting strategy lab at Southwest Church in Jonesboro, Arkansas. It is an intensive week of vision casting, strategizing, learning, and worshipping. We get to know members of the Kairos church planting team of coaches and work together on our own team among two domestic church planting teams. The week closes as Shawn, Jon, Corey, and Jason join in a prayer meeting and time of encouragement with two men from MRN—Alan Phillips and Phil Jackson.

2006 (November)—Shawn and Kendra place membership at the Sycamore View Road church. Shawn eventually becomes an intern and then apprentice in ministry.