John Mark Ministries provides resources for pastors, ex-pastors, church leaders and their spouses - through seminars, books and articles, counseling, mentoring, church audits etc. There are only three employees - Rev. Dr. Rowland Croucher and his secretary Luci Bankier in Melbourne, and Rev. Les Scarborough in Sydney. Although Rowland and Les are both ordained Baptist clergy, they work among pastors and leaders of all Christian denominations.

On the homepage are 450-plus Bible studies, sermons, articles, book and film reviews, and religious humour. John Mark Ministries also operates a world-wide pastors' and leaders' mail-list, with about 1000 subscribers. The receipients get devotional and leadership articles about three times a week by email.

'If we include my time and my secretary's time, the web page costs perhaps $200-300 a week to maintain,' Rowland Croucher said this week. 'But we believe it's worth every cent. Pastors and others can find sermon ideas, Bible studies, leadership articles and many other resources there. Nothing is copyright (provided it's 'copied right'): pastors may use these materials freely in their preaching. However it's ethical to acknowledge the source of borrowed ideas.'

Among the most popular sections 'Religious Humour', and the reviews of the Australian Uniting Church's sexuality reports. Two articles which received lots of feedback have been: 'Was Jesus a Christian? I doubt it' and 'Homosexuality: an Interview with Jesus.'

John Mark Ministries is a faith ministry. Its boards in Melbourne and Sydney comprise leaders from the major Protestant denominations. Interested Christians are invited to pray for a financial support this strategic ministry.

The statistics the for four record-breaking days were:

749 4196600 15 July 1997
529 2224872 16 July 1997
513 2676621 17 July 1997
595 2584690 18 July 1997

The all-time record - 26 June 1997, with 910 'hits'.