Pastor Jeff Whiston had an interesting journey toward this meeting as well. He was raised in the US, saved in Spain, and has been starting and pastoring churches in Mexico for 24 years and pastoring a church in Austin for the last ten years. Pastor Jeff was a Foursquare pastor with relationship ties with City Impact Church. He has preached all over the world with a heart for missions and seeing people getting saved.

So, when the South African pastor met the US pastor at a conference in New Zealand, they sensed a more significant hand in their connection, and started talking about the possibilities. Six months after their first meeting, Pastor Andries visit Pastor Jeff in Austin. After preaching his first-ever English sermon during that visit, he knew this is what God wanted him to explore more.

They started the paperwork to get an R1 visa, and within six months, Andries and his family received their visa. Many more miracles happened to get Andries and his family in Austin by the end of November 2019. After setting up a house, getting the kids into school, and a lot of planning meetings, the first Rhythm Church service was held the first Sunday of February 2020.

“Why are we here?”

Austin is one of America fastest growing cities with over 2 million people. Over a million new residence in the last 10 years and another million coming in the next 10 years. Austin is filled with new people without a place to explore, grow and live out their faith. We want to be a safe place for exploring and experiencing the life-giving Rhythms of Grace of Jesus Christ.

Because of the life giving Rhythms of Grace we are also called to do missions, we as a family and as a church will do missions back to South Africa. As a family growing up in Africa we know the lies, challenges, politic and needs of South Africa and has establish over the last 20+ years relational ministry partners through which we will do effective missions in Africa. Through relationship we will also do missions with other countries as the opportunities arise.