It is God himself who has made us what we are and given us new lives from Christ Jesus; and long ages ago he planned that we should spend these lives in helping others.
Ephesians 2:10 (TLB)
Celebration Time!
By the work of the Holy Spirit through faithful offerings of prayers, time, talents and finances…
We’ve been able to take the first vital step to providing leadership, care and community for the young adults in our church community – with the appointment of our Young Adults pastors - Jakin and Hannah Mai!
Grafton Pantry is up and running, already making a big difference in the lives of locals.
One lady, not knowing how she was going to feed her family that week, had prayed, “God, if you’re real, please help me.” Soon after, she walked past the LifeHouse Pantry sign and was welcomed in. Before leaving, she said “Someone must have been listening, because there was no way I was going to be able to stretch my money to the end of the week, but here I am leaving with a full basket of groceries. There must be a God after all.”
Under The Tree – our Christmas Pop Up Toy Shop – has been spreading its branches as we launched in Woopi this year, in addition to our Toormina and Coffs Harbour locations. We're so grateful to have been able to put 424 gifts into the hands of parents and carers for their children this Christmas. For a family who is struggling to put food on the table this December, being able to put a gift under the tree for their children is a powerful symbol of our God’s compassion in giving Himself – when we could never afford the price of salvation, no matter how hard we try.
Momentum is growing as more people are recognising the need to come alongside women who are navigating the challenges of unplanned or high-risk pregnancies, by providing loving, practical support and encouragement in finding the best way forward for them and their pre-born children. The Holy Spirit has been opening doors for Coffs-based pregnancy support centre, Lilyrose, to assist others in setting up clinics and support centres in Queanbeyan, Darwin and other locations as He raises the influence of those who are a voice for the voiceless.
During the latest onslaught of floodwaters in Moree, the church rose up and did what the church does best – coming alongside our neighbours, bringing the light of Jesus with them. Members of LifeHouse Church, LifeHouse Care and the Salvos were able to step up and together provided food, freshly- cooked meals and a helping hand in cleaning up the mess left in the wake of yet another flood.
These are just some of the ways that we’ve been blessed to partner with God’s work in our communities.
Opportunities Arising…
Another space we’ve stepped into is Foster Care Chaplaincy - with Barb Lott at the helm. Foster care families are heroes in our communities, navigating challenges of every kind in order to be able to provide a loving, nurturing home for vulnerable children.
While fostering may not be an option for all of us, anyone can support, encourage and uphold these foster families in some way.
It can be something simple, something small, occasional or regular – but it all makes a big difference.
To discover some of the ways you can get involved, have a read of It Takes A Village or email barb@lifehouse.net.au
School Chaplaincy – “The impact of having a Chaplain on site at the school is huge. Forming a connection with kids is so important, and knowing that they have someone they can go and talk to - it helps them through their day generally. It gives them a safe space to process what’s going on in their lives - and that means they have a better chance of learning and socializing in a healthier way. Many of the staff have given such positive feedback about the impact on students’ well-being because of this support.” – William Bayldon Primary School
If taking on a part-time role as a School Chaplain sounds like something you might be interested in, get in touch with the team at YourDream. They can help you find a placement or guide you in how to upskill to become a School Chaplain. In some cases this can be done through online / intensive courses, so even if you’re short on time this could still be a good option for you!
1300 792 856 | admin@yourdream.org.au
Overseas (and Local) Missions…
What a privilege to have received the Word from two of our Overseas Missions partners recently - with visits from Mike Gore of Open Doors and Chad and Corrie Irons (ACCI / Village Life Cambodia)! As we heard from Chad, anyone can get involved in missions – whether it’s through helping in the local Care Shop or heading off on short term mission trips or answering the call of missions as a vocation. “Just find what you’re good at, what you’re passionate about & put it to work.”
On that note... an exciting opportunity is opening up for a potential short term mission trip to Thailand in May 2023 to support the work of Mandate Ministries, headed up by our long term mission partners Ross and Donna Winchester.
AND... we are planning a local mission trip to Moree to support the work of the Deadly Diamonds (psst! Find out more about this ministry in the drop-down for Missions Magazine at the top of this page). We're heading out there in the first week of the September school holidays (23-29 Sept) to help run a kids outreach program. So if you're keen to join, feel free to get in touch! Spaces are limited, so get in early...
To explore more opportunities to get involved in any area of missions, register your interest below or email lucy@lifehouse.net.au