Missions Update – SO much to tell!

What a privilege it is to have so much to update you on from our local LifeHouse Mission Partners!

Urunga Pantry - Grand Re-opening!

Last Thursday Urunga Pantry had its grand re-opening after relocating from the nearby arcade to right inside our Urunga church building! Urunga campus pastors Danni and Mike MacCue were there ready to welcome local community members alongside the fabulous LifeHouse Care team and the amazing volunteers who help make it all happen. It was a great turnout, from old and new pantry clients alike, supported by the generosity of local businesses donating fresh bread, fruit and veggies. Praise God we had stunning weather for the re-opening – perfect for the celebratory BBQ! And one of the best things about our new Urunga pantry… the cafe area where we get to sit and chat with community members over a cuppa, get to know them, serve them, pray with them and be an authentically caring part of the Urunga village!

Why not pop down and check it out for yourself!

Orara Pop-Up Op Shop

Yesterday your LifeHouse Care team were bringing the love again – this time to Orara High School where a pop-up formal op shop was held. Did you know some kids don’t get to go to this special celebration, simply because they can’t afford to buy a formal dress or suit? This is just another way of how a simple initiative birthed out of the resources we already have in our hands (like a hub full of pre-loved clothes) can make an enormous difference in someone’s life. This is a memory that they will carry with them through life. So special. 

Lilyrose transition

Speaking of memories carried through life, not to mention the preciousness of life itself… our beloved Lilyrose is going through a transformative season. With heavy hearts, yet deep gratitude, the LifeHouse board and executive team hosted a farewell morning tea for Dr Deirdre Little and midwife Teneille Clark, as the medical side of Lilyrose draws to a close. While largely due to lack of funding, moving from a clinical model to a support-based model does mean that we can welcome in a much broader range of volunteers, and expand our support more deeply into the post-natal areas. The first few months of life are often overlooked and under-resourced, and Erin Holliday, who is staying on to forge a new way forward, has incredible vision for how we can serve, support and nurture new mums and babies as well as dads and wider families.

To everyone who has supported Lilyrose as a pregnancy clinic over the years, we extend our deepest thanks – and to those who will be involved in the future, we are cheering you on! 

YWAM Coffs Harbour

After years of faithful sowing and patient waiting, Sam and Katlin Floyd are seeing the dream of an actual YWAM base in Coffs Harbour taking root. With some of the crew from Toowoomba coming to help build into the beginnings of a base in Coffs, things are looking exciting for the year ahead. If you see any of the team around in the next few weeks, make sure you go say hi, hear their story and be inspired! 

As You Go Hero… Ann Simpson - Spotting the gap!

As you go living is about intentionally looking around at our own spheres of influence, spotting a gap or an opportunity, and then – armed with prayer and careful consideration – boldly stepping into that gap. 

Ann Simpson of Northern Beaches did just that. After recognising a need for more faith-based gatherings for women in her community, Ann took a step of faith and hosted a High Tea at our Northern Beaches church campus, creating a space for local ladies to meet and share their love for Christ, embracing their status as royalty (inspired by 1 Peter 2:9). The first event saw 40 women from 60 to 90 years old come together to discuss scripture and share their testimonies over tea and coffee. The most recent gathering saw a huge expansion to 67 women of all ages, including young mums and teenagers, sharing smiles, homebaked goodies and the heart of Christ. The $5 ticket price meant that Ann and her 12 wonderful helpers were able to raise $500 for SRE (Special Religious Education AKA Scripture in Schools) AND $200 for LifeHouse Missions, transforming what started as a gap in the community into an overflow of blessings to others and the strengthening of the local church.

Ladies of LifeHouse – you and your friends are invited to the next high tea on Saturday 22 November! Volunteers, donations and prayers are always welcome as Ann has great vision for future events, including a spiritual retreat!

We are cheering you on Ann! If you would like to be involved in the next High Tea, email missions@lifehouse.net.au 

There’s even more to share, but we’ll save some of it for our next update in October. Until then, THANK YOU for all that you do to support our mission partners financially, in prayer, and in practice… and please know that we are praying for YOU in your own personal mission field as you go through daily life, boldly spreading the Truth, Light and Love of our Saviour Jesus Christ. 

Grace, peace and love

from your Missions Team xoxo