Backyard Missions
With international travel closed in and out of Australia due to COVID 19 our base has had an exciting refocus to increasing our outreach right here in Australia. A few months ago we were praying together as a staff team about where the Lord was leading us in this next season and he gave us the word ‘Backyard Missions’, and placed multiple surrounding areas on our heart. So, over the past few months we have had staff teams going out on local outreaches across towns in NSW and we would love to share some of the testimonies of what God has been doing here in Australia as an encouragement!
Casino, NSW
One of the places God has continually placed upon our heart is the town of Casino. It is located one hour in land from Byron, and is known as Australia’s Beef capital, however has strong connotations with drug and alcohol abuse. We were able to partner with one of the local churches and help launch and run a youth group for the kids in the town!
A team of us got to spend 2 weeks altogether in Casino and reach out to the youth through skate park ministry! Before we headed off God gave us a picture of all the kids that we would encounter holding out candles and we were lighting them, followed by multiple other encouraging words about being a light! And then once we got there we found that the skate park was actually on Light St!
Everyday we went to the skatepark and spent time with the youth- skating, playing and having sausage sizzles. We extended the compassionate heart of God to the kids there, getting to share Jesus with them and show them love through our actions and words. The same kids continued to show up at the skatepark eager to hang out and more and more came along everyday!
We invited them to the youth launch that we were running at the Church, and they all came! These are kids who come from very difficult living situations or have never been to church before. They got to come to the youth group and experience a safe, fun place and here and learn about who Jesus is! We are now so excited because we get to continually partner with this church in Casino and run this youth group once a month for them!
It has been so encouraging seeing how God continues to move in this town, among the youth and families! And we want to encourage you to be the LIGHT wherever you are! Showing the love of Jesus through your words and actions, whether thats telling someone that Jesus loves them, buying someone a coffee or taking the time to sit and listen to someone, we never know the impact we are making on someones life!
