Mining for the true treasure found in Christ
Greg Harris - National Director
Since the late 1950s BCA has been sending Field Staff to mining towns – ‘the new outback’, places where many people travel to search for worldly treasure instead of looking for the true treasure found in Christ. Here outreach and ministry need to be highly innovative and flexible around transient populations.
In Newman, WA, Field Staff Roger & Amanda Kyngdon have seen about 30 parishioners move away over the past year. It’s a town where it is difficult to build and maintain long-term friendships.
In Newman we don't expect people to be here for the long-term. You grab the opportunities when they come your way and you thank and praise God for them. In the last few years we have met many people who have moved away from the church but when they've come to Newman they have started re-examining their faith. One such woman had grown up with a faith but experienced many struggles in her life. She came to our church and was encouraged by the ministry here. She even spoke with my Mum who encouraged her to start reading her Bible again. When this lady left Newman her faith was active and energised.
We also get a lot of fly-in-fly-out (FIFO) workers in Newman and very recently one contacted me out of the blue wanting to join a Bible study. It's not always easy for mine workers, especially FIFO ones, to make regular commitments to attending church or Bible study but this man has joined our group and has not only been encouraged but been an encouragement to me.