Our miracle journey unexpectedly began in October 2020 when we received notice from the landlord to vacate our current venue by March 2021. After negotiations and on the hunt for our next home, God had already began working in the background, weaving a miracle in motion. In Jan 2021 one phone called changed our history forever. Our Sims St location was revealed to us for the first time and straight away we knew, God was in this.
I was raised in an unhealthy religious organisation which controlled every part of my life, from not being allowed to celebrate Christmas and birthdays to not being able to question anything. Once I turned 18, I left the religion to find answers elsewhere. I lost all my friends and family as I had nobody in the outside world and had been cut off from the community I was a part of. This left me very hurt and I ended up hating God and blaming him for all my problems. I went down the path of drinking, drugs and partying every weekend.
That year, I began a relationship with Shannon, who I’m now married to. Shortly after we started dating we moved to Melbourne together for a fresh start. A few years later, Shannon made a decision to be a Christian and follow Jesus which I was not happy about due to my previous experience with religion. I started to become aggressive towards her and I would hate when she read her bible or went to church. A year later we decided to have a break from our relationship.
While I was staying with a friend, I realised where my life could end up if I continued to follow the path I was on. Looking at Shannon’s life, she always seemed joyful despite me causing her so much pain. I wanted that joy she had.
Much to both our surprise I reached out and said that I wanted to come to church with her. Three services is all it took to see my life changed forever. Jesus came and met me in my brokenness as I was standing there raising my hand for salvation.
Fast forward a year, and Shannon and I found ourselves searching for a new church, a place to call home. The instant we stepped into LIFE, we felt an overwhelming sense of belonging. The warm welcome we received during the 9am service left an indelible impression on our hearts, prompting us to return that same night.
We have been family here for almost three years and have firmly planted ourselves in community. Today, we even lead a connect group, helping to play a part in guiding others to experience the goodness of God. We love journeying together with others as we seek his kingdom.
Coming into this expansion season, we are so excited to partner with the goodness of God and his transformative power we have experienced to enable more people to come into this amazing community.