Leader

Stuart and Katherine Haynes

The team

Janine Neilson, Justine Crous, Daniel Gill, Rebecca Chan

Commenced

1st February 2008

Location

Blackwater, Queensland (200km west of Rockhampton)

Vital Stats

Most of the residents of Blackwater are employed by, or dependent on, the coal-mining industry. Twelve hour shifts and a lack of commercial infra-structure in the town mean that few people move to Blackwater for the lifestyle. Many peole come on contracts ranging from a few months to a few years in length, which makes establishing community life challenging.

What We Do

We started initially with a Bible study before moving downstairs to the meeting facility. Everything we do is geared to engaging those who are not reached with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, or for those who have backslidden.

Soul Fitness

A fitness and healthy lifestyle program where Katherine teaches a range of exercises. This includes a small group for women in which Katherine also shares faith and life and healthy-lifestyle tips.

Soul Time

Our public worship services which have a number of functions. On Sundays it caters mainly for Christians and those who are seeking spiritual truth. As a young family ourselves we have attracted other young families and have also introduced Soul Kids, our kids program.

We also run Soul Time on Thursday afternoons. This meeting provides an easy pathway for people who would never go to church on a Sunday. It appeals to those who are no longer connected with a church, though once were, and have been coming to have a look. We gear our time together towards primary-aged children and run a different type of Soul Kids, allowing parents to send their children just like an after school program.

Soul Transformation

Our small groups that run for new Christians or seekers. We try to allow the Bible to speak for itself and we model Christian living in a relaxed format while tackling big spiritual questions.

Soul Thought

Our weekly email ministry. We send a spiritual thought out to a large number of people, some of whom do not attend the church. It is an important way of connecting to families who due to shift work and farming cannot attend on a regular basis. It is a safe way for those who are thinking about things to receive information about church activities. We hope it helps people to feel connected.

Soul Coffee Club

A hospitality ministry where ladies team up in pairs and have coffee mornings with those on the fringe of the church or those we are trying to connect with.

Soul Men

It is challenging to connect with the men in the mining industry due to their long and irregular shifts. Stuart organises projects for them to do together: sometimes backyard cleanups for those in need, maintenance around the church, and Dad and kids fun days down the park.