Leader

Peter and Gwen Adkins

The team

Adam and Justine Moore, Grant Webb, Lionel Murray,
Phil Nicholls, Jessica Semenya

Commenced

2006

Location

At Kihilla 5-17 Queen's Road, Lawson in the Blue Mountains

Vital Stats

Jon Bennett planted this first Church Army LMB intending to reach the various subcultures in the Mid Blue Mountains, Jon gathered a core group of committed mission-minded Christians and began to make contact with the local community through his sporting and school contacts and through music. Since then the restoration ministry and Gap year has been added to the mix. Peter and Gwen Adkins took over leadership in July 2008 when Jon moved to Qld

What We Do

The Sanctuary is a unique missional community, based at Kihilla (meaning gathering place) a beautiful old house with 28 acres of garden and bush, gifted to Church Army in 2008. God's Word in Isaiah 58 spoke to us about setting the oppressed free, helping those who struggle in life, and striving for healthy relationships. As we obey, God promises: "Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and raise up the age old foundations; you will be called repairer of broken walls, restorer of streets with dwellings." We are seeing the fulfillment of this scripture both physically - as the community works to restore the house and gardens of Kihilla,- and Spiritually, as men who have been bound through drugs or alcohol are finding freedom in Jesus, and broken family relationships are being healed as a result. The Sanctuary is a 24/7 community made up of residents, full and part time Church Army staff; members of the Restoration community; Global Gap Year students; Sanctuary members from outside, and those who may be here visiting family members, taking part in training intensives, or attending the AA meetings.

In the local community Sanctuary members are involved in schools, music ministry at the local markets, building relationships by visiting and offering bread to local residents. Although living in community has its daily challenges, by God's grace we are seeing dreams become reality. Dave, one of the guys in recovery who recently came to faith in Jesus and was baptised, said a few weeks after arriving "This is not like a Rehab, its like a family.

Featured June 09

What happens when you mix together a church plant, a residential recovery ministry, the Global Gap Year, some training intensives and our admin team? Some people would say 'community', some would say 'transformation', and other would say 'mess' - and they would all be right.

This week Ash was doing some 'adopt a block' visiting with Pete, where they take bread from the local bakery and offer it to nearby residents. An elderly lady they visited needed some help with her front yard, which was covered in litter from the trees. Ash offered to help and is recruiting a bunch of the restoration guys to go and clean up for her.

Ash is a gap year student, and restoration participant and part of a small team planting a new Local Mission Base down in Airds. A little over a year ago he was an addict on the run from the law. He found himself in North Forbes, met Ray Flint and found out about Kihilla. Jesus is transforming his life, and he's passing on what he's discovered to other guys coming into the restoration program, and to the locals around Kihilla.

Sit down for lunch with the community you could share you meal with an Indigenous Australian, a North American, a former drug dealer or a former school captain. It's a bit hard to tell from the outside who's in charge and who's just arrived. While the backgrounds are diverse, binding the community together is the sense that we're all broken and sinful, and all need the healing, forgiveness and freedom that Jesus offers.