Feeding the Masses
Perhaps it is less impressive than Jesus feeding 5,000 or 4,000 with just a few loaves and fishes, as we have been seeing in Matthew’s Gospel. However, every fortnight, we have the privilege and opportunity to feed hundreds of students at Bray Park State High School (BPSHS), in partnership with Scripture Union and our very own Chappy Hannah Bongers.
Recently, our go-to has been to cook up just under 400 sausages each fortnight. The lines are seemingly never ending. As soon as the sausages come off the bbq, they get snapped up and eaten.
When it comes to cooking up pancakes, we pull out two BBQs (which we should probably start doing with the sausages, too!) and we can go through 20+ shaker bottles. And still, we have to send kids away hungry.
As a church, we have partnered with the chaplain at BPSHS for over a decade, providing thousands with breakfast to kick-start their day. Kids are so thankful, especially when they do not have food to eat at home. This ministry helps to meet a critical need within our local community, and it also provides us with an opportunity to engage with young people who otherwise do not participate in church. It is always a highlight to see kids from church or kids who have started coming along to youth group. They will often stop by and say, “Hi”, and they might even grab a bite to eat while they are there.
To continue partnering with Chappy Hannah in providing these breakfasts, there are four ways for you to get involved.
Firstly, these breakfasts are funded by your financial generosity. We need $3,000 to be able to provide fortnightly breakfasts for the students for 2025. Following the appeal made recently, we have raised just under half of that. Therefore, if you are able to give financially, would you please consider giving towards this ministry? You can give by going to https://oasiscrc.churchcenter.com/giving/to/chappy-breakfast
Secondly, volunteers run these breakfasts and we are always looking to add to our number. If you have time on Thursday mornings between 7am-9am, once a fortnight (or even once a month), and if you would like to get involved, please talk to me after church one week, or you can email me at stephen@oasischurch.com.au.
Thirdly, come and join Hannah’s Local Chaplaincy Committee (LCC). Most chaplains have a committee of stakeholders, including school staff, parents, and church representatives. This committee is tasked with supporting the chaplain in their role via regular meetings and helping out with various fundraising initiatives. We currently meet once every school term, and then we help out with running things like the Trivia Fundraiser Night, which is being held on Saturday evening, 15th March (it is not too late to get tickets here: https://brushfire.com/sua/TriviaNight/592696). Contact me, or contact Hannah, if you are keen to find out more.
Fourthly, please pray. Oftentimes, we do not know what is going on in the lives of these students. Please pray that God would use us to be an encouragement and a blessing to both the students and staff who engage with us. Please prayerfully consider to what extent you might be able to partner with us, including through finances and time volunteering. Please pray that God would continue to provide the finances and volunteers to enable us to keep providing this vital ministry and helping support Chappy Hannah in her work.
Keep trusting Jesus,
Stephen
