Ken knew that God was calling him to make disciples. But being about to move to the Bega Valley region, he wasn’t sure what this would look like.
After experiencing some depression and burn out around the time his parachurch ministry in Sydney closed, Ken had taken a step back from ministry for a season. Initially hearing about the simple church model through the GEN1K podcast, Ken began to connect in more with Baptist Churches NSW & ACT. He met with Jen Trevena, Mission Catalyst. He went through the discernment process to become a recognised church planter with the Baptist Association.
“I’ve devoted myself to Gen1K now,” states Ken.
Ken and his wife moved to Eden in the Bega Valley in January 2023. Once they’d moved, they began to explore what ministry in Eden would look like. As an isolated town, they found it initially a closed community to outsiders. But for locals and those who move to the area, a lovely and welcoming place to live.
For their first year, Ken focused on building relationships and getting to know the local community. Ken was aware that they were outsiders coming into the town, so it was essential to understand what the community itself wants. Volunteering to referee in the local soccer competition meant that Ken travelled across the Valley, and got to know players and officials, helping him to broadly get to know locals.
“My focus has been on building relationships, learning the context and identifying felt needs,” explains Ken. “I have a tendency to run ahead, but I’ve learnt how to slow down, live life, connect and build relationships and let God do the work. And then to step into what God is doing.”
Ken has always been drawn to ministry amongst minority groups. So, he has joined the local Indigenous church. As a plain building in the social housing area, the church is a touch point to the local community.
“I’m not an advocate for simple church alone, I think of church in different expressions,” explains Ken, “as we’re planting a new work, we need to be part of the Christian community”.
Rolling into his second year, Ken’s stepped into experimenting “in the areas we think God is leading us to”. Having a heart for young people, and noticing that there were no local youth groups, Ken decided to focus on raising up the next generation. But rather than just focusing on teenagers, Ken has decided to start with working with primary age children.
So, they launched a Holiday Bible Club at the local Indigenous Church. Running for three days each school holidays, attendance has been slowly growing. In the Autumn school holidays, they had four or five kids per day, totally seven across the three days. In the winter school holidays they had ten kids the first day, which then jumped to seventeen on the third day with news spreading amongst the community.
“It’s a catalyst to connect to the families and build trust,” explains Ken, “and it’s also an opportunity to sow into children and raise up the next generation.”
Ken also hosts a monthly BBQ at the public picnic area along the beach. It’s an open event, and various people from the community come along, including people Ken has connected with through his personal training.
Ken is intentional to invite Christians and non-Christians and views the group as primarily “a place to build community”. At their last BBQ they had eleven people turn up. “When we first came, we didn’t have anything. Now we have somewhere to invite people into,” reflects Ken.
Employing a simple church model has allowed Ken to focus more on building community and connecting with people, and less on logistics and administration.
Some of the people at the BBQ identify as Christians. Some are on the edge of church. Some may have rarely visited a church and don’t know Jesus. Ken views the BBQ as a place they can come together and have natural discussions, without anyone pushing a strong agenda.
Ken and his wife have just started a fortnightly Bible study. This will be a place they can invite people they meet at the BBQ or elsewhere who are open to reading the Bible and learning more about Jesus and His teachings.
Ken’s encouragement for others who are thinking about church planting is to enjoy it. “Celebrate it when it’s happening and keep persevering when it’s not,” encourages Ken.
Pray for Ken and our other church planters, that their ministries may be fruitful as we work together towards our Gen1K goal. Pray particularly that God will bring people alongside Ken and his wife to partner with them in the work for the Bega Valley Simple Church plant.
