I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what it really means to build something that lasts.
Not just in terms of bricks and mortar, or even events and programs — but in the kind of ministry that takes root deep in people’s lives. The kind that changes the soil of a community.
For me, ministry doesn’t start with a microphone or a big platform. It starts with a table. It starts with a few people gathered in a lounge room or under a tree. It starts with listening.
The Beauty of the Small
Small groups are where real growth happens. You can’t hide in a small group — but you also can’t be overlooked. You’re known, you’re heard, you’re valued.
In big gatherings, it’s easy to nod along and then slip out the back door without speaking to anyone. In a small group, someone notices if you’re missing. Someone remembers what you shared last week. Someone prays for you by name.
I’ve seen people find their voice in those settings. I’ve seen faith come alive, not because they were in a “perfect” group, but because they were in a present one.
Why a Community Garden is on My Heart
A garden is such a beautiful picture of God’s Kingdom.
It’s a place where different plants — each with their own needs and gifts — grow side by side. Some take longer to bear fruit, some provide shade, some scatter seeds far beyond their own patch of soil.
A community garden is more than just vegetables. It’s shared effort, shared harvest, and shared conversations. It’s teaching kids where food comes from and reminding adults that growth takes time. It’s a place where a bag of lettuce is never just lettuce — it’s connection, it’s generosity, it’s care.
I love the thought that someone who can’t afford much fresh produce could walk away with something they helped grow. And maybe they’ll leave with more than food — maybe they’ll leave with a little more hope.
Living as a Lover of Jesus in a Fallen World
This world can feel heavy. We don’t have to look far to see brokenness, injustice, and need. But Jesus didn’t tell us to hide away until He comes back. He told us to be salt and light — to flavour and illuminate the world around us.
That doesn’t always look like grand gestures. Sometimes it’s making a meal for a neighbour, weeding a garden bed, or quietly showing up for someone in a hard season.
Loving Jesus means loving people. And often, that love looks practical.
Giving Back in Times of Financial Insecurity
We live in a time when the cost of living seems to rise faster than our paychecks. Financial insecurity is real — and it touches people in ways that aren’t always visible.
But here’s the thing: generosity isn’t reserved for the wealthy. I’ve seen people with very little give so much — their time, their skills, their prayers, their presence.
A community garden, a small group, a shared meal — these are ways we can give back that don’t require huge budgets but still have huge impact. They’re ways of saying, “We’re in this together, and you’re not alone.”
Growth, Joy, and the Long View
Ministry is slow work. Gardens are slow work. You don’t plant a seed today and eat the fruit tomorrow. But with patience, care, and prayer, you see life emerge where there was once bare soil.
And that’s what keeps me going — the joy of seeing people grow in faith, of seeing a community knit together, of seeing hope take root in the middle of hard seasons.
In a fallen world, that kind of growth is a miracle in itself. Not a quick fix, but a steady, God-breathed transformation.
So I’ll keep planting — in people, in soil, in the spaces God places me — trusting that the harvest will be worth it.
