You’re helping Indigenous communities understand and share the Gospel
Did you know that your support of Youthworks has played an important role in helping Indigenous communities come to know God?
Australian Indigenous Ministries (AIM) is a parachurch organisation that seeks to assist the Indigenous people of Australia to run their own churches and reach their own people with the Gospel in the most appropriate ways.
Since 1985, Richard and Sue Davies have been full time missionaries with AIM. Using Youthworks created CEP materials as their base, they write Bible studies and Sunday School materials for communities in the Northern Territory and help communities understand white culture in this present day. Richard says:
“We speak to our supporting churches and other Christian denominations about AIM and the need for people to be actively involved in mission, whether it be prayerfully, financially or physically. We have always seen our role to be one of bridge building and making people aware of the cultural and social issues in Aboriginal societies. We also try and help Aboriginal people understand why ‘white fellas’ do what they do.”
Thanks to the generosity of Youthworks supporters, not only are CEP materials being used for SRE and bible teaching in the suburbs, but they are helping nurture faith in some of our most remote communities.
In their ministry, Richard and Sue have travelled to many remote areas, experiencing people coming to know Jesus and have enjoyed witnessing lives be transformed by the Gospel. Richard says:
“Since 1985, we’ve been seeing people come to know Jesus and turn their lives right around so that they were witnessing by their lives the transforming power of the Gospel to Aboriginal & non-Aboriginal people...”
Storytelling has been one of the ways Richard and Sue have shared the Gospel with Indigenous communities, modelled on Jesus who did the same when he went out to teach truth and hope. AIM use CEP resources, particularly printing panorama posters for communities to understand the Bible better in a visual way. Richards says:
“People have told us that they often sit around a fire and share Bible stories with one another. Jesus never did teaching without a story (Mk 4:34)”
“In our ministry we have always used stories and visuals to teach Biblical truths as many people are semi to completely illiterate. We encourage the use of indigenous language in scripture, prayer and song.”
Thank you for your investment, which is that helping remote communities grow and strengthen people’s desire to know and love Christ, and equipping them to teach others the Gospel.