Men draw closer to Jesus at Magnetic Island conference
BY CLIFF WORTHING
Magnetic Island off the coast of Townsville supplied the context for this year’s North Queensland Men’s Conference over the first weekend in August.
“What better place to encounter the majesty and creative genius of our awesome creator than Magnetic Island, one of the most magnificent destinations that the Far North of Queensland has to offer,” said Major Ben Johnson, Cairns Corps Officer.
Lieut-Colonel Gregory Morgan, Territorial Secretary for Mission, spoke on the ministry and mission of Jesus through the book of Luke.
“The group was particularly thankful and receptive to Jesus’ mandate to proclaim the good news and live out the love of Jesus,” Gregory said.
He explored four passages in the book of Luke, including Luke 4, the great commandment, and reframing Jesus’ focus on finding people rather than the traditional focus on ‘the lost’.
“We had a really good mix of focused time of hearing from God, discovering more about our faith, and informal periods for relationship-building,” said Captain Perry Lithgow, Townsville Faithworks Corps Officer. “It was a great opportunity for connection between long-term Christians and those new to the faith.”
The 27 participants were a mixture of Cairns, Atherton Tablelands and Townsville Riverway and Faithworks corps, and Salvo recovery services.
“This is a really important event for the guys in the region to connect and encourage one another,” Perry said. “They don’t have many opportunities to connect regularly because of the long distances between corps.”
In addition to the formal worship and teaching time, the men enjoyed spending time together at the local beaches and coffee shops, going on morning hikes, fishing off the jetty, and “watching a bit of footy” together.
“There is a real energy and momentum stirring in the hearts of North Queensland men to better serve God, one another and the wider community,” said Ben.
