CMS missionaries Sam and Bec Gorfine are serving the Lord on Groote Eylandt, in the Northern Territory. Here, Sam reflects on how God prepared his heart for Indigenous ministry.

You can read their second ‘God-incidence’ story here, and their third story here.

‘It is so important to serve the Indigenous church in a humble way that encourages people to grow in their leadership skills and trust in Jesus.’

 

God preparing us for ministry 

Have you ever experienced a coincidence so striking that it feels divinely orchestrated?  

Bec and I call these ‘God-incidences.’ We have experienced a few of these, and can see how God has used these instances to prepare us for Indigenous ministry in the Top End. 

The first ‘God-incidence’ we experienced was in 2015. I was finishing my teaching studies and applied for a scholarship to complete my final teaching placement in a remote Northern Territory community. I had been praying for guidance regarding my desire to serve in Indigenous ministry, and was thrilled to be accepted into the program. In God’s goodness, I was placed in the only community with a missionary working at the local school. 

During my six weeks in Yarralin (five hours southwest of Katherine), I built meaningful relationships with the children and staff, as well as with the missionary couple. I grew to love the people and began to envision what ministry could look like in this context. I spent my afternoons catching frogs and searching for mussels down at the riverbed with the children, and in the evenings, witnessed how the missionaries supported the local Indigenous church. 

Humble and servant-oriented ministry 

There were times when the local Aboriginal pastor wasn’t able to attend the church services. Strikingly to me, the missionaries didn’t take over the reins and put a service together. Instead, they waited for community members to suggest how to proceed. Each service became a collaborative experience.  

These experiences, along with our training at St Andrew’s Hall with CMS at the beginning of this year, has drastically shaped my ideas around vulnerable mission. It is so important to serve the Indigenous church in a humble way that encourages people to grow in their leadership skills and trust in Jesus. 

My six-week placement in Yarralin was emotionally challenging. I was often brought to tears at night as I prayed for the children and families that I had encountered that day. Yet, through this God-incidence, my heart expanded for our Indigenous brothers and sisters, and shaped my understanding of humble and servant-oriented ministry. Please pray that God would continue to grow us in this. 

Sam Gorfine during his placement in Yarralin.

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Has God placed on your heart a desire to serve him cross-culturally? Click here to find out more.