The Alpine Valley Seventh-day Adventist Church Group only just started meeting together in Yakandandah at the end of 2020. In January, they applied for and received official recognition as Church Plant from the Conference. it started with a core group of four families who had been praying both individually and as a group, seeking
The flyer distributed by the group’s families, for their outreach program.
God’s will on the issue of planting a church in that area. Members have come from and were active in Albury Church, or have connections with Wangaratta and Benalla churches.
Albury church hosts a regular health program, Discover Vitality which has run for about five years, and coordinated by one of the families who joined Alpine Valley group. The group’s vision is to run one or two eight-week programs this year, in the Yackandandah area.
The first of these programs started this last Sunday. Six families spent a Sabbath afternoon letterboxing flyers in Yakandandah, Beechworth and the surrounding areas, as well as advertising in the local “Yackity Yak” newpaper and local notice boards. Nearly 40 people from te community attended, and including the team presenting, there were over 50 people there.
The overarching theme for the Discover Vitality program asks Can we alter our health destiny? If we can, how and by how much. And finally, how long might it take?
They commenced the evening with taste testing of plant based recipes, prepared by local chef, Lisa Goddard, and her second-in-charge, Maryann Nixon. Then Dr. Justin Jackson, a local physician, board certified in lifestyle medicine, presented a talk based on the Blue Zones study, by Dan Buettner. Local physiotherapist, Geoff Draper presented on the benefits of moderate exercise. Geoff’s session commenced with aha light workout to keep the blood circulating! tow of the meals that had been taste-tested were then demonstrated, followed by a brief Q&A session, rounding out the night.
The program ran for 90 minutes, but many stayed on afterward to talk to the team members, indicating the level of engagement with the program. It was a great night and the team are so thankful to God for His work in bringing it together.
Please pray for this new group of believers as they seek to follow Jesus’ method of winning souls for His kingdom, and for their eight-week project for the local community.
“Christ’s method alone will give true success in reaching the people. The Saviour mingled with men as one who desired their good. He showed His sympathy for them, ministered to their needs, and won their confidence. Then He bade them, “Follow Me.”” (Ministry of Healing, p. 143)