How one church in Australia is engaging in mission work

AUSTRALIA, PACIFIC ASIA | 17 March 2026

Maffra Community Church has spent more than 30 years proving that global mission doesn’t always begin with travel. Through faithful partnership with SIM and a deep commitment to prayer, this Victorian congregation has supported workers across Africa and inspired other churches to step into God’s global work from right where they are.

By SIM Australia

For Maffra Community Church in Victoria, Australia the most powerful form of mission engagement doesn’t require a passport. It requires prayer.

Since 1993, the church has partnered with SIM to send members to serve across Africa, and for pastor Steve Messer, interceding for those workers is a privilege: “With some of SIM’s mission workers serving in difficult places, it has been an honour to serve them by praying for them. Their faithfulness and dedication to make Jesus known is inspiring for many in our church.”

Member Glenys puts it simply: “As they share their experiences with the church, we witness God answering our prayers. Our partnership reinforces the importance of prayer.”

“As they share their experiences with the church, we witness God answering our prayers. Our partnership reinforces the importance of prayer.”

For churches wanting to engage in global mission, it can be as simple as adding mission-focused prayer to Sunday services, forming dedicated prayer groups, and subscribing to updates from workers in the field.

If your church is ready to take that step, our Churches page is a great place to start exploring how you can partner in God’s work around the world.

The original story was published on SIM Australia. Head over to their website to read the full version.

Please pray

  • For Maffra Community Church and churches like them. Give thanks for congregations who have caught a vision for the nations, and pray that their faithfulness in prayer would deepen and inspire others to take up the same calling.
  • For your own church community. Ask God to stir a genuine hunger for global mission in your congregation, and for practical steps toward prayerful partnership to feel less daunting and more like a natural expression of the gospel.