Craig and Danni prepare to hand over the batten

22 December 2012

TWT Article

Salvos at Macquarie Park Hand Over The Baton.

On Sunday 6^th January Craig and Danni Stephens say goodbye to the City of Ryde and the community which has been their home and their life for the past 12 years.

Salvation Army Ministry workers Craig and Danni moved in to Ivanhoe Place Housing NSW Estate because they felt challenged to love the poor and marginalized just like Jesus did. Craig had a supernatural vision of the townhouse they would later be provided through Housing NSW and thus began the dream of mobilizing the church to serve the widow, the pensioner, the orphan and the poor in the City of Ryde.

In October 2000 Members of The Salvation Army Ryde City, Craig and Danni met with the Police Commander who informed them that Ivanhoe Estate was “where all our call outs are. Domestic violence, drug houses, gang related activity, that’s where all our policing efforts are focused”. “You should check it out.” Three months later The Salvation Army and The Department of Housing entered an agreement which resulted in Housing NSW providing The Salvation Army a 3 bedroom townhouse which became known as “No.47 Community Home”. Craig and Danni moved into the neighbourhood and began to live as professional next door neighbours. “Living authentically within community is something we’ve had to learn, and has become our very great privilege”.

At the invitation of the Police commander Craig began to serve on the Police Accountability Community Taskforce (PACT) and over the following years there began a dramatic reduction in all categories of crime in the Estate. We are witnesses of community transformation on a sensational scale. Life by life, home by home, many neighbours in the Ivanhoe estate have encountered the transforming power of Jesus Christ. Today the Ivanhoe Estate is a magnificent place to live – people love their community.

“The Salvation Army is all about People finding freedom: People finding freedom through faith in Jesus, freedom through action (serving), freedom through community (belonging). Undoubtedly the good news message of freedom through Jesus is having a beautiful impact in our City”. “We’ve only got good news for people” Craig said.

“We have lived a most privileged life these past few years. Our family has been embraced in the most extravagant way by countless cultural groups. Residents in our community comprise the most astounding diversity. Our cultural backgrounds include:  Armenians, Persians, Lebanese, Portuguese, Chinese, Afghans and many more.  What a remarkable mix. I’m sure our relationships will last a lifetime, we’ve become family to each other”.  “The generosity shown to our children has been absolutely amazing. Judah (5yrs old) and Ilisha (3yrs old) have been embraced within the context of community their whole lives, they’ve known nothing else. We are so grateful to God for His extravagant kindness towards us as a family.”

“Many residents have courageously stepped into community. We have learnt to love and be loved, serve and be served, celebrate and be celebrated, know and be known – no wonder we’ve become such a robust community”.

Craig and Danni have taken so much inspiration from the Truths contained in the Bible. “Everything you have accomplished, the Lord has done (Isaiah 26:12)” puts it all in perspective – if there’s been any good established in our journeys together, the glory belongs to the Lord Jesus Christ”.

Nathan and Karen Moulds take over from Craig and Danni from January 10^th 2013. Nathan coordinates The Salvation Army's Edify Program, an urban mission discipleship program located in Surry Hills, Sydney. Nathan worked on the margins of the inner city for several years, undertaking street outreach work and case management with at-risk young people, and he has grown up in a family where he lived and breathed mission everyday! He is passionate about the lost, the last, the least and his generation and believes that Jesus Gospel of the Kingdom can transform this world. He is married to Karen and father to a beautiful baby boy named Justice. Together they attend and serve at Macquarie Park Salvation Army.

Having been involved in the lives of the Ivanhoe Estate residents for the last 7 years, Karen and Nathan are extremely excited to now have the opportunity to continue the work of The Salvation Army in the community. We feel extremely blessed to move into the estate and to deepen the existing relationships we have and build brand new ones, with the aim of loving and supporting the local community.

“We are so excited about Nath and Karen with their son Justice taking over the ministry of The Salvation Army in Macquarie Park. A more competent, accomplished and grace filled couple you couldn’t hope for. They have the experience and passion to really take the work of The Salvation Army in Macquarie Park to a whole new level – God has goodness in store for the City of Ryde, especially in Macquarie Park. The best is yet to come” Craig said.   

We would encourage all who’ve been involved with Craig and Danni and the work of The Salvation Army to come and share in their farewell service 11:30am @ Central Park, Ivanhoe place (opposite KU Kindergarten), Macquarie Park. The Service will start at 12midday, followed by Free Community BBQ lunch.