Global Partnerships

At New Community we have the privilege of supporting a number of individuals and organisations working locally and overseas. 

Ryan and Suzie were a part of New Community in its earliest days. They discovered a shared interest in global mission at university where they first met and trained as physiotherapists. Their particular interest in the B people grew some ten years later when serving in pastoral ministry at Kyneton Baptist Church.  During this time they facilitated numerous church-group visits to the Baptist Mission Australia team in South Asia and became familiar with the work among the B people. This deepening relationship led to Ryan serving as Baptist Mission Australia’s state leader in VIC/TAS. Over recent years their ongoing interest in South Asia has grown to become a sense of call.
Ryan and Suzie have a deep conviction that the good news of Jesus is for all people. Currently based in Australia while they support the education of their three children, they are hoping to relocate to South Asia in 2024.
In the meantime, Ryan has recently taken on the South Asia team leadership.  Working with the Baptist Mission Australia team, he is travelling to South Asia periodically, to encourage the increasing number of believers and faith communities.
Suzie’s expertise as a paediatric physiotherapist will be highly valued in supporting Baptist Mission Australia's partner NGO in its work among some of the most vulnerable people in this part of the world.
As they enter this new season of ministry, Ryan and Suzie are currently investing in culture and language learning to equip themselves for this work. 

Robyn is a linguist based in West Asia where she leads a team which carries out language research and development, including Scripture translation in several languages of the region. She enjoys being part of the local community, resourcing and supporting team members and seeing more people accessing good quality written, audio and visual materials in their own languages.

Jen works with students during their final years of secondary school. Her vision is for young people to grow deep roots in Jesus - making a space for a faith-based VET subject in the busy final years of secondary school. She coordinates Youth Dimension’s Gravitate program - the Certificate III in Christian Ministry and Theology (10741NAT) delivered by Youth Dimension on behalf of Eastern College Australia (RTO #22065). The course is open to students from a wide range of backgrounds and schools with the aim to make it as accessible as possible. Each year, more than 50 students across 6 schools participate in the Gravitate program.

New Community has had a long relationship with East Timor and a close connection with the New Community Church in Dili and with Acy, the pastor there.  One of the ministries of the church is to run hostels for young Timorese men and women who move to Dili for work or study.  New Community supports the cost of the rental on the hostel for girls.

Over the past six years the focus of our annual Christmas appeal has been the work of "Mulberries" in Laos.
Mulberries, also known as the “Lao Sericulture Company (LSC)”, has been involved in rural economic development in Xieng Khouang Province of Laos for over twenty years. LSC currently partners with hundreds of rural families in growing organic mulberry trees for the purpose of silk thread, silk cocoon, tea, jam and handicraft production.
By providing training, production equipment and access to commercial markets, Mulberries assists these rural families in achieving financial stability. 

In 2023 the focus of our Christmas Appeal moved to India and the provision of all of the equipment to fully fit out an Ear Bus which can travel to remote poorer rural areas of southern India to seek to address hearing loss and ear disease which are strongly linked to poverty. Our aim was to raise $40,000 by Christmas Day. The appeal actually raised $50,899.15. This appeal was in conjunction with the Graeme Clark Foundation and CMC Vellore.