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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2012-02-15 Daily Xml
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BAYSIDE CHURCH INTERNATIONAL

The Hon. R.L. BROKENSHIRE (15:44): I have pleasure putting into Hansard,and therefore on the public record, my appreciation of an invitation in August last year to attend the 'Appreciation Sunday' and the opening of the new Bayside Church International at Victor Harbor. I certainly did especially appreciate the invitation from Chad and Jaye Mansbridge, who are the lead pastors of the Bayside Church.

Before talking more about that, I met Chad several years ago when I went to one of the early schoolies week preparations with the volunteers known as Encounter Youth who do such a superb job down at Victor Harbor. They did that last year during schoolies week and, whilst I was always concerned at the impost that these thousands of young people have on the Victor Harbor community, I congratulate the Victor Harbor community because the absolute majority of them do embrace and recognise that it is going to continue and support, wherever they can, schoolies week, albeit that it does have quite a significant detrimental effect on the day-to-day environs and enjoyment of Victor Harbor for the local residents.

One of the reasons why schoolies week in South Australia is exemplary compared to any other schoolies week around the nation is to do with Encounter Youth and the great leadership work also in supporting Encounter Youth that Christian leaders like Chad and Jaye provide to the development, planning and day-to-day support of Encounter Youth during schoolies week.

The Bayside Church is an example of a growing church in the Victor Harbor area, and it is very important due to the growth of population now and projected in the South Coast region, and particularly in Victor Harbor. It is an independent non-denominational Christian community that, as I said, is overseen by Chad and Jaye Mansbridge as the lead pastors. It came about as a combination of two other churches: Impact Church and Coastlands.

One of the important things about this church is that it provides so much opportunity for a cross-section of the community within Victor Harbor. It is located in an industrial area, which in itself is interesting. It makes sense. It allows that church to be able to integrate with workers and business owners on a day-to-day basis, and on the weekends when car parking is sometimes an issue with churches the industrial area is pretty much vacant, and that allows for a good fit with church activity such as Bayside.

I want to congratulate the businesses and the members of the church who donated so much volunteer time, and also goods and services, to enable this church, which was actually built out of an industrial shed, but when you go into it it is like any other modern church. It was through volunteer support and commitment that they were able to provide this very important facility for Victor Harbor.

Importantly, because of the isolation in Victor Harbor and the lack of public transport, it is difficult for young people to engage in a lot of activities that people in the city do. Even though Victor Harbor is only about 80 kilometres from the city, it is quite isolated and it could be 800 kilometres from the city for that matter, but they have specifically designed an upstairs facility to provide for youth activities on Friday nights and at other times. I know that this will be very much utilised by a broad cross-section of the young people in the Victor Harbor region.

Also, they have not forgotten young mums with their children and have been able to provide a very well-structured crèche facility for them so that they can bring their whole family along to church and other activities that are provided within the church facility. Even middle-aged people like myself, and older people, obviously interact and integrate very well.

It is a relatively new church. It is a church with an exciting future. It offers great opportunities for the people of Victor Harbor. I was certainly pleased and privileged to be able to attend. I congratulate all of those at the Bayside Church International for their commitment to ministering to the people of Victor Harbor and surrounding districts.

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