A taste of heaven in Launceston
This year’s Children and Families Festival, run in partnership with Launceston Alive, saw just under 4,000 people of all ages, walks of life, and cultures come together for a fun-filled day to celebrate the joy of Easter.
SU has partnered with Launceston Alive to run the festival since 2017, and each year the celebration has grown from 500 to just under 4,000 people this year. There is also a growing number of churches (43 in total) contributing to the festival.
SU Australia Co-Acting Regional Director, Stephanie Sebastian says the aim of the event is to unify local Christians, churches and multicultural communities, while also sharing the message of Easter with the wider community.
“Our hope is that through this Festival we can spread the love of Christ and bring lasting change,” she says.
This year’s festival was opened by Launceston Deputy Mayor, Matthew Garwood, who sang Amazing Grace to kick off the festivities at the newly developed Riverbank Park.
“What impressed me this year was looking around and seeing almost 4,000 people from all walks of life, cultures, ages, and socioeconomic backgrounds having a great time. It was peaceful, it was loving. It truly felt like a foretaste of heaven here on earth,” says Stephanie.
While there are always plenty of fun activities from archery and soccer to games like ‘stick the prayer on the donkey’, plus a wide array of food from Sudanese donuts to Chinese dumplings, the true highlight is making God’s good news known, says Stephanie.
“We have partnerships with Christian organisations such as City Mission or the Bible Society, which allows us to give away Bibles at the various stalls. At a previous festival a primary school girl took home a Bible. Later that year the young girl, who doesn’t come from a Christian home, was talking with her school chaplain about the Bible she received at the festival. It turns out that she’d read almost all of the New Testament,” recalls Stephanie.
The festival also provides a great opportunity to have conversations with locals about the Easter story. Stephanie recalls speaking with a man lining up at one of the food stalls this year as he went to grab his wallet.
“I said, that won’t be necessary. The food has already been paid for. It’s free.”
Taken aback, the man couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
“‘You’ve got to be kidding me’ he said. I explained that the churches have provided all the food for free because we are celebrating Easter, and what Jesus has done for us. We want to share that joy with you’,” she says.
What a beautiful reminder of the free gift Jesus has given us through his death and resurrection. The price has already been paid!
Please join us in praying that we can continue to grow this event, and launch new ministries to reach more children, young people and families with God’s love. Visit sutas.org.au/donate.