Puppets on a mission

Dozens of little faces lit up as three furry guests bounced onto the stage at the Torquay Scripture Union Family Mission (SUFM).

It was none other than the puppet, Mr.Tibbles, accompanied by his two friends, Muzz and Biff. 

The trio joined the mission to laugh, sing, and bring the good news of Jesus to local and holiday – making families in the seaside Victorian town. 

Lorien Geluk, one of the Torquay SUFM’s previous directors, explained when the puppets spring to life: 

“Throughout our morning program, the furry friends will come out to say hello, join in skits, and interact with the MC.” 

Often this looked like making the marquee full of primary school-aged children roar with laughter. But behind all the silliness, Mr. Tibbles and friends helped plant seeds of faith that continued to grow long after the summer ended. 

For one little girl, attending Torquay SUFM at the invitation of a Christian family was her first opportunity to hear about God. 

“She came every single day,” Lorien recalled, “a leader would ask her what she learnt yesterday and she’d say, ‘I learnt about God and Jesus!’” 

By the end of the week, the child returned home with her very own Kids Bible, determined to keep getting to know Jesus.

The puppet infused beach mission wouldn’t have been complete without the much loved letter writing exercise to Mr. Tibbles and friends, featuring plenty of jokes and 

even deeper questions about God’s Word. 

While the puppets brought the laughs, the real joy of Torquay SUFM for Lorien is seeing the children return year after year, growing up and in their faith. 

Your prayers and support make ministries like Torquay SUFM possible. To help reach more children, young people and families with God’s good news, please visit su.org.au/donate