On Saturday, July 27, we celebrated 20 years of the TransFormation Program with a heartwarming milestone event. Two hundred people gathered at Essendon Baptist Church to rejoice in a program that has enriched the lives of many people from migrant Church communities in Melbourne and beyond.
The day belonged to the inspiring TransFormation students from past and present. Hearing their courageous testimonies, stories of faith, and how TransFormation shaped their journey was humbling and uplifting. We were also blessed to hear from the program founders, Rev Jullian Stewart and Rev Frank Rees, and have Rev Dr Geoff Pound and Rev Alan Marr in attendance. You couldn’t deny the feeling of nostalgia in the room, and deep sense of gratitude for those who championed the program, pride in the students and their accomplishments, and hope for TransFormation into the future.
A special mention to former TransFormation student and current Whitley Masters student Weimin Zhang for doing an exceptional job as MC. Min is made for the stage! We give thanks to current TransFormation Student Miriama Toeleiu and the Terminal Crew for leading worship and lifting the church ceiling! TransFormation student Phunbik (Bik) Kung performed his original song of praise and gave a performance worthy of a global audience. Wow! Thank you to Geoff Maddock from Baptist Mission Australia, who was our photographer on the day! He’s a skilled photographer. See all the photos from the day here. As always, we are grateful for the support of master event planner Charlene Delos Santos and the BUV team.
TransFormation Program Director Sarah Do did an incredible job curating the day and closed the event with an inspiring message of hope for TransFormation into the future.
We must mention the delicious lunch catered by Free Burma Catering. The Free Burma Catering is a social enterprise designed to help newly settled Burmese refugees in the Springvale area. The only time the event was quiet was during lunch, which left us speechless from the first mouthful.
Thank you to everyone who attended the celebration. For those who missed the event or want to relive it, you can see a full livestream here.
At the event, we sold merchandise, with all profits going to the TransFormation Program. Visit the link and buy some merch for yourself! You’ll love the trucker hats and drink cups. Get in quick as we have a limited supply.
Read more about TransFormation here.