A group from Brunswick Baptist Church have found a novel way to express solidarity and gratitude to the firefighters working to protect life and land across Australia. 

On Friday, as fire danger triggered the largest peacetime evacuation efforts in Australia’s history, the group decorated the poles out the front of the church with hard hats and reflective strips resembling CFA volunteers. 

A passerby expressed thanks to a church member finishing a pole, “we just came from East Gippsland yesterday.”

Church member, Beryl Turner said, “the display was a symbol to our firefighters to let them know we are continuing to think of them and pray for them. 

The poles generate a huge amount of interest from passers by, and whenever we work on them people always stop to talk about them, thank to the church, share their thoughts on the topic. The poles stand on the boundary between the church and the street in more ways than one! 

The group, who organise through a Whatsapp chat affectionately labeled “Yarn Over Yarn”, have in recent years taken to decorating the poles that stand at the front of the church on busy Sydney Road. Recent decorations have included a nativity scene during Advent and the colours of the Aboriginal flag to mark NAIDOC week. 

BUV Director of Mission and Ministries, Daniel Bullock has this past week called upon Baptist congregations and their members to donate generously to bushfire relief. 

Article written by Adrian Jackson.

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