Eight months on from the January 2026 bushfires, their impact is still deeply felt across the Highlands region of northern Victoria, with many people still living in temporary accommodation as they seek to rebuild their lives. A group from New Community Church (NCC) in Ringwood has been travelling to the region to work alongside the Highlands and District Community Recovery Association (HDCRA) in offering a helping hand and a listening ear.
NCC has been involved in bushfire relief efforts since Black Friday in 2009. After the January 2026 fires, the church contacted Seymour Baptist Church and the HDCRA to offer support. Six NCC people visited the Highlands in May to work on a property for a day. Then, in August, NCC members Ian Cross and Michael Cox organised a team of 30, including a plumber and a retired builder, to help four couples and three individuals over a weekend.
This visit was part of NCC’s regular Engage Sundays, where members spend their church-service timeslot contributing to community projects and caring for people in need as an act of worship and sharing the selfless love that God has given to all.
“We split up into groups of 4-5 and used our practical skills to do whatever was needed, such as gardening, moving or lifting things, installing water tanks, clearing trees and building a covered storage area,” Michael said. “Some property owners were visibly moved because they were just so deeply impacted by the fires, and we were able to come alongside them and show that we care.”
The deep emotional scarring remains one of the toughest challenges for those who are rebuilding as they live day to day among the remains of their homes and the memories of past lives. Michael said that connecting with people and showing them genuine love with a listening ear was equally as important as meeting practical needs.
“It was our privilege to give people our full attention, to take the time to listen and ask questions and be fully attentive. We’re not offering counselling or advice, just listening to their stories,” he said. “At the end of the visit, we asked if it would be alright to pray for them. Every person that we asked said they would appreciate that, and so we said a short prayer.”
For NCC team member Wendy, the weekend reinforced that sometimes the most valuable thing we can offer is simply our presence.
Wendy spent time alongside a couple working in their blackened front garden. At the start of the day, she’d put a small bucket in the back of the ute alongside others’ big professional equipment and prayed a simple prayer, “God, just use whatever I’ve got and whatever I can do today.”
“When they divided us into groups, someone called me aside and said one lady had had a really bad morning and a really bad week, and they asked me to just look after her for the day,” Wendy said. “That was actually a lightbulb moment for me, that they didn’t really need anything, I just needed to be there, to be a friend alongside her – a safe place for that day.”
During the weekend, the team also shared a community meal provided by the Rotary Club of Yea, creating another valuable opportunity to connect and share stories.
The weekend trip reminded Wendy of two important principles: “One, that God can use the ordinary; and two, the importance of connection. We seek to be Jesus’ hands and feet but sometimes the way to do this is to just be a connection for people. That encourages me in daily life, in the workplace and everywhere, to consider what people’s needs are and how I can make connections with them.”
For NCC, the opportunity to serve continues. Another trip to the Highlands is planned for October, as the church continues to walk alongside families and communities with practical acts of care and ongoing meaningful connections.