UniSC and SE QLD Happenings
posted by Navigators on April 11th, 2025 in Blog | Discipleship | Evangelism
By Dustyn McLaren
The University of the Sunshine Coast O-Week 2025 happened!
University of the Sunshine Coast. Photo: supplied.
There’s always too much that happens during Orientation Week to share in a short space. O-Week is the best time to meet people because that’s what people are there for that week.
During O-Week at UniSC, even before others in the team arrived, I had a great time walking up to people and starting what I thought were great conversations.
Rory was my first conversation. It was great because after mentioning my spiritual interest, I had asked a lot about him before he then said, “Spiritual things, hey? That must be interesting” – or something of the sort. I got to focus the conversation on Jesus, share the gospel and invite him to continue the conversation sometime. I’ve bumped into him a number of times since.
Dustyn and daughter Laylah.
My daughter Laylah has started Uni this year and I’m really loving having her along for ministry in a new way. She joined the crew, and we’ve had Rob, myself, Adrian, Callan and Laylah talking to people. I won’t mention them all but had really good chats with Orien, Chase, Partik, Jett, Michael and others.
There was also Kieren, who I spoke to on Tuesday. He had a keen interest in talking about beliefs. From growing up Catholic, he had moved to being Pentecostal, then to atheism, Buddhism, and now back at atheism. We had such a great time talking that he realised his class had started and had to run. I quickly gave him a tract with my number as he left. Later, when I shared this encounter with Adrian, he got excited and started describing the guy I had been talking to. He exclaimed, “That’s my friend Kieren who we’ve been praying for for the past 2 years.” How amazing God is to set up these divine appointments! I am excited to see what God might do in Kieren’s life this year.
Please pray for all these people, that contacts become ongoing conversations that lead to salvation; people who learn to walk with the Lord, who then join us as labourers making disciples for Jesus’ kingdom! Pray for our team to grow numerically and in confidence as they step out in faith for God.
If you would like to receive my newsletter, please subscribe. I’d love to keep you updated with what’s going as we labour at UniSC and in our community.
Dustyn and Hannah McLaren live with their family on the Sunshine Coast of Queensland, and joined the Australian Navigators as Staff in 2022. Dustyn has recently finished being partially supported by an Endowment Fund which helped to establish his ministry for the first three years, and now has some way to go in being fully funded to continue his community and university ministries. If you would like to find out more about the McLarens, and to prayerfully consider contributing to funding their work with Navs, please visit: navigators.org.au/staff/mclarendh/
Your prayers are always appreciated. Don’t forget to subscribe to his newsletter!