My name is Jayden Croft, and I’m honoured to introduce myself as the new pastor of the Shepparton Seventh-day Adventist Church.
My family and I recently moved from Melbourne, and we’ve immediately noticed how different life feels here.
People take the time to greet one another, smile as they pass on the street, and look out for their neighbours.
In Melbourne, we lived in two different houses over the past three years, and despite our efforts to connect with our neighbours, it was clear they preferred to keep to themselves.
That’s why an experience we had during our move to Shepparton meant so much to us.
As part of the transition, I had my motorcycle transported here.
Due to a miscommunication, it arrived at our new house three days before we did.
My heart sank when I got the call from the delivery driver saying he would leave it on the front porch with the key in the letterbox.
I was convinced it wouldn’t still be there when we arrived.
Scrambling for solutions, my wife suggested I check if any of our new neighbours had a business on Google Maps with a phone number attached.
To my relief, the neighbour next door did.
Nervous about the response I might receive, I called, introduced myself and explained the situation.
When I asked if he could keep an eye on the bike, he didn’t hesitate, he was more than happy to help.
But he went even further.
Within an hour, he sent a message letting me know he had retrieved the key and moved the bike into his garage to keep it safe.
That small act of kindness spoke volumes about the character of this community.
It made my family and me incredibly grateful to be here.
Greater Shepparton isn’t just a beautiful place, it’s the people who make it special.
While it’s easy to focus on the negatives of where we live, I hope this story serves as a reminder of what makes this region so remarkable.
I hope it never loses its human touch.
If you are struggling and need food assistance, we invite you to visit the food trailer in front of Shepparton Seventh-day Adventist Church every Wednesday.
No questions asked.
And if you ever want to connect, we’d love to hear from you.
Minister Jayden Croft,
Shepparton and Echuca Seventh-day Adventist Churches
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