More than 700 people attended the North New South Wales (NNSW) Prayer Conference at Yarra Holiday Park in Stuarts Point (NSW) from February 26 to March 1. The event also attracted church members from across the South Pacific, with around 50 people coming from Papua New Guinea and New Zealand.
This year’s conference featured guest speakers Pastor John Bradshaw, president for It Is Written, and Sam Walters, a lay preacher and paediatric pharmacist from the UK. Speaking on the event’s theme “Watch and Pray,” Pastor Bradshaw and Mr Walters emphasised the importance of personal prayer, surrender and being “personally, prayerfully involved in God’s mission”.
A mock trial where delegates were invited to defend their faith, Sabbath Singalong with Sandra Entermann, and numerous ministry booths were also featured during the event.
Photo credit: Elly Conduit
The weekend also featured a children’s program led by NNSW Children’s and Family Ministries director, Carolin Schmitz, and a team of volunteers. More than 80 children attended the sessions which included worship, engaging activities, prayer journalling, and creative crafts.
“It was so special to see children connecting with God in such meaningful ways and confidently sharing what was on their hearts through journalling,” said Mrs Schmitz. “We were so blessed by an amazing team, and truly loved being part of creating a space for children to experience God’s love and desire to spend time with them.”
Photo credit: Elly Conduit
On Sabbath afternoon, around 30 conference delegates—mostly young adults—participated in a community outreach initiative. The group visited the local Stuarts Point and Macksville communities, where they offered prayer and distributed literature. “The testimonies they shared during the evening meeting were a definite highlight for all,” said NNSW Prayer coordinator Charissa Torossian. “Some shared how they had decided to offer prayer to anyone in the local pub, and to their surprise, the first man they met there literally had a Bible open before him!”
The Prayer Conference began in NNSW in 2016, and has been steadily growing over the years. “It’s exciting to see how God is continuing to bless this gathering,” said Mrs Torossian. “People come to this event hungering and thirsting to connect with God in prayer and it’s powerful.”
Plans for 2027 are already underway. All messages from this year’s event were recorded and will be shared on the NNSW YouTube channel soon.
