A Vision or a Mission

“Pray the Lord our God will show us the way we should go and what we should do.”
Jeremiah 42:3

Looking back, I’ve learnt that a vision is never just an idea. A vision invites us to imagine what could be, but it’s action that turns it into something real. A vision on its own is not enough. It requires perseverance, commitment, faith, and the courage to keep going when the path ahead feels uncertain. Over time, I came to understand that a vision becomes a mission the moment we choose to step into it.

More than a decade ago, God placed a simple but powerful vision on my heart — men and women coming together to cook home-cooked meals for people in need. That vision was first formed at St John the Baptist Catholic Church in Enoggera through the Loaves and Fishes Food Ministry. It began humbly, with a small group of like-minded women cooking meals in their own homes and sharing them after Sunday Mass.

Over the following years, the vision slowly expanded. What started small grew through prayer, planning, and a great deal of trust in God’s timing. A wider community of men and women began cooking together, united by a shared desire to serve others. Nothing was rushed. Each step unfolded in its own time.

In 2011, I felt God prompting me to take a bold step forward and initiate what became Meals 4 You. With that step came provision — strength, wisdom, relationships, resources, and the right people at the right time. I learnt quickly that this was never about my plans, but about keeping my eyes fixed on Jesus and allowing Him to lead. As Hebrews 12:2 reminds us, “Looking unto Jesus…” — He shows us the way.

Over the life of the ministry, more than 6,000 meals were prepared and shared with over 700 families. Yet the numbers only tell part of the story. What stays with me most are the moments shared in kitchens — the laughter, the conversations, and the quiet sense of community as meals were prepared together. God’s love reached hundreds of kitchen tables, bringing encouragement, kindness, hope, and comfort in ways we may never fully know.

In 2016, I was deeply humbled to receive an Australia Day Lord Mayor Achievement Award for my community work through Meals 4 You. I never saw this as a personal achievement, but as a reflection of what God can do when ordinary people say yes to His calling. The ministry itself concluded in 2017, but its impact continues to live on in the lives it touched.

There were times when the vision felt heavy — when it truly felt like a mission — yet God always provided exactly what was needed. I came to believe that this vision was never meant to end, only to be carried forward by others who shared the same heart. With God, all things are possible. We are simply called to be ordinary radicals.

At that time, I was the coordinator of the Meals 4 You food ministry. I am a wife to Gavin and a mother to three children — Patrick, Matthew, and Ella. Our family was part of Prince of Peace Lutheran College, and we worshipped at St William’s Catholic Church, Grovely.

Many people came to know Meals 4 You through its support of church communities and during times of crisis, including the Ipswich floods, when home-cooked meals were shared with families facing great uncertainty.

Two years before the ministry expanded further, I sensed God calling me to take it beyond the church and into schools and the broader community. My first response was doubt — Did I really hear Him correctly? I spent six months in prayer, waiting for clarity. Over time, I learnt that when God calls us, it often leads us well beyond our comfort zone.

When the direction became clear, I stepped forward in faith. Over the following years, Meals 4 You provided meals and lunchbox fillers to more than 700 families, including support for the Rural and Remote Program assisting families with loved ones in Brisbane hospitals.

Meals 4 You became far more than just a meal. It became a vessel through which God’s love, comfort, and hope flowed directly into the lives of families who were struggling.

The ministry was run entirely by volunteers, with four cooking days each year, producing up to 350 meals per quarter. It was sustained through personal donations, school support, fundraisers, local businesses, and the Hearts for Hope program through the church. Every contribution mattered.

As Isaiah 58:10 reminds us:
“Feed the hungry and help those in trouble. Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you will be as bright as day.”

Looking back, I truly believe Meals 4 You lived out this scripture. It was a privilege to be part of a ministry rooted in faith, service, and love, and I remain deeply grateful for every person who walked alongside the vision and helped turn it into a mission.
Christine Bunn

Post Views : 117