Impact Story: Tailrace
Tailrace Community Church, based in Launceston, exists to bridge the gap between the church and the wider community. They offer their building as a public event centre and have an on-site playground and cafe, with a diverse staff – Christian and non-Christian alike – that includes migrants, individuals with disabilities, and young people with limited social skills.
As Pastor Sharon O’Neill puts it: “We didn’t just want a church building; we were intentional to build a community centre that the church would share with others. Our mission is always 'how can we love, show Jesus, and serve people over the long term?’”
Tailrace’s mission goes well beyond the building itself. Recognising that sporting clubs engage over 75% of the community, the church decided to offer a chaplaincy service to the Launceston Football Club. Over the past five years, 1 in 4 players have accessed their help.
One of those players, Josiah, faced a life-altering moment when his mother received a 3-month cancer prognosis. During a pre-season 'everyone has a story' exercise, Josiah shared his struggle, after which Head Chaplain, Jonathon O’Neill, took him for a walk that sparked a friendship and frequent talks.
Says Josiah, who is now part of the club’s leadership team:
“That beach walk saved me. Now I’m the one taking someone for a walk, because I know that no one deserves to go through something alone. It’s impossible to walk through that kind of hardship by yourself.”
Senior Coach, Mitch Thorp, also acknowledges the impact of chaplains at the club: “The boys see them as an extension to the coaching group; they’ve created friendships. The stigma around vulnerability has been broken down. The young people know they have someone to talk to.”