LAST week a group of young adult leaders, led by David Toogood from the Pulse team, road-tripped to Jindabyne via a Young Adults Gathering in Canberra.

The group travelled to Jindabyne to experience Alpine Uniting Church’s Winter community outreach tradition.

Every Monday night of snow season, volunteers from the church serve a meal to workers from the ski fields.

Most of these people are young, seasonal workers, with unpredictable shift reliability who are there because they love the snow and what they do for a living.

To have a homely social environment, with a hearty soup meal, and warm community has become a key part of community for many of those who attend, many describe it as their ‘sense of home away from home’ while they’re at the snow.

Regularly serving more than 250 people per Monday night meal, the group were in awe of their contribution to a struggling community.

Mr Toogood said the Young Adults who went down from Sydney and Canberra to experience the night have come back inspired and fired up for what ministry can look like in their own settings.

“The car trip home was full of vibrant conversation of all the things the group would do if they had the opportunity to spend a whole snow season there, and the amazing opportunities for ministry an environment like that creates.” Mr Toogood said.

Group member Somerset Drayton said there were a wide range of people present at the soup dinner including those who needed a meal, those who craved connection or even just the convenience.

“A huge variety of people came from not only the local area, but all over the world, it was interesting to see the diverse range of spiritual and non-spiritual people,” Mr Drayton said.

“We tried talking to as many people as possible to get a diverse range of conversations.”

After spending hours connecting with people who attended the soup night, group member Ella Evans said people find so much value in the Alpine Uniting Church and its service.

“Not only did the people that attend have so much gratitude for the services being provided, but they were there to get the most out of the experience,” Ms Evans said.

“The openness to spirituality, regardless of faith background, within the vast group that were there, was a big surprise.”

Largely run by a small group of church members, the Monday soup and dessert nights have partnered with grocery stores and local community groups to help.

The seventh day Adventist church contributes a big pot of soup every week as well, but it’s the core group that turn up week-in, week-out to cook, serve, and share the gospel with the young people of Thredbo and Perisher ski resorts.