Anyone who’s tried to turn their life around knows how hard it is, but Wyndham resident and senior pastor Justin Gardner has done just that, writes Rebecca Miller.
What’s your connection to the local community?
I’m the senior pastor at Destiny Centre Christian church in Hoppers Crossing. I have lived in Wyndham for 18 years and now live in Point Cook with my wife and two sons.
I moved here from Sunshine to start a new life.
I was homeless at the age of 14 and involved with some of the people portrayed in the Underbelly series doing and selling drugs.
At 22, I found myself going to murder someone and was extremely suicidal … that’s when I asked Christ into my life.
I wasn’t in church when I did it – it was just personal between me and the one who raised me.
My first job was stirring coffees at Destiny Centre, where I later became youth pastor.
The church cafe now sells coffees and so on for whatever price people want to pay. Any profit made goes to paying for operations for blind children or medication to prevent blindness.
At Destiny Centre, we have been pioneering children’s homes in Kenya over the past five years and have just finished building a school.
Our vision for next year is to fit out our church to help local people with addictions through the Destiny Transformations program, which will involve professionals coming to the church to help those in need.
This year, we started PJ Sunday. I wore a onesie to the Sunday service and many members also wore PJs to help raise awareness of children with cancer.
My job is to bring inspiration and comfort to people wherever they are at in life.
What do you like about your neighbourhood?
I’m always moving and thinking bigger, and so is Wyndham. It is constantly growing and becoming more multicultural. It’s a family-friendly area with great parks.
What would you like to change?
The traffic.
The area has exploded and the roads can’t keep up with the population growth.
What’s your favourite eatery or place to get coffee?
There’s good coffee at Point Cook Town Centre. My family and I often go there because we like lots of activity and being around people.
