God Squad shares life lessons

Students Keita and Molly talk to Reverend Doctor John Smith, with Luke in the background.

By MARA PATTISON-SOWDEN

AS one student put it: “not all bike gangs are bad”.
In fact, the God’s Squad Christian Motorcycle Club was in the Yarra Valley last week spreading its message of Unity Creates Community.
Club members spent time in churches, with community groups and school students as part of their tour of the valley last Tuesday.
Wesburn Primary School chaplain Adam Killeen said the school’s grade five and six students listened to the members speak on topics such as bullying, the need for belonging and the importance of finding something to believe in.
He said the students were also gifted with the rare opportunity to hear from and ask questions of God’s Squad founder John Smith, an internationally-recognised speaker who has earned the titles of Reverend, doctor and author.
“John spoke to the students in his uniquely honest style and conveyed to the children their immense intrinsic value for simply being who they are,” he said.
Grade five student Jay said he and his classmates were given advice on how to get through bullying at school.
Chloe said she learned not to react to things in bad ways, “to stay calm, like to bullies or family problems”.
Bradley said he thanked the God’s Squad members for coming and that he had learned a lot.
“It was awesome that they came; they told us about what happened to them when they were young and how to deal with it,” he said.
“They also let us hop on their bikes.”