In 2008, Charmaine and her husband Phil joined the COACH Community Mentoring program after experiencing deep trauma and isolation following a crime committed against them. They were matched with mentors Graeme and Cheryl King, forming a genuine, trusting friendship that became a turning point in their lives.
Through that relationship, Charmaine began exploring spirituality and joined a small Bible study group with others who were also mentored — Sandy, Suanne, Marie, David and Luke. In 2010, this small gathering became the COACH Mentoring Home Group, meeting in the lounge room of Marie’s modest rental property.
In that space, participants discovered the power of connection and community. They learned to support and encourage one another, share life’s struggles, pray, read Scripture and celebrate small victories together. Over time, they grew not only in faith but also in strength-based leadership, learning to facilitate the group themselves and nurture others in the same way they had been mentored.
As the group grew, it soon outgrew Marie’s lounge room. What began as one small gathering, became the foundation of Empowered Faith Communities – a movement of inclusive, strengths-based, and faith-driven communities now active across Australia and beyond. These communities create spaces where people can belong, grow and explore faith outside traditional church settings.
Charmaine recently passed away, leaving behind a legacy of transformation
and hope. Her life reminds us of the multiplying impact of one-to-one mentoring — how love, encouragement and faith can ripple outward to form entire communities.
We also celebrate the legacy of her mentors, Graeme and Cheryl King, who, in Cheryl’s words, “found their mission field in their local community.” Their investment shaped Charmaine, Phil and their daughter Kaytelin — a living testimony to intergenerational change and the lasting fruit of empowered faith communities.
Mark Matthews
Empowered Faith Communities Co-Founder & COACH Mentoring Co-Author
