Christian Missionaries Find an Unlikely Way to Serve: Free Haircuts

On quiet afternoons in the courtyard of a small Latter-day Saint chapel, two young missionaries set up a folding chair, a pair of clippers and a simple hand-painted sign offering something that has become unexpectedly popular in this coastal Queensland town: free haircuts.

Elder Jared Thorne, 20, and Elder Caleb Forbes, 18, both from Utah, have spent the past three months serving in Bundaberg as part of their two-year missions for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They spend most of their days visiting neighbors, teaching lessons about faith and volunteering in the community. But their most visible act of service—and the one drawing the most attention—is their offer of no-cost trims for anyone who needs one.

The idea began on the Gold Coast, where Elder Thorne first learned to cut hair from a former missionary companion. He had grown up with home haircuts from his father and had never been to a barbershop himself. When he arrived in Australia and saw how costly haircuts could be, he said, the decision came naturally: “If I need a haircut and it’s expensive, there must be others who can’t afford one. So why not do what I can?”

What started as a simple gesture has grown into a small but steady service. Locals now arrive at the chapel courtyard by appointment or by word of mouth. The missionaries estimate they’ve already given more than a dozen haircuts in Bundaberg, though they expect the number to rise as more residents learn about the offering.

For the pair, the service is as much about connection as it is about grooming. Missionaries often find that their formal name tags and structured routines create distance between themselves and the people they hope to meet. A haircut, Elder Forbes said, changes the dynamic immediately. “Once people know the person behind the name tag, they’re more open. They know who we are, they can trust us.”

The two young men observe the strict discipline required of missionaries: 6:30 a.m. wake-ups, daily scripture study, exercise, limited contact with family and no dating. They must remain within set boundaries in Bundaberg and stay within sight and hearing of each other at all times—a rule Elder Thorne jokes is good preparation for marriage someday.

Yet the structure, they say, makes their service more intentional. While some residents initially greet them with suspicion—and occasionally harsh words—the haircuts have provided unexpected inroads. A few people who once brushed past them now stop to talk. Some ask questions about their faith. Others simply appreciate the act of generosity.

“We’re trying to show we’re not just religious people knocking on doors,” Elder Thorne said. “We’re here to help where we can.”

For Bundaberg residents facing rising costs of living, a free haircut may be small help. But for these two missionaries, it is a quiet way to build community—one trim at a time.