Kaje and Jaylaka Matthie have taken their desire to minister for Christ outside the walls of a church and into people’s hearts and homes.

The pair had been co-leaders in the youth department of a Seventh-day Adventist Church, but have now transferred their experience to Instagram and YouTube.

“Jaylaka and I have decided to endeavour on this journey as individuals leading others to Christ,” Mr Matthie said.

"My ministry is simply to lead people to Christ. So many times in the faith community, it is hard to find people who are genuine about what they have experienced through the faith, where they are in their personal lives and how it affects their walk or belief in Christ altogether. Being able to relate and connect with people is the basis of my ministry."

He intentionally chose his childhood nickname as his Instagram handle – @bigdug_13.

"The reason why I use that personal handle is to attract people to how personal this journey is for me and how intimate I would like to be with them for how they seek a relationship with Christ," he said.

Although she has now switched to @jaylakamatthie, Mrs Matthie started her online ministry using the handle @bibleaffirmations.

"I started just wanting to share affirmations with people in an aesthetically pleasing way. There was nothing here that appealed to an aesthetic or a younger generation. I started just taking Bible verses and making them aesthetically pleasing."

While going through a “little bit of a rough time in life”, she realised she needed to make the verses “more applicable” to herself and others.

"I wanted to find the message I was getting out of [the verses] and make it a mantra for myself. I am only sometimes going to remember the entire scripture, however I can remember the core – ‘I am this’ that God says I am.

“My ministry is redefining who I am in scripture in a relatable, simple, and aesthetically pleasing way.”

Although they present their messages individually on social media, behind the scenes they are a "package deal”.

Both bring different skill sets to the table.

"My professional career journey [in IT] has equipped me to support the digital side of our ministry. This entire process showed us character-building skills on how we can better communicate with one another when dealing with the challenges that come with revealing one's deeper thoughts,“ Mr Matthie said.

Added his wife: “[With our] personal characteristics and the different fields that we are in, we bounce off each other – him with production and me with set-up and how things look. We joined forces, which was important because I didn't realise how hard it is to do things on your own. Sometimes, it's hard to get started or stick with something. It's [helpful] to support each other.”

The couple wed three years ago; serving has always been a priority of their marriage.

"Kaje and I, from the inception of our marriage, started to serve immediately as a duo as youth directors. Coming away from that was pivotal in our marriage because we realised that ministry and serving others goes beyond just four walls,“ Mrs Matthie said.

”We were able to rely on each other and bounce off of each other and come face to face with that moment that one, this thing is real, and two, with this being real, your relationship with God has to be rooted and genuine outside of a religion or a system.“

The pair credit God for using their marriage as a tool to help refine and grow them as individuals, as a couple and as willing ministers of the gospel.

“In the entire ideology with having the woman as a helpmeet, it goes both ways – iron sharpens iron. And that's the tool that God has created in the institution of marriage alongside the institution of Sabbath keeping, which coincides with marriage,” Mr Matthie said.

“You have the Sabbath to rest, reflect, recalibrate, and reconcile. And for many reasons, marriage is another way to advance, reset, recalibrate, and produce fruit within one’s life.”