It is not surprising that Aboriginal Christians sought to alleviate the feelings of guilt and inadequacy they felt. The social conditions at the mission and particularities about Moravian Christianity meant that many did so by spreading Christianity to others and beginning the cycle again.

The social conditions that saw those spreading the Word in a superior position to those to whom it was being spread was an inducement to join the ranks of the former. Many missionaries, including the pioneer missionaries at Mapoon, often saw their work as never finished because they believed the faith of the newly converted was still fragile and needed protection from someone with stronger faith, the missionary. It takes little imagination to envision at least some of the ways in which ideas of racial and cultural superiority complemented this view. The perspective from the other side of the missionary experience at Mapoon — that of the newly converted — was very different. The people who accepted more or less of the Christian story were aware that those who brought them the Gospel did not feel most of them had developed or were responsible enough to be left alone with it, furthering the already strong feelings of guilt and inadequacy discussed above. From the European Christian perspective at Mapoon, missionaries were always the powerful, knowledgeable, generous ones giving of themselves and spreading the Word while Aboriginal people were, initially at least, not seen by the missionaries as having anything of spiritual value to share. With time, Aboriginal people sought and found ways to become givers and share the Word themselves. The hierarchy of savers and saved the missionaries brought also meant that by becoming givers in this relationship, they were simultaneously moving up the moral ladder. Spreading their faith both alleviated the guilt and increased the social status of Aboriginal Christians at Mapoon.

This degree to which sharing the Gospel was a liberating and empowering activity was especially true at Moravian missions. One of the Moravian Church’s distinguishing features is its emphasis on missionary work.^[30] Missionary work was a task always before devout Moravians whether or not they were venturing into the mission fields themselves. Even marriage was viewed as an opportunity to help a member of the opposite sex improve their relationship with God. One consequence of the importance placed on missionary work was the high social and spiritual status accorded to missionaries among Moravians.^[31]

Aboriginal Christians at Mapoon realised the liberating effects that spreading, rather than just receiving, Christianity could have. It was not long after a Christian community had formed among Aboriginal people at Mapoon that Aboriginal Christians began to work to assist in other Christian pursuits. Older Aboriginal people built a church and helped support a Christian teacher for Aboriginal people. Younger Christians made crafts in an effort to contribute to other missions and the Red Cross.^[32]

Some Aboriginal people at Mapoon went to help convert other Aboriginal people elsewhere in Australia. In a 1918 report, Nicholas Hey wrote,

Through these activities, Aboriginal people helped shape other people’s religious views as the European missionaries had helped shape their own. Working for Christian causes allowed Aboriginal people to become active participants in part of a worldwide network labouring for God. This investment of time and money would have helped cement people’s faith. Further, those who contributed time or money to the greater Christian cause would be repaid in additional pride, a resource that was often scarce at settler institutions for Aboriginal people. Such activities also would have probably been the most effective way for Aboriginal people to palliate their new burdens of guilt.