What happens when busy neighbouring parishes each have ministry needs and discover they can help each other? Naturally, they join forces.

But if members realised they would lose elements of what made their parish unique by entering into such a partnership, some would no doubt think twice — and perhaps change their minds.

Yet the congregations at Christ Church St George — a parish without property in Kogarah that has met for years in a school hall — have made just such a decision. Their night church and youth group have already joined those of St George North and, by early next month, the big morning congregation (with more than 50 kids) will have replanted itself at one of St George North’s churches — Christ Church in Bexley — meeting after the existing early morning service.

The rector of Christ Church St George, James Lewis, says previous ministers had worked hard to establish the church but meeting in a school hall with run-down facilities that was “tucked away and hard to find” had made them begin to think about shifting location.

A chance conversation with St George North rector, Phil Colgan, whose parish had plans to set up a new family meeting in Bexley, got both men thinking about whether a partnership might work to the benefit of both. The smaller youth and night church at the school would benefit from the established, larger meetings at St George North, which would in turn be able to plant a thriving congregation into Bexley almost immediately.

Says Lewis: “There was a great benefit in having a closer partnership but there was also a sense in which Christ Church St George would have to give up something of ourselves to make that happen.

“As we were praying and talking the decisive point was, is there any really strong gospel reason for not going into a full partnership? That’s the point at which we had to humble ourselves — the kingdom required we needed to give up something of ourselves in order to do something bigger together.”

Phil Colgan believes the idea could be a strategic way forward for ministry in the region.

“We think family-style congregations work best locally in terms of outreach,” he says. “There’s potential to reach local schools, local groups, the local area... youth groups and evening church don’t really have a local reason to exist — outreach is mainly networks, friendships, that sort of thing.

“A lot of parishes are trying to run a youth group of 10 kids and a night church of 20-30, but if you do night church and youth group together [with other parishes] you then get the benefits of size.”

The plan is for the two parishes to eventually become one entity with a single parish council but neither man is in a hurry.

Says Lewis: “It’s vital we make the transition through agreement and talking together rather than saying, ‘This is the date we said this would happen’. The whole thing is about the fellowship in the gospel.”