Church members who identify a need, share a common vision and have the energy and commitment to create a new ministry – this is the story emerging from the church plant by St John’s, Mona Vale at Loquat Valley Anglican primary school.
Conrad Parsons, a Church Army evangelist, led the church planting team as it prepared for the official launch in May.
“It was ordinary young families in the church with an understanding of what it is like being a young family and with a concern to reach other young families,” he says. “They were willing to put in the hard work even though they had no experience at all in church planting.”
As Mr Parsons explains, the new church came out of a concern to have a mission focus, and out of an understanding of the pressures on young families, which include running their households, paying high mortgages, and holding down full-time jobs. He said taking church to the families rather than trying to get them to come to church has been vital in the success of the plant.
The congregation meets in the neutral venue of the Loquat Valley school hall rather than St John’s. Mr Parsons said “people appreciate it that we have stepped into their world, even though it has meant more work for us. The church has been shaped around their needs rather than around our needs.”
Shaping the church around the needs of children also has been critical. “For example, the timing of the service, 4.30 in the afternoon. By 5.30 the pizzas arrive. This means that the kids can go to bed early.” About 30 children are attending each week.
From an opening service attended by 150 people, regular attendance averages 60 people each week.
It has also begun to reenergise members of St John’s. An older generation of women (50 to 70 years old) are serving as surrogate grandparents to the children of the young families.
Many of the high income young families are attracted to the area because of its beach lifestyle, often living away from their extended family. Mr Parsons said the older generation has been very supportive, willing to attend the new church on Sunday afternoon and help look after the crèche and young children.
At present St John’s is considering being involved in two more church plants. The challenge is to move from a situation where the core group of church planters do most of the work to a more even distribution, where everyone is helping. In particular, they are finding ways to involve Christians who have transferred from other churches and recruiting people to run a children’s ministry.
Bishop of North Sydney Glenn Davies said the plant was initially planned for the Warriewood area – now on the cards for 2005 – but the easy contact with the Anglican school proved to be the right move. “Why not go where you have immediate contact?” he said. “It’s an outreach into the school and very accessible for the parents.”
