A partnership between two Northern Region churches will enable the continued growth of local Chinese ministry. After months of conversation, Hornsby Anglican Chinese Church held its first services over the Easter weekend in a new location at Pearces Corner, one of the sites of Wahroonga Anglican Church.
Hornsby Anglican Chinese Church (HACC) has proclaimed Christ to the Mandarin-speaking community since 2003, aiming to help Mandarin speakers understand the gospel in their heart language. But as the ministry grew, challenges arose.
"In God's kindness, our church has grown over the years into a multi-generational church," says Alan Cai, HACC's assistant minister. "At the same time, we increasingly realised that, as a migrant church, we were finding it difficult both to disciple the next generation and reach the wider community around us."
Unbeknownst to Hornsby church members, the saints at Wahroonga had been praying about how to reach local cultural and language groups. It didn't take long for a conversation between the two churches to become an exciting partnership.
In the Hornsby Shire, Chinese speakers comprise 16.8 per cent of the population. In the suburb of Hornsby itself that jumps to 23.8 per cent.
"Sometimes when I pick up my son after school and pass through Hornsby train station, I am reminded that the harvest field is right in front of us," Mr Cai says. "A significant number of students and families come from migrant backgrounds and they need to know Christ."
While it is important for people to access Bible teaching in their heart language, Mr Cai says there is also a need for thoughtful ministry across generations.
"Our hope is to disciple both Chinese-speaking adults and the next generation into [becoming] wholehearted followers of Jesus," he says. "We also hope to see our next generation more fully integrated into the life of Wahroonga Anglican and able to call it home."
PRAY
- Praise God for the partnership between Hornsby Anglican Chinese Church and Wahroonga Anglican
- their combined efforts would help advance the gospel and grow disciples of Jesus across all generations
- for the Chinese-speaking community and their families in the Upper North Shore to come to know Christ
