First year university student Kieran Drabsch, a self confessed "non-handyman' says he jumped at the chance to serve the Mt Druitt Indigenous Church by donning a pair of gloves and picking up a shovel.
"The opportunity to go outside my own comfort zone and reach out to a church that doesn't have as much was a chance to go out and do the right thing," says the 18-year-old Castle Hill parishioner.
The Mt Druitt Indigenous Church and the young adults of St Paul's, Castle Hill formed a partnership last month that saw fellow Christians share resources in a most practical way.
Almost 60 members from St Paul's young adults group, AXIS spent a day at the Mt Druitt Indigenous Church site in Tregear,  making essential repairs and improvements to the building and its surrounds.
St Paul's young adults' director, Mark Stephens, says the needs of Mt Druitt Indigenous Church came to their attention when the Rector, the Rev Neville Naden, spoke at Embassy, a bi-monthly forum at St Paul's that looks at Christian views on social issues.
"Neville shared how he approaches Aboriginal reconciliation as a Christian," Mr Stephens says.
"People asked how we could support his ministry at Mount Druitt. He said they had a site that's difficult to maintain and that with our large people resources we could help them with maintenance and repairs."
Completed work included the pouring of a concrete path, the construction of a wooden ramp, the installation of a hot water unit and kitchen rewiring.
At the end of the working day, Mr Stephens and Mr Naden lead a combined worship service for members from both congregations.
"Coming together as one community in worship and hearing the word taught was the perfect finish to the day," Mr Stephens says.
Mr Naden says he was encouraged by the actions of the St Paul's members.
"It tells us that there are people out there in the church willing to be the church God intended them to be. They are practicing their Christian faith by putting into action what they believe," he says.
However, Mr Naden says it is not just indigenous churches that need this kind of assistance.
"We are not the only struggling church around. A lot of non-indigenous churches are struggling too. If some of the bigger, more self-supporting churches can get behind these churches and give them a hand they would be practicing what the church is all about," he says.
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