Seventeen years ago Ralph and Joy Chesson had little idea that one simple act of charity on their part would result in the formation of a new church.
It was a story they were happy to share with us as St John's Parramatta's Chinese church celebrated its 10-year anniversary.
On a Sunday early in 1990, Joy was standing in line at a choir practice in St John's Cathedral when she felt someone poke her in the back.
She turned around to find David, a Chinese man in his late 20s, asking to read the Bible with someone.
David had fled China after the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989, having been involved in a similar pro-democracy movement in Shanghai.
He arrived in Australia in January 1990, fearing he would be found and deported back to China.
From living room to church hall
Ralph and Joy invited David to their home a few weeks after their first meeting and David began asking some of his friends along on Friday nights.
At these regular meetings Joy cooked them dinner and helped them with their English, and Ralph led them through Christianity Explained.
David later lived with the Chessons, and committed his life to Christ in the early 90s.
"We felt full of compassion for them, knowing what they'd been through, so we kept close to them and showed them what love we could," says Joy.
By 1996, the group had grown to 20 people, which led St John's rector at the time, Canon Peter Kemp to take the strategic step of starting a Chinese service.
Today, there are two Chinese congregations meeting in the church hall at St John's: a Mandarin congregation of 115 people and a Cantonese congregation of 35, not counting children.
The congregations, led by Chinese minister, Ken Tang and Assistant Chinese minister, David Yung, are looking forward to the future mission at St John's.
"My main mission is to think about the next generation of English-speaking Chinese children who will soon become youths," says David.
God had other plans
Ralph and Joy had felt called to mission in China many years ago, before they were married.
"We prepared ourselves, but then there was trouble in China and missionaries were being recalled, so we never got there," Joy recalls.
"I felt guilty about that " that we hadn't fulfilled our call, but looking back on it, I can see that the Lord had a purpose " there were other things he wanted us to do."
They said the thanksgiving service was a humbling reminder of how God had used their efforts in Sydney, rather than overseas.
"I absolutely marvel to this moment about how God worked - it really is something to praise God for," says Joy. "I will forever thank the Lord for what he has done."
