The apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians "To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews." Malcolm Reid is contemporising Paul's example by becoming the first ever chaplain to the Sydney International Regatta Centre at Penrith Lakes.
"I hope to take up rowing later this year," says the 40-year-old rector of St Paul's, Cambridge Park, the Rev Malcolm Reid.
Mr Reid plans to assist his new ministry to the Regatta Centre by following in the footsteps of his 14-year-old daughter who recently took up rowing.
"It all began when Graham Crew (national chair of Sports and Leisure Ministries and rector of Springwood and Winmalee Anglican Church) approached me in the middle of 2004 about the possibility of doing ministry to the Regatta Centre," Mr Reid says.
Mr Reid had just attended the Recreating Australia evangelistic conference in Melbourne and learnt that sport was a great platform for meeting people outside of usual church contexts.
"I wanted to see our church raise the profile of evangelism in our local area. But it kept coming back to me that I could not just stick to motivating parishioners; I had to be involved in it myself. I really wanted to be stretched outside my comfort zone in my own evangelism," he says.
After seven months of discussions between Mr Reid, Mr Crew and Regatta Centre management, Mr Reid's position as chaplain was secured.
"While most sports have chaplains to a particular team or group of athletes, I'm trying to work out how to do ministry to a venue rather than a team," Mr Reid says. "There are numerous clubs at the Regatta Centre and over 100 events run every year."
The outreach potential of the Regatta Centre is limitless catering for everyone from high school rowing teams to national champions.
"We are focused on getting to know the rowers because there's a particular crowd that compete at these events. The hard part is getting to know people who we might not see again for six months."
Mr Reid attended his first regatta in February to familiarise himself with the surrounds and attended last month's Australian Rowing Championships, where he had the opportunity to meet with Masters rower and member of Springwood Anglican, Lance Reeves.
"Once we establish the ministry, I want to get a chaplaincy team to help me out there. I have a support group at Cambridge Park but I also want to find other Christians in rowing and ask them the best way forward for a ministry like this," Mr Reid says.
Mr Reid has one last request.
"If you are a Christian in rowing I would like to meet you."
