A whole Indonesian-speaking ministry of new Christians has been received into the parish of Kogarah this week, and the 100 confirmees are eager to reach even more.

Sunday's confirmation saw the Christ Living Church " an Indonesian ministry of 100 adults and 30 teens and children based on the premises of St Paul's Kogarah " officially become a part of the ministry of St Paul's.

Most of the confirmees have become Christians since Christ Living Church first began meeting in St Paul's' church hall two years ago.

"The majority of them came from a non-Christian background and have now become born-again Christians," explains St Paul's rector, the Rev Mee Ping Lau.

The group, initially only 30 members, had started almost three years ago, meeting in the Peakhurst art centre until the location proved to be too out-of-the-way for newcomers.

When they approached Mr Lau, and he realised the members of Christ Living Church had the same conviction as St Paul's, he was delighted to make St Paul's facilities available to them.

"They have a heart for the Indonesian-speaking people in the St George area," he says.

"Over the past two years, we have done quite a number of joint ministries together, like the trial run of the youth service on Saturday evening, we had a combined service together, and we had some combined youth and children activities."

In that time, the group has tripled in size, largely as a result of outreach programs and individual friendships.

"They are always on the lookout for those who are Indonesian, to share with them their testimony and the gospel of Christ," Mr Lau says.

"I guess one of the very effective ways has been that they themselves have been personally touched by the gospel of Jesus " some of them were actually from quite complicated backgrounds and their life changed after they received Jesus and that impact has actually encouraged them to go further to reach out to others."

Christmas, Easter and even Valentine's programs are key in the Christ Living Church outreach calendar, with a Valentine's event drawing Christian and non-Christian couples. Small groups have also been reaching out to their friends.

However others have walked in off the street, and had an experience that Mr Lau says changed their life in a matter of weeks.

"One of the Greek people came in one Sunday because the music was so attractive. And he came in and sat down and listened and then he came for the following two weeks. And then the fourth week he came to the pastor and said, "I want to accept Jesus'."

This man, who says a long-term illness he had was miraculously healed with he prayed this prayer of acceptance, has in turn been bringing his friends.

"Some have very complicated backgrounds but because they came into contact with the gospel, they were converted, and the impact through them to the others is very very strong," Mr Lau says.

The natural next step

Christ Living Church pastor, Agus Setyahardja, says the inclusion of his church into St Paul’s is a welcome next step for a ministry through which “lots of lives have been changed drastically”.

“From the beginning, CLC has been accepted and treated like a ‘family member’ by St Paul’s congregation,” he says.

“I believe this membership is in the will of God for the sake of the unity of the body of Christ and achieving the main purpose of his church, which is reaching the lost souls and broadening the ministries to the multicultural communities all over Australia.”

Mr Lau indicates the move for the members of Christ Living Church to become a part of St Paul's, Kogarah has been a very natural progression.

"We have a very close kind of communication with the members and the leaders, so as they hold the same kind of conviction as St Paul's, Kogarah, which is to reach out to different races through their mother tongue, we invited them to consider coming into full membership of St Paul's," he says.

Even so, Mr Lau has encouraged the church to retain its name, becoming St Paul's Christ Living Church.

"They will remain as Indonesian-speaking, because that is their target and they have the conviction to continue to serve effectviely in that manner."

However SPCLC will join with St Paul's four other congregations to run youth and children's activities, and combined church services.

"Twice a year, we combine all our congregations, including Christ Living Church, and we have lunch together, each produces their own speciality food " we eat together and we enjoy their fellowship very much."

Now, the 300-member church faces a new challenge " fitting all the newcomers in!

"On Sunday nowadays, we are very lively in the church grounds and actually, we are facing the problem of all the facilities being used. Even the rectory has to be opened up for ministry on Sunday and the carpark is overflowing. But this brings even more attraction to friends to come and join the church family," Mr Lau says.