A Church in Sydney's south is reaching out to its large Chinese community by offering a carols service featuring music and a message in English and Mandarin.

St George's, Hurstville held their carols service last Sunday night attended by over 200 church members and guests, including many from the large local Chinese community.

The rector of St George's, the Rev Allan Beaven says if the church didn't hold the service in both languages, "not everyone would understand it'.

"There is a vast Chinese populace around our church and it's a growing community. It attracts people when they hear the songs in their own language," he says.

"We have the carols service in English with a Chinese translation. All the carols are sung at the same time in English and Mandarin to the traditional Christmas carol tunes," he says.

Mr Beaven says having a group of people singing in different languages at the same time is not confusing.

"When people are singing together, the melody is the dominant thing. We start the song together and we finish together."

The Chinese choir performed a number of items in Mandarin and a choir made up of the church's English and Chinese congregations sung the traditional carols in English and Mandarin.

St George's Assistant Minister and Chinese congregation pastor, the Rev Albert Leung translated the message delivered by Mr Beaven.

"The main message was that God's mercy and grace is shown through Christmas, because we have all sinned, but God has provided an answer in Jesus," Mr Leung says.

Mr Leung says the multi-lingual service was successful in drawing Chinese people into the church.

"Some people passing by heard their mother tongue and joined us," he says.

"When you share the gospel with people you must use their heart language so you can fully communicate with them and so they can fully understand."

Mr Beaven sees the service as an excellent opportunity to raise the church's profile in the community.

"We have a number of high rise buildings around us. People see us from ten stories up and come over the road," he says.

"It shows the community that we are an English and Chinese church working together and it is an opportunity to share the gospel with people."

Mr Leung agrees about the importance of being a Christian witness in the community.

"When we combine together we show people in Australia how we can be one no matter what our nationality. In Christ we are one body and one family."

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