By Stuart P Robinson

Mission is the life-breath of St Matthew’s, West Pymble. Gary O’Brien and his team, whilst committed to loving and serving the ‘already convinced’, are resolute in their desire to see the community at large introduced to God in Christ.

The ‘ministry year’ is peppered with all kinds of teaching and evangelism events and programs. And for the past decade, Gary has coordinated two ‘mission weeks’ each autumn and spring. A guest is invited to speak at one of the two missions and Gary takes care of the other.

Gary argues that his role is “to shape the culture of the church”. Missions of this nature are “a constant reminder that as a church and as individuals we must intentionally reach out to others with the message of salvation”.

And the great news at St Matt’s is that people ‘get it’. They do reach out. Individuals and groups take responsibility for organising events and inviting friends. Excellence is a hallmark of these activities.

Having been the guest evangelist three years ago and being invited back this year afforded me the opportunity to observe the very real growth in the church. The fact of the matter is that people are turning to Jesus through the life and witness of St Matthew’s. And that has a ‘knock-on’ effect. Parishioners are not only confident in the gospel themselves, they are also keen to creatively present their friends with the claims of Christ. Let me illustrate this:

1. The Thai dinner. I was ushered into a private section of a local restaurant. The person beside and opposite me had been asked along by a friend. All seats were taken. I was told that more than one third of those present were guests. The food was brilliant and the atmosphere cosy and relaxed. After the talk people freely asked questions. The whole event was organised by one parishioner who determined that food in a neutral venue was the best way to ‘gospel’ her friends.

2. The Craft and Coffee Morning. Never spoken at an event like this. It is a ‘fixed feast’ at St. Matt’s - with a missional edge. As women (I was the only bloke) sat around tables doing cross stitch (or was is quilting" and is there a difference?) I shared a simple gospel message. I wasn’t sure if anyone was listening until question time. We had dialogue back and forth for another 30 minutes. People who do not attend church do show up for this ‘safe’ and stimulating time.

3. The Wine Tasting evening. A couple opened their home - and to my amazement - filled it with people from their street (and other connections) to hear a local ‘wine guy’ and me speak on our respective subjects. I listened to the ‘wine guy’ and he hung around to hear me talk about Jesus. Like every other event in the week, people asked questions. Who said Aussies aren’t ‘spiritual’?

When people want further information (and they do), the church runs Simply Christianity end to end with Just for Starters. I understand they are on their fifth cycle for the year.

Says Gary, “it really is a privilege to watch the initiatives that people take and then to see the good things that happen.”.

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