From day one, the Head of Shellharbour Anglican College has seen these school buildings as the home of a future church.
Mr Tony Cummings is welcoming a new plant slated to commence in the school from 2007, an idea his team has been shepherding for two years.
"It's something we as a council have been contemplating since the school opened in 2004," he says.
Mr Cummings says next year is the right time for the church plant with a well established school community ready to be reached.
"The people in the school community " like in a lot of Anglican schools " are predominantly from non-church backgrounds," Mr Cummings says.
"But we have found that most people generally are willing to hear the gospel."
Shellharbour City Anglican Church is committing their resources to the school-based plant.
Assistant minister, the Rev Mal York is helming the plant and has already established links with school families.
"I think there is already a strong community there that we can work with and we have our own children in the school which helps with developing relationships," he says.
"I have some ideas for reaching the community that I haven't yet run past Tony Cummings, so I'll wait til I speak to him first" but I have some brilliant ideas in my head," he laughs.
Mr Cummings is encouraged by Mr York's passion for working with the college.
"Mal is already building a relationship with students in the school and is running the Crusaders lunchtime group there," Mr Cummings says.
Mr York is well equipped to plant the new church at Shellharbour Anglican College, having been part of ministry teams responsible for two previous school-based church plants.
"I was one of the student ministers working with the Trinity Grammar School church plant in my third and fourth years at [Moore] College and prior to that I was involved with the church plant at South Turramurra public school," he says.
The rector of Shellharbour City Anglican Church, the Rev Michael Williamson says as the chaplain church to the Shellharbour Anglican College, parishioners need to carefully consider how to spiritually support and maintain the spiritual development of both the children and their families.
"Augmenting the life of the college by holding a church service in its buildings certainly works towards this goal," Mr Williamson says.
"Thus we are seeking to reach out to the College community with the good news of Jesus Christ so that more people would know him, honour him and receive eternal life."
The CEO of the Sydney Anglican Schools Corporation (SASC) Laurie Scandrett says school church plants have proved successful in recent times.
"Wollondilly, Penrith, Arndell and Rouse Hill Anglican Colleges all have church plants which are working well," Mr Scandrett says.
"The SASC is very keen to continue establishing church plants in its facilities in conjunction with local parishes."
Mr Cummings says school church plants may be the only way some people ever hear the gospel.
"Because we have developed a tight knit community our families are more likely to walk into a church on our site rather than into a church where they don't know anybody. They are comfortable with who we are and the surroundings," he says.
