In hyper-local news, 66 people—42 adults and 14 young people—some of the best and brightest members of St James Anglican, Croydon—are being farewelled at today’s gatherings.
But it’s good news. It is sad that people we’ve shared the joys and struggles of life with won’t be around. They are heading a postcode away to plant a new congregation at St Luke’s on the other side of Parramatta Road.
For the last few months, that group has been growing. First, there were 12, then 40, and by the end of today, maybe that figure of 66 will be out of date.
On the other hand, the 66 form only about 15 percent of the body of Christ at St James. They could be thought of as an exuberant tithe of people.
Senior Minister Alan Lukabyo, who now oversees both churches, preached on Acts 11. The Jerusalem church sent Barnabas to Antioch, where something new was happening as gentiles (Jews) were joining the church. Ten Barnabas and Paul were sent back to Jerusalem bearing famine relief from Antioch.
In a way, we are both Jerusalem a sending church and Antioch a church returning a gift.
• St Lukes, in what is now Burwood North, was the first church in the district, a Jerusalem.
• St Lukes planted a small church, St Peters Burwood East, to serve a village of brick pit workers. • • Decades later St Peters in turn revitalised St James, sending their whole congregation to us.
• Now, as St James, we are sending people back from Antioch to our spiritual grandmother, Jerusalem.
This week, the traditional service at St James moved to 8.15 a.m. Next week, the new congregation meets at 10. But one member of the new team will be at the early service—Rachel, a two-decade St Sames regular, will be their new organist because both services will be blessed.
This is a very local story. The bigger picture is that all over Australia, teams are setting out to plant churches—likely a hundred at any one time. While the success of a church plant is in God’s hands, spreading the gospel is always good news.