Moore Matters Summer 2024 by Moore Theological College

MOORE MATTERS

From racetrack to new life in Jesus PAGE 4

Reaching Chinese people: An enormous and urgent task PAGE 6

Reaching seniors with the love of Jesus PAGE 10

Mission in Sydney

REACHING THE SIX MILLION WITH THE GOSPEL

Mark D. Thompson / Principal

AROUND SIX MILLION PEOPLE LIVE WITHIN GREATER SYDNEY, THE ILLAWARRA AND THE SHOALHAVEN—THE BOUNDARIES OF THE DIOCESE OF SYDNEY. RELATIVELY FEW OF THEM KNOW JESUS. THE MISSION FIELD IN SYDNEY IS VAST.

It is also varied: strong immigration over the past few decades has brought people from all over the world to make their home in Sydney. As has often been said, cross-cultural ministry is necessary in Sydney, as well as around the world.

The mission of Moore College extends beyond the Diocese of Sydney. As Christ’s mission is worldwide, we are committed to preparing people to serve in word ministries all over the world. We cannot afford to be just parochial in our thinking.

Yet at the same time, Sydney remains our priority—not least because we are the Anglican theological college of the Diocese. In 1856, we were set up to provide churches all over the young and growing city with gospel workers. Our Governing Board is largely elected by our diocesan synod, and the Archbishop is its President. We have always enjoyed the closest of relationships with the Diocese and its leadership.

However, one of the questions exercising many of our minds at the moment is “How can we be more effective in reaching those six million people?” Salvation comes only from Christ (John 14:6; Acts 4:12), and the gospel is the powerful means God uses to bring people to him (Rom 1:16-17). So our central strategy must always be the prayerful proclamation of the gospel—publicly, privately and wherever we find opportunity. But sometimes we need to create the opportunity: in humility, but also courageously, we need to keep pointing people to Jesus as their only hope.

Jesus’ words have never been truer: “the fields are white for harvest” (John 4:35). While it is undoubtedly true that some people are disillusioned with “organised religion”, many people experience a great restlessness and an unease with life and with the directions in which our world appears to be heading. Many hold a deep dissatisfaction with the easy answers for self-fulfilment that are peddled on the web in all sorts of media, in our education system and even by our governments. They just don’t work. My friends doing walk-up evangelism on university campuses tell me it’s

MANY PEOPLE EXPERIENCE A GREAT RESTLESSNESS AND AN UNEASE WITH LIFE AND WITH THE DIRECTIONS IN WHICH OUR WORLD APPEARS TO BE HEADING.

really easy to strike up conversations about Jesus and the meaning of life. Others speak of growing numbers of newcomers investigating church, particularly in the new housing areas of the Diocese.

There are challenges, and the levels of interest and growth are certainly not uniform. Some areas and contexts are growing, while others are struggling, especially since the pandemic. Christian ministry and evangelism is certainly not for the fainthearted. But God is clearly at work and, as this issue of Moore Matters shows, there are many varied opportunities at the moment.

I am regularly encouraged by the reminder that the gospel mission we are all involved in is, first and foremost, God’s mission. It is Jesus who is building his church (Matt 16:18). We live as his disciples and speak as his disciples, but it is God who changes hearts. As he has done many times before, God can change a city too! No challenge is too big for him— not even six million people from a variety of backgrounds with a variety of experiences, some of which have created ill-will towards the gospel. Remember the Apostle Paul: “They only were hearing it said, ‘He who used to persecute us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy’” (Gal 1:23).

I hope you enjoy this edition of Moore Matters and that it encourages you with what God is doing in this great city (indeed, cities).

M M

Mark D. Thompson Principal

▴ Students serving with church members and preaching God's word at Toongabbie and Wentworthville Anglican Churches on the 2024 Moore Mission

About Moore College

Moore College exists to train men and women to take the good news of Jesus Christ to the world. Since 1856, more than 5,000 students have graduated from the College and have been sent out by God. Moore College has equipped men and women to serve in over 50 countries across the World.

Moore Matters is the newsletter publication of Moore Theological College. Principal of Moore College » The Rev Dr Mark Thompson Editors » Jamie Telfer, Karen Beilharz and Heidi Combs Art and Design » Lankshear Design

FROM RACETRACK TO NEW LIFE IN JESUS

Stuart Starr / Lead Pastor, NewLife Anglican Church

WELCOME TO ORAN PARK, A GREENFIELD DEVELOPMENT IN SYDNEY’S MACARTHUR REGION IN THE SOUTH WEST!

Once home to motorsports like the Australian Grand Prix, the racetrack that made Oran Park famous and that operated from 1962 to 2010 has now been transformed into suburbia. But despite the raceway’s demise, the developers have sought to preserve that heritage in the area’s street names: a street called “The Straight” runs atop the former raceway, and two parallel roads proudly bear the names “Peter Brock Drive” and “Dick Johnson Drive”.

NewLife at Oran Park

My church—NewLife Anglican Church—was planted in January 2012 with the support and oversight of Peter Hayward, Bishop of the Wollongong Region. Matt and Mandy Payne joined me and my wife Carolyn to gather around the Bible in a rented house on Central Avenue. Our vision as a church is to see new life in Jesus come to every home in Oran Park and the growing southwest—for the salvation and maturity of the residents, for the good of the community and for the glory of God.

Over the following year, a small core group grew around us. We launched regular Sunday services on January 20 2013 with 75 kids and adults, a good number of whom were friends and family supporting us just for the day. In March 2014, we moved into the hall of the newly opened Oran Park Primary School, and then eventually in May 2015, we took up residence in a wonderful modern church building on top of a hill on the recently constructed Marcus Loane Way. (I do chuckle when people ask whether its namesake was a Ford or Holden driver.)

Not only does our church’s elevation lend our colourful, 20m-high glass tower landmark status

Stuart Starr, 2005 graduate

in our suburb, it also identifies it as a precinct that includes Oran Park Anglican College (a Kindergarten to Year 12 school), the Oran Park Anglicare Retirement Village and the Barry Marsh House Residential Aged Care facility. Partnering with these other organisations in the diocese has been a huge blessing to us, and we are constantly working to find new expressions of fellowship that take advantage of our physical proximity and shared goals.

Master planned

“ OUR VISION AS A CHURCH IS TO SEE NEW LIFE IN JESUS COME TO EVERY HOME IN ORAN PARK AND THE GROWING SOUTHWEST— FOR THE SALVATION AND MATURITY OF THE RESIDENTS, FOR THE GOOD OF THE COMMUNITY AND FOR THE GLORY OF GOD. ”

When compared to other greenfield developments, one of the unusual aspects of Oran Park is the singular vision and planning that came from the ownership of the Perich family. Our town is master planned, which means that it has intentionally preserved treelined creeks, bike tracks, growing shopping facilities, restaurants, cafes, and a brand new leisure centre that includes a gym, a 50 metre pool and four indoor sports courts.

All this planning shows itself in the walkability of the suburb, its wider streets, its landscaping requirements, and its central high rises, which have been designed to expand opportunities to live and work locally—a sorely needed antidote to the M5 city commute. In addition, Oran Park is ideally situated, located only 15 minutes south of the new airport. There are also long-term plans to connect it directly via heavy rail by placing a station at the heart of the high-density residential quarter.

Oran Park is truly is a dynamic and constantly evolving place to live. Its first house was sold in 1839, when John Douglas Campbell transferred his property to Henry Keck for the princely sum of £1,600. The modern suburb of Oran Park was not only placed on top of racing asphalt, it was also cut from the green pastures of a dairy farming family that still

runs cows to this day. The first home from this new development was sold in March 2010 for approximately $250,000. Today and 5,500 homes later, the median price of a four-bedroom home has swollen to $1,100,000, the population is comprised of well over 18,000 residents, and our diverse community includes almost 10 per cent of those of Indian heritage. Furthermore, the surrounding Macarthur region is growing at a rate of 8.8 per cent annually, which will add approximately 30,000 new residents over the next five years.

Looking to the future

Since 2015, our church has continued to grow. We launched an evening service in April 2017 and a second morning service in May 2018. Like churches everywhere else, our momentum was then severely impacted by COVID. But thanks to some wonderful work by our streaming technicians, NewLife bounced back.

We now run services at 9:30am and 6pm. Recently, we had the delight of announcing that we will be multiplying our morning services once more as we move to 8:30am and 10:30am services in February 2025.

In the 12 years since we planted NewLife, our ministry has been supported by a group we call “Partners”. This team of over 150 people is made up of men and women from teens to retirees, who are committed to our vision and mission, who are taught about our expectations, and who are invited to become contributors. They are a generous and hardworking group, and we endeavour to add to their number every term. Supporting and serving them is a small staff team comprised of Michael, Lauren, Mark and Steve, whose hard work, love and dedication I give great thanks to God for.

In April 2025, NewLife will partner with a Moore College Mission team. During my time studying at Moore, I found that each year, Mission brought the intensity of friendship

and fellowship, learning and laughing, serious discussions and significant reflection together in surprising ways. I very much appreciated the opportunity to go somewhere new, observe how a church works, listen to the pastor and the people, and taste and see how God’s kingdom is lived out in one particular corner of the diocese.

We’re hoping, planning and praying that the Moore College students who come to Oran Park will have experiences just like this. As we head towards Easter, we look forward to the team helping us reach into the schools and suburbs around us in a way that is only possible with an influx of extra hands. Under God, our vision as a church is still to see new life in Jesus come to every home. May our merciful Lord make it happen! M M

• Thank God for NewLife and the work he has done in Oran Park and the southwest region of Sydney.

• Ask God to have mercy on the lost: ask him to prepare hearts and minds to respond to hearing the good news with faith and repentance.

• Pray for Moore Mission: ask God to assist NewLife Anglican Church as they prepare, and ask him to stir up the student team to consider long-term gospel work in harvest fields that lie just a little further away from home.

REACHING CHINESE PEOPLE: AN ENORMOUS AND URGENT TASK

Peter Lin / Bishop of South Western Region

FOR A VERY LONG TIME NOW, CHINESE PEOPLE HAVE COMPRISED THE LARGEST NON-ENGLISH-SPEAKING DEMOGRAPHIC IN THE DIOCESE.

Afew decades ago, a couple of Chinesespeaking ministries were started in order to reach people who spoke little or no English. Since the turn of the century, the number of Chinese ministries has grown steadily to around 35 today.

In God’s mercy, many people from Chinese backgrounds have turned to Christ. There are also many more Chinese-speaking clergy and gospel workers in the Diocese than ever before, and the Chinese Clergy Fellowship was established to encourage its members to pursue mission.

However, there are still hundreds of thousands of Chinese people in Sydney who have not yet heard the gospel. Add to that continuing migration of people to Australia, and the gospel task remains enormous and urgent.

We thank God for what he has done and we continue to pray for more workers for the harvest. M M

Read on to explore the depth and variety of Chinese ministry in Sydney today – from inner city congregations to student ministry to parish work in the suburbs.

▾ Below Baptism of Joshua at St Andrew’s Cathedral, Sydney

Peter Lin, 1998 graduate

Chinese ministry

WELCOMING THE WORLD AT THE CATHEDRAL

Serena Cheung / Assistant Minister, St Andrew’s Cathedral, Sydney

BY GOD’S GRACE, I SERVE AS AN ASSISTANT MINISTER AT ST ANDREW’S CATHEDRAL IN THE HEART OF SYDNEY.

Iprimarily minister to members who speak Chinese, and my main responsibilities include translating English sermons into Chinese, and providing discipleship and training through Bible study, and Christianity Explored and Just for Starters courses. In addition, I coordinate the Thursday Bible and English classes with a multicultural team that serves students from Egypt, Korea, China, France, Japan, Iraq, Taiwan, Pakistan, Spain, Mongolia, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and several other countries.

My church serves Mandarin speakers from diverse locations such as China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam. Although they share a common language, their cultural differences highlight our blind spots, motivating us to investigate together what matters to God.

We are committed to serving the Chinese community within a vibrant multicultural environment by providing strong Bible teaching and including those with limited English.

A young Chinese tourist once wandered into our church and received a heartfelt welcome from our community. He became part of our Chinese Bible study and English classes, which allowed him to express himself in his native language. At the same time, he was able to connect with individuals from various backgrounds. After committing his life to Christ and getting baptised, he now serves joyfully in our music team and participates in an English Bible study group.

We also welcomed a Chinese lady who was, initially, hesitant about joining our church, because of her limited English. However, after she was greeted in her own language and she received a copy of the translated sermon,

graduate

“ AFTER SHE WAS GREETED IN HER OWN LANGUAGE AND SHE RECEIVED A COPY OF THE TRANSLATED SERMON, SHE FELT A PROFOUND SENSE OF BELONGING. ”

she felt a profound sense of belonging. She appreciated both the engaging preaching and supportive materials we provided her, and these empowered her to join both our English class and the Chinese Bible study group. Today, she is excitedly learning to lead a group and inspiring others along the way.

I am thankful for my training at Moore College. It has provided me with a solid foundation in biblical knowledge, and has fostered my ability to think theologically about various issues. Most importantly, it has showed me the importance of character, and it has nurtured my heart to love God and others, inspiring me to serve him for his glory. M M

• Ask God to empower and to provide more opportunities for Serena and her team to welcome people from all over the world into Christ’s kingdom.

• Ask God to help the Chinese ministry at the Cathedral to grow and mature.

• Ask God to give Serena wisdom as she thinks through the ongoing training programs for next year.

▾ Image Baptism of Kate and Grace, St Andrew’s Cathedral, Sydney

Serena Cheung, 2018

Chinese ministry

A MISSION FIELD ON CAMPUS

Kevin Chien / Campus Bible Study staff worker, University of New South Wales

OVER THE LAST FEW DECADES, WE HAVE SEEN PEOPLE COMING TO OUR UNIVERSITY CAMPUSES FROM MANY DIFFERENT NATIONS—EVEN PLACES WHERE THE GOSPEL IS NOT VERY ACCESSIBLE, SUCH AS CHINA.

I▾ Top image

Learn the Gospel training group

▾ Bottom image

Reading the Bible together

serve with Campus Bible Study at the University of New South Wales and I have found that the whole campus is like a mission field! My ministry role is mainly teaching the Bible to international students, particularly those who speak Mandarin. I have been given endless opportunities to share the gospel with Chinese international students, as they are always around on campus and available for a chat.

Helping Chinese international students understand the gospel is one thing but helping them to follow Jesus is another. Often, they have deep-rooted barriers that prevent them from turning to Jesus. Many were brought up

as atheists, and many are not prepared for the costs associated with following Jesus as their Lord in China.

In addition, as Chinese students trust in the gospel, often all the effort we put in to help them grow as Christians makes them think Christianity is all about them. Our challenge is to keep training our students in ministry skills so that they will see the need others have for the gospel and serve as part of the body of Christ.

Furthermore, one of the unique characteristics of the Chinese ministry on campus is that we are constantly thinking about sending—not just because our students eventually leave us as their university studies come to an end, but also because the gospel is for the world. Regardless of whether our students return to their home country or stay in Australia, our deep desire and prayer is that they will continue to share Christ and serve him. This means preparing our students well for the suffering they may encounter in the future.

As a Moore graduate, I am thankful to God for the time I spent at Moore College. The College taught me so much about handling the word rightly and teaching it well in different contexts. It prepared me well to engage with the many different worldviews that I encounter on the university campus. I also appreciate the time I spent with Faculty and other students, and how they encouraged me to love the word and love people, all in prayerful dependence on God. M M

• Pray for the many international students reading the Bible with us regularly— that they will repent and trust in the Lord Jesus.

• Ask God to raise up more workers for the harvest to serve the students.

• Pray for brothers and sisters who have returned to difficult places and ask God to help them persevere in Christ until the day of his return.

Kevin Chien, 2013 graduate

CROSS-CULTURAL MINISTRY

Danny Au Yeung / Rector, Lidcombe Anglican Church

MY NAME IS DANNY AU YEUNG AND I AM CURRENTLY SERVING AS THE RECTOR OF LIDCOMBE ANGLICAN CHURCH. OUR CHURCH HAS FOUR LANGUAGE-SPECIFIC SERVICES: ENGLISH, MANDARIN, CANTONESE AND KOREAN.

We seek to reach the many culture groups in the surrounding suburbs to help them to know the wonderful gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ in their heart languages, as well as in other ways they can understand.

In our part of Sydney, Chinese migrants come from very diverse backgrounds. Their occupations range from working on construction sites as builders, to running their own businesses, to working in offices as whitecollar workers. There is a real mix of people in Lidcombe since it is now an important transport hub in Sydney, and it attracts many Chinese migrants who settle here. Increasingly, we see young families moving in and fewer families with teenagers moving out. In other words, people seem to want to stay here longer-term.

This encourages us to continue to develop our children and youth ministries, as well as our family ministry. In order to connect with people from all walks of life who haven’t heard about Jesus before, we organise activities such as Playcircle, Kids Club and ESL classes. These help us connect with people so that we can provide them with further opportunities to then connect with Jesus.

As we build on these relationships, we invite people to join our Investigating Christianity courses, which are offered in four languages, so that they can read God’s word and ask questions. Our growth groups and church services then become places where new believers can grow in their faith, and places where mature Christians can serve others and build each other up.

As rector, I have the immense privilege of leading the team of pastors and lay leaders doing this work together. My time studying at Moore College for a Bachelor of Divinity and Masters

of Arts (Theology) has helped me to have confidence in God’s word, even when I need to interact with many different cultures. Although people groups can be very diverse, they are equally lost without God, and they all need the same gospel to be saved. Studying at Moore College has helped me discern what’s core and what’s not essential in cross-cultural ministry. In particular, the MA subject on cross-cultural ministry has given me the tools to understand cultures and teach people in a contextualised manner that does not compromise the gospel, but instead seeks to connect. M M

• Pray for Danny as he leads the multicultural team at Lidcombe Anglican Church to make disciples of all nations. In particular, ask God to give him and his team patience and perseverance as they engage in cross-cultural work.

• Ask God to give Danny and his team the love, strength and wisdom needed to do his work.

• Ask God to save more people and raise up a new generation of gospel workers for his harvest in Lidcombe and its surrounding suburbs.

◂ Top image

The Korean launch service this year when we started our Korean church.

◂ Bottom image

The first week of our ESL classes, 2024.

Danny Au Yeung, 2012 graduate

Anglicare

REACHING SENIORS WITH THE LOVE OF JESUS

Barry Macalister / Senior Living Chaplaincy Manager, Anglicare

AUSTRALIA’S SENIORS POPULATION IS GROWING. THE GENERATION ABOUT TO HIT RETIREMENT AND ENTER RETIREMENT VILLAGES ARE THE BABY BOOMERS, WHO HAVE HIGHER EXPECTATIONS, WHO ARE MORE TECH SAVVY, AND WHO APPROACH EVERY STAGE OF LIFE WITH A “CHANGE EVERYTHING” ATTITUDE.

As a result, the aged care industry is changing. These changes mean that people are moving into senior living communities later in life, and therefore they are more likely to need assistance for things such as cooking, cleaning, gardening, home maintenance, and clinical and medical care.

In addition, among our ageing population, there is a heightened awareness of our interest in the transcendent. This creates both an opportunity and a need to provide good spiritual care from a Christian perspective.

Anglicare, with a history of providing pastoral care to residents in villages and homes for over 162 years, has established some new initiatives to address the growing seniors population and the changes taking place within the industry: the Lighthouse and the Beacon models.

The Castle Hill community of care where I serve is part of the brand-new Lighthouse model which seeks to provide greater in-home care for independent retirement living residents.

This community is one of 21 Anglicare communities of care in the Sydney region. It features five residential care homes and five retirement villages, and is both the oldest and the longest-established site in the Anglicare portfolio.

Another thing that makes the Castle Hill site unique is that it has a large chapel precinct known as St James, which holds weekly Sunday chapel services that are attended by around 150 residents. The chapel services are led and organised by the Rev Geoff Deutscher, Senior Minister at St Paul’s Castle Hill. Geoff works

“ MANY OF THE CHAPLAINCY TEAMS AT ANGLICARE ARE STAFFED BY MOORE COLLEGE ALUMNI, INCLUDING ANDREW FORD, OUR CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER FOR COMMUNITY AND MISSION. ”

alongside a team of Anglicare chaplains and pastoral carers, who regularly visit over 1000 residents within the village.

In addition, our neighbouring Glenhaven Green site has a partnership arrangement with Emmanuel Anglican Church, and Assistant Minister Nikki Cargill works as a chaplain in this village three days per week.

We very much value our connection to Moore Theological College. Many of the chaplaincy teams at Anglicare are staffed by Moore College alumni, including Andrew Ford, our Chief Executive Officer for Community and Mission, who is also a former Moore College lecturer; Stephen Gibson, Manager of Health and Justice Chaplains; Roger Green, our Partnerships Manager; Garry Eastment, Manager of Justice and Community Chaplaincy; and myself. For College students and graduates, there are many opportunities to be involved in Anglicare—in chaplaincy, in student ministry positions and, of course, in Moore Mission.

We look forward to partnering with the Moore College team at our Castle Hill and Glenhaven sites in April 2025. It is our hope that participating students will gain both insight and experience in a wide range of chaplaincy settings. They will have the opportunity not only to spend time in our residential care villages, but also visit residents living in their own homes within the village. They will also have the opportunity to learn about chaplaincy in health and other specialised areas, as well as help run an evangelistic course called Taste and See, which was developed by Anglicare chaplain Wendy Potts.

There are many mature Christians living in our villages at both Castle Hill and Glenhaven Green, and many of them are actively involved in ministries within their own communities. They, along with all of us, are extremely excited about the prospect of partnering with students to reach out to their respective village communities with the love of Jesus. M M

Barry Macalister, 1998 graduate

WALKING WITH THE OLDER GENERATION

Heidi Combs / Communications Manager

CATE HONG, WHO IS A CHAPLAIN AT MOORE COLLEGE AS WELL AS A COMMUNITY CHAPLAIN FOR ANGLICARE, LOVES SPENDING TIME WITH PEOPLE.

In Cate’s work with Anglicare, where she serves older people in the community, she has the perfect job: she gets to chat with people one-onone, open God’s word with them and pray with them.

“It is a real privilege to go into people’s homes. It’s such a great opportunity to love people and to share Jesus with someone who may or may not be Christian, and yet they have asked you to be there,” she says.

For many older people, community chaplains or pastoral workers may be the only visitors they see all week. These people may be widows, or they may have lost their children, and for many, they are waiting patiently to be with their Lord.

“One 90-year-old woman I visit, who lives alone, will regularly cry out in prayer to Jesus, who is her constant source of comfort and help,” says Cate. “My work is so valuable: for the Christians I visit, often they have lost touch with their churches, and they just don’t receive the regular spiritual encouragement we all need. So it’s a real joy to be able to walk beside these brothers and sisters. They encourage me as much as I encourage them.”

Cate uses her home visits as a time to share gospel stories, which is an encouragement to Christian listeners and an opportunity for salvation for others: “Storytelling is such a concrete way of sharing who Jesus is. I am hopeful that the stories of how Jesus interacts with people will resonate with those listening and that, as a result, they will grow in their understanding of who he truly is.”

“As a church, we can reap so much value from and be enriched by interactions with the older generation,” she adds. “Sadly, many elderly

people struggle to get to church, and often we don’t do a great job of taking the church to them. At Anglicare, we try and link them in with their local church. Unfortunately that is not always easy or possible.”

However, being part of a church community makes a significant difference to the lives of seniors. Cate recalls a story about a 93-year-old lady who was picked up regularly for church on a Sunday morning. In order to make herself ready to leave the house, she got up very early— at 5:00 am. But as she could never remember which day was Sunday, she would get up at 5:00 am every morning. That’s how precious her church community was to her.

In April 2025, a team of students from Moore College will participate in Anglicare’s Moore College mission. It’s Cate’s hope that these students will have their eyes opened to the previous value of this generation of Christians in church communities, and that the students will see the wealth of opportunities available to them to listen, to love and to share with others God’s saving grace in the final season of a person’s life. An opportunity too good to pass up! M M

“ IT’S JUST AN ENORMOUS OPPORTUNITY TO WALK ALONGSIDE OLDER PEOPLE, WHO ARE OFTEN EXPERIENCING SIGNIFICANT LOSS AND GRIEF, AND TO SHARE WITH THEM THE HOPE AND JOY THAT SPRING FROM OUR FAITH.”

• Thank God for the work of Anglicare in aged care and the many people who serve as chaplains, pastoral carers and personal carers throughout the Sydney region, and more specifically, our Castle Hill and Glenhaven Green sites.

• Ask God to provide opportunities for Christians in these communities to reach out to others with the love of Jesus.

• Pray for the Moore Mission team partnering with Anglicare in 2025: ask God to give them wisdom as they serve, and to broaden their experience of ministry through this mission.

Cate Hong, chaplain with Moore College and Anglicare

HOLDING OUT THE GOOD NEWS TO MULTICULTURAL WESTERN SYDNEY

Mike Smith / Senior Minister, Minchinbury Anglican Church

MINCHINBURY IS A SUBURB IN THE HEART OF WESTERN SYDNEY LOCATED JUST SOUTH OF MOUNT DRUITT AND ROOTY HILL. THE LOCAL AREA IS A MELTING POT OF NATIONS, WITH ONLY 53 PER CENT OF PEOPLE IN THE CATCHMENT BORN IN AUSTRALIA. (IT’S 70 PER CENT ACROSS NEW SOUTH WALES.)

If Minchinbury was a street with 100 people living in it, 10 would be Filipino, four Indian, 81 would speak more than one language, 12 would be Islamic, 33 would be Catholic, and only 15 people would have no religion.

The area is also family-centric, and has a lower social economic status compared with the rest of New South Wales. This all means that ministry at Minchinbury, like many places in western Sydney, is both dynamic and challenging.

One key focus area is Anglicare’s social and affordable housing in Mount Druitt, known as “Arista”. There are 114 units for social and affordable housing, which were originally built for women aged over 55, the fastest-growing demographic facing homelessness. Many of the residents have experienced very difficult life experiences, including domestic violence, relationship breakdowns, substance abuse and failed investments.

“ SINCE STARTING HER ROLE, MELANIE HAS HELPED A NUMBER OF WOMEN— AND MEN—FIND COMMUNITY IN OUR CHURCH. ”

Over many decades, the church has been blessed with ministry workers with a passion for evangelism and teaching the Bible. Previous rectors include Peter Bolt and Richard Gibson, who were former New Testament lecturers at Moore College.

I have been the rector at Minchinbury since 2017, having previously served as an Assistant Minister at St Philips Eastwood after graduating from Moore College in 2009. My time at Moore was absolutely foundational for ministry and leadership in a local church, and it has been a privilege to continue partnering with Moore College in the recruitment of assistant ministers and student ministers over the last eight years.

One of the key mission opportunities in our church in recent times has been our partnership with Anglicare and the employment of Melanie Taylor, one of our long-term members, as a community chaplain. Melanie’s primary role is to help connect people in our local community to the church.

Since starting her role, Melanie has helped a number of women—and men—find community in our church. Some have met Jesus and found the hope only he can bring. Just this year, Jane,* who is from a Middle Eastern background, was baptised, having made a commitment to trust Jesus. Adam* confirmed his faith at our most recent confirmation service after making a commitment to Christ on completing our Investigating Christianity course. Tanya,* who is reluctant to come to church due to her past, has been watching church online. And Jill* has attended church each week over the last month after saying earlier in the year that she would never come.

Kristy,* who has a church background, said recently, “When I came here, I wanted to find a church to belong to. I was going to do the rounds. But when I got to Minchinbury Church, that was it—just ‘HOME’. The church and people

Mike Smith, 2008 graduate

Tash McConnell Student Minister 2024

Hamish Sullivan, with Priscilla and Arthur, Student Minister 2025

are so welcoming and caring. This is my church. Thank you. I know I still have a lot to learn, but this church has changed my life for the better.” Praise God!

Melanie often says one of the highlights of her week is her Wednesday afternoon “Chaplain Chat”: residents at Arista are invited to join her each week to chat about life’s big issues and about what the Bible has to say about these issues. Each week, the discussion varies—from a pre-planned topic to faith-based conversation cards. The floor is always open to any questions the residents may have.

“I regularly have five to eight residents come to the group, most of whom have not had any contact with the church or any engagement with the Bible since they were children,” says Melanie. “Meeting in the common room means that people pop in, hear the discussion and then decide to join. I really enjoy it when people see me around and tell me they have questions for the next chat, or when I get messages like, ‘Great chat today, Chaplain!’”

Our church has also benefitted greatly from the work of our current student minister, Tash, who is in second year at Moore College. She has been teaching and equipping our kids church teams on a Sunday, and has also been helping to

pastor some of the young women in our night church congregation. We will miss her in 2025, but we can’t wait to see her continue to grow and develop as she prepares for a lifetime of vocational ministry.

We are also looking forward to welcoming Hamish, who is currently in his third year at Moore College and who will be joining us in 2025 as he continues his ministry training before graduating in 2026.

We are a church that longs to see all people in multicultural western Sydney and beyond renewed through the love of Jesus. We value your prayers and support as we continue to hold out the good news of Jesus to a diverse community— a community that, like all communities, ultimately needs Jesus and the hope and joy that comes with being his disciples. M M

*Names have been changed for privacy reasons.

“ I REALLY ENJOY

IT WHEN PEOPLE SEE ME AROUND AND TELL ME THEY HAVE QUESTIONS FOR THE NEXT CHAT, OR WHEN I GET MESSAGES LIKE, ‘GREAT CHAT TODAY, CHAPLAIN!’

”

• Thank God for the long history of faithful evangelical ministry in Minchinbury. In particular, thank God for the ministry of Melanie Taylor, who has been a church member for about 32 years!

• Thank God for the women at Arista who have engaged with our church and found a place to belong, meet Jesus and be transformed.

• Ask God to provide resources, which can sometimes be scarce in a low socioeconomic area, that will support ministry workers holding out the good news of Jesus.

▴ Top image

Thanksgiving 2022

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One of the highlights of Melanie's week is the Wednesday afternoon, Arista Chaplain Chat.

WHEN RICHARD CHIN MET JESUS

Richard Chin in conversation with Archie Poulos

2024 HAS BEEN A YEAR IN WHICH THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE ACROSS AUSTRALIA HAVE BEEN PRAYING FOR FRIENDS AND FAMILY TO MEET JESUS.

The Australian Fellowship of Evangelical Students (AFES) have promoted the Meet Jesus campaign across university campuses, and have invited church communities throughout Australia to participate. The students of Moore College have spent two minutes each day praying for two people (family, friends and acquaintances) to be transformed through the surrender of their lives to Jesus. In April during Moore Missions, teams in northern Sydney supported a big Meet Jesus event that resulted in positive encounters with Jesus and participants acknowledging their need for a Lord and saviour. Richard Chin, National Director of AFES and graduate of Moore College, is the driving

force behind this campaign. Archie Poulos, Head of Ministry and Director, Centre for Ministry Development, speaks to Richard about how he met Jesus.

Archie Poulos: Lots of you will know Richard, because he’s been the face of AFES for a long time, having served at Wollongong University and in Canberra as National Director of AFES, among other things. I thought it would be good for us to get under the bonnet of Richard Chin and find out your story. Tell us about how you became a Christian.

Richard Chin: Thank you! I’ll look under the bonnet. I was in my first year at a Mid-Year Conference at the University of New South Wales. Paul Barnett was the speaker, and he said to us, “If you want to know whether you’re a Christian or not, ask yourself whether Jesus is number one of your life.” I knew at that point that he wasn’t number one. He was

“ I COULD SPEND MY LIFE HELPING TO SAVE PEOPLE FOR A PERIOD OF 80 YEARS, BUT WHEN I’M PROCLAIMING THE GOSPEL OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, THAT WILL SEE THEM SAVED FOR ETERNITY. THERE’S JUST NO COMPARISON.

a good number two or number three, but he wasn’t number one. The penny dropped for me that Jesus is Lord because of his death and resurrection. I turned my life to Christ a few days after that.

Furthermore, I decided that if he really was number one, then the plans of my life should revolve around his plans, and not the other way around. I was still going to church. I was a good, moral, upright citizen. But I recognised that the Copernican Revolution that Phillip Jensen speaks about is what needed to take place in my life.

Richard Chin, 1995 Graduate. National Director of AFES

Archie Poulos Head of Ministry, Director, Centre for Ministry Development

That also meant that what I studied and graduated from should be for his plans and purposes. People told me I could help by leaving my potential medical career in order to proclaim the gospel of our Lord Jesus full-time. That’s where it inevitably led, even though there were many challenges and costs to that decision.

AP: You gave up your job and ended up coming to Moore College to study for four years. How did others view your decisions?

RC: My dad and others thought it was ridiculous to give all that up. Many people said, “Why don’t you become a medical missionary, because that will enable you to do both?” But the most important thing for me was to revolve my plans around God’s plans, and if the avenue opened for me to be serving God full-time, then that was a terrific option to follow.

I vividly remember being with a patient at Canterbury Hospital who, until his very last breath, denied Christ. In those days, I was able to share the gospel, and I realised that I could spend my life helping to save people health-wise for a period of 80 years, or thereabouts, but when I’m proclaiming the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, that will see them saved for eternity. There’s just no comparison.

AP: Richard, you came to College because you thought it could help you with biblical theology. What are your memories of your time here?

RC: I remember coming in thinking that I was going to have all these wonderful conversations with people about theology. That happened in bits and pieces, but not quite in the way I thought. Those conversations were not scheduled, but happened inadvertently, here and there, over a bubbler or a game of touch footy, and during interactions with Faculty as they lived and spent time in residence with us. Mark Thompson was a single lecturer at the time, and I remember him sitting with us and other Faculty, talking over meals. We also shared a house with another couple, and we were able to talk with them about all sorts of things. Those times of relationship and thinking about theology in relationship was a key highlight of College for me.

College was a terrific time, but it was always drilled into my head that if you thought that you would come to the climax of your theological thinking by the end of your time there, you were mistaken. I’m so glad someone drilled that into me, because that’s certainly been the case: College equips you with the tools to really dive into ministry later on, but you’re a constant student beyond College. College prepares you to be a good student of theology—a good student of God’s word—for the rest of your life. That’s just so helpful. M M

• Ask God to help me as I shepherd the AFES staff and help them to partner with students for the cause of Christ on their university campuses.

• Ask God to help me both guard and proclaim his gospel in a clear and compelling way, always remembering that our confidence is in that gospel to save lives, not in our methodology.

• For the Meet Jesus campaign: ask God to raise the temperature of evangelism across the country through prayer and through the clear preaching of the true gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to save and transform thousands of lives for his glory.

moore.edu.au/podcasts

We trust you will be encouraged as you listen to the full interview between Archie and Richard on the Moore College podcast, Moore in the Word (which can be found through your favourite podcast provider), or on the College website (use the QRcode).

Caroline

Clark, Partnerships

and

Future Students Manager

and Heidi Combs, Communications Manager

2023 – 2024

The Bible exhorts us to remember. Remembering what God has done in our lives helps us to respond to our world in steadfast hope. Moore College is putting together a record of what the Lord is doing in our times. By recording stories of our College graduates we pray that others will be encouraged and their faith built up in joyful assurance.

For more than 160 years Moore College has been sending men and women into a wide range of ministries across Sydney, in every state of Australia and every continent in the world (except Antarctica!). We are pleased to share with you the first four 100 Ministry Stories.

Brian Hall 2009 Graduate

St Peters Anglican Church Hornsby

Brian’s road to Christ was unusual. It started with a street fight (as a youngster!) and ended with his opponent inviting him to youth group! The faithfulness of the teaching at youth group helped Brian discover the Bible, discover who God was, his own place in the world and what Jesus had done for him. Since College Brian has worked in a number of parishes across Sydney, from the south, to the west and now in the north, at Hornsby. Today Brian is welcoming people from all different places and backgrounds into God’s community at Hornsby. Please pray for the ministries that are being established – that the congregation can be outward-looking and creative in how they seek to reach people on the margins and that God would provide extra hands and feet to do his work in the northern suburbs of the city.

Lisa Boyd 2010 Graduate

Anglicare Chaplain, Westmead Children’s Hospital

“Behold the man upon a cross, my sin upon his shoulders. Ashamed I hear my mocking voice call out amongst the scoffers.” Hearing these words sung at church was the catalyst for Lisa put her trust in Jesus as a young adult. Today the challenge Lisa has as a Chaplain at Westmead Children’s Hospital is to distil the profound truth of the gospel into a simple, impactful message which can offer hope to those who are traumatised. The foundational training of MTS and four years at Moore College has been “incredibly useful” to Lisa in her work. “One of the joys [of chaplaincy] is being able to offer the hope, comfort and consolation of the gospel to people at what is probably the worst moment of their lives, when their child is so ill and potentially facing death.” Please pray for Lisa that God will provide opportunities to share with people and for wisdom to know how to speak in difficult situations. Please also pray for protection for Lisa and other chaplains that they don’t experience too much vicarious trauma and that they would look to God to be our comfort.

Ministry stories

I WILL REMEMBER THE DEEDS OF THE LORD; YES, I WILL REMEMBER YOUR MIRACLES OF LONG AGO. I WILL CONSIDER ALL YOUR WORKS AND MEDITATE ON ALL YOUR MIGHTY DEEDS. PSALM 77:11-12

“ SCAN THE QR CODE TO WATCH OR LISTEN TO THE FULL 100 MINISTRY STORIES OF THE GRADUATES BELOW. ”

Click through the links to listen to or watch the full story. Keep an eye on the College social pages – Facebook, Instagram, X and YouTube – over the Summer as more graduate stories are released. If you are a graduate and keen to contribute to this project we would love to hear from you! Please find out more through the link.

moore.edu.au/100

Children’s ministry is central to ministering at Wentworthville Anglican and is also central to David’s own walk with Christ. As a three-year-old, through the witness of his grandmother, David asked Jesus to be his Lord and Saviour. God has been faithful in growing David’s childlike faith and at Campus Bible Study at UNSW David was encouraged to pursue full-time ministry.

Today witnessing in a suburb that is brimming with families, connections with children and parents, building relationships and sharing the love of Jesus, is core to the work at Wentworthville. The local community is 43% Hindu so many are living in darkness but God has been working and recently several families with Indian heritage have to come Christ. “A Hindu man who connected with us through the holiday kids club and started coming to church, read Mark’s gospel with us and understood for the first time what it means to have his sins forgiven. He put his trust in Jesus. So exciting!” Please pray for him, for the new Tamil church (10% of the local population are Tamil people) and for more gospel workers.

Emily had the privilege of knowing God from a very young age, with strong role models at church, active discipleship mentors as a young teenager and participation in university ministry, God directed Emily’s path to full-time theological education. God has continued to surprise Emily in the direction that he has taken her. With eyes originally set on doing mission work out of Australia Emily and her husband Stephen have found themselves working as parish missionaries in South Sydney at Sans Souci Anglican Church. “There are so many people around us that don’t know Jesus yet and we are so keen to keep sharing the gospel in our community.” The strong foundation in God’s word and in his community, the love and support of Christian brothers and sisters, that developed in Emily’s three years at College, have equipped Emily as she has journeyed through Campus Bible Study ministry, and parish ministry in Sydney. In God’s goodness Sans Souci is experiencing growth as the Gilmours trust in God’s provision and promises. God continues to surprise them as they faithfully seek to establish connection points for people in all stages of life. “There are moments in ministry which are wonderful reminders that God’s goodness and plans are often different to what we expect.” M M

David Misztal 2005 Graduate Wentworthville Anglican Church

Emily Gilmour 2009 Graduate Moore College Chaplain ministering at Sans Souci Anglican Church

APPEAL

YES LORD, SEND US, SEND US

Heidi Combs / Communications Manager

“ IT’S BEEN BEAUTIFUL TO SIT BACK AND APPRECIATE ALL THE THINGS I WAS GIFTED IN A CHRISTIAN FAMILY, INCLUDING OPENING THE BIBLE TOGETHER FROM A VERY YOUNG AGE.”

AS A CHILD GROWING UP AT MOORE COLLEGE IN 1978-79 TIM EXPERIENCED THE COMMUNITY OF COLLEGE FROM A VERY DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE.

41King Street was his home, an environment where he could hang out with other kids and where his mum and dad enjoyed having the support of young families just next door, who were all experiencing the same rhythms of life, whether it was the periods of intense study before exams or the times of celebration as a year of learning was completed. There is great joy in being able to share our lives with others, and to know that they are looking out for you and your family.

Over 40 years later Tim and Leanne Cornford have experienced what it means to live in community at College from a fresh perspective. With a family ranging from independent adult children to one just finishing Kindergarten, the Cornfords joined the Moore College community for the second time after their prayers for a

new minister in their parish prompted Tim and Leanne to seriously consider how God could use them for his work on a more full-time basis.

“I grew up with my Dad as a full-time minister, so I had the perspective of a pastor’s kid when it came to what theological college might be like. When I came to College, it was good to realise I had much to learn. It’s been beautiful to sit back and appreciate all the things I was gifted in a Christian family, including opening the Bible together from a very young age, but to come here has been quite humbling – to see the different perspectives and the breadth of knowledge that people have. It’s been a real gift.”

The playground of the Newtown campus, nestled snuggly amongst the College housing on King, Little Queen and Campbell Streets, is the heart of the College for Tim. It is here he played as a young child, riding bikes and climbing trees. It was a different era in so many ways, about 45 years ago when parking cars in playgrounds was just what you did when parking was at a premium. But to Tim

The Cornford Family, Tim finishes study in 2024

APPEAL

nothing has really changed. “These fences are new but everything else is as I remember – the house, the Jacaranda tree, the play space. It was in this spot families got to know each other, and over the years, after College, stayed in touch. Even today, my Mum is turning 80, she has got friends who are from College who she still keeps in touch with.”

The collegiate, joyful atmosphere of the playground is reflected in the classroom and the lecture theatre, the dining room and on the cricket green. Living and learning together means students rub up against each other, and together wrestle through ideas and situations helping to form each other, with Biblical truths as their foundation, ready for ministry. “We are all training for the same thing – being formed into someone who could go out as a shepherd for God’s people. You can’t achieve this online.”

For 20 years Tim worked as an engineering manager and prior to College he led a staff team of engineers, focussed on quality and budget. Clarity and consistency were essential in his daily work, asking questions, checking facts – investigating options and opportunities to achieve best outcomes. Through his years at the College Tim has found parallels in his theological training. “I had been running youth group for years and had done hundreds of talks but the clarity and consistency that I have learnt in how I approach the Bible is far more developed than three years ago. The training I have had at College has encouraged me to question fundamentally why I believe what I believe and what God is teaching us through his word.”

“We need each other to have somebody else ask the questions that we can’t think of and then work together on the answers. Being able to press against another’s ideas is something you can do in community. It’s different to studying online or by yourself.

But it’s not just an intellectual exercise. Together we pray things through. We pray for each other as we go through a difficult time. It's part of what we do, and hopefully that's also what our cohort can take into our ministries after College. It's just a capacity for Christian community that we didn't have before we came here and spent several years together in this place.”

“As we head out of College and we head into a church ministry situation, we cannot wait to meet the people who will be our church community, who we'll be able to love and to share our love for God as we gather around his word. We are eager to see how the Holy Spirit moves amongst that community. We’ll be praying with people, laughing with them, mourning with them. That's what we really want to do.”

From 2025 the Cornford’s will be serving in the

Southwest of Sydney in a parish community. Looking back three years to the beginning of his College journey Tim had asked the community to pray for a stirring of people’s hearts, that the Lord of the harvest would inspire more men and women to look at the great gospel need in the world and to say “Yes Lord, send us, send us”. Can you continue to pray this prayer for our city, our nation and the world? Can you give generously to enable a growth of God’s work in this College? Your support enables the equipping of students and families who are ready to go out into Sydney and beyond with a life-giving message of hope for the lost. M M

The good news of Jesus is the very best news you could ever share and it changes lives. There are churches today in Sydney with no full-time gospel workers. With so many living in the darkness the need for more workers for the harvest is paramount. Your prayerful and financial support will help students like Tim fill the great need for gospel workers.

Please pray for the city of Sydney, that the light of the gospel will shine brightly in each community and that God’s people will speak boldly for his glory.

Will you give generously to help prepare men and women for a lifetime of gospel ministry, proclaiming Jesus Christ in Sydney and beyond?

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CHECK OUT THESE LATEST PODCAST EPISODES:

Richard Chin in conversation with Archie Poulos

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