GET ON THE BUS!

In October 2016 St Andrew's Wahroonga is seeking to plant a new church on Sunday evenings, for Wahroonga and neighbouring communities.

We are looking for a start team of 50 partners committed to joining with us in this journey.  If you are reading this, consider this your invitation to 'get on the bus' - departing later this year.

This new church plant is for God's glory and only by his power.  We know that God will build his church and not even the gates of hell can overcome it.  The news of the gospel is the news of God's unstoppable purpose to draw people from every nation into his kingdom.  He is building his church in the world...in Australia...in Wahroonga.  Knowing this, we bring our humble plans behind the one who holds the power and we ask him to build here, in this place, for his glory.

Why are we planting a new evening church?

Wahroonga and surrounds is an area blessed by God…that’s obvious.

However, that is only part of the picture. God’s word tells us a deeper story of this area. To tell that story let me introduce the man Nehemiah - who we read of in the OT book named after him.

Nehemiah had been away from his town for some years and asks for a report on his home town - Jerusalem. In Nehemiah chapter 1 he asks, ‘what’s my city city like?’ In Nehemiah 1.3 he receives this report, those who are in the city are in great trouble and distress.

Nehemiah’s town is the kind of place that breaks your heart and brings you to your knees in prayer. Some 600 years later, Jesus looks over the same city and the view is no better, when he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. (Matt 9.36). Jesus response - heartbreak and prayer.

Here is the reality of Wahroonga and surrounds. Yes, our area is blessed by God. But, all around us people are lost and desperately need to know the saving power of the gospel. All around us are the effects of separation from God - harassed & helpless like sheep without a shepherd.

Seeing Wahroonga and surrounds as our God does, moves us at St Andrew’s to commit ourselves to do three things for Wahroonga:

• Love Wahroonga - as Jesus looked over the city of Jerusalem his heart was moved for the city. We need to have the same heart for Wahroonga. What happens in the houses, apartments, schools and shops matters. They are filled with people who are precious to God, who are made in his image.
• Pray for Wahroonga - Wahroonga should bring us to our knees in prayer
• Give our lives for Wahroonga - moved by our love for the area, empowered by prayer, we want to give our lives for what God is doing.

What is our God doing in Wahroonga? He is building! Here in Wahroonga he is building his church on the gospel of our saviour, Jesus Christ. That’s God’s agenda, and we, by grace, have been swept up in it. God is building:

a church where he dwells with his people and is at the heart of all we do

a church where he is worshipped and his people delight in his goodness

a church where his word is heeded, where his people live radically different lives, that show how good life lived obedient to his voice is

At St Andrew’s Wahroonga. We long to speak and live the gospel of the Lord Jesus, in all of life so that God’s church is built as we grow and make disciples of the the Lord Jesus throughout Wahroonga and beyond. This is our mission in all we say and do as a church family.

In 2016 we want to take this new and deliberate step in that direction – to plant a new church on Sunday evenings with a launch team of 50 people to grow and make disciples throughout Wahroonga and beyond.

We are currently in a season of calling for partners in this project and many of you here have decided to join the plant team…some considering…and we would love you to partner with us…

Our Vision

Under God, we want to plant a new, viable, healthy, growing evening church to: 

• To serve our young people (as they grow) – by maturing and equipping them for a life of living for the King and a life of serving him in the local church 
• To serve Wahroonga with the gospel of the Lord Jesus – we want to plant a church to be once more on the front foot of mission to youth and young adults in Wahroonga – a ripe, but dormant harvest field! We want to see a new generation reached for Christ!

Why HERE in Wahroonga?

...because the harvest is ripe!

Our Website (standys.org.au) has lots of info regarding stats of the area, here is a brief snapshot that tells something of the story as to why here… 

• There are 12,000 young adults living in and close to Wahroonga.  The rapid increase of unit blocks built for easy access to the train and shops at Hornsby means this area is one of the most in demand for young workers across Sydney. We cannot afford to ignore a mission to this section of the community. 

• There are 14,000 children and youth growing up under them.  We must prepare and establish our ministry over the next 5 years so that we can effectively reach out to these individuals as they grow older. 

• More than 25% of people living nearby were not born in Australia. This means we need to diversity our ministry to reach out to those who are not from an Aussie or even an English speaking background. These numbers strongly indicate there are many people living close by who are looking for community, connection and belonging. 

• There are many people in the area who continue to identify closely with a Christian church. This means there are many who would identify St Andrew’s Wahroonga as their church so.  We need to connect with them, build relationships with them and introduce them to Jesus as their personal Lord and Saviour. 

Given this our objective is, under God, to plant a new evening church:

• To grow wholehearted disciples in the next generation in Wahroonga 
• To make disciples in the next generation in Wahroonga 

Essentially, we are not relaunching a club (a place to hang, for people like us).  This is about getting back on the front foot of mission in Wahroonga.

Our prayer for the new church

Here is what we are praying for the church plant on Sunday nights…by 2020…


Pray for Spiritual Growth 

• Pray that in 2020 the evening church plant remains committed to grow in the gospel, through faithful ministry of the word, in all of the church family, in season and out.

• Pray that we serve together as a fellowship of builders with diverse gifts to make a significant mission impact in our area. 

Pray for Mission impact (amongst the next generation)

In our mission field there are more than: 

• 12,000 young adults 
• 14,000 people in children and youth 
• 31,000 people from NESB 

By 2020 we are praying to be a church that has made significant mission impact in this generation as part of our prayer for a wider mission impact at every stage and context of life throughout our area and globally through our mission partners.


Pray for numerical Growth
We have seen God bring numerical growth to our church family over the past 2 years: from 85 adults to 160 adults and 70 children and youth each Sunday. We are praying that God will continue to grow his church here, for the sake of His name.

2016	2020
160 adults (in AM) 0 (in PM) 10 small groups 20 small group leaders 70 children and youth 6 scripture teachers	450 adults 150 (in PM) 30 small groups 60 small group leaders 175 children and youth 15 Scripture teachers

Our next prayer and information meeting is Sunday June 5 (6pm) at St Andrew's        (2 Water Street, Wahroonga)

See our next blog for our plans for the rest of 2016 and key dates for your diary