JourneyOnline
What is your mission?
Townsville Central City Mission is a strategic city church committed to proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ and ministering to human need by providing personal and family care through the ministry of word and deed.
What’s happening in your church?
At the moment a Joint Nomination Committee is being selected to call a minister to the congregation. Rev David and Glenda Wiltshire will supply the ministry of the word from July to November. We are currently working towards the church fete in September. It is an innovative community outreach. It will be held in the Strand Park on the seashore, which is a popular venue for the community. Preparation has already started on the Christmas festival, Stable on the Strand, as 40 of our congregation members will join with 1000 volunteers from 65 different Townsville churches. An administration office is currently being constructed for the Korean congregation.
The manse building is also undergoing a refurbishing and members enjoy fellowship and morning tea.
What does creating disciples mean for your church community?
We recently saw the way God follows through with his calling when a member felt called to organise a commemorative service reflecting the important role the evening service had during the war years. The historic car club established a display of cars from the war era. The street was closed to traffic while the Sunday school gave demonstrations of hopscotch, skipping and jump rope. The whole community was invited, and on the night there were people from all walks of life and a number of other churches represented in the congregation. Miraculously, within two weeks, a choir was raised from our church ranks. In the service 16 people in fine voice sang Rudyard Kipling’s poem, Recessional. This was such an act of faith as we had never tried anything like this before. Choir conductor Joyce Chapman was in her element. With precision that could only be created in God’s perfect timing, we were blessed with two men singing “I’ll walk with God” as part of the service. The singing was so inspirational and people were moved. Supper saw over 500 pikelets consumed while watching old Cinesound news reels.
What new ministries are happening at your church?
With a new generation of youth, our pastor has partnered with some of the young people from YWAM who are part of our congregation, to run a six week Cross Examination, looking at the cross, Jesus, and our relationship to God, based on the popular Christianity Explained course.
Photo : Townsville Central City Mission prison and street chaplains Ian and Jenny Pack. Photo: Peace Kam
