Christian Community Church of Port Sorell, Tasmania
"Church has changed since you were a kid." This was the slogan of a church plant a mate of mine, Darrell Bierman, planted in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada( www.rivercitychurch.org ). And this church was different. Church has changed! Not the gospel, but the way churches do ministry.
This is also true of one of the newest church plants in the Christian Reformed Churches of Australia, Port Sorell Christian Community Church, Tasmania ( www.portsorellchristiancommunitychurch.org.au ). Under the leadership of Johann (& Mariette) Joubert of the Ulverstone CRC and Ron (& Frances) van Leerdam of the Sanctuary Hill Christian Fellowship of Penguin, this church is attracting many young adults and young couples of the Port Sorell community and surrounding area. The church meets in the Port Sorell Memorial Hall at 11:30 am. But the meeting is unlike many other church worship services. The atmosphere is casual. The meeting is around tables. There are no musical instruments. Contemporary music was played using an Ipod. The message is interactive. In the service I attended, after a volunteer read the Scripture reading for the day, Johann Joubert introduced the subject matter but then invited everybody to respond and interact with the passage. You could say there was not just one preacher, but everyone had an opportunity to contribute to the understanding of God's Word. At the end of the service everyone was invited to the midweek Bible study held in one of the young couples' home. This young couple shared with me that they came to this church simply by seeing an invitation hanging up in the local IGA grocery store. Now they are hosting a Bible study in their home. God is on the move in Port Sorell.
While this gathering of Christians is unlike many church meetings -- I could not help but imagine that this must have been how the early church began meeting. It might have been in the temple courts (Acts 5:42), in a home(1 Corinthians 16:19) , or by a river (Acts 16:13ff) -- the place of meeting did not matter. What mattered is what they did! They met together for fellowship, prayer, and a study of God's Word. Yes, church has changed, but today, by God's grace, a Christian community is growing in Port Sorell committed to seeing the lost found, the found discipled, and the disciples trained to reach out to the lost.
Check out the pictures at http://www.facebook.com/search.php?q&init=quick&tas=0.059753076499565905#!/pages/Ministry-Formation/163436427354
About the author
Jack De Vries was hired on by the Christian Reformed Churches of Australia and began his work as Ministry Training Coordinator in January 2008. In 2012 this role shifted to that of Ministry Development Coach.
Jack came from Canada where he pastored three Christian Reformed churches: Alliston CRC, Alliston, Ontario(1983-87), a church plant: New Life Community Church, Pickering, Ontario(1987-95), and Bethel CRC, Listowel, Ontario (1995-2007). Jack is a graduate of Calvin Theological Seminary (Master of Divinity - 1983) and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (Doctor of Ministry - 2003) Jack and his wife Jeannie currently live in Petrie, a northern suburb of Brisbane in Queensland. They attend and are members of Bray Park Community Church. They have four adult children and seven grandchildren living in the USA and Canada.
In Isaiah 58:11 we read: "The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail." Australia has seen times of drought and floods. There is another type of drought in Australia; there is a spiritual drought. But God promises to provide refreshing rain, a never ending supply of refreshing water. The water he provides will satisfy the needs of all Australians. As we take up the missional vision God has given us we extend the life changing invitation of Jesus: "Come! Whoever is thirsty, come, and take the free gift of the water of life!" (Revelation 22:17)
