Words from the Senior Pastor

Rev. Andrew Choy

Church Direction

This year God has given us a clear direction, “Rooted in Christ, Growing as One” which is a further extension of our previous church theme. To bring this vision to life across all language congregations, the Board of Elders (BoE) included devotional sharing segments around this theme in their monthly meetings. At the same time, our ministry teams encouraged cross-group and cross-congregational activities within different congregations and fellowships to embody the spirit of “Growing as One.” Looking ahead to 2027, we continue to believe that our church must remain rooted in Christ and grow upward and expand outward from there.

To solve our long-term space needs and limited ministry area, the Church Development Committee and its Property Sub-group met regularly to discuss, pray and seek God’s guidance. We initially began preliminary talks with a nearby Anglican Church to explore acquiring their property, and subsequently explored the possibility of buying an adjacent property. In March 2026, we held a consultation meeting to share project details, answer questions from members, and build open communication. An Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) was then called so members could vote on three main items: extending a pastor’s ministry call, setting up a new property fund for church expansion, and approving the purchase of the Grandview Parade property. However, in the matter of church expansion, we came to realize that God has a better plan for us.

Looking to the future of our church’s outreach and physical site needs, we launched a Saturday Cantonese service in August 2026 to better serve our congregation. Furthermore, our church planting committee has been earnestly seeking the Lord in prayer to explore potential location options for a future church plant.

Over the past year, we also re-examined our guidelines regarding membership. At our Annual General Meeting (AGM) on 21 September 2025, members elected new elders, deacons, the church treasurer, and the new Nominating Committee, while also approving annual ministry reports and operational budgets. After the AGM, the BoE reviewed voting rules and clarified constitutional guidelines regarding when returning members are eligible to vote. We are glad to see returning members reinstated and some members completing transfers between congregations.

Leadership and Staff Teams

We thank God for the important milestones reached across our pastoral team. Working in coordination with the C&MA National Office, we celebrated two ordination ceremonies: Rev. Brock Li on 25 October 2025, and Rev. Eric Lai on 15 February 2026. Regarding our other pastoral staff, the BoE completed a review for Rev. Hiram Lau and recommended extending his ministry call. In March 2026, Pastor Arthur Leung moved into a full-time role to help minister our growing church family. Additionally, the BoE approved student pastor Cindy Huang from CTCA for an internship with the Mandarin congregation in 2026, while a dedicated search team continues to actively search for a suitable Youth Pastor.

The Board of Elders and Board of Deacons continued their important work of spiritual care, leadership, and daily operations. On 1 November 2025, the BoE held its annual Planning Retreat to pray and discuss goals for church growth and pastoring matters. On the other hand, we thank God for raising up many new deacons, and a BoD Induction Training was held on 15 November 2025 to assist their onboarding and equip them for this important service. Our pastoral leaders also represented our church at national C&MA events, including participating in the C&MA Pastors Retreat in Geelong, local leadership development sessions, the 57th C&MA Annual General Council in Canberra, and NSW Pastors meetings.

Behind the scenes, our administrative team works faithfully to ensure our daily ministry operations run smoothly. From coordinating various combined gatherings (such as baptism and membership services, Christmas, Good Friday and Easter, and members’ meetings) to supporting and facilitating events and services across all congregations, their faithful work keeps our church moving forward. We thank God for their heart of quiet dedication to our church family.

Other Ministries

Over the past year, our combined worship services and special gatherings brought all language congregations together. On 23 November 2025, the church held a combined Baptism and Membership Service to celebrate and share testimonies together. In 2026, we continued an alternating arrangement, holding language-specific baptisms in May and a combined church-wide baptism in November. On Christmas Day 2025, each of our language congregations held their own services, followed by a joint morning tea on the church grounds hosted by the Board of Deacons. On Good Friday, 3 April 2026, we held an English-led intergenerational family service in the morning, followed by a combined Mandarin and Cantonese service. Additionally, over the past year, the Cantonese and Mandarin ministry teams organized leadership events, Sunday worship workshops, and special training gatherings for team members.

Missions and community outreach remain our core calling. The Missions Committee met regularly to discuss how to effectively support the church’s participation in missions. We have planned an end-of-year short-term mission trip in partnership with Operation Mobilisation. In early 2026, we partnered with the “ETERNITY” music team to host a street evangelism training workshop in February, followed by a revival and evangelistic meeting on 6 March held at our church.

We continue to stay connected with our community. In September 2025, our church served together at the Murray Farm Public School Carnival, building meaningful relationships with local families and neighbours. We are also glad to share our church facilities with other Christian ministries and organizations. In late 2025, we co-hosted a theological seminar with the China Graduate School of Theology, served as the venue for the C&MA “Centrality of Christ” Workshop in November 2025, hosted the C&MA Leadership Training Day in July 2026, and regularly host classes for the Bible Study Fellowship.

Under God’s guiding hand, we are united in seeking His will bearing fruits for His glory. With a heart of gratitude, we invite you to read through the following pages and join us in giving praise for the wonderful things God has been doing across our church family.