Hi church family.
We are living in exciting times. God is stirring the hearts of so many people in our church to live lives for his glory. One example of this was seen last week when we had a visit from Gerard Goiran, Director of Manoah House (our W.A. Reformed Churches Old Age Home based in Gosnells.) Gerard shared in our Sunday service how they are desperate for new board members to continue the work of Manoah House. I met him after church and he excitedly shared with me that 3 capable men put up their hands to get involved as board members. He said “we went from a desperate situation of lack into one of abundance – all in the space of one church service.”
On a different note – I need to update you about our Kalgoorlie Church Plant. After 14 years we will be closing this church plant when Pastor Jaco Classen leaves end of October. Over the years the work has proven to be meaningful as Sunday services, pastoral care and practical help was afforded to folks there, most of them new migrants from South Africa. Pastor Jaco was also able to make a big difference as an area chaplain for the district. However, since the migrant influx wained, and many of the core people moved out of Kalgoorlie, the church has lost a lot of its momentum and has shrunk significantly in numbers – to the point where it is now unsustainable. This was compounded by the fact that Pastor Jaco Classen accepted a call to a Reformed Church in Tasmania. Since making public his acceptance of the call, most of the folks remaining in the church plant indicated that they would be moving to other established congregations in Kalgoorlie. While over the past few years the church plant was able to cover all their ministry costs, of late the burden has fallen on Grace Church to pick up the shortfall of the declining giving. After much prayer and deliberation between our Church Council and the Leadership in Kalgoorlie, it was decided to wrap up the work as it became clear that it’s no longer sustainable. This would also allow Grace Church to look at an alternative church plant initiatives in future – perhaps somewhere in the Northern Suburbs of Perth (where we only have one Reformed Church vs 7 in the Southern suburbs.) *Next Sunday Pastor Jaco Classen will visiting Grace Church as we say goodbye to him prior to him taking up the work in Tasmania. We’ll also commit him and his family in prayer.
“And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: He who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens.” Rev’ 3:7-8
God bless you all
Pastor Joe