Kirralee Nicolle
21 November 2022
An eastern suburbs parish has marked 60 years of raising up ministry workers who have gone on to serve across Australia.
St Alfred’s Anglican Church in Blackburn North held 60’s-themed celebrations at their morning and evening services. The services featured reflections from church members, including vicar Reverend Peter MacPherson and executive director of CMS Victoria the Reverend Dr Wei-Han Kuan.
Dr Kuan spoke on the parable of the talents in Luke 19, saying that stewardship was a key feature of the church’s longevity.
“Whatever God has given us to steward, steward it well,” he said.
Dr Kuan also said that a strength for St Alfred’s was a willingness to handle all parts of Scripture.
Read more: Dads explore fatherhood in 2022 at St Alfred’s
“We’ve been a church that’s been unafraid to receive God’s word as it actually is,” he said.
Dr Kuan and Mr MacPherson listed several former attendees of St Alfred’s who had gone on to minister in other parts of the Melbourne diocese and across the nation, including Tasmania and South Australia.
These include the Reverend Mark Juers and the Reverend Karen Winsemius from Oaktree Anglican Church, the Reverend Sam Oldland from St Jude’s Anglican Church and the Reverend Andrew Grills from City on a Hill.
Mr MacPherson said a recent ministry venture by youth leaders at the church was a Friday afternoon drop-in centre for students from Blackburn High School. He said on average, the ministry was offering milkshakes and conversations to 100 students each week.
“We want to be good members of the local community,” Mr MacPherson said.
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