Partnership with St Alfred’s
St Luke’s & St Alfred's: Partners in Mission
In Nov 2016 a partnership between St Luke's, Vermont and St Alfred's, Blackburn North was ratified by Archbishop-in-Council. We have called this a “partnership in mission” as the primary motivator for both churches is to see St Luke's grow. The partnership has been agreed to last for five years, thus concluding in Nov 2021. This Mission Action Plan covers that period.
In 2021 it was mutually agreed to continue the partnership for a further five years.
In 2016 St Luke's averaged 40-50 weekly attendees, with very few children.
At present (May 2024) St Luke's is a growing church with 100 -120 regular Sunday attendees, including 15 -20 young children. We praise God that our Moving Forward building project was completed in 2021, and as a result, the church now has new internal toilets, an entrance for the disabled, an expanded sealed carpark, with safe traffic management. We have installed comfortable individual chairs which gives the church great flexibility to host different events.
We love that young families are making St Luke's their church home, and it is a delight to have people of all ages - newborns to 96yo. Everyone is welcome at St Luke's.
Values
As we commit ourselves to work together the following values will guide us.
Christ:
We will bring honour to Christ in all we do
Spirit:
We will seek the leading of God’s Holy Spirit in all we do
Bible:
We will read and obey the Bible as God’s Word and as the source of truth
Worship:
We will worship God personally and corporately
Prayer:
We will pray for the ministries and activities of our church
People:
We will equip people and help them be actively involved in ministry and mission
Mission:
We will look for opportunities to introduce people to Jesus
Community:
We will participate in the Christian community both locally and more widely
Mission
Our mission is to help people become mature followers of Jesus Christ.
This can be broken into five main aspects each summarized with one word.
Belong
This involves introducing people to Jesus and helping them become members of God’s church.
Grow
This is about helping people grow spiritually, learning to read and obey the Bible, deepening their prayer lives and growing as disciples of Christ.
Serve
This involves equipping people and encouraging them to use their gifts to serve others.
Reach
This is about reaching out to others with the love of God and proclaiming the good news of the gospel.
Love
This involves helping people love God with all their heart, mind, soul and strength. It is about worshipping God with all we have.
The Acting Vicar and Parish Council have new strategies to carry out the church's mission in the local community. We emphasise hospitality, sharing the good news of Jesus and youth ministry.
Rev Dr Mark Simon
Acting Vicar
St Luke's and St Alfred's Anglican Churches
Click here to visit the St Alfred's website.