It is a joy to celebrate the 156th anniversary of the Golden Grove Uniting Church this year. Really we are celebrating the work of God the Father, who called our forebears through faith in Jesus Christ, to worship Him and witness to Him.
Our forebears went to enormous pain, expense and effort to begin a new church community in this place because they heard and believed the good news of Jesus Christ. This tells us that, by sheer grace, Jesus Christ saves us from our sins, death and hell, and gives us a new, rich life now, and forever. They were so captivated by this Gospel that they couldn’t do anything else but worship and witness!
They did that in the great confidence and hope that the good news of Jesus Christ would continue to call people to faith, worship and witness. In other words, their goal in establishing a church here was to serve the fulfilment of God’s great purpose for the whole of history. The Golden Grove Church also saw the establishment of Pedare Christian School as a part of this same purpose.
Therefore, we truly honour and give thanks for our forebears, by being gripped by the same Gospel by which they were gripped, and seeking the same goal that they did – i.e., bringing together all people who will, through faith in Jesus Christ, enter into His eternal kingdom. The reason that our forebears believed, worshipped and witnessed is so that we would do this, and always continue to do so.
Grace and cheers, Jonathan.