Ocean Keys Community Church - A Lutheran Church of Australia church plant

The Ocean Keys Community Church story begins in the post war migration of Eastern European Lutherans to Perth. The first generation of faithful people built churches and manses for their pastors, alongside their homes. Keen to retain a connection with their past and their homelands their endeavours were in vain for their children who embraced their new home and new identity and new ways. As the years passed and the faithful grew older and fewer they sold churches and manses and the monies were set aside for new churches. In 2002 God moved and it was time to resow the seed. A large investment was made to strategically place a new church in the new Northern suburbs of Perth 40k north of the CBD and 20k north of the next closest Lutheran Church.

Keys to Living began with a salaried pastor and his family, brand new audio and video equipment, a fully functioning office, and a mission budget in a shop space in a shopping mall. Keys to Living was the first religious or political lease ever offered by Coles Myer and with consignment stock from Koorong opened to serve the community and introduce the church to the world. Beginning with a large rental commitment and a one year lease paid for by the Western Australian Lutherans the end of the year came quickly and hopes of continuing were non existent in the face of costs. Incredibly, as each moment came to make the decision to close the church the rent halved and then halved again. (To quote Bill Hybels…“Only God”) Today it breaks even financially and is actively reaching into the community and making people aware that there is a local church that cares for them. The journey across to the worshipping community has been made by a few but our mandate to be God’s presence in our community has been fulfilled.

One of the blessings for the church has been the transfer from South Australia of three key church workers from the previous church I pastored. I am truly humbled and amazed by their obedience to God in leaving everything behind, including family, to come and serve in this new church.

In the beginning worship life began above a pub in a resort conference room on a Sunday evening. (The connection has seen me booked for 25 weddings as their local religious celebrant and padre to the blessing of the fleet held each year). Sunday evening was chosen because children’s sport, without exception, is held on a Sunday morning. Sadly when the resort became too busy with more lucrative conferences and weddings to have room for us a move was made to the local high school Performing Arts Centre. Our first and biggest mistake was made when we moved to mornings, we lost a ¼ of our worshipping group including a large contingent of teens. We are now rebuilding with youth services and planning to add an evening service again. It is hard work regaining lost ground but we are underway!

Some of our ministries include; a basketball sports ministry held in a local hall which has grown from a handful on the first night to six days a week and in the summer season 120 participants aged from 4 to 40. Parenting courses, postcards to the community, family fun days, school outreaches etc all help us connect with our local community.

In July of this year Pastor Dean Ralph and his wife Linda and the majority of members (40 people) from another church plant in the area (4 years old) moved across to become one with us. Our worship numbers have doubled and our Sunday school trebled literally overnight. We were already working together on different programmes and could not see the point of the duplication of ministry continuing. The sense of excitement, opportunities and energy this has created is incredible.

At the moment we average about 60 at a worship service. We have the opportunity to build a landmark 400 seat complex in a new sub division (a story in itself), and both pastors have foregone any salaries to get us over the line (the one salaried position is held by a lay woman who runs the Keys to Living ministry and is the church life co-ordinator). Listening to Bill Hybels has given us is an understanding that the local church is the hope of the world and this gospel demands passion and everything we have if we are to be followers of Jesus and make a difference.

As a senior pastor and church planter faced with the challenge of transitioning a number of traditional churches into one that is innovative and culturally relevant in the community, I have had to learn from the experience of others. The principles I have learnt from the leadership books out of Willow Creek Community Church and the conferences that I have attended here in Australia have been fundamental to the development of our ministry.

The resources that are available through Willow Creek, particularly Mark Mittelburg’s ‘Building a Contagious Church’ have taught me a lot about building a prevailing church that will be effective into the future. Principles such as having a drive for excellence, the need for intentional planning, passion for the lost and understanding the church as the servant for God’s purpose in this world have all contributed to my development as a leader and the growth of our ministry. Thank you Willow Creek!!!

 

 

Pastor Michael Parker

 

Church Profile from the WillowCreek of Australia WebSite