Looking Ahead to Our Centenary

In 2027, Gymea Anglican will celebrate 100 years of God's faithfulness.

Reaching a centenary is a wonderful milestone. It's an opportunity to thank God for all he has done since a small group first gathered under a tree at Gymea Bay in 1927. Over the past century, God has been extraordinarily kind. He has raised up leaders, planted ministries, grown his church, and brought countless people to know and follow Jesus.

But our centenary won't simply be about looking back.

Our hope is that 2027 will be a year that launches us into the future with renewed confidence in God's mission. After all, the task Jesus has given his church hasn't changed. Every generation is called to make disciples, proclaim Christ, love one another deeply, and trust that the risen Lord is with us by his Spirit.

Praying for the Next Hundred Years

As we prepare for our centenary, our first priority is prayer.

At our recent Parish Weekend Away we began asking a simple question: How might God use us next? As we reflected on the book of Jonah and God's compassion for those who are far from him, we spent time praying and dreaming together about the future of gospel ministry in Gymea.

Those conversations will continue during the second half of this year through a series of church-wide gatherings built around our three great purposes:

• Love Jesus

• Love Each Other

• Love Gymea

Together we'll listen, pray, and seek God's wisdom for the years ahead.

From these conversations we hope to develop a Big Prayer - a prayer expressing what we're asking God to do in and through Gymea Anglican over the next century. We hope this prayer will shape not only our centenary year, but also our ministry priorities, leadership decisions and future planning.

A Centenary Focused on Mission

Alongside this prayerful planning, we're preparing for a centenary year that is intentionally focused on reaching our community with the good news of Jesus.

One of the highlights will be welcoming a Moore College Mission Team immediately after Easter 2027. Together we'll host two mission-focused Sundays, along with a week of outreach events and opportunities to share the gospel across our community.

Throughout the year, we'll also be encouraging every member of our church family to take part in our local mission strategy:

• Term 1 – Lift: Pray intentionally for people who don't yet know Jesus.

• Term 2 – Open: Open our lives, homes and friendships to others.

• Term 3 – Voice: Grow in confidence to speak about Christ.

• Term 4 – Extend: Invite others to hear the gospel through our Christmas and centenary events.

  
  

Along the way we'll also celebrate God's faithfulness with a special centenary service, commemorative events, and, we hope, an opportunity to gather near the site where our church first met under a tree at Gymea Bay.

Looking Forward with Confidence

Many of the details are still taking shape - and that's intentional.

Rather than simply planning a celebration, we're seeking to prayerfully discern what God might do in and through our church over the next hundred years. We want our plans to be guided by prayer, shaped by the wisdom of God's people, and focused on making Christ known in Gymea for generations to come.

As we approach this significant milestone, we'd love you to pray with us that God would continue to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, for his glory and for the good of our community.