The Next Generation Embraces God’s Radical Hospitality at GRUC

Griffith Regional Uniting Church (GRUC) is an intercultural gathering of God’s people within the Griffith/Riverina region which is a highly multi-cultured area. 

The empowerment of young adult leaders in our life and witness has been very effective. From where the church was a year ago, it has grown quite dramatically. The Church Council is now also led by young people. This has been accredited to our young families and young leaders, with the support of the members, presbytery and Synod, for their leading the congregation to keep the doors open and further express their faith in Jesus through our ministry.  

With their strong family and social connections, heartfelt devotion and prayer, and fresh energy and ideas, GRUC holds great potential—especially now, with a minister in placement to guide and support them further. 

The church consists of four major cultural groups, predominantly from the Pacific Islands, with a few people from different cultural backgrounds. Since starting in my role 4 months ago, it has been mostly through our Sunday worship services where we sing, read, speak and pray in the various languages. Our leadership team is also an intercultural committee where we work to together reflecting the intercultural membership of our congregation. 

One of the many success stories thus far is the young leaders working diligently for the ministry. With the influx of intergenerational and intercultural families becoming regular worshippers and members, and the arrival of seasonal workers in Griffith, the church community has been growing and evolving. Many are responding to the needs of both the church and the wider community, while also navigating the responsibilities of young parenthood and learning the ropes of church leadership. It’s amazing what they have achieved—with the Holy Spirit at their side. But this growth has also come with its challenges.

Like many churches today, the main challenge is resourcing whether it be finances, manpower, or experience. Although our new young team have the support of experienced members from various committees, it often costs either financially or physically to get our ministry where it needs to be.  

We continue to discern and develop a governance structure and ministry initiatives that reflect the will and way of God for our congregation and beyond. Through the different seasons of life, we lean on the leading of the Holy Spirit.  

Our approach to ministry remains rooted in two core models: