Witnessing moments of grace and community

Witnessing moments of grace and community

On Friday 5 June 2026, a new congregation will be welcomed into membership at the LCAQD Convention of the Synod.

Praise be to our Lord. Last Saturday, Gold Coast Cantonese Community Church celebrated the second anniversary of its church planting ministry during our worship service. Looking back over the past two years, the journey of establishing this community church has certainly not been an easy one.

Originally, the church planting plan was prepared to begin in Adelaide, and everything was ready to proceed. However, after returning to Brisbane, I began suffering from severe back pain. Despite receiving treatment from several chiropractor friends, the condition did not improve. It was only after seeking further treatment from a Chinese medicine practitioner that I discovered the problem was caused by long-term stress. During this time, I shared again with LCAQD Bishop Dr Mark Vainikka the vision and burden for church planting, and eventually we discerned that God was leading us to relocate the mission to the Gold Coast, continuing the ministry foundation that the LCA had established there over the past decade.

At the beginning of 2024, I shared this vision with former members of Grace Chinese Lutheran Church, and we officially began preparations for the church plant. Initially, as we were unable to find an English-speaking congregation to serve as the calling body, we commenced ministry on the Gold Coast as an independent congregation under the guidance and encouragement of Bishop Mark.

We thank God that, after more than a year of growth and development, the congregation formally applied for membership in the Lutheran Church of Australia (LCANZ). The District Church Board (DCB) subsequently resolved to accept our congregation into membership of the LCANZ, with the resolution to be presented to the Convention of District Synod for ratification in early June this year. In addition, our first election of office bearers was held in March, leading to the establishment of the inaugural Church Council and the formal adoption of the congregation constitution.

By the grace of God, and through the united service and faithful prayers of brothers and sisters in Christ, this young congregation has gradually grown and taken shape over the past two years. Through this journey, we have come to understand more deeply that the church is not simply a gathering place, but a community of people whose lives have been transformed by God and who seek to live in His presence.

As we look ahead, we believe God is not calling us merely to be a busy church, but to be:

• a church that helps people know God
• a church that reaches into the community and bears witness to Christ
• a church that lives out hope
• a church without walls

So that those who are lost, wounded, empty, or weary may come and encounter Jesus, receiving the new life that He alone gives.

May all glory and praise be given to God, and may the Lord continue to guide the path ahead.

Images: Members of the Gold Coast Cantonese (Lutheran) Community Church celebrate their second anniversary; their children’s ministry, ‘Kids Adventure,’ started on the first Saturday in May.