A Huddle of College Students Grows into a Flourishing Church in Sydney

A few years ago during one of Harbour City Church’s communion services, a young man named Bernie reached for the bread and wine. Bernie grew up in Hong Kong but moved to Sydney, Australia, to finish high school and attend university. Shortly after moving, his host brother invited him to Harbour City’s college group and the church quickly became Bernie’s home away from home.

For two years he played basketball with the church leaders, went to the college group meetings, and worshipped with families in the community on Sunday morning. Bernie did not personally know Christ, but God was working through His people at Harbour City to teach Bernie about His love for people. Then, as Bernie watched the communion plates move through the pews, the Holy Spirit stirred his heart. This time he wanted to participate in the Lord’s Supper.

Harbour City Church’s history is a collection of moments like these. When zoomed in, the day to day of the church’s ministry looks ordinary. Yet zoomed out is an image of a church making an enormous impact in the Australasia region of the world. As God touched the lives of people like Bernie with His grace, He turned a faithful huddle of college students into a vibrant church reaching people all over the world with the gospel.

The Birth of a Church

Harbour City began in 2006, shortly after MTW missionary Jim Jung landed in Sydney with his family and with plans to immediately build a flourishing church in this global city. But Jim quickly realized God had a different timeline. For three years, the church plant struggled to expand beyond an initial core group. Meanwhile, Jim began working with college students. While the church plant floundered, the college ministry boomed. Eventually, the campus ministry started feeding into Harbour City as the college students graduated and asked Jim if they could be part of the church plant.

Slowly their numbers grew and their capacity to reach the people in Sydney grew with it. Today, the 80-member church plant serves five university campuses through their college ministry called Student Outreach to the World. The church has partnered with organizations like Compassion International, International Justice Mission, Sydney Refugee Team, and a soup kitchen called Newton Mission to provide mercy and justice for the vulnerable in the city. They have sent missions teams to work with MTW missionaries across Asia. Recently they launched City Sanctum, a ministry to business professionals.

Moments of Grace

Behind this growth are stories like Bernie’s. After the communion service, some of the elders explained the significance of the Lord’s Table and who the meal is for. That Sunday, Bernie dedicated his life to Christ. He has been a faithful member of the church ever since.

According to Jim, the church is made up of young people from all over the region who connected with the church, grew in their faith, and are now active members both in the local church and God’s kingdom.

“I have done 20 marriages within our church—that’s 40 individuals—where things just lined up and happened in the best way possible,” said Jim. “They came to Christ, they were discipled to value what is good and right for their lives, they met each other and formed a family … every case is like one little stone or brick that gets built up. It is nothing crazy or dramatic but just all the grace of God.”

God has used each of these bricks to build a church that reaches international students, migrants, and refugees from China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, Japan, the Pacific Islands, and the Middle East. Harbour City is quickly outgrowing its current space. Last year MTW donors provided funds for a special grant to the church’s capital campaign for a new building. Jim and the other church leaders believe a new building will allow the church to continue to expand—to plant churches, send missionaries, and reach others like Bernie throughout the Asia Pacific region.