A heart for the West.

I was born and raised in the South-West of Sydney and until recently this seemed to be the bane of my existence. For as long as I can remember I have known that I am a 'Westie', have mumbled the whereabouts of my hometown under my breath and have fought against the stereotypes that have come to characterise every resident of Sydney, no matter where they live. Hailing from Fairfield of course means that I am poor, have probably struggled to complete my education, have witnessed a drive-by shooting and would steal your wallet if given the chance. To be fair, I held a similarly exaggerated view of what life might be like for those who lived on the other side of the bridge: a bunch of wealthy snobs.

It amazes me how divided the city of Sydney has become, how we immediately judge a person based on their area code. For a long while, I fell for it. Being a Fairfield resident was to me, synonymous with failure, hardship and mediocrity in general. The end goal was simply: get out.

Right now, in this very moment, the idea of leaving Fairfield is unimaginable. I cannot attribute this change in attitude to selflessness on my part, but I ascribe it wholly to God. The difference between the disdain I felt then and the passion I have now, is Jesus. I now define success not in terms of wealth or a home on Sydney Harbour, but in striving to serve the King who first served me.

God has peeled away the layers of wrong-thinking and broken my stubborn pride and allowed me to see the South-West through His eyes. I understand now that my being placed here was not an unhappy accident but quite deliberate. It is my great privilege and responsibility to fulfil the Great Commission - in Fairfield.

Only a heart convicted by God's grace could joyfully accept this. Yet even Christians in the South-West who have complete comprehension of the price Jesus paid to gain us have not realised that carrying our crosses and following him might actually mean staying put.

It is my prayer that a culture change would spread amongst the Christians of the South-West and indeed, the rest of Sydney. Ministry in the South-West has struggled for far too long and I pray that God would convict us, equip us and use us to do his saving work. We need change. The time has come.

I have started this blog as I feel it may be another medium through which awareness of the needs and progress of ministry in the South-West may be made known. This will include posts in regards to South-West Inter-Church Ministry (SWIM) and information on other ministries as I come across it. Please feel free to make suggestions, critique, ask questions. Most of all, I ask that if you come across this, that you would pray for the ministries and people you read of.

For His Glory,
Christine.