Church Planting
Not Rivals but Partners: Uniting Planting and Revitalisation for Kingdom Growth
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- Written by: Bree Mills
In every generation, the Church is called to be both faithful and fruitful, anchored in the gospel and courageously reaching into a changing world. In the Diocese of Melbourne, this means we are committed not only to planting new churches in communities where people are not currently being reached, but also to revitalising existing congregations where the light of Jesus has grown dim. These two approaches are not in competition; rather, they are essential companions in our commitment to Kingdom growth.
Our ecclesial tradition reminds us that the Church is the Body of Christ—gathered and sent by God, sustained by Word, sacrament, and prayer. We are grounded in the historic faith and continually renewed by the Spirit to engage in God’s mission. This dual calling challenges us to hold together tradition and innovation, deep roots and outward reach.
A SHARED VISION: CHURCH PLANTING AND REVITALISATION
Church planting has gained momentum in recent years, and we have seen new communities flourish when formed with clarity of vision, cultural contextualisation, and missionally shaped leadership. Yet planting alone cannot address all the challenges we face. Many existing congregations are experiencing long-term decline, demographic shifts, or a loss of missional energy. These churches remain part of the Body, and to neglect them would be to neglect our calling to every member of it.
The Diocese of London has demonstrated that replanting into existing churches is among the most strategic ways to bring about renewal. They have shown that declining churches can become vibrant centres of worship, discipleship, and mission when they are entrusted to leaders with fresh vision, supported by a committed team, and encouraged towards renewal. This can be through intentional revitalisation, or replanting something new, while still caring for existing congregations. This is not about discarding the past but honouring it – hold tradition in one hand and bold hope in the other.
Such an approach echoes a deeply Anglican instinct: to renew without severing from our roots. The Church is not a static structure but a living body, shaped by Scripture and sacrament, and reformed over time by the Spirit. Jesus spoke of bringing out treasures both old and new (Matthew 13:52), and we are invited to do the same. Revitalisation and church planting are both treasures.
WHAT MIGHT A DIOCESAN STRATEGY ENTAIL?
If we are to take revitalisation seriously at a diocesan level, we must develop a strategy that is both theologically grounded and contextually responsive. Such a strategy might include:
1. Honest, Compassionate Assessment
Not every declining church is destined to close. Some are poised for renewal. Like Nehemiah surveying the broken walls of Jerusalem, we need leaders who can discern with courage and care where revitalisation is possible. Where is the Spirit already stirring? What might be possible with new leadership and a renewed vision for mission?
We need to honestly assess the needs of a church, which requires building a culture of openness and support rather than ‘shame and blame’ so that we can most effectively discern the best way forward.
2. Leadership for Ecclesial Renewal
We must invest in raising and releasing leaders who are equipped specifically for revitalisation. This form of leadership differs from that required in planting. It calls for high levels of emotional intelligence, spiritual resilience, adaptive capacity, and pastoral imagination. These leaders must be capable of walking with congregations through seasons of grief and change while inviting them into new life.
Training has historically focused on high levels of intellectual knowledge, or specific ministry skills (such as preaching), which while essential, are not the only skills needed. We need leaders with soft skills, relational skills, change management skills, cultural and situational awareness, who can care for and lead a community 3. Cultures of Collaboration, Not Competition Revitalisation and planting must not be siloed. They thrive when pursued in partnership, in part because sometimes the most effective form of revitalisation takes the form of replanting (often termed ‘repotting’). A healthy diocesan culture will allow for mutual learning, shared resources, and the cross-pollination of teams across these areas. A revitalised church may go on to plant; a planting team may help breathe life into an existing parish. We belong to one Body and we will each need to play our part to see the whole church built up into maturity.
4. Flexible, Sustainable Models
There is no one-size-fits-all approach. Some revitalisations will resemble grafts or replants. Others may be best served by forming networks with stronger parishes or through reimagined ministries that respond to the needs of their context or particular people groups. Our structures must serve our mission—not the other way around—and we must be ready to adapt as the Spirit leads.
The church in the book of Acts comes in many forms: larger public gatherings, smaller house-based gatherings and missionary bands. We need to be open to different models to reach different people in different contexts.
5. Prayerful Dependence on the Spirit
Ultimately, revitalisation and church planting are not the product of strategy alone. As Paul reminds us, “Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day” (2 Corinthians 4:16). Renewal is God’s work, begun and sustained in prayer. As we root ourselves again in Scripture, sacrament, and the power of the Spirit, we can trust that God will bring life to new communities and renew life where there has been loss.
A VISION FOR THE WHOLE CHURCH
The future of the Church in our diocese will not be found in choosing between planting or revitalisation. It will be found in a generous vision that embraces both. We are called to plant and to prune, to graft and to grow—as God leads.
We are not preserving an institution; we are proclaiming a gospel. The Church—ancient and new, inherited and emerging—is the bearer of good news in our generation.
As we align ourselves with the Spirit’s work of renewal, we can trust that God will continue to raise up a faithful, courageous Church—sent out in joyful witness to the risen Christ.
Rev. Bree Mills is Canon for Church Planting and Revitalisation, Anglican Diocese of Melbourne.
Partnering Together to Reach a City: The Trinity Network Story
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- Written by: Paul Harrington
ADELAIDE IS A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE
When you think about Adelaide, what comes to mind? The City of Churches? The AFL Gather Round? Wineries? Pie floaters (an Adelaide cuisine involving a meat pie floating in pea soup and smothered in tomato sauce)? When I ask some of my friends this question, they say, ‘Not much!’. I’ve lived in Adelaide most of my life and love it.
But here is the thing you really need to know about Adelaide and South Australia – we are gospel poor. A tiny percentage of the population attends church regularly, and few of these are in evangelical churches. Like every other state in Australia over the last 60 years, mainline churches have experienced a huge drop in attendance and membership. Our city and state are full of people who are spiritually lost and in desperate need of the gospel.
Read more: Partnering Together to Reach a City: The Trinity Network Story
The City on a Hill Story
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- Written by: Luke Nelson
I remember the very first time I went to the church, and the feeling I had. I was working as a graphic designer, and I’d be contacted to make a logo for this new church. It was called ‘Docklands Church’ then, because it met in the newest part of Melbourne, the Docklands precinct, and I went there one Sunday, as a designer trying to understand his client. It became something much more personal than that, though, because almost as soon as I entered the space, I felt like I’d entered something I wanted to be a part of – something that God was going to work in. I’ve been there ever since ...
The story of that church, which would soon become City on a Hill, is a remarkable story of God’s grace. Planted by just a small group of people in 2007, it has become a movement of churches, with 11 churches now spread along the eastern seaboard of Australia, and an average weekly attendance of 3300. Currently, City on a Hill has three more plants to launch in the coming months, with a vision and prayer to plant 50. In a time of decline for the Australian church, it stands out as a sign of grace – a work of God that has touched the lives of many and has the potential to be a great encouragement to God’s people across our nation.
City-to-City
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- Written by: Andrew Katay
ANDREW KATAY INTERVIEWED BY STEPHEN HALE
Stephen Hale: City to City commenced in Australia around 2010; and you became the CEO around 2014, is that right?
Andrew Katay: Yes. City to City had made a connection here at the end of 2010, with the first event in 2011. Tim Keller was not inclined to lead a conference here in Australia unless it would lead to some tangible movement in the church, but by 2014 there was this nascent city expression that had already begun to emerge in the couple of years prior.
Stephen Hale: There was the Trinity Network in Adelaide, and City on a Hill had started in 2007.
Andrew Katay: Yes, so Tim had a level of confidence that if he did come out, it could achieve what he hoped: a movement. And that’s when City to City really became a public thing. We realised that with the conference, we needed proper governance, so we created a company limited by guarantee with a proper board and so on. That enabled us to employ some staff and function as a proper organisation from the end of 2013. The “Pastors and Planters” conference, which many remember, happened in 2014, with 800 or so people packed into the Wesley Theatre.
Called to Create: My Journey in Church Planting
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- Written by: Amy Footson
When I first sensed a call to ordination, I was immediately drawn to church planting. I had this deep desire to see Christian community and worship happen in creative, non-traditional ways—especially in spaces that the church often overlooked. That desire really took shape during my time in the UK.
In Chester, I got involved in something called “Night
Church,” where we opened the church from 10pm to 2am on Saturday nights. We ministered to people who were out clubbing, offering prayer, conversation, and simply a safe place to be. It was raw and beautiful, and it made me realise that church doesn’t need to look a certain way to be deeply meaningful.
Later, in London, I became part of a “Café Church” that met every Sunday evening. It was relaxed, relational, and created space for people who were curious about faith but didn’t feel comfortable in a traditional service. I also visited a church on a canal boat that was reaching out to some of London’s most unreached estates. Seeing that kind of creativity in mission inspired me. Church planting has always been a passion of mine—especially when it means forming new communities that meet people where they are.
When I was ordained a deacon in July 2023 in the Anglican Diocese of Melbourne, I began my curacy as Assistant Curate and Cathedral Church Planter at St Paul’s Cathedral. It was a unique role—one that combined the traditional elements of ministry training with the opportunity to pioneer something new. Out of that, we planted Gather at St Paul’s —an evening congregation aimed specifically at university students and young adults.
Before we began, there weren’t many students or young adults regularly connected to the Cathedral. Our vision was to create a space where people could gather for intentional community and worship, especially those who might be exploring faith or hadn’t yet stepped into church before. I wrote a new eucharistic liturgy for this community, which was later authorised by the Archbishop for use in that setting. The service focused on creative expressions of worship and prayer, and was intentionally different from what the Cathedral already offered.
We wanted it to be accessible—both for Christians and for those who weren’t sure what they believed. It was important to me that it felt like a safe, welcoming space. Community dinners and Bible studies helped shape a strong sense of belonging and gave people opportunities to ask questions and grow in their faith. For many, Gather at St Paul’s was their first experience of church—and I still find that incredibly moving.
Now, I’m part of the Church Planting and Revitalisation team for the Anglican Diocese of Melbourne. I’ve been working with the team to develop new learning communities for both emerging and experienced church planters. It’s such a joy to help others explore what church could look like in their own context—to dream, experiment, and follow the Spirit’s leading.
My passion is to see young people empowered to plant new expressions of church in unreached areas. I believe creativity has a unique power to connect with people’s hearts and minds—to show them that they are deeply loved, even if they’ve never stepped into a church building.
More than anything, I see my calling as being a bridge between the church and the world. I want to make the church accessible to those who don’t yet know God and to share His love in ways that are creative, honest, and deeply grounded in relationship.
For me, church planting isn’t just about strategy or structure—it’s about people. It’s about creating spaces where anyone, no matter their background, can encounter the love of Jesus. And it’s about trusting that God is already at work in the world, inviting us to join Him in the beautiful, risky, hopeful work of planting something new.
Amy Footson is Assistant Curate to Church Planting (Communications and Training), St Paul’s Cathedral, Anglican Diocese of Melbourne.
Church Planting Story
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- Written by: Leili Shirmast
I never imagined I would one day plant a new ministry in one of the most iconic places in Melbourne. But one afternoon, as my husband Pedram and I stood in St Paul’s Cathedral, we watched people stream in—tourists, students, and families, wandering the building, taking photos, admiring its beauty. Then we heard it: Farsi, Turkish, Arabic. Familiar languages that stirred something deep in us. When we later learned that over 1,500 people visit the Cathedral every day, it sparked something in our hearts. How, we wondered, could we share the Gospel with even a few of them?
We began praying, listening, and discerning with others. Some people encouraged us to start a new outreach. After seeking the Spirit’s guidance and receiving confirmation, we knew God was opening a door. That vision became reality on 16 March 2024, when we launched a new multicultural midday service at the Cathedral, beginning with a celebration of Nowruz (Persian New Year). I never expected to start this new ministry. But when I thought about the deep spiritual hunger among those who speak my own language, I realised God had been preparing me all along.