There are some places that become far more than buildings. For seventy years, the Drummoyne church building has been one of those places — a place where worship was offered, lives were shaped, friendships were formed, and Christ’s mission was lived with courage, compassion and vision. Over the decades, it has served not only the Drummoyne Congregation, but the wider church community as well as a former Mission Centre headquarters, a home for the church archives, a host site for national gatherings and conferences, and a place of ministry, welcome and belonging.
At the recent 70th celebration service, members and friends gathered in person and online to honour that remarkable legacy. It was a service filled with memory, gratitude, laughter, reverence and hope. As story after story was shared, one truth shone through clearly: the significance of Drummoyne has never rested solely in its walls, but in the people who have prayed, served, led, welcomed, created, and offered themselves to God’s work through this community.
Marked by deep joy and enduring hope, the service celebrated not only what has been, but what continues still. God’s Spirit is still at work, and the mission formed in this community carries on beyond these walls and into the world. One of the most moving moments of the service was the closing prayer, shared below, which beautifully named both the sacredness of what has been and the courage needed for what lies ahead. We share it below in the hope that it may speak not only to those with a connection to Drummoyne, but to all who know what it is to give thanks for holy places and then carry their spirit forward.
Closing Prayer by Anne Bonnefin
Loving Creator, today we honour and celebrate the shared journey of the Drummoyne Congregation, and the individual journeys of all gathered here and online— each life of sacred worth in your sight.
It would be too simple to equate a building with its people… and yet, within that house of worship, we became a sacred community.
Drummoyne Church welcomed us— as a congregation, as a district, as a mission.
Within its walls, we were shaped by values that ran deep— equality, unity in diversity, the sacredness of creation, the pursuit of a just world.
These were not just ideas, but inspired a way of living.
Those walls held a vision— of the peaceable kingdom. They witnessed the faithfulness of generations. They cradled the nurture of children and youth, and offered comfort in later years. They echoed with music and laughter. They made space for creativity, for community, for questions, for wonder. Its doors opened wide in generous, extravagant hospitality.
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And yet… its vision was never contained within those walls. It always called us outward— to carry peace into a hurting world, to hold both hope and heartbreak, to work for justice,
to honour the worth of every person, to care for all creation, to live into the dream of your peaceable kingdom.
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And so we remember… we are not the building.
As we are reminded in Ephesians, we are being built together— living stones— a dwelling place for your Spirit.
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As we stand at this threshold, we ask— What shall we do?
Give us courage to let go of what needs to be released. Give us openness to welcome what is seeking to arrive. Give us clarity to recognise the path before us as it unfolds, step by step.
Teach us to trust— not in certainty, but in your presence with us in all things.
And in the quiet spaces, help us to listen— deeply, attentively, for your still, small voice calling us forward.
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And so we continue— serving, listening, responding to the needs of our world.
We continue— as people of welcome,
as people of compassion, as people of peace.
We continue— not built of bricks and mortar, but being formed, together, into a dwelling place for your Spirit.
Lead us deeper than we could ever go on our own— beyond what is familiar, beyond what feels certain— and shape in us a living community where your presence can rest, and move, and be made known.
And may we trust that what has been formed among us will continue to live on— in us, through us, and beyond us.
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We pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Share Your Reflections
We know there are many more stories of Drummoyne Church than could have been shared during our 70th celebration service, and we would love to gather them. We invite you to contribute your reflections to a written collection we are compiling, alongside photos.
Please send your submissions to drummoynecofc@gmail.com or contact Janine Wood 0425 368 869.