A VISION? A MIRACLE!

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find.

This text from Luke 11 verse 9 took on a new dimension after I began attending a Wednesday night prayer meeting some years ago. The people were of varying denominations, all with the desire to establish a regular place of worship of their own. At that time, meetings were held in the Dural Memorial Hall which was often used for other purposes. It was at one of the prayer meetings held in private home that I got a mental picture of a little old Church I had never seen before. This occured every night right on cue, as soon as someone began to pray about our problem. I am not into the paranormal, and am not superstitious, so I was puzzled. Why was this happening and only to me? One day I told my friend Bette about it and she asked me to sketch what I kept seeing. I did so, on the back of an old writing pad. We passed it around at the next meeting and everyone present shook their heads. So I went home and searched in vain through books, old photos etc for a clue. It continued to haunt me and I prayed for enlightenment. Was I being shown something? Was I imagining things? Well it seems that the Lord was on my case, because a few weeks later Bette came to me and said, "I think we've found our Church!' They took me to see it and there it was, straight off the back of my writing pad.

We got out of the car to explore. There was a recreation hall behind it, and a half acre block alongside, on the corner of Old Northern Road and Munro's Lane, Glenorie.
For me, it was love at first sight. Many folks said I'd been given a vision of it and I certainly took it on board as an answer to prayer. So enquiries were made. It transpired the congregation had outgrown the Church and built a larger one at Galston. The building had stood vacant for some five years, well back from the road, obscured by large pine trees. The busy world had passed it by, and everyone had seemed to have forgotten it. Everyone except God.

We made a bid for it to Galston Uniting who owned it, but others were interested in it too. One of the members told of a builder who wanted to live in it whilst building a mansion for himself on the corner block. We learned to our chagrin, that he was prepared to pay whatever it took, to acquire it.

In observance of Luke 11 verse 9, we had sought and we had found. Where could this tiny band of Christians raise finance to beat the builders offer? Well, God had a hand in that too. When the Reverend Stephen Robinson was informed, he stated that he would sell to those who would continue to use the building for worship.

Almost overwhelmed by our David and Goliath victory, we set to work, praising the Lord for His wonderful provision for our needs. We scrubbed, we painted, we moved walls and we sawed things up. If ever there was a labour of love, it was seen as the abandoned Church was reborn. Then on the 29th July 1995, there was an official opening and blessing. One of the most important persons present was Reverend Robinson, who had faithfully put the Lord first when it came to financial gain. I was asked to speak about the vision that had become a miracle, and in the congregation, many were almost reduced to tears.

Today in the foyer, a golden plaque presented to us by Galston Uniting, informs all who enter, of its history. Recently renamed Glenorie Community Church, the Church moves ever onward. We support 7 missionaries, including two from our own assembly, who are at present serving in the Solomon Islands. We also help sustain Open Doors and Galston Christian Education Association, so from such a humble and uncertain beginning, we are surely making a difference! Another miracle is that our first church service was held on exactly the same date - day and month - as when the Church was first inaugurated 75 years previously. As the Bible so rightly says,

"All things are possible to those who love God."

by kind permission Nola Joyce 2007