amalgamate verb, -mat.ed. -mat.ing.

My Sydney church, Central Sydney Presbyterian, is joining up with another church, Abbotsford Presbyterian. We're doing it because the school hall we currently meet in is being extended, thanks to the government's stimulus money. A couple of Sundays ago both congregations voted for us to start meeting together, with a view to formally amalgamate halfway through next year. In many different ways, God's hand looks to be in the whole process, which is a great comfort and joy for us near-sighted people. It's going to be a really interesting time.

I don't know how other people in Central Sydney would characterise the church, but to me, it's a church of people who have integrity and desire to grow. People try to be honest about who they are and where they're at, and they really want to become more like Jesus. This means that we're pretty caring and concerned for each other. It also means we're pretty straight-up and blunt and we don't care about the niceties. We're a relaxed, casual bunch.

The church we're going to is a small, lively church full of elderly people. It's currently much more formal in style and more old-fashioned in aesthetic than Central Sydney. Thank God we don't have to somehow try to achieve unity and harmony - that's already been won in Christ. But we do have to live in accordance with this profound reality. It's going to be a good test I reckon and a rare opportunity to show the difference that the gospel can make in the lives of people. Stay tuned and I'll let you know how it goes.