Jesus said, ‘the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few’.
Our world desperately needs more gospel workers. Workers who can handle God’s word confidently and teach it to others. Workers ready to lead ministries and share the word of life with God’s people and with the lost.
But preparing for a lifetime of ministry is hard work. It can be a lonely and tiring experience. Those training for ministry need support. They need a community.
Moore College provides the training and community that prepare students for a lifetime of ministry. We prepare students face-to-face and full-time for a ministry that is face-to-face and full-time.
As many of our graduates can attest, students are not isolated or alone when they come to College, but join a vibrant community of fellow students who learn the same material at the same pace. They share their lives and the Scriptures in a way that mirrors the apostle Paul’s example (1 Thess 2:8, Acts 20). As iron sharpens iron, these students sharpen each other inside and outside of class: whether it be over a meal, having morning tea between classes, or walking back to their accommodation. They’re formed by the College community for a lifetime of gospel work, with the desire and skills to minister with the word and their lives.
Such formation can’t happen when students learn by distance or live remotely.
This is backed up by secular research. As Associate Professor Andrew Wait reported earlier this year:
‘Face-to-face interaction helps students learn. A recent study I undertook with colleagues at Kyoto University and Monash University, published in the journal Games and Economic Behavior, analysed how people in teams work together. While it focused on employees, its insights could equally be applied to students, who often learn just as much from informal interactions with their peers as they do from their lecturers. These discussions and arguments help students explore ideas, be wrong, get informal feedback and change their minds. Notwithstanding the biological imperative to socialise, this is all part of the learning experience, and it is very difficult to imitate online, especially without the foundation of in-person contact.’[1]
Students need to be living in community if they’re to really benefit from communal face-to-face interaction. And for that community to happen, let alone flourish, there needs to be suitable accommodation. Thus, Moore College’s on-campus accommodation is critical to the future of well-trained gospel workers.
The need
Since the 1950s, Moore College’s has provided accommodation that makes such community and formation possible.
But JCH is falling apart—quite literally. The facilities are no longer suitable for our students. They are currently quite a step down for our students who have experienced today’s university accommodation. Merely repairing it is not cost-effective or viable in the long term. Given modern concerns, many of these rooms should have their own ensuite. If we want community life to thrive into the future, we need to do something now.
JCH needs to be replaced.
What’s the Plan for JCH?
The current two-storey JCH building from the 1950s will be demolished, making way for a six-storey building fit to house 91 students.
Open staircases connecting the community rooms will encourage people to walk between the various levels. There will also be a rooftop pavilion over the western building, which merges with the external outdoor decks, creating shared indoor and outdoor spaces.
As you can imagine, however, replacing a building is not cheap. We will need to raise $40 million to fill this need.
But a new JCH will allow us to accommodate future generations of Moore College students—both single and married. A new JCH will help the student community thrive, and shape future gospel workers. This will be an important investment in the future of gospel work across Sydney, Australia, and beyond, for generations to come.
Will you partner with us in replacing JCH, to help Moore College train more gospel workers for the harvest?
[1] Andrew Wait, Face-to-face learning has many benefits which can’t be offered online, The Australian, May 4th, 2020. Accessed at Face-to-face learning has many benefits which can’t be offered online (theaustralian.com.au), on 23rd August 2020.
