Pine Creek is a small town north of Katherine with a population of around 300 people. It takes an hour to drive there, and it’s actually a part of our parish (it’s a big parish!). Historically, there is a service on the third Sunday of every month. Issy & I were able to go for the first time in mid-January, and a couple of other church members came with us.

There are only a couple of regular attenders at Pine Creek and one of those was away, so the four of us joined with Rosemary to swell the congregation to five members. Rosemary is a local lady with an infectious energy. Together we sang and prayed and read the Bible, we shared communion and chatted over a cup of tea after the service. It was a joy!

In particular, it was so wonderful to see Rosemary’s excitement in sharing the service with us. We didn’t just see it; she told us multiple times! It’s easy to take Christian fellowship for granted when you’re surrounded by your brothers and sisters at church every week. Even a so-called ‘small church’ in Sydney is completely different to Rosemary’s experience at Pine Creek. Sunday was a reminder that Christian fellowship is a precious gift from God. It will be a privilege to share it with Rosemary in the months and years to come.

If you are able, can you pray for Rosemary and the church at Pine Creek? Pray for God to strengthen their faith and give them great joy in our monthly gatherings. Ask God to bring others from town along to church too so that they can hear the Gospel. You can pray similarly for the service in Mataranka, which is another town an hour’s drive in the other direction!

And maybe you can thank God for your church and the joy of gathering together with God’s people week after week. What a precious gift!