Our Community near Sydney

3 Calderwood Road
Galston N.S.W. 2039
Australia
Ph: (61) (02) 9653 3953

Although most would settle in a city like Sydney to find a life of convenience, leisure and unlimited “opportunity,” we were sent out almost 4 years ago from what had been our home at Peppercorn Creek Farm in Picton, to establish another home closer to the city, and therefore more accessible to visitors. Like a swarm of bees, we left the rolling hills of Picton and the established community there, to begin something new. Not that we were searching for a fast-paced city life, but we came here to establish a place just like the one we had left, where people could come and find a home, a family, a place to belong. Where they could be needed, loved, and taken care of, just as we had been.

We began as just one young family and a few single people, as pioneers, learning the value of hard work in establishing something new. Our café in Rozelle and baking industry have steadily grown over the last 4 years, and so have we. We are now a young established community of two families with children and over a dozen single people who, together, cover the many needs of a café, baking industry and construction and demolition industry, as well as caring for the daily needs of the household and the children at home. We are not many to meet so many needs, but this is teaching us to be flexible and to love one another in the midst of varying pressures, and most of all, to trust in our God who cares for us. In so many ways we see how our life together is perfectly designed by our God, not only to teach us invaluable lessons, but to heal and restore us back to being real human beings, who reflect the goodness and faithfulness of our wonderful Creator.

We live in a beautiful old sandstone house, set back from a well-traveled Pennant Hills Road. Here (in the suburb of Oatlands, located in the quieter outskirts of Sydney) we found a suitable dwelling place for us who are striving together with one heart to become that ourselves, a worthy dwelling for our God. Built by one of the first convict settlers, in the early 1800s, it is a reminder to us that what is built on honest hard work and a solid foundation will stand, even the test of time. Here, in a city consumed with progress and consumerism, we are learning to overcome our selfishness, and put our own needs and desires aside to care for one another. It is not easy. But the foundation of our life is our Master Yahshua, He is our example. He walked this path before us, loving us more than His own life, so that we in turn could be set free from ourselves to love just like He did. We have come to see that the only foundation solid enough to stand, and strong enough to cause human beings to truly live together in love, is what our Master did to forgive us and set us free from the sin that would otherwise keep us divided. This is what released us to press on towards our goal – that we would be perfected in our love.

We see the collapsing morality and social decay all around us as we work in and travel around Sydney, and we are thankful to have been brought into a new life, where we can learn to maintain a good conscience and clean, healthy relationships, and raise our children to value and uphold what is good and pure, even as most of what we see around us is going in the opposite direction. We help one another in this.

If you were to drop by you would always find us at our home, and (except for the Sabbath) at our café or bakery. If you were to stay with us, you would quickly become incorporated into our bustling life. Either helping the mothers at home with the cooking and cleaning, or making fresh loaves of organic spelt and wheat sourdough or yeasted gourmet breads with the bakers, or joining the café workers at the shop for a day full of varied activities – cake and slice making, sandwich making, soups, salads and of course, there’s always the dishes! Or for some real hard work join the construction crew for a day.

Our home is open to any who desire to see the life we live. That is the reason we are here. So, there is always room for more – just come and see!

Please phone, write or e-mail us, or simply turn up. You are always welcome.