In many ways I have joined CSBC twice.
The first time was in 1962 when I transferred my membership from Ivanhoe Baptist Church which had been my home church since birth. It was a logical decision as we had moved to South Yarra, I was working at Queen Victoria Hospital and there were family connections to CSBC. That time however was short as I left in 1963 for overseas study thinking to return within and a year or two.
The second time was in 2004 on my eventual return to Melbourne. Most of those 40 years had been spent in South Korea working as a missionary of the Uniting Church in Australia and although I had kept my membership at CSBC I had to make a decision as to where I would worship. About 4 months later I attended the Anniversary service and to my surprise, my great grandmother, a former member of CSBC, was mentioned. I felt that ‘someone was telling me something’ and I have attended regularly since that day and have felt very much at home.
One aspect of the church life that has excited me has been the opportunity of being involved in ministry to those who come from overseas. Having had the personal experience and the challenges of living in a different country/ culture I am very aware of the importance of a supportive church home.