A New Day is Dawning: Oasis Communities

Something new is emerging in the Sutherland Shire, a humble, hopeful movement of people called Oasis Communities (oc.org.au).

One day while driving, I found myself daydreaming about the new church plant when an image came to mind of the 2009 dust storm that swept over Sydney. The sky had turned red, the city felt apocalyptic, and I began reflecting on how spiritually dry and weary many people feel today, especially in big cities where everyone is hustling and often exhausted. In that moment, I thought, “Sydney is like a desert city. What if we could be an oasis people for a desert city?”

That picture became the metaphor for this new community. An oasis draws from a deep source and offers life to others. From that idea grew Oasis Communities, plural, as a collective of gatherings and expressions of faith, each one a small oasis of hope, rest, and love across our region.

Our initial planting team includes Tash Holmes (Creative Pastor), Kerry Aberline (Care + Connections Pastor), Terasa Hardie (Care + Connections Pastor), and myself, Mike Hardie as team leader. We began to listen, pray, and imagine what it could look like to be a people deeply rooted in the love of Christ, learning the way of Jesus by loving our neighbours. Our team is already engaging with community agencies and groups, identifying gaps and opportunities for partnership, with a strong focus on developing leaders who will continue this work beyond our initial team.

We wanted to plant a church that feels more like a village than a church service, a community that eats, grieves, celebrates, sings, serves, and grows together in love. Our hope is to be a place where joy and lament share the same table, where questions are welcome, and where creativity and curiosity are treated as sacred.

The Sutherland Shire is home to more than 238,000 people, shaped by family life, coastal beauty, and busy schedules. We want to meet people where they are not with pressure or performance, but with presence, peace, and the invitation to belong. Our goal is to be a simple church rather than a high-production one, keeping gatherings sustainable for families and volunteers. We want to create enough space for genuine spiritual formation, deep community, and serving our neighbours. We’re still learning how to balance this, but we’re committed to going slow, resisting over-commitment, and ensuring our activity flows from rest and conviction rather than unsustainable zeal.

Before launching our first monthly gathering, we spent time talking with locals and business owners, sharing countless coffees with spiritually curious people, and asking small groups what gives them hope and what feels missing. These honest conversations are shaping everything from how we gather to how we serve.

On Saturday October 25, we held our first public gathering at Jannali Uniting Church, generously supported by that congregation, who allowed us to use their space. Eighty-six people came along. The atmosphere was joyful and expectant. People expressed gratitude for a space where faith and doubt can coexist, where compassion and curiosity can grow side by side, as we explored what it means to build an inclusive community and worship together.

Our dream is for Oasis Communities to grow into a collective of local gatherings, each unique yet united by a shared heart. We imagine spaces for creative worship, deep formation, and social transformation. We dream of a community centre that offers practical care and belonging, and a development hub that forms and supports emerging leaders to bring renewal in our region and beyond.

A new day is dawning in the Shire. Oasis Communities is just beginning, but already we sense the Spirit moving, drawing people into community and into the way of love. Please pray for us as we seek to be faithful in this new work.

Mike Hardie

Team Leader: Sutherland Shire Church Plant