Wollongong: The Place
Wollongong lies on the East Coast of Australia, about 52 miles south of Sydney. With a metropolitan population of approximately 275,000 people, Wollongong ranks as the third largest city in the state of New South Wales (NSW), and the tenth largest city in the nation. The city lies on a narrow coastal plain, bordered on the east by the Pacific Ocean and on the west by a sandstone mountain range. Wollongong, meaning ‘Sound of the Sea,’ is the central city of the Illawara region.

Wollongong: The People
“We are one, but we are many. And from all the worlds on earth we’ve come…” The words to this Australian folk song are echoed in the faces that make up Wollongong. A high percentage of residents have southern European ancestries. Many from the republic of Macedonia, Italy, Greece, Turkey and Yugoslavia, have made their home in Wollongong. Recent years have shown an increase in migrants from Vietnam, Lebanon, Iran, Portugal, Spain, Africa, South America and Bosnia. And even more recently, there has been a large influx of people, especially young families, moving from Sydney. These ‘commuter families’ are drawn by lower real estate prices, less traffic congestion and the peacefulness and beauty of Wollongong. The University of Wollongong brings both local and international students to the area as well.

Wollongong: The Need
Wollongong has not escaped the problems that grieve the very communities in which we now live. Depression. High suicide rates. Religious apathy. Divorce. In addition to these and others, Wollongong ranks as having one of Australia’s highest unemployment rates and drug dependency rates. Thousands of people do not know their Creator. ‘Religion’ is typically reserved for birth, marriage and death. A relationship with God is simply not on their radar. We believe we have a message of hope, of sustenance, of truth, and of reconciliation. Perhaps they don’t know it, but we believe that the city of Wollongong needs Christians to live and work among the people and penetrate this spiritual darkness. We believe that the power of God can and will transform one person, one family, one neighborhood, one city, one state at a time.

Wollongong: The Future
Our dream is big. We dream beyond five years, beyond ten. We dream beyond the city of Wollongong. Our dream is both local and global. It is not possible for us to touch every corner of this city. But through our relationships, and the people we touch, we hope to be both planters of the Word, and senders of the Word. Imagine the global affect in a city like Wollongong! We pray that because of God’s power, Wollongong and its people will never be the same.