Our Humble Beginnings
In 1853, a group of 6 people met in a house at 20 Queen Street, Melbourne. For the next several years, our church met in various places until, in 1881, they took the opportunity to lease the John Knox Church (our current Chapel) building. In 1883, our forefathers took a tremendous leap of faith to raise up £4500 to purchase the building. This was the humble beginnings of what was then known as Swanston Street Church of Christ.
Focus on Missions
Over the years, our church developed greater awareness and support for foreign missions. Many missionary speakers and missionaries spoke at Sunday Services as well as at the Wednesday Prayer and Bible Study night. As a result of growing missionary interest, a Missionary Convention, probably our first, took place in 1962, featuring a number of missionary speakers and the screening of a Gospel film.
The church also had contacts with overseas Asian Students as early as 1961. From 1964 onwards, there were an increasing number of overseas students attending Swanston Street Church of Christ. The church moved into this area of ministry by making Asian students feel at home. Quietly this was to become a major ministry of the church over the next thirty years, second to missions.
Growth & Expansion
The Annexe Building (now Knox House) was purchased in 1986, after much prayer and negotiations with the former owners. The years 1990 and 1991 were to see more buildings and renovation work completed than in any other year. The space under the chapel was excavated to provide modern kitchen facilities and more space for church lunch, interaction after services, and for various gatherings. Knox House was also upgraded in 1991 to comply with building regulations and provide more meeting space.
With the number of regular attendees reaching a peak of 500, the demand for meeting spaces were reaching critical. In 1996 as a result of an agreement between Swanston Street Church of Christ and Walker Corporation, we managed to secure the basement of Melbourne Campus Apartments, which was converted into an auditorium and completed in 1998.
CrossCulture, 2006 and Beyond
In 2006 we decided to change our name from Swanston Street Church of Christ to CrossCulture Church of Christ. Reasons for this change is:
- Spiritually, we stand for the cross of Christ.
- Locally, we are a cross cultural church, coming from different cultural backgrounds, yet united in Christ.
- Globally, we are cross cultural in terms of our commitment to mission, both in Australia and overseas
With nearly 1000 attendees every week, CrossCulture Church of Christ is called to be a great missionary and outreach church. Five hundred students live above our heads. New students are constantly arriving and departing. We have open access, available from the student apartments into the basement auditorium and vice versa. We can outreach as never before to students, both overseas and local, calling people into service for the Kingdom. To teach and train. Our building is a means to that end. Never an end in itself. Our motivation is to fulfill God’s purpose in the world. God has blessed each step of faith we have taken. So God has proved himself faithful in the past. We look to God for the future. To our Lord Jesus Christ we look with faith and love. May all your purposes dear God come to fruition in us.
If you are a history buff, why not check out "The Church In The Heart Of Melbourne", by Dr. Calvin Ma. Discover the pioneers of Swanston Street Church of Christ, the early pastors, and the exciting story of how we were able to secure our auditorium at almost no cost. Available at Celebration Books or the Church Office for $10.00.
