I am delighted to let you know that on Friday, March 6, the final hurdles to the site development at 88 North Terrace, Adelaide, were resolved. I know many of you have been praying for this to happen for years. The project will be proceeding within a matter of weeks.
A Bit of Background
Thirty-two years ago, God enabled us to purchase the land to the rear of the church building at 88 North Terrace, Adelaide. The members of Trinity Church Adelaide, prompted by God, gave generously to enable this to happen. Our plan was to develop this site to enhance gospel outreach across our city and beyond. Over the past three decades, we have had 7-8 unsuccessful attempts at getting a development off the ground. Then, six years ago, we signed a preliminary agreement with a developer, which went through several iterations and obstacles (including a pandemic!). Then, in the middle of 2025, the State Planning Authority gave the plan the green light. The church facilities will be refurbished, and a 1,000-bed student accommodation facility, along with multi-storey car parking, will be built on the land we currently use as a car park. Since the State Planning Authority’s approval, we have been finalising some of the finer details of the agreement with the developer. Last Friday, we resolved the last of these issues.
Where to From Here?
Please be praying for the congregation of Trinity Church Adelaide. On March 23, we will hand over the car park to the developer so they can commence construction. We will retain use of the church facilities for another six weeks. The final services on the site will be happening on Sunday, May 3. Some of you may have long-standing connections with the ministry at North Terrace and might want to join the congregation that Sunday as we stop to give thanks to God for 188 years of gospel proclamation from that site.
Then, from May 10, members of Trinity Church Adelaide will be relocating to nearby facilities that God has wonderfully provided. The morning gatherings will be meeting just west of the church at Adelaide University. The evening gathering will meet just east of the church site in a ministry centre we have been able to lease 24/7 for the duration of the construction of our new facilities.
What Can You Do?
1. Please Pray
Give thanks to God who has been superintending this entire project. I was part of the church when we purchased the land in 1994. However, I expected that the site would have been developed much sooner than this! From time to time, I wondered why God hadn’t acted so that this could be done earlier. But as the Network has grown, from one church to 15 over the last 25 years, I can see why our plans in the 1990s were shortsighted. I am so thankful that we have a ‘long-sighted’ God.
Also, pray for the members of Trinity Church Adelaide. All of us around the Network understand the challenge involved in moving into rented facilities, including the work of setting up and pulling down. It is a significant task to prepare for such a change. But the move also opens up wonderful opportunities to reach new people with the gospel. Ask God to draw people to Himself.
Give thanks for the terrific team of people who have been labouring behind the scenes. The project team has been working through many ministry and building aspects of the site development. Please especially pray for Ben Chapman and Duncan Ward, who have done much of the heavy lifting and will continue to coordinate and oversee the Trinity side of the project in the next few years. Alongside them, the staff team at Trinity Church Adelaide, led so well by Geoff Lin, has been preparing for the transition away from the site.
2. An Opportunity to Give
The development also provides a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to establish a fund that can be used to grow gospel ministry and provide a legacy for future generations. We were able to proceed with this project knowing that the payment from the developer for the long-term lease of the car park land would meet the costs of redeveloping the church site and upgrading the heritage buildings, with surplus funds remaining. However, we are keen to direct as much of the developer’s payment as possible towards creating a fund that will support the Network’s plans to plant churches, invest in leadership development, and help our existing churches grow their ministries. This means we will be launching an appeal to members across our churches in the Network to partner financially in this project. Any donations made will enable more of the developer’s payment to be allocated towards future gospel ministry across our city and state. Since the site includes several heritage-listed buildings, we have been able to secure an option to give tax deductibility through the National Trust.
We will be letting you know more details about this partnership opportunity in the coming weeks.
A Personal Note
We are not a Network that is big on church properties and facilities. We are not property developers. We are partners with God in His work of seeing the Lord Jesus Christ proclaimed in our city, state, and around the world. In His providence, God has given us the site and facilities at North Terrace. Our desire is to steward this gift for His glory and honour as we go about making disciples. I can see how God has gone before us in this current project. Please keep praying that we will keep our eyes fixed on the Lord Jesus at all times. We don’t want to be distracted by property matters. We want to use all the resources God has given us to partner with Him in building His church.