Shayne Neumann (Blair, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Indigenous Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Along with other political leaders in Ipswich, I attended the Raceview Congregational Church last Sunday for a special church service. It is a church located in Wildey Street in Raceview, Ipswich. It has served the Ipswich community for 150 years. The morning tea afterwards was held in the 133-year-old community hall. The special church service was to welcome the new pastor, Pastor Billy Diehm, who formerly was the community partnership manager at 96five Family Radio Brisbane. He gave an interesting sermon that talked about serving the community. Indeed, 'serving the community' is the motto of the church.

My wife and I were pleased to be there because this particular church has a number of institutions and organisations with which we are familiar located there. For example, our eldest daughter Alex attended the kindergarten many years ago. It is located opposite the biggest primary school in Ipswich, Raceview State School. The church of only 30 adult members these days once had the biggest Sunday school in Australia, with 250 kids going to it. But indeed, in this day and age, this little church actually has a football club called Raceview Congregational United Soccer Club, of 18 men's, women's, boys' and girls' teams. They run probably the fittest group of 60s fitness club I have ever seen. Nearly everyone in the church is fighting fit and looks like they could run half-marathons. They have wonderful playgroups and a ladies fellowship group. Also, I was pleased to be there because in the afternoon Pastor Levi runs a Samoan community church.