On the 23^rd of February, hundreds of people from our multicultural groups gathered at the Hills Campus in Sydney, Australia to celebrate the Lunar New Year.  A massive pot-luck dinner was held at the forecourt with many connect groups bringing massive dishes to share to usher in the Year of the Dog.

Many people wore the customary red clothing – a celebratory colour in East Asia – and carried around the traditional ‘red packets’ to give as gifts to family and friends. Dancers and other performers entertained the crowd, and our Cultural Pastor, Kim Brinsden, shared a quick word of encouragement.

Lunar New Year is celebrated by many countries each year, mainly in East Asia, with the tradition spreading in many other countries: Chinese, Korean, Japanese, and Vietnamese communities honour the yearly celebration. For us at the Hills Campus, it was a chance to celebrate as a community and reflect on God’s goodness over the past year.

A BIG thank you to all our remarkable international college students, volunteers and connect group leaders who moved tables and chairs to set up a dining area and packed down. The leaders welcomed visitors and friends to the event.