Reimagine Week 1: Tim Horman
This week marks the first week of our Reimagine campaign, a season of praying, dreaming and asking God what he might want to do through One Church in the years ahead.
Below you’ll find Tim’s message from our 5.30pm service Sunday for those who were not able to be with us at one of our services. We’ve also included a summary of his main points, small group discussion questions for your small group and 7 things to pray for this week.
This week’s Reimagine Events
Tuesday 6 October: Information Supper. An open invitation to gather onsite, hear about the vision and plans, ask your questions, share some food and fellowship, and pray together.
Sunday 11 October: Special services at all service times, plus a Young Adults and One Youth dinner and presentation after the 5.30pm service.
Lastly, if you were not able to join us on Sunday we handed out some Reimagine Information packs after services. We’d love to get you one so please pick up yours at our information nights or at next week’s services. We also have a digital copy of the information booklet available at one.org.au/reimagine.
Here’s Tim’s message from Sunday.
Prefer to listen?
What is the Church For?
A few years ago, a sculpture appeared in a park in Vancouver. It was called Device to Root Out Evil, by the artist Dennis Oppenheim, and it was a church turned upside down.
Everyone had an opinion. Some admired it, others protested that it was offensive or even blasphemous, and Christians argued about it for months. The artist wasn't a believer, and he was probably critiquing the church. But the question his sculpture raised is a good one: what is the church actually for? Are we here to be the moral police, rooting out evil wherever we find it? Or have we got it all upside down and missed the point?
On Vision Sunday, Tim Horman opened our Reimagine series by sitting with that question. Drawing on Ephesians 3, Tim explored what Jesus intended his church to be, what that means for One Church in Blackburn in 2026, and why we believe this is a season to reimagine what God might do among us. As Tim reminded us, One Church has been serving Jesus in Blackburn for more than 120 years. We're not starting something new so much as building on the foundations others have laid. "We stand on the shoulders of giants."
A letter from a prison cell
Paul wrote Ephesians from prison in Rome, awaiting a trial he knew would most likely end in his execution. Years earlier he had planted the church in Ephesus, and it had quickly turned from a gathering of believers into a full-blown riot (you can read the story in Acts 19). The city was home to the huge temple of Artemis, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, along with many other temples and spiritualities, and not everyone was happy to see the church grow.
Ephesus was busy, wealthy, creative, spiritual and multi-ethnic. It was also full of injustice, poverty, human trafficking and a massive divide between rich and poor. "Sounds a little bit like Melbourne, actually," Tim said. And the young church was made up of Jews and Gentiles, people who had once been enemies, now learning to be family because of what Jesus had done.
What struck Tim is that Paul never gives them a strategy for handling the culture around them. Instead, he tells them to look up. Remember who you are. Remember who you belong to. Remember the power you have in Christ. Then in chapter 2 he reminds them that grace isn't only about personal forgiveness. Through Jesus and by the Spirit, they have become a new kind of family made up of every nation, generation and class, "being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit," so that they might display his glory to the world.
Sticking together
That doesn't mean the Ephesian church was perfect. Read the New Testament and you'll find churches constantly working through conflict. Tim was clear that this is part of the journey:
"The task is to persevere with one another, not give up on each other, not cast each other aside in judgment, but to say, you are my brother, you are my sister, we are family, and we're gonna work this out."
And that, Tim believes, is still our main task in 2026, just as it was in AD 60: to show the world who Jesus is and what he's like through the way we live together and love one another. Jesus said the world would know we are his disciples by our love for one another. If we can't love each other, Tim asked, what are we really offering the people around us?
Tim loves apologetics, the work of showing that faith is reasonable. (He admitted some people thought our Questioning Christianity series was "about eight weeks too long.") Good answers can help people take steps forward. But what actually gives rise to faith is an encounter with the love of the risen Jesus. And while God sometimes works in extraordinary ways on his own, his intention has always been to work through his body: ordinary people using their gifts, loving each other and living lives of integrity and faith.
Tim shared a favourite quote from New Testament scholar Gordon Fee, one of his professors at seminary:
"To be saved, in Paul's view, means to become part of the people of God, who by the Spirit are born into God's family and therefore joined to one another as one body, whose gatherings in the Spirit form them into God's temple."
No one person can reflect all of God's life and character. That takes a whole church, with all the gifts of the Spirit at work. Tim connected this to baptism. Going down into the water and rising again echoes Israel crossing the Red Sea out of slavery to become God's people. Baptism is more than a public statement of private faith. It's a declaration that you now belong to a family, the covenant people of God.
So, back to the upside-down church: our purpose isn't to go around rooting out evil, but to show the world the goodness, beauty and love of Jesus. That's how evil is actually overcome. As Paul writes in Romans 12, "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."
God is here, so anything is possible
Ephesians 3 is extraordinary when you remember it was written in chains. Paul could have been deflated and full of self-pity. Instead, the passage pours with passion and hope. He knew his life had been caught up in God's eternal story, something bigger than any one person or any one church.
That's true of us too. "You're not just one individual sitting in a seat in a church," Tim said. You're known, called by name and empowered, part of God's eternal purposes. Whether it's Paul in prison, the Ephesians in a hostile city, or a church in the suburbs of Melbourne 2,000 years later, God sees us, is with us, and has given us his Spirit, the gospel and one another.
Tim was quick to add what that confidence is not. It isn't about the church gaining power over others, or control, or getting Christians into government to set the laws. It's about inviting people into what we've received in Christ, and having the courage to be the church in the time and place God has put us.
And because God dwells among his people by his Spirit, he is present when we gather, whether we feel it or not. That means anything could happen. Tim told the story of the first Sunday of the church he planted in Vancouver: Pentecost Sunday 2005, about 50 people in a tiny, mouldy old chapel. A young couple walking past heard the singing and felt compelled to come in. With no seats left at the back, they sat right at the front and wept through the whole service. They had just been through something deeply traumatic. That day they gave their lives to Jesus, and they're still following him; one is now the principal of a Christian school in Canada. For Tim, a broken heart brought back to life is an even greater miracle than physical healing.
Signs of what God is doing
In Tim's five years at One Church, we've seen real growth, especially among families, youth and young adults. People are exploring faith through Alpha (our course for anyone with questions about life and faith). For months it has felt like someone is being baptised almost every week. We now run two morning services, the 5.30pm service is flourishing, and Youth Church has grown so much we're struggling to find room for it. Our Food Pantry is serving far more people than last year, and many of its guests recently gathered here for a Christmas in July meal. Next year we'll launch a new discipleship pathway called Deep Discipleship, and we're praying towards planting a new church.
Tim also named something he's noticed in the wider culture. For years, sharing faith felt like pushing against a closed door. Now, in more than 25 years of leading churches, he has never seen such openness. As economic pressures grow and trust in leaders falls, people are realising we don't have all the answers in ourselves. People have bought a Bible on a whim, started reading, and turned up on a Sunday or at Alpha wanting to know more about Jesus. Tim believes that's just the tip of the iceberg.
Who you are, and what God can do
To show why we can be confident, Tim listed what Ephesians 3 says is true of every follower of Jesus:
We have received the boundless riches of Christ.
We've been let in on the manifold wisdom of God, hidden from the beginning.
We're caught up in God's eternal purposes, so our lives and stories have eternal significance.
In Christ we can approach God with freedom and confidence.
We've been strengthened with power through the Spirit in our inner being.
Christ dwells in our hearts through faith.
We're rooted in a love that is wider, longer, higher and deeper than any other.
We are being filled to the measure of all the fullness of God, right to the brim.
"Friends, that is who you are. That is a description of your identity."
And then comes verse 20: "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine." If you can ask it or imagine it, Tim said, God can go beyond it. So he turned it into a question for each of us: are you praying big enough and bold enough prayers yet? For your friends, your family, your workplace, your future?
That doesn't mean life will be smooth. There will be challenges and suffering. But even then, God is with us. The God who turned a city upside down in the first century could do it again here.
Why Reimagine, and why now
After months of prayer, the staff and Elders have felt compelled to lean into that promise and to prepare for a new season of growth. Part of that means looking honestly at our building. We're deeply grateful to those who sacrificed to build it, but it isn't serving us as well as it needs to for the ministry God is bringing. The plans include better spaces for kids and youth, an enclosed kids' play space, a parents' lounge, a youth church space, a warmer foyer, and a more welcoming entry for our Food Pantry guests. The full project will cost around $4 million.
Tim was careful to keep this in perspective. "This is more than just a building work." The building needs to serve our mission and ministry, not the other way around, and Sundays won't be taken over by building details. He also acknowledged the church's poor reputation when it comes to money, and said clearly that he doesn't want anyone to feel pressured. Generosity is an important spiritual practice that Jesus spoke about often, but as Paul says in 2 Corinthians, we give not under obligation but in response to God's grace. "This is an invitation, not an obligation."
On why now: after much prayer, the leadership sensed God saying now is the time, and waiting would only make it harder and more expensive. Some parts of the building need maintenance and upgrading anyway. On the amount: $4 million will feel enormous to some and less so to others, and Tim wants to honour every perspective. He pictured a stained-glass window. Some pieces are large, some are small, but every piece is needed for the image. Whatever anyone gives, and whether it's a big sacrifice or an overflow of what they have, it matters.
Over October, everyone is invited to pray about what they might pledge over three years, and to bring that pledge on Commitment Sunday, 25 October. A couple of weeks later, the total will be announced.
What we can expect
Tim finished by naming what he believes this season will bring: miracles of transformed lives, provision and generosity; spiritual growth as our faith is stretched; spiritual opposition, which is why he pleaded with us to pray through this season together; and great joy as we watch God move.
He hopes that in 20 or 30 years, someone will make another video like the one we watched on Sunday, and the church of that day will be glad that people took a step of faith to invest in those who came after them. As Tim Keller put it, we aren't only responsible for our own generation, but for the generations that follow.
"And so now is our time, friends."
One way to live it out this week
Take Tim's question seriously: are you praying big enough prayers? Pick one person or situation you've almost stopped praying for, and pray Ephesians 3:20 over it every day this week. Read Ephesians 3:14-21 slowly each morning and notice which phrase stays with you. And if you have questions about Reimagine, come along to the Information Supper on Tuesday. Use the daily prayer points below to keep praying for our church as you go.
A short prayer
Lord Jesus, thank you that you are building your church,
and that you have made us a dwelling where your Spirit lives.
Help us to stick together and love each other well,
so the world can see what you are like.
Give us courage to pray bigger, bolder prayers,
and to trust you for immeasurably more.
We don't want to go anywhere unless your presence goes with us.
Amen.
7 Things to Pray for This Week
Take these with you this week: download the printable prayer points (PDF). These will also be shared on our Instagram and Facebook pages.
Monday 5 October: Our past and our future.
Give thanks for the 11 people who started this church in 1904, and for every generation since who prayed, gave and built so that we could be here. As Reimagine begins, pray that God would give us that same faith for the future, and show us what he wants to do through One Church in the years ahead.
Tuesday 6 October: Information Supper.
Pray for everyone gathering tonight. Pray that people feel free to bring their questions, that they leave with a clearer picture of the vision, and that the evening is full of real fellowship and prayer.
Wednesday 7 October: Our small groups.
Pray for our small groups, where so much of our growing, caring and praying for each other happens. Pray that they would be places of real community and unity, and that everyone looking for a place to belong and grow would find one.
Thursday 8 October: Those exploring faith in our community.
Pray for people in our community who are exploring faith: those coming to us with questions, those who have just started reading the Bible, and those curious about Jesus for the first time. Pray that they would meet his love through his people, and that we would be a church where every question is welcome. Then pray by name for someone in your own life who is exploring faith.
Friday 9 October: Faith to dream bigger.
Paul says God "is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine" (Ephesians 3:20). Pray that we would ask boldly, and expect God to answer.
Saturday 10 October: Our leaders.
Pray for our Elders, finance team and everyone shaping the plans. Ask for wisdom, unity and good stewardship of every dollar entrusted to us.
Sunday 11 October: Our young people.
Pray for today's services and for the Youth and Young Adults dinner after the 5.30pm service. Pray that our young people would see themselves as part of this vision, not just people it's built for.
Personal Reflection
If someone asked you "What is the church for?", how would you have answered before this message? Has your answer shifted at all?
Of everything Paul lists in Ephesians 3 as true of followers of Jesus, which one do you find hardest to believe about yourself? Why might that be?
What is one prayer you've stopped praying because it felt too big? What would it look like to start praying it again?
Small Group Discussion
Think about that upside-down church sculpture. What do you think people outside the church assume we're here for? Where are they right, and where have they got it wrong?
Tim said the task is to "persevere with one another, not give up on each other." When has sticking with a Christian community been hard for you? What kept you there, or what made you want to leave?
Jesus said the world would know his followers by their love for one another. Do you find that encouraging or confronting? Why?
Tim believes arguments rarely bring someone to faith, but encounters with Jesus' love through his people do. Does that match your own story, or the story of someone you know?
Read Ephesians 3:14-21 aloud together. Which phrase stands out to you right now, and why? What questions does it raise for you?
Tim has noticed a new openness to the gospel in our culture. Have you seen that in the people around you? What makes it easier or harder for you to talk about your faith?
Tim described this season as "an invitation, not an obligation." What helps something feel like a genuine invitation rather than pressure, whether it's serving, giving or anything else?
Tim asked whether we are praying big enough and bold enough prayers. What is one big prayer you'd like the group to pray with you? Spend some time praying for one another, and for what God wants to do through One Church.