Authenticity

Having been a University Chaplain (University of Adelaide, South Australia), and now a priest in an inner city church of a University town (Adelaide, South Australia http://stmarymags125.blogspot.com.au/) it is interesting to cogitate upon what University students might want in a church.
One person once said to me about a big evangelical church which they used to attend that it was a "meet market" and a "meat market". Lots of uni students went there, and young people like to go where other young people go!  Indeed that guy met his wife there!

But I also want to add another dimension, which is true both of our church (St Mary Magdalene’s Adelaide, and  of the Cathedral Church of St Peter, Adelaide):
that social outreach is important.
A very Anglo Catholic principle.
The incarnate God is met in the incarnate people!
Two decades or more ago a group of ‘earnest’ (quite the wrong word to describe the lovely kids who were uni students in the 80s) but genuine Christians ….sat around for weeks wondering about how they should put their faith into practice. Finally they just decided they needed to DO something. That something was putting on a slap-up meal for all comers on Saturday nights. That has continued for nearly thirty years. Diocesan parishes and schools volunteer every week.
Really looking forward to my first Christmas here, when the parish will outdo itself with a proper Christmas dinner for those who we are called to love.
I am impressed by the quality of University and young professional volunteers who staff this wonderful ministry.

It strikes me that most freshers get this as authentic Gospel…and so do I