From Relationship to Mission: Dr Edward Sri Inspires Our Parish
We were truly blessed to welcome Dr Edward Sri to our parish of St Catherine of Siena, Caroline Springs on Sunday, 31 August 2025 for his talk “Making Missionary Disciples” organised by Parousia Media. Parishioners and guests from across the community gathered at the CRC Hall to be inspired, challenged, and equipped to live out their calling as disciples of Jesus.
Dr Sri shared a powerful message about the true meaning of discipleship. He reminded us that it is not just about following rules but about cultivating a deep, transforming relationship with Jesus. Our ultimate goal is to imitate Christ, to love and live like Him, and to be gradually transformed from one degree of glory to another. At the same time he acknowledged our human weakness. We are not perfect and discipleship is about bridging the gap between who we are and who we are called to be, day by day.
A central theme of the talk was humility. We encounter Jesus in the valleys of our lives, not on the mountaintops of glory. Dr Sri used the story of the woman at the well to illustrate this truth. She met Jesus in the darkness of her life and, transformed by His love, became the first evangelist in the Gospel of John.
Dr Sri also gave a practical framework for sharing the faith. He explained the kerygma in five steps, called the 5 R’s:
- Relationship – God with us, a love that desires intimacy
- Rebellion – Our sin, personal and collective, as GK Chesterton said, “What’s wrong with the world? Me”
- Reconciliation – The gift of Jesus’ life and love on the cross entering our suffering
- Recreation – Transformation and healing by God’s grace, restoring us and making all things new
- Response – Our conversion and mission to share this love with others
He used a vivid image to show how we are transformed. Like iron in the fire, as we draw closer to Jesus we gradually take on His properties. Even though we remain human and weak, Christ begins to live in us and we are gradually changed.
Dr Sri encouraged all attendees to ask themselves whether they love Jesus enough to share Him with others. True missionary discipleship flows naturally from a life spent in relationship with Him, fueled by love and personal encounter.
It was an inspiring and transformative afternoon and we sincerely thank Parousia Media for organising this event and blessing our parish community by bringing such a gifted speaker to us.
