Will we break out into different groups every time we meet at Central, or do we stick with the same group each time?

Central is essentially a gathering of all the Young Adult Life Groups together for dinner and a session. But after the session, everyone breaks into their existing Life Group for discussion, learning, prayer and sharing. So you will be with your own Life Group every time.

What's a Life Group?

Other Churches call them small groups, cell groups or connect groups, but they are all essentially the same thing! A Life Group is a small group of people (usually between 6 to 20 members) who meet together regularly to learn about Jesus, to grow in their faith, to share, pray and have fun hanging out together. It's a small community of people committed to one another and intentionally exploring what it means to know and follow Jesus.

I feel like it might be time for me to move to a new Life Group, am I able to do that?

This year, we're trying to ensure that our life Groups are as balanced & inclusive as possible. To help with this- we're creating new groups with people placed into groups with others of similar ages and life-stages.

To aid this process- we ask that if you would like to change groups, that you contact Micah (Young Adults Pastor): mevans@sb.org.au or Elim (Admin): etai@sb.org.au, or submit a 'Join a Group' form through this website.

I'm not in a Life Group, can I still come to Central?

Yes! In fact, we hope that by coming along to Central you will find a great Life Group which suits your age, stage and personality.

Newcomers to Syndal and to Central throughout the year will always be welcome to connect with a Life Group on the night, and we've got a number of leader and staff happy to walk through this process with you!

Do I have to pay for meals at Central?

Yes, there is a cost for your meal. However, we hope you'll find the cost affordable and the food pretty great! When you arrive at Central you can purchase a meal for $15 (which includes a meal and a soft drink).

What if I can't make it to Central because my Wednesday nights are busy? Is there anything for me?

We hope that most people can arrange their schedules to keep Wednesday nights free so they can be a part of Central, but we understand this won't always be possible. While it is true that the majority of our Young Adult Life Groups will be joining in with Central, we are hoping to set up one or two Life Groups which will meet on other nights. If you are unable to attend Central but would still like to connect to a Life Group, simply fill out the info form under the 'Join a group' link at the top of the page but don't click the 'I am able to attend Central on Wednesday nights' button and we will be in touch to help you out.

I don't really consider myself a Christian but am interested in coming along to meet new people and learn more about Christianity. Is that ok?

Absolutely! The content of the sessions and studies is aimed at Christians seeking to follow Jesus, but if you're ok with that, we hope you still have a great time and feel really welcome! You will be invited to jump into any Life Group on the night (small groups of people where we discuss what we hear in the sessions and talk about life and faith). If you find anything confusing there will be plenty of people happy to answer your questions and chat more about faith in Jesus.

What sort of things will be covered in the sessions?

During the sessions (which will happen roughly between 7.15 - 8.00pm), we may have someone from the Young Adult community share their story or experiences of life with Jesus, or a panel of various people answering questions related to the topics we cover, or some leaders and Pastors from Syndal teaching us from the Bible, OR some guest speakers sharing about various aspects of life and faith.
Our aim is to explore one topic in each Block which will connect with some of the questions and experiences Young Adults most come across, and to explore how faith in Jesus and the wisdom of the Bible interacts with those things.

What time does Central start and finish?

Dinner at Central will run from approximately 6.30-7.15pm, the session will run from around 7.15-8.00pm, Life Group time will run from around 8.00-9.00pm. Groups will aim to wrap up around 9.00pm.

You say the Central age range is 'eighteen to thirty-ish'...what does that mean? I'm in my late thirties, can I come along?

Deciding on the target age-range for Central was a difficult endeavour, but we decided to make the cut off 'thirty-ish' so as to accommodate some of the people who might be 30, 31 or 32 who are still studying, or whose friendship group is made up of people in their late twenties. We recognise that there are many people who still very much identify with the young adult age and stage who are in their early thirties, and we want them to still feel welcome and at home at Central. However, we did specifically have a cut off of 'thirty-ish' because the reality is that if a newcomer who is 35 or 37 attended Central, they would find themselves amongst a crowd which is comprised of roughly 90-95% people in their early-to-mid-twenties (and younger). At Central, we don't have any Life Groups dedicated to people who are in an age bracket over 30 years - the closest we have is a group or two which is made up of mid-to-late-twenties with a few who are 30 or 31. Our hope is that by establishing this age range, we avoid putting newcomers in a situation where they feel notably older than the rest of the crowd, while still accommodating a few who have only just crossed into their thirties and still identify with the younger group. If you are mid-to-late-thirties, and would like to commit to a Syndal Life Group, you can email our Life Groups Pastor, Mandy (mstark@sb.org.au) and she will help you connect to one of the other great groups at Syndal who function outside of Central and the young adults ministries.