From Struggling to Sending: God’s Renewal on the Mountain

In the past 18 months, about 18 people have come to faith at Tamborine Mountain Presbyterian — more than the previous 18 years combined. In 2025, the church partnered to plant a church in Yarrabilba. Behind these milestones is a story of gospel clarity, shared vision, and support from the Reach Australia network.

The opportunity

By 2019, Tamborine Mountain Presbyterian was in decline. The number of people coming was falling, the congregation was aging, and Sundays felt inaccessible.

“The church was close-knit, but we didn’t have a clear sense of direction,” recalls Dave Mugridge, who joined as assistant minister that year.

It was critical that more people were reached and so Dave focused on small but intentional changes — preaching the gospel with greater urgency and clarity, simplifying services, and listening closely to the congregation and community.

In 2020 he trialled an evening service to engage younger families. These early changes helped people to grow in hope and openness to what God might do.

The change

In July 2021, Dave became the Lead Pastor and began connecting with the Reach Australia network through the Leadership Development Program.

Input from the network amplified the early adjustments already underway, providing stability, language, and support that equipped him to lead the church into a new chapter.

“We didn’t change our direction overnight,” Dave reflects. “But support from the network gave me the confidence to keep going and showed me which small changes really mattered.”

One of the greatest benefits was the strength of being with others who understood. “For me, it’s been huge just being around other senior pastors in the same boat, wrestling with the same issues,” he says. “Knowing I’m not alone.”

Coaching also proved invaluable. “Derek Hanna coached me through some pretty tough seasons,” Dave recalls. “Not everything applied right away, but I could store things for when the church was ready.”

The Leadership Development Program also gave him language and structures to bring others along. In 2022 the church articulated its first vision: — to see the gospel overflow in their lives and cascade down the mountain and beyond.

Alongside vision came systems. Teams for hospitality, care, and music began to share responsibility.

The network helped him see afresh that gospel clarity was the backbone of change. Preaching became more focused, accessible, and centred on Christ. “That was the foundation,” he says. “Everything else flowed from preaching Jesus clearly.”

The impact

The results have been gradual but striking. Weekly attendance now sits at 210–250, and visitors describe Sundays as gospel-focused, welcoming and accessible for newcomers. Young families who once stayed away are now part of the church’s life.

“Someone who hadn’t been to church in five years walked back in and said, ‘This is a completely different place,’” Dave recalls.

In 18 months, 18 people have come to faith — more than the previous 18 years combined.

The most unexpected outcome: stepping into church planting.

“I don’t think planting would’ve even been on our radar without the convictions from the network that planting was possible,” Dave says.

In 2025, the church partnered with Central Valley Church to plant in Yarrabilba to see more people reached with the gospel. The partnership also breathed fresh energy back into Tamborine Mountain, and lived out their vision of the gospel cascading down the mountain.

Challenges remain. Growth has created pressure points, and Dave says he wishes he had invested in a leadership pipeline earlier. Fostering a deeper gospel culture remains a priority for the years ahead.

One thing is clear: God’s word has been transforming lives, creating a church with a fresh zeal to proclaim the gospel and more committed to sharing it. Along the way, the network has been one of the means God has used to sustain and equip Dave in this work.

“It’s God who’s brought new life,” Dave reflects. “My part has simply been to keep preaching Jesus clearly and leading our people one step at a time. Watching God transform lives has been the greatest encouragement.”