The Temple of the Holy Spirit (THS) prayer group is a Sydney, Australia, based charismatic prayer group established since September 1996. The aim of the prayer group is to bring the living Jesus to other young people around the world through the power of the Holy Spirit.
By coming together every Friday night, praising and worshiping our Lord, we continue to develop an intimate relationship with Jesus and a fellowship with other brothers and sisters in Christ. This enables us to keep spiritual life growing and hence, reach out to the ends of the earth to spread God's love. In May 2009, THS Taiwan and Hong Kong were established.
In 1996, through a visiting evangelist from the United States, a group of young people in Sydney received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. From that moment, their lives have been changed forever. Although been going to Sunday Mass year after year and actively involved in community, in reality they knew nothing about their God. For the first time in their lives, they experienced God, His love, power, joy, peace and strength. The Bible becomes alive, the baptism of the Holy Spirit gave them the conviction that God is alive and living in them. Since they had been coming to Asiana Centre regularly on Friday nights, they decided to formally set up a prayer group, and Temple of the Holy Spirit (THS) was born.
From its inception, the group has been meeting every Friday night at the Asiana Centre, rain, hail, or shine. Sacred Heart Mass is celebrated at the first Friday of each month. On other Fridays there are praise and worship, followed by cell group discussions (second and forth Fridays only). Members come from countries in South-East Asia such as Hong Kong, Taiwan, China, Singapore, and Malaysia. We are young, energetic, enthusiastic to bring more people to know Jesus through His Word, the Holy Spirit and music, through a lively and energetic way.
On Sundays, Bible study groups after Cantonese and English masses at the Asiana Centre. Since 2001, we have regular missionary trips to Taiwan and Hong Kong.
In July 2008, THS organised the only Chinese national youth gathering during the Sydney World Youth Day week of activities - the largest project ever taken by the group. Members were divided into several groups focusing on marketing, communications, venue, intercession etc. A number of video clips had also been posted onto YouTube, covering the preparation as well as serving as an introduction to our group at the same time. A special DVD was also made about our group and Catholic Charismatic Renewal.
The Charismatic Renewal has had a profound influence on the Church. It is a grace given to the Church in our time. It is, in fact, a special work of God to help the Church deal with the pressing problem of loss of personal faith among so many as secular influences eat away at the inner life of the baptised. The Renewal is God’s antidote to secularisation. Today, we can be humbly grateful for the mercy of God as He has once again come to the aid of His people. We can personally recognise how much we are indebted to the grace of the Renewal. Through the Renewal each person experiences a fire lit within them. Like the fire at the Burning Bush that Moses witnessed, it is a fire that does not consume the bush. It is the fire that fosters faith, love and a desire to give all to God.
Bishop Julian Porteous, Former Auxiliary Bishop of Sydney, Episcopal Vicar for Evangelisation & Renewal