Words from the streets of Kings Cross and Bondi Beach

About Jon Owen
“I am the Pastor and CEO of Wayside Chapel. I write with my heart wide open and my eyes looking at life. I am a philosopher, a dreamer, a tower of weakness, a leader and a follower, a husband and a father and I hope to give you a flavour of life by the wayside.”
About the Inner Circle Newsletter
The Inner Circle is a weekly letter with musings on humanity, acceptance, and love from the Pastor and CEO of Wayside Chapel. It often includes anecdotes of life at Wayside Chapel and speaks to anyone who wants to lean deeper into the question of what it means to be human.

Grand Finals
Dear Inner Circle, After conducting a “celebration of life” for a wonderful man at Wayside Chapel in Bondi, I took a few moments to walk

More Than Words
Dear Inner Circle, For some of you this may be your first note, while others have been here much longer than I have. I first

That Sunday Feeling
Dear Inner Circle, Most of us have childhood memories of Sundays being a little different to other days, be it a slower pace or a

Soapy Hands
Dear Inner Circle, There’s a window on level one of our building in Kings Cross that overlooks the “Horseshoe”, the semi-circle of seats at the

Half of Something
Dear Inner Circle, A few days ago, we returned from our walk on the Larapinta trail in Central Australia. The images of night sky, the

A Special Message From Rev Graham Long
Dear Inner Circle, Gosh, it’s been a while since I started a note with those words! Jon invited me to write this note while he’s

All That You Can’t Leave Behind
Dear Inner Circle, This time next week, some of the Wayside community will walk the Larapinta Trail. I’m not sure what the collective noun for a

A Chaotic Joy
Dear Inner Circle, Last night we gathered in the hall for our Wayside’s Got Talent Evening, an amazing and raucous time where we celebrate all

Swing Low Sweet Chariot
Dear Inner Circle, Even though the bitter winds make for some frightful evenings, the sun is slowly breaking through during the day. It’s a great

Hot Chocolate
Dear Inner Circle, It’s taken a long time, but I now believe in miracles. Do you? It all depends on where you’re from. Most of