James Boyce Obituary, Death – On the evening of Monday, December 12th, our much loved Pastor, James Boyce, passed away unexpectedly. It is with deep regret that we share this news with you. Although James had been getting treatment for cancer, the news of his demise came as a complete surprise to all of us because it was not anticipated. When Jase went on long service leave in 2010, James stepped into a paid role to care for our community. Prior to that, James had served at Missionheart for a number of years as a volunteer. James possessed a unique talent for engaging in one-on-one conversation and attentively listening to others. He enjoyed nothing more than brewing some delicious coffee, sitting down with his friends at the drop-in center, and having meaningful conversations about his faith in Jesus.
On Sundays, as he was juggling children, he also managed to bounce about a soccer ball, make and serve a large quantity of sausages, and welcome our friends who were having difficulty. He was an excellent communicator, and he thought in ways that were not conventional. We all keep in mind his lesson about the need of planting sequoias, which are enormous trees that take one hundred years to reach their full height. He challenged us to think in the long term about the legacy that we will leave behind, and although we can’t always see the fruit now, we want to be planting sequoias, a faith that is strong and enduring, with fruit that will be evident in the generations to come so that they may reap what we have sown with our lives.
The love that James had for God, for the people of Missionheart, and for his family will forever be James’ legacy to all of us. We are all aware of how deeply he cared for his family, which consisted of his wife Ali and their six children named Elijah, Tristian, Felicity, Malachi, Sam, and Audrey. Because of his commitment to Jesus, he made sure that his family came first at all times. The passing of James has left Ali and their children with a profound void in their lives. A memorial service commemorating James’s life will take place on Thursday, December 22 at noon at The Chapel at Gold Creek, which is located at 17 O’Hanlon Place in Nicholls. The service will be held in James’s honor.
After the funeral, there will be a wake held at Nationsheart Christian Community on Rae Street in Belconnen beginning at 2:30 in the afternoon. Everyone in the family and all of their friends are invited. There have been a lot of people wondering what they can do to help Ali and the kids, so the first thing you can do is pray for them. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers. In addition, we have established a fund to which individuals can contribute money in order to assist Ali and the kids during this challenging time. Ali will receive each and every penny of the money donated to him in its entirety.
