Church News

Reshaping our Digital Service

Since first going into lockdowns in early 2020, our digital service has remained consistent as an opportunity for connection with each other and with God. Our focus has been to enable community, worship, and discipleship online. As we bounced in and out of lockdowns in 2021, the digital service remained adaptable, sometimes taking the role of the sole service of the week, serving our whole church family. Services took different styles, replicating those of the in-person congregations the service was…

St John’s and COVID-19

Dear Friends, With the increasing impact in Australia of the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) our church has implemented a number of hygiene measures at our gatherings. These have been done to try and ensure the safety and health of the majority of our people and undertaken based on advice from the Diocese of Melbourne. For now, services are still running.  We have hand sanitiser at the entrances to each of our three church buildings which we encourage people to use as…

Join a Local Mission Team

If you were a bird, looking down on Nillumbik Shire, how would you picture our church?  Do you automatically think of a red brick building? When I think of our church, I think of you.  I think of the places you are during the week, not in a weird stalker way ?  but in a way which represents that we are God’s people on mission 24/7 and only a few hours of that a week are spent together in a…

Giving Thanks to God

There is so much to give thanks to God for each and every day. He is the one who provides our daily needs and sustains our lives. He gives us relationships, with himself and with each other. He is with us in the midst of challenges and hardships, providing comfort, peace and hope. It is good for us to regularly come before God and celebrate his goodness. This should be a daily and weekly discipline but it is also good…

RSVP needed for Youth Event

G’day Parents Multiplayer Video Game sessions are good times. Movie nights are great. Why not put them together and maximise the fun? Good thought. Read on… This event will run from 6-10pm on Friday the 22nd of June. We’ll confirm the location closer to the date when we have a good idea of numbers. It will be in Diamond Creek or very close to Diamond Creek. We’ll contact you with details once the location is locked in. $10 2 hours…

Our Community

When moving into this area, something which struck me was the strong sense of community: communal vegetable gardens; communal libraries; communal running groups; communal history; communal stories; communal tragedy; and communal triumphs.  It’s a delight to be a part of – thank you Jesus for Nillumbik Shire! God had our community in mind when he made covenant with Abraham!  That his offspring would be a people who knew their God and they would be God’s people.  They would be a…

Come and See

There’s a news item from a few years back that has remained in my mind.  A stranger had leapt in front of an oncoming train and onto a child who had just fallen onto the train tracks.  He was willing to put his own life at risk, to save the life of another.  Both survived; thanks to his courage and quick thinking.  He was celebrated as a hero.  Despite his humble protests, the family of the child were understandably insistent…

What’s on for Youth in Term 2?

With so many churches struggling to engage young people and with increasing pressure on young people to reject Christianity completely, it’s encouraging to be a part of our church where young people are both present and growing in their relationship with Jesus. As the Youth Minister at our church, I love seeing our young people step up to serve, share their faith with their friends and seek to apply God’s word to every part of their lives. It was a…

Church News April 8th and 15th

This edition of the Church News includes an update on from our Communications Guy, Andy, on the work happening behind the scenes at St John’s. We’re also excited that a missionary partner family will be visiting soon! Download the Church News here.

Church News March 3rd

After stepping into her new role in February, Kylie gives us an update on Children & Families at St John’s, including the rebranding of our Children’s teaching time at both our 9:30am and 6pm services to St John’s Kids. Also in this issue, we’re supporting Prison Fellowship in their Easter Bake mission, to give every prisoner in Victoria Easter cookies along with the messsage of Jesus’ death and ressurection. Download it here

Church News 25th Feb

This fortnight’s Church News includes Julie’s first Church News article, thinking about Vision 2022, and how we can Grow in Jesus, and Share Jesus. We also heard from one of our Missionary Families, the Giffords, in Barcelona. Download it here

Church News January 21 & 28

In this edition of the Church News we get an update from Lisa, who along with a number of other young adults, have spent part of their summer on Beach Mission. Download the Church News here.