There are a lot of ways you can contribute to the Church.
Use the message form at the bottom of the page to let us know how we can help you move forward in the service of Christ.
- Practical ways to help (Facitlities, Op Shop, Cafe)
- Sundays (Hospitality, Worship, Children)
- Prayer
- Looking outward (Community Engagement, Disciple Making)
- Building the Church (Pastoral Care, Admin)
Practical ways to help:
Facilities
Its a pretty great campus. Between the bush setting, the Church, Hall, Op Shop and Coffee Shop there is ALWAYS something that needs doing.
Its a pretty great campus. Between the bush setting, the Church, Hall, Op Shop and Coffee Shop there is ALWAYS something that needs doing.
- Keep an eye out for working bees
- Let us know if you would like to come and do some gardening or maintainance when it suits you
- If you have trade qualifications and can donate some time to the Church - please let us know about that too.
Our vision for the Op Shop is summed up in 2 Cor. "Grace and peace to our customers and community, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. There is a lot to do to create the space for that to happen. Things like:
- handyman jobs
- driving stuff around
- merchandising
- sorting donations
- helping as sales staff
- making coffees and serving tables
- helping us stay on top when larger groups turn up for coffee and cakes
- working on facebook marketplace
- gardening
- OH&S and first aid people
If you have some time to spare and want to be part of a truly fun team that is changing lives, here's your chance.
Sunday Morning
Sunday operations
if you came from another church before you were here - you know about this. If you are new to the Church, nothing "just happens". Heres where everyone can find a spot.
Childrens Ministry
We have about 10 kids who join us infrequently for worship. They are among the most excited and exciting members of the community. They LOVE it here. They come mostly when grandma and grandpa bring them. They are spread over lower and upper primary ages, and are a joy to teach. They are hungry for the things of God - and in some cases are hearing the stories of Jesus for the first time ever.
To serve them, you have to
This is one of the most important areas we need to work on as a community. If you can help - or even if you know someone with a call to this ministry who is looking for an opportunity, please get in touch.
Musically. If you have some skills, we are looking for musos. We particulary need the core band members - keyboard, guitar, bass singers and drums. This is a fun team to be part of. The focus is much more on the quality of the worship than the production standards.
if you came from another church before you were here - you know about this. If you are new to the Church, nothing "just happens". Heres where everyone can find a spot.
- Ensuring the building is clean and ready for worshippers, and then left presentable for the congregations that come in during the afternoon.
- Preparing communion,
- Morning tea, (People bring the food. It just needs to be laid out, and the kitchen and hall made ready.)
- Covid management,
- Picking up residents from the Residential Aged Care Centre next door dropping them off again after worship,
- Counting offerings and banking,
- Welcoming and making sure people can connect with the community
Childrens Ministry
We have about 10 kids who join us infrequently for worship. They are among the most excited and exciting members of the community. They LOVE it here. They come mostly when grandma and grandpa bring them. They are spread over lower and upper primary ages, and are a joy to teach. They are hungry for the things of God - and in some cases are hearing the stories of Jesus for the first time ever.
To serve them, you have to
- love kids
- enjoy teaching and interacting with little people
- have a blue card, pass a police check, get two references, do the church safe training sign off on our safety standards and work within the protocols. We have made all of this streamlined and simple - BUT we will die in a ditch around child safety. The Australian church has been brought into disrepute becuase of sloppiness in this area, and we don't want to be part of that story.
- have a flexible attitude. There are plenty of days when you will prepare a lesson and find no kids turn up.
This is one of the most important areas we need to work on as a community. If you can help - or even if you know someone with a call to this ministry who is looking for an opportunity, please get in touch.
Musically. If you have some skills, we are looking for musos. We particulary need the core band members - keyboard, guitar, bass singers and drums. This is a fun team to be part of. The focus is much more on the quality of the worship than the production standards.
Tech crew: We have a pretty solid tech team, but we could use people who understand OBS. We have some cool capacity in our technology - but we are currently going live from a mobile phone. The problem is a gap in people-who-know-what-they-are-doing. We have a regular online congregation of people who can't get to worhsip any more, or who are off gray nomading. We want to serve this part of our family as well as we can.
Creatives We have not shone so far as a centre for the creative arts. BUT - we have found incredible power in bringing imagery, props and object lessons into the preaching. We desperately want to find a team who can work with the preachers to assist the majority of people who would prefer something other than a lecture. This is a fantastic opportunity to help make disciples while you engage your creative gift.
Prayer
There are three networks for prayer one prayer meeting and an app for daily devotions.
A general email for the things that can be shared fairly openly among the community. This is distributed as there is need. Lets know if you want to recieve these emails.
The Sanctuary Group – a facebook group where concerns can be shared. If you want to be part of this group, let us know and we will invite you to join. It is a "secret" group.
Our “quiet” intercessors. This is a closed distribution by email when there are very private matters that need urgent and specific prayer, and where we can’t share things openly. Membership is by invitation only.
Monday night prayer meeting. 7.00 at the Church. This is a power house where the presence and voice of the Lord are known. The meeting lasts about an hour.
Lectio 365 Download the app, and join us morning and night for prayer. This is an amazing resource, and the way we pray and read scripture together every day.
Looking outward
Disciple Making
Do you have people who you are talking to about the things of God. We have a great support team of intercessors, coaches and carers who can back you up.
Discovery Bible Study. Look for someone who "likes you, listens to you and wants to serve you". This is what we have looked for to find people we can ask: "I'm looking for someone to read the Bible with - could we get together and read some of it?" It has amazed us how many people say "yes" and secondly, how the Holy Spirit teaches people all manner of things - just because we sat and read a short passage together. Dave Dean is the trainer for this approach. If you would like to know more, let us know and we will put you in touch.
New Christians Induction We have a small team who love sharing the basics with new believers - or people who never had the chance to join the dots. If you have the gifts to help us populate new groups - Gabrielle is the contact. Just let us know and we will connect you with her.
Fringe Church This is a ministry conducted by friends of ours. It is a community of people who are unlikely to "make it" in a standard church enviornment. Have a look here. If you are keen to help, or know people who should be invited to a Fringe cell, let's know. we can introduce you to Ron and the team.
IT: Our "Ancient Paths" outreach helps people understand HOW to repent, and to build the life of the Spirit. Have a look here. We stand amazed at the number of followers we have across all the main social media platforms. Several young people have come to Christ as a result of us explaining truly attractive topics like "How to fast" or Why silence matters in prayer". It seems people don't need to be told to repent as much as being shown how to do it. We need help managing and loading the various platforms, and your web skills can help change lives.
Spiritual Formation: If you are a practitioner of the "spiritual disciplines" - we could use help with content for ancient paths and coaching for new practitioners. Reach out and we can get you involved.
Community Engagement
Kaye Brennan in our Community Liaison Officer. She has an ambitious vision:
- to get the churches in our region aware of what we all do in mercy ministries
- then to ensure we are swapping referals and working together/smarter
- to surround it all with an ecumenical prayer approach
- and include the wider community in this more effective approach to charitable work.
The way that works is "One City, One Heart" an amazing network of local churches loving one another, working together, blesing each others work and nenjoying far more effective inistry as a result.
The other big piece is our Community Brunch. The fiorst Saturday of each month is dedicated to inviting our nreighbours, Op Shop customers and anyone we can tell to join us for Brunch. Don and Dianne Henderson are the champions of this work, and do a fantastic job of building relationships and networks across the local community.
Trauma
We are building a relationship with a ministry that has just arrived in Australia. They specialise in ministry and discipleship for survivors of trauma. This approach will be the single bigggest "add" to our capabilities this year. The team is forming right now and the community of interest around this is HUGE. If you have skills, lived experience, or are just a healer looking for work, talk to Jean or we can put you in touch.
Building the Church: Pastoral Care
We are proud of the pastoral care work in this community. We spend a lot of time training people to ensure they have the best possibilities to be useful to people. We have a sophisticated approach to mentoring, and a great team of in house pastoral care practitioners.
If this is your "thing", we have a spot for you.
Training: We are proud of the amount of training we complete each year in Pastoral Care. We are among the better trained churches in the country and we endeavour to find ways to put our training into practice in blessing people. The training includes induction into our safer churches program, as well as ongoing skill development. If this is your area of influence, let us know and we will get you engaged.
The Pastoral Care team
59 times we are given “one another” commands in the New Testament. Our pastoral care team are the people dedicated to ensuring that we obey all 59! Much pastoral care is organic, and just happens. However, there are frequent times when we need to make a bigger effort to get alongside a household or a person and ensure they are carried carefully through challenging times. This team also watches to try and ensure no-one “falls through the cracks”. Kath is the coordinator. Speak directly to her, or we can put you in touch.
Chaplaincy at the Op Shop
It has been a wonderful surprise to see the number of people who come wanting someone to talk to and pray with at the Op Shop. The result is a number of great "God conversations" each week and a larger number of pastoral care conversations. There is a good team of people who are our onsite evangelists and pastors. There are any number of possibilities for outreach, disciple making, mercy ministry and community building through the op Shop. Wanna help?
Buckingham Gardens. (our residential aged care facility)
(There is some additional induction and training needed for these ministries.)
Pastoral Care assistants are a crucial part of the ministry at our Residential Aged Care Facility. We are constantly amazed at how the grace of God is so rich for people who have waited a lifetime to find it!
There is also plenty of scope for people who want to help with social activities. The activities program, and the big celebration days always need volunteers.
Don't forget that it a major effort each Sunday to bring residents up to worship. This too, is changing lives.
All of these ministries operate under the “safer churches” process we are careful to work within.
Buckingham Gardens. (our residential aged care facility)
(There is some additional induction and training needed for these ministries.)
Pastoral Care assistants are a crucial part of the ministry at our Residential Aged Care Facility. We are constantly amazed at how the grace of God is so rich for people who have waited a lifetime to find it!
There is also plenty of scope for people who want to help with social activities. The activities program, and the big celebration days always need volunteers.
Don't forget that it a major effort each Sunday to bring residents up to worship. This too, is changing lives.
All of these ministries operate under the “safer churches” process we are careful to work within.
Journey Mentoring
This is a ministry we have developed up to the point where we have handed it over to a new board of directors in its own company. To get an idea of journey mentoring click here. We connect a mentee with a mentor. The process is structured, safe and controlled. The mentees, usually, are people with deep things to work through. The mentors are well adjusted, established Christian brothers and sisters who are trained to ask great questions, and coach people toward life in all its fullness. Would you make a great mentor?
Building the Church - Administration
We are blessed with wonderful people who lead this area, but there are some spots we want/need to fill at the moment. If you have admin skills or experience and love this area of service, please let us know.
Areas that can use help
- Data Entry
- Reporting
- IT
- Social Media
- Website development and maintainance
- Tracking and implementing updates around legal and regulatory changes
Talk to Jewell (our administrator) directly, or just get in touch.
Please pray about who you can invite to join us.
We are very serious about being a "sanctuary" - a place for the presence of God, and a "hub" - where people can find what they need for life and godliness. If you know people who should be invited to be part of the journey, do so - and let us know so we can make sure they get the best welcome possible.
Practical
Practical
Sunday
Morning
Sunday
Morning
Prayer
Prayer
Community Engagement
Community Engagement
SpiritualFormation
Spiritual
Formation
Making
Disciples
Making
Disciples
Can I join the team?
Pastoral
Care
Pastoral
Care
Mentoring
Mentoring
Admin
Admin
Trauma
Trauma
Chaplaincy
Chaplaincy