What to Expect

SUNDAY SERVICE TIMES

9:30AM AT ST JOHN’S HEALESVILLE
11:00AM AT ST PAUL’S YARRA GLEN

Final Sunday of the month – 3:00pm evensong Service at St Paul’s (no 11:00am service at St Paul’s on last sunday of the month)

No matter where you’re at with Jesus, you’re welcome at our church. We care about you, not about what you’re wearing or what you’ve done. Nobody at St John’s or St Paul’s, including leaders, has it all together. We’re all imperfect people, working out what it means to live as followers of Jesus. We all stumble and fail, but the love of Jesus is more than we could ever need. We come together each Sunday to love Jesus and love each other.

Church may be a bit strange if you’ve never been before, so we’re here to help you find out what to expect when you visit.

• A warm welcome. Our welcomers at the front door will greet you with a smile, a handshake, offer you a newsletter and can answer any questions you may have. For our services please sit wherever you are most comfortable. You can also join us for morning-tea after the service. We’d love to get to know you!
• A fun, safe environment for kids. We are committed to the welcome, safety, and value of the children under our care and has zero-tolerance for child abuse. All our children’s volunteers have current working with children’s checks.
• A no-pressure environment. What do we expect from visitors? Nothing. We don’t have a dress-code. We won’t single you out. We won’t ask you to say anything, give anything or do anything. You are our guest!
• Singing. We sing together to praise God, pray to him and encourage each other. You can join in, or not. You can stand up, or not. And if you can’t sing, don’t worry, with everyone else singing, no one will hear you!
• Readings and teaching from the Bible. We believe the Bible is God’s word and that he loves speaking to us. We know the Bible can sometimes be hard to understand, so we strive to provide teaching relevant to real life Aussies in the 21st century. Pew Bibles are available and if you don’t own a Bible, please take one of ours as a gift. We have plenty in reserve!
• Prayer. This is how we speak to God. Some prayers we pray together, some prayers we pray silently to ourselves, and some are led by a person up the front. Please participate however you feel comfortable.
• Holy Communion/Lord’s Supper. Baptised followers of Jesus are welcome to celebrate Communion or the Lord’s Supper with us. We have gluten free wafers available upon request, and provide wine in the chalice or grape juice in the small cups. Children are also welcome to come forward for a blessing. Of course there is no obligation. You can remain seated in the pews or come forward for a blessing if you would prefer.