Posts by Andy Barras
Sunday Night Dinners
On the first Sunday of the month, we host dinner before our 6pm service. We’d love to see you there from 5pm! If you’re able, a $5 per person charge helps us cover our costs – but if you’re coming for the first time, don’t worry about it 🙂 Dinner dates coming up are: Sunday, 2 June Sunday, 7 July Sunday, 4 August Sunday, 1 September (Father’s Day!) Sunday, 6 October Sunday, 3 November Sunday, 1 December
St John’s Youth and Kids update – King’s Birthday Long Weekend
Hello Parents! The newly renamed long weekend is coming up this weekend, and with it, some changes to our regularly scheduled Youth and Kids programs. With 18 young people from St John’s joining the Nillumbik United team for the State Youth Games, there’ll be no Youth Life Groups happening this Sunday afternoon. Keep the team in your prayers as they head off to Warragul over the weekend. Youth Life Groups will be back on the following week (June 18) before…
Thanksgiving Appeal
One hundred and fifty-five years. For 155 years, St John’s has been “the church on the hill” in Diamond Creek. In November of 1867, the foundation stone of our church building was laid (and subsequently lost, but that’s another story). Each year, on that anniversary, we come together to thank God for the work he has done, and is still doing, in our midst. Our services on November 13 marked this anniversary, with a time of reflection and thanksgiving. As…
Discord and Online Ministry
How we connect online during the week The internet has come and revolutionised so many aspects of our world. As a millennial, I’m one of the first people to have grown up with the internet. I can remember dialing-up for the first time and setting up my Facebook account in 2007. Where would we be today, without the ease of connection that the internet has given us through 2020 and 2021? Whether that’s Facebook, YouTube, or apps like WhatsApp, FaceTime…
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…
Enacting Spiritual Practices || St John’s Extra
To wrap up our Spiritual Disciplines series, Andy and Ros chat through a few thoughts about spiritual practices, and ways we can build them into our lives. Connect with us at ➜ Website: https://stjohnsdc.org.au ➜ Facebook: https://facebook.com/stjohnsdc ➜ Instagram: https://instagram.com/stjohnsdc
Rest || St John’s Extra
God created the world, then rested. Jesus withdrew to quiet places. God gives us the gift of rest. Ros brings us the last of our Spiritual Disciplines. Next week: join us for a Q&A as we wrap up our Spiritual Disciplines series. Send in your questions to andy@stjohnsdc.org.au or leave them in the comments below. Connect with us at ➜ Website: https://stjohnsdc.org.au ➜ Facebook: https://facebook.com/stjohnsdc ➜ Instagram: https://instagram.com/stjohnsdc
Fasting || St John’s Extra
As we continue our Spiritual Disciplines series, Ros takes us through FASTING – the self-denial of normal functions of life, self-denial of appetites and attachments, for the sake of our life with God. Connect with us at ➜ Website: https://stjohnsdc.org.au ➜ Facebook: https://facebook.com/stjohnsdc ➜ Instagram: https://instagram.com/stjohnsdc
Bible Breakfast 14 – Luke 6 27-36
Bible Breakfast is BACK for 2021 – just, at lunchtime now. Join Andy, Katherine, and Ella for a friendly bible discussion. Pop us on while you’re having lunch and reset for the afternoon. Today we’ll be looking at Luke 6:27-36. Each and every day, we get messages from every angle – commercials, politicians, social media… it can become overwhelming. Let’s focus our days on Jesus so we can be well equipped to handle what comes our way. Need a bible?…
Fellowship || St John’s Extra
Fellowship is a really “churchy” word – unless you count Lord of the Rings. But special guest Ros helps unpack fellowship in this week’s Extra. Connect with us at ➜ Website: https://stjohnsdc.org.au ➜ Facebook: https://facebook.com/stjohnsdc ➜ Instagram: https://instagram.com/stjohnsdc
Service and Generosity || St John’s Extra
Jesus – the maker and ruler of everything – came to Earth as a servant, to serve and not be served. As followers of Jesus, we should be doing the same! Serving and being generous with our time and resources is this week’s spiritual discipline. Watch Tim’s talk about different gifts and the body of Christ here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fW2b7lhhZA Connect with us at ➜ Website: https://stjohnsdc.org.au ➜ Facebook: https://facebook.com/stjohnsdc ➜ Instagram: https://instagram.com/stjohnsdc
Bible Breakfast – Luke 6:1-11
Bible Breakfast is BACK for 2021 – just, at lunchtime now. Join Andy, Katherine, and Ella for a friendly bible discussion. Pop us on while you’re having lunch and reset for the afternoon. Today we’ll be looking at Luke 6:1-11. Each and every day, we get messages from every angle – commercials, politicians, social media… it can become overwhelming. Let’s focus our days on Jesus so we can be well equipped to handle what comes our way. Need a bible?…
Worship || St John’s Extra
Worshipping God is more than singing songs in church. Worship permeates through our lives, acknowledging that God is God and we are not.
Prayer || St John’s Extra
Prayer is about relationship and connection with our maker God. There are many ways to pray, far more than can be included in just one episode – but here are some tips on the spiritual discipline of prayer. Connect with us at ➜ Website: https://stjohnsdc.org.au ➜ Facebook: https://facebook.com/stjohnsdc ➜ Instagram: https://instagram.com/stjohnsdc
What is Church?
The word “Church” carries a weight to it. Whether it’s referencing a building, a systemic structure, a culture, a group of people, or something else, the word has baggage for many. In 2020, we had to get back to what church is all about: It isn’t a building. It isn’t a governing body. It isn’t an organisation. The Church is people. ‘The word for church in the New Testament (ecclesia) means a gathering or assembly. It’s used to refer to…
Go Deeper Reading the Bible || St John’s Extra
Take the time and effort to read the bible and absorb it – in all its beauty and complexity. Get started reading the Bible with reading plans at https://bible.com/reading-plans, or buy physical copies of devotions at https://www.gcbc.net.au/ or https://www.koorong.com/ Connect with us at ➜ Website: https://stjohnsdc.org.au ➜ Facebook: https://facebook.com/stjohnsdc ➜ Instagram: https://instagram.com/stjohnsdc
Reading the Bible || St John’s Extra
While there’s nothing we need to do for God to love us, followers of Jesus can grow through Spiritual Disciplines. How do you read the bible in a way that brings you closer in relationship to Jesus? Connect with us at ➜ Website: https://stjohnsdc.org.au ➜ Facebook: https://facebook.com/stjohnsdc ➜ Instagram: https://instagram.com/stjohnsdc
Spiritual Disciplines || St John’s Extra
There’s no work that needs to be done to be saved; that’s grace. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t good and helpful things to do as a follower of Jesus – but remember that attitudes beat actions. Connect with us at ➜ Website: https://stjohnsdc.org.au ➜ Facebook: https://facebook.com/stjohnsdc ➜ Instagram: https://instagram.com/stjohnsdc
We’re done here. Pack it up. We’ll be back in a few weeks though! Let me know your thoughts on the past 10 episodes of St John’s Extra ➜ https://forms.office.com/r/uQaVztRqvu Connect with us at ➜ Website: https://stjohnsdc.org.au ➜ Facebook: https://facebook.com/stjohnsdc ➜ Instagram: https://instagram.com/stjohnsdc
Give Spirituality a Go || St John’s Extra
In dealing with the chaos of COVID, more and more Aussies are praying and thinking about God. How do you start to pray? Just say something simple. Connect with us at ➜ Website: https://stjohnsdc.org.au ➜ Facebook: https://facebook.com/stjohnsdc ➜ Instagram: https://instagram.com/stjohnsdc
Dealing with changes || St John’s Extra
How do you deal with change when everything is changing? God is the same, yesterday, today, and forever. Connect with us at ➜ Website: https://stjohnsdc.org.au ➜ Facebook: https://facebook.com/stjohnsdc ➜ Instagram: https://instagram.com/stjohnsdc
Emotional Jesus || St John’s Extra
We’re back in lockdown, and people are feeling feelings. How should we feel about feeling feelings? Connect with us at ➜ Website: https://stjohnsdc.org.au ➜ Facebook: https://facebook.com/stjohnsdc ➜ Instagram: https://instagram.com/stjohnsdc
A Prayer for the Sick, the Scared and the Dying || St John’s Extra
May God be with the scared, the sick and the dying, and may the global community come together at this time of need to protect every precious life. Amen. Connect with us at ➜ Website: https://stjohnsdc.org.au ➜ Facebook: https://facebook.com/stjohnsdc ➜ Instagram: https://instagram.com/stjohnsdc