FAQ | St. John's Anglican Church Highton Geelong
 

q_and_a_icon.jpgFrequently Asked Questions

How do I get to your church?

By Car: From Geelong City drive west along Ryrie & Aberdeen Streets, turn left on Shannon Avenue. Once you are over the Barwon River, turn right onto Barrabool Rd at the roundabout and drive straight past the Highton Shops. At the Highton Tennis Courts (North Valley Rd) turn left. You'll find us at the next roundabout. Enter carpark off Roslyn Rd.

From the Geelong Ring Road, exit at the Ceres/Belmont Exit (C132) at the top of the hill, travel down Barrabool Rd, turn right at the North Valley Rd (at the Tennis Courts) and you'll find us on the next corner.

Car parking: The main carpark is entered from Roslyn Rd. There are also some parking spaces available from the South Valley Rd entrance. Otherwise park along Roslyn Rd, or over near the Bowling Club.

By Bus: There is a bus stop right outside our church grounds, for the Route 16 Bus: Geelong City to Deakin Uni via Highton, which runs approximately every hour on Sundays and more frequent throughout the week. You can find more Bus and Timetable information available from the Public Transport Victoria website.

Walking: Our church is a short 5 minute walk up Roslyn Rd from the Highton Village shops (in Belle Vue Ave). For the more adventurous, the 1-2km walk from High Street Belmont shops takes about half an hour, and the 4km walk from Geelong's Kardinia Park (GMHBA Stadium) takes just under an hour.

What happens on Sundays during a service?

Whether you're familiar with a church service or not, you're very welcome.

We pray together (prayers that are often led from the service leader). We sing perhaps 4 or 5 songs together. The high point of the service is when we hear the Bible read, from one or more Bible books, and then explained and applied (the sermon). One from among us leads our public prayers (called intercessions). We routinely share in the Lord's Supper (eating bread and drinking wine) remembering Jesus' death for us. In addition to hearing some news about the life of our church, we take up a voluntary collection. And we sing!

The 8am and 10am morning congregations always conclude with morning tea. The 5pm congregation begin with afternoon tea at 4:30pm. Children are welcome at each service. Our ministry to and for children called Kids Church operates at 10am and 5pm services. Children and Adults begin the service together and after a short kids spot (talk) Kids Church begins for 3 year olds and up in various locations through to the end of the service.

How long does a Sunday service go for?

Because we value spending time together as God's people, in addition to morning or afternoon tea, the overall meeting time usually lasts two to two and a half hours (with the actual service time typically taking 70-90 minutes). We'd encourage you to plan to arrive early and stay around for a while after the service, because being a Christian means being in relationship with other Christians!

What should I wear?

We want you to feel comfortable at St. John's, so please come as you are. Church is about the people you're with, not the clothes that you wear.

Are kids welcome at St. John's?

Yes! At St. John's we love kids and we are eager to help kids love Jesus as we do! On Sundays at 10am and 5pm we have a range of ministries for kids - both with the adults and in special age-streamed childrens groups. During the week, we have babies and toddlers and preschoolers coming along to the Bible Study Creche, to a Playgroup or a mainly music group. And during the July holidays we run a School Holiday program for primary aged kids. Through all these activities we aim and hope that kids come away knowing that God is good and His Son Jesus is awesome.

What is expected of me if I come on Sundays?

There are no particular expectations for coming on a Sunday. You are welcome to sing, to pray, to mingle and meet others, to give money, but you are also free to interact as much or as little as you are comfortable. We are of course very eager that you learn of Jesus from the Bible to the point where you understand him, his work and what he's done for you, and love Him. We hope to welcome you and assist you in growing in knowledge and love for Christ and his people at St. John's.

What if I'm not sure about Jesus, about Christian beliefs?

At St. John's we're all learners when it comes to our great Saviour Jesus, so whether you know a little or some more about him, you are welcome. Whether you have made up your mind, or are still searching for God, we'd be glad to have you come along each week.

If you have honest questions about Jesus or the Christian faith, no one is going to be offended by you asking them. In fact our leaders would be glad to help you as you explore more about God and his saving plans. So come!

What is a Christian?

A Christian is a person who loves, trusts and follows Jesus. He or she is a person who has turned from a life of indifference toward the Lord to a life of trust in his saving work and living to please him and love others.

Can I become a Christian?

Yes! God desires that everyone come to Him and trust in his Son as the Rescuer and as the Lord, and God through the Bible and his church invites us to learn of Christ and become his follower. You can become a Christian just by coming along to church each week. We also have courses that are designed to help people turn and trust God, and we are glad to baptise everyone who turns to Jesus.

What are the next steps after my first Sunday?

At St. John's we meet each week as a congregation, and then also throughout the week in 'Small Groups' (typically in our homes) as we look to learn about Christ, and love, care and pray for one another.

There are also regularly courses and events for those exploring Christ (such as Christianity Explained) and for those growing in Christ (such as the Big Day In.) To find out more about any of these, get in touch via our Contact form here.

Do you conduct Baptisms? Weddings? Funerals?

Significant 'occasions' in life are always opportunities to thank God, to pray and to consider again His great power and His tender kindness toward us. So at St. John's we welcome enquiries regarding services for these special occasions. Especially for Baptisms and Weddings, the best way to enquire further is to join us at a Sunday service. Ordinarily for funerals, the Funeral Director will often be the point of contact. You can also make contact with our office.

What if I still have other questions?

We're always interested to hear from you. Please use our contact form to get in touch with your particular interest, and we'll do our best to respond.