I'M NEW HERE

Welcome to the beautiful northern suburbs of Hobart. If you are new to this area we’d love to meet you. Please come along and join in or feel free to contact us about the various ways you can get connected into the life of one of our church communities. This web page is designed to answer some of the questions people often have about what happens when we meet together. If you have questions we haven’t answered here or you would like to meet with one of our leaders before you come along please contact us.

How do I get there?

We generally meet weekly at two different locations in the Hobart suburb of New Town, just north of the City. We also meet together in homes, parks, playgrounds and other locations. Our locations page will help you find us. If you don’t find everything you need there please contact us so we give you any further information you need.

What time should I arrive?

We recommend arriving 5–10mins early. This will give you time to relax, gather your thoughts, and draw near to God. We'll welcome you, and one of our members will be available to answer any questions you might have about the service.

What will the service be like?

When we meet our services run for about one hour. You're more than welcome to just to sit and watch – but we think you'll enjoy it more if you try it on, and join in!

Our communities offer a range of different styles of meeting together, both contemporary and traditional. Although our services vary in style, there are common elements which are expressed in different ways when we meet together. We listen to God’s words written for us in the Bible and leaders help us to consider their meaning for us in our lives today. We celebrate our relationship with God with music and songs. We pray for God’s world, for our local community, for the needs of individuals, and for the life of the church.

We love Jesus and are grateful that he gave his life for us to renew our relationship with God. We welcome people into this new relationship in a ritual called baptism. Another way we celebrate Jesus’ gift is by sharing bread and wine together. The bread and the wine are signs of Jesus’ death on the cross for our forgiveness – his broken body and his blood poured out for us. This meal is called the Lord’s Supper or Holy Communion and is regularly shared as part of most of our services.

How can I join in the service?

In our contemporary style services, prayers and song lyrics used are projected onto the screen at the front of the building. If you would prefer a printed copy (including large print) these are available in the foyer. Some of our more traditional services are printed in a prayer book (A Prayer Book for Australia). Other services use an easy-to-follow printed card. Sections of the Bible read during the service are printed in the weekly newsletter. When we welcome you to the service we will also give you anything you might need to help you follow or join in the service (songbooks, prayer books, weekly newsletter etc.).

What happens after the service?

Tea, coffee and snacks are usually available to share after the service. You are warmly invited to stay and share morning tea, have a chat and meet some of us, if you wish to do so. We encourage our members to take this time to support and encourage each other in our life with God, within God’s family, and out in our community.

What if I'm not a Christian or an Anglican?

While we are affiliated with the Anglican Church of Australia, we welcome people from any branch of the Christian faith. And we welcome anyone who has questions about Jesus or wants to explore Christian spirituality. If you have questions we’d love to meet you!

What if I’m not familiar with church traditions?

Some members of our community find it personally helpful to follow customs like sitting or kneeling to pray, or standing while singing. But not all members follow all these customs and you are not expected to. From time to time during our services leaders may invite everyone to sit or stand together. Please feel free to join in or to do whatever (sit, stand, kneel, clap, laugh, cry . . .) helps you to feel comfortable and to draw near to God.

How should I dress?

We meet to celebrate God’s love for us, like a family party. But, of course, different families and different cultures celebrate in different ways, and have different way of dressing for parties. Some people prefer to dress casually and will wear shorts or jeans and thongs. Others prefer a dress, or a good shirt, or even a suit. You’ll find all of these, and a whole lot more when we meet together. Jesus welcomes all cultures, and so do we. So dress how you feel comfortable.

Will I be asked for money?

Visitors and people who have come along to explore Christian spirituality are not expected to give money. In most of our services there will be an opportunity for our regular members to contribute to assisting people in need and to support the work of our faith communities. We do this because these activities are funded by the voluntary gifts of our members.