More about us
Our Mission To be a vibrant, caring, prayerful community, dependent on God, growing in faith and vision, alive in the Holy Spirit. To be people who actively carry the good news of Jesus to the world through deliberate outreach strategies. To provide a safe place of worship and fellowship, and to give care, support and encouragement to all who come, in an environment where people can encounter Jesus and be nurtured in their faith.
Parish Vision "Walking together with Jesus to take his life into the world."
Parish Scripture That we may know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings. Philippians 3:10
Parish Prayer Grant, Lord that we who receive the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ may be the means by which the work of his incarnation shall go forward; take, consecrate, break, distribute us, to be for others a means of your grace, and vehicles of your eternal love; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
Please see our Photo Album, St Michael's and St Barnabas to discover more about us.
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Our Story - 30 years as a parish
Reflections of Peter, a parishioner, at our 30 year Celebration Service
Thirty years is a long time in the life of a person or an organisation. Summarising thirty years of history requires a small book, or at least a booklet. In accepting this invitation to reflect on “our story” for no longer than ten minutes, I have had to choose just a few incidents from our journey along the way. Any selection of stories, anecdotes and memories will vary from person to person. I have tried to draw on just a few memories of the past thirty years that hold a special significance for me. |
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Our story is one of excitement and expectation. Those who were present in 1979 when the decision was made to begin an Anglican service of worship will not easily forget the sense of excitement and anticipation as the date of September 16th 1979 approached. Advertisements went onto television and into the newspapers, and invitations were issued to the people of the area. It was exciting, as no-one knew what would happen, but everyone was full of expectation that God would honour this decision to worship faithfully and regularly in this place where most of us lived. Thirty years on we can say as the foundation plaque in the foyer states: The people of St Barnabas have met for worship since 16th September 1979. |
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Our story is one of inclusion. The initial congregation were a mixed group, consisting of Baptists, Brethren, Methodists, Presbyterians, many who had no previous religious experience at all and a few Anglicans – all under the umbrella of the Anglican Church. Somehow it did not matter. All are one in Christ. A few years later a little village church with its own small congregation (and it was very small at the time) and its own history was added to the parish. Again, this was achieved without fuss, until we have reached the point where, if anyone says “St Barnabas”, I almost automatically add “and St Michael and All Angels”. |
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Our story is one of pilgrimage. Our first meeting place in the Fraser Primary School was temporary. A more attractive and centrally sited place became available at the Charnwood High School. Eventually this also proved inadequate and when the congregation of St Thomas Aquinas built their church, the opportunity arose to meet in their spacious primary school hall. |
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Another move saw the congregation meeting in Cooinda Cottage, until finally our own place of worship was completed. Perhaps this is a good and salutary reminder that the building never defines the church. So much valuable and significant ministry was accomplished without a permanent base. I hope we never forget our pilgrim origins. |
Our story is one of prayer and service. Names are significant things. When the question of the naming of the special district arose, not unnaturally the first choice was one based on Jesus, Christ the King. When the then Bishop advised that there were already enough of these types of names, and that something more distinctive was required, St Barnabas was chosen. For us, it has been a highly significant and appropriate choice. St Barnabas, a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith, is remembered for his life of faith and his good works of service and generosity. He is, as Jeff said in a sermon last year, the saint of the second chance. In the establishing of ministries and the outlook we strive to have, I like to think of Barnabas, one of the most attractive figures in Scripture, as one of our role models. |
Our story is one of trust in God’s goodness, and in His strength and power rather than our own. The purchase of the block of land at a time when it seemed unlikely that anything could eventuate was a sign of faith. The holding of a tent mission on the land as a sign of things to come was a sign of faith, and prophecy. The way in which the building of the church was accomplished seems to me to hold an especially telling spiritual significance. For many years the construction of a church building headed the parish’s list of goals and objectives. But sadly, the reality still seemed very far away, and the goal itself became a heavy burden, causing stress and anxiety among the congregation, and dissention on the best way to raise money. At a parish goal setting afternoon led by the present Archbishop of Adelaide, these anxious strivings must have been apparent, as Jeff Driver urged us to remove the goal from the list and to rededicate ourselves to doing God’s will, with or without a building. The objective was, in fact removed from the list, and handed over to God, and the meeting dedicated itself to ministry and seeking God’s will anew. Within a week, the Archdeacon was on the telephone to Ian Marshall our parish priest saying, I think I have been shown a way in which a church building might become a reality. |
| So many Scriptures come to mind, among them:
Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, says the Lord of hosts. (Zechariah 4:6) Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains just a single grain but if it dies it bears much fruit. (John 12:24) |
Finally, our story is one of widening horizons. Even a few years ago, who would have imagined that our parish would be partnered with a tiny congregation in a small mountain village in East Java? Yet through the power of Christ’s love we have received from our Indonesian sisters and brothers in Christ so much blessing, and have been privileged to assist them in improving living conditions, and standing with them as they witness to Christ. |
Our story is much more than anyone can tell. It embraces comings and goings, births and deaths, sadnesses and joys. It is a story of community in Christ, proclaiming the love of our Father and revealing that our lives are most fully human when we live in communion with God, with one another and with the creation. The past, the present and the future are all in God’s hands. He is the author and finisher of all things and we are able to rest secure in that knowledge. Praise Him for all that He has done and will do! |