St Johns Southgate

Everyone loves a celebration, not least the people of St Johns Southgate.

That’s because we think there is so much to celebrate here in the heart of the great community of Southbank in the midst of the wonderful city of Melbourne.

St Johns’ congregation has been in this location for generations – in fact it was our 150th birthday recently – and on this very spot for 20 years.  But it is not just our history that we think is worth celebrating, it’s also our role in both the day-to-day and spiritual life of Southbank.

First and foremost, St Johns is a place of worship but there is so much else that happens here for young and old. It is a centre for the wider community. Tertiary students gather here, great music and musicians can be heard in concert, it’s a wedding venue, a place for retired people to gather for a chat and to hear about the lives of interesting people.

There are even rooms to hire.

The people of St Johns think all of that is worth making a fuss about and they think the people of Southbank may do, too.

So, with this in mind, St Johns is having a Celebration Sunday on June 2, the first of what may become an annual event.  The main focus will be a special combined service at 10am, with music, of course, and contributions from our youth and children.

The idea is to celebrate our blessings so there will be a touch of a harvest festival about the event, too, with people bringing the symbols and fruits of their everyday lives and their interests, from tools of work to the output of labours of love. As a result the church will be decked out with all manner of things.

More often than not in a place like St Johns, nourishment for the soul is accompanied by great food. This is one of those occasions. Celebration Sunday will be capped off with a celebratory lunch.

If you feel you want to give thanks for your blessings, St Johns Celebration Sunday may be the place for you, too.