About us
Get to know us
We used to meet at Holy Trinity Finnish Lutheran Church but have stopped holding services of our own and have joined with St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church (Forrest), 9-30am congregation.
Our Connections
Chaplains
Ethnic Churches
Ethnic Churches
We have supported a number of chaplains (sporting, educational, occupational) in our region in their important ministry to those who otherwise might not hear about the Lord Jesus Christ.
We pray God will bless the many important chaplaincy ministries.
Ethnic Churches
Ethnic Churches
Ethnic Churches
We have formed close relationships with a number of ethnic churches in Canberra and enjoyed worshipping and other activities with them.
They have an important role in sharing the gospel message with their own people and we have been glad to support them in that.
Our History
Who are we?
- The Canberra Christian Fellowship is a group of Christians that came together and began holding worship services in 2004.
- Many of our people grew up in the Methodist Church (and value that heritage) before The Uniting Church in Australia was formed.
- We began our own fellowship largely as a result of dissatisfaction with the attitudes, practices, beliefs and teaching of much of the leadership of the denomination from which we came.
- The Canberra Christian Fellowship has been incorporated in the Australian Capital Territory since late 2006.
What we believe
- We are protestant Christian believers, many of us with a strong Methodist background. Our beliefs could be described as 'mainstream' and our outlook as 'evangelical'.
- We acknowledge the Bible as God's Word to us, so that we might know Him and His Son Jesus Christ and know how to live for Him. We believe all Scripture comes from God and it thoroughly equips us for our Christian lives when it is read as the original author, both human and divine, intended it to be read.
- Our statement of faith and practice is “Trusting in the grace of God and accepting the gifts of faith and reconciliation through the completed work of Jesus and with the continuing fellowship of the Holy Spirit, we commit to obey the commandments of Jesus to love God and one’s neighbour and accept the authority of Scripture and the traditions of the Faith as epitomised in the creeds.”
Our History
- Early in 2004 many of us decided we could not stay in the denomination where we were then worshipping.
- In March 2004 Issue 1 of The Next Step was circulated to encourage us all as we searched for somewhere new to worship.
- On Sunday 30th May 2004 (Pentecost Sunday) we held our first service together as a fellowship. We began by meeting monthly.
- In August 2004 we began a second activity each month - a tea together and / or time of hymn singing.
- In December 2004 we held our first Multicultural Christmas Carol Service with the people and choirs from several ethnic churches joining us for the evening. We were delighted with a congregation of around 100.
- In August 2006 we began holding services each week.
- For practical reasons, we thought it wise to become incorporated, so on 15 November 2006 we became incorporated as an association in the Australian Capital Territory.
- December 2006 saw our third Multicultural Christmas Carol Service. Our estimate was a congregation of around 230 people.
- The need to become more widely known led to the development of this website and other advertising initiatives in March / April 2007.
- We were very glad to have an estimated 320 - 330 attendance at our 5th Multicultural Christmas Carol Service in December 2008.
- In February 2009 we moved from where we used to hold our services in Campbell to a new location - The Holy Trinity Finnish Lutheran Church in the suburb of Turner.
- Our 6th Multicultural Christmas Carol Service was held on Sunday, 6th December 2009 at the Campbell Primary School hall.
- On 27th June, 2010, we held a Wesley Hymn Festival with well over 100 attending including people from a number of ethnic churches.
- Our 2010 Multicultural Christmas Carols attracted a good crowd and was a joyful time.
- In August, 2011, we had a Mid-winter Hymn Festival. Several ethnic congregations joined us for a service of song.
- In September, 2012 we celebrated 200 years of Methodism in Australia with guest preacher Rev. the Hon. Dr Gordon Moyes, A.C.. We understood Australian Methodism began in February 1812 but learned that recently discovered documents show it started in August 1811.
- August 2013 saw another successful Mid-winter Hymn Festival. We sang God's praises together with a good number of guests and enjoyed a soup supper afterwards.
- December 2013. Our 10th Multicultural Christmas Carols attracted our biggest crowd yet - well over 300.
- December 2014. 11th Multicultural Christmas Carols
- December 2015. Our 12th Multicultural Christmas Carols attracted our biggest crowd yet - perhaps 350.
- 2023. Our numbers had declined and we believed God was leading us in a new direction.
- We decided to end our own services and join with St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church (Forrest), 9-30am congregation, believing that was God's plan for us.
- We held our final service on 17 September, 2023.