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Worship at New Community is a time we intentionally set aside to connect with God through music, song and prayer. We praise Him for what He has done and worship Him for who He is. Our prayer is that every time we gather, each person in our community will take another step closer to Jesus.
This year, we have seen our worship team grow, welcoming one new sound engineer and four young musicians, three of whom are still in high school. It is such an encouragement to see our young people eager to use their gifts and abilities to honour God and help lead our community in worship.
As we look to the future, we are praying for our teams to continue growing, for our community to experience greater freedom in worship, and for us all to deepen our understanding of the incredible privilege we have to enter into God’s presence and worship Him freely.
-Craig

Our Kids Ministry continues to welcome an average of 60 children across our two Sunday gatherings at 10am and 5pm with a customised program for Preschool, Early Primary and Older Primary years. We typically have around 30-40 children in the morning and 20-30 children at night. We have a committed team of 50 Leaders and Helpers who enable the children to play games, connect and learn. Teen Helpers are encouraged and mentored informally. Approximately 9 new families have begun attending this year on a semi-regular basis through connections with existing families, word of mouth, Lioncubs, Playgroup and living locally to MFE. We also foster connections for kids and parents through Family friendly activities on our Engage and Life to Share weekends.
2026 in Preschool rooms - Each week we follow a familiar routine of play stations, snack, songs, Bible story time and craft.
2026 in Primary rooms - We focus on developing connections, shared fun and exploring faith in age-appropriate teaching and hands-on activities.

• Term 1 – Jesus’ Story: Explored Jesus’ life and how He can be part of our own stories.
• Term 2 – The Old Testament: Explored Old Testament stories and learnt the names and order of all 39 books through actions.
• Term 3 – Life Topics: Discovered how God works in our families, problems and future using Lego and stories of Joseph and Moses.
• Term 4 – Checkmate: Used chess to explore life’s challenges, choices and consequences, remembering that God sees the bigger picture and is always with us. Christmas Series: Celebrated God’s promise, Mary’s response, Jesus’ birth and the good news for everyone.

Through these programs, we encourage children to know God’s Word, grow in faith and apply biblical truths to their everyday life.
2026 HIGHLIGHTS:
Use of sensory trays to help tell Bible stories. These trays use materials to allow children to see, hear and touch aspects of the 'story’ elements. It has provoked children's curiosity, engagement and fed discussions for a deeper understanding.
The 5pm Kids program numbers have grown in number this year, particularly with decision to have kids join their parents in main gathering for Worship singing, provision of 'toasties' for dinner, older primary families drawn to the larger youth-aged community @5 and families linking attendance with the New Community Kids choir (New Song Choir) which meets beforehand at 4pm, capably led by Jacki Atkinson. Families have shared how valuable the flexibility of choosing either gathering is in working around family activities.
Creating Safe Spaces training - In addition to regular child-safe checks and accountability, many of our leaders and helpers participated in a 5 hour training unit (valid for 4 years) through BUV which looked at child-safe practises in a church context. We truly appreciate the investment our Kids volunteers.
2027: LOOKING AHEAD
Intentional development of junior leaders (aged 13-20). Helping Teens and Young Adults recognise their place, value and potential role in leading in New Community Kids programs. Supporting them to take opportunities to up-skill to lead rooms on Sundays and develop stronger connections to the children in the programs.
Smooth Transitions for kids moving from Preschool space to Primary and Primary to Youth groups.

It’s been a year full of energy, connection and significant steps of faith for New Community Youth. Supported by a fantastic team of 20 young adult leaders, our high school students have grown in friendship and faith through activity nights, year-level Crew groups and NCY nights filled with worship, prayer, speakers, games and food. We kicked off the year with 40 youth attending a terrific youth camp, creating great opportunities for connection, especially for our then new Year 7s. At State Youth Games, 55 youth attended, with over 20 making a first-time commitment to Jesus or taking a step of faith. More recently, we welcomed our grade 6s to their first NCY night, and celebrated one youth being baptised. Looking ahead, we’re excited to keep growing in Jesus and encouraging our young people to live out their faith boldly, sharing the hope of Jesus with their friends, families and wider community.
-Kyle

It’s been a wonderful year of connection, growth and faith for our Young Adults.  Around 15 young adults are now part of mentoring partnerships, alongside five life groups that provide space for encouragement, support and growing together in faith. Highlights included four themed nights, three Unify nights filled with food, worship, speakers and connection, and 35 young adults heading to State Youth Games. We also celebrated the wonderful step of four young adults being baptised.  Looking ahead, we’re excited to keep building on this momentum by developing our space after the @5 Gathering as an intentional place for young adults to connect, deepen relationships and keep exploring and growing in faith together.
-Kyle

Christmas at New Community was a wonderful season of celebration, generosity and sharing the hope of Jesus with our community. Our Christmas Carols event at Maroondah Federation Estate brought people out in great numbers, armed with picnic rugs and deck chairs, ready to sing carols and enjoy the festivities. Pony rides, a petting zoo, snow cones and beautiful handmade sweet treats added to the fun, along with face painting, nativity dress-ups and the opportunity to write a prayer. Amongst all the fun, we heard moving testimonies of the difference Jesus has made in people's lives.
Christmas was also a wonderful opportunity to extend generosity and care beyond our church gatherings. Together, we prepared 70 Christmas hampers, filled with homemade goodies, jams and other treats, to bless people we are connected with, reminding recipients that they are valued, remembered and cared for. As Christmas drew closer, groups from our church took to the streets, singing carols in local neighbourhoods and bringing a little Christmas joy to people doing it tough or recovering from illness.
Christmas morning was standing room only, with a packed main room, another 100 people in overflow and more than 40 watching from the foyer. Hearing the two overflow areas shout out their presence to those in the main room was a wonderful moment! Together we celebrated the birth of Jesus, heard a message of hope and sang Joy to the World with gusto.
Looking ahead, Christmas 2026 promises to be another wonderful opportunity to invite family and friends to experience the joy and hope of Jesus. Our Christmas Carols event will be held on Sunday 13 December, and we would love to see everyone bringing someone along.
This year, we are also making room for more people by offering two identical Christmas gatherings: Christmas Eve at 6pm and Christmas morning at 10am. With the same celebration at both gatherings, you can choose the time that suits you best and confidently invite family, friends and neighbours, knowing there will be room for them. Our hope is that more people than ever will have the opportunity to hear and experience the good news of Jesus this Christmas.

Easter was a powerful time for our New Community family. We began on Thursday evening with a reflective gathering under the stars in the courtyard, around the warmth of the fire pit. Through Bible readings and moving solo performances from the perspectives of Judas and Peter, we considered the betrayal and denial of Jesus. The evening concluded with communion before we departed in silence.
On Good Friday, over 400 people gathered at Maroondah Federation Estate for our Stations of the Cross. Through dramatic retellings, we journeyed through the final hours of Jesus’ life, from the disciples discussing Jesus washing their feet to the chaos of his arrest. The journey culminated in the courtyard, where the solemn beat of a drum marked the final moments of Jesus’ death. Afterwards, we shared hot cross buns together in the sunshine.
Easter Sunday was a wonderful celebration of the risen King! There was not a spare seat in the building, with over 400 people in the main gathering, another 100 in overflow and more watching from the foyer. We adorned the cross with a floral wreath, heard powerful testimonies of lives being changed by Jesus and celebrated baptisms in the courtyard.
In the lead-up to Easter, our church family also participated in Prison Fellowship’s Easter Biscuit Bake, baking an incredible 6,500 biscuits for people in prison. Each biscuit carried a simple but powerful message: You are not forgotten by us, and you are certainly not forgotten by God.
A huge thank you to the many volunteers, performers, musicians and teams who made these gatherings possible.
-Yvonne

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Baptisms are a special celebration within New Community, as people from upper primary age through to adulthood publicly declare their faith in Jesus as Lord and Saviour and their desire to follow him throughout their lives. This year, 15 people were baptised across our @10 and @5 gatherings, both in the courtyard and during our @10 gathering. Hearing each person’s testimony was a powerful reminder of God’s work in deeply personal ways and created meaningful points of connection for our church community. Looking ahead, we look forward to continuing our beautiful Easter Sunday baptism tradition and creating more opportunities for baptisms at the river, sharing hope and encouragement across New Community.

We believe that to belong is the desire of every human heart. Our belonging activities help people build friendships, share life beyond Sundays and find their place in New Community. This year, our twice-yearly Life to Share long weekends brought people together for bike rides, brunches, 4WD trips, games afternoons and hikes. Our Table to Share meals invited hosts to offer places around their tables for others to join. Our Christmas in July had  over 150 people gathering across 14 tables. We also enjoyed multiple picnic to share gathering earlier in the year. Alongside these events, countless coffees, meals and everyday invitations have strengthened connections throughout the year. Looking ahead, we want to nurture a culture of opening our lives to others. We encourage everyone to choose to participate, join an activity, host a lunch or invite someone into your plans. Together, we can help more people feel known, welcomed and included.
Yvonne

At New Community, we want everyone to find a place to belong, grow and participate in the life and mission of our church. Our Newcomers and Heart of New Community gatherings provide a welcoming pathway for people to discover who we are, what we value and what it means to partner with us.
Each month, Newcomers is an informal meet and greet following our Sunday gatherings, while Heart of New Community provides a more in-depth Sunday afternoon over lunch, exploring our foundations, values, mission and vision. Over the past 18 months, around 30 people have attended Heart of New Community, with 12 people recently choosing to become Partners. Encouragingly, 48 new people have begun calling New Community their church home in 2026.
Looking ahead, we want to continue creating intentional pathways that move people beyond simply attending to genuinely belonging, building relationships and actively participating in God's work through New Community. There will be more Heart of New Community days scheduled for the coming year, and we are seeking to rework how we welcome people into partnership in order to make it more accessible. If you haven’t had a chance to attend Heart of New Community, please consider signing up.
-Yvonne

Life Groups help people belong, grow and serve together, creating smaller communities where people can share life, explore the Bible and support one another. This year, 233 people have participated across 27 active groups. Each group is autonomous, choosing what to study and how to spend time together in ways that suit its members. Weekly Bible studies following the Sunday teaching are available through our church app, helping groups explore and apply these themes together. We also ran an Alpha group with 15 participants, providing space to explore faith and ask questions. We are grateful to our leaders and co-leaders for their care, commitment and hospitality. Looking ahead, we want to strengthen our groups, support our leaders and create opportunities for more people to connect. If you are not yet part of a Life Group, we encourage you to take that next step towards belonging and growing alongside others.
Yvonne

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Belonging matters, and this year we’ve continued to create spaces where families at New Community can feel welcomed, connected and valued. Families @5 has grown to occasionally welcome more children than the @10 Gathering, with 700 toasties made to feed hungry kids and create space for families to connect in the Federation Room. We celebrated three Prep children with prayer and 16 families gathered for an Easter egg hunt. 20 joined our Emotion Coaching coarse, and 15 Grade 6 families gathered together across three homes, followed by a morning tea for Life to Share, building relationships to support the transition into youth ministry. Sensory boxes have also been warmly received at both gatherings, helping us grow in welcoming and including neurodiverse families. Looking ahead, we hope to create more opportunities for families with children of similar ages to build relationships, support one another and grow together.
-Chris

Playgroup provides a welcoming space for pre-primary families from New Community and the wider community to connect and build relationships. Each week, around seven families (12 children) join us for craft, free play, songs, stories and plenty of time for parents and carers to chat. It’s wonderful to see Dads and grandparents involved too! This year, two families participated in our Emotion Coaching parenting course, one Mum was baptised, and many opportunities arose to offer practical care and emotional support through meals, prayer and conversations. Our lively WhatsApp group is another sign of growing connection, and three families joined us for Life To Share in November. Looking ahead, we hope to continue creating opportunities to love, support and connect with families through Playgroup.

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One of the first changes we made at New Community in 2026 was to the way we approach prayer in our weekend gatherings. We recognised that while our prayer team faithfully comes prepared and ready to pray each week, there were often relatively few people coming forward to receive prayer.
In response, we intentionally introduced a dedicated time during our gatherings for people to receive prayer, give thanks to God, or bring the needs of others before Him. This has created an opportunity for people to be prayed for and to have others stand alongside them in faith.
Since introducing this change, we have seen a consistent stream of people coming forward for prayer week after week. This has also created a need to grow our prayer teams, and it has been wonderful to welcome 10 new people to our Sunday prayer teams.
While our Tuesday morning prayer meeting has continued this year, we have seen an increase in people requesting prayer through our church app, with 133 prayer requests submitted so far this year.
Another encouraging initiative has been our How to Hear from God training, which has equipped 20 people this year. We have received positive feedback about the impact of this training, with many finding it helpful in learning to listen to God, both for themselves and for others.
Together, these initiatives reflect our desire to cultivate a church community where prayer is an active and natural part of our shared life, where people feel supported in their needs, and where we continue to grow in our ability to hear and respond to God's voice.

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Every Sunday, an incredible team of volunteers works behind the scenes to create a welcoming and inviting space for people to gather, belong and encounter Jesus. There are over 130 regularly rostered volunteers, who make our Sunday gatherings happen! Our set-up and pack-up teams have moved well over 10,000 chairs this year, while our welcomers and name taggers have greeted people with warm smiles, sometimes braving the cold or appearing with a perfectly timed umbrella on a rainy morning. Our tea and coffee teams keep the conversations flowing, while our faithful wash-up crews somehow make it all work in a kitchen that's far too small! Our communion teams thoughtfully prepare the elements, and our BBQ cooks have turned almost 3,000 sausages throughout the year.
Meeting in a building that needs to be set up and packed down every week comes with its challenges, and we are incredibly grateful to those who turn up early, stay late and give so generously of their time to make it all happen. We recognise the commitment and sacrifice involved, often serving long before others arrive and well after everyone has gone home. To every volunteer, a heartfelt thank you. We see you, we value you, and we couldn't do Sundays without you! Looking ahead, we'd love to see even more people discover the joy of serving and sharing in the life of our church family.

Engage Sundays are an opportunity to put our faith into action, stepping beyond our regular Sunday gatherings to practically demonstrate God's love and generosity in our community. Throughout 2026, we held three Engage Sundays, with 30 projects and over 300 people participating in registered activities, plus many more of you undertaking your own Engage activities. Highlights included our Prison Fellowship Biscuit Bake, which saw us bake an incredible 6,500 biscuits for prisoners, bushfire relief projects in the Victorian Highlands, and many wonderful opportunities to connect with and bring joy to residents at Lionsbrae Aged Care. From practical projects to simple acts of kindness, Engage continues to remind us that church is not just something we attend, but a community we are part of, called to make a difference in the world around us. A huge thank you to everyone who organised, participated and served so generously. Looking ahead, we want to see even more people embrace a lifestyle of service, recognising that Engage isn't just about three Sundays a year, but about being people who notice needs and respond with love all year round.

The OpShop exists to support local community with high quality, low cost goods while also showing Jesus love and care for all those we come into contact with.
We have over 25 volunteers, over half of these are non church based. We get to share our lives with these volunteers and invite them to Church events and share our faith when the opportunity arises. They are part of our community and we strive to make them feel like they matter and belong with us.
The Opshop is currently thriving with us meeting our monthly sales targets.
The vision for 2027 is to continue our growth in the shop while developing our food pantry in the Upper Room which will enable us to continue to help the local community in practical ways.
Kristie

Every Wednesday evening, around 50 people from all walks of life gather to share a free three-course home-cooked meal and genuine companionship. For many, it is a place of welcome and belonging, where someone knows their name and cares enough to ask, “How was your day?”
The impact of this simple act of hospitality extends far beyond the meal itself. One guest and his wife travel more than an hour from the other side of the city each week because, as he explains, “The food’s great and the people are kind. We like it here.”
Our community dinner is made possible by the generosity of volunteers from across the local community, including members of the Ringwood East Junior Football Club. Reflecting on their experience, several young volunteers shared:
“Volunteering at a soup kitchen taught us the importance of giving back to the community and helping people who may be less fortunate than us. We learned that even small acts of kindness, such as preparing and serving food, can make a positive difference in someone’s day. We came away feeling more grateful for what we have and more motivated to help others in our community.”
We are also grateful to the Year 9 students from Tintern Grammar, who prepared delicious desserts as part of their Community Project. The kindness and generosity of so many people help create a place where friendship, dignity, and community flourish.
-Bron

Each week, around 20 regular participants gather at Heal Clinic, a welcoming drop-in space offering dignity, belonging, and practical support to people experiencing loneliness or facing life's challenges. Guests enjoy a shared lunch, friendship, activities, cooking classes, crafts, technology support, haircuts, and remedial massage within a caring and inclusive community.
More than a service, Heal Clinic is a place of connection and hope where people are known, valued, and supported. As one participant shared, “This group has been my lifeline for many years. I don't know what I would have done without Heal.”
-Bron

Moving into residential care should never mean leaving faith behind. Lionsbrae Church provides residents with opportunities to worship, pray, reflect, and explore spirituality within the comfort of their own community.
Faith can bring comfort, purpose, and peace, especially during life's later chapters. We consider it a privilege to walk alongside residents on their spiritual journey, sharing hope, encouragement, and the assurance of God's love. Our services regularly welcome around 15 residents from both the general aged-care community and the dementia ward.
The impact of this ministry is often felt in simple but profound ways. As one staff member reflected, “Something changes when your team walks into the room. I can feel it. Thank you so much for coming.”
People of all faith backgrounds, as well as those with no faith tradition, are warmly welcomed, valued, and respected as they journey with us.

Lion Cubs is a joyful intergenerational music program that connects preschool children, their families, and aged-care residents. Each week, around 30 people, ranging from newborn babies to residents aged over 100, come together to sing, dance, laugh, and build meaningful relationships.
There is something truly special about seeing residents' faces light up as the children arrive. The connections formed are genuine and heartfelt. One little boy was determined to learn the name of every resident because he was making Christmas gifts and wanted to personalise each one. His greatest concern was that nobody would be left out.
Lion Cubs is a beautiful reminder that friendship, kindness, and belonging have no age limit. It is a program that enriches the lives of everyone involved, regardless of their age or stage of life.

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Kids Hope is a partnership between New Community and Rangeview Primary School, providing mentoring to support children’s social and emotional wellbeing and help them thrive in school and life. This year marks 10 years of Kids Hope at Rangeview, made possible by mentors from New Community. Our team is now at its largest, with six mentors each spending an hour a week with their mentee, enjoying activities such as games, craft, cooking, reading and conversation. Looking ahead, we hope to strengthen this partnership by welcoming more mentors and exploring other ways to support the school community, including working bees and meeting specific family needs.
Chris

2026 saw the establishment of New Community Care, an initiative that enables us to pursue Public Benevolent Institution (PBI) status through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Victorian Baptist Community Care (VBCC).
New Community Care exists to help people on the margins of society thrive. For a number of years, New Community has operated a range of outward-facing ministries focused on supporting and making a positive difference in the lives of people experiencing disadvantage. These include our Community Meals program, Heal Clinic, Lion Cubs music program in Lions Brae, and our 12-step recovery program, Connexions.
Through New Community Care, these initiatives are now able to attract tax-deductible donations. This has not only helped us sustain these vital services for some of the most vulnerable people in our community, but has also created opportunities to expand the support we provide.
The establishment of New Community Care and our partnership with VBCC have also enabled us to establish a dedicated fund to support women experiencing crisis, particularly those impacted by domestic violence. In addition, we have been able to access grants from organisations such as Bendigo Bank (East Ringwood), Maroondah City Council, and Baptcare, funding opportunities that were previously unavailable to us.
Looking ahead to 2027, we anticipate further expanding our community services and partnerships. This will enable us to extend our reach and provide practical support to even more people in our community who are experiencing vulnerability and disadvantage.
Andrew

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Our staff team serves New Community by equipping leaders, supporting volunteers and helping people belong, grow in faith and serve others. Troy Arnott, our Senior Leader, works with Andrew Hill and Yvonne Morgan as our senior leadership team, guiding staff and working with Church Council and the Finance Team. Ali Box oversees pastoral care and wellbeing initiatives, while Chris Barras oversees our Generations ministries. Bron Arnott serves in our community-facing ministries, and Craig Harris leads our worship ministry. Kyle Barnden leads Youth and Young Adults, and Sarah Bailey runs our Sunday morning and evening children’s programs. Bella Cox provides administrative support, and Ruth Brown manages payroll. Kristie Dyson manages our Op Shop alongside Migdelia, Heather and Andrew. Many others provide valued support, including Paul Silk coordinating building set-up teams, Daniel Clements supporting our tech teams and Leanne Long and Judith McClimont serving our Heal Ministry.

The buildings at Maroondah Federation Estate have changed a little over the last six months. The old school building that used to house our offices has been closed for renovation, and our offices are now located in the main building near the after-hours entry. This is where you will find our staff during the week. We are grateful for each team member’s gifts and the many volunteers who serve alongside us. This year also marks a significant milestone for Troy with the submission of his PhD thesis. Congratulations. Looking towards 2027, we want to strengthen collaboration, grow together and equip our church community to become, in every way, more and more like Jesus.
-Yvonne


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Safe Church reflects New Community’s commitment to creating and maintaining safe, inclusive, welcoming and accessible spaces for everyone, including children and vulnerable adults. This year, Donna Waterworth has continued as our Safe Church contact person, and we hosted the BUV’s Creating Safe Spaces training for 50 of our kids and youth leaders and helpers. We have also asked all volunteers to ensure they have an up-to-date Working With Children Check, reinforcing our commitment to a child-safe culture. Looking ahead, we will continue developing our internal Safe Church training to strengthen our practices and help ensure New Community remains a safe place for all.