About us
Our history
While at the Bethel Kingdom Culture conference in 2019, Rod & Joan felt a call to “plant a church in Mitchelton”, their home suburb. At the time both were in the workforce and serving in their church of 20+ years. Over the Covid years, they sought God’s direction and left the workforce in 2021 to serve in a full-time, self-funded capacity. They gathered a small team and founded Welcome Community Church in late 2022. Through a remarkable set of circumstances, Welcome was invited to use Grovely Christian Community Church’s venue on Sunday evenings, where we continue to meet and seek to share the love of God with our local community.
Our vision
To be a community of faith that encourages our relationship with Jesus, our love for one another, and our passion to share the love of God with those around us. These are reflected in our core values: presence, community, and purpose.
Presence
To be conscious of God’s presence with us in our daily lives, when we meet together, and in the world around us.
Community
To be a community of authentic caring relationships that encourage and support each other as we live the adventure of life and faith.
Purpose
To fulfill our calling to make disciples and share the love of God with our world.
Our leadership team
Rod & Joan
Rod & Joan are the founders of Welcome Community Church. Raised in non-Christian households both found faith in Christ at university and have always had a passion to help others discover the reality of God and the joy of belonging to a community of faith. They possess a wealth of life, work, and ministry experience. Rod & Joan have 3 adult children and have just welcomed their first grandchild.
Alex & Linda
Alex & Linda were both raised in the faith, having always known the reality of God in their lives. Alex brings great wisdom and people savvy to the team, while Linda brings a powerful sense of faith, fun and energy. Having served in multiple roles in different churches they bring a great deal of experience, wisdom and energy to the team.
Michelle
Michelle (Mish) came to faith through the conversion of her whole family to Christ in South Africa. Mish has served nearly 20 years as YWAM staff, initially in South Africa and for the past 8 years here in Brisbane. She has lead missions teams to several countries (including Madagascar), and has a strong teaching and discipling ministry.
Ely & Crista
Ely & Crista come to the team with a wealth of missions, Church planting and leadership experience having planted churches in Australia and the Philipines before deciding to make home back here in Australia. They bring a passion for reaching out with the Gospel along with a gentle spirit and a heart that loves people where they are at.
Martin & Alicia
Martin and Alicia grew up in South Africa and moved to Australia with their two boys in 2023. Both were raised in the faith – Martin as the son of pastors and church planters with a passion for kids’ ministry, and Alicia, whose personal journey led her to deepen her faith in her early 20s, discovering a renewed sense of purpose and conviction. They bring an amazing passion for God, life, community, great food, fun, and family to the team.
Our beliefs
Our statement of belief is not intended to summarise the complete revelation of biblical truth but to provide a basis for our fellowship together. More broadly we identify with all who hold to the Apostle’s and Nicene creeds as the basis of the Christian faith.
- We believe in one eternal God who is the Creator of all things. He exists in three Persons: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ), and God the Holy Spirit. He is totally loving and completely holy.
- We believe that the Bible is God’s Word. It is accurate, authoritative and applicable to our everyday lives.
- We believe that sin has separated each of us from God and His purpose for our lives.
- We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ as both God and man is the only One who can reconcile us to God. He lived a sinless and exemplary life, died on the cross in our place, and rose again to prove His victory and empower us for life.
- We believe that to receive forgiveness and the ‘new birth’ we must repent of our sins, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and commit our lives to following him. As believers we are baptised by full immersion as a public declaration of our faith in Jesus.
- We believe God desires us to be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit who empowers us with spiritual gifts including prophecy, healing and speaking in tongues.
- We believe in the power and significance of the Church, the community of faith, in which believers meet regularly for fellowship, support, encouragement, teaching, prayer, and the celebration of communion.
- We believe that God wants to heal and transform us so that we can live healthy and blessed lives so that we may help others more effectively.
- We believe that our eternal destination is determined by our response to the Lord Jesus Christ.
- We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is coming back again as He promised.
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