Melbourne Fellowship Weekend 2024

The vibrant suburb of Ringwood in Melbourne’s east was the setting for the 2024 Melbourne Fellowship Weekend. The event, which took place over the King’s Birthday long weekend of June 7-10, was enjoyed by the local Melbourne congregation, as well as more than 30 interstate guests and even 2 overseas members from New Zealand.

The theme of the weekend was, “Philadelphian Unity”, and was attended by guest minister Mr Martin Montgomery and minister-in-training Mr Warren Burnett.

The weekend began with a Bible Study and Soup Night on Friday evening. A selection of homemade soups and bread was enjoyed by brethren before the commencement of the Bible Study, given by Melbourne Pastor Mr Adam Jennings.

Brethren arrived back at the hall the following day for Sabbath services. Mr Jennings gave the sermonette on God’s perspective on Philadelphian unity, while Mr Montgomery spoke about various aspects of our carnality that can negatively impact our Philadelphian unity with each other.

Afternoon tea involved a selection of wine and cheese, which was then followed by a catered spit-roast dinner, which included a variety of meats, vegetables and salads. At the completion of the meal, brethren were able to partake in a fun game of Bible Celebrity Heads.

The next morning, there were two separate lectures continuing on the theme of, “Philadelphian Unity”, delivered by Melbourne Elder Mr Zig Svalbe and Mr Burnett. After being well fed spiritually, brethren filled up on delicious sandwiches before embarking on a selection of afternoon activities.

Some brethren chose to partake in a guided Yarra River cruise. The youth and the young at heart embraced the Melbourne winter and took part in ice skating at O’Brien Icehouse at the Docklands, while others took the option of a relaxed walk at the Fitzroy Gardens.

Back the hall that evening, brethren enjoyed a fun-filled Loaded Spuds and Games Night. Several minute-to-win-it style games were set up, as well as a table tennis and air hockey tournament and prizes were on offer for the winners of each game.

The final day of the Fellowship Weekend on Monday was centred in the hustle and bustle of Melbourne’s CBD. A farewell lunch at one of Melbourne’s oldest licensed pubs, The Mitre Tavern, brought the weekend to a close.

Overall, the weekend was a huge success with many opportunities to fellowship and embrace the theme of Philadelphian unity. It felt like brethren were fully adopting God’s instruction to us through Paul: “that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgement.” (1 Corinthians 1:10)