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Foundations of Orthodox Christianity

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Foundations of Orthodox Christianity

Foundations of Orthodox Christianity in 2022

In 2020, The Good Shepherd presented its catechism program, Foundations of Orthodox Christianity. Like many Parish initiatives, it went online and was able to continue under our two lockdowns. We celebrated the fruits of this course with the baptism and chrismation of our newest members of the community. 

Resuming in 2021, Foundations of Orthodox Christianity is presenting a new and expanded course based on Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeyev's book series Orthodox Christianity and the official catechism of the Archdiocese.

This course is suited for those who are seeking to become Orthodox, existing Orthodox who seek to reacquaint themselves with the Faith and people who simply wish to enquire and learn more.

The sessions will take place in person twice each month from February to November and will run for approximately 75 minutes. Sessions will be delivered in-person at the Religious Centre and simultaneously online via Zoom following the Sunday Liturgy.

To register your interest in participating in the course, send us an email to introduce yourself. We will respond with details about how to connect with our sessions.

 

Details

The Good Shepherd Orthodox Church, located in Clayton, Melbourne, is a living witness to the power of the Gospel and the fullness of the Christian Faith in modern, secular Australia.

We are a vibrant Australian Christian community under the direction of the Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia, New Zealand & the Philippines, which belongs to the jurisdiction of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East.

The Church of Antioch is the continuation of the Christian community founded in Antioch by the Apostles Peter (who served as its first bishop) and Paul. The Patriarchate of Antioch is the oldest of the ancient Patriarchates constituting the one Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church of Jesus Christ.

All services are in the English language and are streamed online via Facebook and YouTube. The Good Shepherd hosts regular online meetings for fellowship, prayer, patristic reading and children’s Sunday school.

 

 

Blog

Sow Bountifully, Love Freely: The Abundant Life in Christ
Sdn Tim Grace
Sdn Tim Grace
October 4, 2026 11:00 AM
Drawing on C.S. Lewis's The Great Divorce, Sub Dn. Timothy Grace explores the abundant life God offers us through the day's two readings. From St. Paul he draws the law of sowing and reaping: God loves a cheerful giver, and what we give freely bears fruit for eternity. From the Gospel comes the harder, supernatural call to love our enemies without discrimination — not a loss, he shows, but the path to true freedom, embodied by Christ on the Cross.
Put Out Into the Deep: Christ Steps Into Our Boat
Fr. Geoff Harvey
Fr. Geoff Harvey
September 27, 2026 10:00 AM
On the Sunday of the miraculous catch of fish, Fr. Geoff Harvey asks what a fishing boat, a temple and a human being have in common. Christ does not wait for our nets to be clean or our lives to be tidy — he climbs into the ordinary boat of our weary hearts, our homes and our work, and asks us to put out into the deep. Fr. Geoff draws out three things the Christian life asks of us: receive his presence, trust his word, and leave everything for his kingdom — closing with the urgency of the call to make the treasures of Orthodoxy available to Australians in English.
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