CREATIVE BLOG

I finally had
this sense of belonging and purpose within church

Tell us a little about you..

I’m a Newy gal, born in Western Sydney but raised in Newcastle. I’ve lived here for most of my life, living with my two parents and two younger sisters. My dad got quite unwell when I graduated high school, so I decided to take a gap year before starting uni and ended up doing Bible College through YouthAlive - which ended up being such a phenomenal experience and exactly what I needed that year. I’ve since completed my Bachelors of Nursing degree, I moved to the sunny Port Macquarie with my best friend to do so. I’ve now landed my dream NewGrad position as an RN in the emergency department!

If you could join any band past or present, who would it be?

Surely this counts, but I’d love to be a backing vocalist for Taylor Swift. I swear I have all the backing “oohs” and “ahhs” memorised and I have some epic dance moves to incorporate into my performance!

Do you have any other interests/hobbies besides music?

I’m always picking up, and learning, new hobbies - I love to be creative! During lockdown I got into crocheting, and trying my hand at sewing (I’ll leave that one for the professionals like Rose McCredie!). I’m a big bookworm and I love creating digital graphics and art.

Tell us something about you that may surprise us?

This won’t surprise our MD’s, but I never know the lyrics to our songs on Sunday- I do try!

LILLYARNA BROWN - FEATURED CREATIVE

What is your proudest accomplishment?

So far, probably surviving living out of home in my early 20s! This experience allowed me to discover who I am and what my goals are. Oh, the Photo Booth I made for a HA event also deserves a special mention!

Tell us about something you've done that may have changed the course of your life?

Getting involved with creative! I don’t want that to sound cliche, but this genuinely has changed the course of my life! I started out in Year 7 with the dance team, and honestly this was where my foundations in church were built. I had found my people, built lasting friendships, and finally had this sense of belonging and purpose within church! From here, I have been so lucky to get involved in lots of other areas of creative and church life. I genuinely believe I wouldn’t be who I am today without that dance team!

What are you most passionate about?

My family would say the wrapping paper at Christmas time, with matching bows and ribbons. But I think I’m most passionate about excellence- in every area of my life. I’d like to think that everything I set out to do, I will achieve to the highest standard possible (maybe excluding those night-before uni assessments). I want people around me to feel included, valued, and worth the effort! 8. Is there something you'd like to achieve in the future? Professionally, I’d like to collect a few post-graduate degrees and climb into different nursing roles. But my biggest dream for the future is to be a mum. Also… meet Taylor Swift, that would be a huge moment for me!

The overriding constant in my life is to love God more for His amazing grace.

Gary WIlliams - FEATURED CREATIVE

Tell us something about you that may surprise us?

At 21 I was called up and did National Service for two years. I did all the training but didn't go to Vietnam because I had pimples on my back. I remember acquiring a new love for chocolates and cake.

What are you most proud of?

I am married and we had two daughters Nicole and Amy. Nicole was born with cystic fibrosis which led to a life of hardship. A gentamicin drug that wasn't monitored properly sent her deaf at an early age before she could talk but she became an excellent lip reader. When she was 21 she had a double lung transplant but died in 2010 eleven years later with lots of complications.
Ever since then our second daughter Amy has taken it upon herself to look after us and includes us in things all the time. We are very blessed to have them and have been on many holidays together with her and Andrew her husband and our two grandchildren.

Is there something you'd like to achieve in the future?

The overriding constant in my life is to love God more for His amazing grace and to focus on the future but if I had this life to live again I would play every musical instrument and sing like Mack Brock or Chandler Moore.

Tell us a little about you..

My name is Gary. I was raised on a farm right where the Eraring Power Station is now. We had 18 1/2 acres there until dad had to sell to the Electricity Commission to allow them to begin building. It was a poultry farm with some market gardening and about six cows. Our sport back then was chasing runaway cows through the bush. I was bitten by a snake and I remember riding one of our cows for a short distance so that must make me a cowboy of some sort. 

What are you passionate about?

I love taking photos and videos and my passion now is doing that here at church while meeting people along the way. In the past I have photographed weddings and also the Special Olympics when it came to Newcastle in 2013. Of course my grandchildren and family have always been in the frame too so I have many memories stored up on hard drives.

Do you have any other interests/hobbies?

I have had many early mornings watching the sunrise and taking landscapes but covid interrupted that so I cultivated an interest in vegetable gardening.

family, FLowers
& ALL THINGS CREATIVE.

ALEISHA HUMPHREYS - FEATURED CREATIVE

Tell us a little about you - your family, job, studying…

Hi! I’m Aleisha, wife to Zeb (that redhead bass player you’d recognise on stage most weekends) and mum to two little handfuls, Ellis and Margot, which is probably how you see me most weekends chasing after one of them!

What are the talents and skills you bring to the creative team?

I serve in band on vocals in the evenings and help out with other creative things like graphics and paint and sip nights.

If you could sing with anyone past or present, who would it be?

It’s so hard to pick just one person but If I could sing with anyone it would probably be Mikhael Paskalev.

Do you have any other interests/hobbies besides music?

I’ve been many things from florist, swim teacher, small business owner, currently barista, and looking into studying at Macquarie Leadership college.

If you were able to pick any job in the world - what would it be?

Being a creative means I kinda want to do everything but at the moment I would love to have a little florist/coffee shop. I just love working with the community and serving their needs whether that be through coffee or making them a bunch to brighten someone’s day. And maybe that should could also sell anything else I create along the way hahaha.

Tell us something about you that may surprise us?

I have a scar on my chin from when I cut it open with a can of tuna in year 7 When I was 15.

Tell us about something you've done that may have changed the course of your life?

I went on student exchange for a year to Hungary which is where I met Jesus and gave him my life. I have no doubt that my life would look every different if I didn’t take that opportunity!

Is there something you'd like to achieve in the future?

I would love to reno a home for my family and maybe even one day find that little shop for my florist cafe.

Aleisha also has a small business where she has created beautiful God-inspired Scripture cards and Spirit led daily devotionals. Find it at Words of Eden.

I AM PASSIONATE ABOUT LIVING A LIFE THAT HONOURS GOD.

MATT KOUTNIK - FEATURED CREATIVE

Tell us a little about you - your family, job, studying…

My name is Matthew. I am married to Laura, and we have two daughters named London and Lany. I am a primary school teacher and I currently work at Hunter Christian School teaching a Year 1/2 class.

What instruments do you play? How long have you been playing?

I started playing music when I was twelve years old. I took piano lessons for a short time, but I didn’t enjoy the lessons and I stopped taking them. When I reached the age of thirteen my church needed a drummer, so one of the band members taught me a basic rock beat and I started to play the drums. When I turned fourteen, I got an acoustic guitar for my birthday. My grandmother taught me a few chords and then I taught myself the rest. This is when I started to get more into music. I was chosen for the lead role in my school’s musical production and that got me into singing. By the age of sixteen I had started a band and begun songwriting. I have been writing music and playing in bands since then. I also taught myself the piano at some point along the way.

If you could join any band past or present, who would it be?

If I could be in any band, I would probably choose Coldplay. It would enjoy playing the pop / alternate style of music they are known for. They also have many nice electric lines in their music that would be fun to bust out.

If you could remove one music genre from existence, what would it be?

I like a lot of genres of music. There are genres I prefer more than others, but I try to listen out for interesting ideas across many styles. Each week I open Spotify to see what new albums have been released. I am not a fan of explicit language in songs, so if I could get rid of anything It would be that.  

Do you have any other interests/hobbies besides music?

I have many interests. I am a strong chess player and occasionally participate in local tournaments. I played soccer for many years and loved it, but recently I have picked up the sport of ice hockey and that has been great. 

Tell us something about you that may surprise us?

I would love to write a book one day. I don’t consider myself to be a great writer, but I have been chipping away (extremely slowly) at a few different stories.

What is your proudest accomplishment?

I am a proud husband and father. I am also proud of the music I have released. If people are interested in learning more they can head to my website  matthewkoutnik.com and follow the links to the various projects I am involved in.

What are you most passionate about?

I am passionate about living a life that honours God. I desire to be a loving husband and father. I want to continue to learn, grow and spend time being creative.