Pastors eNews - December 2019

During the Christmas & New Years holiday period the Baptist Ministry Centre will be open during the following hours:

Monday 23 December – 9am-5pm
Tuesday 24 December – 9am-5pm
Wednesday 25 December – Closed
Thursday 26 December – Closed
Friday 27 December – Closed
Monday 30 December – Closed
Tuesday 31 December – Closed
Wednesday 1 January – Closed
Thursday 2 January – 9am-5pm

 

Join together in May next year as we explore the theme of Saved, Called, Sent.  This is the inspirational event of the year for everyone!  Take time to connect with other leaders, pastors and members across our movement.

 

In 2020 we will again be providing the opportunity to experience The Gathering through livestream and we will have Livesites in locations across NSW and ACT where you can attend the Annual Assembly.

 

Our prayer is that everything you experience at The Gathering will equip you to be sent back into your local communities to bless your families and ministries.

 

When:
1-2 May 2020

 

Where: 
Ministry and Learning Centre
5 Saunders Close
Macquarie Park

 

Register:
Registrations will open early December. Click here for more information.

 

 

 

We are currently in a process of discussion as a movement about these matters, following on from a notice of motions brought to our September Assembly.  A taskforce is overseeing this process which consists of forums throughout NSW & ACT and the opportunity for people in fellowship with one of our churches to give feedback to the taskforce via an online portal. Please note that any written submissions to The Taskforce need to be submitted by Friday 14th February 2020.

We have recently confirmed the following forums to take place across February and March of 2020.

February 2020

• North Coast/Mid-North Coast – Sat 1 Feb 2020 – 1pm – 4pm – Port Macquarie Baptist Church
• Riverina – Sat 8 Feb 2020 – 11am-2pm – Wagga Wagga Baptist Church
• New England/North West – Sat 8 Feb 2020 – 12pm-3pm – Tamworth Baptist Church
• Canberra – Sat 15 Feb 2020 – 9am-12pm – Dickson Baptist Church
• Sydney North – Sat 22 Feb 2020 – 9am-12pm – Epping Baptist Church
• Northern Rivers/Northern Tablelands – Sat 22 Feb 2020 – 10am-1pm – The Hub Grafton Baptist Church

March 2020

• Central West – Sat 7 Mar 2020 – 12pm – 3pm – Dubbo Baptist Church
• Sydney West – Sat 14 Mar 2020 – 1pm – 4pm – Penrith Baptist Church
• Central Coast – Sat 14 Mar 2020 – Time: 1pm – 4pm – Erina Community Baptist Church

Those wishing to participate are encouraged to register here simply click on the ‘buy now’ button and rest assured that registration is free.

Recent information sent from The Taskforce to all our churches can be viewed here.

Children and Family Ministry Connection Facilitator

The Baptist Churches in NSW & ACT is seeking to discern God’s leading for the appointment of a Children and Family Ministry Connection Facilitator.

The successful candidate will be a member of the Children’s and Family Ministry Team and work collaboratively to facilitate connection, create welcoming events and curate resources that equip and support children and family ministry leaders within the Baptist Churches of NSW & ACT. The role will involve regular connection with local churches as well as managing a small number of administrative tasks.

The Children and Family Ministry Connection Facilitator will possess a deep understanding of and passion for ministry with children, a growing Christian faith and a sense of call to serve God in this role. Proven ability to implement and finish projects and communicate well will be an advantage. They will have the capacity to communicate well and have an orientation toward detail and quality. They will also have proven ability to relate positively across diverse churches and work well in a team. The successful applicant will have a deep commitment to the vision and values of the Baptist Churches of NSW & ACT and a desire to see children welcomed as fellow disciples in churches.

The role is 0.4 of a full-time equivalent position with an expected start date in mid to late February 2020.

Questions regarding the role may be directed to Louise Bartlett, Children and Family Ministries Facilitator at kidsmin@nswactbaptists.org.au or on 02 9868 9200. A copy of the Position Description is available on request. Interested applicants are invited to submit their CV, along with a covering letter and a statement addressing their suitability for the role based on the Position Description. These should be forwarded to Louise by email.

The closing date for applications is Monday 27^th January 2020.

 

Events Coordinator.
If you or someone within your church matches the role description below, please direct them to contact Aaron Veart for the full Position Description.
Applications close on Monday January 13, 2020.

Role Description

The Association of Baptist Churches in NSW and ACT is seeking to discern God’s leading for the appointment of an Events Coordinator.
This role is responsible for the planning and organising of Baptist Association events. Duties include:

• Negotiations with contractors and partner organisations.
• Provide input to budgeting process and work within the confines of the agreed budget for each event
• Work with Communications team and ministry leaders in the planning, advertising and promotions of events
• Implement and oversee registration processes for events.
• Provide event reports and analysis.
• Manage the logistics of all major Association events.
• Assist other staff in the organisation with their events, including activities such as risk assessments, registrations, logistics, etc.
• Recruit, manage and utilise volunteers during events.

The successful applicant will be a mature and committed Christian who has a sense of calling to serve God in this role and be tertiary qualified in Marketing, Communications or Events with:

• Strong relational and communications competency and experience in negotiating/ communicating with key stakeholders
• Ability to meet deadlines and delegate appropriately
• Strong teamwork skills
• Advanced computer skills, including basic website skills in Word Press
• Familiarity with events registration software and willingness to learn new software as appropriate
• Flexibility to travel and attend events
• Knowledge of relevant legislation e.g. WHS
• Experience with CRM systems, Event marketing, Event sponsorships, events from 30-600+ people, project management software and remote streaming technology
• Excellent organisational and administrative skills

A copy of the position description is available on request by contacting Aaron Veart here. Questions regarding the role may be directed to Aaron Veart, Team Leader – Communications & Events, on 02 9868 9225.

Interested applicants are invited to submit their CV, along with a covering letter and a statement addressing their suitability for the role based on the Position Description. These should be forwarded to Aaron via the Apply Now button.

The closing date for applications is Monday January 13, 2020.

 

BYM State Conference is an intentional time focused on building relationships with pastors and leaders, fostering community and connection with likeminded people, praying with and for one another, sharing of ideas and resources, inspiration, refreshment, and ultimately being reminded of who we are and who we serve.

It’s about calling leaders and emerging leaders up to all that God wants for and from us for the year ahead and into the future.

Over the years this event has grown to be one of most significant ways that we invest in the younger leaders in our Baptist Association in NSW and ACT.

We are inviting each of our Senior Pastors to do the following: 

1. Ensuring their youth and young adult pastor is able to attend the conference
2. Consider sponsoring a Youth Pastor from a church with limited resources to attend the conference
3. Encouraging emerging youth and/or young adult leaders and interns you are investing in to attend
4. Budgeting for this time of significant investment into the life of your church
5. Commit to praying for our conference and all who attend

All details & registration link can be found on our website http://bymstateconference.org.au/

This year we encourage you to engage with Baptist World Aid Australia’s Be Hope Christmas Appeal.  This is an incredible opportunity to celebrating the hope we have in Jesus and help your church express that hope in tangible, world-changing ways. Please see John Hickey’s message below regarding BWAA’s Be Hope Christmas Appeal.

Christmas 2019 is nearly upon us!

During this special time of year, the heart of Baptist World Aid is to help your church family focus on that very hope which unites us all… and provide you with tools that will help you equip them to be a blessing to others.

This year, I’m excited to announce that your generous Christmas offering will go straight to projects supporting families in Uganda… to bless them with the gift of new livelihoods and enough food to eat. And give them the incredible gift of hope.

Your generosity will bless precious families like Michael’s and Immaculate’s… who have lived in poverty since their village was attacked by violent extremists in 2003, and who now struggle to provide for three children of their own. Theirs is a powerful story of hope in dark places.

Watch it now!

Even in the darkest of times, Michael and Immaculate’s faith in God held strong. I’m sure you’ll agree that this is a wonderful story about a truly special family – their trust in God is so inspiring!
If you have any further questions about your Be Hope Christmas Appeal, please feel free to call one of our friendly team on 1300 789 991 or email hello@baptistworldaid.org.au.

Yours in Christ,

John Hickey
CEO, Baptist World Aid Australia

Have you heard about the Kids and Family Ministry Connect Day? It‘s happening again in at least 10 regions across NSW on
Saturday March 21 and Saturday 30th May 2020.

We have some excellent presenters lined up, practical workshops and an ideas market along with some team time to chat about what people have seen and heard.
It’s for anyone involved in any type of ministry with children and their families.

$15 per person and leaders 17 and under come free. Registrations open soon.
You can check it out here to find the nearest option for your leaders.

The Safe Church Health Check was launched in November with a series of Information Sessions held across Sydney and livestreamed throughout NSW and ACT. Over 300 people participated in these Information Sessions including many pastors, elders, deacons and administrators from both rural and urban churches. We are greatly encouraged at the high level of interest and engagement from church leaders across our movement as we prioritise our efforts to demonstrate God’s love by taking steps to protect the vulnerable amongst us.

You can download a copy of the Safe Church Health Check or watch a recording of the Information Session here.
If possible we would encourage you to watch the Information session video before engaging with the Safe Church Health Check material.

During the Information Sessions, we discussed the NSW Government Children’s Guardian Bill which was at that time still in draft stage. The Children’s Guardian Bill passed through parliament last week and will come into force on 1 March 2020 as the Children’s Guardian Act 2019. Under this Act, church staff and volunteers will be subject to additional responsibilities under the Reportable Conduct Scheme and as Mandatory Reporters. We will provide further information about this important change early in 2020. These new legal obligations are just some of many recent changes to the responsibilities of churches and individuals which the Safe Church Health Check seeks to address, as well as compliance with the Child Safe Standards recommended by the recent Royal Commission.

In conjunction with the Safe Church Health Check we have developed a Safe Church Package which includes a range of model policy and procedure documents to support churches.These resources are available for download here.  

We strongly encourage church pastors and leaders to familiarise themselves with the Safe Church Health Check and help their churches prepare to participate in this useful accountability process. Please contact our Safe Church Coordinator Katie Watson if you have any questions about the Safe Church Health Check or Safe Church Package.

In 2020 the Baptist Association and Morling College are again partnering to offer the Impact Kids / Youth Ministry Certificate.

Are there are people within your church for whom this may be a good development opportunity to grow their capacity in ministry?   There is scope for it to be done as an internship through your church or in a less formalised structure if that would be more appropriate.

It is a practical experience + reflection + input opportunity for people working or volunteering in children’s or youth ministry. There are three lecture days over the year and attendance at one of Association equipping and connection events. Alongside this people undertake approximately 120 hours of ministry with children or young people and reflect with a supervisor on their ministry practice plus 1 or 2 written assignments and regular interaction in with readings in online forums. For those undertaking this as a subject towards an Australian College of Theology qualification there are additional written assignments.

The cost to receive it as a Morling Certificate only is $320 plus conference fee or if for credit towards an ACT qualification is the usual ACT fee which for some people will qualify for Fee Help, plus the conference/event ticket price.

All of the course information is found here We explain more in the video below and in the frequently asked questions page.

We would love to talk with you further about this if you think someone in your church could benefit from this opportunity.

Steve Dixon                                                      Louise Bartlett
Youth and Young Adult Ministries                  Children and Family Ministries

Below are key events for Pastors in 2020 that will help provide leadership development opportunities to help support the work you are doing in your local context. If you are interested in up-skilling, retraining or engaging with continued development for current ministries, and future ministry opportunities, check out the events below.

For more information about any of the opportunities listed below contact Grae McWhirter (Team Leader – Leadership Development).

Graduate Certificate in Professional Supervision
Applications close February 2020

The Baptist Association has mandated that newly accredited pastors must engage with an approved Pastoral Supervisor at least 6 times a year for the first three years after their accreditation. Our hope is that pastoral supervision amongst our pastors will become a normal part of our leadership development beyond this. So, we are looking to develop an approved list of trusted, trained and experienced professional supervisors from amongst our pastors.

Becoming a pastoral supervisor is a great leadership development opportunity for an experienced pastor (with a minimum of 3 years experience). It is an opportunity to engage in further training (by completing a Graduate Certificate in Professional Supervision) and sow in to the lives and ministries of younger leaders. Those engaging with pastoral supervisors are aware that supervisors will most likely charge for their time.

If you are at all interested in pursuing this, follow this link to our application page where qualifications and requirements are explained in more detail. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to contact Grae McWhirter (Team Leader – Leadership Development).

Spiritual Care Course – Train the Trainers
Run multiple times a year. Click here for the next event

Who in your church could benefit from becoming a trained Spiritual Care Series facilitator for your church? By undertaking this series you will be equipped to train people in your church to provide quality pastoral and spiritual care to older and vulnerable Australians.

This series is affordable, easy to facilitate through quality vide content with practical skills based training. This series will strenghthen pastoral care in your church as well as train people to become volunteers in your local community with opportunities to partner with BaptistCare’s Pastoral Care Volunteer Program. Morning tea and lunch is included in the price of registration. *This training is only available to those in Baptist Church ministries and BaptistCare’s Volunteer Program. Please contact Sue if you are not currently in ministry through a Baptist Church or Baptist Care Volunteer Program

Some of the topics you will facilitate include:

1. Good communication
2. Grief, loss, death and dying
3. Roles, boundaries and self-care

 Mentoring Opportunities

Throughout 2020 we will be strengthening our network of mentors and providing a system on our website where you can search for mentors near you and request a session with them from the times they have available. If you are interested in finding a mentor in 2020 contact Grae McWhirter.

Foundations to Coaching

Coaching is the process of “coming alongside”. Cultivate Coaching exists to glorify God, in partnership with the Holy Spirit, to develop and equip a network of Christian coaches – people who empower others (and those they serve) to release their God-given potential.

This 2 day training course provides many immediate and ongoing opportunities to engage with the principles and practices of coaching through discussion and peer practice. It builds on the foundations for healthy coaching and mentoring discussed in the Introduction seminar, reintroduces the GROW coaching model, and gives attendees opportunities to develop and hone their coaching skills through practice. Attendees will develop intuitive listening skills, learn how to ask powerful questions, and practice helping others convert ideas to actions.

An essential component of this training includes a HeartLife profile. HeartLife gives insight into why we behave the way we do and provides opportunity to journey with God and others for continual growth and lasting transformation. This will need to be completed online between the training days

This is for you if:
– You’ve never been coached, but would like to learn
– You are an experienced leader or mentor who would like to see the people you serve, better access the gold God has entrusted to them
– You have been coached, and loved it, and want to learn to do this for others
– You want to support, encourage and motivate others to discover and do the tasks God has planned for them, through easy and hard times

Consultancy Training

Opportunity for Pastors, Leaders and lay persons who have identified leadership potential. Consists of 8 sessions over 2 years where you learn how to respond and support a community to develop greater church health. This has the opportunity to be offered a place on the Baptist Association of NSW & ACT’s Church Health Consultancy Team.

For more information email Cat Nugent, PA to Ian Altman.

 Pastors and Leaders Day
Thursday, 5 Mar 2020 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM

This event is for people at all stages of their ministry, and whatever their roles. Whether you’ve only just stepped into leadership or if you’re much further along the path, we encourage you to come and be a part of a morning set aside to minister to YOU!

This event continues to grow year by year, and connecting face to face is part of what makes it such a great opportunity each February. However if you live out of driving distance to Sydney, the morning will be webcast.

At the Pastors and Leaders Day this year we will be encouraged by quality input on developing leaders in the local church, developing a discipling culture, and strategies for self-care across the different seasons of ministry. We will hear about The Gathering, we will converse, pray, sing and eat together. We hope you will come and be a part of this time with other pastors and leaders in our movement! Register Here.

SENT is for anyone who isn’t simply interested in “content download” but wants to be trained in an environment where practical application, relevant experience, and formation are crucial for learning. You will have the opportunity to connect with other church planters who have a dream for planting, as well as be trained by some of our best practitioners and theoreticians inside and outside of our denomination.

To enrol click here or email Jamie Freeman to find out more.