Once each season in 2025, we’d love you to join us online to spend an hour praying from wherever you are across our movement. We’ll pray around that season’s spotlight as well as bring to God all that is happening in our world and in our 4 spaces (individually, in churches, in regions, across our movement in NSW/ACT and beyond).  

Please register for our Summer Prayer Night: 19th February, 7.30pm-8.30pm. 

Our Summer Spotlight is “Health”. We’ll spend time praying for our churches and leaders, that God would grant growth in health to strengthen us for the ministry and mission he has called us to.

We’ll share and pray about Mission25 as we ask God to move through us to see more people come to know and love Him. Ryan Vallee, from Alpha Australia, will be joining us as a guest to lead us in prayer for Mission25 and ask for God to grant revival. 

We’ll also pray beyond this as God leads us.

Please join us by registering below. I hope to see you then.

Please join us by registering here.

Register Here

Upcoming online prayer nights:

Autumn – “Justice”. 21st May, 7.30pm. Register here.
Winter – “Leadership”. 20th Aug, 7.30pm. Register here.
Spring – “Mission”. 19th Nov, 7.30pm. Register here.

Registrations are now open for Connect 2025 in 12 regions. Connect days are for Youth, SRE and Kids Ministry Teams.

Two excellent features of Connect days are:

Firstly, content! This year Richard Black will be speaking on “Ministry in the Age of Worry” and sharing tools that reassure those with anxiety. Amongst a number of options there is a workshop on supporting kids and teens with autism or ADHD in our ministry programs.

The second great feature of Connect is that it creates opportunity for connections and conversation that strengthens everybody.

Make sure everyone in your kids, SRE and youth ministry teams are registered for Connect25 near you.

Register now

If you have questions or need more information reach out to:

Sarah Alarcon –  salarcon@nswactbaptists.org.au
Louise Bartlett – lbartlett@nswactbaptists.org.au
Shelley Ashton – sre@nswactbaptists.org.au

This year many of our Baptist churches are joining faith communities across the country to pray and prepare for Alpha in term 1, invite and run Alpha in term 2, and then celebrate good news stories in term 3. This initiative is called ‘Mission 25‘

We want to make sure no one thinking of joining in misses out on the resources Alpha are providing for Mission 25. To receive training dates, prayer aids, service plans, promotional material and more, all you need to do is register your Alpha through the Mission 25 website, so if you haven’t done so already, now is your chance!

Mission 25 Website

The countdown is on, and we are now less than 5 months away from hosting the Baptist World Congress in Brisbane!

The Congress website (Living the Good News | BWA Congress 2025) is being regularly updated as more speakers are announced, and program details are confirmed. Some of these updates are also being sent via email to people who have registered for the Congress, so some of you may have received them.

The Extra Early Bird registration price finished in December however there is still an Early Bird rate until March 31,2025. Make sure you take advantage of it! Congress Registration | BWA Congress 2025

Expressions of Interest are also still open for:

• Volunteering
• Translators & Interpreters – for those with specific language skills
• Creative Arts

It would be wonderful if you can distribute this information within your congregation.

We look forward to seeing you in July!

Creating Safe Spaces workshops are up and running for 2025, both in person and online. You can find upcoming workshops at https://creatingsafespaces.org.au/events/. If your church would like to host a workshop, you can fill out the request form at https://creatingsafespaces.org.au/hosting/.

We will also be running our Advanced Creating Safe Spaces in July/August this year. The dates are Saturday 26 July (Day 1, online only), Saturday August 9 (Day 2 online) and Monday August 11 (Day 2 in person at Ministry and Learning Centre, Macquarie Park). For more information or to register, please go use the link below.

Advanced Creating Safe Spaces

This month, Stephen Donohue has started as our new Safe Church Coordinator. He joins the Ministry Standards Team from Heathcote Engadine Baptist Church, where he served as Associate Pastor.

“From my time in pastoral ministry, I really appreciate the work of many people in our Association to equip pastors, leaders and volunteers to be safe ministry practitioners. I see this as a key aspect to achieving our Gen1K goal, because we can’t have 1,000 healthy churches without them being safe spaces.

It’s encouraging to see this happening at many levels – from ministry leaders and helpers in local churches, to the leadership team here at the Baptist Ministry Centre. As I begin my time in this role, I’m thankful for the part you all play in this important work.”

If you have questions regarding Safe Church policies and procedures or the Safe Church Health Check, you can email Stephen at sdonohue@nswactbaptists.org.au.

In 2020, as COVID began to impact everyday life, the Baptist Association of NSW & ACT commenced a weekly livestream for pastors and leaders to update them on the frequently changing requirements from the government. By late 2021 as the impact of COVID began to lessen on churches, it was decided to change the purpose of Insights and focus on leadership development with a move to a monthly format.

With a growing menu of discipleship and leadership development options available to pastors and leaders, the need for Insights declined and was ultimately concluded in November 2024. The content available here is from leadership development presentations made over the course of Insights. We trust that it is helpful to your ongoing development.

Past Insights Online Recordings

It is with sadness that we acknowledge the passing of Peter Kilkeary on Christmas Eve. A Thanksgiving Service was held on 30^th December 2024 in Leura in the Blue Mountains.

God used Peter over the years to bless many people in his role as a pastor and leader in our family of churches. We are grateful for his pastoral service in churches such as Penrith and Strathfield-Homebush where he faithfully led and impacted lives with the Gospel of Jesus. We are also thankful for the leadership he exercised in the wider Baptist movement as Director of Christian Education, as a leader in the Association’s Ministers’ Fraternal, in the Baptist Union of NSW and ACT Executive Committee and during his time as Vice-President of the Baptist Union of NSW and ACT. The generous contribution of his time, gifts and experience has been greatly appreciated over years of faithful service.

We remember Peter’s life with gratitude to God and continue to pray for his wife Joy and other family and friends who are most impacted by his loss.

The Australian Baptist Easter Offering is a national expression of our gratitude for Jesus and our unity in working to share him with others. The offering supports Crossover – a national Baptist ministry that provides resources, training and encouragement to help Australian Baptists share Jesus with their friends and neighbourhoods.

You may know Crossover from their baptism resources or National Baptism Week, but there’s so much more they do and their website is full of ideas and resources.

To find out more about Crossover and how you may contribute to the Australian Baptist Easter Offering, visit their website using the link below.

Crossover Website

We’ve become aware of a fringe group contacting some of our churches. It is a group called “Zion Christian Mission Centre” or “New Heaven New Earth” (or may have an online presence with a name like “Sydney believers”, “Melbourne believers” etc). They may be an Australian arm of the Shincheonji cult from South Korea, although will appear reluctant to identify themselves as such. This group teaches that their leader is the second coming of Jesus, that they are the only true church, and the only ones who can interpret the Bible correctly.

In the past they have been active on University campuses, approaching international students in particular, but also Christian groups and offering Bible studies. They also contact people on social media offering to pray and read the Bible.

They have been known around Australia to directly and systematically contact churches and particularly youth pastors, saying they are conducting research on youth engagement in the church. Some have even shown up to a couple of youth/young adult events. 

City on Hill Church in NZ encountered them directly a few years ago and they actively recruited people from that church. City on a Hill posted some helpful info and advice on their website.

Please be aware and share this information with your local leadership as you see fit.

Are you feeling called to explore God’s global mission but unsure where to start? 

Join us for Exploring Mission 2025 – a transformative online experience that starts right where you are!

This dynamic (and free!) course recognises that we’re already living in an intercultural world, and helps us discover our unique place in God’s unfolding story. 

Meeting Monday evenings in March via Zoom, you’ll join a vibrant learning community of fellow travellers from across Australia and beyond.

We’ll explore essential questions like:

• What is God doing in our world today?
• What could your role be in God’s global mission?
• How can you meaningfully engage across cultures? 

Plus, you’ll have opportunities to connect personally with experienced mission workers.

Join us as we explore relevant ways to engage in God’s mission for today’s rapidly changing world.

Ready to begin your journey? 

Classes start March 3rd, 2025. 

Register now to find your place in God’s global vision —  https://baptistmissionaustralia.org/engage/courses-and-events/exploring-mission/

Email Nath with any questions and queries about Exploring Mission – nreid@baptistmissionaustralia.org 

Please consider the following information from the NSW Department of Education:

All staff, students and parents at NSW public schools can now access a new helpline to manage reports of religious bullying or intolerance.

If you experience or witness religious intolerance, contact your school first, or the helpline directly on 1300 679 332.

The NSW Department of Education welcomes people of all faiths, and values the cultural, linguistic, religious and spiritual diversity of all students and their families. It is committed to promoting respect, understanding and harmony, while delivering outstanding education for every learner.

The new Religious Intolerance Helpline will strengthen support for students, families, staff and community members who have experienced or witnessed religious bullying or intolerance, and support school staff to manage reports of religious bullying or intolerance.

Trained Helpline staff will provide callers with information about how we manage reports of religious bullying or intolerance, will impartially manage and support the resolution of reports, recommend support services for the person making the report, and work with schools to strengthen responses to reports.

In the first instance, students, parents and carers should raise concerns about religious bullying or intolerance with their school, before accessing the helpline. The Religious Intolerance Helpline can be reached by calling 1300 679 332 and letting the operator know you are calling about religious bullying or intolerance.

More information about reporting religious bullying or intolerance can be found on the Religious intolerance webpage