Saturday 9 November

Main site: Parkside Baptist Church

Remote sites: Alstonville Baptist Church, Bel Air Baptist Church, Mosaic Baptist Church (Canberra), Tamworth Baptist Church, Wagga Wagga Baptist Church, Wollongong Baptist Church, Yeoval Baptist Church.

Gathering as the people of God has always been central to the Christian Church.  At our next Gathering Incorporating our Ordinary Assembly on 9 November, we will focus on hearing how God is at work throughout our movement in NSW & ACT and look together at how this may continue to be strengthened.

Our main focus at this Gathering will be how we are working to be a mission shaped movement as we head towards our God-given Goal of 1000 Healthy Churches in a Generation.

We will be welcoming Rev Andrew Duncan, NSW State Director for Baptist Mission Australia and Rev Melissa Lipsett, CEO of Baptist World Aid Australia as our keynote speakers to see how we are greater together as we partner with our fellow Baptist organisations.

Please keep an eye out for more information coming your way over the coming weeks and plan to be with us.

On Thursday the 15^th of August 17 new ministers were accredited at the annual Accreditation Service at the Ministry & Learning Centre at Macquarie Park. It was a beautiful service with Rev Grae McWhirter preaching, interviews with a number of the accreditands, and a time of thanksgiving and rejoicing for the journey that has led these pastors and leaders to accreditation.

Those accredited were Jodie Beniameen, John-Jo Burns, Todd Darvas, Sarah Day-Weaver, Shane Hanley, Frank Liu, Kirsten Long, Travis Mundy, Ashleigh Reynolds, Benjamin Shanks, Benjamin Sterland, Will Tugwell, David Verlingieri, Jo White, Paul Whiting, Gary Yiu & Betro Yoo. They serve in a number of areas from church-based pastoral ministry through to chaplaincy.

Please support these newly accredited ministers in prayer as they serve God in the places in which he’s called them.

9^th to 11^th October
Youthworks Port Hacking

FORM is a dedicated space for church leaders, pastors, church members, small groups, and anyone interested in learning how to engage missionally with their communities, families, colleagues, and friends.

For 2024 we will be hearing from Mike and Michelle Stevens all the way from Clovercrest Baptist Church in South Australia about the theme “Seek First” drawn from Matthew 6:33. We will be looking at what healthy multiplication looks like given we live and minister in a world where even good things can distract us. What does it look like to lead and multiply from a place of health at an individual, family and church level?

With only one month until FORM begins, we’re bringing back early bird prices for one weekend! Register by 15 September to make the most of this FLASH SALE!

Register for FORM Now!

9^th October

Our annual in-person Simple Church Network Day is coming up on the 9th of October. This event is for Simple Church planters, leaders, members, and their families, along with missional leaders with their families who aspire to plant a Simple Church in the future.

Our Network Day presents an opportunity to worship as a larger network family, share stories from their unique contexts, encourage each other in prayer, and strengthen unity. It offers a platform to exchange ideas and inspiration from diverse experiences, reinforcing a shared DNA for Simple Churches and providing mutual encouragement.

This gathering is a unique opportunity for deep relational networking among Simple Church people before the FORM Conference and, as a special incentive, attendance is completely free for anyone already registered for FORM!

Simple Church Network Day

Online Prayer 30^th October

In this Spring season, our 4 x 4 Prayer spotlight is Mission. We invite you to join us praying that God will move amongst our pastors, churches, regions and whole movement to see 1000 healthy churches in a generation impacting our communities with the Gospel of Jesus. Please pray for the Association and Morling teams as we invest in developing, shaping and equipping missional leaders committed to this goal under Christ.

Spring Season Prayer Calendar:

Our Spring Season 4 x 4 Prayer Calendar will be sent out ready for you to pray from the 1^st October. If you are not receiving our prayer calendars but would like to, please be in contact and we’ll make sure you get a copy each season.

Spring Season Online Prayer:

Once each season we hold an online Prayer Gathering for people from across all of our churches to join praying together.

In the upcoming online prayer gathering we will also be praying specifically for our November Gathering / Assembly.

Date: Wednesday 30^th October
Time: 7.45pm to 8.30pm
Registration: Click here to register and be sent a link to our zoom meeting

We hope to see you there.

Register for Prayer Gathering

Open Day 9^th October

This past month has been a transformative journey for our IMPACT gap year participants, filled with enriching activities and deep discussions. Currently in its second year, IMPACT is a 1-year program intentionally focused on the formation of young adults in the areas of growing faith, personal development, engagement in community, and opportunity in ministry. The last few weeks have been spent exploring spiritual gifts, helping each student identify and consider where their God-given talents can best be utilised in church, family and community life. We have also spent time considering what it means to serve and how to effectively conduct church operations such as members’ meetings.

We then had the privilege of visiting the Australian Defence Force (ADF), where students met a chaplain with the ADF to hear a perspective on how faith and service intersect in a unique and challenging environment, highlighting the diverse ways one can serve and support others through a Christian lens. Our exploration continued with a visit to Power to Change, where we heard some stories of lives transformed by the gospel over a delicious dinner.

As we look ahead, we’re excited to invite anyone aged 17-23 to our October Open Day. It’s a fantastic opportunity to explore how IMPACT can help shape their spiritual journey, develop their gifts, and contribute meaningfully to their communities. If you know any young individuals who are eager to grow spiritually and make a positive impact, encourage them to join us. Here’s what you need to know:

When: October 9, 2024, 1-3pm

Where: 5 Saunders Close, Macquarie Park, NSW 2250 Australia

Register HERE

Have any questions? Get in touch with us if you would like to learn more!

With 2025 increasingly on the horizon, it’s more important than ever for our churches to be equipped with strong, Christ-centred leadership. The challenges and opportunities we face require us to be intentional about growing in our discipleship and leadership capacity. In 2025, there are a wide range of training opportunities available that can help you, your staff, and your congregation develop the spiritual depth and skills needed to lead effectively in today’s world.

Whether it’s developing a discipleship culture, equipping emerging leaders, developing established leaders, or mobilising marketplace leaders our goal is to provide quality training and support to empower you and those you lead. These programs are designed to meet the diverse needs of our church communities, offering practical, biblically grounded training that can make a real difference in your ministry.

Take a moment to consider how these opportunities could benefit you or others in your church. Investing in this training is an investment in the future of your ministry. For more information on the specific programs available click HERE.

Leadership Development Opportunities

‘Our Story’ is where we share stories of our wider Baptist movement; stories from our journey towards our goal of becoming a movement of 1,000 healthy churches in a generation, stories of how Baptist Churches in NSW & ACT are navigating key issues, and stories from our affiliated groups.

Sharing stories is vital so that we can learn from each other, be encouraged to persevere in our ministries, and witness how God is working amongst his Church. We hope that OurStory will be an inspiration for you and your church.

When Merran graduated high school, she was encouraged to attend Bedford College by people from her church community. From that starting point she has now been serving and investing in students at the College for over 40 years.

To read Merran’s story click the link below and visit Bedford College’s website to find out more about its unique approach to tertiary education.

https://ourstory.org.au/gen1k-partnership/youre-not-a-number-here/

If you have a story about how your ministry, church, or region is stepping into the Gen1K vision send an email to hello@nswactbaptists.org.au with more details.

Congress: 7^th to 12^th July 2025

We are so excited about what God has in store for the 23rd Baptist World Congress convening from July 7-12, 2025, in beautiful Brisbane, Australia! We will unite in worship and fellowship as a global Baptist family, centring our hearts and minds on “Living the Good News” in the world around us.

One of the most meaningful aspects of the event is the breadth of music and other creative arts from around the world, offered in ministry at Congress. Each contribution is unique but connected as it contributes to our worship of the Living God and provides a powerful expression of our global diversity. To that end, we are seeking expressions of interest from artists to be involved in the Congress. We are looking for groups and individuals who can help lead us in worship in music, drama, painting, dance, spoken word, and other mediums. There will be some opportunities to serve during the plenary sessions and many more in the International Festival that will be held each afternoon.

The application process is now open, and we encourage you to apply as soon as possible by completing the appropriate form linked below. Your timely response will ensure we have sufficient time to review your information.

In order to complete the form, you will need to provide:

• A Link to a Video of Your Performance/Work
• A Photo of You / Your Group for Publicity Use
• A Letter of Recommendation from the Pastor of your Church

We look forward to hearing from you and celebrating the creativity of our global Baptist family!

Musicians/Singer Application

Creative Arts Application

3^rd November

In the Baptist Churches calendar, BaptistCare Sunday is on the first Sunday of November. It can also be held on any other Sunday during this month.

BaptistCare is reaching out to ask if any Church is interested in participating in this.

What makes this a special one is that BaptistCare is celebrating the 80^th anniversary since the Baptist Homes Trust began.

There are different options available, depending on how your church would like to be part of this celebration.

1. 30 second video highlighting BaptistCare services to be shown during your Church Service
2. Power Point Presentation (provided with Talking Points)
3. Invite someone from BaptistCare to attend your service to either
   1. • Give a short talk with PowerPoints
      • Preach with a number of our chaplains and other team members being willing to speak
4. Information Stand
5. Notice in Church News Bulletin

For this to be organised, can you please RSVP with your preferred option/s to Robyn Wright RWright@baptistcare.org.au by the 20^th September.

Do you have lived experience of an eating disorder and currently or previously identify as Christian?

Have you had a close relationship with someone experiencing an eating disorder and believe that Christian spirituality was relevant to this journey?

Are you a healthcare professional working with people with eating disorders?

Or do you provide Christian pastoral care to people experiencing eating disorders?

We are seeking your help to understand how Christian spirituality and eating disorders may affect each other. We are interested in hearing your experiences and designing a practical resource together to integrate Christian spirituality in eating disorder prevention and care, for people who would like this approach.

For further information and to participate, please scan the QR code or email Dr Hayley Thomas (mh.thomas@uq.edu.au).