Pastors & Leaders eNews - March 2023

Hi fellow pastors and leaders,

Welcome to this month’s bumper edition of Insights eNews!  With lots of info about up and coming opportunities and what is happening around our movement, can I invite you to take 5 minutes to have a read.  You could also visit www.ourstory.org.au , which has some fresh and inspiring stories of how God is at work among us! 

With Easter approaching many of us are well into preparing ourselves and our churches for this special season.  We worship and honour the Lord Jesus – our substitute for sin, our champion over evil and our example of faithful obedience to the Father.  What a joy it is then to respond in obedience to him, living in the light and power of his resurrection!  I am praying that this Easter time is one of great blessing and mission impact for you and your church.

Steve Bartlett

Director of Ministries

Elijah Brown Visit

On Thursday 23 March 2023, we invite you to join us to hear from Elijah Brown, General Secretary of the Baptist World Alliance. Elijah is a world-renowned speaker and international leader and will be sharing on what God is up to through Baptists around the world, including global justice and advocacy needs, followed by a Q&A time and morning tea. This will replace Insights for March.

For more information or to register click HERE

Connect 2023

It’s not too late to register. An equipping and inspirational day for all those working in ministry with young people SRE or Children and families. Get everyone on the same page and inspired about the power of connection for discipleship.

Find out about Connect in your region on March 18 or 25th  by clicking HERE

Simple Church Taster

On Tuesday, 04 April, you are invited to join the Simple Church Taster event on ZOOM. Each year, the Simple Church Taster event introduces a model of fresh expression of Church to help us explore the missional characteristics and purpose in Simple Churches. Simple Church Taster 2023 will introduce a model of “Couch Church” through Empowered Faith Community. Couch Church is a model that builds and encourages faith-based groups with people in the margins. Find out more HERE

The Gathering Incorporating the Annual Assembly

The Gathering incorporating our 155th Annual Assembly, will be held on Friday 5 May and Saturday 6 May 2023! It is a time to reflect on all that God is doing amongst us, to connect with others in our movement, to worship and to discern how Jesus is leading us as we work together to minister with one another and those around our world.

At this upcoming Assembly we will be covering the following:

Friday 5 May

  1. Presentation of nomination for Principal of Morling College, Rev Dr Tim MacBride
  2. Affirmation of ministers proceeding to accreditation
  3. Proposed constitutional changes:
    • Vacancies on Association Councils (carried forward from 2022 annual assembly)
    • Representation of Women on Association Councils (remit from the decision of the November 2022 Assembly)
  1. Annual Assembly business including receiving the Annual report and financial statements, and the 2023 budget
  2. Presentation, engagement with and approval of the 2023-25 Association Strategic Plan

Saturday 6 May

The day will principally give time for discussion and decisions regarding Affiliation, Baptist Values and Marriage, including:

  1. Feedback from envoy processes and recommended ways forward coming from Assembly Council
  2. Notice of Motions from Canberra Baptist Church
  3. Notice of Motions from Newtown and Chatswood Baptist Churches

Elections for a number of positions will also take place.  Nominations for membership of Assembly Council, Morling College Council and the Property Trust are now open, and close on Wednesday 5 April.

Information and documents for the assembly matters can be found here: www.thegathering.com.au/annual-assembly-2023-resources

Note that these resources are being updated and added to as further material is available.

In particular please note an increase in the number of positions available for election to Assembly Council at this Assembly from two to three positions.

To register for the Gathering Incorporating the Annual Assembly click HERE

Annual Assembly Prayer Gatherings

We are calling our entire movement to a specific season of prayer as we approach the Assembly and the matters to be discerned there.  There will be 2 online prayer gatherings in the leadup to Assembly that you are warmly invited to participate in

These will be on Thursday evening 30 March and Thursday evening 27 April. Use the below links for more information and to register for the prayer gatherings.

March 30 Prayer Gathering

April 27 Prayer Gathering 

Insights Online Gathering

In February we were joined by Graeme Anderson (Senior Pastor, Northside Baptist Church) who shared around developing sustained resilience.

To view the recording and access any resources Graeme shared click HERE

For March the Elijah Brown visit will be replacing the Insights Gathering, we highly encourage you to consider making time to join that event either online or in-person.

State Kids Camp 2023

State Kids Camp is an initiative of the Children and Families Ministries Team. This year there are two opportunities for children in years 4-7 to get away to Kiah Ridge in the July School Holidays for a peak experience. There are also a limited number of junior leader positions available. Registrations open very soon so head to www.statekidscamp.org.au to make sure the kids and leaders from your church can be part of this fantastic experience.

SRE Opportunities

SRE (Special Religious Education) also known as Scripture, is an amazing opportunity to work in cross cultural ministry right on your church’s doorstep! Coming out of the pandemic and with an aging SRE teacher cohort, we are desperately seeking Christians who love Jesus and love sharing why Jesus thinks kids and young people are important. People might think there is too much to do now to become an SRE teacher. Whilst it’s true that we have more things required of us in terms of training and compliance, it’s a small commitment in the scheme of things to be well equipped, supported and ready to share Christ’s love for all to an almost unreached people group. We can no longer assume that just children from Christian families go to SRE. In many cases across the state, SRE is the only opportunity children and young people will have to hear the Christian message. SRE is not a place for overt evangelism, but it is a safe place children and young people can explore the Christian faith, ask questions, discover who Jesus is and make their owned informed decisions. If your interest is spiked even just slightly, watch our promo video below, ask others about teaching SRE in a school local to you or contact our team!

Mental Health Resources

1 in 5 people (aged 16 to 85) will have some form of diagnosable mental health condition in 12mths, with around 2 million Australians having anxiety and 1.1 million Australians having depression. Mental health is a topic we all need to be discussing, educating ourselves on and learning know how to have effective conversations with those who have a mental health problem or condition.

Fiona is the Youth Mental Health Coordinator for Baptist Youth Ministries, as well as a Licensed Youth Mental Health First Aid Instructor. She can offer training to equip you and your teams through a variety of methods. Ranging from:

  • Youth Mental Health First Aid Training: where you become a youth mental health first aider.
  • 3hrs leadership training: to find out more about mental health and workshop practice scenarios.
  • 45-minute workshops: around a variety of topics and aimed at specific groups, such a ministry leaders, parents or youth. These can be tailored to your context.

To find out more information about how Fiona can help equip you and your teams better around the topic of mental health, please email her at: fgardner@nswactbaptists.org.au

Church Leaders Playbook - Supporting our Church Leaders

Earlier this year, we launched our Church Leaders Playbook which included bringing back our Church Leaders Newsletter after a 3 year hiatus in conjunction with new Lunch and Learn Zoom sessions in between. These are designed for both pastoral and administrative leaders in our churches.  In these sessions we present on a topic that would be of interest or relevance to church leaders. Our first one was on Single Touch Payroll 2 (STP2). Our next one is scheduled for Friday 2 June,1-2PM and will be on HR 101 – Exploring HR Responsibilities. We welcome your feedback and would like suggestions on what you may like to see the future.

Crossover Easter Appeal

Crossover is a national Baptist ministry that creates and curates resources to help Australian Baptists share Jesus with their friends and neighbourhoods.

Crossover is run entirely on the generous donations of people who support their ministry, as we approach the Easter season consider giving to their Easter Appeal. For more information click HERE

OurStory

‘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 Our Story will be an inspiration for you and your church.

This month we are highlighting a story from Kiah Ridge about how we can see God’s presence as we serve Him together. To read the article and find out more click 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.

Job Opportunities - Baptist Ministry Centre

Administration Assistant

4 days a week (30 hours), flexible working arrangements. Could suit someone who is looking to work whilst studying.

Essential duties and responsibilities

  • Provide administration assistance to the Operations Team, primarily the Finance Team
  • Assistance with accounts duties
  • Assistance with managing of fleet vehicles
  • Assistance with managing properties
  • Assistance with credit card statement acquittals
  • Other duties as reasonably required

Key Competencies

  • Lives out the values of the Association by displaying commitment to the Core Values of the Association
    • Christ Centred
    • Mission Shaped
    • Relationally Committed
    • People Empowering
    • Partnership Oriented
  • Contributing to a climate of trust, acceptance and respect
  • Maintaining integrity in all interpersonal actions both within the office and in contact with church leaders and others
  • A deep relationship with Jesus who has a sense of calling to serve God in this role
  • A vision and heart for the Baptist churches within NSW and ACT
  • Strong teamwork ability
  • Ability to relate positively across diverse churches and organisations.
  • Commitment to serving and equipping people for participation in God’s mission

Qualifications and Experience

  • Strong attention to detail
  • Proficient in Microsoft Word, Outlook and Excel
  • Experience with Xero preferred but not essential
  • Excellent communication skills, written and verbal
  • Experience in a similar role preferred but not essential
  • Proactive and able to work independently
  • Holds to/provides a suitable response to the Association’s Statement of Beliefs

Apply HERE

Job Opportunities - Baptist World Aid Australia

Baptist World Aid Australia is an international Christian development organisation working in 24 countries. We partner with like-minded organisations overseas to implement community development and disaster projects that empower communities to lift themselves out of poverty. Last year, our work benefited over 900 000 people.

We currently have a number of opportunities listed below to join our team. We want someone with the know-how, passion, and commitment to inspire our faithful supporters to action on poverty… is it you?

To find out more about our current job opportunities and to apply through our website click here.

Church Partnerships Manager NSW/ACT– (full time)
Join our National team of Church Partnerships Managers building partnerships with Baptist churches in NSW and ACT.  You will build and develop strong relationships with Baptist Pastors and churches as well as key supporters.  You will work with our partnerships teams, as well as marketing and fundraising teams to implement strategies for church engagement nationally.   You will create connections and relationships with a portfolio of churches and you will speak at church services and events, which means work on Sundays and travel regionally in NSW may be required.

You’re already a pastor, either already accredited or on the accreditation pathway and love the church. You are a Better World Dreamer. You feel called to extend your impact beyond your local community and be involved in encouraging local communities across NSW/ACT to pray, act and give towards the world they want to see as part of God’s story of restoration.

You live in greater Sydney to allow you spend your time around the areas of greatest density of Baptist churches. You will be setup to work remotely from home and also able to attend our office approximately 2 days per week.

Interested – please call Andrew McCulloch National Church Partnerships Manager on 0490 133 619  for a confidential discussion.

Church Partnerships Manager WA – (3 days a week /0.6FTE)
Join our National team of Church Partnerships Managers building partnerships with Baptist churches in Western Australia.  You will build and develop strong relationships with Baptist Pastors and churches as well as key supporters.  You will work with our partnerships teams, as well as marketing and fundraising teams to implement strategies for church engagement nationally.   You will create connections and relationships with a portfolio of churches and you will speak at church services and events, which means work on Sundays and travel regionally in NSW may be required.

You’re already a pastor, either already accredited or on the accreditation pathway and love the church. You are a Better World Dreamer. You feel called to extend your impact beyond your local community and be involved in encouraging local communities across NSW/ACT to pray, act and give towards the world they want to see as part of God’s story of restoration.

You live in Perth to allow work from the Baptist Churches of Western Australia office and remotely from home and also while out and about representing Baptist World Aid.

Interested – please call Andrew McCulloch National Church Partnerships Manager on 0490 133 619  for a confidential discussion.

Senior Advocacy Policy Advisor (0.6 – 1 FTE)

This is a role you can shape as you achieve our strategic priority to ‘speak and act prophetically to challenge and disrupt systems that cause injustice’. You will join as Senior Advocacy Policy Advisor and influence the Executive and Board in the leadership and ongoing strategy and direction around advocacy. You will be involved in policy agenda setting, research and analysis as well as representing us in external advocacy engagement and collaborating on joint advocacy statements and initiatives.  You will engage in external networks building effective coalitional engagement. These networks include Micah Australia policy advocacy, the Church Agency Network, ACFID networks and Baptist networks.

HR & Volunteer Co-ordinator – (3 or 4 days a week 0.6 – 0.8 FTE)
A great opportunity to kickstart or restart your career and dive into the HR & Volunteer management. You will be the first point of contact for staff, volunteers, and managers.  You will support HR and recruitment initiatives and promote and manage our volunteer program.  This is a varied and busy task orientated role with opportunity to be involved in a variety of HR initiatives. We welcome graduates or students studying and looking to gain experience or an experienced Volunteer Manager or HR Administrator wanting to get back into the workforce.

 

Supporter Engagement Outbound Co-ordinator – (4 days a week /0.8 FTE)
Join the Supporter Engagement Outbound team and build relationships with our supporters and drive donations towards our busiest appeals.  The ideal person will thrive on talking with people and is a gifted and empathetic communicator as you proactively contact supporters through several platforms. You will have an excellent phone manner, be able to build rapport quickly. You will be results driven and enjoy celebrating with the team when goals are met. Ideally you will also have experience working with a database or CRM systems.

International Programs Co-ordinator (Church) – (FT – flexibility to be 4 days)
As part of the International Programs team, you will take responsibility for international partnership and project coordination across a range of different contexts. Alongside your relevant tertiary qualifications, you will ideally have at least 3 years international and/or community development experience. You are a driven, self-motivated, results orientated individual with excellent interpersonal and communication skills. You have solid project management experience and cross-cultural knowledge/understanding, experience specifically, or an understanding, of the Pacific and working with church-based organisations would be highly beneficial.

Disaster Management Lead – (FT / flexibility to be 4 days)
This role is within the broader International Programs team and is an opportunity to for you to step into a leadership position using your experience and subject matter knowledge in disaster management to advance and expand our organisations’s response to humanitarian crises including natural disasters, fragile states, and building locally-led resilience to the impacts of climate change.  You will have oversight of all aspects of disaster management programs including budgets, programs designs, partnership development, and compliance. You will represent TAI/BWA in external forums and alliances support local Christian partners to deliver agreed objectives, and collaborate across the organisation to support fundraising strategies.

You will be experienced in International Development with specific experience in disaster management, climate change adaptation, resilience, and/or DRR programs.

Baptist World Aid is located in North Ryde.

Join us and work with a team of people who are as passionate about ending poverty as you are and enjoy the benefits of flexible working, and as a not- for- profit organisation we offer salary sacrificing. This means in effect part of your pay is paid tax free, giving you more money in your take home pay.