September/October 2020 Archives - Tasmanian Baptists

November 4, 2021November 26, 2021

Painting a Picture of Jesus

crossover update:

The Crossover Spring Appeal

BY Crossover National Taskforce rep, Maddy Svoboda,

Maddy wonders about altering friends’ perceptions of Jesus, and how the “Crossover Spring Appeal” will help!

In the 2006 movie ‘Talladega Nights: The Legend of Ricky Bobby’, Will Ferrell’s character Ricky Bobby and his family, as well as his NASCAR teammate Cal Naughton Jr, are having a meal.

Ricky Bobby gives thanks for the meal of KFC, Dominoes and all manner of food. It makes me wonder how effective a prayer is when asking God to bless this food to our bodies, as Ricky prays to Baby Jesus. He prays over and over to tiny baby, infant Jesus (8-pound 6-ounce baby Jesus who is so cuddly and omnipotent) before his wife stops him.

Will Ferrell and Ricky Bobby, Crossover Spring Appeal — Will Ferrell as Ricky Bobby

Everyone has a picture of Jesus

What impacts me about this scene (apart from the absolutely ridiculous nature of it) is the implicit truth that we all have a picture of Jesus, or God. This picture shapes us – and is an image of Jesus that we gravitate towards.

Part of our work of evangelism is telling the story, or painting the picture of Jesus, as accurately as we can. This means we can invite people to know Jesus as he is, rather than how we imagine him to be.

What is Crossover?

The ministry of Crossover has richly blessed Tasmanian Baptists. Before COVID-19 struck, Crossover ran conferences for people with a noticeable gift of evangelism. Crossover funds covered the entire cost for each attendee. This meant people who wouldn’t normally have the opportunity attend an event like this, could be there.

Why Crossover’s Spring Appeal?

In Tasmania alone, 15 people have attended the Emerge Evangelism Conference over the years. As I look back over the list of attendees, I see people who contribute to our life in significant ways. I’m so thankful to be part of Crossover, and to see the fruit from our investment into evangelism and mission.

Crossover Spring Appeal, As we move towards our vision of seeing Tasmania infused by the kingdom of God, it involves the proclamation of the good news of Jesus

That’s why Crossover is running a Spring Appeal over the next few months.

For Crossover to continue to provide resources, and equip the church to proclaim the good news of Jesus, we are asking churches around Australia to commit financially to Crossover. There are multiple ways you and your church can do this.

Please check out your options at www.crossover.org.au/church-contributions/. You can also visit the Crossover website to discover resources, including Christmas resources, so you can share Jesus well.

If you would like to engage in a conversation around the content of this article, please feel free to email me!

Maddy Svoboda
pastor@summerhillbaptist.org.au

Bringing the Kingdom of God to Tasmania

mission-shaped:

It’s time to …

“Reengage Reimagine Realign”

What the newly adopted strategic plan might mean for us as Tasmanian Baptists

Seeing Tasmania infused with the salt and light

When Jesus taught about the kingdom of God (or kingdom of heaven in Matthew) it was more immediate and grander than just securing a place in heaven for people after death. The kingdom of God is the rule of God here on earth. It exists in part now and will exist in fullness when Jesus returns.

Jesus taught of something new entering into our broken world. His presence among us, along with his miracles and healings, was evidence of God’s rule coming to this planet. After his resurrection he charged his disciples with the responsibility of keeping the project going. Ever since, when the Church has been at its best, it has been an agent of this kingdom.

What we hope for

We acknowledge it “is not the church of God that has a mission, but the God of mission who has a church”^[1]. God has a job for his church in Tasmania. As Tasmanian Baptists, we are committed to becoming a union of churches who willingly “lay aside our personal preferences for the sake of the community being served” ^[2].

It “is not the church of God that has a mission, but the God of mission who has a church”
Rowan Williams, former Archbishop of Canterbury.

This is the heart of the new vision that we adopted at our May 2021 Assembly. It is to see “Tasmania infused with the salt and light of the kingdom of God.” We believe this is God’s hope for the state of Tasmania; it is our hope too.

The Church needs to adapt

The vision goes on to note that our contribution to the realisation of this vision will be through “facilitating and developing innovative, diverse, and transformative member churches and faith communities living out the Gospel.”

By stating this, we acknowledge how many in our communities do not consider the Church a place to go to for assistance with the issues they face. Our inherited form of being and doing Church needs to adapt to the changing world. This is not a something new for God’s Church. At many points during the past 2000 years, the Church has undergone renewal and reformation as the Spirit has remoulded it for successive generations.

Three key strategies: Reengage | Reimagine | Realign

With that in mind, the newly adopted strategic plan outlines three key strategies: to assist our churches and members to reengage in God’s mission, to reimagine the church for our time and to realign our resources (time, finances, buildings, organisational structure) towards these ends.

This is no mean feat and will not happen overnight. As I’ve said a bit lately, it took God weeks to get Israel out of Egypt, but 40 years to get Egypt out of Israel. Like Israel, we can fall into mourning the loss of the past, rather than embracing the opportunities God has before us. Yet this is the call of the journey of faith, to “run with perseverance the race marked out for us [by] fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith”^[3].

“run with perseverance the race marked out for us [by] fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith”.
Hebrews 12:1b-2a

We live in a profound moment in the history of the world. In declaring Jesus is Lord, and praying that God’s kingdom may come, and that God’s will may be done in Tasmania as in heaven, we are not only aligning ourselves with God’s purposes in our world, but asking God to use us.

I trust you can say “Amen” to that.

Stephen Baxter
Mission Director, Tasmanian Baptists
stephen@tasbaptists.org.au

[1] Former Archbishop Rowan Williams

[2] Church of England, charge for candidates for Pioneer Mission

[3] Hebrews 12:1b-2a

October 15, 2020November 17, 2021

Latrobe Baptist Men’s Shed

missional initiative:

Community Project with Built-in Opportunities

The Latrobe Men’s Shed is a community project of the Latrobe Baptist Church. The basic premise of the shed is to provide an informal place, where men can spend a couple of hours meeting new friends whilst engaging in manual activity or for simply just to chat over cuppa.

The generous support of the Latrobe City Council made the erection of the shed, at the rear of the Church property, possible; plus a grant of $40,000 from the Tasmanian Community Fund; grants from local businesses; and the financial support of the Latrobe Baptist Church itself.

2013, saw the erection of a new shed. The demolition of the old shed, and subsequent rebuild, took 1163 manhours, much of the time given voluntarily.

Latrobe Men's Shed, some of the crew — Some of the crew

The nuts and bolts of the Latrobe Men’s Shed

The men meet at the shed on Fridays from 9am to 1pm, with a tool-box meeting at 10am and a barbecue at noon. Members are encouraged to spend one third of their time on charity and community projects, one third of their time on Shed maintenance and one third of their time on their own projects.

Participants can at all times find someone to have a talk to, including the Pastor of the Latrobe Church, the Rev. Ralph Terry who is always in attendance.

The Shed takes in projects from the local community. The first project was the refurbishment of Kinder furniture for the Sassafras Primary School.

Apart from getting to know each other, the men learn how to use equipment and how to make useful items. To facilitate this there are, at times, skilled tradesmen in attendance who teach skills such as wood turning. Pursuits include general woodwork, mechanical repairs, jewellery, and antique restorations.

Latrobe Baptsist Men's shed, new picnic table for delivery — New picnic table for delivery

Latrobe Men's Shed new lathes — Men work on lathes

For all creatures, great and small

In all, the Latrobe Men’s Shed has completed 360 projects including the already mentioned Primary School furnishings, small cars for Operation Christmas Child, widow’s gardens, 30 Billy-carts, garden seats, gymnasium boxes, bird feeders, wood turning projects, two kitchen renovations, letter boxes, a pig pen and rabbit hutches.

A committee of five runs the shed, and 57 men have joined since its beginning. There are those who have taken on the tasks of Property Officers, Auditor of the financial records, and general helpers.

Naturally, the work came to an abrupt end earlier this year with the onset of the Corona virus, but it reopened again on 20 June, after a three-month break.

Let’s remember to pray for Rev. Ralph Terry, and others at Latrobe Baptist, as they provide friendship, support and encouragement for men in their community using the Latrobe Men’s Shed.

Latrobe Men's Shed, tools down for a barbie — Tools down! Time to fire up the barbie for lunch

Laurie Rowston writes about Latrobe Men's Shed

Laurie Rowston
Tas Baptists’ Historian and
occasional writer

September 17, 2020October 22, 2021

Artway Studio and Café

September/October 2020

Gateway Baptist Launceston

The Artway Studio and Cafe is a ministry of Gateway Baptist Church in Launceston which seeks to use artwork and hospitality as a means of drawing other community members onto the church campus, enabling members to interact with them.

The studio is open between 11am and 3pm Tuesday to Thursday of each week. It offers a display of almost 100 pieces of artwork. Live music plays while volunteers serve lunch, stimulating conversation with artists. The plan is to offer lunches by donation one day a week, and then extend to all three days as the weather warms up.

“Chatting the Gospel” at Artway Studio

The aim is to create a wonderful, attractive and peaceful atmosphere in which visitors feel relaxed and welcome. An open fire during the colder months, comfortable seating, Christian music, beautiful displays and friendly fellowship all help bring that to fruition. The artwork is a means to an end. It creates the opportunity to build relationships, overcome loneliness, show interest in people’s lives and ‘chat the Gospel’.

Artwork is for sale at the Artway studio, with part of the money raised supporting missions work both in Launceston, and overseas.

We expect to feature guest artist exhibitions from time to time.

Ps Noel Eagling
Studio Organiser
0447555335

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Category: September/October 2020