“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to the power that is at work within us.”
It was the usual Tuesday lunchtime Bible study, and our student group sat around the young leader, Andy. He read Ephesians 3:20 from his big, black Bible.
“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine,” he read.
He paused and looked up. I knew the verse, I had even set out to memorise it, but I’ve never forgotten what Andy said next.
“Think of all you can imagine,” he said. “Maybe a good home-cooked meal. Maybe your whole life, ten years from now. Or maybe even passing your exams.”
“Woo!” someone called out with enthusiasm.
Andy smiled. “Now. What about more than all you can ask or imagine? Is that even more than all you can imagine?” Heads nodded slowly around the room.
“So how about immeasurably more than all you can ask or imagine. What does that even look like?”
Living in the overflow of God’s abundance
That’s when it landed for me. God has abundance in mind. Not scraps. Not “enough, if I’m careful.” Overwhelming goodness, further than my imagination can stretch to reach.
As a student I applied it to my study time and effort. These days I find myself applying it to my marriage. A friendship I’d nearly given up on. A year when I felt like I was running on empty.
Whatever you’re carrying today, hold onto this: God is so entirely beyond us that there are no limits to his supply of love, forgiveness, grace and mercy. And his abundant power isn’t out there somewhere, waiting to be summoned. It’s already at work. Within you.
Prayer I am realising I think so small, God. Please show me what you truly have in mind. Not just for the challenge in front of me, but for my whole life. Give me the courage to take hold of all you have for me. Thank you.
TakeCLICK/TAP THE BUTTON to find out about the Day of Abundance on 24 October 2026.
Welcome to Heartlands, the quarterly e-publication for EmpowHer, a network of Tasmanian women growing and encouraging each other in their God-given potential.
To find out about EmpowHer events and activities for women in Tasmania, subscribe to HEARTLANDS EmpowHer News.
Get your diary out and highlight Saturday 24 October, 2026
Yes! We’re gathering the women of Tasmanian once more, this time to celebrate God’s ever-flowing provision and extravagance. God creates all life AND sustains all things AND loves all humanity. Over and over and over. For all eternity.
Let’s explore that space.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us. Ephesians 3:29 (NIV)
The Day of Abundance will take place on Saturday 24 October 2026 at Riverlands in Longford.
Tracy Valentine, President, Baptist Women of the Pacific – our region
The same as our previous gatherings, all women are welcome! As long you and your guests are happy to hear about God’s abundance in their lives, we’re ready to host them.
Next steps: Add the date to your diary, ask your friends/family and watch out for registration details, available soon.
We’re looking forward to seeing you there!
Love, The EmpowHer team
L to R: Jenny Baxter (State Leader), Jenna Blackwell (N), Heidi Brosch (NW), Leeanne Garvin (S), Ann Herbert (S), Anthea Maynard (N), Carolyn Smith (NW)
PROFILE: JENNA BLACKWELL
Continuing our series: Baptist women of Tasmania
Jenna Blackwell works with the Tasmanian Baptist team as the leadership coach and co-pastors City Baptist in Launceston.
LEARN FROM PAUL’S WORDS REMINDING TIMOTHY of the sincere faith of his grandmother and mother.
Excerpt from Jenny Baxter’s Courageous Womanhood reflections. You can check out Part One as her gift to you.
MAY MISSION MONTH
What’s Love Look Like? podcast series
With Nathan Reid
The What’s Love Look Like? podcast series is hosted by Nathan Reid, Baptist Mission Australia’s Mobilisation Manager.
Throughout the series, he connects with people around the world and in Australia who are seeking to embody the Gospel and share God’s love in relevant ways.
INSPIRATION FOR WOMEN by EmpowHer State Leader, Jenny Baxter
Soul Storyteller is a reflective space for faithful women. For those who carry responsibility with tenderness. Who want their inner life to grow as strong as their outer one.
Jenny will soon send personal reflections and stories straight to your inbox, from her, directly to you. Of course, if that’s not your thing, every email will have an easy unsubscribe option.
You are reading Heartlands AUTUMN 2026. You could also catch up with past issues:
Welcome to Heartlands, the quarterly e-publication for EmpowHer, a network of Tasmanian women growing and encouraging each other in their God-given potential.
To find out about EmpowHer events and activities for women in Tasmania, subscribe to HEARTLANDS EmpowHer News.
PRACTICAL SHOPPING! Do you know who made your clothes? What about the source of the fabric? How about thread, fastenings and dyes used? Every year, Baptist World Aid Australia asks all those questions, and more, to release a fashion report to guide you in ethical purchasing.
Welcome to Heartlands Spring 2025! This is the quarterly e-publication for EmpowHer, a network of Tasmanian women growing and encouraging each other in their God-given potential.
UPCOMING EVENT
BAPTIST WOMEN’S WORLD DAY OF PRAYER
2-3:30pm Saturday 1 November2025
Come along to Hobart Baptist Church to celebrate, pray for and support the work of Baptist women around the world.
Taking place in Brisbane just before the Baptist World Congress, the Baptist Women’s Summit was a one-of-a-kind, quinquennial (every five years) event bringing Baptist sisters together from around the world. They were there for a unified time of worship, prayer, leadership development, and ministry mobilization.
Read the report. See the photos. Which Tasmanians do you know?
A five-day silent retreat! What on earth had we signed up for? I was a bit nervous, to be honest. A single day of silent retreat seemed a bit over the top, let alone five! But we were as ready as we could be for a week set aside to explore with God about what the future held in store for us.
The retreat centre, Penhurst, is not far from the town of Battle, where the Battle of Hastings was fought in England’s south-east. On this early spring day, Stephen and I drove up to the stately old manor house. It was set in extensive gardens and had incredible views of the surrounding countryside. A group of local volunteers care for this place, enabling people to come from the world over for retreats, or missions and ministry down-time. Certainly, a labour of love.
The driveway as we entered Penhurst
We gathered with our lovely retreat leader, Melanie, and seven others that Sunday evening for a meal and a chat. She briefed us about what we were expected to do, or not do, during the week ahead.
A Baptist minister, Melanie described herself as “a retreat junkie”, clearly loving what she does. “I enjoy the sense of walking with Jesus that people feel while they’re here,” she explained.
She talked for a while about what the week would look like, and ended with the encouragement, “It’s also important to remember that while we will be living together in silence, your presence is a gift to the other retreat participants.” This proved to be so true. We were silent, but not alone.
“Be still, and know that I am God”Psalm 46:10 (NIV)
Finding Our Rhythm in Silence – out of my depth
We shared devotions that first evening, led by Melanie. We would repeat this gathering, both morning and evening every day. At those times we could “break silence” if we wanted. Each person was also allocated a pastoral care worker. We met for up to 45-minutes every day to check on progress, offer prayer, and timely guidance and wisdom.
Janet, my pastoral care person, wrote me an email a couple of weeks before the retreat. I discovered she had been praying for me. She suggested some Bible verses to ponder as I prepared for the week. The passage she sent from Ezekiel 47, was incredibly apt, and ended up becoming the focus of my retreat. It talked about trusting “the man” as Ezekiel walked in ever-increasing depths of water. Eventually, he was out of his depth.
The message to me was to know I would be safe, even if I felt out my depth. Those were encouraging words to hold onto as my next large project unfolded over the coming months.
Challenges create strength
The hardest, or perhaps funniest, moments were at mealtimes, when we all sat down together around one large table. Yes, in complete silence. We discovered body language is definitely a language! We learnt to anticipate each other’s needs, passing water, salt, pepper, and extra cutlery as needed. The funniest moment came the day we had roast pork for lunch. We had been joined that day by someone else, himself on a 24-hour silent retreat. He couldn’t quite believe our mirth as we crunched our crackling in the quiet room. We were hardly able to stop from cracking up with laughter!
While Stephen and I shared a room, even then, we elected to maintain silence. Melanie did suggest we might plan a signal, so we could leave the property to talk if that became necessary. This became our post-meal eye contact habit. We didn’t need to chat the first few days. However, by mid-week, our walks around the block became an essential part of our retreat experience.
This meant we were strengthened in our personal walk with God, as well as in our relationship with each other. We discussed many issues raised by our times of silence, and made some fresh decisions for our future together.
“He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul”Psalm 23:2-3 (NIV)
Green pastures aplenty nearby!
Going Deeper with God
Was I really out of my depth? By the middle of the week, I didn’t want the time to ever end. The awareness of Jesus walking with me, or perhaps wading with me, connecting and communing, was inspiring, invigorating, and delightful! It was a slow race to the end. By Friday, having received the clarity and peace I’d been seeking, I felt equipped and ready. It was time to re-enter the world, and to trust Jesus with my future.
Retreats are not for everyone, especially silent retreats which can play havoc for those with mental health issues. Hence the need for guidance at times. However, there are so many benefits I would encourage anyone who can to take some time away on retreat. No matter how short or long, a retreat brings spiritual nourishment and refreshing. Sometimes, it’s the only way to move forward.
As the sign on the dining room door at Penhurst proclaimed:
Out of my depth
Jenny Baxter is the State Leader for EmpowHer for women. She attends Hobart Baptist Church.
Over 800 women from 130+ nations gathered in Brisbane for the Baptist World Alliance Women’s Summit. This landmark event takes place every five years. The two-day summit (7–8 July), was led by BWA Women Executive Director Merritt Johnson. It was a vibrant mix of worship, prayer, leadership development, and ministry mobilisation.
Tasmanian women from across the state traveled up north to participate. The event also marked a transition in leadership, as Australian Baptist Karen Wilson completed her five-year term as BWA Women President.
The induction of Karlene Edwards-Warrick (Trinidad and Tabago) as the new President took place. As well as the appointment of Ruba Abbassi (Jordan) to the new position of First Vice President. The Summit also allowed a moment for the induction of Tracey Valentine (Qld), the new President for the Baptist Women of the Pacific (our region).
Karlene Edwards-Warrick
Tracy Valentine
Ruba Abbassi
This summit served as both a celebration and a catalyst. It brought together Baptist women from across seven continental unions and highlighted pressing issues facing women today.
A Powerful Affirmation
At the opening session, Rev. Dr Elijah Brown gave a powerful affirmation of women’s equal calling in ministry:
“Women are equal custodians of faith leadership and building upon this strong tradition of biblical women and advancing the kingdom of God the BWA continues to affirm the calling God places on their lives of women who serve his fully and completely. Yet we are living in a time when it is women who continue to disproportionally face gender discrimination…
“Women even in the church are too often discounted and dismissed. I am sorry. And BWA affirms every woman equally alongside men are beautiful and wonderfully made, created in the image of God… You are called equally to join Jesus and his redeeming mission in the world today.”
The overwhelming response was one of excitment and encouragement. Women from around the world gathered, worhsipped and heard the great things Baptist women are doing worldwide.
This article was origanlly published in reCharge, July 2025
Karen Wilson welcomesBWA Women Exec. Director Merritt Johnson, with outgoing President Karen WilsonThe Tasmanian cohortTasmanian Women!Worshipping together in song
Welcome to Heartlands Winter 2025! This is the quarterly e-publication for EmpowHer, a network of Tasmanian women growing and encouraging each other in their God-given potential.
THE DAY OF WONDER
Awe, Majesty, Creativity
There are so many exceptional words to describe the Day of Wonder which on Saturday 9 March. Over 100 women gathered at Riverlands Longford for encouragement, learning and food – in more ways than one!
All attendees at the Day of Wonder received a booklet full of devotionals, written by Jenny Baxer and Ann Herbert. As a bonus to Heartlands subscribers, you can download one of them here! YOUR SOUL: In God we Live and Move and Have Being by Ann Herbert.
BAPTIST WOMEN’S SUMMIT, 7 and 8 July 2025
Online and In-Person, Registrations close next Saturday 31 May!
Taking place in Brisbane, just before the Baptist Word Congress, the Baptist Women’s Summit is a one-of-a-kind, quinquennial event that brings Baptist sisters together from around the world for a unified time of worship, prayer, leadership development, and ministry mobilization. There are already numbers of Tasmanian women going, and it’s not too late to sign up!
WATCH the video invite from Karen Wilson, President Baptist World Alliance Women
TIME OUT FOR YOU
Sabbath of Wonder Regional Retreats
South, North and Northwest Opportunities. Don’t miss out!
Going deeper in the exploration of wonder, Sabbath of Wonder retreats are for women thirsting to take time away and discover AWE. These guided retreats will be a spiritual getaway, in the presence of several others.
24-HOURS TO REFLECT Based on the concept of the Jewish Sabbath, the retreats will begin at sunset Friday and finish at sunset Saturday, on three different weekends.
Retreat leaders Jenny Baxter (Hobart) and Ann Herbert (Citywide) will lead you through a special time of reflection, rest and renewal.
NB If you have already registered your interest, we will be in touch during the week of Monday 2 June.
Tap/click arrow for Southern Retreat details in July
🌿 Southern Tasmania: Friday-Saturday, July 25-26, starting 4:30pm In Taranna on the beautiful Tasman Peninsula
COST: $150/person, includes all food, accommodation and materials. This amount has been generously reduced thanks to support from Tas Baptists. SUBSIDIES: The retreat is being further subsudised by Tas Baptists who are offering another $50 discount to two attendees. To apply, please contact empowher@tasbaptists.org.au
Tap/click arrow for Northern Retreat details in August
🌿 Northern Tasmania: Friday-Saturday, August 8-9, starting 4:30pm At Clarence Point, overlooking the stunning Tamar River
COST: $150/person, includes all food, accommodation and materials. This amount has been generously reduced thanks to support from Tas Baptists. SUBSIDIES: The retreat is being further subsudised by Tas Baptists who are offering another $50 discount to two attendees. To apply, please contact empowher@tasbaptists.org.au
Tap/click arrow for Northwest Retreat details in September
🌿 Northwest Tasmania: Friday-Saturday, September 12-13, starting 4:30pm Set on glorious Turners Beach, not far from Ulverstone
COST: $150/person, includes all food, accommodation and materials. This amount has been generously reduced thanks to support from Tas Baptists. SUBSIDIES: The retreat is being further subsudised by Tas Baptists who are offering another $50 discount to two attendees. To apply, please contact empowher@tasbaptists.org.au
For more info, or to secure your spot, please get in touch (empowher@tasbaptists.org.au). HURRY! limited numbers with spaces filling fast. Waitlists will be in place any day now.
Elysia Cunningham is a member of the Tasmanian Baptist Council, a psychologist, who describes her ongoing journey with God, through good times, and bad.
Who is my Neighbour? What about mothers and babies in other countries, do they count?
Baptist World Aid Australia partners with Baptist agencies in other nations to provide aid and support to the marginalised, lonely and peverty-stricken. EmpowHer state leader Jenny Baxter had the opportunity to visit Bangladesh with Baptist World Aid, and tells a motherhood story which is both horrific and heartwarming.
By Jenny Baxter, State Leader for Baptist women in Tasmania, EmpowHer.
A Turning Point
“Who is my neighbour?” someone famously asked Jesus. (Luke 10:29)
In telling the story of the Good Samaritan, Jesus implied it’s important to care for people, no matter what their religion, language, race or creed.
It’s easy enough for us, as givers, to play the part of the Samaritan because as givers, we have power. However, it’s much more difficult to be a receiver. To be the humble, needy person. But then there is an opportunity to leave others empowered.
Here’s a story to illustrate . . .
The young woman was in labour and struggling. As the head man’s daughter, she had every possible assistance— the village midwife, the medicine man’s potions and lotions for a speedy delivery, and all the usual cares and comforts for a woman in a remote Bangla village. But that baby was stuck. 24 hours this mother laboured. 48 hours. More.
People began to wonder if they should have said “Yes,” when BWAA partners PARI Development Trust had suggested the village could use a Maternal Health Clinic. Two PARI volunteers had spoken to the head man. But he shooed them away, saying the old ways were good enough. The village people agreed.
“Why do we need their fine ways?” they wondered. “We are Muslims, they are Christians. Why would we need help from Christians?”
But now there were whispers. Things were not good for the head man’s daughter. It was a difficult drive of many hours to the nearest hospital. At last, the midwife helped her into the back of the village truck. The villagers watched as the truck drove off, with the tired young woman propped up on sacks in the back. None of them would have swapped places. The rutted road was bad enough to endure on a good day, let alone after two days of hard labour, with more to come.
The head man’s daughter eventually arrived at the hospital. But sadly, she and the baby did not survive.
It was a turning point for this village.
Some of the mothers we met in Bangladesh
Beyond Headlines: The Bangladesh I’ve Come to Know
This story represents just one of many experiences shared with me during my visit to Bangladesh with Baptist World Aid (BWA). Since traveling there, the country has evolved beyond the limited lens through which many Westerners view it— as simply a place of natural disasters and humanitarian crises.
Bangladesh continues to face significant challenges. With a population now exceeding 170 million people in an area about two-thirds the size of Victoria, it remains one of the most densely populated nations on earth. Recent climate challenges have only intensified pressures on infrastructure, with rising sea levels threatening coastal communities and increasingly unpredictable monsoon patterns disrupting agriculture and daily life.
Yet despite these challenges, Bangladesh has made remarkable progress. The maternal mortality rate has declined significantly over the past decade thanks to organisations like BWA partners PARI Development Trust and Baptist Aid who continue their vital work in rural communities. Their women’s empowerment programs and maternal health initiatives have expanded to hundreds more villages since that first visit.
Women Leading Change in Their Communities
The story of the head man’s daughter represents a turning point repeated across countless Bangla villages. What begins as tragedy often transforms into community-led change with women at the forefront.
The Women’s Self-Help Groups and Child Clubs continue to flourish, with their focus on education, hygiene, and rejecting harmful practices like child marriage and dowry payments. These grassroots movements have gained momentum, with women increasingly taking leadership positions in their communities. The Child and Maternal Health Centres have multiplied, bringing professional healthcare to areas where it was once unimaginable.
For the mothers of Bangladesh this Mother’s Day, there is indeed cause for celebration—not just of motherhood itself, but of the progress made in ensuring that bringing new life into the world is no longer a death sentence but a moment of joy and hope for the future.
Jenny Baxter visited Bangladesh at the invitation of with BWA as the State Leader for Baptist women in Tasmania, EmpowHer.
The Question That Challenges Us All
This article was originally published in time for Mother’s Day in 2018 with Baptist World Aid Australia, and has been updated for republication in Tas Baptists Heartlands and reCharge, May 2025.
EmpowHer team member Ann Herbert has written a beautiful poem for you, below. If you can, find some time to sit with these special words, and let them wash over you. Engage and imagine. There’s rest to be found as you Wonder about the Almighty.
Read and ponder in prepartion for the Day of Wonder on 29 March 2025.
In Sacred Presence
Sometimes eyes closed, I enter silence, within and without. I float in a pool deep and still, in depths of love unmeasured
Living Water buoys, holds, contains me. Its liquid caresses, gently Soothing
above blue skies and deepening space, I see, galaxies spiralling in a universe expanding
beneath through mud and stone, my mind imagines molten fluid, viscous matter in-motion
surrounded by soft green foliage, I’m bathed in light, filtered and absorbed, energy transforming
silence
now an offering.
All of me unadorned and acquiescent.
I float in a pool
merging with more and other.
In sacred presence
immersed
Ann Herbert is a member of the EmpowHer team. As a girl, she jotted down short stories and poems. When she progressed through school to university, the focus shifted to academic formats. For a while she lived overseas, at which time newsy letters to friends and family became the norm. Ann spent 22 years honing her writing-for-government skills such as policy and research papers. Post retirement, a book she read challenged her to record the moments that ‘shimmer’ in her day-to-day life. That’s when she rediscovered the joy of writing creatively about her world.
To find out about EmpowHer events and activities for women in Tasmania, subscribe to HEARTLANDS EmpowHer News.
Have you ever thought much about HOLY AWE?Why not intentionally bend your eye, mind and spirit with curiosity towards awe.
The below thoughts, images and Bible references could be prompts for your own personal reflections in the lead up to the Day of Wonder on 29 March 2025. Journalling, writing a poem or song, going for a walk, photographing or painting a scene as prompted by the thoughts and images—you could engage any of these ways with the ideas presented.
Let me paint for you five images to capture the holy wonder of encountering the Divine—those breathtaking moments when heaven’s majesty breaks through our ordinary vision. Remember, these metaphors aren’t just poetic descriptions—they’re doorways inviting us to recognise and embrace those sacred moments when God’s glory breaks through our everyday vision.
A PRAYER AS YOU REFLECT
Creator of Wonders, help me recognise these holy moments of awe as invitations into deeper relationship with You. May I never lose my capacity for wonder, knowing that each moment of amazement draws me closer to Your heart. Amen.
First Light of Dawn
Psalm 19:1-2The transition from night to day speaks of God’s glory, much like how awe transforms our perspective.
Lamentations 3:22-23Each dawn is a reminder of God’s renewal, much like how awe leaves a lasting impression on our hearts.
Habakkuk 3:4This verse captures the imagery of the sun breaking through darkness, much like how awe reveals God’s presence in our lives.
Ocean’s Deep Call
Psalm 93:4 This verse highlights the immeasurable power of God, reflected in the vastness of the sea.
Job 11:7-9 Just as the ocean’s depths are beyond our grasp, so is the greatness of God.
Psalm 8:3-4 This verse captures the humility and wonder of standing before God’s infinite greatness.
Mountain’s Silent Sermon
Psalm 121:1-2 Mountains inspire awe, yet they point us beyond themselves to the true source of strength—God.
Isaiah 2:2 Just as mountains command attention, God’s presence is exalted above all things.
Psalm 46:10 Awe quiets our hearts, reminding us to rest in the presence of the Almighty.
A Cathedral of Trees
Isaiah 55:12 Nature itself becomes a place of worship, echoing God’s glory.
Acts 7:48-49 Awe reminds us that God’s presence is not confined to buildings—creation itself is His temple.
Psalm 104:16 Even towering trees stand as a testament to the handiwork of God, drawing our eyes upward in reverence.
Night Sky’s Endless Story
Genesis 15:5 The vastness of the stars reflects God’s promises, always greater than we can comprehend.
Psalm 147:4-5 Each star is known to God, just as there are endless depths to His wisdom and wonder.
Daniel 12:3 Stars symbolize the eternal nature of God’s truth and the infinite discoveries awaiting us in His presence.
EmpowHer State Leader Jenny Baxter attends Hobart Baptist Church, and with the assistance of the amazing EmpowHer team, is doing her best to create a wonder-ful day at The Day of Wonder on Saturday 29 March 2025. She is a coach, mentor and retreat leader and is very happy to be contacted about any of those! jenny@tasbaptists.org.au
To find out about EmpowHer events and activities for women in Tasmania, subscribe to HEARTLANDS EmpowHer News.
