Tag: LifeWay

Posted on

The Power of Showing Up

The

Baptist advocacy and speaking up for those who cannot speak for themselves.

Our Perspective on What’s New

Earlier this month I travelled to Canberra to represent Tasmanian Baptists at the annual Converge. At Converge, held at Parliament House, Australian Baptist leaders spend a week advocating for the most vulnerable in our country and around the world. Converge brings together the Mission Directors from each state, CEOs from church organisations such as BaptCare, Baptist Mission Australia, and Baptist World Aid, plus many others. They also let a few sneaky Tasmanian pastors tag along.  

Representatives advocate for specific justice issues such as international aid, domestic violence, unrest in Myanmar and modern slavery. Converge reminds our nation’s leaders that Australian Baptists are concerned about issues of justice and will raise their voices for those that are often silenced. This is a core national commitment for Baptists and has always been a core practice of God’s people. 

Consider the following scripture passages: 

Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.  Psalm 82:3-4

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’” Matthew 25:40 

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. James 1:27

Housing Crisis Focus

As Christians and as Baptists we are all called to speak up for others. 

This year our focus was on those most vulnerable to the housing crisis, such as people in the lower deciles of household income and those who have suffered from domestic and family violence. 

“Australia is in the midst of a historic housing crisis. More people are experiencing housing stress than ever before. Over 640,000 households need social housing but cannot get it, and 122,000 people experience homelessness on any given night.” 
– Final Report from the People’s Commission into Australia’s Housing Crisis 

Reports around homelessness are alarming. While this is a national issue, the Rental Affordability Snapshot reveals that Tasmania’s northwest is one of the worst hit communities. 

“There were only 12 one-bedroom units on the private rental market in the North West on Snapshot weekend. A person on a government pension can afford to pay no more than $192 a week, which is not enough for anything except a shiftworker’s unit in Rosebery. If that person was willing to live in a sharehouse, they would find seven to choose from at the lower end of the market. However not even the cheapest room ($140 a week, in Devonport) was affordable for a person receiving the very low rate of Youth Allowance or JobSeeker.”  
– The Rental Affordability Snapshot  

A Tassie winter is not pleasant for those sleeping rough.  

Called to Speak Up for Others

Throughout the week of Converge we secured over 30 meetings with Members from both houses and from both sides of politics. We advocated for an increase in social and affordable housing and to take policies out of the issue and work together across all tiers of government. We advocated for better support for the services that help people get back on their feet. I believe our leaders were listening.  

They were listening because hearing that 122,000 people are homeless every night in Australia is alarming but they were also listening because we keep turning up. 

Remember, Your Voice Counts

Perhaps what struck me most about this year’s Converge was the reception I received from many of the Senators and Members of Parliament that I visited. They remembered me from previous years. Some of them greeted me by name – and they listened as I spoke on behalf of the vulnerable in my community. This surprised me, given that my lobby group consisted of the CEO of Australian Baptist Ministries, the CEO of Baptist Care Australia, and the Director of Flood Relief for the Northern Rivers. All of these impressive people are skilled and articulate and hold prominent positions within our national movement. In this group I expected to be surplus to needs. Yet it was often me, the pastor of a small church in Devonport, who was remembered and who established rapport – not because of my title or expertise, but because for the past five years I’ve simply turned up again and again, and called on my country not to forget the vulnerable.   

Power in Perseverance

I was reminded of the words of Galatians 6: “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”  

There is power in having the perseverance to keep turning up, even when you feel insignificant. Verses like this serve as a beacon of hope, reminding us that our efforts, no matter how small or seemingly futile, can lead to significant outcomes when pursued with faith. Sometimes simply turning up is all that Jesus requires of us. The rest is up to him.  

I was fortunate to meet with our nation’s leaders in their offices in Canberra, but I did it as part of a national movement of Baptists, speaking not for our own interests but for those who can’t speak for themselves. That’s something you can be a part of too. Every voice counts.

What is Converge?

Converge is an annual gathering of Baptist leaders to lobby Federal MPs and senators on social justice issues. The first Converge was held in 2016, and since that time we have advocated for better policy on refugees and asylum seekers, international development assistance, family and domestic violence, child wellbeing, and foreign policy toward Myanmar. 

Our immediate aim each year is to influence policy outcomes and in the longer term to build a Baptist voice for justice that is known to our political leaders and build a culture of advocacy within the Baptist community.

Rev. Nicholas Alexander is Senior Pastor at LifeWay Baptist Church

When Old Meets New

Read More reCharge!

reCharge Articles 2024

When Old Meets New

Posted on

When Old Meets New

When old meets new 

They said to him, “John’s disciples often fast and pray, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours go on eating and drinking.” 
Jesus answered, “Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; in those days they will fast.” 
He told them this parable: “No one tears a piece out of a new garment to patch an old one. Otherwise, they will have torn the new garment, and the patch from the new will not match the old. And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins. And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for they say, ‘The old is better.’” 

Luke 5:33-39 

Our Perspective on What’s New

Reading this passage, I was struck afresh by what Jesus might have meant by the old and new when he spoke of cloth and wineskins. These parables aren’t easy to understand at first, and they seem to be irrelevant to the question about fasting. But I understand that Jesus was saying he had come to do something new – something that wouldn’t fit into the preconceived ideas of the Pharisees and John’s disciples.  

It seems that Jesus chose disciples who were ready to embrace the new…. That is, him. 

Our perspective on what’s ‘new’ depends on our experience.
As a 30-something, my perspective of ‘what’s new’ in our faith communities is very different to someone who has been part of churches for 70+ years. Not a lot seems new to me.  

But to others (maybe yourself), a lot seems new, and that can be really scary. Songs are different. Policies are different. People are different. Ways are different. Society is different. It’s not like it was. 

It’s rare that old and new mix well. When we mix them, tension is created (like in the cloth and wineskins). Jesus certainly created tension with his new ways. He challenged those who were ingrained in the old ways and who struggled to embrace the new that he wanted to bring. They would say ‘the old is better.’  

Jesus was bringing new covenant life, which we now live in. But there is still something to be learned from this story for us today.  

We like to say, “the old is better.”  

We can be scared to question our ways, to embrace the new, and to let go of what’s familiar and believed to be right.  

Furthering God’s Kingdom

I’ve been reflecting on this in our faith communities. It’s easy to get stuck in old frameworks and patterns, and struggle to embrace new ideas, patterns, and ways. I believe this can restrict the Kingdom. How does what we do, and how we gather, further God’s Kingdom here on Earth? 

Don’t get me wrong, sometimes the old is good, but often we’ve lost the communication of why it is good. Let me give you a recent example.  

I grew up knowing that meetings were held quarterly, motions had to be seconded, voted upon, etc. “It’s just how us Baptists do it,” I thought.  

I also thought this was outdated, boring, unspiritual, and a put off for younger generations. What I didn’t know was that this is not Baptist specific, it’s the structure provided by ACNC for not-for-profits. It’s Australian law.  

Did I feel incredibly stupid? You bet! No one had ever explained to me why we did it that way. They just assumed I knew.  

Am I the only one? I doubt it.  

So, I was left with the fact of a procedural way of governance that brought order but felt dry, unspiritual and completely outdated for younger generations.  

Then came pending questions that needed to be wrestled with.  
– If we cannot do away with this structure, how can we breathe new life into it?  
– How can we communicate the why and invite people into the how, rather than just expecting them to follow suit? 
– How can we not just do what the law says, but actively welcome Holy Spirit into it? 

I would love to give you a simple answer! But the truth is, there isn’t one. You need to work it out for yourself, your context, and your community.  

We have been gifted these guidelines that aim to help churches have structure. This is not the way God intended it to be (Stephen spoke about this at our recent muster). However, in our brokenness, we have a structure that is intended to help us. What we need to determine is how that structure actually helps, and how we can use it to bring health to our faith communities.  

Can I challenge you, that simply saying, “this is the way we do it” doesn’t make sense for younger generations. We will question everything, so you need a better answer than that. Otherwise, we’ll just walk away and find another place of belonging that makes more sense.  

Our Baptist Way

Our Baptist way of congregational governance is a gem. It allows people to have a genuine voice. So how can we steward it well? How can we partner with Holy Spirit and contextualise this for younger generations? 

Here are some suggestions from my point of view: 

1. Know the why and learn how to communicate it: 

For example, “we value… and this informs why we do…” 

2. Be attentive to Holy Spirit:

We have a structure provided to us by ACNC, but we also have a living God, with us by His Holy Spirit. So we need to learn (afresh) how to be attentive and responsive to the Spirit’s prompting. We need to learn this: 

Individually  
– Investing in relationship with God. Spiritual disciplines are a great way to foster this intentionally (but that’s another topic) 
– Paying attention to ourselves, our emotions, and doing deep inner work, so that we bring our transforming selves to our communities 

Collectively  
– How can we create space to pause and pay attention? Do we have collective spiritual rhythms? 
– How can we create space and time to listen to one another and discern what Holy Spirit might be saying to us and through us?

3. Promote the voices of younger generations

If people had listened to me complaining about our system and changed it simply because I said so, we could be in strife. However, when people are willing to come alongside younger generations, welcome their questions, allow them to wrestle, and let their perspectives be heard, wrestled with, and discerned, we might just be able to move forward together. Then we can live in the tension of the old and the new experiences. How can you include younger voices in the decision making of your church? In doing so, maybe our churches can experience Kingdom life afresh.

Jenna Blackwell

Jenna Blackwell works part-time for Tasmanian Baptists and is responsible for Leadership Development. She is a Christian Coach, with a particular interest in spiritual and personal formation. Jenna also pastors part-time at City Baptist Church Launceston, as their formation pastor.

When Old Meets New

Read More reCharge!

reCharge Articles 2024

When Old Meets New

Posted on

Around the Churches August – September 2024

Around the Churches August – September 2024

What’s going on?  

Here is the third quarter news from our Baptist churches around Tasmania. This time we hear from: Lifeway Devonport, Newstead Baptist, The Point, Citywide and Hobart Baptist Church. I hope this update from our churches encourages you and reminds us of the precious community that we have in Jesus Christ! 

Around the Churches August – September 2024

Northwest

Lifeway Devonport 

August began with a group of people from LifeWay joining with a team from Landcare to revegetate a strip of coastline in East Devonport. The area was spread with topsoil, covered with bark mulch and planted with a variety of shrubs and grasses. With plenty of LifeWay people to help, the Landcare team had time to clean up the nearby beach. LifeWay valued this opportunity to make a positive contribution to the Devonport community. LifeWay marked Fathers’ Day with a special morning tea of scones, jam and cream that were enjoyed by everyone, not just fathers!

North

City Baptist Church

City Baptist church has been engaging in the Seasons of Creation and enjoyed a combined gathering with Pilgrim Uniting Church on 8 September 2024. They also celebrated their annual general meeting, sharing stories from City Seeds, including the community garden, weekly drop-in centre, Re-Imagine (young adults) and more. They are finishing Alpha at the end of September and looking forward to a great Holy Spirit Day on 21 September. 

Combined gathering with Pilgrim Uniting Church
Re-Imagine young adults

Newstead Baptist  

Newstead Baptist Church recently enjoyed an introductory HEART OF WINTER EXPO highlighting some of the 17 businesses and ministries held weekly on its church premises. 

Businesses involved on the day were Wise Learning Tutoring Services, Lions Club of Launceston, Drop-in Centre, Men @ Maccas, Men in the Shed, Chat ‘n’ Choose, Active Ageing, Launceston Dance Centre, Tasmanian Performing Arts Centre, Andrea Badcock Vocals, Rosemary Hill Art. The Expo also included a Kids Zone with craft activities by Scripture Union, face painting and a colour-in competition. 

About 100 people attended the Expo – a very warm and friendly occasion on a cold, wet day. It was a great opportunity for representatives from all groups to meet and mingle over the displays, refreshments and a sausage sizzle.  (use photos from Facebook) 

The Point Baptist Church 

The Point Baptist survived the recent wild weather. They are praying for one of their members, Gavin, who works with Transend and is helping to restore the power to homes and businesses. 

The church is encouraged by the increased participation of their young adults and youth, who are leading worship and taking on other activities. They are still looking for a part time youth leader. 

Craig Hawkins returned from a two-month Creation speaking tour through Victoria, NSW and Queensland. He spoke to nearly 2000 people, including over 500 school students. The two Craig’s: Craig Ellem and Craig Hawkins were thankful that Anthony McClone assisted while they were away on preaching duties. 

The Creation Discovery Centre has had some recent additions and improvements made to it.

Some of the Creation Discovery Centre Displays
Briar Marshall leading praise and worship

South

Citywide Baptist (Mornington, Lenah Valley, Levendale and Nepalese)

 Time Out 30th Celebrations 

Great were the memories and celebration of the craft program, Time Out, in July after 30 years! Many people and past team members attended this very special morning. Time Out ministry has offered friendship, a listening ear, and creative craft opportunities to many people in the community through the years.   

Coinciding with this milestone, Raie Semmens stepped down from her long tenure of leading the program after 22 years. What an amazing ministry Raie has given, sharing her heart for people and her dedication to Jesus. Marg Moss has stepped into the role and is bringing her own creative gifting to the program. 

Citywide’s Trivia Night 

Stuart Semmens has again excelled in his amazing planning and running of this fun night, helped by our young adults’ group.  Over 90 people attended, and every table had visitors and friends sharing in the fun and challenge.   

Tabletop Sale 

Again, over 30 tables were booked for this event – most from the wider community. The aim is to open the premises for the community and share in this service.   

Wedding Congratulations 

The church rejoiced with Nic Mayall and Ben Tomlison as they were married on 31 August. The ceremony was held at Blue Lagoon and the reception at Citywide.  Citywide’s love and prayers are with them as they journey together into their future.  May they know God’s blessings in abundance.  

Hobart Baptist Church

HBC held a thanksgiving service for Stephen Jenny Baxter on 1 September. Members at Hobart Baptist Church prayed for Stephen & Jenny Baxter during the service and Stephen wrote this letter to for church community:  

Dear brothers and sisters of Hobart Baptist Church, 

Thank you. From the depths of my heart, I want to express my sincere gratitude for your support, love, and prayers throughout my time as pastor at HBC. It has been an honour to serve you and to serve God over the years. 
 
Together, we’ve shared moments of joy, growth, challenge, and deepening faith. Your faithfulness has been a constant source of inspiration, and I’m truly grateful for the trust you’ve placed in me. 
 
As I reflect on this chapter of my life, which represents a quarter of my working years, I’m filled with a profound sense of gratitude for your kindness and encouragement. They have been invaluable, shaping both my ministry and own my personal growth. 

Jenny and I are especially thankful for your continuing prayers as we have walked alongside each other on this journey. The memories and the bonds formed over the years will always be cherished. 
 
While this is an end to being your pastor, it is not the end of our relationship. Looking ahead, I’m confident God will continue to bless and guide this congregation, and we look forward to being part of it. 

With heartfelt appreciation, 
Stephen 

Around the Churches August – September 2024

Read More reCharge!

reCharge Articles 2024

Around the Churches August – September

Posted on

No Matter What, God will Provide

Through all my seasons

Ministry Profile: Karla Miller

Karla is Executive Assistant and Risk Manager at Tasmanian Baptists. She goes to LifeWay Baptist and knows that, no matter what, God will provide. Read on to find out more . . .

God Will Provide

I was born in Brisbane and grew up in the leafy north-western suburbs with my parents, three brothers, a sister, and a tortoiseshell cat named Shona. Shona came to our family as a pregnant stray and never left. Shortly after adopting us, she delivered a litter of four beautiful multi-coloured kittens, which we loved to death for about ten weeks before they were given to new homes.  

My memories of childhood are centred around our large family: playing cops and robbers and pretend “school” with my siblings, games of very unprofessional backyard cricket, board game marathons, eating fish and chips straight out of the paper at Sandgate by the sea. And annual beach holidays at the Sunshine Coast.  

We took our year-round outdoor lifestyle for granted, I suppose, and the heat never felt as extreme and unbearable as it often does now. With so many siblings, there was always someone to play with, but I often retreated to my own space to read, write, play piano, or craft.

Karla going off to kindy in Brisbane, circa 1987.
Karla going off to kindy in Brisbane, circa 1987.
STEPS TO FaITH

I was fortunate to grow up in a Christian family. For the first decade of my life, we attended our local Uniting Church most Sundays. The sermons were long and boring, but this afforded me plenty of time to read the copy of the Good News Bible in the pew, and to study the illustrations in great detail. I learned the usual suite of bible stories at Sunday School and never really questioned the existence of God – except perhaps once, the year I prayed for a pair of roller skates for Christmas and to my great disappointment they never materialised.   

Going to an Anglican high school exposed me to a more formal and rote style of faith, but one that was full of reverence and tradition. It wasn’t until I was about 16 that I really came to know and understand Jesus on a deeper level. My older brother (then in his early 20s) and his fiancé invited my older sister and me to go with them to a night service at their church. In the moody, dimly lit brick building, singing the music of 1990s Hillsong (bless you Darlene), and listening to the impassioned teaching of our Irish-Australian minister, I came to fully understand the depth of what Christ had done for me, and how much He loved me. That was a pivotal time in my life and Christian journey, for which I will always be thankful. 

Karla (far right) with her parents and siblings in the early 1990s.
Karla (far right) with her parents and siblings in the early 1990s.
FaMILY LIFE

My husband David and I went to high school together, caught the school bus from the same stop for five years, and lived in adjacent streets.  Despite this and our common friends at school, we rarely spoke. I thought he was arrogant. He thought I was a snob. He was the sporty guy who loved maths and science, and I was heavily involved in music and the arts.   

In the end it was our differences that brought us together (or maybe just God’s ironic sense of humour) when we tied for Dux of the School at the end of Year 12.  

A circumstance that could only occur because we studied very few common subjects. As part of our prize the school librarians chaperoned us to morning tea at the Shingle Inn in Brisbane City, followed by a trip to a posh bookstore to spend our prize money. We were surprised to find ourselves bonding over our mutual love of desserts and books, and five years later were married.   

Our family has since grown to include two energetic sons, currently aged 10 and 7. We also have an elderly cat named Mia and three cheeky chickens, which have refused to lay even one egg between them since we got them in March.

David and Karla with Paddi and Glenys Mullan in January 2016.
David and Karla with Paddi and Glenys Mullan in January 2016.  Paddi (an Irish-Australian) was Minister at Stafford Uniting Church during Karla’s late teenage/early adulthood years and had a big impact on her faith.

No matter what, God will provide.

‘I do my best to approach life and make decisions through a lens of positivity and abundance, rather than from a fear-based mindset.’

Life in tasmania

We moved to Tasmania in January 2022 after David accepted a transfer to work for a company based in Devonport.  

We arrived here via Auckland, New Zealand, where we lived for almost three years prior after another work transfer.   

Due to the COVID-19 restrictions at the time, we relocated without ever having set foot in Tassie. I have been a city girl all my life, so adjusting to a more rural lifestyle took some time; however, we have come to love so many things about living on the North-West Coast: the close-knit community, the lack of traffic, and the stunning views we see from every window of our house.   

When we travel the back roads into town we are often following a tractor, or a truck full of freshly harvested carrots, and there’s always something inspiring to see in the changing landscape, be it a field of newborn lambs with their mothers, a crop of poppies dancing in the breeze, or a hillside dotted with hay bales. Earlier this year we witnessed the Aurora Australis for the first time – an experience we’ll never forget. 

I enjoy reading, graphic design, walks in nature, and travel.   

I’ve always been a very creative person, so my interests generally flit between one artistic pursuit or another. I am currently sewing a quilt for one of my kids – a project that has been a few years in the making. I have also been playing around with surface pattern design for a couple of years.   

Our house here is on 1.3 acres so I spend more time than I would like weeding and pruning. I enjoy the garden itself, but not the slavery of gardening! But like most people in my stage of life, the bulk of my time outside of work is occupied by family life and managing everyday household tasks. And wasting too much time on Facebook while falling asleep on the couch at night.

Life at LifeWay

The very first time we visited our church, LifeWay Baptist in Devonport, we knew it was home.  We didn’t even try anywhere else.  I have served as LifeWay Executive Officer since December 2023. This role encompasses church communications, office and facilities management, Safe Churches administration, and being part of the church leadership.  

I am always so encouraged by the committed, genuine people that we have at LifeWay. Everyone in the church works together to glorify God and to build a strong, authentic community – truly one body with many parts. I also love that I get to be involved in so many different aspects of church life and use the gifts that God has given me to make an impact. 

In May, I joined the Tas Baptists staff in the newly created role of Executive Assistant/Risk Manager. My two positions are simultaneously different yet complementary, allowing me to put my faith into action both at the grassroots level of the local church, and at the strategic level. At the grassroots level, all the beautiful and difficult parts of life, relationships and following Jesus takes place. At the strategic level, we take a step back and look at what is needed to best support the hard work of church ministry.   

David and Karla holidaying in Morocco. 
David and Karla holidaying in Morocco. 
Current Challenges?

My biggest challenge is having too many ideas, wanting to make a bigger impact, and not having enough time to do it all.    

How can we pray for you?

One of my current areas of focus for Tas Baptists is compiling a pack of policy templates, which every church that comes under our umbrella will be able to tailor to meet their own needs and circumstances.  Please pray for wisdom and discernment. That the right inputs go into this process so that we can provide the best resources possible to support and protect our churches and people.

The Best piece of advice You’ve had?

The best piece of advice I’ve received is that, firstly, I can’t change other people, I can only change myself. Secondly, to do my best to approach life and make decisions through a lens of positivity and abundance, rather than from a fear-based mindset. 

Pray For… 

You can pray for me that in this season and next season, I will step out in faith and keep my eyes on the Lord.  

Short ‘n’ Sweet

I am looking forward to. . . our chickens finally laying some eggs.

I am worried about. . . how the climate catastrophe will affect our planet and our children.

I am confident. . . no matter what, God will provide.

I am joyful about. . . my kids, beautiful sunsets, and bulbs pushing up through the soil.  

I would like to change. . . the colour of the walls in my house.

I am at my best. . . I’m with people who accept me unconditionally.

Nno matter what, God will provide.

More Ministry Profiles

Read More ReCharge!

Recharge Articles 2024

Posted on

Around the Churches June – July 2024

Around the Churches June -July 2024

Northwest

Lifeway Devonport 

The baptisms of Sarah, Rachel, Hadassah and Lizzy made a joyful start to the month as we celebrated the commitment that these four people were making to their Lord. 

June also brings our annual Solstice Splash event when we share lunch after the service, showcase our skills in turning the humble apple into a wide range of delicious treats in the Apple Cooking Competition, and the hardy amongst us take a quick dip in the ocean. 

Our last service in June was competently led by our church children with signs of future leadership among them. We are blessed to have dedicated leaders of this growing ministry. 

The fortnightly Men’s Coffee and Cheese Afternoon continues to offer a caring and supportive opportunity for men to meet and share their stories.  

“The Marriage Course @ LifeWay” will begin mid-July to encourage couples to celebrate their marriages and build new strengths into their relationship.  

by Judy Magor

Solstice Splash

Penguin Baptist

These days our church includes only a dozen attendees on the best days, but half the congregation preaches or leads worship so that is not a problem.

One of our older ladies recently said: “I love our little church. I love every sermon.”

We enjoy a monthly men’s lunch and have fun at a monthly ladies games and chat group, which includes some who don’t attend a church. In these days, when loneliness is a common problem, it provides great opportunities for connection and support.   

We are also privileged to be able to support two overseas missionaries, two children and one grandma, as well as local chaplaincy, and have hosted a Chat n Choose group for three decades. 

Penguin Baptist Church
Penguin Baptist Church

Around the Churches

North

City Baptist Church

City is celebrating just over one year of gathering at the Boathouse Function Centre. The church is starting Alpha in August, meeting on Sundays 12.00 – 1.30pm at Boathouse Function Centre. 

Pastors, Anthea and Jenna have begun training with Building a Discipling Culture (BDC), along with a few other Tas Baptist Pastors. They are really enjoying the simple and multipliable communication around discipleship. 

Around the Churches June-July 2024

South

Citywide Baptist (Mornington, Lenah Valley, Levendale and Nepalese)

National Senior Pastors Conference 
We hosted this annual event at Citywide in May with 80 delegates attending from all round Australia.  Reports and comments received indicated a special time was had by all, with inspiration, networking and worshipping refreshing these busy people. 

Foundations 
The Foundations discipleship course is going well, with many attesting to fresh insights and revelations about God, their faith, and their relationship with others. 

Prayer & Fasting 
We again held a prayer and fasting week over the solstice period, including a prayer session on Rosny Bluff before joining other Hobart churches at St David’s Cathedral for a midnight service.  This culminated a week of celebrations across the churches of Hobart bringing the Light of Christ into the darkness across Hobart.   

MAANS  (Merge Academy Awards Night) 
Our youth again excelled themselves and facilitated our annual ‘red carpet’ event showcasing original and innovative videos from our congregations.  It was good to bring out the bow ties and after 5 wear to be part of this grand awards event.

National Senior Pastors Conference
Mid-winter Prayer & Fasting
MAANS  (Merge Academy Awards Night)

Hobart Baptist Church

Luminous Festival 

HBC held its annual Luminous festival in June, with this year’s theme as Sacred Tasmania – Exploring the connections between the sacred, place and sustainability. 

This was the fourth year for Luminous, and this year involved four conversations, plus three art installations and a concert with an indigenous singer Scott Darlow. Also, a Christmas in Winter carols service brought the joy of Christmas into the middle of the year. 

The 4 conversations were very different in nature, but all related to the theme of Sacred Tasmania. Along with the three different expressions of art, the commonality was clear: there was much to reflect on. The importance of having conversations, listening to differing points of view and of education, cannot be underrated.

Luminous conversation
Luminous Artwork at HBC

Around the Churches June-July 2024

Read More reCharge!

reCharge Articles 2024

Around the Churches October-November 2023

Around the Churches October-November 2023

Posted on

Around the Churches April – May 2024

Around the churches

Northwest

Deloraine Baptist

Passover at Deloraine 
Monday, 22 April was the 14th day of the Hebrew month of Nisan, the biblical date for Passover. Jesus celebrated Passover with his disciples at the meal we call ‘the Last Supper’ (Luke 22:15). Although Holy Communion (aka the Lord’s Supper or the Eucharist) is a very ancient and appropriate Christian tradition, it was within the context of the Passover meal that Jesus said, “Do this in remembrance of me.”  

Accordingly, twenty-three Christians enjoyed a traditional Passover meal at Deloraine Baptist Church on the evening of 22 April. The meal included roasted year-old ram lambs and all the traditional trimmings.  

From a Jewish perspective, the Passover commemorates their redemption from bondage to Pharaoh through the shed blood of the lamb without blemish. As Christians, we also see its further application to our own redemption from slavery to sin through the shed blood of our perfect and sinless Messiah (1 Corinthians 5:7b). 

Passover at Deloraine 

Although (for now) the Jewish people remain blinded to its significance, the traditional Passover meal is replete with Christian symbolism. For instance, three matzot (unleavened bread) are placed in a special ‘three-in-one’ bag. During the meal, the middle matzah is broken (“this my body”), wrapped in linen and hidden away. It is later ‘discovered’ – a prophetic picture of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ.  

Four cups of wine are traditionally consumed, representing the four promises God made to Israel in Exodus 6:6-8. They are the Cups of Sanctification, Deliverance, Redemption and Restoration. The third cup is not drunk until after the meal. It was this one (Luke 22:20) that the Lord referred to as “his blood.” However, Jesus deferred drinking the final Passover cup until his return (Matthew 26:29). In fact, our Lord is currently teetotal while he serves as our great High Priest in the Heavenly Temple (e.g. Hebrews 9:11 cp. Leviticus 8:8-9). 

The event lasted two-and-a half hours and was enjoyed by all participants. Many agreed that it was a more meaningful commemoration of the Master’s death than the traditional hot cross buns and chocolate eggs.  

FROM TOP LEFT: Serving dinner; the community gathers; Michael and Michelle; Vicki and Wes; the table set…

Lifeway Devonport 

Social activities 
The vibrant Lifeway worship community is busy throughout the week, with Monday Tribes for kids after school, Converge for young adults on Tuesday evening, Men’s Coffee and Cheese Wednesday afternoon, Seniors’ Bible Study Thursday morning, Prayer Group Thursday evening and Fellowship Group on Saturday. There are also Pulse small groups, which meet regularly to support and pray for each other.  

Visiting Chaplain 
On Sunday 28 April the Chaplain of the Adelaide Crows Football Club spoke at the morning service and gifted a guernsey to Pastor Nicholas and longtime supporter of the crows Bill Magor.  

May Mission Month 
During May Mission month the dedicated Mission Team have worked hard to form study groups for most days of the week, set up a wonderful interactive display in the auditorium and, after worship Sunday morning in the Café, provided a guest to speak in the Human Library about a chapter in their lives connected to mission.  

Deaths 
Recently, Alec Small from the Karingal Community and Trevor Levett passed away.  

Sheffield Baptist Church

Membership Increase 
We are pleased to say that our doors are open each Sunday to witness and share the gospel with locals and visitors alike. In February we welcomed two new members which was a real encouragement.  

To us long term attendees, we are thankful for speakers from different churches making themselves available to preach each Sunday, it is a special blessing. Our fellowship teas continue to be well supported on the third Sunday of the month at 5:30 pm followed by singing of hymns and favourites for approximately an hour.  

Sheffield Baptist Church Photo: Duncan Grant
Sheffield Baptist Church

Ulverstone Baptist Church

Social activities 
UBC Seniors continue to meet on the first Friday of the month for fellowship and morning tea. The have enjoyed guest speakers, Ian Pickford with a display of various flags; Josh Skeat from the Ulverstone Anglican Church, as well as Valma and Yasmin McPherson (mother and daughter) who spoke in a morning themed “Remembering Mothers”. 

Our recent Men’s events have included riding bikes to the Turners Beach Berry Patch for breakfast, go-karting and indoor cricket. These events have been well attended by a variety of ages and has been a wonderful opportunity to reach out, encourage and strengthen relationships. 

On Mother’s Day weekend, about 40 of our UBC ladies enjoyed a scrumptious morning tea at the Turners Beach Berry Patch in their yurt.  As Mother’s Day and May Mission Month both share the month of May we were blessed on Mother’s Day to have a mission visit from Andy and hear of the work he is doing in Southeast Asia.  

Our winter table tennis competition has once again commenced on Monday evenings.  

From the pulpit 
Over the course of the last few months, we were challenged and encouraged by Pastor Louis and Lyn McKay as they preached a series titled “Called”. 

Home in glory 
We were saddened to hear of the passing of our dear sister Ivy Priestley. We give thanks to the Lord for the blessing that she was to our UBC family and all who knew her.  

Ulverstone Baptist Church
Ulverstone Baptist Church

Wynyard Baptist Church

Pastor Changes 
In 2023, Franz Brosch started the role of associate Pastor at Wynyard. Before that, he grew up in Germany in the southwest region. He always believed in God, but when it comes to Jesus and the Gospel it was in secondary school that his understanding grew. He was baptised as an adult to affirm that commitment. Recently, Pastor Owen Muskett retired after 10 years of service and the church affirmed Franz in taking Owen’s role as successor. God has led Franz and Heidi in ways that they had never expected. Pray for the church in this time of transition, and with the added challenge of Franz completing his studies.

North

City Baptist Church

Community and adventure! 
The City Baptist community has enjoyed a few adventures this year. We ventured out for a baptism at Low Head (see pictures), we joined the Marginata community in Evandale for a Taize gathering, and the Launceston Easter Festival happened on our front lawn.

The community garden (St Leonards) continues to flourish, providing welcome and hospitality to many former refugees. Our church is supporting an ecumenical initiative in Launceston that is focused on providing a safe space for young adults to ask faith questions and build community.

We hope to begin a new seed of faith, fun and community by welcoming parents/carers and their children to a weekly nature play space. This is in partnership with the manager of Utas Inveresk community garden; we are still waiting for the right person/people to help with this initiative.

With our emphasis on prayer lately, we welcome you to pray with us as we seek God’s direction for future steps. 

Baptism at Low Head

Latrobe Baptist Church 

Remembering Two Women 
It was a sad couple of months for the Latrobe Church in February and March with the passing of two of our ladies. Both ladies are very sorely missed but we know they are both now at rest with the Lord. 

Anneke Carrasco, (1949 – 2024) passed away suddenly on 26 February after a short illness. She had not been with us long, but her smile and cheeky manner is remembered by all of the church family 

Beryl Rallings (1931-2024) passed away on 26 March. She had been a member of the church for many years. Beryl had a wonderful singing voice and this was mentioned by lots of people at the funeral as something they remembered about her. She was a beautiful Godly woman who loved her Lord and showed that in her life. 

Anneke Carrasco, (1949 – 2024) and Beryl Rallings (1931-2024)

Newstead Baptist

Matu Church
There are five Baptist churches in the Launceston area. In 2020, Rodney and Maddy reached out to connect with the Matu church. That has begun a journey of coming closer into community and being on a journey of growing in relational connection. Now the Matu are based out of Newstead Baptist.  

The Matu meet on Friday nights, Saturday nights and Sunday afternoons. The Matu Pastor has had two decades of ministering in church and he has a deep heart to connect with the Pastors around Tasmania.

Summerhill Baptist Church

Alpha
We are well into our first Alpha with Session Six this Thursday, 9 May. God has blessed us with around 14 people each week, consisting of around eight from our congregation and six seekers. There are a wide range of ages, personalities, and backgrounds, all attending the course for different reasons. There have been some great conversations already, and as relationships and trust develop people are engaging more. 

This doesn’t mean it is without its challenges. There have been times when we believe there has been negative spiritual pressures brought to bear on our groups, sometimes through distractions, discouragements, physical disruptions and recalling deep emotional experiences.

But we are hugely grateful to God, not only for the opportunities to reach out and share the gospel but also in the incredible ways he is working in so many in his church here. Many supporters bring along beautiful food each week, with so many praying for the team and guests alike. May the Holy Spirit be at work through each one for the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost. (Luke 19:10) 

South

Citywide Mornington, Lenah Valley, Levendale and Nepalese

Deaths 
We have been sad to say goodbye to three of our long-term members in April. Ed Straatsma, Patsy Appleby and Neil Broomhead all served their Lord and his Church faithfully throughout their lives.  We praise God for them and rejoice that they are now with Jesus. 

Baptisms  
We have been blessed and excited to witness two baptisms in the last month: Anya Evenhuis and Brendan Isaac have testified to their faith and been baptised – much to the delight of family and church friends. 

Levendale 
We have re-launched a fellowship in Levendale under the care of Paul Dare.  They are now able to receive our streamed services from Citywide.  It’s a small beginning and we are praying for God to move amongst the people in that district. 

ANZAC Day 
Again, this year we ran a fun festival for the community at Lenah Valley.  It’s a lot of work, it’s a lot of fun, it’s a lot of connections.  Each year we are encouraged by the numbers of people who express their appreciation for the opportunities they have to express their thanks to people who have served our country and to celebrate together our freedoms and culture.  The morning is a good expression of community. 

Dinner Together 
For the rest of this year, we have offered an invitation for other Baptist churches in Hobart to join us in our monthly Dinners Together.  Our goal in this is to build a stronger community across our churches and get to know each other better. This month there were 65 involved which included 11 from Hobart Baptist.  

Foundations 
All southern churches are invited to join us as we run the Foundations course again. The course runs over 12 weeks, offering both lunch time and evening classes weekly.  This is a discipleship journey looking at God, Ourselves, Others and the World. Register on our website.

Nepalese

Nepalese
The church is growing by 10 percent every year, and we’re up to 90 people at services, but we only have 70 chairs, so this is a good problem to have. 

Claremont Baptist Church

Window on Witness
Last Christmas time, we wanted to make a display that would draw people back to the “reason for the season” so we set about to make a nativity scene outside the church. Everyone was involved, the men with bits of wood and things, the ladies with craft materials. The stable, a donated cubby house, grew to accommodate wisemen and shepherds, a sheep and donkey. Time came to dismantle the display and we found the stable was now too heavy to move!  
We now have a window to dress, and this has opened up a range of creative ideas. We try to change the display every six weeks. Dog walkers, people waiting at the bus stop and cars passing by are looking in the window and taking notice! 
The church asked for poppies to be made for an Anzac Day tribute, below, and over 900 knitted, crochet, paper and felt poppies were made by the ladies!

Easter
This Easter, beside wonderful worship services on Good Friday and Easter Sunday we reintroduced the Dawn Service on the Montrose Foreshore. We’d like to call it a “sunrise service” but clouds shrouded the sun. Nonetheless it was a wonderful morning with participants from five different churches in the Northern Suburbs, worshipping and praying for our community together. 

Increase
We have been blessed over the past six months to see a gradual increase at Sunday morning worship services from around 25 to well over 40 some mornings. Our Sunday School is active and vibrant again thanks to a new dedicated teacher. God hears and he answers prayer! 

  • Claremont window displays 900 poppies made by the ladies for ANZAC Day
  • Claremont Easter gathering at Montrose Bay
  • Claremont Easter cross at Montrose Bay
  • Claremont window display for Christmas 2024
  • Claremont window display for Easter 2024

Hobart Baptist Church

Luminous Festival 
Winter is when things generally get quiet. At Hobart it is our busy time. It is a positive way to interact with Dark Mofo in a positive way. Theme is Sacred Tasmania the links between sacred and sustainability in Tasmania. We have representatives of Parliament coming to our church. To register, visit the website.  

Esteem Coffee Shop 
Esteem Coffee’s customer base has been growing, but somewhat incremental. Starting this week the coffee shop will be offering all hot drinks for $3 for everyone. And… in July they will trial a ‘pay it forward’ scheme. This will begin with 100 hot drinks to give away.
So, if you would like a drink, you cannot pay for your own cup because it is already paid for! But if you would like to pay it forward for someone else, they will add it to the running total and keep offering everyone free cups of coffee until the running total lowers to zero.

Luminous Sacred Tasmania poster

Around the Churches April-May 2024

Read More ReCharge!

ReCharge Articles 2024

Around the Churches October-November 2023

Around the Churches October-November 2023

Posted on

Around the Churches, Feb-Mar 2023

Around the Churches February/March 2023

Every two months you can catch up with the latest news in Tasmanian Baptist Churches.

North

CITY BAPTIST, Launceston

Community focus

We continue to gather at Worldview as our interim meeting space. Throughout February we focused on the call back to community.

Our drop in centre meal continues at Red Dove café at Pilgrim Uniting on Saturday night. Steven continues his chaplaincy role to the street community. We would appreciate prayer for him and for Kay Hunter (who works with vulnerable women).

We continue to prayerfully discern appropriate gathering spaces as we seek to transition back to the city of Launceston – prayer for this, relationships on the edges of our community, and for future innovative ministries is much appreciated.

Steven, Red Dove Cafe (screenshot). Kay Around the Churches Feb-Mar 2023
Steven; Red Dove Cafe; Kay

GATEWAY

Devotional together

On Sunday 12th March, each family in the church was given a booklet which is a 31-day devotional by Ray Hawkins (The Point Baptist) called Captured By Calvary.

We are going to complete this Bible study together, reading it day-by-day, culminating on Easter Sunday. On the Sundays between now and Easter, congregation members will be invited to share about their thoughts on what is covered in the devotional.

NEWSTEAD

Walk this way

 Pastor Dan organised our church’s first ‘Walk This Way’ event.  We are planning to have them regularly with the first one being held at Heritage Park.  The weather was warm and so was the fellowship.  It was lovely to see a couple of friends from Scripture Union joining with our congregation members and chatting together along the route.  The second one was held at  Trevallyn Dam on the 5th March.

Other events

Pastor Dan met with the Little Fish volunteers to talk about the new program which has commenced and working well.

Simon McCormack  is leading the work at our church  putting in a new conveniently located disabled toilet.

Elaine Carins and the rest of the Senior’s Drop in Centre crew were treated to one of Maureen Battesse’s delicious strawberry filled sponge cakes this month to celebrate Elaine’s birthday.

Walk this Way, Little Fish, Birthday Cake Around the Churches Feb-Mar 2023
Walk this Way; Little Fish volunteers; Elaine Carins

SUMMERHILL

Time to take a break

Maddy Svoboda

Our pastor, Maddy Svoboda, was on Long Service Leave for the past few months. We’re all grateful for his dedication to our church over the years and are glad he can take a well-earned break. In his absence, we have been blessed to hear from many inspiring speakers from within our congregation, who have shared their insights, experiences, and faith with us.

Maddy has now returned, just in time for our church camp at Poatina Village on the 24th/25th February. It was a wonderful weekend of fellowship, worship, and meditative prayer. It also allowed us to reset, realign, and get to know each other on a deeper level.

The camp was a great opportunity for us to come together as a community and reaffirm our faith. We were reminded of the importance of connection, support, and empathy as we shared stories, sang and prayed together.

We are also grateful to the organisers of the church camp, who worked hard to ensure that all safety protocols were followed, and that everyone felt welcome and included. It was heartening to see people of all ages, backgrounds, and experiences come together and build meaningful relationships.

PERTH

Community picnic

On the Saturday before Christmas 2022, we arranged a Community Picnic. We had over 300 people come and be part of it. They then came to our Christmas Carol Service that night – over 200 people filled the church to overflowing!

Sunday nights at Perth

On the last Sunday in February, we commenced what will be a regular Sunday evening activity. There will be a meal once a month, and afternoon tea on the other weeks. The content will be The Chosen television series.

READ MORE about Perth Baptist in their recently released church profile >

Perth Baptist Church Profile

Northwest

LOWER BARRINGTON

Now livestreaming

We give thanks to God that we have had Starlink installed and are beginning to livestream our services via YouTube to reach out beyond our boundaries. It is very exciting that we have had responses even from overseas. It is such a blessing for a little country church in Tasmania.

Jeff Percival speaks at the Lwr Barrington pizza night
Jeff Percival speaks at the Pizza night

Pizza night

On 24th February our Pastor Jeff Percival was guest speaker at a free Pizza night for men at Sheffield Town Hall with over 100 men attending. A great Gospel message was shared with them all.

LIFEWAY, Devonport

Lifeway were recently announced as the national winners of Baptist Mission Australia’s Walk the World campaign!

READ ABOUT IT HERE >

ULVERSTONE

Christmas

The UBC family celebrated Christmas together on Christmas Eve with an entertaining skit, musical items and carols. We were able to host lunch on Christmas Day for those in our community who otherwise would have been spending Christmas alone. This was a lovely day, with about 65 attending.

Christmas Eve at Ulverstone 2023; Fabruary Baptisms Around the Churches Feb-Mar 2023
Christmas Eve at UBC; Baptism at the beach

Picnics and Baptisms

We have enjoyed the warmth of summer and gathered together for two church family picnics in Fairway Park. This has been a wonderful way to celebrate who we are. Not bound or defined by a building or location. Simply being who we are and who we are called to be.  It was a great opportunity to connect with each other and meet new people. The highlight of these two picnics however was to celebrate with three of our young people, Charlotte, Josiah and Kailem by witnessing their baptisms at the beach.

Gone to Glory

We mourned the passing of long-time member June Woodberry in January. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family.

Kids Church

After a few years without having a children’s ministry it is an absolute joy to see Kids Church start up again. We are so grateful to Claire and Abbey for serving in this way and we love watching our UBC kids as they excitedly leave our church service to enjoy their program.

Shmuel Junger

In February we were privileged to spend an evening listening to Shmuel Junger. Shmuel was born and raised in Israel and spoke about his amazing personal story and updated us on the unique challenges facing the brave pioneers who have settled in Judea and Samaria.

BURNIE

Matty, Ashley and their girls

Appointment of new Pastor

Late last year, Burnie Baptist called Matty Coppin to a full-time pastoral position.

Matty, Ashley, and their two girls accepted the call, and are winding things up in Edmonton, Canada. They plan to arrive in July or August of this year. Please pray for a successful property sale, and a smooth international move.

Praise God with us at Burnie, as we are very excited about Matty and Ashley’s arrival.

WYNYARD

Christmas joy

There was a large gathering of people at Carols in Guttridge Gardens on Christmas Eve. This is an annual event, organised by our church and enjoyed by all who attend in a lovely setting near the Inglis River.

Approximately 100 people, from both the community and the church who are alone at Christmas, enjoyed a lovely Christmas dinner catered for by our church on Christmas Day in the ROC building.

Coffee makes a difference

We continue to support two children in India with Baptist  World Aid with money from cappuccino sales on Sunday mornings after church fellowship.

Welcome Franz and Heidi!

Franz and Heidi Brosch
Franz and Heidi Brosch

We are delighted to have welcomed our Associate Pastor Franz Brosch  and his wife Heidi into our fellowship on Sunday 11th February. We look forward to working with them, and getting to know them, as they share the ministry with Pastor Owen.
READ: Getting to know Franz Brosch >

MARRAWAH

Thanksgiving service

Marrawah Baptist held a Thanksgiving service on Sunday 5th February as it closed its doors after 70 years of faithful service in the community.

People, young and old, packed out the building to celebrate the life, service and impact of the church over so many decades.

Mission Director Stephen Baxter spoke, and the morning was MC’d by Dan Evenhuis (Citywide) who has fond memories of leading the Marrawah youth group.

READ MORE about Marrawah’s Thanksgiving service >

Thanksgivng service at Marrawah - the people gathered Around the Churches Feb-Mar 2023
Marrawah Thanksgiving service, 5th Feb 2023

Around the Churches Feb-Mar 2023

South

CITYWIDE

Aboriginal Sunday

On Sunday 22nd January, Citywide closed our doors, and our three congregations combined to celebrate Aboriginal Sunday in an open air service on the Domain.  Paul Dare preached and inspired us to continue on our journey of understanding and acknowledging the painful history of Tasmanian Aborigines. 

In the early European settlements the native Australians showed the new settlers how and where to find water, and in exchange the Aboriginals had access to flour and salt.  We celebrated this tentative exchange by drinking water together and eating damper.  The service culminated in sharing a picnic lunch together.

Mission Partnership

We are excited in the new partnership we have formed with Baptist Mission Australia to work together in reaching the Hindu community of Hobart, primarily through the community services our Nepalese congregation offer to new arrivals. 

We have received a generous grant from BMA towards purchasing a van and employing a Community Support Worker for two-days/week for two years.

Lunch time Forum

Rev Prof Rene Enrich, Principal and Professor of Practical Theology at Whitley College, spoke at a lunch forum on his specialized subject, Sexuality and Theology in Conversation.  Rene stimulated and challenged those who attended, to allow the Spirit of God to reshape our thinking. 

READ: Citywide Annual Report 2022

Celebrations
  • MARRIED:  Josh Garvin and Jen Paull on 31st December
  • MARRIED:  Kevin Chalk and Sonya Latham on 8th January
  • ENGAGED:  Mitchell Semmens and Sophie Garvin on 17th January
  • BAPTISED:  Sophie Griffiths on 19th February at Lenah Valley
Tas Baptist NEWS February 2023 showing Citywide Baptist and their three congregations, gathering on Aboriginal Sunday
Citywide gather on the Domain for Aboriginal Sunday

CLAREMONT

T2 Women

Around the Churches Feb-Mar 2023 T2 Women at Claremont Baptist
T2 Women

Claremont’s ladies group, T2women, had a wonderful start to the year with a garden party under ancient elms  in one of our member’s beautiful historic garden. The weather was glorious, the tea delicious and the conversation delightful as we shared our favourite flowers, poems and songs about flowers.

T2 comes from Titus 2:3-5 which encourages the women of the church from all generations to learn from each other. Our hope is to grow our faith through friendships. 

Together with IC Church

We held a combined service with IC Church and shared lunch afterwards. It is hoped we might do this more often. Pastor Mohan from Singapore was the speaker so an extra blessing to know we can worship with brothers and sisters from around the world. 

Church review

Currently we are doing a church review looking at our current ministries, their effectiveness and how we can build on these strong foundations into the near and long term future. 

IC CHURCH, Glenorchy

Five baptisms!

On Sunday, 8th January 2023, Intercultural Church (ICC) at Glenorchy started the new year by celebrating the baptism of five young members of the congregation. It was very exciting to see these young men make a public declaration of their decision to follow Jesus.

Some very different faith journeys were involved – from growing up in a Christian household to coming from a non-Christian background.

Aasan, from Nepal, wanted to find out about Christianity so contacted the church via its website. Graham, one of the ICC elders met with Aasan and helped lead him to Christ. Aasan started attending the church and it was not long before he asked for baptism.

Franklin (from Hobart) in his own spiritual journey, had also reached a decision to be baptised.

Aasan and Franklin were joined by three brothers, Yosief, Musse and Fitsum who were originally from Sudan but have been Australians for six years now.

From many different parts of the globe but now brothers in Christ – sharing a bond that will last for eternity.

IC Church baptisms, Feb 2023; Around the Churches Feb-Mar 2023
Aasan is baptised; L-R: Aasan, Yosief, Fitsum, Musse and Franklin.

HOBART

Events at HBC

On Saturday 18th February, City Bible Forum used our building as a hub to host the Life@Work Conference.

Then, on Monday/Tuesday, 20th/21st February, we hosted the Tasmanian Baptist Pastor’s Muster, where Dr Christa McKirland of Carey Baptist College, Auckland, spoke.
Find out more about the Muster >

It is great to have our new facilities used for gatherings such as these.

Fundraising for Ukraine

On Wednesday 22nd February, a piano recital was held at Hobart Town Hall to raise funds for Ukrainian refugees, who are being assisted by Ukrainian Pastor Anton Kaluzhny in Kyiv.

The event was MC’d by Sean Priest. Kelvin Smith and Timothy Prajogo performed – all from HBC.

READ MORE about the fundraiser in February 2023 NEWS >
DONATE to fundraiser for Ukrainian refugees >

Sanctuary Sunday

We are looking forward to celebrating Sanctuary Sunday/Harmony Day on Sunday 19th March as we celebrate our broad ethnic diversity. We are grateful for contributions the Karen, Filipino, Indian, Vietnamese, Anuak (Ethiopian) and other nations make to our fellowship.

Around the Churches Feb-Mar 2023; Hobart Baptist Harmony Day 2022; Pastors Muster Feb 2023
Some of the national dress worn on Sanctuary Sunday-Harmony Day 2022;
Pastor’s Muster, 20/21 February 2023

Read ReCharge

February/March 2023

DOWNLOAD Recent Issues

Around the Churches Feb-Mar 2023

Posted on

Walk the World Winners!

Walk the World = Baptist Mission Australia

Baptists At Our Best

Congratulations Lifeway Baptist

Baptist Mission Australia award for praying, walking, driving and time in the garden! 

Last November, Baptist Churches nationally were encouraged by Baptist Mission Australia to pray for their community, neighbourhood and the world in the Walk the World campaign.

Lifeway Baptist in Devonport took up the challenge, and their efforts so impressed Baptist Mission Australia, that they won a prize!

Jenny Mountney of Lifeway Baptist explains what happened.

Baptist Mission Australia’s November initiative of “Walk the World” and praying over a three-day period really captured the heart of the Lifeway community.

There were people praying as they drove the streets, walked the streets and undertook activity across the state, country and overseas. The intentional prayer focus was for our community, state, country and intercultural teams, wherever they were.  

From the youngest in Sunday Tribes, to the most elderly, it is thought over 60% of the community took part. Nothing inspires people more than a challenge – and an amazing purpose – to bring our world to the Lord. We asked for healing and peace, strength and vision.

Baptist Mission Australia provided prayer guides, and children’s resources and activities. Our insomniacs prayed through their nights. The workers took moments in their day to walk and pray. The bushwalkers marvelled at God’s glory while counting steps and kilometers. 

Watch Lifeway’s video report

Excited responses

It was an amazing weekend filled with hope and joy. Plus, we are excited to receive the award for Australian Baptist Churches Walk the World winners! So many amazing stories came from the initiative, and it is quite surreal that Lifeway Baptist was selected. A huge thank you goes to every person who supported, prayed, walked and rode praying for our world. 

Teagan Dwyer-Riviere, Communications Manager at Baptist Mission Australia, said “Our team was so blown away by the amazing report you shared about how your whole church community got involved in Walk the World in November last year! It was so encouraging to read of the creative ways people of all ages, abilities and interests engaged in prayer. It sounds like it was a very rich time of prayer and community engagement.”.

Senior Pastor Nicholas Alexander was ecstatic. “It’s super encouraging for Lifeway, both for the mission’s team who work so hard, and for all of us in our prayer life.”

We at Lifeway are looking forward to receiving our first prize of a whole of church morning tea and guest speaker from Baptist Mission Australia. Fingers crossed this can take place in May Missions Month! 

Read ReCharge

February/March 2023

Recent (PDF) Issues of ReCharge

Walk the World Winners

Posted on

CHURCH PROFILE: LifeWay Baptist Devonport

LifeWay Baptist church
Advance July-August 2021, LifeWay Baptist

our church:

ADVANCE | step by step features a series of church profiles. This issue it’s all about LifeWay Baptist in Devonport. Plus the new work – in Cygnet.

From the LifeWay Baptist Senior Pastor:

Nicholas Alexander

LifeWay Baptist is an amazing church . . .

It began in the 1880s when a group of Christians got together in the local billiard room to worship and seek God. 141 years later, we are still getting together.

As the current lead pastor, I feel incredibly privileged to be a part of this chapter. We are building on a beautiful legacy and God willing laying the foundations for an exciting Kingdom-focused future.

To give you a taste of what our church is like, I asked our two Associate Pastors to write about the church from their perspectives. Penny has been a part of our church for a few months, and Denise Stephenson was practically born on the pews.

Hopefully, their accounts will give you a good idea of what LifeWay is like, but also remind you that God is always active and is right now building his kingdom throughout all our churches.

Nicholas Alexander
Pastor Nicholas Alexander

Nicholas Alexander, Senior Pastor

Visit LifeWay Baptist website >>>

Hello!

The pastoral team at LifeWay Baptist are Nicholas, Denise, and myself – Penny. We are part of the tribe leading and serving in Lifeway Baptist in Devonport and Cygnet. Between us all, we have a bunch of almost identical blonde children. Some patient and amazing pastor-partners. And a fantastic community of members who are striving to love and serve Jesus more and more.

As a team, we like to have long staff meetings, brainstorm big ideas and have cake together whenever possible. Collectively we work well together. Amazingly, we cancel out one another’s weaknesses with mutual shared love of the vulnerable, the downcast and the forgotten.

Just Like Any Other Church

LifeWay Baptist Passions

LifeWay Baptist is a church not dissimilar to any others. We gather, we sing songs (sometimes not so well), we pray with our hearts imperfectly. Kids are so important and we absolutely love them (and their prayer too) and their precious innocence and view of God. We have a long history of laughing, making jokes and capturing joy. So we are not a polished or modern church. We just try super hard to be real, authentic and full of Jesus and his Spirit. We’ve had moments of great joy and sorrow together, which has made our love for our church stronger and deeper. At LifeWay we thank one another for all others are doing. We try to encourage with words and deeds, and we seek to be helpful and supportive.

At LifeWay we have a huge list of volunteers and ministry leaders who keep things ticking over. This includes ministry areas such as Young Adults, Kids ministry, visiting of the elderly, social justice awareness and advocacy, and Missionary support. It also includes grocery shopping and casual connections over coffee. It is our belief that with the right alignment to Jesus and his radical and transformative love, all things flow. One of the things LifeWay cherishes is vulnerability. We are working towards being the kind of church who will pray for one another after a service,. Who will invite one another’s personal struggles into a small group (pulse group). And who will invite neighbours, friends and strangers into the family at LifeWay – with or without a Sunday service.

More About LifeWay

We are not fancy, or flashy, or particularly special. Our building is getting a slight re-vamp, but the members unanimously decided to keep costs low so we could use funds to support mission and the poor. At LifeWay we try hard to see those who are unseen, and look for opportunities that God has placed, right in front of our noses, for mission that flows easily and without struggle. So we are like a passionate barista, serving weekly by making a coffee; a fitness enthusiast starting a boxing group; or an art teacher sitting with teenagers to create.

We partner with Devonport Chaplaincy to provide a need with the facilities we have been blessed with such as TAFE training, using our commercial kitchen, providing space for community groups to hire, and connect and facilitation play spaces. We didn’t think of these things ourselves – they found us!

In lots of ways, LifeWay is just an extension of a bunch of families getting together, with the title “church” wrapped around it. We hold Jesus at the centre, and with our collective giftings and talents, we are excited about what he might plant or uproot in the coming years.

Ultimately we acknowledge and trust that this is his church, and we are really enjoying being in partnership with him.

Denise Stephenson

I’ve been a part of the Devonport Baptist Church (now LifeWay Baptist) since before I was born, almost 60 years ago. My parents, Ted and Dawn Nibbs were active members, so my family attended the little West Devonport Sunday School; my sisters and I sang in the Junior Choir; attended Girl’s Brigade and the Youth Group. Dad was Church Secretary (and later, a pastor), and Mum was Superintendent of the Sunday School, amongst many other things.

Denise Stephenson
Denise Stephenson
LifeWay Baptist History

Every Sunday at 11am we filed into church for the Sunday service, where men wore suits and ties, and ladies wore Sunday “best”, including hat. For all the formality which was part of going to church in that era, it was a welcoming, engaged community of Jesus followers

Growing up at Devonport Baptist I had no sense that any aspect of church life was off-limits to me. It was a long time before I realised that not all churches had women in leadership. Or even allowed women to preach. In every other place in my life I was very shy, but at Church I was encouraged to be part of things. Youth Group was a great place to find my feet as a follower of Jesus, hang out with others. It was there I tried out speaking in public, leading worship, and having a voice.

The 1970s was a period of great change as church became a less important aspect of people’s lives, and many of my friends from Sunday School and youth group stopped going to church. Even in Devonport, times were changing and this naturally affected church life. In the 1980s, young people were leaving to study and not returning, and families leaving to pursue work opportunities interstate. I was one of them.

The Next Era

When I returned to Devonport in the mid-1990s, church was very different. There were now two morning services: a family-focused, contemporary service at 9.30am; and a traditional, hymn-based service at 11am. I accepted a role on the Leadership Team in the late 90s. Then I worked in the office for 10 years before taking on a pastoral position three years ago. I’ve been part of taking our congregation through some challenging times as we’ve navigated changing social expectations and behaviour.

We’ve experimented with worship structure, ministry focus, and changed our name to LifeWay. At times, I’ve felt frustrated by the slow rate of change. But looking back now, I can see that DBC/LifeWay has actually changed significantly! Sometimes you need to take a step back to see how far you’ve come.

In December 2020 my husband Mark and I moved way down south, to Lymington (near Cygnet), to explore a new way of being a community of faith here in the Huon Valley and Channel area. We have the image of a Long Table where everyone is welcome. And our plan is to keep our eyes open to what God is doing. But we haven’t gone alone. The lovely community at LifeWay have chosen to “send” us south, supporting us through prayer and encouragement.

It’s great the faith family who walked with me my entire life chooses to accompany us on this new adventure.

LifeWay Baptist Montage

Read more in the July/August 2021 ADVANCE | step by step

Posted on

Keeping it Real – #nofilter Church

Keeping it Real, #nofilter church
Advance Header

food for thought:

By Denise Stephenson
Heartlands News
Denise Stephenson

Denise Stephenson is a trained Spiritual Director and, until December 2020, was Spiritual Formation Pastor at LifeWay Baptist Church Devonport. What is #nofilter church? Read on to find out!

I love Instagram!

All those squares filled with beautiful pictures of magical places, designer interiors, and adorable children dressed in linen!

Most of us (on our good days) recognise that Instagram is the home of “This Filtered Life”. Isn’t it tempting to apply a “filter” to life so it looks good on the outside?

Whilst none of us really expects social media to be an honest reflection of life, most of us hope our communities of faith would be the one place we feel safe enough to be our “unfiltered” self. But if I am honest, church is often a place, as much as any other, where I have felt pressure to look, act or feel a particular kind of way.

We say, “Come as you are”, but really we mean come if you feel upbeat, on top of things, happy and well – and if you’re not, at least try act as if you are. Apply the “worship” filter where it’s smiling, happy people holding hands. “We’re here to worship God!!” Amen?!

We try and “stay together”

What would our community of faith look like if it was #nofilter? Denise Stephenson

What would our community of faith, and our worship, look like if it was #nofilter? In the weeks following my husband Mark’s cancer diagnosis, I really didn’t feel like going to church. But, being one of the pastors, I turned up to church each week, determined to keep it all ‘together’. I had my “filter” firmly in place.

As soon as the songs started, every word would punch into my gut, and I would start crying… which was the LAST thing I wanted to do. Welcome to #nofilter! It was awful but it was real. Without me noticing, people would come to stand with me, and after the service, friends would slip into the chair beside me and pray for me.

I would go home, still in pain, still afraid, a blotchy, red-faced teary mess but having what I needed to keep going.

Embrace what God does for you

It takes guts to show our vulnerabilities, our weaknesses, and our messiness – to be real. But that’s exactly what God wants from us. God isn’t fooled by the filter, and wants to see the real person made in his image. I find that such a relief. I love The Message translation of Romans 12:1-2 which says:

Here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life–your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life–and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you. 

Romans 12:1-2 MSG

Let’s start #nofilter Sunday, and see what happens when we give God our real self. I think it could change church.

For good!

Denise Stephenson

Denise, and her husband Mark, recently moved to Lymington (south of Cygnet) where they are exploring new ways of being a community of faith in their new neighbourhood. Even so, Denise still works in Cygnet as an offshoot of LifeWay Devonport. Denise and Mark sail, garden, chop wood (it’s cold down here!) and hang out in cafes, getting to know their new neighbourhood, and keeping a lookout for what God is doing down in the deep south.