School chaplains play a valuable role in our schools, offering a listening ear, encouragement and support to students, staff and families as they navigate life’s challenges. Through pastoral conversations, mentoring and wellbeing programs, chaplains help young people build resilience, develop healthy relationships and feel valued and supported.

A recent conversation in a staffroom highlighted the wonderful, peaceful culture of a particular state school.  This school has a wonderful,  dedicated chaplain and supportive principal and deputy principal. It was a reminder of the difference that caring people, working together, can make in a school community. We believe prayer is an important part of this work, asking God to give chaplains wisdom, compassion and strength as they support those around them.

“The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” — James 5:16 (NIV)

A Two Birds Gift – Supporting Local Chaplaincy
Behind the scenes, many families are struggling to meet everyday needs. School chaplains are often in a position to recognise these needs and offer practical help, whether it is shoes, school uniforms, underwear, school supplies or a food hamper.

Through our Two Birds Christmas Gift Catalogue, you can give a monetary gift to local chaplaincy, allowing chaplains to use the funds at their discretion to respond to the needs they encounter. Your gift helps provide practical support to families doing it tough, while also supporting the chaplains who care for them.

Let’s remember our school chaplains in prayer and consider how we can support their work through a Two Birds gift. Together, we can partner with our local chaplains, helping to  bring hope, dignity and encouragement to students and families in our local community.

There have been many times in my life where I have not had the courage to say what I needed to. For many years I was (and am still tempted to be) worried about what people thought about me, so I would remain silent.

I am encouraged by the blind man named Bartimaeus. He was on the roadside begging and then heard Jesus was coming by and started crying out, “Jesus! Son of David, have mercy on me!” When told to be quiet by the people, he yells it out even more.

Bartimaeus was desperate for Jesus’ attention. He was not worried about what other people thought of him. He just wanted to get to Jesus and ask for His help. There was a courage and a boldness there that is quite admirable.

The other quality I saw in his approach (apart from humility) was his faith. Bartimaeus had such faith that he was outright in what he wanted Jesus to do. He knew Jesus was someone special, He had heard the stories of this Jesus healing others and he wanted it for himself.

Notice what Jesus says. “Go, your faith has made you well”. Jesus saw and heard this man's faith and in Jesus' power He could heal.

Is your faith in God stronger than your desire for people to like you? Or does your temptation of people pleasing get the better of you? This is something I have had to overcome myself and God wants to help you with this as well.

I pray we all have the courage and faith of Bartimaeus.

God bless you as you seek Him.
James

My husband is always the first to tell me to slow down—especially when I’m walking several steps ahead of him. And he’s right.

We all need a reminder to slow down sometimes, particularly when we’re eager to get into church.

We’ve noticed an increase of people being dropped off beside the building. This is a wonderful help for anyone who finds the car park difficult to navigate, especially on rainy days. A special thank you to all our drivers.

Please take your time though, in the drop-off area. Stay alert, keeping an eye on what’s happening around you, and make sure all passengers—yours and others’—are safely on the pathway before driving away to park.

Are several cars waiting behind you?
That’s okay— thank the Lord He’s helping them to practise patience.

Worried you’ll miss a space near the ramp?
Thank the Lord for our large car park and the chance to take a few extra steps.
More seriously, if drop-off or parking is difficult for you, please speak with us. We’d love to help.

We’re a family, so let’s look out for one another. Give a loving reminder to anyone moving too quickly through this area and help everyone arrive safely to worship together.

Now … how to look out for those risky market pedestrians?

Together, in Him
Nicole

This week, we’re highlighting the work of Wycliffe Bible Translators at Ukarumpa, Papua New Guinea.

These gift support the partnership that Hervey Bay Baptist Church has with Max & Helen Sahl, and Wade & Karen Lineburg.

Max & Helen were commissioned from the church in 1998 to serve with Wycliffe Bible Translators as teachers in PNG . In 2019, Max and Helen returned to Australia where Max commenced the position of CEO of Wycliff Australia, based in Melbourne.
 
Wade & Karen were commissioned from Hervey Bay Baptist in 2025, to served at Wycliffe in Ukarumpa, PNG. Karen as a teacher and Wade in finance.

The Two Birds catalogue offers ways to support their community.  This year in the two Birds Catalogue there are opportunities to assist with Reading glasses, solar-powered audio Bibles and medical equipment for the local clinic.

Bible translators often need reading glasses to assist them with their reading, paperwork and extensive screen time. Many of these national translators come from very remote villages, where they simply cannot get reading glasses - sometimes they have a hard enough time finding staples like salt, let alone a 'luxury' pair of glasses.

Solar-powered Audio Bibles give people in remote villages the joy of hearing God’s Word in their own language.  With 70–85% of people in many remote communities unable to read, these players provide vital access to Scripture. Families often gather to listen together, and thousands of lives have been impacted. Including local-language gospel songs is also encouraging more young people to purchase their own Audio Bible.

The Ukarumpa medical clinic in PNG’s Eastern Highlands is vital to the local community and surrounding villages, with the nearest alternative medical centre a long way away.  The clinic includes: SIL Health Clinic – providing emergency and specialist medical services, pharmacy and dental care and Ukarumpa Health Centre – a government-subsidised clinic for PNG citizens, largely staffed by PNG medical professionals.  There is a significant need for medical equipment, including a reliable defibrillator. Your gift will help provide essential healthcare and potentially save lives in this remote community.

Each gift gives twice — bringing joy to someone you love at Christmas while meeting practical needs and supporting the work of missions. A simple way to share the love of Christ beyond our own community.

Recently, pastors at Crossway Baptist Church had their voices cloned using AI and used in scam phone calls. The call showed the pastor’s real number, and the voice answered in real time. The aim was to get money.

Churches run on trust and generosity, which makes impersonation scams especially damaging.

Every congregation should be ready.

What’s happening?

Scammers can copy a voice from a short clip, such as a sermon or a social media video, and spoof caller ID so the real number appears on the phone. Don’t rely on the number or on how familiar the voice sounds as these are easily manipulated. The scammers might have also compromised some chat history, so they may even have historical context for the call.
A warning message to share with your congregation:

“IMPORTANT: Voice Scam Warning

Pastors’ voices are being cloned using AI and used in scam calls. The number on your phone may look exactly like your pastor’s, and the voice will sound like them in real time.

No pastor at our church will ever call you and ask for money.

If either happens, or already has, please hang up and report it to the church office.”

What church members can do:

• Hang up and call back on a number you already know, or through the church office.
• Be wary of urgency and secrecy. Pressure to act now, or to keep the call quiet, is a classic scam sign.
• Never pay by gift card, crypto or wire transfer.
• Report it to church leadership, Scamwatch (scamwatch.gov.au) and your bank if money was sent.

Together, in Him
Nicole

I love the teaching of Jesus in the gospels. They can be so inspiring and yet so challenging at the same time.

Jesus said:
“But at the beginning of creation God made them male and female. For this reason, a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. So, they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

Jesus reminds us of how marriage was there in the beginning of creation. That God designed it for a man and a woman to remain together until death do they part. Marriage is special and has been designed by God as a way to illustrate our relationship with Him (Ephesians 5).

Marriage is not always easy. In fact, this passage that I read recently made me reflect how much Mel has put up with me over the years. Yet, she has loved me unconditionally.

When our spouse is following God and reflecting His characteristics, it becomes a beautiful picture of how God loves us unconditionally. Sometimes, or even for whole seasons in our marriage, it is not depicted this way, and it can be really rough. This is where grace should abound more and more. This is far easier said than done, I admit.

Are you in a season of your marriage going really well?

Why don’t you praise God for your spouse and thank your spouse also. Maybe you can even support others in their marriage?

Are you in a really rough season in your marriage?

I would encourage you to keep handing it over to God, reach out to a trusted friend and seek professional support. We were never meant to journey this road alone.

God bless you as you seek Him.

James

King Solomon is known for his wisdom. The Bible claims that there was no one alive in his time that compared to his wisdom. Kings and wise men came from all around that part of the world to listen to his wisdom. His wisdom generated wealth for himself and his people and one of the most glorious periods of peace and prosperity the nation of Israel had ever known. It was truly the glory days. But it is important to realize that this is all because God gave it to him. God told Solomon he could have anything he wanted. Solomon asked for wisdom. And God answered his request.

I think it is very helpful for us to see everything in our lives that we value and cherish as a gift from God. When we see the blessings in our lives as gifts, we treat them with greater respect. We know how to cherish gifts. They have deep meaning for us. When we look at things like food, home, family, life success, health, we will cherish these more if we see them as gifts.

The other interesting lesson here is that God has the ability to bestow on us certain characteristics. It is very clear that Solomon’s abilities were not the result of hard work or study. God bestowed wisdom on him. It was a supernatural thing. This is the same reality behind Spiritual gifts. Each of us has received something like what Solomon received.

In our walk with God we should be eager to discover what this particular blessing is.

Ask him to show you. Seek it out and serve him with it.

Brett

King David was very old. He was so old that he didn’t even have the ability to keep himself warm.

In his old age, there was a scramble for his leadership. Who would be the next king?

In the first chapter of 1 Kings, it describes David’s decision to install his son Solomon to the throne. It was an important decision for the future of the nation. What moves me about this story is how much David still knows and trusts God. After a lifetime of leadership, he still credits God with the decision to anoint Solomon. Even though David made the decision, he credits God for it. And he worships him, even while he lay in weakness on his bed.

The ability to praise God like this when facing the end of life and surrounded by political tension, demonstrates a love and trust for God that cannot be faked. The simple fact of the story is that David clearly walked with God all his life. I trust it is our intention to do the same.

Brett

by Colleen Fuller - Children's Director

Our 19 wonderful Junior Leaders serve faithfully in Kids Ministry. I’m passionate about supporting them, but it can be difficult to get to know each one in such a large group. What better way to connect than by going on camp together?

We spent a night camping at the amazing ‘Circles in the Forest’ in Childers. I was deeply encouraged by the commitment shown by the Junior Leaders and their families, with only two unable to attend. For some, it was their first camping experience.

Ray and Miriam came and cooked delicious BBQ’d traditional South African Boerewors rolls for dinner on Friday night, while Russ and I helped the kids put up tents in the dark. A six-man tent with no instructions is a little harder than you would think.

We enjoyed s’mores around the campfire and hot chocolate the next morning after a freezing night. I had warned the teenagers how cold it would be, but apparently weather advice from adults is optional—I’m guessing they’ll pack a few extra blankets next year!

Mark and Kathy Payne joined Russ and me as we ‘braved’ the camp. I was especially grateful when Mark offered to be our speaker and teacher. Guiding teenagers as they grow in faith and become responsible leaders can feel daunting, so Mark and Kathy’s support, maturity and wisdom were a great encouragement.

Mark led a full-day workshop that challenged the Junior Leaders to step outside their comfort zones. Working in small groups, they practised teaching Bible stories and applying them in children’s ministry.

One of the most meaningful moments was watching the Junior Leaders encourage one another.

My main takeaway was that the camp was simply too short. The Junior Leaders agreed that we should do this more often. It was wonderful to see genuine friendships forming, but even more rewarding to watch them grow spiritually.

Proverbs 3:5 & 6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take.

I think I’m getting the hang of this.... kind of. It shouldn’t be that complex, and no one wants a long meeting, but there does seem to be a bit to cover. I’m commencing another agenda for an upcoming meeting. Thinking through all that needs to be included, making sure we tick the boxes for good governance.

I don’t mind it really. Some of us like structure. Some don’t. That’s what’s so good about being a body. Every member has a part to play. And the members of this body at HBBC, with all the gifts and talents that God has given us, are being led by an amazing group of gifted and Godly elders.

They’re meeting again tonight. A combined elders meeting. No written agenda needed for this meeting... from me anyway. This is a time for prayer, for discussion, for leaning in and listening. Yes, they will be making some decisions. Deciding to seek God’s will for HBBC.

Will you pray for them? Lifting them up to God and asking that He will give them wisdom and unity. That they will know the Holy Spirit’s leading and voice. Setting their own agendas aside and asking God to show them His.

Your Kingdom come! Your will be done Lord!

Together, in Him
Nicole

By Steve Meharg, QB Director of Local Mission

The Stats are in! God is doing a new thing.

Recently I was able to hear the latest statistics from Ruth Powell who works at the National Church Life Survey group. This group has carefully gathered all the latest information from all churches in Australia. As a person focused on church planting, I was eager to hear how things are progressing and what other denominations are doing in this space. Well, the results are in and it seems like God is moving powerfully in the space of Church planting.

In the last five years, the volume of church plants across all denominations has doubled! Since 2021 over 230 churches have been planted. Perhaps the most exciting statistic is that these church plants are growing and the majority of the growth is new Christians (62%). Church plants are recording an average of 16.1 new attendees per year and 9.9 of those are first-time commitments. We have known for a long time that one of the most effective ways to reach the unreached is through church planting and these statistics bear that out.

The most effective church plants (at reaching the unreached) have three aspects that seem to bring health. Firstly, they have a clear discipleship pathway from new Christian to volunteer leader.  Secondly, they are reaching young adults and have a focus on young people. Thirdly, the churches that run Alpha are seeing 40% more new Christians than those that don’t. Although overall church attendance has flatlined in the last decade, church planting seems to have a correlation with growth.

The Baptist denomination has moved from 4th largest to 3rd largest since 2001, and the ACC has moved from 5th, to second. The ACC have planted 22.4% (247) of new churches since 2011 and the Baptists account for 19.4% (218). Seventh day Adventists 126, then Anglican 120, then it drops by over half from there. Obviously, we are not in a race against other denominations, but this simply shows that denominations that plant churches are growing and denominations that don’t, are not.

I think the most exciting stat of this whole report is the escalation we are seeing in church planting. From 2019 to 2025 the number of new churches is growing. Clearly, God is inspiring this church planting movement across all churches.

As part of Vision 33 we believe God has called us to plant and revitalise 100 new churches. We are seeing new churches being planted already and there are several in the pipeline for 2027. The size of your church is not relevant in this discussion, we are seeing churches planted from small, medium and large churches. Next year we will be starting the first of our church planting learning communities. These learning communities will be useful for a church getting ready to plant or a church that is planting or has just planted! They will create a structure that will enable your team to hear about best practise and strategize next steps over a two-year period. The journey will be taken with other groups who are on a similar journey but at all different stages, which will facilitate peer learning and sharing wisdom.

I believe that God is calling us to respond to the needs of Queensland. Our State is growing rapidly and there is new openness to the Gospel, especially in the younger generations. Please contact me for more information and we can discuss your next steps.

When I was a young man, Baptist churches across Queensland would conclude their services with singing a benediction which came from the book of Jude. When you dwell on the words of this benediction, it is a wonderful affirmation that would send church people out into the world with the hope of God in their hearts. There are some beautiful truths here.

…Able to keep you from falling … God is with you. He is always with you. And because of that, he will guide, protect, and supply all our needs. As we trust him, he keeps us walking.

…Present you without fault … The saving work of God means that we can approach him with a clear conscience. We do not have to fear judgement and because of that we do not have to fear death. Death is no longer a great unknown, but rather a transition into glory.

…Glory to God … A reminder that God is sovereign over all the universe. Nothing is above him. He is over all things.

I am not advocating that we go back in time to sing this benediction in our services. But wouldn’t it be great if each of us had something like this to affirm every day. Perhaps as we prepared for the day ahead each morning.  Maybe as we finished the day, we could reflect on wonderful truths such as this.

Does your family have a spiritual motto?

Do you have a spiritual benediction?

I encourage you to think about it.

Brett

Conventional wisdom has often said that a person will apply themselves more to a task when they have a clear goal in mind.

This is true in a lot of areas of life.

A student will study more diligently when they are aiming for a certain career path. A family budget will be followed better when there is a clear savings goal. An athlete will train harder when they have their eyes on winning a certain competition.

Our future goals strengthen our present performance.

I think this is what Peter is talking about in these verses. His words give us a picture of the future reality, and at the same time a vision of our own future salvation. Knowing that everything around us is temporary, gives us the incentive to live life with eternity in mind.

It is not that the things in our life are unimportant, nor that we should be so heavenly minded that we become of little earthly use. What Peter is saying is that living for God in our life becomes easier when we keep heaven in mind as our main goal.

Think of what it means to prepare for heaven. Jesus talked about this in his sermon on the mount. Look forward to heaven and live your lives in preparation for that.

Brett

By Nicole Wilson

Yesterday marked Joanne Lambden’s last day in her role as Ministry Facilitator at HBBC, and the launch of her ‘retirement’.

From a career in Senior Management at FCRC, followed by her own Consulting Business, Jo joined the staff at HBBC in February 2015. With the rise of operational complexities, Jo’s position brought together a number of roles, previously carried out by both paid staff and volunteers, to release the Pastors of administrative compliance, and give an overall support to HBBC’s Board of Governance.

Initial years brought together systems, policies and procedures, IT upgrades, structures to WHS, Child Safety, development of a 10-year capital expenditure plan and much more.
The HR aspect of the position over that time saw around 47 recruitments of employees for both long & short term positions in many ministries, along with giving support to volunteer ministry leaders and volunteer management.

As Ministry Facilitator, Jo also managed a number of events held at the church such as Garage Sales, Volunteer celebrations, Equip Training Day (Mar ‘19), Centenary Celebrations, Kindness Works Fundraisers (Dinner & Smashing Bumpkins), along with a community wide campaign where we closed our Sunday morning service to serve the city in ‘We For You’ (Jun ’19).

Jo actioned the commencement of COACH mentoring in Hervey Bay, followed by establishing our not-for-profit, Kindness Works, gaining DGR status, giving opportunities for us to both serve those struggling in our community, whilst providing an avenue to assist in raising funds to sustain these outreaches.

With some major property assignments, the roof replacement of our building (2019) and the new fire hydrant system over the last few years, Jo also arranged the refurbishment and endorsement of our church kitchen to commercial status, the planting of shade trees in the carpark and upgrades to the children’s playground. We also contracted Jo’s services out to Bayside Christian College when they were looking to establish a campus on our property.

2020 saw a constant watching of rulings for churches around COVID, along with a lot of cleaning regimes to be produced and carried out. Also, the establishment of a Combined Community Hotline for people to call if they needed someone to talk to during that time.

These few highlights were also carried out while Jo consistently organised agendas and minutes at both Board level (over 100 meetings), membership meetings and AGMs, continued to work through the daily operational obligations to keep us continuing to be a safe space for everyone to meet, have fellowship and grow in the Lord.

Not only has Jo carried out her position as an employee with wisdom, love and humility, her personal life reflects her passion to see people discipled in Christ as she personally disciples many and continues to serve voluntarily on the Kindness Works Board, and regularly at the Lounge.

Jo, we greatly appreciate the sacrifices you have made in serving HBBC over the years. We know that you are ultimately serving the God you love, to which we give Him all the glory.
We pray this next season of your life will bring even greater fruit as you continue to ‘remain in Him’, walking in obedience to His call on your life.

Proverbs 3: 5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
do not depend on your own understanding.
Seek his will in all you do,
and he will show you which path to take.

For more than 25 years, Julie Terry has been teaching and coordinating the Christian Religious Instruction (CRI) Program in our local State Primary Schools. Julie has a deep passion for helping children discover the teachings of the Bible and God’s plan and purpose for their lives.
A few facts about our local CRI program
The aim of Christian Religious Instruction in Queensland is to inform students about the basic beliefs of the Christian faith from a non-denominational perspective, using an approved curriculum.

• Under Queensland Government legislation dating back to 1910, religious instruction can be offered to students in Years 1–6 in Queensland State Schools for up to one hour per week.
• Parents must provide written consent for their children to participate.
• Two peak bodies support the implementation of CRI across Queensland – the Alliance for Christian Religious Education (ACRE) and the Queensland Christian Religious Instruction Network (QCRIN).
• Local CRI programs operate through cooperative arrangements involving local churches and Hervey Bay Christian Ministers’ Associations (HBCMA). Instructors from different denominations work together under the same guidelines and use the same curriculum.

CRI in Hervey Bay in 2026
This year, our local CRI program has operated in five primary schools, reaching more than 950 children from Years 1–6.

These children receive a 30-minute CRI lesson each week across 41 different classes, taught by a dedicated team of 15 volunteer instructors and assistants from seven different churches in Hervey Bay.

That is more children than attend our combined churches children's programs!

Unfortunately, more than 250 students at Yarrilee State School who have RI consent have not received lessons since 2021, due to a shortage of volunteer instructors.

Moving Forward
Under the guidance of Pastor Brett Wilson, the HBCMA has been exploring ways to strengthen and grow this vital ministry and move towards a new era of CRI oversight and delivery.

A CRI Committee has been established to oversee the process of moving towards a paid CRI model, where a Coordinator and key instructors would receive some remuneration. This model aims to provide greater consistency in the delivery of RI lessons, ensure fuller coverage of CRI classes and reduce the pressure on our existing volunteer team.

After 25 years as CRI Coordinator, Julie plans to step down in the near future. With this in mind, the Ministers Association is currently training a new recruit who is expected to take over the Coordinator’s role in early 2027.

You Can Make a Difference
Each of us can play a part in supporting and growing this important ministry to the children of our city.

EncourageGoPrayGive
Julie encourages us to see CRI in our local schools as an extension of the Church’s ministry to the children of our city.
What a privilege it is for our churches to send people into our schools to share the good news of Jesus with the next generation.

Julie Terry
CRI Coordinator – Hervey Bay Christian Ministers Association
2026

Which is more powerful, love or fear?

I would argue that true love usually will overcome fear. When love is our motive, it is very hard to oppose it. This is the whole concept behind Christian virtue. We live righteously because we love the One who has given us this righteousness.

In other words, you really cannot dictate true goodness. If I do kind deeds, refrain from bad things, and serve sacrificially all because I am afraid of being judged, missing out, or going to hell, then those actions will always be the bare minimum of my effort.

But if we do kind deeds, refrain from bad things, and serve sacrificially out of true love and devotion, then not only are those acts more powerful, but they will be full of joy as well.
Jesus said that if we love Him, we will obey Him. This is not an ultimatum. It is not a threat. It is not a condition that He puts on accepting you. He is simply stating how love is seen in action.

This teaching is confirmed throughout the New Testament. As we express our love for God through our life, our heart for Him grows. This develops into a life that obeys Jesus as the most natural thing.

Brett

The veil has been torn! The victory has been won! Making the way for us to be able to stand in the very presence of God, and in the power of the Holy Spirit, accomplish all things through Christ!

What a blessing to be able to worship together, encourage one another, grow in life together…and pray together!!

God is moving in the hearts of men, women, young and old, even in our little (or not so little) community of Hervey Bay, as people draw near to Him.

He has called us to the place, at this time, to continue to be His witnesses, shining the light into our community.

As His church at HBBC, may we continue to be led by God each day, through our work, our school, our social connections and our church ministries, to keep Christ number one in our lives drawing on the Holy Spirit for His leading and power to see many people come to know Christ.

To this end, we would love you to join in prayer with us over a few of the happenings within the church at this time?

PRAISE

• Above all, for the sacrifice and redemption we have through Christ!!
• For the growing engagement of people within our church evangelising and discipling others in our community.
• For the sustaining of church ministries, only made possible by the many, many volunteers from our church family.
• For the giftings of our Pastors and Eldership in leading our church.
• For the vision and direction to plant a church in the Eastern suburbs of Hervey Bay
• For the completion of the fire hydrant system, without having to borrow any funding
• For the sustaining work of Kindness Works through EFC and COACH, reaching the vulnerable within Hervey Bay.
• For the beautiful property God has given us to be able to gather and worship together.

REQUESTS

• May we continue to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus Christ, in all things!
• For continued growth in our unity of mission, to multiply disciples of Jesus Christ that love God and serve others.
• For the process of appointing a Youth and Young Adult Pastor.
• For a blessing over all those who serve within our church ministries, including Kindness Works.
• For the nomination process and upcoming elections of our Elders.
• That God will raise up a team for the Church plant.
• That we will see God’s financial provision for the increased costs in maintaining (and improvements of) our property, enabling us to continue to be a place where people can discover the God who loves them.

Thank you for committing yourselves to being a part of the body of Christ here at HBBC, and joining us in prayer.

Nicole Wilson (Office Manager)

This week is our Global Week of Prayer. Our brothers and sisters in Christ all over the world are praying as the Lord leads them.

Mark Payne has been leading people on a prayer walk from one side of Hervey Bay to the other, this week along the Esplanade. We are now down to Urangan in our prayer walk. Praying over the city and it's people as the Lord leads.

We hear frequently that prayer has power, but do we truly believe it? I think each of us can, at times, underestimate the power of prayer in our lives. I have heard it said to me once “If your prayers are not bigger than what you can accomplish, how will God get the glory?” This challenged me to think bigger than myself and to pray bolder prayers.

The prayer walk also encourages us to pray outside of our own lives and into the lives of others. There is something very special in interceding on behalf of other people, ministries and churches. There is nothing wrong with praying for ourselves, but the Lord doesn’t want us to stop there. He wants us to pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ and for those who don’t yet believe in Him. Paul (Romans 9:1-4) expresses his deep desire for men and women to know Christ like him. He had a heart for the lost and prayed for them earnestly. Do we pray earnestly for those that don’t know Christ yet? Do we pray bold prayers of life transformation in their lives? I know this is a challenge to myself as well as all who read this devotion.

Will you join us this week wherever you are in praying for those around you to know the Lord and everything else God may lead in you?

James

The Bible has a lot to say about the value of godly fathers. Dads play a crucial role within their families and within community. The Bible instructs them to take responsibility for their wives and their children. This is a spiritual calling but also a spiritual blessing. When King David was organising the operation of the tabernacle, he set up ministry teams within family groups. This gave the fathers of these families key roles and responsibilities.

The men of our culture have received a bit of a battering of late. But God has a very different view of how important they are. We need to first be thankful for our own dads. Even though no dad is perfect, they took care of us. We need to pray for dads. They carry enormous responsibility spiritually. And we should seek to build up young men well who will one day be dads. Let us hold this vision of good dads closely to our hearts as we celebrate this Father’s Day.

Brett

We are consistently seeing God’s work in our midst, hearing the Good News stories of lives being transformed not only in our midst, but in His church at large. Last Sunday’s member’s meeting strengthened our hearts again confirming that God continues to call us and empower us to work with Him on mission. This is exciting.

Church Plant

The primary focus of the meeting was to consider a church plant. We were encouraged hearing from Steve Meharg, (QB Director of Local Mission) on other church plants throughout Queensland, the focus on reaching out in mission, and the amount of people seeking God in these church plants. Discussion continued in groups, with a large majority voting for us to take the next steps to see a church plant commence in Urangan next year.

We will be looking to start a Sunday afternoon outreach to children, followed by a service. We will be continuing a consultation with the Salvation Army to use their facilities for this and will seek to raise up a pastor from within our church, along with 30 – 40 others to commence the church. Please join us in praying that we will know God’s will each step of the way in this set up phase.

Youth & Young Adult Pastor

An application for this position has been received from Andrew (Andy) Wilson. Being a nephew to Brett, James has taken on the role as the chair of the call-committee. James shared the process so far from interview to reference checks, now leading to the next stage of the process of inviting Andy and his family for a weekend.

Andy and his family will join us on the weekend of the 11th – 13th of September, to meet the elders, Youth and YA leaders and preach at our morning service. Again, please join us in praying for that God will lead us as we consider if Andy is the right person to fill this position.

Elder Nominations

Nominations are now open for 4 eldership positions which will become vacant at our Annual Meeting in November. After prayerful consideration, members can collect a nomination form from the church office or Connection Point desk and, once signed by the person being nominated and two nominees, all being church members, please return in a confidential envelope addressed the selection committee.

Introducing HBBC’s New Creche Coordinator,  Lucinda Mehlert. 

Hi, I’m Lucinda. I’m a wife to Andrew, a mum of two young children, and your new Creche Coordinator.

Although we’re a relatively new family here, I’ve spent plenty of time in the creche and at playgroups, and I chose to take on this role because I genuinely care about the wellbeing of new parents and their children.

This is especially close to my heart because, four years ago, I lost my mum to terminal cancer when I was just four months postpartum. That season taught me how much the right support and genuine connection can mean to a young family, and it’s something I hope to help create for others.

To all the parents, I hope to meet you and your beautiful children soon. If you’re returning to the service, I’m very happy to work with you to gradually help your child feel comfortable staying with our wonderful volunteers.

And finally, if you’d like to give the gift of a little break to some sleep-deprived parents, or if you simply enjoy looking after little ones as much as I do, I’d love to hear from you.
Email Lucinda

Lucinda

Jesus takes the word ‘ransom’ from the military context of prisoner exchange.

In war, one army could release the prisoners in exchange for their own soldiers being returned. This is what Jesus’ sacrifice was able to do. Spiritually speaking we were all captives. We were held prisoner by our own sin, by our own desires, by the law, by Satan, by the world. God pays a price, the death of His own Son, to release us from this captivity.

Because of what Jesus has done, we can be released from bondage to worship God freely with a clear conscience.

The purpose of Jesus coming was not just to teach morals or to set a good example. He came to save. We will never be able to truly understand Jesus as teacher until we understand Him as Saviour.

It is by His ransom that we have access to God. It is by His work that we are saved. It is by His resurrection that we can have the hope of salvation. This is a most beautiful gift. We worship, we serve, we follow because Jesus has made a way for us to do that.

May we truly know this gospel.

Brett

It is human nature to call on God only when things are beyond our control. When our need is great and we lack the resources to fix the problem, we instinctively cry out to God who has supernatural resources to help us in our time of need. But if we are comfortable. If we have all we need. If everything is under control, we tend not to reach out to God as much. Think for example how different your prayer time is when you are in a stressful season of work compared with relaxing on holidays.

When it comes to the gospel, many will not see the need for salvation because they do not understand their spiritual condition. If the gospel offers salvation from sin and you do not think you are a sinner then the gospel has little attraction. If the gospel offers salvation from judgement but you feel you are a good person and will not be judged, then the gospel has no purpose, or in some cases can even sound offensive.

The simple truth is that the natural destiny for all humans is horrific. It is eternal separation from God for everyone tainted with sin. It is only in this context that the gospel of Jesus Christ makes sense. The need is indeed great whether we feel it or not. That is why Jesus died.

Brett

What does it mean to be a member of HBBC?
Membership at HBBC is an opportunity to contribute to the future growth of our church and have your voice included in meaningful discussions that shape the way we make decisions.

Holding membership doesn’t mean your salvation is ‘more acceptable’, nor does it mean that you renounce past involvements in other Christian churches, but rather that you agree with our Core Doctrines, and wish to intentionally play an active role in the governance of our church.

What’s involved?
Members play an important role in the life of our church and it is something that should be taken seriously.  Our members have the responsibilities of setting an example by caring for others, giving financially to support our church and its ministries, and serving where they can according to their gifting and ability.

Members will also be invited to attend members meetings held throughout the year and they will have the opportunity to vote on important decisions such as budgets, pastoral calls, and special projects as they arise.

How do I become a member?
We encourage those new to our church to attend at least 6 months before applying to ensure plenty of time to settle into our church family.
 
People interested in membership will need to submit an application and walk through our Membership Journey with a representative of our church leadership team.
 
The Membership Journey may involve up to three sessions covering the purpose of membership within the Baptist Church model, expectations of membership, and what church governance means.  This is also a great opportunity for applicants to ask questions, get to know us better as a Church, and for us to get to know you.

Once applicants have completed this process, a recommendation is taken to the Elders for approval of the application.  From there, the names of applicants are published for two weeks in Refresh, giving existing members an opportunity to raise any relevant concerns before the appointment of new members.
 
Once the two-week notification period has been completed, we will contact the applicant to inform them of the outcome of their membership application and to organise a suitable time to publicly welcome them into membership.

If you are interested in becoming a member, please complete our application form.

Reflections from the Christmas in July Morning Tea

From Heather:
It’s hard in a big church to meet and form friendships. I felt lead by the Holy Spirit to get more over 60s together. I was so happy when our Bible study group wanted to get Young at Heart started. Friday's Young at Heart get together, really helped people to feel a part of God's family. I think it could go longer than 2 hours as it felt too quick. Maybe 2 1/2 or 3 hrs. I have had so many people thanking our Life Group and saying how much they enjoyed it.

From Terry:
To me it was crystal clear, THE HOLY SPIRIT WAS LEADING THE MORNING. THANK YOU HOLY SPIRIT.

From Dave:
Iris is a lovely nonagenerian who sat at our table at Young @ Heart. She gave Bri a big hug on Sunday and told us she had found 2 new friends. I think Heather's raison d'être for Young @ Heart was accomplished for Iris.

From Allan:
Given all the comments from our Life Group members who have shared, my greatest encouragement is the fact that we as a group were single minded in sharing the vision of developing a fellowship event. We/they all worked together with a single purpose, and that, I believe is exactly how the body of Christ should operate with each sharing from within their own gifting.