Dear Friends,
As I write this, bottle rockets are raining on the office roof launched by very happy and excited SMAD campers! 😊 It is wonderful to see (and hear) the programme happening again – even amid the concerns of Covid – and to see Penny able to be here and her and Ally and Andrew (and so many others) running it so ably for the tenth year in a row!
It has also been wonderful to have John and Kristine Morrison here for the week and John preaching last Sunday while I was on holidays.
John’s message on signs was the sign I have been waiting for to show you this sign!
It makes me laugh every time, so I must rather enjoy irony as well as appreciating lists (though I am not keen on vandalism!)
And I have been thinking about lists this week and remembering a large church in Sydney that at the start of every year encouraged people to commit to three things; one service, one area of service and one small group.
Can I encourage you to do the same?
We don’t have several services for you to choose from, but can I encourage you to commit to regularly attending, in person or on zoom, our Sunday morning service? It is a time of worshipping God, of listening to God’s word and encouraging and praying for each other. As Hebrews 10:25 says; “Do not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encourage one another!”
Can I also encourage you to commit to one area of service – of serving others? Over the past two weeks we have highlighted a number of needs in the church. We don’t want those with several roles already taking on more, but we’d love to see new people stepping into new roles! There will be a brief volunteer induction after the service on Sunday, 6th February – in person and online – so please attend that and call/email the office if you can help in some area.
Finally, can I also encourage you to commit to one small group? Small groups are wonderful places for building deeper friendships, for sharing the issues you face and for finding support from others. They are also – speaking from experience – incredibly enriching and fun!
Across the church there are a range of small groups;
- men’s and a women’s book groups (groups that read a range of books and discuss them),
- the movie group (a group that watches a film and talks about that),
- The Ladies Fellowship (a group that meet monthly for a time of worship and raising support for mission work)
- the 3:16 group (a group working its way right through the Bible – studying each book at a time),
- the Thursday Morning Women’s Bible Study (its all there in the description!),
- the Soup and Faith group (a Thursday evening group for 20’s and 30’s exploring faith)
- the Northside Group (a Bible Study group meeting in the north of Canberra)
- Youth Discussion Group (a group for Year 10 to Uni aged youth)
- Morning Prayers (a group that meets each weekday morning on Zoom for 30 mins to read the Bible and pray)
In addition to these, in February there will be two ‘pop up’ groups discussing our sermon series on Baptist Values. You might like to come – either to a lunchtime discussion, straight after the service, or on Zoom Sunday nights at 6pm (6, 13, 20, 27 Feb).
If you would like more information on these small groups, email Rebecca Hilton, the small group coordinator (rebecca.anne.hilton.3@gmail.com) or speak to Rebecca or Belinda at church.
One service. One area of service. One small group. Its a great way to deepen your relationship with God and with this church during 2022.
Grace and peace,
Belinda