Baptist Church Oamaru

Nov 19 2024

A Sunday to Remember at OBC – Baptism 2024

November 2024 Baptism Sunday marks a significant breakthrough for Oamaru Baptist. Two years ago, many thought the Baptist church would not survive and cease to exist.

It was “keeling” in every aspect, and many had “abandoned the ship.”

Despite the small number who stayed behind, God answered their prayers for divine intervention, igniting a flourishing revival even today. As of November 17, our attendance list includes 85 people, comprising both adults and children.

We are here today two years later, baptising two first-generation and three second-generation believers.

We thank the Lord God Almighty for five new Baptists on Sunday, November 17, at 9:00 a.m.

Thank you to all the Baptist whānau, church mates, and friends who came to witness and support the baptism ceremonies held at the Waitaki Aquatic Centre. Your presence truly enriches our faith journey.

Let us continue to pray for Marie, Rodney, Nico, Nolan, Juscar, and each other as we (OBC) journey and grow in faith and obedience to God. Amen!

We continue to pray for more baptism opportunities as we obey the Lord Jesus Christ’s commission to go and make disciples, baptising them in the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything Jesus Christ has commanded us to do.

To God be all the glory! Amen.

Nov 14 2024

Don’t Get Into Debt this Christmas

BY MARCIA SHARPE

Just ten more sleeps until Christmas, you tell the little ones
Wait until you see your gifts, bigger and better than ever before
Can’t have your friends outdoing you

Mum, don’t get into debt this Christmas
You are the only one who cares what others think
All we want is a fun time and special food

What has happened to last year’s gifts, sitting in a cupboard somewhere, forgotten
My brothers and sisters don’t need to keep up with their peers
Start a new trend and keep it simple
But Mum, don’t get into debt this Christmas

Christmas Day is only one day in 365; what about the rest of the holidays?
Every year I can remember it is the same, we can’t do anything during the holidays
Like a trip to the movies or the Wildlife Park because you have no spare money

Mum, don’t get into debt this Christmas
We don’t want to hear about it every day until we go back to school that you have no money
It gets boring
There must be a better way

We don’t need the latest I.T. gadgets or Play Station
Buy us something we need that you can afford
Same for Christmas dinner, forget the turkey and ham; a chicken or pork will be fine
Jelly and ice cream with a few strawberries sounds good to me
Mum, please don’t get into debt this Christmas

Christmas is not about climbing some social ladder, so save your money for those who care
Christmas is not about purchases or actions you might regret later
Christmas is about remembering the reason for the season
Celebrating Jesus’ birth with family and close friends
So, Mum, there’s no need to get into debt this Christmas

Having time with you and Dad, a chance to play outside games and no phone interruptions
Is all we really ask
Seeing cousins or grandparents would be a bonus, but not at the expense of going
Into debt this Christmas
Mum, we love you, and we are pleased you are our Mother
But Please, Mum, don’t get into debt this Christmas

Written by your 5 children aged 11, 9, 7, 6 and 4 years

Nov 01 2024

Discipleship Events Glimpses, Ladies’ Tea, Baptism, Fellowship Lunch, Baptist Hui

BAPTIST CHURCH NEWSLETTER 3 NOVEMBER 2024

Glimpses from the Discipleship Report Evening and G.L.A.D. Workshop Events

What an incredibly busy week we just experienced! It’s truly a blessing that we held a meaningful workshop on discipleship during the Labour Weekend.

By prioritizing God and tending to His heavenly garden, we enrich our spirits and look forward to a good season of sowing and harvesting. ➔ CLICK TO READ MORE

Ladies, please come and join the afternoon tea

Ladies Afternoon Tea

Please come join us for afternoon tea on Saturday, 9 November 2024, starting at 2:00 PM. The venue is at the OBC Tea Hall.

There will be an opportunity to share encouraging thoughts, short stories, and poems.

Thank you, Marcia and team, for facilitating this. 🙂

Baptism set on 17 November 2024

Finally, after staying for a season, we are holding a Baptism ceremony on 17 November at 9:00 AM at the Waitaki Aquatic Centre.

The Aquatic Centre Coordinator responded to our request for a space to hold the Baptism, and we are finalising the event details.

We have two confirmed candidates. There are four more candidates that need to be confirmed with the person and their parents. Please pray for these confirmations.

We are inviting all who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour to follow him through the waters of baptism. Please see your pastor today.

Fellowship lunch on 17 November

What a joy to celebrate our Baptism Sunday with a fellowship lunch on 17 November.

Together with birthdays and anniversaries, we will celebrate our brothers and sisters who have followed the Lord Jesus Christ through baptism by immersion. Bring your food to share.

The Fellowship Lunch is also a team-building opportunity, so please make yourself available to help prepare and clean up our lunch area before and after the event.

Reminders

Youth Ministry – Thursday from 7:00 to 9:00 PM
Prayer Meeting – Thursday from 1:30 to 2:30 PM
Music Team Practice – This Saturday only from 7:00 to 8:00 PM
TEE Abundant Life Session – Sunday from 1:00 to 2:30 PM

OBC has two speaking opportunities at the National Hui

The NZ Baptist National Hui will be held in Rangiora Baptist Church on 6-9 November. I will be your lone representative at the annual gathering of 250 Baptist churches. As of this writing, approximately 400+ delegates will attend the National Hui.

On 8 November at 7:00 PM, during the Baptist Hui Global Night, the Oamaru Baptist Church was asked to deliver two messages.

Whodunit mystery? 😮

It’s not summer yet, but the grass has turned brown. It’s been raining, too. And look, our car park flower boxes have been cleared and planted with new plants.

Thank you, and blessings to whoever has done it!

The best way to discover whodunit is to also become an “undercover” gardener and join in beautifying our church surroundings. Agree? 🙂

Nov 01 2024

Glimpses from the Discipleship Report Evening and G.L.A.D. Workshop Events

What an incredibly busy week we just experienced! It’s truly a blessing that we held a meaningful workshop on discipleship during the Labour Weekend.

By prioritizing God and tending to His heavenly garden, we enrich our spirits and look forward to a good season of sowing and harvesting.

NZ Labour Day Monday celebrates the establishment of the eight-hour workday. For Kiwis who enjoy gardening, this day marks the traditional unofficial start of the gardening season.

Thus, we pray for God’s blessings on our backyard gardens, too. 🙂

24 October Discipleship Report Evening with Anneta

We had a good turnout of 35 people during the Discipleship Report Evening with Anneta on 24 October. A missionary family of four joined us. We are happy to see our young people joining and making the event their regular Thursday activity for that week.

We thank Anneta Vysotskaya for sharing her testimony and ministry with TEE on the topic “TEE for the 21st Century and How It Can Change New Zealand.” Thank you for encouraging and inspiring us to pursue fervent discipleship in the church.

Watch this video clip of the event.

26 October G.L.A.D. Workshop

On Friday, 25 October, Jewel, Anneta, and I went to Timaru Airport to pick up Ann and Lewis.

The day’s plan was for the TEE Aotearoa team to meet face-to-face at a cafe in Timaru. Why Timaru? Richard, who lives in Christchurch, will drive to Timaru and join, sparing him another hour’s drive to Oamaru.

However, the Wellington Airport authorities cancelled all flights from Wellington that day. So, the TEE Aotearoa face-to-face meeting was postponed.

Ann and Lewis took the last flight to Dunedin and then took a taxi to Oamaru. When they arrived, it was almost midnight. Praising the Lord for His provision.

The Group Leaders Advanced Discipleship Workshop proceeded as planned despite the challenges faced the previous day.

We had 12 participants in the training from three churches: Oamaru Baptist Church (8), All Nations Church of Hope (3), and Cornerstone Bible Community Church (1).

Thank you to all participants and the churches that joined the workshop.

We are grateful to our resource persons, Ann Borquist and Lewis Varley, who travelled to share their precious time and talents.

Thank you, Hopevale Trust, for supporting Oamaru Baptist Church’s ministries.

Thank you to our hosts, who offered accommodation and meals for Ann and Lewis. Thank you to the helping hands who came to help with the preparations and aftercare.

Thank you, Oamaru Baptist Church members, for your prayers and support in one or many ways.

Below are more photos from the GLAD Workshop photos.

Re-establishing the discipleship journey for OBC is challenging and requires commitment. However, we remain resolute and willing to persevere because discipleship is the only way for a believer to grow both horizontally and vertically.

We look forward to starting the “Life of Christ” TEE course early next year.

Oct 11 2024

Healing from Numbers, Discipleship Report, GLAD Workshop, OSBA Hui

BAPTIST CHURCH NEWSLETTER 13 OCTOBER 2024

How I Found Healing from What I Learned from the Book of Numbers

Mary shared how reading the Book of Numbers and the surrounding events sparked her enthusiasm, found the answer to her quest, and healed her.

Please read Mary’s testimony and be inspired and encouraged. ➔ CLICK TO READ MORE

TEE for the 21st Century and How It Can Change New Zealand

A Discipleship Report Evening with Anneta on 24 October, 7:00 PM at the OBC Auditorium.

Come and listen to Anneta as she shares her testimony and her passion for discipleship through Theological Education by Extension (TEE). ➔ CLICK TO READ MORE

How OBC Members Can Join the G.L.A.D. Workshop

Dear OBC members, I encourage everyone to participate by attending the GLAD Workshop because the training is crucial to sustaining the church’s discipleship ministry.

However, if you belong to the “the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” category due to old age and availability, you can still participate by sponsoring a participant’s registration.

Sponsorships and donations for the workshop can be given through the OBC Bank account. Please use “GLAD WS” OR “GLAD WS Fees” as a reference.

There are many other ways you can support the activity. Please contact Jonan or Bevan.

➔ CLICK TO READ MORE

OSBA Hui-ā-Tau 2024

As an Otago Southland Baptist Association member, OBC is allowed two official delegates to the OSBA Hui on Saturday, 19 October, from 10:00 AM to 3:30 PM at the Dunedin City Baptist Church.

Moreover, the “Engage with Charles Hewlett” session with the Baptist Union National Leader in the morning is open to all Baptist Church members.

This is a rare opportunity for us to come together and actively participate in shaping the future of the NZ Baptist Churches. There will also be an interactive Q&A session to discuss this further.