The bright shining light of Christmas

Amidst the myriads of dazzling lights, Christmas trees, lively music, and glittering adornments to mark the festivities of Christmas is the sad reality that many people neglect the most important person of the season. What makes Christmas merry?

Gail’s Christmas decorations she put up a week ago at the church remind us all that Jesus is the reason for the Christmas season. He is our amazing grace, who has brought peace, love, joy, and hope to humanity.

No amount of beautiful lights could match Jesus Christ, the one true light who illuminates the whole world from the darkness of sin. Jesus said, “I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness” (John 12:46).

Let Jesus Christ be the one true light shining in our lives, now and forever!

CHRISTMAS 2022 SCHEDULES

18 December at 4:00 PM – Carolling at Sandringham House

24 December at 6:30 PM – Christmas Eve Service. Please bring supper to share

25 December at 10:00 AM – Christmas Sunday Worship

But when the time had fully come,
God sent His Son, born of a woman,
born under the law, 
to redeem those under the law,
that we might receive our adoption as sons.
Galatians 4:4-5

Prayer Meeting, Preparation, and Working Bee

In preparing our church building for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Worship Services, we will clean after our Wednesday prayer meeting at 3:00 PM.

Those who cannot make it on Wednesday, please come for a Working Bee time on Saturday, 24 December.

Indeed, friends and family members will come to town for Christmas and join Oamaru Baptist Church’s worship services.

New Year’s Day is a Sunday

What an excellent opportunity to start the first day of 2023 with a worship service at 10:00 AM.

Oamaru Baptist Church will hold the regular worship service on 1st January 2023.

Discipleship through home Bible studies

We have identified a home Bible study area in the Totara-Teschemakers-Kakanui area. Home Bible studies are one of the ways we can make disciples for Christ. The Lord God is growing His church.

Let us pray for more Bible study groups to be organised- as we look forward to training group leaders in 2023.

OBC’s Direction – Where are we and what’s next?

As I mentioned last Sunday during my message, we have stopped at the “Spiritual Gifts Inventory” to focus on the Advent and Christmas seasons.

We will resume in February 2023. The diagram below indicates that we will focus on “Faith-Wisdom Discovery” next.

Please refresh yourselves with the sermon series related to the diagram above by clicking the button below.

Let us labour for the Master in October!

With Labour Day coming on 24 October, I am reminded of a strophe in the hymn, “When the Roll is Called Up Yonder”, that says:

Let us labour for the Master from the dawn till setting sun,
Let us talk of all His wondrous love and care;
Then when all of life is over and our work on earth is done,
And the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there.

Like the new garden season, OBC is planting growth and development seeds that we hope and pray will bear much fruit in God’s time. Let us labour for the Lord!

Working Bee Saturday, 8 October, 10:00 AM

It’s spring cleaning time. Our driveway awaits the splash and swoosh of the water spray. Bring some gardening tools as we do some trimming, planting, and whatever would make our surroundings beautiful.

Don’t forget to bring some food to share during the bee workers’ lunch.

Music Workshop Schedules Set

Calling all singers, musicians, and interested people, young and old! 

• Music Listening Workshop – Sunday, 9 October – 2 PM
• Bass and Drums Basics – Wednesday, 12 October – 10 AM
• Sound and Data Operation – TBA

“Abundant Life” for Bible Study Groups

I will use the “Abundant Life – The Life of Jesus in You” guide and workbook for our Bible study groups.

The workbook is authored and produced by SEAN International. SEAM means Study by Extension for All Nations.

The “Abundant Life” is a nurture course for new believers, which teaches the fundamental Christian doctrines and how to apply them to our lives.

TEE Group Leaders Training on 17-18 February 2023 Tentatively

In preparation for additional discipleship groups that will be organised soon, we are looking at holding a Group Leaders Training on 17-18 February 2023.

TEE, or Theological Education by Extension Aotearoa, will be conducting the training. The trainers are based in Wellington.

The training will be open to interested people from other churches in Oamaru and Timaru.

Reminders…

• Prayer Meeting @ OBC on Wednesday, 3:00 to 4:00 PM. To send in your prayer requests, click on this link → https://oamarubaptist.org.nz/prayer-meeting-obc/
  
  
• Please take the time to look at our Rostering Sheet, and feel free to jot down your name on any vacant slot. Your participation is much appreciated.
  
  
• Invite your friends to come and join our church to worship and serve the Living Almighty God. We are a welcoming and friendly church.

Renewal and Resolution Series

Lessons from Nehemiah

I have started presenting the Ministry Appreciation and Participation Toolkit as an application of the lessons we learned from Nehemiah.

We will be learning practical tools we can use in building our church and community, with Nehemiah as our Biblical inspiration.

I will give handouts on the next two Sundays to ensure carry-over and reference. I hope and pray for enthusiasm and excitement as we learn together.