Happy 2025! Please take the time to read a couple of inspirational posts that Mary and Marcia authored, respectively.

A Prayer for the New Year

BY MARY MASON

Heavenly Father, thank you for extending my days so that I could be here today with these others who love you and reverence your Holy name. We welcome this New Year not knowing what lies ahead, but you know. ➔ CLICK TO READ MORE

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Who Am I?

BY MARCIA SHARPE

Who am I…? Who am I to give Hope to people affected by cancer? When I can barely manage the common cold? Or a bruise on my shin?

➔ CLICK TO READ MORE

Important 1st Quarter 2025 Organisational Plans

We thank our Lord God Almighty for re-growing BC in the past two-plus years. As we move towards reorganising in the first quarter of 2025, let us take note of the following:

• Install new members on 19 January 2025. Please approach Bevan or Jonan if you wish to become a member. Any person who confesses faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, who has been Baptised (by immersion) as a believer, who shows evidence of following Christ in the newness of life and who is willing to uphold the commitments as outlined in the Members’ Pledge may apply to become a Church member.
  
  
• Please think and pray about two or three members we will nominate to the Eldership between now and mid-February 2025. We will publish more details about this.
  
  
• We are looking at reframing our Constitution and By-Laws to fit the present church’s context and situation in February 2025.
  
  
• We will hold our annual general meeting (AGM) Pastor’s 2025. The annual reports, namely the Pastor’s report, the Leadership Team’s report, and the Financial report will be available in February.

Let us pray for these 1st Quarter 2025 plans. Thank you.

Be a Part of our Task Roster

OBC is your church, and we warmly invite you to join our task roster.

Joining this roster is not just a commitment; it’s a chance for you to actively engage in worship and service, contributing to the vibrant life of our church community.

Please write your name on the rostering sheet on the table next to our tea area.

If you have any questions about the tasks that interest you or need further details, don’t hesitate to contact Bevan, our pastor, or anyone else for help. Your involvement makes a difference—thank you!

Join the church task roster where the only qualification is availability.

“Abundant Life” Bible Study 19 January at 1:00 PM

We are still at it! We will tackle Lesson 15 of our “Abundant Life” study session on Sunday, 19 January, at 1:00 PM.

Please come with your workbook (Lesson 15) filled out and be ready to participate in our learning session.

OBC is building a dynamic discipleship culture. Everyone is invited to join. Let us learn about God through His word.

Online Writing and Website Management Seminars

I am launching two training seminars for interested persons: Online Writing and Website Management. These seminars aim to develop people who can assist in publishing content for the church’s website.

The seminars are open to everyone interested. Please come to me to be enrolled. Then, we will meet to decide on the seminar date in January 2025.

The Drums Started Playing

You wouldn’t have missed this incident if you had been at last Sunday’s worship service.

We were singing our closing song, “Power of Your Love”, when suddenly we heard the drums playing, accompanying the musicians in near-perfect tempo.

Asher, who will be turning three in May, picked up the drumsticks and started playing the drums. May the Lord prosper Asher’s gifts and all the other children as they grow.

One day, children were brought to Jesus, hoping he would lay hands on them and pray over them. The disciples shooed them off. But Jesus intervened: “Let the children alone, don’t prevent them from coming to me. God’s kingdom comprises people like these.” After laying hands on them, he left. (Matthew 19:13-15)

We thank the Lord for blessing OBC with children.

Weekly Youth Meeting

Our youth group meets every Thursday from 7:00 to 9:00 PM. Please ask Tom or Bevan for more information. Invite young people you know to join.

Join the Tasks Roster

The tasks roster is an opportunity for us to participate in the function and operation of our church in the areas of worship and service. Please feel free to write your name on the rostering sheet on the table beside our tea area.

Don’t hesitate to ask Bevan, the pastor, or anyone else about the tasks you are interested in or if you need further information. Thank you!

Join the church tasks roster where the only qualification is availability.

Learning How to Use the Faith-Wisdom Tool

I am recruiting people with pastoral ministry gifts to attend the orientation/training on using the Faith-Wisdom Tool. As I introduced last year, it is a simple tool that can create a profound understanding of faith and wisdom as an individual, a church, and a community.

We need this for a sustainable pastoral care ministry for OBC.

Abundant Life Bible Study Sessions

Let us resume our Bible study sessions using the Abundant Life of Christ workbook on Sunday, 21 April 2024, at 1:00 PM. Please answer Lesson 10 on your manual and be ready to share and discuss.

OSBA EVENTS AND TRAINING

I receive Rachel’s Regional Leader Roundup each month, which features news, events, and training happening in the Otago and Southland Baptist Association (OSBA). Sharing the event and training below.

Regional Hui 202423-25 May (Thurs to Saturday mid-PM)
River Ridge Retreat, Catlins
Options to stay on or offsite.

This is an opportunity for pastors, elders, and ministry leaders to come together to listen to God and others, reflect, learn, dream, worship, and pray, strengthen relationships and connections, envision together for the region, have some fun, and take a couple of days off from the usual activity.

*Registrations are now open, and a separate communication has been sent with all details.

Child Protection (under 18) Training – FREE
1 May; 10am-12noon. Register Here

Several of our region’s people attended the first training option in February. There is still time to sign up for the second webinar, which will provide the up-to-date version of the Baptist Union Child Protection Policy, which was written in consultation with Child Matters. Once the training has been completed, you will receive the editable template policy document. Register Here

OSBA plans to conduct further training for those involved with under-18s, focused on awareness, actions, protections, etc. Watch this space.