Over the past 2-3 years, I’ve been keeping a lookout for properties and venues that might be helpful to our church as we try to reach Newcastle with the gospel. Some of these have been massive, and potential places we could run our Sunday meetings, and everything we might dream of. Some of these have been smaller, only big enough for the staff - or not even! I’ve probably investigated over 80, and been to about 30 different sites with Real Estate agents, etc…

I usually don’t tell too many people when I go and look at one, partly because its just looking, and partly because I don’t want to get people excited again and again about different places, that don’t end up working out. But this is one of those times when I think I should let people know. Its not certain by any means, but its gone past the “maybe” point to the “real possibility” point.

I’ve been looking at a site in Broadmeadow, near 9-ways that I’d like to get the Association Committee (the Elders) to consider renting.

The hope of this place would be that we could run ALL our mid-week activities in… and more than that, it would become a kind of home-away-from-home for our church overall.

It’s not meant to be a place we use for our big Sunday services… Lambton High School and the Uni really are excellent locations for our Sunday meetings. Rather, its a place where people from HBC, and even their non-Christian friends are going to feel at home in the 6-day gap between Sunday to Sunday.

If it did all work out, I’d love us to run Monday Mad Skills there, NextStep, Life and Women’s Bible Study. We could run our other special events there (like Wave Training Days, Get ya’ Mission, etc…). That would save us a lot of money in renting spaces and venues that aren’t really ours to be at home in.

There’s still loads of questions to be asked and answered, like; should KidsClub or YouthGroup meet there? How will we pay for any renovations? What if a possible site comes up to buy and we’re stuck in a long term lease? These are the type of things the Committee will need to discuss soon, and we’d appreciate your prayers and ideas.

The gospel is only ever one generation away from being forgotten.  This is one reason why Hunter Bible Church is committed to raising the next generation of gospel workers in Newcastle and beyond.  The key way we do this is through partnering with MTS (the Ministry Training Strategy) in taking on godly men and women for 2 year apprenticeships.

Now’s the time when Greg and the staff team would love to talk with people interested in applying.  So get in touch with me if you’d like to get that process started.

We’re keen to take on as many trainees as we can, so that God’s kingdom by his power can continue to grow.

Here’s something new… HBC is looking to employ a Financial Administrator as part of our team. Its a part-time position (probably 3-days a week). You can see the details for it here…

position-description-financial-admin.pdf

Please let us know if you’re interested or know someone who might be!

photo credit: RambergMediaImages

Hunter Bible Church is doing BUS Trip again this year with our Mission Partners Rob & Jen Alley.

Rob and Jen run mission awareness tours. They’re passionate about opening people’s eyes to the harvest field - in our own nation. They pick a bus load of people up on their bus, drive to remote communities and show them the harvest field.

It’s an amazing two weeks of tight fellowship, real encouragement, rugged adventure, indescribable creation, solid time in Scripture, getting uncomfortable, feeling tired, eating unknown items, spotting kangaroos (sometimes eating kangaroo)… experiencing God’s enormity and responding in prayer: “Your Kingdom Come”.

If you are keen to come you can email sam@hunterbiblechurch.org and he will email you application forms and more information.

Back in 2011 we started a 4 year series in Romans. Each year, in term 2, we’re taking a look at a chunk of Romans and this year we’re up to chapters 5-8. These chapters are often thought of as the heart of the epistle as Paul deals with the righteousness of God (from ch 1-4) and how it plays out in the lives of believers in the real world.

Kicks off May 29th and goes to June 17.

This Easter we will be looking at John 19 & 20.  We meet Jesus in his death and resurrection and see that Jesus brings hope to hopeless world.

Got doubts about the resurrection?  Check out the video below…

vimeo page:  

It’s just a few days until MadSkills kicks off for 2012.  There’s a bunch of great training courses starting up, and we’re kicking of the Mad Hour with a prickly topic… “Can a Christian fall away?”

Check out more details here.

Last week I received this email from Ross & Lyndal Webb, some of our mission partners, who work with Wycliffe Bible Translators in Vanuatu. The email is to all of our church.

“Dear friends at HBC,

Please pass on our thanks to all in the congregations for encouraging us as 2012 gets underway with your generous gift.

We know you have many demands on your money and that your ministry in your local area is very important and bearing fruit. But thank you for branching out and including us across the ocean as another part of your ministry.

We have many things lined up for this year - a course for local translators starting next week, the national conference for local translators, a celebration of 30 years of SIL’s work here, and a New Testament dedication in May for starters. Thanks for your contribution to all these events and for helping ni-Vanuatu have a chance to know God more through His Word.

We really enjoyed visiting with many of you at the end of last year - that seems a long time ago now. Thanks for your welcome and interest in our work.

God bless you richly,

In Him,

Lyndal and Ross“

Last weekend about 45 blokes from AM/PM went down to Katoomba Mens Convention.  Highlights were:

• Relationships built (especially on the bus and at the YHA)
• Excellent Bible teaching on the subject of work (Paul Grimmond and Gary Millar)
• Very comfortable accommodation at the YHA Katoomba.  I got a good coffee early on Saturday from ‘Elephant Bean’ up the road
• Watching Matt Wade unbog a small car
• A lot of good books recommended and purchased
• 100% of us felt challenged to change and grow this year as godly Christian men.