Its very exciting that we’ve been able to get an office for HBC staff and members to come together, share resources and work from. We pray and trust that it’ll help help our church community run more efficiently, in all the things we do in praise of God’s grace.

The office we’re leasing is at 50 Hudson St Hamilton. Ideally we’d like to buy a church building, but we’re still probably a fair way off that, so this will serve as an important interim.

Since its a “church” office, and the church is really a “community of believers in Christ”, we’re hoping that members of the community will be able to help get it ready for use. There’s really two ways you can help if you’re able:

1. Come and help paint or clean the site.
   Thanks to those who came and helped out on Saturday, we really need about 7-8 people to come for a few hours and help apply the second coat (much easier than the first coat ).
   That’s happening tomorrow (Tuesday 8th June). I know not many people are free, put if you are, we’d love some help!
2. Offer Office furniture/utilities.
   Having never really had “an office” HBC now needs things like little garbage bins, a shredder, office desks, power-boards, extension cables, indoor plants, some stackable chairs, a bar fridge, a coffee machine , garage-style shelves, and that sort of thing. If you think you have something that we might be able to use, please contact Dave Moore with your suggestion.

Of course, a great way to help would be to join us in asking God to allow this office (and any facilities we use now or in the future) to greatly improve our ability as a church community to work together and see thousands of people saved and built-up in Newcastle, through the work of the Holy Spirit.

Our missionaries who we support at HBC are part of our church family, even if we don’t get to see them face to face regularly! It’s a great privilege we have to be able to partner with them in their ministry and one of the best ways we can be supporting them is by praying for them!

You can click here to hear about the changes (again!) which the Taylors have gone through and their personal African safari! Click here to hear more about Kingsley Boxes questions about the existence of God. And click here to hear about Lyndal Webb’s adventures on Epi Island running literacy workshops…

Hi ladies there is less than a week left to register for Women of Truth 2010. What a huge privilege to meet with other women of all different ages from across the Hunter area to sit under the Word of God and sing His praises together. Registrations close Monday 24th May.

There are two easy ways to register…

Go to www.womenoftruth.info/ and either register online with a credit card or download the brochure and send with a checque or money order to Women Of Truth PO Box 212 Charlestown NSW 2290.

Why not register today? It would be great to see you there…

I’ve just been uploading some newsletters from our brothers and sisters who we support as a church. It’s a great opportunity we have to partner with them in their ministry. Click here to see who we support as a church and you can click on the links to their news. Hear about some of the Taylor’s embarrassing language blunders, where the Webb’s are up to with the Irumu translation, some of the challenges the Boxes are facing, as well as how the Alley’s have asked their supporters to pray for you!

This Easter join HBC as we celebrate the victory Jesus won over sin and death through his death and resurrection on the cross almost 2000 years ago.

Join us for breakfast - 9am Broadmeadow McDonlads

Then our Big Friday combined church service - 10am Lambton High School

Followed by time spent together at the beach, each others houses, wherever!

Unichurch is running a 20:20 cricket match between the infamous ‘Jeso House’ and the rest of Unichurch. It’s starting at about 1pm at Smith Park in Hamilton (opposite the entertainment centre). There will be a BBQ with sausage sandwiches and drinks to purchase. We’d love you to join us for some relaxing spectator sport. There’s also plenty of room and play equipment for the kids.

See you tomorrow!

photo credit: RaeA

Whether you’ve just joined us at Unichurch or been around for a while, there are lots of things happening this time of the year. I want to tell you about four events at Unichurch. They are all a little bit like train tickets…

The welcome dessert is a single train ticket. Come along if you’ve never been to one of these before. You’ll get to meet Greg, some regulars, find out about our church and share some delicious dessert. But just come once. It’s a single ticket. They are happening at my house on Monday nights during semester, starting 1st March. Call me (Geoff) for more info - 0435 126 121.

Growth groups are a yearly train ticket. At a growth group a bunch of people meet together one night a week to read the bible, pray, share food and look after each other. They are so good that you’ll want to come along for the year! They’re starting on 2nd March. To find out about these groups call Josh - 0431 747 370.

Life to the Full is a monthly train ticket. If you’re checking Jesus out, or have been on the church scene for a while but you’ve got questions about Jesus - then Life to the Full is for you. Every Tuesday night in March join us at a bowling club for a $5 gourmet dinner by a professional chef and check out what Jesus claims about life for your self. You can register here or for more info call James - 0421 159 581.

The last event if FORGE. FORGE is an unlimited family pass. When you buy this ticket your whole family gets unlimited travel on ferries, buses and trains. It’s amazing value! Likewise, the whole Unichurch family is going to FORGE. All the growth groups. Everyone will be there! At $75 it’s incredible value too. FORGE is jam-packed with food, music, talks, relaxing, making friends and so much more. Check out the web page for the flyer, video adds, more information or to register online.

Work out which tickets are for you and come along!

photo credit: swgn,  photo credit: atzu

But the best way to kick off your time at uni is to come along to Unichurch this Sunday at 6pm. Why?

Because there are loads of fantastic things about uni. But the best is the chance to rethink what you believe. And no question is more important than: What do you think about Jesus?

So this Sunday come along to Unichurch, make some new friends, enjoy some great music and grab Jesus by the scruff of the neck.

All of this, plus plate-fulls of free Ice cream!

We’ll see you there!

This message came this week from the Webbs…

We just want to again pass on our thanks for the continued very generous
support of you all at HBC. We see your name on our finance statement and
well, we are thankful and we thank God for your part in the work we are
doing here!

During January we had a workshop for our translators, training some of them
to be translation consultants. It was hands-on learning with 3 different
groups of people in our building each day (one at our dining room table with
Ross!), pouring over the Scriptures, checking the accuracy and naturalness
of a particular translated passage. Much learned and over 2,000 verses of
Scripture checked (that represents a few different languages). An
encouraging start to the year. Thanks for helping to make that possible. The
New Testaments of the Merei, Nafe, Naha and Paama language are just that
much closer to completion now!!

With our thanks for your partnership,

Lyndal and Ross

The first ever Unichurch weekend away is rapidly approaching! It’s called Forge and it’s on from the 12th to 14th of March.

We’ll be looking at God’s word - the bible, eating good food, having heaps of fun, relaxing, making new friends and hanging out with old ones, singing great music together and plenty more.

Forge is going to be great at strengthening you. Strength takes solid foundations and solid commitment. Forge will give you both of these - solid foundations from the bible so you can follow Jesus, and a solid commitment to help you continue to follow Jesus whilst you’re at Unichurch.

You can register online or in person at Unichurch.

All the growth groups and all of Unichurch will be there. Make sure you register early!

For more info check out the webpage.

In just a few short days, O-Week will begin. As people pour into University for the first time, we have an amazing opportunity! We’ll meet thousands of students, and hundreds of those will come along to Unichurch.

But what does that mean for you? Well, it gives us all a fantastic chance to follow God, who tells us to:

“Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.” 1 pet 4:9

Let’s delight in welcoming our brothers and sisters, whose names we don’t even know yet. Why not clear a space in your diary so that you can invite people over to your house for dinner? If you’re going to the beach with some friends, invite a new person from Unichurch along. If you met someone, call them up and grab a coffee during the week. Find out about their life. Tell them the things you like about Unichurch.

How great it would be to stand out to this world as the church that truly does love the outsider.

photo credit: greekadman