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Unichurch Ministry Expo

Sunday May 23

Starting after the service

But what is ministry?

Ministry is serving one another, following the pattern and command of Jesus. Jesus came “not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). After showing his disciples the full extent of his love (John 13:1) by washing their feet, he asked them “Do you understand what I have done for you?… If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you” (John 13:12-15).

This loving service can be expressed in many different ways according to the gifts and opportunities God has given us (see Romans 12:3-13, Ephesians 4:11-16, 1 Corinthians 12:27-31, Galatians 6:9-10). Teaching, encouraging, administration, contributing to others needs, showing hospitality, speaking the truth in love… all of these things should be done, and should be done in love! (1 Corinthians 13)

The Unichurch Ministry Expo will give you an opportunity to find out how you could serve God through serving others. See you there!

WAVE kids club is coming up! yes its more than 6 months away but it will be here before we know it. Last Saturday all section leaders went around to Sam Hiltons to get the ball rolling with preparations, to meet each other and to hear about the teaching material which has been produced by Jen Shadwick.

Over the next few months your going to be hearing about how you can get involved in this week of fun.
Early this year during WAVE 353 unique kids came to hear about Jesus which was the biggest WAVE ever. For next year we are praying that God would bring along 500 kids along to hear about Jesus. The WAVE week is a great way to connect with our community and to reach kids, youth and parents of Newcastle and beyond who have not yet heard the news.

Check out the waverecruitment booklet to see how you could be apart of this great event.

Spur 2010 is a conference that seeks to raise the next generation of gospel workers.  If you’re wondering about how you can best live for the gospel of Christ and take up the gospel opportunities out there this conference is for you.

Last year over 40 people from HBC went along and had a great time.  This year the conference is in May so that we can be challenged about decisions for 2011.  It’s also in Sydney so I’m looking at places we can stay for free near Parramatta.

Find out more and register online at www.mts.com.au

Let us know if you’re coming!

One aspect of the HBC vision is that anyone who is part of the HBC community would serve the church and beyond in a particular area of ministry.  You might have heard of the 20:80 rule at churches- 20% of the people do 80% of the work.  We’d rather see 100% of people to 100% of the work!

A good way to think about ministry is doing something significant in a particular ‘M’.  For example you might choose Membership and therefore join Welcoming team.  Or you might want to choose Magnification and devote every second week to helping set up sound.  If you’re able, it would be also great to do another ministry in a smaller way.  For example, even though you might lead singing you could volunteer to help with holiday Sprout at AM.

If you’d like to change ministries, or change ‘M’s that’s OK and often a good idea.  The best thing is to talk with your ministry team leader and make sure they’re not left in the lurch.  Then talk with leaders of other ministries you’d like to go to, or tick the serving box on the contact card.

photo credit: .Storm

Did you know about MTS at HBC?  You can check it out at ‘Ministry Apprentices’ under ‘who we are’.  This post is to invite you to the very first annual ‘MTS Supporters Night’ on Saturday January 23rd, 7:30-9:30 at Hamilton Baptist Church.

This is a night where you can meet our 9 trainees, find out more about what MTS is all about, ask questions and pray for our trainees.  I’m hoping lots of people will catch the vision for raising up the next generation of gospel workers.

This night is especially for non-HBC people who prayerfully or financially support our MTS trainees.  But it’s also for all HBC people.  All of us financially support these guys and girls through our general giving so we should be interested in what they’re doing and where they’re heading.

RSVP to Richard Sweatman or any MTS trainee.  I’d love to see 60-70 people there!

We want to be a church that reaches out to young adults in Newcastle with the news about Jesus that saves them from hell. We want to be a church where everyone is excited about seeing new people join us, hear about Jesus, repent and entrust their lives to him.

The week before hundreds of young adults descend on the uni and unichurch… we want to get together, pray together and plan together about how we’re going to help them know their God who died for them.

So, come along and join us in seeing Jesus glorified.

Click here to register or for more information

Over the long weekend about 50 people from HBC went along to the Spur 09 conference in Katoomba.  Spur 09 is a conference run by MTS (mts.com.au) to challenge people to think about living for Christ with their whole lives (full time ministry being a definite option).

As we drove up to Katoomba, fog covered the mountains.  Visibility was almost zero, the mood was oppressive and I was sure one of us would have an accident.

Thankfully we all survived.  It got me thinking about how life without the light and clarity of God’s world is like driving through fog.  Psalm 119:105 “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.”

Over the weekend, Phillip Jensen and Greg Lee opened God’s word to us, blowing away the fog of worldly thinking.  Some highlights for me were…

We are ‘creatures’ and so therefore have a purpose.  But we are created and owned by another.  It is God therefore and not us who defines our purpose.  Consider Acts 13:36 ‘For when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his fathers and his body decayed.’  (Phillip Jensen, talks 1 and 2).

‘The only valid reason to do full time ministry is because you want to give everything to God’ (Greg Lee talk 1 preaching from Romans 12:1-8).

‘Christians don’t have a career, just a job’ (Phillip Jensen talk 2).

Word ministry is more important than general ministry but the ‘minister of the word’ is no more important than anyone else (Greg Lee talk 2 from Romans 12:1-8).

Two questions to ask regarding your gifts:  ‘What does the church need?’ and ‘Does good come from my contribution?’ (Greg Lee talk 2)

Christ comes before your family and parents.  ‘If your children come before Christ they will think they are God’ (Phillip Jensen talk 3)

The fog of worldly thinking was blown away.  We were challenged to live for Christ.  Where is the fog blowing over your eyes?

A couple of weeks ago at ‘Where in the World‘, we had a great time hearing from different members of our church, and their recent experiences in short term mission, serving in Kenya, Bolivia and Vanuatu. As I listened to Pete Witt share about he and Liz’s time in Vanuatu, I was reminded of just how many people it takes to keep missionaries on the field.

Over Christmas last year, I had the opportunity to go and visit a friend Deb, who’s working with Wycliffe Bible Translators in Papua New Guinea. She works at the Ukarumpa base, which is around the size of a small country town. I don’t know about you, but when I think Bible translation, I think of it requiring people who can learn the local language, put it into written form, teach literacy, and translate.

But Bible translation, takes a whole lot more people than that. Based in Ukarumpa, there are teachers, child care workers, doctors, nurses, physios, admin staff, mechanics, house parents, bus drivers, pilots, aircraft mechanics, pharmacists, maintenance staff, shop staff, guest house staff, finance/accounting staff, builders, personal assistants, secretaries, managers, IT (and that’s just in PNG, and just what I can think of off the top of my head, so there’s probably a lot I’ve missed out!) as well as the linguists, translation personnel, literacy specialists, language surveyors, editors, printers etc.

So maybe you’ve thought you’re not a preacher, or a church planter, so mission isn’t for you. But there’s a whole lot more people than that needed in the work of mission.

Why don’t you check out the Positions Vacant page to see some of the people needed by Wycliffe, or talk to Sam Hilton or myself.

dining out at the staff common room

The Spur Conference 09 (formerly known as Club 5 or Challenge) is an excellent conference organised by MTS aimed at raising up the next generation of gospel workers.  It’s for people who are thinking or planning about the future and wondering whether full time Gospel ministry is for them.  It will challenge you to give up worldly success for the sake of Christ’s kingdom!

Phillip Jensen and Greg Lee will preach, there’ll be workshops and one to one interviews.  It’s also a great time for hanging out with other people who are facing the same choices that you are.  It’s on at Katoomba during the October Long Weekend (Oct 2-5).

Would you like to come along?  Grab a brochure at church, talk to one of the staff and set aside the date in your diary.  You can register online at www.mts.com.au.  I’ve arranged accommodation for us at Blue Mountains Christian School at Blackheath.  It will mean sleeping on airbeds in guys and girls classrooms and cooking in the staff kitchen- sounds like fun!  It will cost $10 per night per person.  (This means you should register with MTS for NO accommodation.)  Make sure you let me know that you’re coming (richard@hunterbiblechurch.org).

Any questions?  Post a comment since many people will share your questions and I’ll do my best to answer them.  I’m looking forward to it- I’d love for 40 HBC people to come and for many godly men and women to serve Christ with their life, their all!

Last weekend all 5 MTS apprentices (Ministry Training Strategy, Ben, Steve, Fee, Geoff and myself) took a road trip down to Stanwell Tops for an AFES apprentice conference (Australian fellowship of Evangelical Students). The topic was God, Emotions and Ministry. Over the weekend we heard talks from Archie Poulas (Moore College Lecturer) and Richard Chin (National Director of AFES). There were approximately 70 other MTSers from other universities around Australia who came along.

There were 3 aims to the conference; firstly for MTSers to meet each other, secondly for us to think biblically about God and the place of the emotion in the Christian life, particularly student ministry and thirdly to think hard about the practicalities of gospel ministry.

I think I could say that it was a really encouraging and challenging weekend away for all the MTSers.

One particular passage that has been reverberating in my brain since the weekend is…

⁶ And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, ⁷ maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation.”

Exodus 34:6-7.