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.

Would you like to think how you might begin to serve at HBC?  This Bible study and questionnaire will get you started. Download it here:

beginning-in-ministry-with-hbc.pdf

Today all three Hunter Bible Church congregations met at Lambton for a Big Sunday. And it was a very special Big Sunday, and it was great!

We heard from God’s Word how Christian work and Christian love is never in vain - it makes life worth living. Then we spent time perusing over 25 tables and stalls, all showing ways you can start serving God’s people at Hunter Bible Church.

There were stalls about youth ministry, welcoming, music, mission events, hospitality, social justice, up-front jobs, behind-the-scenes jobs, everything! They’re all different parts of the HBC body that work together to serve Jesus.

Make a comment, and tell us how you found the Big Sunday Ministry Expo.

People at Hunter Bible Church love seeing people trained in Ministry and going on to part or full time Word / Gospel Ministry.  The Ministry Training Strategy (MTS) has always played a part in this.  MTS is a program where people join HBC for 2 years to do a Ministry Apprenticeship.  They get training and experience in various aspects of Christian Ministry.  In 2009, HBC (in partnership with NCS) has 5 trainees:  Geoff, Fiona, Ben, Steve and James.  They’re doing really well, and chances are you’ve benefited from their ministry already.

You can find out more about MTS by checking out mts.com.au or speaking with one of our senior staff or trainees.  The 2010 Spur conference in October is also an excellent conference to go on.

What’s more, the senior staff are keen to talk with people in our church interested in doing MTS - especially during the months of May and June.  Is that you?  Please let us know! 

Richard

The Minisitry Team (who recruits and places church members into areas of service at church) has produced the very first version of the Ministry Directory. In this directory you’ll see all the various ways of serving that are being done at HBC and hopfully even some that you’d like to jump into.

Check it out here… ministry-directory-v10