Dear Friends,
Last Sunday we wrapped up our May Mission Month series by looking at ‘partnership’ – how, as Christians, we partner with each other, we partner with others (people who ‘promote peace’ as Luke 10:6 says) and – foundationally – how we partner with the Holy Spirit.
We read the wonderful passage in Philippians 1:3-11 where Paul expresses, very openly, his deep affection for the church in Phillipi, “I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now.”
So, this Sunday we are exploring three ways people can partner – can express their partnership – with church!
- Becoming a general volunteer!
Volunteers are vital in all areas of church life – as part of our ministry activities during the week, leading small groups, helping in a range of ways on Sundays. All our volunteers are required to do a General Volunteer Induction (20 minutes) and fill in two forms: a Screening Questionnaire and a Code of Conduct. This Sunday, 4 June, from 11:15am, we are holding a General Volunteer Induction in the ‘Lounge’.
- Being baptised!
Baptism is a declaration that you are a follower of Jesus. It is a public confession of your faith and commitment to Jesus Christ. It is a symbol of your new life as a Christian and a celebration – for the whole church – that you have joined the ‘body of Christ’! Also, this Sunday, 4 June, from 11:45am, if you would like to find out more about baptism (and church membership – below) you are invited to come to the Manse for lunch!
- Becoming a church member
What follows a decision to follow Jesus is realising that we don’t do this alone! We need partners! We need to belong to a church! For Baptists there is a special significance to belonging to a church. Because we do not have a hierarchal structure (recognising only that Jesus Christ is ‘Lord of the Church’) the members of the church come together to ‘seek the mind of Christ’ and govern the church. If you are coming to our church and have been baptised (or want to be baptised) and want to be part of our church – helping us make decisions, helping us work out how to serve God into the future – please join us this Sunday, from 11:45am, at the Manse – or speak to Belinda or Steve or Cecelia.
Last Sunday we also remembered that 26 May marked three significant anniversaries; 25 years since the first National Sorry Day; 10 years since Canberra Baptist unveiled our ‘acknowledgement’ plaque (“Canberra Baptist Church acknowledges the traditional custodians of this land and is committed to establishing just and mutually respectful relationships.”), and six years since the Uluru Statement from the Heart. It was very appropriate then – as we continue our commitment to “just and mutually respectful relationships” that we hosted last night’s Common Grace Voice and Justice training event. This effort will continue over the next couple of months as some of those who attended organise ‘Kitchen Table Conversations’ so conversations about the Voice to Parliament and how we partner together with Aboriginal and Tores Strait Islander people can continue.
As I mentioned in Sunday’s sermon, partnership – walking together, working together, worshipping together – is important to us as a church!
“We are… people from different backgrounds and different walks of life who have come alongside each other in this church; and over the years have come alongside elderly people in the Canberra community, establishing the first aged care facility of its kind here in Canberra, have come alongside people struggling to find work, at Caloola Farm, have come alongside refugees, over several generations, have come alongside local indigenous people in our apology for the stolen generations in 1997 (and now seek to work for ‘Voice and justice’), have come alongside the people of Kingston and beyond in our community centre, have come alongside LGBTIQ+ people and continue to come alongside friends and family and work colleagues each day living lives that speak the message of Jesus.…It has not always been easy. It has been hard! It has been hard work. We have faced opposition. But we have kept going thanks to the grace and strength that we find in our partnership in the gospel – with each other, with others and with the Holy Spirit.”
Grace and peace to all you – my fellow partners in the gospel! It is appropriate to say that: “I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now.”
Belinda