2015 Oversight Team CONTACT US

Transcription

1 Summer 2014/2015

2 OUR LEADERSHIP Staff AM Congregational Pastor Mark Falson Breathe Congregational Pastor Nicole Regan Children s Pastor Carolyn Schache carolyn@baysidecc.com.au Youth Pastor Rachel Li rachel@baysidecc.com.au Youth Intern Tom Burton tom.burton@live.com.au Communications/Admin Amanda Faase amanda@baysidecc.com.au Community Support Coordinator Matthew Pettett Concord West Public School School Chaplain Chris Prouty Homebush West Public School 2015 Oversight Team Steve Bartlett Sanjay Chandumal Rob Kirk Daniel Lee Tania Tsang Ian Willis CONTACT US Web info@baysidecc.com.au Office/Arthur St Centre (ASC) 59 Arthur Street Homebush West 2140 Phone Mail PO Box 338 Concord West 2138 Are you getting our weekly enews? If not and you d like to, send us an and we ll be sure to include you! Bayside Community Church is part of the NSW & ACT Baptist Association

3 Welcome to Bayside..and our summer edition newsletter for 2014/2015. As we head towards the close of another year we hope you enjoy finding out some of what s been going on at Bayside in 2014, and looking forward with us to what God has in store for 2015! Although December can be a very full, stressful, or even difficult time of the year for many of us, it s also a time of great promise if we can tap into the reality of what God was up to among us a little over two thousand years ago. Arriving in the form of a child, a baby, little did those first witnesses to the event understand the enormity of what they saw and experienced. Of course, some realised something was going on. Angelic visitors, wonders in the night sky, Magi journeying from the east. But even those in the know had no full concept of what God was unwrapping right in front of them. The arrival of Jesus changed everything! As He lived and grew and fulfilled God s long ago promise of One to come who would save people and reconnect them with their God, this marvellous gift has since been gradually unwrapped and realised by many across the ages. For the message of Christmas, Christ has Come, is a timeless message that crosses any social or cultural boundaries known to mankind. It s truly the gift that keeps on giving... forever! So whatever you get up to during December, however busy life gets, take time to unwrap the promise, the gift of Jesus. Then as we head into a fresh new year in January, may you find the time and space to rest, refresh, recreate and realign your life and direction in the light of God s marvellous, unwrapped gift... the gift of Jesus. Grace and peace & Christmas Greetings Mark Falson Bayside AM congregational pastor

4 from The Oversight Team As we come to the end of one year, we look back with thanks to God for all the ways He continue to be at work in the life of our church. At Bayside we continue to commit ourselves to the Vision God has given us. We see a church Building people, raising up and releasing disciples to live out their God-given calling. We envision a church that develops an excess of leaders to spearhead new things. And we see a church that also champions the missional impact of each person in their own relationships and spheres of influence. Impacting globally, deeply engaged in making a difference for Christ in mission across the world; thinking and acting globally as well as locally. Transforming the next generation, championing ministries to children, youth and families. We see disciples raised up from every generation and family heritages transformed for good. Expanding its influence across the district, deepening its current ministry footprints and adding new ones. We envision an agile, flexible and impacting church, not centralising our ministry in one location but expanding in response to God given opportunities. We see both our current congregations increasing significantly in size and capacity. We see a church that plants new congregations across our local area and beyond. These are not just words for us they guide our prayers, our planning, our ministry. Throughout 2014, there have been so many stories of God at work - people bring introduced to God and the life of the church, people experiencing new opportunities for ministry and growth, upcoming generations being discipled into lifelong faith. Praise God! Of course, the ministry of our church is sustained through the commitment and joyful service of so many people across the life Bayside. THANK YOU! The Oversight Team & staff will be away on retreat in February 2015, continuing to seek God s heart for our church and the next steps involved in pushing in to this. May this Christmas and new year time be one of joyful refreshment as you reflect back with thanks on what God has done, and recharge for the year that is to come. Steve Bartlett, on behalf of the OT

5 Concord West Public School December 7 It s Christmas Unwrapped at the Kidzone service with Rick George from the NSW Bible Society. December 14 Mark Falson continues the lead up to Christmas with Promise. December 21 It s going to be a carols-singing kind of service led by Louise Bartlett. And we ll be joined by our own Neale Valentine, home from North Asia for a couple of months. December 25 Christmas Day The morning starts at 9am with our Community Breakfast. There ll be some carol singing and a short message from Mark Falson. Join us for a relaxed time interacting with a variety of speakers during January at Bayside December 28 Mark Falson January 4 Mel Wellings January 11 Rachel Li January 18 Tom Burton January 25 Carolyn Schache KidZone and Priorty One will resume when school commences in Activity Sheets suitable for all the KidZone ages will be available during the services over the holidays Podcasts of the messages can be downloaded at

6 Festive Season Happenings December Gatherings It s beginning to look a lot like Christmas Each Christmas we play carols, watch favourite Christmas movies, enjoy good food and celebrate this spiritual and cultural event in a variety of ways. Why do so many of us enjoy the celebrations around Christmas? What about those who don't enjoy this time of year so much - is there anything in it for them? What if God made this marker event each year for one and all, not just for some...? What hope and meaning is there for each of us in the birth of this Saviour Child that we remember each year? Join in the fun of our December Gatherings 6:30pm Sundays (except the last of the month) and find out! Wentworth Point Carols on the Court 7:30pm Sunday December Pulse Tennis Court, The Crescent, Wentworth Point FREE BBQ, cold drinks, coffee/tea & cake available 6:30-7:30pm. Kids Activities 6:30-7:20pm: jumping castle, temporary tattoos, colouring, craft, plus the chance to have a photo with Santa! From 7:30pm Carols on the Court with the Breathe & River s Edge Church combined band. There will be FREE glowsticks available for night time fun as we sway and sing to celebrate the birth of Jesus, the newborn King! For more info contact Nicole.

7 Summer Fun with Breathe January Gatherings May this New Year be truly Happy! Begin 2015 on a hopeful note with us as we explore the secrets to happiness and wellbeing. Drawing on ancient wisdom, and the most up to date research, we will take the opportunity the New Year provides to begin fresh, with some positive new ideas on how to enjoy the lives we have been given. Jesus said he came to give life in all its fullness, let s explore together what is needed to receive that great gift he offers. Breathe is on the move for our gatherings in January, sharing the love around various homes in Wentworth Point. January 4- Sean & Nicole s January 11- Nath & Em s January 18- Trina s January 25- Exhale weekend (no Sunday gathering) Contact Nicole for more January venue details nicole@baysidecc.com.au.

8 A snapshot of 2014 We started the year hearing the words of Jesus : Remain in Me, Walk with Me, Follow Me, with encouragement to re-energise or rediscover vibrant relationship and connection with Him and allowing that to empower us in what He calls us to Our Leadership was involved in a significant time of prayer for Bayside in April where there was a sense of breaking through some barriers, and a sense of spiritual freedom and movement out of this. In June we had a month-long focus on Heroes of Mission which had an impact on some among us to step out and have a go. Talk to Lana Hor about what happened when she did just that! It was great to have a visit from the Crane family during this time. We raised $6390 to help send the Crane family back to Mozambique Breathe continued to raise awareness of homelessness with the annual Winter Eat Out and Sleep Out. We had the wonderful privilege of reaching more than 300 kids each week with SRE scripture classes at Newington (KLAG) and Homebush West primary schools Prayers were answered as the Mainly Music team rebuilt during the year with a number of new volunteers coming from those who attend Our men enjoyed a weekend of rest, fishing, food and connection away at Culburra We celebrated all the men of Bayside and their role in helping to raise the next generation with a Pancake Breakfast on Fathers Day Breathe turned 5 in September!

9 We moved ahead with significant renovations at the Arthur Street Centre to benefit our tenants and open up further possibilities for Bayside ministry 2015 and beyond. Thank you for your support of a few painting working bees! Both Bayside AM and breathe tackled the tough issue of Refugees and Asylum Seekers investigating God s perspective and what we are called to do as people seeking to follow the way of Jesus. We got practical supporting Simple Love and House of Welcome. We moved towards seeking support for a new Senior pastor Some new folk joined with us during the year We gathered together for a special time of prayer each term to seek God s guidance and direction for Bayside; in Terms 2 and 4 these prayer gatherings were dedicated to praying in and for our footprint areas of Newington, Sydney Olympic Park, Rhodes, Liberty Grove, Wentworth Point, Concord West and Homebush West. There is a sense of God s movement among us and anticipation as we look forward into 2015

10 in 2014 Welcome! 2014 has been an exciting year for Breathe, our simple styled community that calls Wentworth Point home. We have made new friends in our local community & welcomed new faces into Breathe community life! It is great to hear from our new friends that they are experiencing inclusion, authentic love & friendship with us, commitments we live by in Breathe. Making Connections Breathe volunteers have continued to be involved in Wentworth Point community life. Our English Conversation Group welcomes those who are isolated in our suburb due to language barriers. Michael & Jeffrey do a great job, along with other volunteers Akeno & Dave., in helping participants feel at ease & to begin to learn and grow together. Soon their communication & confidence grows so they can build new community connections. Contact Michael if you would like to help in 2015 mvillis@hotmail.com. Growth! Another notable part of Breathe life this year has been a number of us experiencing greater freedom through Jesus in our lives and spiritual journeys. Barriers have been overcome though learning, prayer & personal accountability together, so we experience more of God s abundant life! It has been inspiring to see new friends exploring who Jesus is & what he could mean to them, & others engaging with Breathe s simple spirituality.

11 It s been another BIG year of expressing our God given purpose as a community. Serving the Homeless With God s miraculous provision, Breathe hosted Eat Out & Sleep Out for Homelessness during Homeless Persons Week in August. Partnership with local businesses, community groups, & even some local crew from the Royal Australian Navy meant Breathe was able to raise awareness of the issues facing the homeless communities of our city in Wentworth Point. We enjoyed taking compassionate action with about 80 friends & neighbours, Eating Out for Homelessness and hearing from those who have actually lived rough. About 20 people braved the cold to Sleep Out in solidarity. Cheques of over $12000 plus donations of clothing & warm blankets were presented to Meighan from St Vincent de Paul Society s Parramatta Diocese Vinnies Van. An amazing blessing from God that will greatly assist in the purchase & resourcing of a much needed new van! Each month Breathe continues to serve the homeless communities of Penrith & Parramatta through our continued partnership with St Vincent De Paul Society s Vinnies Van. By investing our energy, care & resources we truly hope to be strengthening people who are amongst the most vulnerable in our city. We are blessed to have the ongoing leadership of Kath in this work. Please contact her if you would like to be involved kathsimmonds@yahoo.com.au.

12 Justice! Breathe has been challenged in 2014 by the need for justice for refugees & asylum seekers in Australia. We welcomed Jo Lee from House of Welcome to share with us her experiences of the needs & hopes of local refugees & asylum seekers. Through our prayers, advocacy, practical donations & awareness raising activities we hope to live out the way of Jesus for people seeking safety & help in our country. Inspiring! 2014 has seen God s power at work in restoring people s lives. It has been wonderful to see transformation taking place as different ones experienced more truth, healing, & confidence to step into new opportunities both in Breathe & in other areas of life. For some this has meant changes of career direction, new homes, or courage to partner with God in new ways in ministry. Exciting! At the end of 2014 Dave will be moving off the Breathe leaders group to pursue new opportunities in Dave has partnered with God faithfully in leading Breathe since before our launch in that s over 6 years!! John Wooden says, The most powerful leadership tool you have is your own personal example. Breathe is so thankful for Dave s example of how to live the way of Jesus & as a wise, humble & steadfast leader in our community right from its beginnings. Many blessings to you Dave (& Tash) as you look to the future. We look forward to seeing what God will do in & through you next!

13 Breathe has been inspired through our connection with the NSW Baptist Simple Church Network in We enjoyed a great day of worship, workshops & sharing with other simple church communities in March, & will be attending again in March So encouraging to see what God is up to in Simple Church communities across our state & beyond, & to be an encouragement to others in the journey that Breathe has now been on for the last 5 years. Thank you God for doing amazing things in & through your people this year! Thanks to all of Breathe for faithfully being church together to our local community in 2014!

14 Youth Ministry in 2014 At Bayside youth, we re all about building disciples of Jesus through authentic relationships and living out God s Word. We encourage our youth to grow in their faith through our regular Friday night youth and Sunday morning Priority One. Expectations of Friday nights have not dropped this year because we leave no survivors everyone at some point this year had gotten either wet, covered with food, or was all sweaty from games. (I think I ve been most wet this year! But as they say, You gotta take one for the team.) At Bayside, we like to think that our Friday nights are special; this is because we love pointing others to Jesus through a different perspective. Our discussion topics are inspired by ideas that young people may like or are often very much a part of. This year our themes were: Movies (Term 1) School subjects (Term 2) Either/Or Choices (Term 3) Fairytales (term 4) On Sunday mornings Priority One, we delve deeper into the Bible, looking at how God s Word speaks to our lives. Though we like to get straight into serious business, we enjoy some pranks every now and then. Our year 5 from KIDZONE has recently moved up to join us and we welcomed them with a special taste of what we mean by serious business. (You can try and ask what we did but our pact is: What happens in Priority One stays in Priority One! which is not true because we often encourage everyone to share about their lives on Sundays, and inspire them to share about their Sundays during the rest of the week.) This year we looked at: me and what God created me to be (Term 1) why God sent us on a mission (Term 2) teenagers and adolescents from the Bible (Term 3) Philippians (Term 4) But we re not only making an impact on Fridays and Sundays. One of our highlights this year was the opportunity to go to KYCK (Katoomba Youth Convention) as part of our youth camp. We spent a weekend away in Katoomba and attended conferences about Matthew 5 and had time to bond over food, games and sharing. I d like to especially thank our leaders for putting their time and effort into our youth ministry: Simone, Rob, Tom, James S., James B., Shang, Erin and Vinnie. Rachel Li, Youth Pastor

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16 Connecting with Our City and World Jonno and Heather Crane and their children Samuel, Caleb, Hannah, Micah and Josiah living amongst the Yao people in Mozambique. They re connected with Global Interaction. Neale V in North Asia living amongst a Muslim minority group. Keep in touch with him at euodoo@swissmail.org Bob and Chris Prouty helping families and groups of friends discover for themselves what God is like and how he wants them to live both locally and overseas via the internet. Chris is also chaplain at Homebush West Public School helping recent migrants connect with the school and wider community. Mick and Tammy Dunne and their children Jack, Mark and Harry volunteering on board the Africa Mercy hospital ship that provides free state-of-the-art medical treatment to the forgotten poor in West and Central Africa. Keep in touch with them at Mick.Dunne@mercyships.org Tammy.Dunne@mercyships.org The boys have addresses in the same format too!

17 from The Mission Team I (Mel) have missionary friends who sign off their newsletters with until they all hear. It draws me back to Acts 1:8 where we read Jesus commanding us to be his witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the Earth. At Bayside we take that commandment seriously - getting the message of Jesus to our local community, the rest of Australia and to the ends of the Earth. It s part of our core values statements and there are a range of ways we engage in that in our local area, our country and the world (specifically North Asia, Mozambique and Madagascar). In 2014 that s looked a bit like this... In June we took time to specifically focus on global mission and our mission partners. We were challenged by guest speakers about what our response is and might look like. One person who was particularly challenged through Mission month is Lana Hor who through prayer decided to take a short term trip to India and spend time in an orphanage she had visited previously. It was encouraging to hear the stories she shared at the recent Celebration service. Together we contributed $6390 towards the support of the Crane family and have covered our commitments to Neale and the Proutys Around a dozen Baysiders visited ShACC (Shoalhaven Aboriginal Community Church) in Nowra and joined in their worship service. We have continued to pray for their leadership transitions and search for a pastor. October had a just cause focus. The purpose of A Just Cause is to take action on pressing issues of justice. We considered God s heart for those who are vulnerable, exploited and oppressed; advocated with and on behalf of the vulnerable, exploited and oppressed, in order to secure more just policies; and connected with opportunities to serve in practical ways those for whom they are advocating. And as we approach the advent season we ll consider how we can share the great news of Jesus our Saviour with those around in in word and in deed. Stay tuned for details. The mission team meets 5-6 times per year to pray for our supported missionaries, plan mission month and mission spots. If you would like to be part of that team, please chat to Nicole, Mel or Matt, Tom, Lana or Mark. We are Your church. We are the hope on earth. Build Your kingdom here, let the darkness fear. Show Your mighty hand, heal our streets and land! Set Your church on fire! Win this nation back. Change the atmosphere! Build Your kingdom here! We pray! Lyrics - Build your Kingdom The Rend Collective

18 From The Cranium - newsletter of the Crane family Breakthrough!!... no... seriously?... Yes!! What's happened? It's hard to believe I'm actually writing this, but we've had a breakthrough in the saga to get the Good family into Mozambique! No Way!?!?... Yes Way!! On Friday we received a letter from the Government informing us that the Governor of the Province of Niassa had, he himself, the biggest-est man-ness himselfness, approved the Goods to enter Mozambique! Now in case you're not a full bottle on the political dynamics of this fine northern province of Mozambique, allow me to briefly explain the consequences of this... It's big! The immigration process has now begun anew, now with the full cooperation of the department of immigration, and we're expecting the Goods to enter Mozambique before the end of the year! How did a momentous event such as this take place? Was it the ties Cam and I have taken to wearing whenever we visit anyone higher in rank than postman? (see us below with stylish African pose) Maybe? Was is it the Instagram photo of Elizabeth and Anna Good I showed the Permanent Secretary? Possibly? But without doubt, the most important thing is the prayer support of so so many people this whole time petitioning our God to allow the Goods to do that which they've been called to do... serve the Yao of Mozambique. So please keep on praying that the process will now proceed without further difficulty. We won't quite exhale properly until they're in Mozambique with long term visas in hand. I promise to keep you up to date with each major step as it happens. Thank you! Jonno Crane

19 Q&A with Tammy Dunne How are you going to celebrate Christmas? Christmas Onboard is a month long festival. There are heaps of activities starting with St Nicholas day on 6th December run by the Dutch community. Then the Scandinavians do Santa Lucia - the festival of the light with a choir singing with candles in wreaths on their heads ( a personal favourite as the "Santa Lucia" last year managed to keep singing despite the wax dripping onto her cheeks and all through her hair - they had to iron it with a serviette to get it out! ). From our neck of the woods, we have Carols by candlelight on the wharf with Day crew joining in. We also have Christmas story telling, cookie baking, gingerbread house and door decorating as well as normal church and international advent services with a wreath ( AdventsKranz from Germany ) each week. And a winter wonderland fair. It is quite a busy time but fascinating to see how different cultures do it. It will be interesting to see which new traditions come Onboard from Madagascar. What are you doing for New Years? Mick and I have our own mini tradition of talking through one year goals, 5 year goals and bucket lists - checking off old ones and creating new ones. Hopefully, we may go off the ship for dinner around this time What are your plans for 2015 and what are you looking forward to? Coming home to Australia mid year. It also looks like the ship will do a maintenance period in South Africa which will significantly reduce our travelling time and costs. Not but going to Cape Town and Madagascar. And seeing what God has in store for the ship Challenge of Mick sitting his 2nd engineers ticket. Possibility of grandparents visiting the ship. Any New Year resolutions? James 1:19 " quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger" - a good rule of thumb for living in community for extended periods.

20 'What are some lessons and highlights' from the past year, both in your faith journey and everyday life So many to count. With regard to everyday life, we have all learned to let go of something's - like stressing about the dining room or neighbours snoring. We have instead focused a lot more on what we can do something about especially with regard to relationships with patients and day crew. Regarding Faith, it s a very hot topic of conversation right now. We are learning about the value in waiting. There are plenty of examples of waiting for Gods timing which we have been exploring Onboard through the delays before sailing. The question has become, how do you use your time when you are waiting? And what is God doing in you as you wait? For Tammy, she felt very challenged in working in the training department in her first year. And was questioning if that was what God wanted her to be doing indefinitely? In Early August, she was moved into HR and is now using more of her skills and experience in doing Exit debriefing and welcoming new crew. The irony is that she is being asked to move into doing Personal Development Plans for long term crew in concert with the training department. So now it seems that Gods fingerprints, in terms of professional relationship building can be seen in that sojourn there too.

21 from Matthew Pettett Community Support Coordinator at Concord West Public School It s December already! This year has vanished in the blink of an eye! Term 4 saw the conclusion of the much talked about handball competition. Three comps were offered for Stage 2 boys, Stage 3 boys and Stage 2/3 girls. They played round robin matches in Term 3 and then the Finals in Term 4. The comp ended with an All Stars match which also displayed teacher handball talent! The handball competition got students outdoors more often (to practice!), and students are eager for next year s competition. Also in Term 4 the principal, Kim Self, asked me to help coordinate the Scripture Programme here at CWPS. Because my role as Community Support Coordinator allows flexibility with time, I m able to assist with working on the administration side of Scripture. There have been concerns about how the programme was running, and my hope and prayer is that these concerns can be addressed so that there will continue to be growing levels of support for Scripture from the school. Early in the term I visited two other primary schools to see what programmes their chaplains were running. There are many excellent ones out there and the one which the school has asked me to pursue training in is Rock and Water. I hope to start teaching this to our students by the end of Term 1 next year. Additionally, there were many good ideas for lunch time clubs which will be important to help us manage with even less playground space next year! I ve been collecting Lego to start a Lego club next year and am looking into other options too. As I think back on the year, some highlights include the Biggest Morning Tea celebration in which the hall was decked out in pink and yellow and over $1300 raised. the reception of the resilience classes by the teachers and students involved. Aas one teacher put it: Our CSC has been highly beneficial in teaching our students how to successfully exercise resilience. I've seen a change in my own students with regard to managing their thoughts, increased positive interactions and better understanding toward one another. Our CSC has been an invaluable asset to our school! Finally, my biggest highlight has been working with the students in the playground and the classroom to assist them with social interaction and resilience skills. It s a huge privilege to offer students that kind of support when they most need it and to see their progress with it. Next year I ll be back again for two days a week, subject to our school being successful in it s application for ongoing government funding for the position. I m very much looking forward to what God has in store! Have a blessed holiday celebrating the birth of our Saviour!

22 Shoalhaven Aboriginal Community Church (ShACC) The Shoalhaven Aboriginal Community Church began in 2009 with the assistance of All Saints Anglican Church, Nowra. It is a community of Jesus followers, consisting mainly of people from the local Aboriginal community but is inclusive of all people. A friendship between our two churches began in This year has been an eventful one for the mob at ShACC! In January the trainee minister leading ShACC moved to WA Brendon and Amy Garlett ministered at ShACC till Brendon accepted a call to Katanning Aboriginal Evangelical Church, south west of WA. Deryck Howell now oversees ShACC as the official minister, having the oversight of a couple of south coast churches. Phil Miles has the role of pastoral worker, overseeing the day to day running of ShACC. The Garlett family with Uncle Tom, a church elder. Bayside visited ShACC in May A small number joined in worship and fellowship lunch with our ShACC friends for our 2 nd gathering together on the 18 th May. It was a positive time of mutual support and encouragement and as with our first visit, we look forward with excitement to our next trip south! There were birthday celebrations in June ShACC celebrated its 5th birthday with a large meeting held at All Saints, Nowra. This was an important milestone for the church as it was a very concrete reminder of God s faithfulness over the past few years. About one hundred people attended,many from ShACC and All Saints congregations and a number of visitors from supporting churches (Mark Falson represented Bayside) and Aboriginal Christians from further away. A celebration lunch followed the service. NAIDOC Week celebrations In July ShACC was involved in NAIDOC week by having a tent at the fun day at Nowra Showground. There were thousands there, enjoying the entertainment and food. Having a ShACC stall was an opportunity to let the community know about ShACC s existence, and to slowly strengthen ties with the wider Aboriginal community in the Shoalhaven. Did you know: The roots of NAIDOC week lie in the efforts of Aboriginal Christians of a previous generation?

23 ShACCMOW An outreach to older children and youth this year has been through lawnmower racing! This occurs monthly on Illaroo Farm, owned by Uncle Tom, Peter and Gerry Moore. Peter Ellis initiated this regular event by connecting with other Christian men in the region who use lawnmower racing as a way to reach out to kids. The Passing of Aunty Ett in November Aunty Ett passed away peacefully in hospital on the 1st of November after many months of failing health but continuing strength in the Lord. She was a stalwart of ShACC and an important person in the wider community. Aunty Ett had a strong desire for her loved ones and the wider Aboriginal community to turn back to God; she spoke and prayed fervently for this. One of the ways in which Auntie Ett was involved in the wider community was in helping set up the first official Circle Sentencing program in Australia, which began in Nowra in 2002.( Circle Sentencing is a method of dealing with Aboriginal offenders in the court system, especially for more serious crimes or repeat offenders.) Her passing is a huge loss to the church family, her own family and the wider Aboriginal Community. Prayer and praise points for ShACC God s care for the church over the last five years Deryck and Phil as they work with the congregation God s leading into the future and for a new Aboriginal pastor patience and wisdom for the congregation as they strive to do things in ways that are both Biblical and culturally sensitive work with children and youth God s blessing on Auntie Ett s family, especially that those who don t yet know the Lord will follow her example in turning to him ShACC as they learn to get along without her guidance and support. Give thanks that Auntie Ett and other Christians have been able to contribute to the wider community. Christian people will continue to help the Aboriginal community as it struggles with alcohol, drugs and many family problems and for the witness of ShACC as the church comes into contact with these issues. 'a drop of dew' A vision of a drop of dew was given by a Baysider to ShACC during our first visit in 2013, believing its meaning was for us to be refreshing to the ShACC mob. (Exodus 16:14). Let s step into 2015 with enthusiasm, excitement and anticipation of what God will do as we continue to pursue this special friendship between our church families! Simone & Ken Burton

24 Kids Ministry at Bayside mainly music is a preschoolers music program held Thursday mornings in Newington during school terms, and hosted by Bayside Community Church. The last mainly music session for the year will be on 11th December and it will resume on 5th February. We thank God for this great way of showing God's love to young children and those caring for them in our area. We had a lot of fun with music and toys and made heaps of new friends. We also saw a lot of changes in the volunteer team and have been so grateful to everyone who has helped. Our current team includes Carolyn Schache, Raeleigh Saunders, Louise Bartlett, Rhonda Ho, KC Thor, Sandra Graves, Ella Setiawan, Triana Dhermawan, Peggy Sy (some of them made it into the photo!) We taught scripture (SRE) classes to more than 300 students each week at Newington Public School and Homebush West Public School. We also got cracking with doing some training to help us do our very best with our class groups. December 2nd was the final SRE for the year at Newington PS and we had a very fun and engaging time of finding out what Christmas is really about, including a puppet show from Quizworx. In 2015 we ll be seeking a new Coordinator for SRE. Could it be you?

25 Kidzone on Sunday mornings was a great time of learning about God, encouraging kids in developing their own faith, and continuing to evolve as a supportive and fun group of friends for each other. In 2014 we met in 2 groups and also had a creche for our youngest members. Many thanks to our fantastic teachers, and to the many parents and friends who come in as helpers. Please talk to Carolyn Schache if you are interested in being a Kidzone teacher as we would love to grow our team! We are looking for people who love kids and can teach a block of 3 lessons each term. Out of respect for safety and appropriate supervision, Kidzone teachers must get a current working with children check, have done or commit to doing a Creating Safe Spaces training workshop, and always teach with a helper rather than alone with the children

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27 Bayside Some things to pray for together over summer Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. Psalm 100:4 (NIV) PRAY and give thanks to God for all the great things that have happened among us this year. Give thanks for the gifts, abilities and resources that God has provided through His people among us and for the ongoing privilege of seeing lives transformed through encounter with Him! PRAY for our brothers and sisters at ShACC (Shoalhaven Aboriginal Community Church) especially as they seek the right person to pastor them into the future as a community. Pray for them also as they deal with the recent loss of Aunty Ett, a significant figure in their community PRAY as we approach Christmas and New Year for the Lord s favour and for fruitfulness through relationship and connection in each of our footprint areas and surrounds. Pray for the people of Wentworth Point, Newington, Sydney Olympic Park, Homebush West, Concord West, Liberty Grove and Rhodes. Pray for a spiritual hunger that will not be satisfied except in Jesus and pray they will encounter Him during this season PRAY for rest and refreshment over the summer break for all those who have played a part in Transforming the Next Generation this year by serving in ministries to children and youth through Kidzone, SRE, KLAG, Mainly Music, Crosseyed and Priority One! PRAY for the Crane family, for Neale Valentine, for the Dunne family and the Prouty s in the ongoing part they play in Impacting Globally with the Good News of Jesus And finally... as we round off one year and prepare for the possibilities of the new one, pray that as a community of God s people we might be gracious, loving ambassadors of Jesus wherever we are given presence and opportunity in 2015! Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus Phil. 4:6-7 (TNIV) PRAY on Sunday mornings at Concord West Public 1st classroom from 9.30am PRAY on Wednesday mornings in Wing Parade from 6.30am

28 What s Usually On? Scripture Classes Each Tuesday Newington Public School (school terms) KLAG Each Homebush West Public School mainly music Each Thursday Newington Community Centre (school terms) Contact Carolyn Schache crosseyed youth group (Yrs 6-12) Friday nights during school terms. Arthur St Centre, 59 Arthur St, Homebush West Contact Rachel Li Prayer Gathering each Wednesday 12 Wing Pde Newington Contact Mark Falson LifeGroups and Connect Groups Contact Mark Falson Breathe Sunday night 6.30pm (except last Sunday of the Brice s home, 214/4 Stromboli Strait, Wentworth Point Contact Nicole Regan AM Sunday Service with KidZone & Priority One (Yrs 6-9) Concord West Public School Hall, 378 Concord Rd (near Killoola Ave) Parking in Queen St Vinnies Van run 4th Saturday of month Contact Kath Simmonds or kathsimmonds@yahoo.com.au English Conversation group each Wednesday Wentworth Point Community Library except last of the month Contact Michael Villis

29 Lifegroups and 45 s Up Connection groups It s great to gather together on Sundays but at Bayside AM we want our interactions and expressions of community to go beyond that. Enter Lifegroups and 45 s Up. Lifegroups are smaller group gatherings where some of life can be shared with each other on a regular, often fortnightly basis. Usually this involves a focus on a passage of the bible, sharing some of life, eating (or at least sharing coffee/tea/supper) and an opportunity to pray together and for each other. We have a few Lifegroups already happening around the place (men s, women s, young adults) so let us know if you d be interested as a participant, or even perhaps as a new host (welcome a group into your home) or a facilitator (helping a group to come together and function effectively) since we re always keen for new groups to kick off as needed. 45 s Up is a larger gathering that comes together on a semiregular basis (about once per term) but provides the opportunity for connection for people within the wider church community. This group usually shares a meal together as an opportunity for relaxed social interaction, and often involves someone sharing an aspect of a life of faith. This is also a great group to invite friends and neighbours along to share community together. If you are interested in 45 s Up (aimed at those roughly in that age group though we re not that fussy!) then let us know and we ll link you up. If you d like to know more, or to link up with any of these groups, please contact: Mark Falson on or mark@baysidecc.com.au

30 Our Story Bayside Community Church began in 2000 to serve the growing population in the suburbs around the Sydney Olympic site. We wanted to be a fresh, relevant expression of the Christian faith, based on the teaching of Jesus It started in a lounge room in Liberty Grove with Steve and Louise Bartlett and 2 other families, moved to Newington Community Centre and then to Concord West Public School as our congregation grew. Our second congregation called breathe began in the Gloria Jeans cafe at North Strathfield in A couple of years later it was replanted into the Waterfront estate at Wentworth Point. In 2009 we were given the church building in Arthur Street where Strathfield- Homebush Baptist Church met until it closed down. We now call it the Arthur St Centre. We re privileged to continue their legacy of ministry into the Homebush/ Flemington district. Our Crosseyed Youth group meets at the Arthur St Centre on a Friday night and it s also the Bayside office. Bayside Community Church is part of the NSW & ACT Baptist Association Even though we don t have Baptist in our name that doesn t mean we don't value the fact that we are a Baptist church. Being part of a movement connects us with many other churches with similar heart to see people impacted across our nation and world for Jesus Being Baptist is not only (or even most importantly) about how much water you get baptised with. Our whole movement started just over 400 years ago by people who were committed to the capacity of every follower of Jesus to know God s presence and guidance and to be free to worship in the way they wanted to. Our heritage is also one of energetic commitment to mission. These emphases were in responses to the mainline church of the day in England which did not value these things. And they are the emphases that have been a key thread in the story of what is now one of the largest movements in the church worldwide. We are part of a heritage that is worth celebrating, and though it is seldom front and centre in our minds at a local level, who we are and what we are part of impacts our values and vision as a church. Have you ever checked out the movement we are a part of? Go to and have a squiz.

31 Our Values Vibrant Faith connected to God, living in His power Expectant for what God will do in our lives and in His church Leading a life of worship that pursues intimacy with God Believing prayer expressed together and individually Kingdom Living changing our world with Jesus Relentlessly seeking to connect people with Jesus Intentionally biasing our time and resources towards those who are yet to enter the Kingdom Actively making a difference in the world, promoting God s compassion, justice and peace Community sharing life deeply Practicing inclusiveness and acceptance Serving one another, sacrificially as needed Honesty and integrity in relationships Transformation becoming more like Jesus Consistently seeking opportunities to grow our faith Lifelong growth into Christlikeness in the power of the Holy Spirit Practicing appropriate accountability Empowerment developing, releasing, multiplying Developing intentional apprenticeship to facilitate the growth of new leaders Releasing of people to new levels of discipleship and leadership Multiplying an expectation of the birth of new disciples, leaders, ministries, congregations and churches

32 We exist to love God and love people; encouraging everyone to grow into passionately committed followers of Jesus