MT BARKER BAPTIST CHURCH CHURCH PROFILE APRIL 2015

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1 A. THE FACTS GENERAL INTRODUCTION Mt Barker Baptist church is a 141 year old Baptist Church located in the Adelaide Hills township of Mt Barker, some 25 km south east of Adelaide. Mt Barker, and the adjacent smaller town of Littlehampton, is one of the fastest growing regional centres in Australia. The current population of the District Council of Mt Barker is approximately 31,000 (2011), but it is expected to increase by nearly 50% in the next 15 years, as recent planning decisions to re-zone agricultural land on the edges of the Mt Barker township into residential and commercial categories are implemented. This will see its population rise to about 45,000, and the church sees this as a fantastic opportunity to spread God s word and minister to all those people and families who will move into the area over that time. Link to the District Council of Mt Barker website : WHO MAKES UP THE CHURCH We currently have 87 members. We currently hold a Sunday morning service attended by adults, depending on the season, school holidays etc. Encouragingly attendances are showing a slight upward trend. There is also a Sunday evening service once per month, run by Youth but open to all. Church Demographics The approximate age distribution of our membership is : % % % % % % MBBC Church Profile- Rev 0 For Publication Page 1 of 6 2 April 2015

2 The vast majority of the congregation are Australian and most of the congregation is made up of married couples. Many of those employed fit into the management / business / professional category, and there are a significant number of people who class themselves as retired or homemaker. Approximately 60% of the congregation do not have children living at home, and nearly 90% of the congregation have been a Christian for more than 20 years, with the most of the rest being a Christian between 4 and 20 years. The main Christian background of the congregation is Baptist, Uniting/Methodist or Pentecostal, and most people (by a long way) identify themselves by conviction as Christian, followed by Baptist and Uniting/Methodist. CHURCH GOVERNANCE The church is a member of the Baptist Churches of South Australia, and our constitution is available for perusal. It was last revised in 2009, and is currently being updated and subsequently revised. The prime governance body is the Church Council, made up of Senior Pastor, Administrator, Treasurer plus no less than three and no more than five additional elected Members. Other members of the church leadership group are : Youth Pastor (paid, part time - currently vacant), Director of Children s Ministry (paid, part time), Director of Creative Ministries (voluntary), Director of Pastoral Care (voluntary), Director of Home Groups (voluntary). Office administrator (paid, part time). We also have one person who has commenced the Pastoral Leadership Training program, working towards BCSA accreditation. SERVICES AND MINISTRIES PROVIDED BY THE CHURCH Pastoral Care The purpose of pastoral care at MBBC is to help people live life in all its fullness, according to the example of Jesus and to support our church family and broader community through trauma, illness, bereavement, family crisis etc. Pastoral care is overseen by a Director of Pastoral Care and involves strengthening, comforting and encouraging the body of Christ through helping others by listening, responding, praying and/or providing caring support upon request. We have 7 Neighborhood Care teams positioned geographically within Mt Barker and surrounding districts. These teams are supported by a Neighborhood Care Convenor. Neighborhood Care teams are in most cases the first point of contact for pastoral care needs. Some pastoral care concerns can also be ed to the prayer chain for prayer support or to make known other needs pertinent to the situation. MBBC Church Profile- Rev 0 For Publication Page 2 of 6 2 April 2015

3 Prayer Ministry we have a very active and functioning prayer ministry whose purpose is to actively encourage and promote prayer within the life of the church. By being open and responsive to the working of the Holy Spirit, we pray that God's love, guidance and healing power would be released for the benefit of His people and to His glory. The prayer ministry has two main initiatives: Prayer chain our congregation can requests for prayer or support to a central coordinator, who then s it to more than 40 people within our church congregation. Prayer ministry counselling - We are developing a number of trained prayer ministry counsellors that can be accessed for specific needs. This is the use of prayer and Holy Spirit led counselling to help a person resolve problems in their lives and receive healing through Jesus. Children s Ministry Known as Kid Central, our Sunday Children s program provides age appropriate and engaging opportunities to learn more about the bible and our Lord Jesus Christ. We provide for babies through to Year 7, and the groups are known as Sunkids (babies to age 3.5 yrs), Starkids (3.5 yrs to Year 1), GLU (Years 2 to 5) and Trek (Years 5 to 7). Our Children s Ministry Director Jackie Norris coordinates a team of 7 teachers and 8 helpers across Starkids, GLU and TREK, and the program runs from approximately 10:30am 11:30am in Kid Central (the old manse) on Sunday mornings, catering for approximately 27 children. Sunkids uses the room off the main church auditorium and parents are responsible for their own child. Play Group About 20 families with 12 who regularly attend each week, approximately 15 children. Numbers have grown significantly from 3 regular families at the start of 2014, mostly through word of mouth and promotion on Facebook. Playgroup provides an opportunity for parents and caregivers to bring their child to a support and play based group. We play, share fruit and sing songs together. The group provides an outreach to mums, dads and caregivers and provides a safe environment for families to connect with each other. Youth and Young Adults This group comprises approximately 30 youth (Remix Youth, years 8-12), up to 25 Young Adults (up to 25 years of age) and 9 youth ministry team emerging leaders. There is a weekly bible study and activity on Friday afternoon, occasionally camps are run for the youth. Aim is to see the youth grow in their relationship with God and to outreach to their friends in the community. We are connected with other Baptist churches through Baptist youth gatherings and a variety of camps. Home Groups - Home Groups have made a significant contribution towards Christian growth for members of the congregation over the years at MBBC. More recently the number of active groups has dropped to 6. Home Group leaders currently run their own programs independently, and plans to meet together for sharing and to encourage each other are in their earliest stages. Overall it is positive that Home Groups are once again on the increase with specific support from the Church Leadership, and already there is an additional group beginning to form. Mission Team fosters an outward focusing Mission programme at Mount Barker Baptist (MBB). We have a Mission Spot each month, in the form of a visiting Missionary MBBC Church Profile- Rev 0 For Publication Page 3 of 6 2 April 2015

4 (individual/family/organization) presenting to the Sunday morning service or one of the team will present on someone s behalf. A particularly strong arm of our mission focus is Baptist World Aid and one of the team is the BWA Ambassador for MBBC. We have one family from the church serving overseas in Vanuatu. Freezer meals ministry - This group exists to serve the church community in times of crisis. It is provided to lighten the load for people who are sick, have had a baby, in times of serious illness and strain where help with meals can release the people in need to focus their time/energy where it is needed most. Chat n Du long running (30 years) craft ministry, attended by between people of all ages each week, from all over the district. Community outreach for people from all walks of life, who are interested in learning a new craft or just simply doing their own craft activity. Some people with physical challenges are also attending. We have a God spot before morning tea to allow people to experience God in some way. Crèche is provided. Chat n Du has helped build healthy relationships with women and helps them to engage in fellowship with others. The Mt Barker District Council features it on their website. Men s Shed - The Men s Shed has been in operation for 8 years during we have 27 members from both the congregation and the community. It fosters an environment where men can feel free to share ideas, concerns, skills and opinions in an atmosphere of support and the love of Christ. We under-take projects within and for the community and have been supported by the Mount Barker District Council in the purchase of some capital equipment through their Community Grants Programme. The most limiting factor in the growth of the group is the lack of space to enable the group to expand. This is a situation we have been trying to rectify for some years but as yet unsuccessfully. We envisage further growth as the demand for these types of Sheds increases as more men leave the workforce. The MBBC Men s Shed is unique in that it accepts all men, of any age or ability, and it closes every work day with a think spot and a word of prayer. Social ministry - This new group is being established to build relationships and provide a social support to our church community. It is looking to organise a variety of activities to encourage everyone to feel valued and involved in our church. 4WD Trips 2 4WD trips / year Men & Boys, and Family. We aim to have great times of fellowship together, especially around mealtime. On the Men & boys trips we have campfires to cook by. These make a great environment for chatting and sharing together. Each day we have somebody share a small devotional thought. It is an opportunity to get away from the routine of life and do something different. We also have the opportunity to see some of God s creation. LINKS TO THE COMMUNITY We have the links to the community through many of the ministries listed above and also Senior Pastor s participation in Ministers Fraternal, and a Christian Counselling service which operates from the building. Our Youth and Youth Ministry Team are also involved in the annual Big Week Out and Schoolies week at Victor Harbor. MBBC Church Profile- Rev 0 For Publication Page 4 of 6 2 April 2015

5 CHURCH HEALTH We are recovering from recent upheavals over the last 2 years and through this are continuing to keep our eyes fixed on the Lord Jesus Christ. We are looking to our future and what God has for us, and are keen to develop a clear vision for our future. We are working with the Rev John Walker (Intentional Interim Pastor) through an ongoing process to bring healing and reconciliation, and this may continue for some time. B. LEADERS PERSPECTIVE CHURCH STRENGTHS AND ASSETS The church leaders see many strengths at MBBC. We are strongly committed to interaction with the community through our currently active Play Group, Chat n Du and Men s Shed ministries, and want to develop new forms of interaction. We have a major asset in our current facilities which sit on a large block of land that could be utilised in many ways into the future. Within the body a major focus is on pastoral care through our neighbourhood care groups and emerging ministry of prayer for the sick. Our current church family represents a committed mature core of the church, dependent on God. God is faithful to us in many ways, and is empowering people to grow and serve, and providing wise people in touch with God, able to bring His words to the church. He has also given us prophecies over many years, showing that He is alive and active within MBBC, and wanting to use us for His purposes within the Mt Barker area and surrounds. CONCERNS FOR THE CHURCH We need to be better at dealing with conflict in the church, and early within the conflict process. To this end, conflict resolution procedures are being developed for inclusion into the constitution and accompanying policy. We need to be prepared and moved in the right direction to make best use of our outreach programs. OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE CHURCH Opportunities seen for the church are seen as : MBBC Church Profile- Rev 0 For Publication Page 5 of 6 2 April 2015

6 15,000 people moving into the district in the next 15 years Development of healing ministries we have seen miraculous healings as answered prayer We have many skills and talents within MBBC which we would like to see released and developed to be used for God s purposes. FUTURE DIRECTIONS Early in the ministry of our new pastor, it would be desirable to lead a church wide process to reinvigorate our vision to call people to worship God with their lives, grow maturing disciples, build a Jesus-centred community, empower people for service and send people into mission. Most within the congregation believe MBBC should be more focussed on the local community and we look forward to growing in this area. There are people keen to see new ministries grow to help us reach the local community. It is pleasing to see a good number of our current congregation stepping up to take on roles left vacant by those who have left. MBBC Church Profile- Rev 0 For Publication Page 6 of 6 2 April 2015