SUMMER 2015 ENCOURAGE, EMPOWER, EQUIP IN THIS ISSUE. Helping each other to grow in our faith UPCOMING EVENTS PRAYER POINTS

Transcription

1 SUMMER 2015 ENCOURAGE, EMPOWER, EQUIP Helping each other to grow in our faith This month I had the privilege of Contact Us representing NSW Women to If you would like Women to Women at the Australian Baptist Women to partner with your Women s AGM in Mandurah, WA. women in any way, please feel It was encouraging to meet with free to contact us. We have a the other State/Territory Directors new website and address. to hear about the exciting things W: nswactbaptists.website/ that are happening with Baptist women2women/ women across the country. It was E: w2w@nswactbaptists.org.au also exciting to reflect back on F: facebook.com/groups/ the various ministries in which we /?fref=ts have been involved in our own state. We have run day seminars, Support Us weekend retreats, Coffee W2W relies on the support of Connections to name a few. Baptist Women across NSW & ACT, to help us to 'encourage, However, our focus is not on the empower and equip' our women. number of activities and events We would like you to partner with we run or the number of women us by talking with your Church who attend them. Rather it is on Treasurer about making an fulfilling our mission statement to annual donation of $50 to encourage, empower and equip "Baptist Women's Ministry" or an Baptist women of NSW. In my individual annual donation of back yard there are two magpies $10. This can be paid directly mother and baby. Each day into the Baptist Women of NSW mum moves further away from and ACT account. her baby and tries to encourage it to fend for itself but she never Details completely leaves her young one. BSB We can be like that mother; ACT helping other women grow in their faith and develop their God given Shirley Moore potential. IN THIS ISSUE Pg. 2 World Leadership Conf. Pg. 3 Goulburn Worship Night Pg. 4 Time Out Retreat Pg. 5 Hunter Playtime West. Syd. Day Conference Pg. 6 Chocolate Log Recipe REVIVE Where: New Contact Details UPCOMING EVENTS Dural Sport & Leisure Centre Date: May 2015 Time: Begins 10am Register: revive.org.au PRAYER POINTS Pray for more women and churches to partner with W2W Give thanks for the numerous women serving our Baptist churches around the world, pray for God s blessing over them and their ministries Pray for increased reach and influence into the community for the women serving in the Goulburn area Give thanks for the women in the Hunter area, serving each other and the local community through Playtime Pray for Jenny Allen as she continues to serve in her local church, her workplace and the local community Pray for safety, refreshment and joy over the Christmas period for all women serving in our churches 1

2 BAPTIST WORLD WOMEN S LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE By Joy Arnold To be at a Baptist World Women's Leadership Conference is a highlight experience of celebration, praise, fellowship and great blessing. Johannesburg 2015 was no exception. To be surrounded by African women in worship makes singing without dancing, impossible! Over 700 women, many in their traditional costumes or matching uniform dresses, was an extremely colourful, loud and lots of fun event. Each of the seven Continental Unions presented items and prayed with and for their partner Union. The speakers all challenged us to "Rise and Shine" which is our theme for the next five years. The call of Baptist Women was always answered by the women calling out Rise and Shine. Let them praise his name with dancing, making melody to him with tambourine and lyre! -- Psalm 149:3 -- Many new friendships are made and for those who have been before, old ones renewed. This makes a large group of sisters around the World who continue those friendships through Facebook and and is a wonderful privilege to see God at work through Baptist women all over the world. Some things were repeated and others added at the Women's afternoon held during the World Congress meetings which followed in Durban. Our new president of the Baptist World Alliance Women s Department is Ksenji Magda from Croatia. Pray for her as she works with Patsy Davis our Director. Ladies, you have five years to plan and save to be at the next one in Brazil. Don't miss the blessing! 2

3 Goulburn Winter Worship Night By Alecia Walker We had a panel led by Louise. Angela shared about the churches working towards getting a School Scripture Teacher in our local High Schools. And Vanessa shared about her work as the hospital Chaplin, meeting people in their hour of need and being the love of Christ to them, whatever the hour of the day or night! As part of our ladies ministry, SAALT (Serving All As Ladies Together), we decided that we would love to spend time with Christian women from churches within our community, fostering friendship and encouraging one another in our love for Christ. So, we decided to host a Women s Winter Worship Night. On a cold Friday night, our church was filled with over 80 women from 10 different churches within our community. Walking onto the stage to begin the night, there was such a warmth within the room with all the ladies chatting together. We started the evening singing Audience of One firmly focusing the night on the worship of God. As the night progressed, we worshipped God through singing, reading His Word, hearing about acts of service, praying together & hearing a devotion on what is worship. We heard in the devotion, that God is the sole focus of worship and that we must make worship a daily way of life. The theme verse for the night was Revelation 4:11 You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honour and power, for you created all things and by your will they existed and were created. The night finished with warm fellowship over a cuppa. The heartbeat of the Event Team was that acceptable worship would be offered to God and through that we might encourage & build up the ladies. And we were blessed to see that happen. All glory to God! You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honour and power, for you created all things -- Revelation 4:

4 WRAP WITH LOVE TIME OUT ELIM RETREAT By Sue Cossgrove At different times in our lives we often wonder what is the purpose in this, what is my purpose in life and what does God have for me? He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things planned for us long ago Ephesians 2:10 Our speaker, Diane Porter challenged us from John 15,16 Jesus is the True Vine, are we allowing God to prune us, recognise our relationship is founded in the Father s love and that union with him would be costly. This will change us as we find the purpose for life that God has planned for us. As part of the weekend the women knitted and crocheted squares to make two rugs that were then donated to a refuge for women in Newcastle. Each year we experience God s love wrapped around us as we gather together but to bless others was part of the Life With Purpose theme. Some have found a new purpose and will continue to make the squares for the rugs. Workshops were of interest and helpful to the 53 women who attended. Managing the Whirlwind of Life s Purposes with Gail Parker. The practicalities involved in juggling career, marriage, family, church involvement, socialising and relationship with God. Finding Practical Purposes with Roberta Hodgson. Finding purpose for what God has given you. The Journey with Teenagers with Bronwyn Rappeneker. It is my privilege, and absolute pleasure, to teach teenagers. See what the Bible has to say about teenagers (and it does!) and share some insights that will equip and encourage us as we do life together with them. Purposeful Leadership with Lyn Noonan. An interactive workshop, helping you to apply principles and models of Leadership in your everyday life. Building Healthy Teams for Ministry with Diane Porter. God calls us to be in relationship and to serve. In this interactive workshop we will look at how relationship and service come together so as to build healthy teams in your church that are powerful in ministry. Knitting/Crocheting with Glenys White. Learn to knit or crochet simple gifts for ministry or fundraising or BYO project. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things planned for us long ago -- Ephesians 2:10-4

5 HUNTER PLAYTIME EDGEWORTH MODEL TRAINS Eleven Hunter Baptist playtime groups enjoyed a morning of train riding at Lake Macquarie Steam Locomotive Model Park Edgeworth on September 1st. Last year the event had to be cancelled even though the rain had cleared, the strong winds posed a threat of bringing down unexpected gum trees branches. WEST. SYDNEY CONFERENCE By Joy Arnold After so many problems with so many arrangements, we got to the day expecting great things. Our problems were not yet over. Time to start and our worship team was a no-show except for one worried lady! They were lost!! Arriving in a real fluster wasn't good but they did a great job. The day was wonderful, Jenny's messages were great and I know many of the women went home with a real challenge in their hearts. One of the worship team had to go to a wedding but wanted to give that a miss so she could hear more! 22 ladies registered and a small team from Blacktown did the catering. Kay Pearce led the team and the food was really yummy. This year we were blessed with a beautiful day and approximately 400 playtime families experienced the warmth of Christian friendship as we rode the trains together. A train derailment was soon rectified and many children went home with big smiles on their faces. The annual event is eagerly anticipated each year by both the train buffs and the children. Two ladies gave their testimony and stole Jenny's thunder, as that session was to be on telling YOUR story. Julia is originally from China and became a Christian here as a result of her sister. Mum and Dad bringing her to church...where they had become Christians through Alpha. Julia sings beautifully and testified that she used to sing for pleasure and for her family. Now she sings praises to God. Awarti is from Sudan and spoke of her experience as a high ranking Muslim lady who was thrown in gaol because of becoming a Christian. Our focus was widened as Joy shared a video of the Baptist Women s Alliance World Conference in Johannesburg last July. The women were encouraged to be part of the Baptist Women s World Day of prayer on the first week of November. 5

6 CHOCOLATE LOG Ingredients: 600g Thickened Cream (Lge) 1 dessertspoon icing sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla Blackberry/raspberry/strawberry jam 2 pkts chocolate ripple biscuits Sherry Notes: Prepare the day before to allow the biscuit to soften. The alcoholic content will go. Method: 1. Add icing sugar, vanilla to cream and whip till firm. 2. Sprinkle biscuits with sherry (Don t saturate them) 3. Spread jam and cream on each biscuit 4. Place a row of cream on plate to stabilise them 5. Stand them in two rows on edge to form a log and cover with cream. 6. Decorate with chocolate curls, broken up Flake chocolate, coconut or crushed nuts Variations: Use ginger nut biscuits with marmalade or apricot jam. You can add cocoa powder, which is sifted to the cream. CONTACT DETAILS Just a reminder, we have new contact details! W: E: w2w@nswactbaptists.org.au F: Women 2 Women C/- Baptist Churches of NSW/ACT PO Box 122 Epping NSW 1710 Send us an or a card, we d love to hear from you! 6