Our Stories

Kylie Butler from New Peninsula Baptist arrived home from South Africa two weeks ago to a Federal Government imposed quarantine at home. She had sought out an earlier flight home, sensing that things were escalating. But the climate into which she arrived was unexpected. “Once I landed, everything started to go haywire.” On the flight from Sydney to Melbourne, Kylie created a neighbourhood WhatsApp group, in a bid to support one another in whatever the future would hold.

While the whole world is rapidly changing before our eyes it almost seems out-of-tune to talk about the bushfires that affected the Victorian communities earlier this year.  However, for those impacted by the bushfires, COVID-19 comes as something of a double-hit.  The last thing they need is to be forgotten. Whilst we are all struggling with our own new realities, many of those who are bushfire-affected are having to do so within a different new reality they were forced into just weeks ago.

Last Sunday, almost 20 Baptist Churches in Victoria live-streamed their services. A month ago, there was very few. The last four weeks have brought with them progressively tighter government restrictions on gatherings all across Australia. These have presented a gargantuan challenge to the church, which intuitively recognises the deep need we all have to “not give up on meeting together” (Hebrews 10:25). With social gatherings now limited to two, and physical distancing in place, all traditional ways of thinking about community and communal worship need to be radically changed. In this challenge, leaders have been extended and have needed to work well outside their natural abilities in order to achieve the great feat of gathering online.

We wobbled our way down the escarpment at Greenmount and into the outer suburbs of Perth, having spent two days driving 15 hours a day through the interminable sparseness of the Nullarbor. This was long before the longest golf course in the world had been installed so there had been no diversions.

Thrive Shepparton began in February 2018 as a potential outreach with the Shepparton Baptist Church providing conversational English classes. Lacey Lengel, who has worked in communities around the world teaching ESL primarily to asylum seekers, undertook the oversight of these classes after moving to Shepparton, primarily because it has the highest number of refugees and asylum seekers outside of Melbourne

Empowering other leaders will be the focus of Bendigo Baptist Church’s new Youth Ministry Worker, and lifelong church member, Jacqui Naunton. BUV sat down with Jacqui last month at one of Bendigo best cafes, The Anxious Goat, to share in her enthusiasm for young people, leadership, and empowering others.

This month, we are celebrating International Women’s Day (Sunday, 8 March) with stories of ordinary women who are playing extraordinary roles within our Baptist community.

This month, we are celebrating International Women’s Day by featuring stories of courage and determination by ordinary women who are playing extraordinary roles within our Baptist community.

Leading in the middle – Robyn Song

This month, we are celebrating International Women’s Day by featuring stories of courage and determination by ordinary women who are playing extraordinary roles within our Baptist community.
The blessings of diminished capacity, tiredness and God’s grace – Jess Groszek

This month, we are celebrating International Women’s Day by featuring stories of courage and determination by ordinary women who are playing extraordinary roles within our Baptist community. Watching for a bend in the road – Christine Wanstall