Order of Service
- Call to Worship
- Opening Prayer
- Song – In Bethlehem
- Passing of Peace and Love
- Lighting of the Advent Candle
- Silent Night Performance
- Welcome & Community News
- Offering
- Song – Little Town of Bethlehem
- Bible Reading
- Sermon
- Song – Every Star
- Decorating the Christmas Tree
- Prayers for the World
- Song – Angels from the Realms of Glory
- Benediction
Community News
“Thank you to all those who provided gifts for the children of Jubilee Housing. We received a wonderful variety of gifts for those in our Box Hill and Burwood housing complexes. They were distributed and received with joy and excitement. One young girl was jumping up and down when we gave her the gift, a beautiful moment. Please know you have made a big difference to these families at a time when life is challenging for so many. Thank you to the Box Hill Baptist Church Community for your ongoing support of our program. We wish you all a wonderful Christmas filled with joy and celebration. Meredith Beaton (Pastoral Care Worker)
+ An immense thanks to Lynne and Keith Dyer and the entire team of volunteers who supported Wednesday’s first Nandos Community Christmas meal taking place in the Barn, which served about 160 people from our local community.
+ Check out the new 10 week in-person course at the WellSpring Spirituality Centre (Ashburton) on Meditation and Mindfulness in the Christian Tradition.
+ Thanks to Mary Edgar who is happy to share the labyrinth on her Blackburn property for quiet half-days or to be used informally.
+ On the first Sunday in January we will commence a new sermon series on The Lord’s Prayer.
Food for Thought & Action
James White writes about ‘AI Jesus’, Church & Culture, 16 December 2024.
Pope Francis, “There is Faith in Humor,” New York Times (gift article) 17 December 2024.
Upcoming events at Box Hill
Christmas Day Service – 9:30am (finishing about 10.15am)
Last Breakfast service – 29 December @ 10am
Worship without Words – A Year in Reflection – 29 December @ 7pm
Regular Weekly Events
- Monday
- 6pm-9pm. Social Table Tennis (upstairs of the Village Well)
- Thursday:
- No events this week, including Bakehouse and the Social Group.
- Friday
- 6pm-9pm. Social Table Tennis (upstairs of the Village Well)
- Saturday
- 7:30-8:30am Community Bakehouse (in the Barn)
Small Groups @ BHBC
Box Hill Baptist Church runs a number of small groups which create opportunities to build friendships, study the Bible and other resources, pray and strengthen our spiritual journeys.
If you are interested in any of the groups below, feel welcome to contact the convenor, or speak to one of our pastors. (And if you’d like to be part of a group but these don’t work for you, come and speak to us and we’ll see if we can start something new!)
- Explorers, & Bible Chats: Tuesdays, 7:30pm at the Village Well (5 Ellingworth Pde). The groups undertakes studies on a diverse range of topics including scripture, books, videos, and other resources.
- KYB (Know Your Bible): Tuesdays fortnightly via Zoom. (Convenor: Helen Timms)
Bible Readings for this week
First reading and Psalm
Second reading
Gospel
Worship Roster
An inclusive community at the heart of Box Hill 