Welcome to Worship
This Sunday 7 December at 10am – Second Sunday in Advent.
+ Our monthly Communion Service.
+ Worship Leader: Lorraine Mitchell; Preacher: Geoff Pound.
+ Scripture: Luke 1: 46-55.
+ Service Theme: ‘Peace that Disturbs’ in our Advent Series ‘The Light We Carry’.
+ Being the first Sunday of the month our offering will include non-perishable food items for the needy in our area.
+ A special Church Meeting follows the service in the sanctuary with a vote (no discussion) to adopt our new church constitution and thank our constitution committee for their work over these last two years.
Order of Service
- Call to Worship :
- Hymn 139 Come thou long expected Jesus
- Scripture: Luke 1: 39-56
- Advent Ritual (Eddie)
- Song: Dream a dream, a hopeful dream
- Community News
- Offering (Including non-perishable items)
- Song: Deep in the Spirit your Song
- Sermon : Geoff
- Song: Wait for the Lord (Taize)
- Communion
- Pastoral prayers
- Remembering those for whom Christmas is tough
Candle lighting – M - Hymn 149: There’s a light upon the mountain
- Benediction
Community News
+ Margot Firth-Smith is home and recovering well after her stay in hospital.
+ We pray God’s blessing for Hong and Ang as they travel to Cambodia this weekend to visit their family and friends.
+ Our Deacons met this week and enjoyed an End of Year-Christmas shared meal before their meeting. They appointed visitors to meet with people seeking church membership (let us know if you’d like to know more about church membership), they noted the Dinner (6.30pm) and Carols (9pm) on Saturday 20 December, the Nandos Christmas Lunch with those who come to the Bakehouse and others at midday on 17 December, they decided to create and refresh church policies, they discussed the report from the Building Feasibility Committee and they set dates for Church Meetings in 2026 (22/2; 24/5; 23/8; 15/11-AGM). Please pray for God’s guidance as in 2026 we may make decisions about our buildings.
+ Barbara Davison will celebrate her 80th birthday on December 22nd this year, and her family will provide a light lunch in the Barn after the service on Sunday, 21st of December. Everyone is invited.
+ After 4 and a half years of the Community Bakehouse, where we’ve saved tonnes of food from landfill to help feed our neighbours instead, the opportunity that we’ve helped create has got the attention of the Victorian Government, as we’ve received a Local Food grant to help expand the Bakehouse concept to an additional 5 locations in collaboration with other local churches and community groups. This will help spread the load that we’re currently experiencing and make food available to more people across our region.
Food for Thought and Action
+ Kelsey McGinnis, ‘The Current No. 1 Christian Artist Has No Soul’ [because Solomon Ray is AI generated] Christianity Today, 21 November 2025.
+ Suleika Jaouad, ‘The Gospel According to Dogs,’ The Corners, 29 November 2025.
+ James Emery White writes about C S Lewis in ‘A Most-Converted Man,’ Church & Culture, 1 December 2025.
Coming soon
This Week
Monday
+ 2pm-5pm Bike Restoration and Rescue Session at the Community Shed: (rear 470 Station St, Box Hill).
+ 4.30pm-8.30pm Social Table Tennis (upstairs, 5 Ellingworth Pde)
Tuesday
+ 9.30am – The Box Hill Community Choir meets in the church followed by morning tea in the Gallery.
+ Tuesday 6:30pm: The finale for the Bible & Chat Group is a shared meal at Eversley’s home.
Thursday
+ 11am-1pm upstairs in the Village Well: Social Chat Group. Everybody is welcome.
+ 10am-12pm: English Conversation Classes in the Barn. Convenor: Lynne Dyer
+ 1.30pm-2.30pm Bakehouse in the Barn coordinated by Lynne Dyer: Saving bread, fruit and vegetables from waste by giving food to those wanting to ease their weekly budget.
Friday
+ 10am-11.30am The final Playgroup gathering for the year in the Barn.
+ 4.30-8.30pm: Social Table Tennis (upstairs, 5 Ellingworth Pde)
+ 6.30pm-7.30pm: The Box Hill Community Choir is singing in the Mont Albert Village.
Saturday
+ 7.30am-8.30am 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!)
- Bible & Chat: Currently each Tuesday, 7:15pm for 7.30pm start at the Village Well (5 Ellingworth Pde). The group normally reflects on a Scripture passage for the following Sunday service. Convenor: Geoff Pound
- KYB (Know Your Bible): Tuesdays fortnightly via Zoom. (Convenor: Helen Timms)
Next Sunday 14 December at 10am.
+ Worship Leader: Shueh Wah; Preacher: Geoff Pound.
+ Scripture: Luke 2: 8-20.
+ Service Theme: ‘Joy That Surprises’ in our Advent Series ‘The Light We Carry’.
Worship Roster
An inclusive community at the heart of Box Hill 