Welcome to Worship this Sunday
This Sunday, 27 September, is our Last Breakfast for this season, led by Geoff, as we come to the final letter in our “Listening to the Spirit” series on the Letters to the Seven Churches – the message to Laodicea. Sitting around the tables, we’ll have a chance to listen together to what the Spirit is saying to our church.
- Facilitator: Geoff Pound
- Theme: The Letter to the Church at Laodicea
- Scripture: Revelation 3:14-22
- Please bring food to share for the breakfast table – the church at Laodicea may have been lukewarm, but the food we share will be piping hot or cold!
Community News
- Diane Haegney, a member of our church and part of our online community, has moved to Room #76 at Adventcare. Diane says, “I am enjoying the Letters to the Seven Churches series and reading the creation of the Letter to the Church at Box Hill. Enjoying sunny days and my new wheelchair is going well.” Thanks, Diane, for your news!
- We shared in another wonderful Community Musicale last Sunday afternoon, with over 30 performances including piano, violin, cello, guitar, harp, flute and euphonium! We were even privileged to be a part of the first public performance of the Surrey Hills Singing Sisterhood Choir, who rehearse at Heartwell Church. Thanks to Radiance and Howard for bringing this rich community event to us.
- Eddie is away on leave from 23 September to 2 October. Geoff is keeping things ticking over in the office while he’s gone – please bear with us if replies are a little slower than usual.
- Copies of our newly-printed church history, ‘Sing a New Church’ (the story of Box Hill Baptist Church, 1901–2026, written by Lorraine Mitchell), are ready! Send a note to Lorraine if you’d like to reserve your copy (or copies, if you’re thinking ahead to Christmas presents). You’ll be able to pay for the book ($30) by card or cash on the day of the 125th Anniversary Service, 18 October.
- For us to keep the price of our new ‘Sing a New Church’ (The story of the Box Hill Baptist Church) to $30, we are reminding people who might like to help cover the editing, layout and other publishing costs of the book which amount to several thousand dollars. Thank you to those who have already given money. Please mark your gifts ‘History’ in an envelope to the offering bag or if you are giving electronically, please mark your gift ‘History’.
- A brief Church Meeting will follow worship on 4 October, to give the congregation’s blessing to Danny Krivan’s project (on congregational discernment and the arts) and to formally appoint the Focus Group participants.
- Danny Krivan will be with us on 4 October and is looking forward to meeting, after Morning Tea, with the fourteen people who have indicated they’ll take part in his three Focus Groups. He’ll give a brief introduction, hand out a participant’s pack covering everything you need to know, and answer any questions.
Upcoming Events
- Sunday 4 October – Daylight Saving begins (clocks forward one hour at 2am) and it’s our Communion Service.
- Sunday 4 October, 11:15am – a brief Church Meeting to appoint the Focus Group participants.
- Sunday 4 October, 11:30am – Focus Group Orientation with Danny Krivan, after Morning Tea.
- Sunday 18 October, 10am – our 125th Church Anniversary Service, including the Commendation and Blessing of the new church history, ‘Sing a New Church’. Morning tea and a light lunch follow in the Barn – a great time to mingle and pick up your copy of the book. We’re delighted that BUV’s Jonathan Stark will bring greetings from the Baptist Churches, and that BUV Chair Allan and Janet Demond, along with members of the Victorian Baptist Historical Society, will be joining us. If you’re unable to attend, please send a short greeting so we can read it out on the day, and let the office know if you’d like to arrange a copy of the book.
- On the 17th of October, Ashburton Baptist is holding a special [+]Faith Service, and have warmly invited anyone from the Box Hill Baptist Community to join them
- Join us for a meaningful night as we celebrate the faith, stories, and contributions of our LGBTIQA+ community. This will be a space for worship, connection, and listening – honouring the diverse ways people encounter and live out their faith. Afterwards, we’ll share simple food and enjoy relaxed fellowship together. If you, or someone you know, would value a safe and welcoming space to explore faith, celebrate diversity, or reconnect with community, we warmly encourage you to come along or extend an invitation. To help with catering, please let us know you are coming: https://www.trybooking.com/DPZQA
This Week
Monday
+ 4:30pm–8:30pm – Social Table Tennis (upstairs, 5 Ellingworth Pde)
Tuesday
+ Bible & Chat is on its usual break this week
Thursday
+ 11am–1pm – The Social Chat Group (Village Well upstairs): English language learning, table tennis and socialising
+ 1:30pm–2:30pm – Bakehouse in the Barn: our food rescue program
Friday
+ 4:30pm–8:30pm – Social Table Tennis
Saturday
+ 7:30am–8:30am – Bakehouse in the Barn
Food for Thought, Prayer and Action
+ Sometimes the creativity of other churches can stimulate our own thinking and planning. Here is a link to recent stories from other churches in Victoria.
+ You’ve heard of the King James Version of the Bible, the RSV, the NIV and the Message. Now with the help of technology, we have the Singing.Bible (currently in English and Spanish). It has been created with the vision to make the Bible available everywhere to people of different backgrounds and musical preferences. Check it out (it’s free) and listen to the Bible sung by a choir or in Jazz or whatever is your musical taste.
+ In an Axios article about the importance of intergenerational stories and tapping the wisdom of our elders, there are these useful conversation starters:
- When in your life did you feel most alive?
- What experience changed the way you see yourself or the world?
- What’s a hard thing you went through—and what did it teach you?
- What are you most proud of, and why did it matter to you?
- What have you learned about life that you’d want to pass on to someone younger?.
+ Eddie’s recent blog article on our church website and social media has been receiving lots of attention. It’s entitled, When We’re Not Sure About this ‘Church’ Thing – well worth a read if you haven’t already.
Small Groups @ BHBC
Bible & Chat: Tuesdays at 7:15pm for a 7:30pm start, at the Gallery. Currently on a break. We reflect together on the coming Sunday’s scriptures. Contact Geoff Pound.
KYB (Know Your Bible): Fortnightly on Tuesdays via Zoom. Contact Helen Timms.
Next Sunday 4 October 2026 – N.B. Daylight Saving Starts Today
2am – clocks move forward to 3am; we lose an hour of sleep but gain an hour of evening light.
10am – Communion Service (usually held on the first Sunday of the month)
- Offering: on this first Sunday, in addition to money, we also bring non-perishable food items, given to support people doing it tough in our community.
- Worship Leader: Shueh Wah Kennedy; Preacher: Geoff Pound
- Scripture Reading: John 20:19-23
- Theme: We’re looking at the Blessing and the Benediction in Worship Services.
11:15am – Church Meeting: a brief church meeting to appoint participants to meet with Danny Krivan in his Focus Groups on congregational discernment.
11:30am – Focus Group Orientation: after Morning Tea, Danny Krivan is hoping to meet with participants in his Focus Groups.
Offering Details
BSB: 704-922
Account name: Box Hill Baptist Church
Account number: 100005657
Please use “Offering” as your reference. If you have any issues, please contact the office.
