It’s not every time when you climb a high mountain that you get a good clear view. There are times when the clouds descend and the rain pours and you can’t see much beyond your nose.
So, it is with our experience of worship. Sometimes there are factors that are beyond our control and we find it hard to concentrate and enter into a spirit of worship. But what are the factors within our control that can enhance the experience of worship?
This Sunday we’re commencing a new series on ‘Rediscovering Worship’. We’re asking questions like ‘What is worship?’ ‘Why do we worship?’ and ‘What are the essential elements of a time of corporate worship?’
One church had a simple sign out the front that read like this: “Box Hill Baptist Church. Founded 1901. Where People Meet God.” That’s a good definition and a fine hope. A service of worship should be the occasion for an encounter with God—a time when the holy One breaks out of the sphere of mystery, touches the lives of human beings and readies us for service in the world. To be the means of such a miracle is the highest hope and the deepest purpose of worship.
+ It’s our Last Breakfast led by Eddie with conversation around tables.
+ Please bring extra food to share for our visitors and people who turn up not knowing about the breakfast.
+Scripture Reading: Matthew 28: 16-20.
+ The baptisms of Grazia Sedawie and Lucien Toth will take place during our gathering. This will a great time to invite friends and neighbours to church.
Community News
+ Greta Carter has been in Epworth Box Hill after surgery last Monday. Pray for Greta as she undergoes rehab before returning home in another ten days.
+ A draft copy of the new Church Directory will be available again this Sunday in the Barn. We made a good start on this last week. Please check your name and contact details and add a tick when you have done this. If your name isn’t listed there, please add it if you wish plus your contact details.
+ Have you noticed the pithy sayings on the digital noticeboard on the front of our church facing Station Street? It catches your eye as you wait at the crossing. A man come to church last Sunday before the service. He had specifically come to take a photo of one of the messages that had been on the screen but sadly the screen had been updated with another saying. (Good news: We did locate the saying and he went away glad!) Thanks to Eddie for keeping this screen informative and attractive.
+ Someone said recently, “I would have been at church if I’d known that Dave and Lidia Mutton were going to be at church on the 17th.” Richard Mallaby is going to be with us on our next ‘Back to Box Hill Baptist’ Sunday on June 14, when he will help us to reflect on the Mallaby years. Inform Eddie if you think of someone who may wish to attend on this special day.
+ The Open Baptists annual conference is being held online on Saturday 13 June 1.00-5.30pm (AEST). Check out the programme and registration details. Speak to Eddie if you’re thinking of attending online.
Food for Thought, Prayer & Action
+ Check out the Whitley College websitefor the latest news plus Jason Goroncy’s recent publications. Is there a course in Semester 2 that you might like to take, especially while Whitley is based in Box Hill?
+ This week marks the start of National Reconciliation Week, which runs from 27 May – 3 June each year. The 2026 theme is ‘All In’, inviting all of us to join with Indigenous peoples to learn together about our shared histories, cultures and achievements.
+ Pope Leo released a major paper on AI. Check out the overview. Read the total encyclical.
This Week
Monday
+ 4.30pm-8.30pm Social Table Tennis (upstairs, 5 Ellingworth Pde)
Tuesday
+ 9.30am The Box Hill Community Choir meets in our sanctuary for practice and morning tea.
+ 7.15pm (Cuppa) for 7.30pm (Study and discussion) The Bible & Chats Group will be studying the Scripture reading for next Sunday morning viz. Isaiah 6:1-8.
Thursday
+ 11am-1pm The Social Chat Group (upstairs in the Village Well) will be learning basic English, playing table tennis and other games, drinking tea and coffee and making friends.
+ 1.30pm-2.30pm Bakehouse in the Barn: Saving bread, fruit and vegetables from waste by giving food to those wanting to ease their weekly budget.
Friday
+ 4.30-8.30pm: Social Table Tennis (upstairs, 5 Ellingworth Pde)
Saturday
+ 7.30am-8.30am Bakehouse in the Barn: Saving bread, fruit and vegetables from waste by giving food to those wanting to ease their weekly budget.
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 7 June at 10am.
+Communion Service (usually held on the first Sunday of the month). On this first Sunday we also bring non-perishable food items (as part of our offering) that are given to support needy people in our community.
+Welcome into membership: Come and add your welcome to those joining our church.
+Worship Leader: Keith Dyer; Preacher: Geoff Pound.
+Scripture Reading: Isaiah 6:1-8.
+Theme: We begin a new series on ‘Rediscovering Worship.’ We’re going to ask: ‘What is worship? Why do we worship? How do we best worship? And what are the essential ingredients of a worship service? What are the questions about worship that you are asking?
Martin Luther had a habit. In moments of doubt or fear, when the dark crept in, he would touch his forehead and say to himself, “I am baptised.” Not “I was baptised” (past tense, finished, filed away), but “I am.” Present tense. A current reality.
That’s a strange way to talk about something that, for many of us, happened so long ago we couldn’t pick the day out of a calendar if we tried.
Some of us were dunked or sprinkled as infants.
Some came to it as adults, with photos and a date we could still find.
Some were old enough to remember the cold water, the words said over us, the faces watching.
So what does it mean to remember something we may not actually remember?
Paul had this exact problem with the early church. When the Romans started drifting, his question wasn’t “have you been baptised?” They had. His question was “don’t you know what your baptism means?” (Romans 6:3). When the Corinthians fragmented into factions, he reminded them they had all been baptised into one body (1 Corinthians 12:13). When the Galatians went wobbly on identity, he pointed them back to the waters: “all of you who were baptised into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ” (Galatians 3:27).
For Paul, baptism wasn’t a one-off event you graduated from. It was a place you kept returning to. An identity you put on every morning. The shape of a whole life.
Remembering your baptism, then, isn’t really about remembering an event. It’s about remembering who you are. That you have died with Christ and been raised with him. That you belong to him, and to his people.
This Sunday at our Last Breakfast service, we’ll be taking time around our tables to share our baptism stories with one another: what we remember, what we’ve been told, what it means to us now. And we’ll be welcoming two people into those same waters, joining the long line of the baptised.
Come ready to remember. Come ready to witness. And maybe, like Luther, find yourself touching your forehead this week and saying quietly: I am baptised.
+Worship Leader: Keith Dyer; Preacher: Geoff Pound
+Scripture Reading: Acts 2: 1-21
+Theme: On Sunday, 24 May, it is Pentecost Day in the Christian calendar. We’ll be joining with other followers of Jesus around the world to celebrate the gift of God’s Spirit to indwell us, to form a vibrant community, to sustain our faithfulness, to teach us patience and commission us to become creative human beings who are fully alive.
+ While it is our usual custom to welcome in new members at a Communion Service, as we will do on the 7 June, Vahid Mohmadi has a FIFO job (Fly In, Fly Out) with the oil and gas industry and he will be away in Queensland on the 7th. We propose therefore to welcome him into the membership of Box Hill Baptist Church this Sunday.
Order of Service
Call to worship & acknowledgement of country (Psalm 104: 24–34)
Opening hymn:“Spirit of God, unseen as the wind” (BPW 295)
Prayer of gathering
Announcements
Membership welcome
Song: “Deep in the Spirit My Song”
Offering and prayer
Bible reading: Acts 2:1–21 —Lyn Pound
Song: “Spirit of the Living God” (BPW 298 & 299)
Sermon: “That’s the Spirit!” — Geoff
Community/Intercessory Prayers
Song: “Holy Spirit Come Upon us”
Benediction
Community News
+ This week—18-24 May 2026— is National Volunteer Week (NVW), Australia’s largest annual celebration of volunteering, and a time to highlight the important role of volunteers in our community. While our church has some staff, like all churches, Box Hill Baptist largely runs on volunteers, with people who play music, prepare communion, serve as deacons, serve food at the Bakehouses, deliver food and the 101 other jobs that are listed in our church roster. This year’s theme is ‘Your Year to Volunteer.’ What a great time to discover how serving as a volunteer can create connections, give you a sense of purpose and bring about positive change.
+ A draft copy of the new Church Directory will be available on Sunday in the Barn. Please check your name and contact details and add a tick when you have done this. If your name isn’t listed there, please add it if you wish plus your contact details.
+ Someone was asking for more warning for our ‘Back to Box Hill Baptist’ days. Our next date is Sunday 14 June when Richard Mallaby is visiting (unfortunately Anne’s medical condition means she can no longer attend public events) to help us all reflect on the Mallaby years at BHBC. Are there names of former members and friends we should be inviting to this day.
+Eddie Chapman is taking annual leave and will be away from Box Hill from Saturday 23 May to Friday 28 May.
Food for Thought, Prayer & Action
+ Spiritually Burned Out? Tish Harrison Warren and some Ancient Monks Have Advice, Religion News Service, 11 May 2026.
+ Brooke Prentice, proud Wakka Wakka woman and aboriginal Christian leader, gives a Ted Talk entitled, ‘How Awe Can Heal Humanity,’ 15 May 2026.
+ Seminars scheduled in South Korea entitled ‘The Life and Theology of Dr Jürgen Moltmann, Theologian of Hope.’ Friederike Moltmann (his youngest daughter) delivered a special lecture entitled ‘The Life and Scholarship of My Father, Dr. Moltmann.’ The Christian Post, 11 May 2026.
+ Take a look at ‘The Pentecost Art Project’ by artists in Aotearoa-New Zealand, sponsored by Eco Church and A Rocha Aotearoa NZ..
This Week
Monday
+ 4.30pm-8.30pm Social Table Tennis (upstairs, 5 Ellingworth Pde)
Tuesday
+ 9.30am The Box Hill Community Choir meets in our sanctuary for practice and morning tea.
+ 7.15pm (Cuppa) for 7.30pm (Study and discussion) The Bible & Chats Group will be studying the Scripture reading for next Sunday morning viz. Matthew 28: 16-20.
Thursday
+ 11am-1pm The Social Chat Group (upstairs in the Village Well) will be learning basic English, playing table tennis and other games, drinking tea and coffee and making friends.
+ 1.30pm-2.30pm Bakehouse in the Barn: Saving bread, fruit and vegetables from waste by giving food to those wanting to ease their weekly budget.
Friday
+ 4.30-8.30pm: Social Table Tennis (upstairs, 5 Ellingworth Pde)
Saturday
+ 7.30am-8.30am Bakehouse in the Barn: Saving bread, fruit and vegetables from waste by giving food to those wanting to ease their weekly budget.
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 31 May at 10am.
+ It’s our Last Breakfast led by Eddie with conversation around tables.
+ Please bring food to share.
+Scripture Reading: Matthew 28: 16-20.
+ The baptisms of Grazia Sedawie and Lucien Toth will take place during our gathering. This will be a great time to invite friends and neighbours to church.
This Sunday we join with followers of Jesus around the world to celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit.
This Sunday is called ‘Pentecost Sunday’ reminding us that the day has its roots in the Jewish festival Shavuot or Feast of Weeks and that this day, which is often considered as the birthday of the church, happens fifty days after Easter.
Jesus noted one of the birthday gifts in his promise: “You shall receive power…” (Acts 1:8)
Political leaders who are in power usually want more power to get their policies implemented.
Sports teams usually want more power so they can crush their opposition.
This Sunday is a time to reflect on the distinctive power that comes with the Holy Spirit.
According to Jesus, the Holy Spirit’s power is received as a gift. It is not seized.
It doesn’t work through fear and force to bring about compliance and control.
The Holy Spirit’s power works through love and is for witness, service and transformation.
Approach this birthday like children do, with eagerness and expectancy.
If Sunday’s anniversary is anything like the first Pentecost, it could be wild, leaving us amazed and perplexed. People walking down the street might poke their heads inside our church and say, “They’re filled with new wine.”
See you at the birthday celebration. That’s the Spirit!
+Worship Leader Eddie Chapman; Preacher: Geoff Pound
+Scripture Reading: Acts 1: 1-14.
+Theme: On Friday, 14 May, it is Ascension Day in the Christian calendar. We’ll be thinking on Sunday of the words of Jesus before his ascension and how his followers were called from looking up, to waiting and praying before looking out to engagement with their community and world.
+ Our service will include an interview with Dave Mutton reflecting on his years at Box Hill Baptist. Another time to invite people Back to Box Hill Baptist in this, our 125th year as a church in this community. It will be good to welcome Dave and renew friendship with him over morning tea.
+Vahid and Mina will be providing something celebratory to eat at morning tea in the Barn when we can rejoice with them in the good news of their receiving a permanent resident visa after 12 long years. Another special celebration for Mina and Vahid will take place next Tuesday with Dr Carina Garland (Member for Chisholm) and Barbara Harman (Electorate Officer) at their office. Dr Carina and Barbara have been caring, supportive and practically helpful throughout Vahid and Mina’s immigration journey.
Order of Service
LOOKING UP
Call to worship
Song: All people that on earth do dwell (BPW 2) Prayer
LOOKING AROUND
Community News
Interview with Dave Mutton
Song: Lord let me see
Pastoral Prayers (part 1)
Reading: Acts 1:1-14
Sermon
LOOKING OUT
Song: As we contemplate our mission
Offering
Pastoral Prayers (part 2)
Song: Act Justly
Benediction
Community News
+ Congratulations to Diane Haegney who celebrates her 80th birthday this Sunday (17th).
+ Congratulations to Graeme Davison, who, at last Tuesday’s Graduation Ceremony at Monash University was awarded the degree of Doctor of Laws honoris causa, before he had the privilege of giving the keynote address to the graduating students.
+ At a Church Meeting last Sunday, we heard the stories of faith and agreed to receive into our church membership, Vahid, Rae and Lucien. It is also planned that Grazia Sedawie and Lucien Toth will be baptised during our church service (The Last Breakfast) on 31 May.
+ A draft copy of the new Church Directory will be available on Sunday in the Barn. Please check your name and contact details and add a tick when you have done this. If your name isn’t listed there, please add it if you wish plus your contact details.
+ The new Worship Roster (for May-August) is out. You can access it here. Organising the roster is a tricky and imperfect science, so if you’ve been put down for a day you can’t attend, please let the office know (and if possible, organising a swap would be much appreciated!).
Also, we’d love to bring one or two new Worship Leaders onboard to help enrich our services with your own unique perspectives – So if that’s something you’d been thinking about and would like to give a go (with as much support as you need!!), talk to Eddie.
+ The family of Barrie and Pat Paul are sifting through 60+ years of documents and books. Some documents may be valuable records and memorabilia for our church. One relic that the family gave was a Box Hill Baptist centennial coffee mug. Also, some books selected for our church library include Tim Costello’s ‘A Lot with a Little’ and a book entitled, ‘101 Things to Do During a Dull Sermon.’ Check these out and other books in our church library.
+Further Afield: Thanks to our delegates who will be representing our church next Friday (22nd) at the BUV Gathering; Whitley College offers a Public Lecture; details of the National Day of Prayer; latest edition of the BUV’s TOGETHER E-Mag.
Food for Thought, Prayer & Action
+Lucy Davison (daughter of Barbara and Graeme) wrote this musical reflection on ‘Needed Time’: Finding Easter Hope in the Blues, Melbourne Catholic News, 5 May 2026.
+ Melbourne Families are Struggling to Put Food on the Table. Eastern Suburbs Locals are Opening up their Garages to Help, The Eastern Melburnian, 7 May 2026.
+ Tim Costello offers A Theological Reflection on the Current Need for Australian Aid. Micah Australia, 8 May 2026.
This Week
Monday
+ 4.30pm-8.30pm Social Table Tennis (upstairs, 5 Ellingworth Pde)
Tuesday
+ 9.30am The Box Hill Community Choir meets in our sanctuary for practice and morning tea.
+ 7.15pm (Cuppa) for 7.30pm (Study and discussion) The Bible & Chats Group will be studying the Scripture reading for next Sunday morning viz. Acts 2: 1-21.
Thursday
+ 11am-1pm The Social Chat Group (upstairs in the Village Well) will be learning basic English, playing table tennis and other games, drinking tea and coffee and making friends.
+ 1.30pm-2.30pm Bakehouse in the Barn: Saving bread, fruit and vegetables from waste by giving food to those wanting to ease their weekly budget.
Friday
+ 4.30-8.30pm: Social Table Tennis (upstairs, 5 Ellingworth Pde)
Saturday
+ 7.30am-8.30am Bakehouse in the Barn: Saving bread, fruit and vegetables from waste by giving food to those wanting to ease their weekly budget.
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 24 May at 10am.
+Worship Leader: Keith Dyer; Preacher: Geoff Pound
+Scripture Reading: Acts 2: 1-21
+Theme: On Sunday, 24 May, it is Pentecost Day in the Christian calendar. We’ll be joining with other followers of Jesus around the world to celebrate the gift of God’s Spirit to indwell us, to form a vibrant community, to sustain our faithfulness, to teach us patience and commission us to become creative human beings who are fully alive.
As this week marks Ascension Day in the Christian calendar I thought, “At Christmas you can buy a Christmas card, at Easter you can buy a cross and resurrection accessories, but I’ve never been sent an Ascension card. Compared with Christmas and Easter, Ascension Day seems like a poor cousin. A very minor celebration.
But then I Googled ‘Ascension Merchandise’ and found a range of Ascension T shirts. Would you like one in sky blue, celestial pink, angelic white, majesty red or Upper Room brown? What words would you like to have printed on your shirt?
‘Is this the time?’
‘You will receive power’
‘To the ends of the earth’
‘Why do you stand looking?’
Why hasn’t a hot air balloon company called themselves ‘Ascension Rides’ that promise joyful, scenic rises across the Melbourne skies while passengers sing, ‘Up, up and away in my beautiful balloon’?
The cynical part of me wonders about the ascension, “Did it really happen?” Even though the creeds state that Jesus “ascended into heaven…” I’ve never had much conviction to recite that line. It hasn’t been a teaching that I’ve been prepared to die for. After all, the four Gospels hardly give it a mention.
But in recent days I’ve been pondering more about what Jesus and the early Christians wanted us to discover. The Ascension is not a lot of hot air. It shouldn’t leave us with a crook neck. It’s a teaching that builds confidence in God’s ability to use us. It’s a call to be followers of Jesus here in Melbourne but it stretches our vision to be engaged way beyond our locality.
I hope we can discover more together next Sunday either online or in person. If we gather with expectancy, I’m sure we’ll be brought down from the clouds and find it will empower our lives, lift our spirits and expand our vision.
+Worship Leader: Shueh Wah Kennedy; Preacher: Eddie Chapman
+Scripture Reading: Acts 17: 22-31.
+Theme: Fumbling for God
+ A brief Member’s Meeting follows the worship service to receive reports on people who are requesting to be members of the Box Hill Baptist Church.
+ This Sunday is Mother’s Day which is a day of gratitude for many—and a tender day for others. A day to give thanks for mothers and mother-figures who have loved, nurtured, and shaped us. A time to also acknowledge those for whom this day carries grief: the loss of a mother, complicated relationships, unfulfilled longing for children, or painful memories. On this day, we seek to honour care in all its forms and to hold one another with kindness and understanding.
Order of Service
Call to Worship
Prayer of Gathering
Song – Be Still
Welcome and Community News
Offering
Prayer of Thankfulness
Reading – Acts 17: 22-31
Song – O Lord You Search Me and You Know Me
Sermon – Fumbling for God
Song – Will You come and follow Me
Prayer for the World
Sung Benediction – The Lord Bless You and Keep You
Community News
+ Congratulations to Vahid Mohmadi and Mina Abdi who last Monday were told they had obtained Permanent Residence in Australia after a 13-year process. We look forward to celebrating with them this wonderful gift.
+ At the Last Breakfast we heard about the Peace Bridges Project in Cambodia sponsored by Baptist Mission Australia and recommended by our deacons as our overseas mission project in the month of May. Collect a Baptist Mission Envelope (available in foyer) and drop in the offering bag or post free. Donations can be tax deductible if specified. Support for this project is not budgeted.
+ Our worship rosters are about to be re-issued for the next 3 months. If you’d like to further your involvement by taking part, we would love to see more people sharing in serving and contributing for our Sunday worship services. Chat to Michelle or Eddie to see how you can help!
+ We are currently updating our Church Directory – Check out the latest version and if your details have changed (or you’d like to be added to the Directory), let Eddie or the church office (office@boxhillbaptist.org.au) know.
+ From their monthly meeting this week our Church Deacons:
Scheduled the next general Church Member’s Meeting for 21 June after Morning Tea
Approved a two-page summary in plain English of our church constitution.
Noted with delight that donations amounting to $10,000 have covered the unexpected cost of the plastering and painting of the front wall of the church.
Noted with concern that our our offerings have fallen $19,000 below budget.
Heard the progress on the creation of a new Volunteer Information form for Bakehouse volunteers.
Received a report of new bookings for our church facilities.
Was informed of progress towards the oversight of the Community Shed being changed from the Village Well to an independent organisation.
Learned that four new Bakehouses are being established by organisations in different locations (and hopefully different days) to create a larger network for saving food waste, alleviating family budgets and helping the needy.
Heard that our Bakehouse in the Barn is providing regular food assistance to some of the residents in homes overseen by Jubilee Housing.
Scheduled a church working bee for the morning of 13 June.
Recognised that with Ethan Chapman being away for several months studying in Malaysia that we will need more people to operate our Audio-Visual technology for services. See Eddie if you might be able to help.
+ We have invited Dave Mutton, former staff member of Box Hill Baptist, to come and share in our church service on 17 May some reflections on his years with us. A letter of invitation will be sent out inviting former members to join us on that day. Let Eddie know of people you think we should especially invite.
Food for Thought, Prayer & Action
+ Add your voice in support of Australian aid. Link to add your voice.
+ ‘I’m not religious, but…’: The Artemis II space mission stirs something deep inside us, ABC, 1 May 2026.
+ What do you do when you can’t find the words to pray? In this column in The Age, Barney Zwartz says Jesus already found them for you.
This Week
Monday
+ 4.30pm-8.30pm Social Table Tennis (upstairs, 5 Ellingworth Pde)
Tuesday
+ 9.30am The Box Hill Community Choir meets in our sanctuary for practice and morning tea.
+ 7.15pm (Cuppa) for 7.30pm (Study and discussion) The Bible & Chats Group will be studying the Scripture reading for next Sunday morning viz. Acts 1: 1-14.
Thursday
+ 11am-1pm The Social Chat Group (upstairs in the Village Well) will be learning basic English, playing table tennis and other games, drinking tea and coffee and making friends.
+ 1.30pm-2.30pm Bakehouse in the Barn: Saving bread, fruit and vegetables from waste by giving food to those wanting to ease their weekly budget.
Friday
+ 4.30-8.30pm: Social Table Tennis (upstairs, 5 Ellingworth Pde)
Saturday
+ 7.30am-8.30am Bakehouse in the Barn: Saving bread, fruit and vegetables from waste by giving food to those wanting to ease their weekly budget.
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)
+Theme: Next Friday, 14 May, it is Ascension Day in the Christian calendar. We’ll be thinking next Sunday of the words of Jesus before his ascension and how his followers were called not to rush ahead but to wait, pray and trust God’s timing and provision.
+ Our service will include an interview with Dave Mutton reflecting on his years at Box Hill Baptist. Another time to invite people Back to Box Hill Baptist in this our 125th year as a church in this community.
Some words in the Bible simply don’t get enough airtime…
Like in Acts 17, where the apostle Paul is speaking to a crowd of sophisticated Athenians -philosophers, thinkers, people who took ideas seriously. But in describing the human search for God he uses (at least in the NRSV bible!) a wonderfully simple, relatable, down to earth word – fumble.
It’s not a very dignified word. It’s the word for groping around in the dark, not quite sure what you’re looking for, not quite sure if anything is there. It’s a term that implies struggle, disorganisation, incompetence, perhaps even complete failure.
But Paul uses it without embarrassment.
This Sunday is Mother’s Day. A day of celebration which can feel a little loaded. Because one of the quiet myths of parenthood (and of faith, and of adult life in general!) is that everyone else seems to have it all together.
Otherpeople seem confident, competent, clear on what they believe and how to live.
Otherpeople seem to have figured out the things you’re still secretly working out.
Most of us are carrying, somewhere, a low-grade suspicion that we are the only ones still fumbling.
But Paul encourages us. Fumbling isn’t a sign that you’re doing it wrong. It’s actually the shape that honest searching takes. None of us has a clean, clear, unobstructed view of who God is. We’re all reaching and groping – through doubt, through questions, through the ordinary and sometimes overwhelming texture of our lives – hoping to make contact with something real.
In fact, God has arranged the whole of human existence so that we might fumble about for him.
The one we’re fumbling for is already close by. God is not waiting at the end of a long and successful spiritual journey, available only to those who’ve got their act together. He is near. In the messy everyday. In trying to hold it all together. In pretending we know what we’re doing. In the midst of the fumbling itself.
This Sunday we’ll sit with that idea together and see what it might mean for all of us who are still, in various ways, fumbling our way through life.
+ Communion Service (usually held on the first Sunday of the month).
+Offering: On each first Sunday we bring non-perishable food items that are given to support needy people in our community.
+Worship Leader: Eddie Chapman; Preacher: Geoff Pound
+Scripture Reading: Acts 7: 55-60; 8:1-3.
+Theme: The first in a new post-Easter series in the book of Acts. We look at the way a problem with the management of a food distribution programme led to the appointment of the first deacons. Stephen, the first deacon in the early church, becomes the first Christian martyr. To learn about him and why he lost his life, please read about Stephen and his sermon from Acts 6: 1- 8:3.
Order of Service
Call to worship
Song: Sea of Love
Community News
Bible Reading
Offering & Food distribution
Pastoral Prayers & Intercession
Song: Don’t tell me of a faith that fears
Sermon
Song: How can we live as Christians
Communion
Song: Faith has set us on a journey
Benediction
Community News
+ Box Hill Baptist Church is hosting a very special art exhibition right here in the heart of Box Hill! People with MS Victoria is showcasing beautiful works created by people living with MS and other neurological conditions, a powerful reminder of the creativity and resilience within our community.
Opening Event: Saturday 2nd May, 3pm–5pm (Officially opened by Paul Hamer MP).
General Viewing: 4th–8th May, 1pm–5pm.
Free admission.
Come along, be inspired, and show your support for these incredibly talented artists.
More information about the art exhibition at this link.
+ A baptism is being planned to be part of the service on the 31 May. If you are also interested in taking this step, do speak with Eddie or Geoff.
+ After several weeks of medical care in different hospitals, it is good to report that Bill Firth-Smith is recuperating at home.
+ Congratulations to Ethan Chapman who has been awarded an NCP Semester Program Grant from Monash University, which will enable him to study at Monash’s Malaysia campus during the second half of 2026.
+Whitehorse Churches Care is a network of local churches supporting our community through food relief, emergency assistance, and practical care. Learn more from this video. There’s more information about the Community Space at the Forest Hill Chase overseen by staff and volunteers of Whitehouse Churches Care. Here’s a video about this community space.
Food for Thought, Prayer & Action
+ Oz Harvest reports that food insecurity is on the rise in this country, with one in three Australians now accessing food relief services for the first time. ABC, 23 April 2026.
+ Jesus was called the ‘Prince of Peace’ but global military spending has hit a record high and with it a world that is feeling more insecure and uncertain. Higher defence budgets mean countries have higher debt and less money for food, education and health. ABC, 28 April 2026.
+ A church in Kew, England, is developing initiatives to deepen the church’s theological understanding and engagement with the climate crisis, reports the Church Times, 17 April 2026.
This Week
Monday
+ 4.30pm-8.30pm Social Table Tennis (upstairs, 5 Ellingworth Pde)
+ 7.30pm Our Deacons gather for their monthly meeting inspired by Sunday’s Scripture about the stoning of the very first deacon.
Tuesday
+ 9.30am The Box Hill Community Choir meets in our sanctuary for practice and morning tea.
+ 7.15pm (Cuppa) for 7.30pm (Study and discussion) The Bible & Chats Group will be studying the Scripture reading for next Sunday morning viz. Acts 7: 55-60; 8:1-3 but they’re encouraged to start reading at Acts 6: 1.
Thursday
+ 11am-1pm The Social Chat Group (upstairs in the Village Well) will be learning basic English, playing table tennis and other games, drinking tea and coffee and making friends.
+ 1.30pm-2.30pm Bakehouse in the Barn: Saving bread, fruit and vegetables from waste by giving food to those wanting to ease their weekly budget.
Friday
+ 4.30-8.30pm: Social Table Tennis (upstairs, 5 Ellingworth Pde)
Saturday
+ 7.30am-8.30am Bakehouse in the Barn: Saving bread, fruit and vegetables from waste by giving food to those wanting to ease their weekly budget.
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 10 May at 10am.
+Worship Leader:Shueh Wah; Preacher: Eddie Chapman
+Scripture Reading: Acts 17: 22-31.
+Theme: The second study in our post-Easter series in the book of Acts looks at the apostle Paul’s address at the Areopagus in Athens, where he engages a religious and philosophical audience, affirms their spiritual searching, then proclaims the one true God as Creator and Sustainer of all, who is near to all.
+ A brief Member’s Meeting follows the worship service to receive reports on people who are requesting to be members of the Box Hill Baptist Church.
Box Hill Baptist Church 