1. "Baptism & Communion," by Rev Barrie Sutton: When I was a young pastor, my thoughts were for the present and future. I had grown up in a Baptist family, been taken to church, and participated in the program that occupied all of Sunday. I witnessed the activities of a worship service and attended Sunday School and Christian Endeavour. However, it was the more dramatic events of baptism and communion that held the most interest for me. They were shorter and more visual than the sermon or the choir anthem.
2. "Profiles":
Let's celebrate the lives and servant hearts of those who've done so much hard work in ministry over many years. We've chosen to highlight twelve people in this edition who've had remarkable careers serving the wider Baptist community. It's by no means an exhaustive list, but hopefully it provides a glimpse into the monumental scale of God's glory, mercy and love for each of us. As we honour and respect these twelve individuals, let's remember to give all praise to God for the time and energy these twelve faithful servants put into ministry, throughout their amazing and sacrificial lives - and for all the Spirit-filled developments that flowed on from their achievements.
3. "Celebrating Our Ongoing Witness":
As part of her thesis on social change and Victorian Baptists, Marita Monro from Whitley College has kindly provided us with some reflections on the changes to our magazine from 1960 to 2000 ...
4. "Women in Leadership Profile: Kerry Schubert", by Rev Carolyn Francis: She's a fifth-generation, a professional drummer and a skilled debater. She plays competitive table tennis and has worked in a 7,000-member church in Wisconsin ... and that's when she's not bungee jumping! you could never accuse Kerry Schubert of being boring.
THE FULL ARTICLES AND MUCH MORE ARE AVAILABLE IN THE FEBRUARY EDITION OF THE WITNESS!