Recent articles from the Witness – the monthly magazine of the BUV

The Witness is a Victorian Baptist Churches Magazine that voices discussions of the life and culture of Baptist churches in Victoria.

The Witness maintains a partnership with the Victorian Baptist churches through the communication of local church news and stories which illuminate the positive, meaningful moments and events within the Baptist community in Victoria.

The Witness also threads together stories from the wider body of churches and global issues within Victoria and the international church. It is a vehicle that facilitates the Baptist Union of Victoria’s objectives to "share the love of Jesus with everyone".

Each edition of the Witness is themed, and the May edition is 'Global & Local Mission'. You can read snippets from a few sample articles below. For Witness subscription information, contact Rhonda Shaw on (03) 9880 6100 or rhonda.shaw@buv.com.au

1. "The Mission of God" by Rev Roslyn H Wright:  Our God is a God on a mission. It is not just that God has come into our world - and into our lives - in the person of Jesus, but that God's own nature is mission.

God's mission is for us. For us to be "for God", we must be for God's world, actively participating, loving and living with all we have, and all we are, and all we can be. God's mission is our mission. There is no choice.

2. "Living Missionally - Profile: Natasha Stoyanoff" by Keralie Smith:  Natahsa is 21 and a missionary after God's own heart. Whether she is living missionally in the heart of Heathmont, leading a Global Interaction kids' camp, or visiting South East Asia, she's praying that God impacts lives...

3. "Mission: Near", by Brent Lyons Lee:  Mission Near. Mission Neighbour. MIssion Community. Call it what you like, but it starts in your heart, your congregation, then your neighbourhood... Four reflections on mission field that starts next door.

4. "Mission Beyond Our Shore" by Anita Walker:  A 20 year-old went to Uganda and saw God lift up the poor, the orphaned and the oppressed. At the same time, a 19 year-old went to Thailand and witnessed the faight of new believers, and their joy despite severe poverty. Both returned changed, witha  new understanding of our missionary God...

THE FULL ARTICLES AND MUCH MORE ARE AVAILABLE IN THE MAY EDITION OF THE WITNESS!

Because of God's mission - we live. God loved us and wanted us to love him. So he sought us, found us and lives with us. God's costly love brought us reconciliation with him. Do we live like this is true? Do we let this transform us and grip us to the heart? And - does his mission shape us?

In this edition we explore the wonderful purpose of God to reach the world; how hearts, minds, neighbourhoods and nations are being transformed by Jesus