Last Friday, we gathered together as BUV pastors, spouses, members of assembly, Support Hub staff and other Baptist family to participate in Nourish and Members’ Dinner.
Nourish, as always, was a great opportunity for Pastors and spouses to take a break from their day-to-day roles and be encouraged through worship, teaching and times of personal and group reflection. 160 pastors from 96 churches and agencies across Victoria joined in person and online to hear Rev Dr Mike Stevens, Senior Pastor at Clovercrest in South Australia speak on Stepping Away, Stepping In and Stepping Out into God’s mission. Nourish is a beautiful example of our BUV family serving and supporting one another – BUV pastors and leaders led the band, communion and our prayer room, Essendon Baptist staff took great care of us including making coffees and BUV agency and affiliate representatives were present for pastors to talk with. All in all, a great day of fellowship together.
A Professional Standards Workshop was held in person and on line following Nourish on Ethical AI facilitated by BUV pastors, Nathan Nettleton, Jude Waldron and Ben Dickson.
We then moved across to Hyatt Place at Essendon Fields for Members’ Dinner with 287 members of assembly gathered from 111 churches and agencies. A young team from Australian Zophei Church led us in beautiful worship to open the evening. Rev Daniel Bullock spoke about noticing what God has been doing in your church and leaning into that, just as Moses noticed the burning bush in Exodus 3. We welcomed new faith communities to our Baptist Union, celebrated mergers and new campuses and farewelled those communities who had left. Assembly voted Rev Dr Allan Demond in as Chair of Union Council, we heard an update on the State of the Union and as usual Members were given an opportunity to ask questions or bring issues before Assembly. Later in the evening, we heard from representatives from BaptistCare and Christian Finance who have both gone through mergers and name changes in the last 18 months joined in prayer together to bring the evening to a close.
Thankyou to those who joined us at Friday’s events and those who held us in prayer – we appreciate your continued engagement and discernment as to God’s will across our union.