Church Family News, 23 May 2021 – Hobart Baptist Church

Welcome to church!

Please join us to hear about a Lament of Despair as we continue our current current sermon series, to mourn with those who mourn.

Sermon title: A Lament of Despair
Bible Reading: Psalm 22:1-1 1

If you are coming to visit us at the TAB, PLEASE TAKE CARE as the driveway surface is uneven and is a hazard, especially for entry to the back hall. There is no parking in the driveway at the moment.

Dates for Your Diary

1 to 31 MAY May Mission Month. Read more >>>
SUNDAY 23 MAY A Lament of Despair
SUNDAY 30 MAY A Lament for the Building (A retiring offering will be collected to support the work of Jan and Jit’s Lanternlight ministry amongst disabled people in Thailand.)
17-25 JUN Michael Henderson’s art installation in Main Foyer and Soundy Lounge, marking the start of our Luminous Festival.
SATURDAY 19 JUN EmpowHer (Tas Baptist Women) Southern Walk at South Arm. Save the date, more info to come.
SUNDAY 20 JUN Advent 1
23 & 25 JUN Luminous Conversations (Wed and Fri evenings)
SUNDAY 27 JUN Advent 2
28 JUN – 3 JUL Christmas in Winter week (Hearty meals in homes with friends/neighbours)
2 &/or 3 JUL Carols at the Tab (the first weekend of the school holidays)
4 JUL Christmas Day Service

Latest Building Development News

There is Light – I can see it, can you? This image shows the new foyer with the Soundy lounge on the left and the church on the right, and there are lights!!
With work in progress, the photo doesn’t really show things to the best advantage, but I assure you it is looking great!

Read the latest update from our Project Manager here.

Please pray that the work will be finished and we will have the all clear to use the building for our upcoming Art Installation, Luminous Festival, and Christmas in winter celebrations.

Breathe, Shine and Seek to Mend

Tasmania’s spectacular midwinter arts festival, Dark MoFo, is back for winter 2021. Michael Henderson is taking the opportunity to engage with it again and he writes:

“This year’s art work draws attention to our response to the crucifixion. More than 30 works to challenge, inspire, and offer a genuine space for anyone to have a conversation with Jesus on their own terms.”

The art installation will be on view in the new main Foyer and the Soundy lounge. Put it in your diary, it is not to be missed!

May Mission Month – Yawan News

News from Jit and Jan Yawan

Greetings dear friends,
May Mission Month is a time to be challenged again by the God-given opportunities of reaching His world through the outreach of Global Interaction.

I well remember the instigation of May Mission Month by J.D. Williams (Leader of the then Australian Baptist Missionary Society – now GI). The challenge then was “a weeks wages in May”.

Jit and Jan are currently in Australia, waiting to return to Thailand.
Read their Newsletter here >>> | More about May Mission Month >>>

NOTE: Next Sunday, 31 May, there will be a retiring offering – your opportunity to give to the work of the Lanternlight Ministry: Jan and Jit’s ministry amongst the disabled in their area Thailand.

CityNetworks face masks for India

Kelvin Smith and the CityNetworks team write,

Thankfully, in Tasmania we’ve had it relatively easy through the COVID, But for our brothers and sisters in India, it is a different situation at the moment. They have received a wave of COVID that has devastated many communities without access to face masks, and massive numbers of people suffering from hunger.

CityNetworks is providing an opportunity for churches in Tasmania to contribute to our Indian brothers and sisters directly via the Evangelical Trust Association of North India, which is led by Dr. Richard Howell, General Secretary of the Asia Evangelical Alliance and Evangelical Fellowship of India.

If you feel moved to help, be assured that 100% of money collected will go directly to food, masks, and sanitising materials to Indian churches and their communities. $50 provides food, masks and sanitiser for a family for a month. We hope this collection to be state wide. Any donations can be sent through www.tassiechurches.com. We will send the gift on May 31st.

Blessings from The CityNetworks Team

Check in TAS App – Thank You for remembering

We can now fill the church to 100% capacity, which is great news. Well actually we can’t quite at the moment until eight of the pews on the northern side of the church are back in action, but we are permitted to!

Thank you to all who have embraced the use of the Check in TAS app. as mandated by the Tasmanian Government. It is great to see everyone either scanning the QR code or checking in by using the sign-in sheet in the foyer or on the check-in table inside the Church.

Keep up the good work, it is just part of our lifestyle now, wherever we go.

Heather Galloway
Duty of Care Officer

GIVING – Your tithes and offerings

Offerings – why do we give?

Baptist churches operate independently – they do not receive financial support from a parent body or government agency. We therefore have to generate our own income to support our budget: to pay our Pastoral staff, cover administrative costs and general running costs as well as supporting local and overseas missions.

Offerings from the congregation are the major source of our income, and as such are very important. We thank all who continue to give faithfully on a regular basis. We could not operate without this support.
Currently our offerings income falls short of meeting our budget, hence we are looking forward to the whole building being available for use by the community, and the revenue from hiring the spaces increasing our potential to reach out and minister to the community.

EFT is a great way to ensure regular giving and as well there are offering boxes available for use as you leave the Sanctuary.

You can give online here>>>

COVID-19 Reminders

Please remember the simple guidelines to keeping everyone safe, including:

Stay at home if you are unwell – always cover coughs and sneezes.
Please use hand sanitiser when you arrive and before you leave
Ensure your name is recorded – Either using the Check in TAS QR code or sign the attendance sheet.
Family members may sit close together – others please remember the 1.5m rule.

Thank you for your assistance.