- NVBC
- Dec 10
- 4 min read
10th Dec 2025
Advent: A Season for Peace
from Johnny
I think our world is desperate for peace at the moment - so many people seem to be living with a background level of fear, a sense of dread gnawing away at the back of their minds. Perhaps you feel this too - fear of war, fear of natural disaster, fear of economic collapse, fear of evil people with too much power...
God's people have lived in fearful times before. Throughout the bible there are countless examples of people longing for God to overcome this state of fear, because people are always living in times where things are not right. In the time of Isaiah, there were many who lived like this:
Distressed and hungry, they will roam through the land; when they are famished, they will become enraged and, looking upward, will curse their king and their God. Then they will look toward the earth and see only distress and darkness and fearful gloom, and they will be thrust into utter darkness. (Isaiah 8:21-22)
Following these words, Isaiah goes on to prophesy into that very darkness, saying that one day a light will dawn (Is 9:2), because a child will be born who will be called "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." (Is 9:6) We know and celebrate the fact that He came, the prince born into poverty in the village of Bethlehem 2000 years ago.
God's Peace is not just the absence of war or conflict - it is a wholeness, the state of all-things-made-right. The Prince of Peace was born on the first Christmas to a people who had longed for that kind of peace for hundreds of years. And His peace for us is still alive and active, bringing wholeness and healing and restoration to a world that needs that kind of peace so, so deeply.
Highlight: Carols
What a night we had on Sunday night! It was so wonderful to have an evening to celebrate Christmas with families from our local community and to love our neighbours! There were a lot of happy and thankful people who were blessed by our church family as we served one another and all our visitors - it was a great witness to the presence of God in our midst.
A massive thank you to everyone who helped make it possible - to the the musicians, the tech team, the decorators, the set-up-ers, the barbecuers, the face-painters, the crafters, the car parkers, the welcomers and the giant slide safety officers - thank you all!
Mission Update: ZOE, Thailand
Each year, as Christmas approaches, a special anticipation fills the homes at ZOE Thailand. The children help decorate: hanging lights, making paper ornaments, and carefully wrapping gifts for one another. There’s laughter everywhere and a sense of excitement. The kitchen will soon hum with yet more laughter and clattering plates. Steam will rise from pots of rice, and cooking smells will fill the air as meals are prepared for those now calling ZOE home. For some, it will be their first safe Christmas, sitting to a meal surrounded by people who love them and receiving a gift chosen just for them.
NVBC has been supporting the work of the ZOE Bible School for many years. Learn more about the work of ZOE online or, better, ask Chris Young about it. And look for the prayer points in The Harvest.
Christmas Appeal 2025
Don't forget to give to our Christmas Appeal this year - raising money for Insight High School Ministries, and then for Purfleet Community Church's Roof.
Click here for all the details about what we are raising funds for this year, and please give as generously as you are able.
Global Leadership Summit
On Saturday January 17th we are going to host a GLS Local right here at NVBC! The Global Leadership Summit is a world class leadership summit experience, bringing some of the best leadership insights and practical tools to equip leaders across the world. Whether you are seeking to lead yourself better, or lead your family, team, ministry or organisation better, then GLS is for you!
As a local host of the GLS, we will engage with the keynote speakers while also creating space for discussion and personal reflection. Learn more about the GLS and sign up here.
This Sunday
This Sunday AM Travis will be back from QLD and excited to preach on God's people crossing the Jordan and entering the promised land!!
We will also have our Kingdom Kids Christmas parties. Please bring a plate to share as we celebrate the wonderful year we have had this year we will have our final Christmas talk for our Christmas series with Christmas games and fun during the morning!
After the AM Service we also have a Focus Meeting (AGM). All welcome as we present the 2026 budget and other church updates as we head towards next year together.
This Sunday PM Dylan Bladergroen will wrap up our PM series for 2025 in Mark 8:27-9:1, as we consider one of the most important questions: who do we say Jesus is?
Following Weekend
Carols in the Stadium (Sat Dec 20) - Purchase your tickets here.
Kingdom Kids Christmas Service (Sun Dec 21, AM) - our annual joy-filled service where our Kingdom Kids lead us through the Christmas story.
Blue Christmas Service (Sun Dec 21, PM) - our annual safe and sacred space, where we can bring our hurts, disappointments and griefs before a loving God at Christmas time.
2025 Christmas Services
Join us, along with your family and friends for our Christmas Eve Service (Wed Dec 24, 8pm) and/or our Christmas Day Service (Thurs Dec 24, 9:30am).
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