- 4 days ago
- 4 min read
13th May 2026
Forget not...
from Johnny
Over the past couple of months, we have had the privilege of witnessing a series of baptisms: (22nd of March, 3rd of May, and a few more are happening this coming Sunday!). If, like me, you've been a Christian for a while, witnessing baptisms and hearing testimonies might bring back memories of your own baptism or your own coming to faith in Jesus.
Hopefully, these celebrations help you to return your focus to the simple, foundational Gospel truths - things like the forgiveness of our sins, our redemption, and God's love, compassion, righteousness, grace, and abounding love. In Psalm 103, David celebrates all of these themes and more in a great song of praise. I recommend you go and read it now.
There's an interesting phrase right at the start, in verse 2: "Praise the LORD, my soul, and forget not all his benefits..." How is it that we forget all the good things he has done for us? How do we become proud and self-sufficient, or take God for granted? Let us not forget - let us be reminded again this week - that God loves us, that He has saved us, and that he "has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all." (Psalm 103:19). Praise the Lord, my soul!
May Mission Month Project - Thailand Youth Camp
Each May we raise funds as a church for a specific mission project. This year, our fundraising project is for a youth camp in Northern Thailand, which will be run by our Baptist Mission Australia partners Muana and Villy.
We are excited to have Muana with us in person at NVBC on the last Sunday May Mission Month (May 31). Wouldn't it be fabulous to share with him that we raised enough funds to cover the costs of the camp?! The estimated total cost of the camp is around $4,500.
You can learn more about (and give to) our May Mission Month Project here.
NVBC has been a long-term supporter of Muana & Villy who have been working with the Northern Thai people since 2001. Learn more about this work here.
New Song: Still on the Throne
This Sunday, we’ll be introducing a new song in worship: “Still on the Throne” by The Belonging Co. The message of this song is both simple and deeply needed!
Whether we are facing anxiety about the future, challenges within our families, grief, disappointment, or simply the weight of constant troubling news around us, this song reminds us of an unchanging truth: God has not been shaken. He is still sovereign, still faithful, and still on the throne.
“The Lord has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over all.”
Psalm 103:19
As we sing this together, our prayer is that it will strengthen our faith and steady our hearts. Worship does not ignore the realities of pain or uncertainty — it places them in the hands of a God who reigns above it all. May this song help us lift our eyes to Jesus and find renewed peace, hope, and confidence in Him together as a church family.
Welcome Esther
We are thrilled to share the news that baby Esther was born to Alice and Joel Clement over the weekend. A warm welcome to the world and our church family little Esther! And a big congratulations to Alice and Joel, Bella and Aurora on your growing family.
Join us in giving thanks for Esther's safe arrival and pray that God's hand of blessing will rest upon her throughout her life.
If you would like to help the family practically, a meal-train has been set up which you can access here.
Events Beyond NVBC
There are some great events coming up in our connected networks. Two we wish to highlight and encourage you think of engaging with are:
Annual Tinsley Lecture
Put on by our Baptist Theological College, this year's annual Tinsley Lecture will be an exploration of "What Christianity offers a fractured Public Square." Special guest presenter is Michael Jensen.
There are multiple ways of engaging, including joining with others at Green Point Baptist to watch the livestream together. This is a free event and one to get you thinking well about being a believer in our cultural and societal context today. To find out more or to rego for a personal livestream link or for in person attendance, visit: Tinsley Annual Lecture 2026
SRE 140 year Celebration Dinner
We love the opportunities that teaching Scripture in our schools provides and continue to thank God for the faithful witness of so many SRE teachers and volunteers. Did you know that this year marks 140 years of SRE in our NSW schools?? To mark this milestone, join for a celebration hosted at Cue & Crew. Buy your tickets here.
This Sunday
This Sunday Travis continues our series in Acts (2:42-47) and we have more baptisms to celebrate at the end of our Services! Kingdom Kids is on as normal and it is a Valley Sundays week for our highschoolers.
Coming Up
Count Me In Lunch (Sun 24 May)
We believe in this beautiful thing called church!! As we read through the book of Acts we see the earliest believers be formed into a community with a powerful shared life and devotion to Gospel partnership.
Ministry Partnership (often called membership in other churches) is our way of individuals and families saying "count me in" to full participation in the life and decision-making of NVBC. Put simply, if you love Jesus and call NVBC your spiritual church home, then we would love to welcome you into Ministry Partnership at NVBC.
If you are interested in learning more or are ready to become a Ministry Partner here at NVBC, please rego here and come along to our lunch after the morning service on May 24th.
Seniors Service (Thurs 28 May)
Join for an encouraging morning of hymns, prayer, communion and a special message from Bryan Shirley.
For all other upcoming events, visit:
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