29th July 2026
- NVBC
- 16 minutes ago
- 4 min read
29th July 2026
Prayer as Formation
from Ps. Johnny
Last Sunday, Travis preached about prayer as formation, and encouraged us to seek God Himself in prayer, to be changed as we encounter him. This process takes time - not treating prayer like a vending machine, where we simply make requests for things, but to be more like a slow-cooker, letting our hearts and minds be softened and changed over time.
One ancient prayer practice that has helped me to pray transformational prayers daily is the Prayer of Examen, first created by St. Ignatius of Loyola. This is a very simple prayer, designed to pray at the end of each day, that helps us tap into the active presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. It might help you to remember the four steps like the controls on a VCR (if you're old enough to know what one is!) ⏹️⏪⏸️⏩
⏹️Stop. Be still and simply make space for God's presence. Invite God to speak to you and show his love to you. Take a quiet moment to enjoy sitting in the presence of God before you begin.
⏪Rewind. Next, review the day you've just lived. Replay it in your minds eye, and recall all the thoughts and emotions you experienced in each moment of the day. Where was God in each moment?
⏸️Pause. Take the time to consider each of these moments in your day. Did you see what God was up to at the time, or are you only noticing it now in retrospect? Take time to rejoice and praise God for His work in your day. But also, as you need to, pray a prayer of confession for the times you missed the mark, or were inattentive to His promptings. Then, before continuing on, take the time to receive and enjoy His forgiveness afresh in this time.
⏩Fast-forward. Now look ahead with God to tomorrow. What do you anticipate that you will spend your time doing? Ask God what His plans are for your day. Finish with a prayer of commitment, to following His will for you more closely in the day ahead. You might even like to conclude with The Lord's Prayer.
For more on the Examen prayer, you might like to download this helpful resource from 24-7 Prayer.
Connect Weekend
Connect Weekend is coming soon! It's a chance for everyone at NVBC to spend time over a weekend getting to know one another better, meeting new people and building deeper connections with the people in your community.
This week we're looking for hosts to put on an event - you might want to have some people come to your home, or meet at a park, a cafe, a walking track, or somewhere else! Feel free to be creative! Please email us at church@nvbc.info if you'd like to 'host' an event, and let us know briefly what you're organising, the time/day you'd like it to be on, the location, and any limit you'd need to put on numbers.
For everyone else, please keep as much of the weekend free as you can - from Friday to Sunday - and see how many events you can attend. Sign-up sheets will be in the foyer in a couple of weeks.
Joint Discernment Group
Thank you for everyone who has been praying for the Joint Discernment Group who have been exploring the possible adoption of Kariong Church by NVBC. The group met again on Monday night, with a productive conversation exploring possible models for a combined future together.
The Joint Discernment Group is made up of:
From Kariong: Brian Ward, Simone Court, Randall Jitts and Geoff Cann (Elders).
From NVBC: Travis Ryan (pastor), Brad Jones, Dianne Wicks and Daniel Copland (Elders). Adam Holland (Elder) and Andy Miller (chair of board) are also being also cc'd into all correspondence and have an open invitation to attend any meetings when able.
The Joint Discernment Group welcomes and wants to hear from you! We would love to receive any thoughts, impressions, key questions or considerations, and any discerned Bible verses or sense from Lord. Come speak with any of us to share or you can email the elders: elders@nvbc.info, board: board@nvbc.info, &/or Travis: travisryan@nvbc.info.
This Sunday we are really looking forward to bringing an update to our Focus Meeting after the AM Service and facilitating a time of discussion and group discernment as an NVBC community.
Join us in Prayer this Week
We invite you to take a moment now to pray with us:
"Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus" - 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
This Weekend
This Sunday - We're continuing our teaching series on Prayer, with Craig sharing a message on Prayer & Fasting.
After the AM Service we will gather for a mid-year finance update, key ministry updates and open space for conversations and questions about the possibility of 'adopting' Kariong Church under the governance, vision and leadership of NVBC.
(For our parents... some of our kids leaders will supervise a movie in the hall during the focus meeting, to allow both parents to be present at the Focus meeting).
Next Week
Mens Breakfast (Sat 8 Aug, 7-8am)
Come along bright and early for a Bacon & Egg roll and a coffee, for men of all ages.
August Events
Coast Baptists Prayer & Worship Night (Sun 16 Aug, 5:30pm)
Join us at the annual prayer and worship night with all the Baptist churches on the Central Coast. Come along to Green Point Christian College for dinner and community, before we gather in prayer for the Coast and sing praise to God.
The Marriage Course (Starts Mon 17 Aug, 7:30pm)
Over seven weekly sessions, make time to work on your marriage together. The course is hosted online so you can do it from the comfort of your own home, just you and your spouse.
Prayer Meeting (19 Aug, 7:00pm)
Gather as a church to pray together, for one-another, for our church, for our neighbourhood, and for the world.
Connect Weekend (28-30 Aug)
A weekend to get to know one another at NVBC. Send us an email if you'd like to host + keep the weekend free to attend these great events!
For all other upcoming events, visit:
