5th August 2026
- NVBC
- Aug 5
- 4 min read
5th August 2026
Sunday Follow Up
from Travis
Many years ago I heard another pastor use a phrase that has become part of my own vocab... "Sundays come around with alarming regularity." Don't I know it! Barely seems like we've had time to blink and catch our breath before another Sunday is upon us. What a joy right?! Yet there is also an inherent danger that we move far too quickly on from what God had for us.
Last Sunday, I believe held two significant things for our church that I don't want us to miss.
The first was that we devoted a whole message to the spiritual practice of Prayer and Fasting. Fasting can be an incredibly transformative spiritual practice, one that might be foreign to many of us. Below is a digital copy of the Fasting booklet that Craig made available at the end of his message. And I join Craig in encouraging you to explore, consider and follow God's leading to take up fasting as part of your ongoing spiritual life.
The second was our conversation as a church about discerning the possible 'adoption' of Kariong Church. A big thank you to all who stayed back for our Focus Meeting. I deeply appreciate the thoughtful questions and genuine engagement in the conversation. If you weren't able to join, I recorded a run-through of Sunday's presentation over a cuppa tea this morning (although, watching it back - perhaps I should've had double espresso instead!).
A number have also asked for a copy of the Discernment Phases overview that the Joint Discernment Group have created and are working through. It is shared below and we deeply value your prayers over this discernment journey.
The Joint Discernment Group meet next Monday to continue exploring together.
Connect Weekend
Connect Weekend is at the end of this month! We're still looking for more 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 organise 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 on 16th August.
Ministry Highlight - Soul Survivor Young Adults Retreat
Last weekend, 20 of our Young Adults travelled down to the beautiful Shoalhaven River for a weekend away with young adults from around NSW - it was an awesome time to pray, worship, learn, grow and connect with other young adult Jesus followers. Check out the photos!
The Marriage Course - ON-SITE OPTION NOW AVAILABLE
If you're married (or soon-to-be married), we'd love to invite you along to one of our TWO marriage course options, starting in 2 weeks on August 17. You can attend either online or in person (thanks to Ken and Belinda for hosting the in-person option!)
This seven week course is a great way to invest in your marriage relationship, whether your thriving or just surviving, the course provides a chance to talk and connect and work on your relationship together in a structured way. There's no group work - just video content to watch, and time for conversations with your spouse. And the in-person option will include supper each week!
Head to our what's on page to find out more and RSVP to the course that works best for you!
Our Carpark
Isn't it great having a great church facility for us to all meet together every week, to make it a space where everyone feels welcomed and cared for. With this in mind, we are wanting to make more space for people with mobility issues in our church family on a Sunday morning.
We have always had four dedicated disabled spots, and at the moment we are trialling having four more (denoted by temporary signage as seen in the photo below), two either side of the existing spots. If you can leave these spaces free on a Sunday morning for those that need it, we would really appreciate it.
Additionally, we want to remind you to please avoid parking directly in front of the church property (see picture below) - cars parked anywhere close to our driveway make visibility of traffic on Narara Valley Drive very challenging when people are exiting our carpark, and we've had a couple of near-misses recently because of this. Even if you're running late for church, and a convenient-looking spot is available right out the front, please don't park here!
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
Men's Breakfast (Sat 8 Aug, 7-8am)
Come along bright and early for a Bacon & Egg roll and a coffee, for men of all ages.
Sunday Services @ 9:30am & 5:00pm
We're concluding our teaching series on Prayer, with Travis preaching about how we can be A House of Prayer together.
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 offered online or in person. RSVP here.
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:
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