6th Aug 2025

Fuel Your Affections

from Travis

We had a fireplace in the house I grew up in. Year after year, I watched my Dad lovingly tend to the fire to keep it burning bright and bringing warmth to our family. I also observed him ensuring a healthy stockpile of the right wood, kept dry and ready to be added to fuel the fire all through the winter season. Sometimes it almost felt like magic watching what looked to be a near dead fire, come roaring back to life once more fuel (wood) was added.

The experience also taught me a valuable lesson: even the best fire starts dying once the wood stops being added. And so it can be with our spiritual fire.

Last Sunday we had a moment for an honest conversation with God about where our hearts were at, and we reminded ourselves of the importance of continually adding fuel to our spiritual fire. If you missed it, you can catch up on the livestream here and see some of the key slides below.

I love being part of a church that hungers for God, who jealously guard their love for God and who desire to keep their spiritual fervour running hot! It was a honour to stand with and pray over those who stood as a sign of their desire to grow in their love for God. Now, let us each find the ways, patterns and environments that help fuel our love for God!

Connect Weekend is here!

We are heading into our next Connect Weekend and there is still plenty of opportunities to sign up to one of the events if you haven't yet. Sign up by sending Johnny an email.

We have shifted our planned potluck lunch after the AM service to an open invite BBQ, so we'd love you to plan on staying back after church in the morning. If you can help by bringing a side, salad or dessert to contribute (no nuts please) that would be wonderful. Please let us know you can here.

Cru-Coast Call Out

In the upcoming school holidays we are gearing up to host our second Cru-Coast Day Camp (Oct 7-10). This is an incredible opportunity to connect with primary school aged kids and their families from our community. The week involves a lot of high-energy, memory making games and experiences as we share the best news of all about Jesus!

Rego is now open for campers and we are doing a call out for NVBC volunteers to be a part of this fabulous week alongside the junior leaders from St Philip's Christian College! To get an insight into how great leading on day camps can be, check out the video below from some junior leaders at another day camp.

There are many ways to be involved. In particular we are looking for:

• Camp Leaders - who will connect with our campers and help run the program

• Kitchen Team - who will help prep and serve the morning teas and lunches that Cru organises

• Morning Cafe Welcomers - who will connect with parents at drop off, and help make coffees or be present for conversations and connections

• Home Bakers - to help stock our morning parent's cafe

• Friday night BBQers - who will help end our week with a big BBQ for all the families of our campers

If you would like to know more or express your interest in being part of the Cru-Coast Team, please let Zach know here.

Soul Survivor Young Adults Retreat

Last weekend about 130 Young Adults from around NSW (including 12 from NVBC) gathered together by the Shoalhaven River for a weekend of teaching, worship, prayer and fellowship. 

Thanks to everyone who prayed for us - God was at work in wonderful ways! See if you can spot some familiar faces in the picture, and come ask us what God was challenging us to change as we seek to grow in Him and follow His lead in our lives.

This Sunday

This Sunday we continue our 'Taking Ground' series looking at the topic 'Purify Your Walk' from Hebrews 12. We will look at how untangling ourselves from unhelpful patterns will empower us to run the race of faith that Jesus has for each of us!

Travis will share in the AM (BBQ lunch to follow) and Nathan Wood will share in the PM (Hawkesbury dinner out to follow).

Prayer Seminars

August 23 + 30

We have two amazing prayer workshops coming up which you can rego for here.

Session 1 is open to anyone desiring to learn, be equipped and inspired to have a vibrant personal prayer life. Session 2 builds on the foundation of Session 1 and is open to anyone desiring to be further equipped and stretched in how to pray for others in person.

Welcome Lunch

Sunday Aug 31

If you have joined us recently, we'd love to invite you to lunch. These are a relaxed time of getting to know one another over a shared meal together. RSVP here.

Combined Churches Worship Night

Sunday Sept 14

The Coast Baptists (network of Baptist churches across the central coast), continue to have a heart of unity and shared mission in the Central Coast. Join us here at NVBC as we host a combined churches night of dinner, worship and prayer.

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