- 6 days ago
- 4 min read
8th April 2026
Thank you Lord!
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade.
1 Peter 1:3-4
We are continuing to give great thanks and praise to God for his love expressed through the Cross and Resurrection of Jesus! And we are continuing to praise God for a fabulous Easter Weekend at NVBC.
Leading into our Easter Weekend we purchased a box of 20 Bibles to give to any who didn't have one and were ready to start reading about Jesus for themselves... we gave away every single one of them (and have immediately ordered some more)! If you were one of those who received a Bible and you need a hand in learning how to read it, we'd love to help (just let us know here). If you already have your own Bible, please pray for those who received a Bible. Pray for their ongoing enthusiasm to read the Scriptures and that they will meet and encounter God for themselves as they do.
A big thank you also to everyone who came along, invited someone or was involved in our Easter Services in some way. A special thank you to our newly formed Car Park Team who did a great job helping fit as many cars onto our site as they did! As did our Ushers who helped people find a seat.
Gearing Up for Alpha
Our next Alpha Course will begin in a little over 2.5 weeks. It will run Sunday nights following our PM Service and will be a warm, friendly and open space to connect and explore the big questions of life, faith and meaning together. One of our key focus areas as a church this year is "REACH" and Alpha is a strategic priority as we seek to reach our friends, family and colleagues with the Good News of Jesus. If you are unsure what Alpha is, have a watch of the below video:
Can you help lead a conversation?
We are still actively recruiting 'table leaders' and helpers for our Term 2 Alpha. If you are someone who can help make others feel welcome, who can ask questions and hold space for the questions of others, we'd love you to consider joining the Alpha team! Please contact Brad and Jenny (our Alpha coordinators) to let them know you are interested in finding out more.
Who will you invite?
Now is the time to be praying for who to invite to Alpha. We have printed invitations at our Info Desk for you to take if that is helpful. Nothing beats an in person, one on one invitation and the offer to come along with them to Alpha to explore faith. The Spirit God gave you does not make you timid (2 Timothy 1:7!) so be courageously Spirit-led as you invite!
Would you like to join us for Alpha?
Would you like to explore life, faith and meaning and learn more about what Christians believe? All while enjoying a meal, good company and the opportunity to ask any question? Then we would be so thrilled to have you along. Please RSVP here.
What Happens Next?
If you were reading through the Gospel record of the life of Jesus for the first-time and read Sunday's passage about the empty tomb and remaining grave clothes, you might well be asking: what happens next?
We are going to continue following the story of what happens next through the remaining chapters of John over the next two Sundays. Then will continue following the story of what happens next with the movement Jesus started as it gathers momentum after His ascension (recorded for us in the Book of Acts).
PS. If you can't get enough of John's Gospel (neither can we!), below is a link to a great podcast interview with David Ford, who wrote a commentary on John. For those who've done the lent bible reading, or others who're keen engage more deeply with the preaching we've done...it focuses a lot on the second half of John, and his approach to the cross.
Listen to the episode on Spotify here or listen on Apple here
PPS. If you are still chuckling over John's autobiographical "unnecessary detail" in John 20:4, have another laugh at Peter's expense with the below skit.
Prayer Point
Please pray for our NVBCers currently serving at Camp Toukley on an Out of Home Care Camp. Run every school holiday, these holiday camps for primary-aged children in foster care are a beautiful way to demonstrate and share the love of God in community. Pray for the impact the camp will have on all the kids who get to experience it.
This Sunday
This Sunday we continue exploring the eye-witness accounts of the Resurrection of Jesus, as he appears in person before Mary and His Disciples in John 20.
Kids packs will be available and kids will stay in the service with us.
After the School Holidays
Prayer Gathering (Wed 22nd April)
We long to see a movement of prayer across our whole church, as prayer increasingly becomes our priority, our practice and our posture. Join for a night of worship, prayer and intercession as we begin term 2 together.
Baptism Class (Sun 26th April)
If you love and follow Jesus, but have not yet taken the next step of being baptised as a believer, come along to our baptism class. All are welcome, whether you are interested in learning more about baptism or if you are ready to prepare for being baptised on May 3.
ALPHA Course (starts Sun 26th April)
Our next Alpha course starts April 26th, running Sunday nights through term 2. It is the perfect opportunity to come ask questions, explore faith and have conversations with other hope-seekers. Sign up here
Connect Day (Tues 28 April)
This is one for our next generation disciplers. Any involved in ministry to Kids and/or Youth are encouraged to come and be inspired, equipped and connected with others from our Baptist Church family. Grab your ticket here.
For all other upcoming events, visit:
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