This week, we kick off a new Devotion series prepared by members of the BUV Support Hub’s Church Health and Capacity Building Team, looking at how the church can remain true to its biblical identity and calling during this period of disruption. Over seven weeks, we will look at seven different images used in the bible to describe what the church is called to be  – Body of Christ, God’s flock,  Temple of God , Family of God, God’s field, Golden lampstand and the Bride of Christ.  We have included some questions also – these can be used in a small group setting as discussion starters or for personal reflection. We pray this devotion series will be a blessing to you and your church.

BUV Devotion Part 1/7

Remember Who You Are: The Church In An Unfamiliar World

by Rev David Devine
 

In my early 20s I was given a wonderful opportunity to travel and study overseas for five months. As I was departing to venture into a world of new challenges, opportunities and temptations beyond the secure familiarities of home, my dad offered me some wise advice: “Remember who you are.” It was a call to remain true to my heritage, beliefs and values – to still be `David Devine’ wherever I was.

Today the disruption caused by COVID-19 has cast us all into a different world beyond many of the secure familiarities of life as we have known it. This presents challenges, opportunities and temptations for individuals, families, nations – and churches. As churches venture into this disrupted world, it is good for us to remember who we are – remaining true to our identity, beliefs and values as we seek to continue living faithfully and fruitfully with God – still being the Church in our new contexts.

To encourage us in this, over coming weeks, members of the BUV’s Church Health & Capacity Building Team will offer short reflections on some biblical images of the Church.

Over the past 40 years or so, the most popular image of the Church has been: the Body of Christ (Rom 12:3-8; 1Cor 12:12-27; Eph 3:6, 5:21-33; Col 1:18, 24). This reminds us that the Church is not merely a social organisation; but an organic community in which we live and serve in relationship with Christ and one another. These relationships must remain central for us if we are to be the Church.

If the Apostle Paul was writing to Aussie Christians rather than Ephesians or Colossians, he might remind us that we are not to `run around like headless chooks’, reacting to our internal impulses or the latest sensation. The Body has a Head. The Church is to seek and follow the mind of Christ and to grow up into him – being shaped by the one who gives us life – becoming increasingly like him, not just individually, but in our life together. In a world disrupted by COVID-19, the Church is still to be directed by Christ.

Though isolated in our homes, we find ourselves immersed in an ocean of information – podcasts, videos, blogs, memes, webinars, breaking news. There’s an endless flow of ideas, facts and fluff that drives us to distraction and confusion – tossed back and forth by waves of fashion; blown here and there by every wind of opinion. In the face of this, let us remember that we are the Body of Christ. Let us give time to prayerfully listen to our Head and follow his lead, responding to the challenges and opportunities before us in ways that reflect and honour Christ.

Paul uses the Body image to remind us that following Christ’s lead is not a solo pursuit – we are in it together. In this time of social isolation, let us remember that through relationship with Christ, we are connected to one another. We belong to one body. The Church is diverse in ethnicity, social status, gender, and so on, yet united in Christ. We have different capacities to contribute, but we are all called to do what we can to love others and honour God.

In these days of isolation, let us keep pursuing ways to connect with one another, including reaching out to those who may be overlooked by others. Let us seek ways to use our God-given capacities to serve one another, sharing the love and truth of Christ. Let us remember and be true to who we are. We are the Body of Christ.

Questions for Personal and Group Reflection

1. What personal and congregational activities do you and your church have in place to foster relationship with God?
 

2. How does your church seek to discern the mind of Christ together?
 

3. How are you and your church acting to maintain contact with members of the body during these weeks of physical separation?
 

4. How does your church help people to discover what they are good at and empower them so that ministry is done by the many rather than the few? What are your gifts and how are you using them during this time?

Rev David Devine

Head of Church Health & Capacity Building

Source: BUV News

Stepping inside Balwyn Baptist church (BBC), caressed by her bright and free-flowing space, you will be forgiven for not being able to tell that this is actually a mixed marriage of an ageing wooden hall built over a century ago, a beautiful high ceiling brick worship place built between the two world wars, and a concrete extension built in the eighties of last century when the interest rate reached a crazy 18%. That’s the image you might summon when you think of BBC facing the unprecedented COVID-19 challenge, where her diversity in age, race, culture and traditions turned into amazing and enriching unity by God’s grace. 

The current pandemic has had an effect on everyone, regardless of age, race or religion and everyone’s perceptions and responses have differed. There is no “correct” way to react to the COVID-19 outbreak. The community at Balwyn Baptist Church has always been diverse, with worshippers ranging from Anglo- Aussies, to China, Mauritius and the Middle East. Fellowships that frequent the BBC schedule have assisted in developing strong trust and understanding within the church. Facing the pandemic together has only further highlighted that despite the many differences, there is unity in diversity. 

During this time, it has become even more important to stay close to God and His word. However, with health and safety regulations, Sunday church services were put on hold. Turning to online services like many others, BBC worked hard to keep the congregation connected via Zoom. This drastic change inevitably leads to some challenges within the church; most notably, the use of technology. The BBC community has been blessed with a notable variation in age. Some members of the church less familiar with the usage of technology have struggled with the conversion to online services.

Specifically, we witnessed the love of Jesus reflected in the actions of a member from BBC. Upon hearing that a member of the congregation did not have a device to operate Zoom on, she bought an iPhone 5 online and a 12-gigabyte sim card. This action of love and generosity has been echoed throughout the church with other members lending laptops to those who need it and helping each other learn how to use the program. Although the use of technology is still a challenge, the help that the church has willingly offered to each other has been a direct reflection of how differences have brought us together. 

It is inevitable that the reactions towards COVID-19 will differ. There are members who respond with a greater level of caution, and others who are more relaxed. The church has overcome the many differing viewpoints, and through God has been given the ability to converse in love and understandingly. It has been moving to witness the immense support and empathetic responses during this time. The controversial issues surrounding the pandemic which frequent the media and the perceived cultural stigma’s have not impacted the dynamic within the church, but instead through prayer and praise, the church has united in unwavering faith to provide support to each other. 

Although it is often perceived that diversity and unity are at opposite ends of a spectrum, God has the ability to link our differences. Through Him, BBC has been able to unite in current circumstances and embrace the diversity. It is these differences that have been a blessing to the church.  

By Victoria Li 
Year 11 student, BBC church member

Source: BUV News

Recently I have found myself having conversations that I haven’t had since I worked as a social worker in an Intensive Care ward about twelve years ago. In that role, I would support families who had critically ill loved ones. When the patient was out of danger, my conversations with the family would turn to their self care and what they should expect over the next few weeks. I would say,

“Don't be surprised if you find yourself getting easily upset. The next few weeks will feel like a rollercoaster. You have been through a major trauma and it’s normal for your body to re-adjust both emotionally and physically.”

I have been saying similar words this week. Often after a major trauma or incident we find ourselves having strong emotional, spiritual or physical reactions. I think COVID-19 would count as a major trauma! If you are in leadership in a church, over the last few weeks you have been forced to lead your church through a massive change process that has happened at very short notice. You have totally transformed your mode of church; had to learn how to stream services, provide pastoral care remotely, run meetings online and deliver sermons to camera rather than a present congregation. Some or all of this has been outside of your experience.

When facing trauma, it is often at the three-week mark that we find ourselves at a vulnerable point. This is often when our emotional tank is nearing empty, having been drained by constantly responding to the needs of others around us.  We may also feel spiritually flat after engaging with the initial challenges to faith and service. You might be experiencing some of the following:

• Feeling as if you are in a state of ‘high alert’ for what needs to happen next
• Feeling emotionally numb
• Feeling distant from God or spiritually drained.
• Becoming easily upset or emotional
• Feeling fatigued or tired
• Feeling very stressed or anxious
• Being very protective of others including family and friends
• Reduced concentration and memory
• Change in appetite such as eating a lot more or a lot less.

Maybe you just want to stay in bed and pull the bedclothes up over your head.

Here are some helpful tips for us to remember at this time:

• It is important that we remember that it is normal to have both a physical, spiritual and emotional response to a major event.
• Don’t bottle up your feelings – talk to someone who can support and understand you.
• Try to keep to a normal routine.
• Practise your usual spiritual disciplines, even if you don’t feel like it.
• When you feel exhausted, make sure you set aside time to rest.
• Make time for regular exercise
• Connect with others in your team, your church, your friendship circle to support each other.
• Find ways to have fun (even with social distancing restrictions) – play games online, have dinner with others online, go for a walk or bake a cake.
• Relax – pray, use music, gardening or do things you enjoy.

Make some time to read and reflect on Elijah’s experience in 1Kings 19:1-21. In what ways can you relate to Elijah’s experience? What resources did God provide to support him in that situation? How might you access similar resources to support you at this time? Click here for a sermon by Rev David Devine on 1Kings 19.

If you find things going for too long, seek help. It is important to talk to someone as early as possible to prevent longer-term issues from developing. You are able to contact your Regional Pastor or a Church Health team member if you want further assistance.

Take care of yourself during this time. God is faithful and will sustain us.

Christine Wanstall,
BUV, Church Health Consultant

Mental Health Resources:
Sanctuary Mental Health Ministries recognizes the need for access to online mental health resources in this season, and so they are making The Sanctuary Course available for free. Simply use the code "mentalhealth" at checkout to receive a 100% discount for the next month (discount code expires April 18, 2020). This course is intended for use in small groups, and so now more than ever we ask that you gather online with friends or your church community to engage with the material together. You'll also find other useful Mental health resources here.

Source: BUV News

At the time of publishing, Australia has had 6,000 cases of coronavirus. Whilst there are many potential trajectories our nation could take, now is a good time to learn from church leaders who have been experiencing even greater social isolation and feeling more acutely the societal, emotional and health impacts of the virus. These leaders reside in Spain, Italy and the USA; countries that have well surpassed the cases reported by China – which was once seen as the most unthinkable benchmark of the disease’s spread.

The church across the world is responding to this changing landscape as it seeks to be the best witness of Christ in the crisis. Below are seven lessons from pastors and missionaries who recently participated in a webinar hosted by SEND INTERNTIONAL (In Lockdown: Learning from the European Church’s Missional Response). They are gospel workers in Spain and Italy who have reflected on what they wish they knew before the tidal wave of disease hit their nations. Some further insights from North America have been included, along with helpful resources for our Australian context.

1.      This pandemic is taking people to the wells of spiritual life.

From the epicentre of the disease, a pastor spoke through tears of the pain their people face. Imagine this: A spouse is quarantined after the death of their partner. They must drive themselves to the hospital. No one else can drive them. They can’t even go to the funeral. They grieve alone. The pain is acute.

In the face of unfathomable pain and suffering, Francis Arjona, a pastor in Spain has seen a marked change in what has been a society largely resistant to the gospel. “The Bible talks about important things. Our world here has never wanted to listen to that. Life is important. Money and work are not going to solve this. We are talking about life and death here. I believe there is revival happening.”

Where some churches may have had event invitations on their websites, these are being replaced with clear presentations of the gospel. Some have ads on social platforms linking to clear gospel-centred resources for people searching for answers. Some leaders have advised to resist the temptation to create your own resources, but rather offer links to good resources that are already available online. Through these initiatives and reaching out to the wider community, one church leader has been receiving calls from people who simply want to confess their sins.

The BUV COVID-19 Resources page is updated regularly with the latest information and resources, including translated materials. Please see link here.

2.      Don’t rush.

In the face of lock down and extreme isolation, some leaders acknowledged how quickly their minds went to creating new things. However, many of the leaders acknowledged the need to slow down and take time to identify the needs – particularly as situations change daily. Identify how you are being changed personally by the situation. Take time to address your own fears and confess them. Ed Stetzer, Executive Director of the Billy Graham Center for Evangelism, based in North America, acknowledges in a recent Christianity Today article, “When fear comes, there is a temptation to frenetically chase activity. We are quick to jump on what we think we should be doing or to follow the crowd when the tipping point is reached. Yet instead, it is critical in this time to instead stop and step back. Take time to think through what fears are at work in your heart and in your community. Write them down and think through how best to respond in ways that are constructive and God-glorifying.”

Both either rushing to create something new and or doggedly maintaining old paradigms can distract from emerging needs, while also draining the capacities of leaders. Carey Nieuwhof, recently wrote “5 Predictions about the future church while everything’s still unknown”, in response to the pandemic, says that “leaders who have the energy, passion and agility to change now will end up advancing their mission in the future.”

You can find helpful leadership resources and training from Carey Neiuwhof here.

3.      Find alternatives when the internet becomes clogged.

Ron Anderson, who is leading a church in Spain noted that the internet is overloaded, diminishing live-streaming capacities. This has led some church leaders to preach from the rooftops. A vicar in the UK has taken to the streets. For those continuing to meet online, Whatsapp has become a popular application, requiring less data than other options.

Lacey Lengel, of Shepparton, has been running English classes for new arrivals. She has recently moved her classes online, choosing WhatsApp for connection, as it is very popular with communities that have access to limited Wi-Fi and technical support. Read more of her story here.

Information on how to set up Whatsapp can be found here.

4.      Smaller is better.

Many church planters in the most devastatingly affected parts of the world said that small gatherings were now the focus of their gathering work. They are seeking to create more environments for connection and going smaller. They are going from “preaching to people to preaching with and being in community.” In Italy, almost five weeks after isolation measures were introduced, people are desperate to see each other more and more. The best platforms for this engagement have been WhatsApp and Zoom, with its break-out facilities.

Information on how to use Zoom can be found here.

5.      Shepherd the people.

Since draconian measures were introduced in Italy in early March, live-streaming has been well utilised by churches. But some have found that the scramble to live-stream, whilst necessary for the gathering church, had detracted from the intentional shepherding of the people that have been entrusted to church leaders. Some leaders are now calling people non-stop every day, checking in on their needs to encourage them. Their service to their people has become more like chaplaincy – providing spiritual support and strength. One church planter, Justin Valiquette, generated a list of all those people who were relationally connected to the church for the last two months. He said that now “every single person is accounted for and being pursued and cared for individually outside of the group [gatherings].”

Rev Gayle Hill, head of BUV’s Mission Catalyst Team has written a helpful article on the effort needed to connect meaningfully with individuals, and helping those individuals connect with others. In addition, the BUV has created a template for people making phone calls through to encouraging one another during the pandemic. This might be a useful tool for your church to use as it gives a framework for connecting with the congregation and community.

You will also find useful tips about connecting through social media here.

6.      Focus on home dynamics.

There are grave concerns over social isolation increasing the prevalence of domestic abuse. In response to this, one church planter launched a chat service for people to connect with believers about their situation at home. They have paid for advertising on Google, Facebook and Instagram, encouraging those who are experiencing tension and difficulty in the home environment to use a chat service, where people on the other end can offer encouragement.

Useful information are available on the Domestic Violence Victoria website and eSafety Commissioner website.

7.      Pray, pray, pray.

A church pastor in regional Spain, spoke of rising prayerfulness, with virtual prayer meetings at three times the capacity of their usual face-to-face prayer meetings. Another leader has set up intercession teams, where six people connected regularly with one another, all of them bringing three names to commit to prayer. Each gathering of six was covering 18 people in prayer.

Miguel Castillo, based in Italy, implored listeners that this is a huge opportunity to pray: “We are agents of hope in this place where panic and fear have set in. We are going to choose faith over fear. We are not going to choose paralysis by analysis. We are going to love with the power of the Holy Spirit.”

The BUV, along with many other churches and organisations, is also calling its family to prayer during this unsettling time.  From Monday 13th April (Easter Monday) – Sunday 19th April we are asking churches to join with us in a focussed week of prayer. Click here for more information.

Source: BUV News

Our BUV's Partnership Development Pastor, Andrew Naylor is a professional musician and has recorded his version of 'When I Survey the Wondrous Cross' (originally written by Isaac Watts) as a video. Andrew has made this available to any church that would like to use it this Easter in whatever setting you like. If you need a download link for church service use, please email andrew.naylor@buv.com.au. 

Source: BUV News

Jeremy van Langenberg, from Bacchus Marsh Baptist Church, gives us an insight into how their church is maintaining its congregational connection. 

There’s some amazing resources out there at present but we were really concerned to maintain a sense of ‘us’, our LOCAL church community.

• We divided up all attendees whether regular or not, including kids, youth & young adults, and formed them into cluster groups. For the first time EVERYONE in church is in a small group. The idea is personal contact, a phone call or face to face digital group. Only 2 weeks but seems to be working well.

• We pre recorded the Sunday sermon + greeting and include the link with a written (emailed) order of service, as on a normal sunday – songs, prayers etc. Our technology is VERY simple, but people are responding positively. For those without digital access or knowhow, we hand deliver(remaining alert to hygiene) the order of service and written sermon notes.

• We are calling the church to pray at the same time each Wednesday, supplying a prayer guide.

• Our finances were already struggling, but the last 3 weeks has seen more people than before, sign up for direct debit.

Overall we are encouraged and in good spirits, thank you LORD.

For more information click here

Source: BUV News

One question that many Baptist pastors are asking since the Stay at Home direction by the Victorian State Government (31/3/2020) is, “Can I pastorally visit people from my congregation in person?” Is it okay to meet with a couple, a family, or a person needing care at this time? How can pastors respond to those needing pastoral care?

When it comes to providing guidelines for the public, the Government of Victoria’s Department of Health and Human Services website states the following in response to the question, “Can I have visitors in my home?" 

No. Social visits from friends and family increase the risk of spreading coronavirus. Every interaction with another person carries the risk of transmission and should be avoided. You should not have visitors and in turn, you should not visit the homes of others during the Stay at Home direction.
Of course, you can welcome a visitor into your home when they are providing you with care and support when you are unwell, disabled, elderly or pregnant. (Victoria State Government, 2020)

What does this mean for pastors?

• You are not to visit people socially during the Stay at Home direction
• If there is no particular reason why you must visit in person you are not to visit.
• If the person needs you to provide pastoral care for them, then you are able to, with care, however this would only be permissible if no other options are available.
• If you do visit a person in their home, think very carefully before visiting the elderly. If deemed absolutely necessary to visit please ensure that you maintain appropriate physical distancing and sanitisation measures. Phone before you visit and only visit if invited.

It is important for Victorian Baptist pastors to remember that while visitation is now severely limited, there are still so many ways to provide pastoral care. Here are the most effective ways to care for God’s people through this COVID-19 crisis.

1. Go old school!

• Pick up the phone and call people. This is a way to say, “I’m here, we care and God cares.” A simple phone call helps people know that they are not forgotten. Why not ask your leaders to help you contact people too so that everyone gets a phone call during this period when we are largely staying at home. Here is a simple template you can encourage them to use when calling. Don’t forget that you can use your phone to send encouraging texts too.
• Why not recruit a team who could put together and deliver a bag of small gifts with a card to the door of the most isolated and vulnerable in the church?

2. Go new school!

• Connect online. You can video call people and pastorally care for others from your own home office. This is a great way to care.
• If your church usually has people meeting in small groups, encourage the leaders to keep meeting with their small group on-line. Many people are using Zoom, Facebook or other options where people can see each other face to face. You may need to email “how to” tutorials to help people learn how to use these platforms for video calls.

3. Go all out!

• Is now the time to start a service on-line?
• There are so many great stories and resources on our website for churches, both large and small, who are trying new ways of connecting with and caring for their congregation. Read how Essendon and Wangaratta Baptist Churches got their services on-line quickly and relatively cheaply in our April issue of TOGETHER – Good News Stories.
• Read how Rise at Carlton is seeking to connect with their community when many of their people don’t have computers or smart phones.
• Could you help your church host a daily Facebook Live, Zoom, etc. devotional where you share and invite people’s responses? These would be a great encouragement to people who are on their own.

Over these last weeks, we have seen Baptist churches all over Victoria overcoming the unique challenges we are currently facing to keep loving one another and building each other up. May God continue to give pastors creativity and courage as you lead our churches to love in unprecedented ways during this crisis.

Rev Jonathan Stark
Head of Pastoral Leadership, Support and Development

Source: BUV News

"At the beginning of this year if someone had said that all church gatherings would be banned we would have thought our society had been overturned and the world was going mad. In the space of a month however, we have moved from concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic to being asked to remain at home with all gatherings of two or more people banned. This has thrown all of us into quick action to try and work out how to be church when we cannot gather." Pastor David Wanstall of Encounter Baptist Church said.

Encounter Baptist Church sits in the south-east suburb of Chadstone. It started six years ago as a church plant, looking to intentionally engage with discipleship and mission in the local community. Pastor David is the senior pastor of the church and describes how this church community has responded.

“We recognised quickly that as church we needed to develop light-weight ways to make sure people felt cared for, connected into community and spiritually encouraged.”

Encounter Baptist did not just want to stream services on-line but are seeking to have their members actively engaged with others in the church as well as their neighbours around them.

Pastor David identified “The challenge is to not be in a holding pattern during this time, but to continue to see people actively encounter God, encourage each other and engage with the community and neighbourhood around them. This can be difficult with social distancing rules but with some creative thinking, it is not impossible.”

Encounter Baptist has placed every person connected with the church in a home church. The home churches have approximately 10-12 people in each group with leaders identified for each home church. On Sunday morning the church uses a Zoom webinar to provide 30-40 minutes of gathered time that includes worship, prayer, notices, a kids spot and a short reflection time. Following the gathered time, each home group is encourage to connect together through their own Zoom accounts for worship, bible study, prayer, sharing and support. Home churches shape this time depending on who is in their group. A major part of the ministry team’s time is now focused on supporting and resourcing the home church leaders.

The church also has online gatherings during the week in running parenting courses, praying together, training missional leaders and connecting kids and youth together.

“In the first chapters of Acts the church met in large groups in the temple courts and smaller groups in people’s homes. We see this season at Encounter, where our gathered Sunday option is on hold, as an opportunity to strength our ability to gather together in smaller groups. In our case this is through online home churches. We don’t just want our church to survive this time but we want our church to thrive. We have seen home churches draw in people who have not previously been part of church. It is exciting.”

Source: BUV News

Luke Williams, the lead pastor at Follow Baptist Church in Officer, went live on Facebook in his neighbourhood park on the 20th March. His house is neatly situated adjacent to the park and playground – a great common area where neighbours gather. He confesses that as a family, they are connected to their immediate neighbours, but not so much with the wider neighbourhood.

With a desire to connect, and an acknowledgement of the danger some people face in becoming even more isolated than before, Luke and his family set to work, creating neighbourhood packages to be dropped on each doorstep. And in this unique crisis, a nicely wrapped toilet roll and a chocolate bar holds more currency than ever before. Each package carried with it an invitation to join a new private Facebook group – one that is unique to the neighbours that overlook the park. 

Seven days later, 17 neighbours had joined the private Facebook group – all people who had been previously unknown to Luke and his family. And now there are ideas bubbling for a Post Pandemic Pancake Party at the Park. 

Luke encouraged those tuning in to the live feed to find the ‘us' in the virus, and to find creative ways of connecting with neighbours.

"What if, during this time of social distancing, we actually become more connected with people around us?"

"We might see it as a toilet roll or a chocolate bar, but I see this as a seed of love, a seed of kindness, and hopefully a seed of compassion. Who knows what is going to happen? On the other side of the pandemic, we might come out with a new normal." One neighbour who received a toilet roll burst into tears as they were down to their last roll!

For this small neighbourhood group, a new way of connecting has begun. For Luke and his family, new ideas are flourishing. A week later, their neighbours have received a “Neighbourhood Stimulus Package,” which included two melting moments “to grab a moment with someone you love”, a card, envelope and stamp to send some old-fashioned letters, and "a pack of seeds to plant which remind us that new things grow from the darkness.” It also had some chocolates, a colouring competition for the group, some links for kids activities online and some tissues for “when things get too much”.

"When you sow a seed, you are not quite sure what is going to grow, or if anything is going to. But what I do know is that if you keep sowing seeds, something will grow! And hopefully it is friendship and kindness, and even faith in a time like this."

Source: BUV News

While the whole world is rapidly changing before our eyes it almost seems out-of-tune to talk about the bushfires that affected the Victorian communities earlier this year.  However, for those impacted by the bushfires, COVID-19 comes as something of a double-hit.  The last thing they need is to be forgotten. Whilst we are all struggling with our own new realities, many of those who are bushfire-affected are having to do so within a different new reality they were forced into just weeks ago.

We will continue to update you on the stories from these areas for two reasons:

1. Your generous donations have and are still continuing to make a significant difference for lives in these affected areas. 
2. We need to be praying even more for those affected and also for our local pastors and churches who are working out how to continue their support and work within the changing parameters of our current world crisis.

It seems very odd, based on our new way of living with social restrictions, that just a couple of weeks ago I, (Andrew Naylor, BUV Partnership Development Pastor) along with Chris Piper (Bushfire Recovery Advisor) were out visiting the affected areas of Corryong and East Gippsland.  However, these were fruitful trips where we met with local pastors and those who have been engaging out in community as well as community members themselves.

In our Gippsland trip (and we will update you on Corryong next time) we gathered the pastors and workers together from Bairnsdale and Lakes Entrance Baptist Churches where we shared ideas and heard stories from the local areas (photo attached). We also talked about the next stages and best long-term strategies that we believe are emerging (which are of course changing and adapting in light of COVID-19).

We also visited some of those impacted by the fires. Local Lakes Entrance Pastor, Michael Carlisle, himself a local firefighter, told stories and introduced us to locals just out of Lakes Entrance in Wairewa, where 11 out of 23 homes were destroyed.  A couple who lived in this area told us how they had defended their house for a while then decided to leave.  They returned two hours after the fires had swept through and were fortunate to see their house still standing while all around them houses, cars, sheds and other property had been decimated.  The water they had left in buckets inside their house was still too hot to put their hands in, two hours after the fires had been!  This showed how fierce the fires and their consequent ambient heat had been.

Another couple we visited who were in their 70’s had also been fortunate to not lose their house, but everything else had been wiped out.  Tragically this included generations’ old tools (grandfather’s chisels etc), specialised wood and wood working machines for a specific hobby. Not only was the story heartbreaking, but seeing the complexities and difficulties involved in working out insurances became evident.  Another couple we visited had lost everything, after nearly completing the (self) building of their house.  Seeing and hearing these stories was difficult, but it was great to see our local teams on the ground having such a tremendous impact on the lives of so many community members.

It is clear that although many people are doing their best to be philosophical as well as courageous, the realities of what lies ahead sit just beneath the surface and that there is still a long road to be negotiated.  Just like the trees and grass that, after years of brown drought and then the fires, has so rapidly regenerated, what lies just beneath is a harsh reality and the road to recovery is long.

Baptist Family, thank you again for your amazing generosity.  Because of this we’ve been able to help with many immediate needs, whilst still keeping our eye on what it is that we alone can offer that others may struggle with.  This is clearly a relational and situational long-term approach.  Where many agencies come in and help with specific things and then leave, our churches and teams are situated and geared toward long-term relationship which can include any number of things from pastoral care to advocacy, both of which will be needed during and after our current COVID-19 pandemic.

Please continue to pray for our amazing teams on the ground.  They have been working tirelessly and will continue to do so now, in adapted ways, to serve the community around them.  Pray also for those who have been affected who now have to negotiate another trauma with the COVID-19 impact.

We’ll keep you updated.

Andrew Naylor
BUV, Relationship Development Pastor

Source: BUV News