It was a balmy summers evening at the gathering of the CAROLS IN THE PARK community event on December 14th 2019. The crowd slowly built up and by the end of the night was estimated to be about 6000 people. This was an amazing number when you consider that this represents about one third of the number of residents who live in North Balwyn! The carols committee, a sub group of the North Balwyn Interchurch Council, had a vision to lift the name of Jesus in their community.

North Balwyn Baptist Church has, for several decades, been the driving force behind this outreach program. As part of the set up on the day there were tents with food, face painting, a prayer tent, a charity tent, an outreach book tent and much more.

The program included soloists, choirs, a nativity scene procession, prayers, Bible readings and a short gospel message by Rev. Graeme Prentice of North Balwyn Baptist Church. The night ended with a fireworks display. There was a fantastic community feel as families of all ages and nationalities mingled, played, sang and worshipped Jesus together.

Some of the highlights included:

1. The beautiful cooperation and support of the local Churches in finances, volunteers, comradery, unity and love in Christ. Six different denominations were involved.
2. 6000 people represents the biggest crowd in the history of the event.
3. The content and atmosphere was design to trumpet the name of Jesus.
4. There is no other event throughout the year that brings together so many people from so many walks of life in such a safe and loving environment.
5. This year included items from a local Mandarin Church and was indicative of the growing multi cultural nature of the event.
6. The outreach book tent reported many wonderful gospel conversations with people from the crowd.

We are so grateful for those who sponsored the event. There was a time early on in the planning that we felt that we may have to cancel for this year. It has grown so much over the years that the burden of planning on a small volunteer group was getting too much. But thanks to the sponsors and renewed support of the local Churches we were able to employ an event planner that made it possible to proceed. We praise God for his provision and for the 1000’s gathered to celebrate the birth of our saviour and Lord, Jesus Christ.

Written by:
Frank Rosenfeldt (Sec.) and Graeme Prentice (Pres.)
North Balwyn Baptist Church

This month, we are celebrating International Women's Day by featuring stories of courage and determination by ordinary women who are playing extraordinary roles within our Baptist community.

Leading in the middle – Robyn Song

Robyn is single, female, Asian, a migrant, a leader and a mother of four. But these titles don’t confine her. She is a woman who is cutting a path for others, as she stretches the perceptions and expectations of her peers. Change has not come through a desire for leadership, but through listening and learning along the way. In many aspects of her life she finds herself in the middle, acting as a bridge for others – a bridge for international students into community, for people of diverse background into theology, for women into leadership, for Western leaders in understanding a non-Western voice and perspective.

Robyn was born in South Korea, as one of five siblings. She’s in the middle. At the age of 19 her family moved to Sydney, following the calling of her father as a Baptist pastor. She moved to Melbourne in 2000, and life was full with volunteering within her church community, running her own business, and bringing up a family.

“It was a very busy period.” Robyn confesses as she reflects on her journey over the last decade.

And yet, even in the busyness of life, Robyn felt a strong desire to know God more, and decided to invest in this relationship through enrolment at Whitley College.

This step of faith was not supported by many in her life, partly due to women not being widely accepted in leadership at the time. As a forerunner for other women, she needed strength to persist in her on-going commitment of serving and learning. And it has been precisely in her place of her ministry that she has found a significant leadership opportunity, as she assisted in the coordination of the Whitley College TransFormation program, an innovative and accessible Diploma for culturally and linguistically diverse theology students.

While studying at Whitley, becoming a pastor was not in Robyn’s thoughts, however God slowly unfolded his plans for her life. Robyn took up an internship role with Auburn Baptist Church as community development coordinator of AuburnHub – a hospitality space and English classes for migrants and international students.

Rev Darren Cronshaw of Auburn Baptist Church affirms Robyn’s capacity to effectively bridge the cultural divide. “One of Robyn’s best contributions to the church is helping us understand what it takes to be a church that is hospitable and welcoming to people of different cultures. We want non-Westerners not just to be welcome as visitors but also to be included as equals.”

Robyn also served as part of the BUV multi-cultural ministry group for 12 years and has been also a part of the BUV Mission Grants Panel for the last six years.

“I was influenced by many good women leaders, especially at Whitley and BUV. It’s very inspiring to see them stand up and take up their calling. I also saw many examples of men and women working well together. These gave me confidence to play a role in the areas where I serve.”

In 2015, Robyn was offered the role as a pastor for the English service at Bentleigh and Korean Baptist church. She is one of the first female Korean pastors, especially in the Baptist world. Now looking back, Robyn can see a change in culture over the last 15 years, as more women are offered opportunities to lead. She encourages women of diverse background to embrace their culture.

“Don’t be somebody that you are not. Embrace both cultures as your being the middle person can bridge the difference across cultures.”

Robyn describes this position in the middle as a fortunate position, “I learn to be Korean as well as Aussie. I am both and I embrace both. The blessing is double!”

In her capacity as a member of the BUV Multicultural ministry group, Robyn reviewed the Soong Chan-Rah publication, “The Next Evangelicalism: Freeing the church from Western Cultural Captivity.” One of the key insights she draws out is that:

“part of what is needed for non-Western leaders to have their voices invited and their leadership welcome … A dilemma for non-Western leaders is that they often have a passion for mission, deep experiences of faith and ideas for how the church can flourish, but they also hold values about respect for leaders especially in the church. Thus they may be hesitant to offer their contributions if they are not invited.”

Finding her own voice has been a long season of learning for Robyn, as she is naturally a very shy and introverted person.

“Over the years, I learnt to speak up. It took me almost twenty years of learning. I used to filter what I wanted to say, as very often, I understand the conversations from both Australian and a multicultural point of view. It can be challenging but also an opportunity to help others see the other side of the story.”

Her hope for the future is compelling. Having already experienced much cultural change in the last two decades, she longs for more.

“I would encourage women to take up their calling and challenge, get out of their comfort zone, make themselves available to see other cultures and be inspired for change.”

But she also issues a challenge to existing church leadership to be more open-minded and to give opportunities, training and encouragement for women to lead so that others can see and follow.

“This will encourage more women leaders and I believe that change can happen.”

Robyn Song is a Pastor at Bentleigh and Korean Baptist church and also a 2020 Ordinand.  

During this time of isolation and separation, it is wonderful to see so many of the churches of the City of Whitehorse join together to share this message of hope and promise to the entire community on Easter morning.

Eddie Chapman, Box Hill Baptist Church’s Administrator, said “Knowing that all of our churches would be worshipping 'alone' over Easter, kind of made me feel like it'd be good to send some positive messages across churches in the area – So even if we're worshipping alone, we would appreciate that there's many of us doing so 'together'”.

Thankfully just a couple of days after it was suggesting it to Rev Jim Barr, the Pastor at Box Hill Baptist Church, there was a Zoom meeting with many of the Pastors in the City of Whitehorse, facilitated through Whitehorse Churches Care.  Jim was able to ask the Pastors on the Zoom meeting to record their greetings around the virtual 'room'.  This was then edited, tidied up, and distributed it out to all those churches to include in their own services or share accordingly.

“We're pleased that it's been well received across the congregations involved.” said Eddie.

Whitehorse Churches Care is an inter-denominational group with the following churches as members:

Stairway Church Whitehorse, One Church, NewHope Baptist Church, Gardenia St. Presbyterian, Blackburn Box Hill Salvos, St Francis Xavier Catholic Church, Korus Connect, Crossway, St Alfred's Blackburn North, St Luke’s Anglican Church, Vermont, Nunawading & Waverley Lutheran Church, FGA Melbourne.

Video Link: https://www.facebook.com/boxhillbc/videos/157998505512612/

I have been thinking, over the last few weeks, about the term ‘essential’. It has become part of our vernacular in a previously unseen way. I used to say ‘essential’ when I was speaking about getting something important or urgent like “It is essential I get chocolate today”. Now, the word has become synonymous with restrictions. Am I an essential worker? Is this task essential so I can leave the house?  We have been forced to consider every area of our life, every action that we take to determine if they are within the requirements and restrictions of the current time. It has impacted every area of our life in a way that has not been known before.  

By its definition essential means “absolutely necessary, extremely important.”

It got me thinking about the ways in which church is essential, particularly in the lead up to Easter when our Prime Minister indicated that ministers of religion were essential workers for the purpose of Easter services.

Is church essential?

According to McCrindle research the percentage of the Australian population who identify Christianity as their religion has declined over the last decade from 68% to 61.1%[1]. It should be noted that the number of people identifying as Christian does not necessarily translate into people attending church or being an active part of a faith community with National Church Life Survey data from 2011 suggesting that about 7% of the Australian population attend church on a Sunday[2].  On numbers alone, the data does not seem positive.

However, what the COVID-19 restrictions have shown us is an interesting dynamic, with research suggesting that many churches are reporting higher numbers of people linking in through online services than those who previously have attended church services. We have seen many encouraging and inspiring examples of churches adapting to the changing environment with the current situation providing many different opportunities for mission.  Carey Nieuwhof gives some great thoughts about how to press into the digital space for growing our churches.[3]

It still, though, doesn't answer the question about whether church is essential?

To me it is! As a member of a church community I love belonging to a faith community. They encourage me, challenge me to grow, support me when I am feeling wobbly – generally they are the hands and feet of Jesus to me.  Now I recognise that while there is the deeper ontological question about the essential nature of church, there is also the way in which the church is functionally essential for us today.

The essential nature of church is not just about how many people come through our doors but more importantly is being a flourishing community of believers who love God, love each other and love the world (or just our neighbourhood) around us.

Here are some suggestions to help your church prove itself to be essential at this time:

Loving God:

• Develop a church spotify list with your church most sung worship songs to help people sing along at home.
• Explore spiritual disciplines that you don’t normally use.
• Encourage people to pray in smaller groups online during the week
• Point people to a bible reading program.
• Encourage people to recognise God’s presence with them throughout their day.

Loving each other:

• Encourage your members to pray for five other people in your church each day and text them a word of encouragement.
• Suggest people meet online for lunch or dinner (smaller groups work better in this environment) and just hangout.
• Use online games for some fun interaction. There are some great Pictionary/card/game apps and websites.
• For families with kids, share schooling resources or organise appropriate help for each other.
• Drop off a meal on someone’s doorstep.

Loving our neighbourhoods:

• Check in with our neighbour to see if they are ok.
• Drop off a meal if you can.
• Watch a movie at the same time and chat via text or messenger during the movie.
• If you live next door to each other, have a coffee in your driveway with each other.
• Say hello to people that we pass when we are out for walks.
• Check in with local neighbourhood houses/centres to see if they need emergency food.

Being an essential church includes finding ways to deepen our love of God, each other and our neighbour. My guess is, if we encourage every single person in our church to do something in each of the three areas, we will have flourishing churches whether we are meeting in person or not.

Sources:

Running Alpha Online is here to stay. In a matter of weeks, 190 online courses across the country have been registered with digital gatherings quickly becoming the norm. Whilst online Alpha has been explored in the past, the sudden surge in interest in Australia indicates that people are more than ready to adapt. “There is no going back. Alpha Online will remain an option even when we can meet in groups again,” says Philippa Fielding, Alpha Australia Church Relationship Lead.

For some churches, attendance in services has surged since going online. There is still speculation regarding the trend, but anecdotal evidence suggests that people are enjoying some anonymity in gathering online and the forum is logistically easier for many who may be experiencing illness, distance or a lack of transport options. There also seems to be a greater appetite in society for asking the big questions of faith and life and the forum is more welcoming of those who might be experiencing growing uncertainty or anxiety.

Giving support to observations, McCrindle has recently researched the emotional state of Australians. “The unfolding situation around COVID-19 is creating a sense of uncertainty among Australians. Two in five (39%) feel extremely or very uncertain … while another 52% feel somewhat or slightly uncertain. In this context of change and uncertainty Australians are feeling anxious (45%), frustrated (37%) and vulnerable (29%). There is still a sense of optimism, however, with more than a quarter (27%) feeling hopeful.” You can find the full McCrindle report here.

Google Trends indicates that questions such as ‘What is the point?’, ‘Why and I here?’ and ‘Is this it?’ have all been at their highest for the last 12 month period in March and April this year, potentially correlating with the declaration of the pandemic by the WHO.

Offering Alpha is a natural step for people who want to ask their questions in a safe environment. Surprisingly, “Alpha Online is proving to be an easier forum for some introverts,” says Philippa. Some don’t turn on their videos. They choose to maintain the conversation through audio only. For those churches who are now part way through their courses, it has become evident that there “doesn’t seem to be as much pressure online.” Alpha Online has also seen an increase in participation of people with transportation challenges and single parents, who ordinarily face the difficulty of finding care for children in order to be able to go out of an evening.

The personal invitation has also been made easier in the online setting. Inviting a friend has always been a central focus of Alpha. The physical distancing requirements and isolation have shifted our focus to broader connections. Some Alpha participants from a Victorian Baptist Church have invited their friends living in Iran and China to join an Australian-based Alpha. And other Australian courses are crossing state borders, with participants not constrained by geography. As our globalised world helps us to forge relationships not bound by borders, so Alpha Online is enabling those relationships to delve into these big questions together.

Many churches are running small Alpha gatherings on the Zoom platform using a paid account, which allows for break out rooms and longer meetings. However, others are choosing to use a free Zoom account, and having guests login together for 45 minutes after watching the Alpha Film Series independently through Vimeo. Some churches, confident in using the online platform, are hosting Alpha and including other church groups, who then breakout separately for discussion. A Victorian church, never having previously run Alpha, is offering Alpha every night of the week. Others are starting up new Alphas each week. The tradition of running Alpha once or twice per year consecutively no longer needs to be adhered to. Creativity and ‘giving it a go’ have been hallmarks of those who have leapt into the opportunity.   

These trends are not unique to Australia. All over the world Alpha has been utilised as a safe forum during this crisis. Holy Trinity Brompton, the home of Alpha in London, is currently running its biggest Alpha cohort in history. 1100 people are gathering weekly. It is also hosting 1500 couples in the online Marriage Course. “This is a good thing since some couples are under greater pressure in the crisis,” says Philippa.

The essential elements of Alpha are being reprioritised. Food together is not an option; the ‘Weekend Away’ is being handled differently by different groups as leaders share their stories and ideas with one another; but prayer ministry remains vitally important and is often being organised through breakout rooms with smaller gatherings of people. Training is offered for churches who are keen to learn how to make the most of Alpha Online. As people have been led in prayer in the training context, “there has been a sense of the Holy Spirit there with us online.” Prayer remains a priority throughout Alpha, with The Prayer Course online being recommended as a potential follow up course at the close of Alpha.

Whilst the online forum provides an insurmountable challenge for some to participate, for many, it is exactly what is needed at this time, and a gathering that many have been waiting for.

For more information and resources, go to the link below:

Courses:

Alpha                               https://www.alpha.org.au/
The Prayer Course:         https://prayercourse.org/
The Marriage Course:     http://www.marriageandparenting.org.au/tmc

Devotions recommended by the Alpha team                                     

Bible in One Year              https://www.bibleinoneyear.org/
Lectio 365:                        https://www.24-7prayer.com/dailydevotional
Bridgetown Podcast:         https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bridgetown-audio-podcast/id84246334