November Church Family News

Lil' Buds LuncH

We have a wonderful team of people who love our little kids at Lil's Buds every week during Women's Growth Group, teach them about their Heavenly Father and serve women who wish to read the bible with others.  Women's Growth Group and the leaders enjoyed lunch together after their weekly meeting on the 31st of Oct and 2nd of Nov.

It was wonderful to spend time with the Little Buds leaders, a chance for mums to get to know the team better and enjoy a meal together.  

Thank God for the ministry of Lil' Buds that frees up women to read the bible, grow their relationship with God and encourage each other to live for Jesus. Thank God for the Lil' Buds Team as they love and serve our 0 - 5 yr olds.

Gospel Investment Afternoon

Earlier in November, we had our Gospel Investment afternoon where we gathered to hear the plans and prayers for our church in 2018. Greg looked back on the highlights of 2017, we heard an update from the Building Acquisition Committee and announced our new budget for 2018.

Pray that as a church we would continue to be driven by a vision to see people grow in faith and to reach Newcastle and Lake Macquarie with the gospel. 

You can see the budget for 2018 here.

Reality Farewell

On the 8th of November, Reality, the college bible study, had their farewell. We said goodbye to those moving off college next year and those going back to their home countries.

It was a great night eating food, playing games and listening to God's word.

Please pray that as Uni breaks up for the year, the students will keep digging into God's word, and growing in their love and knowledge of him.

Senior Staff Mini Conference

During mid-November, some of our senior staff gathered for a few days to pray and plan for the next season of serving Jesus' people at HBC. 

This time together included reading God's word, thanking God for the his work in and through our church over the past few years and asking for his help in the future.

This came after attending some encouraging conferences over the past few months, including the FIEC (Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches) Conference, and gathering with past MTS Apprentices at MTS Mission Minded.

Please thank God for our pastors and pray that God would keep them and use them for his glory. 

New Youth Pastor Starting in 2018

We're very pleased to announce Anthony Allen will be joining the staff team to fill the Youth Pastor position.

Anthony and Laura have been around HBC for years and he's been working at Compassion after completing MTS with us a few years ago.

Please pray for the 30,000+ youth aged kids in Newcastle and Lake Mac... that God would use HBC to reach many with the gospel of Christ.

Births & marriages

June Church Family News

All-in Church at AM, PM & Lake Mac

The last two weekends of June, our AM, PM and LakeMac congregations did church with kids-in! Each meeting saw kids and adults singing, learning and doing actions as they looked through John 5.

Thank God for the chance to have all-ages in church and for our wonderful kids team leaders.

Lake Mac Weekend Away

On the 2nd-4th of June, LakeMac had a weekend away to Toukley. It was a an opportunity for the LakeMac congregation to get away for the weekend, to sit under God's word and invest time into one another as a family. Greg preached five great talks on Jesus as God's Right Hand Man (The Session of Christ) and they had some fantastic seminars on living for Jesus in marriage and singleness.

Pray for the HBC:LakeMac congregation that their lives - their godliness, their mission, and their decisions - would be about Jesus and His glory.

New Members Dinner

Joining a church is a big deal because God loves us and gathers us together as his people. The New Members Dinner was an opportunity to celebrate with people who have joined us this year. We had around 25 people come along and we got to chat about what God has done in the life of our church so far and what we are looking forward to God doing in and through us. 

Give thanks for all the people who have come along and decided to join us this year. Pray for them to keep making deeper and deeper connections with people and to feel part of HBC.

Big Ideas Night: Men & Women in Ministry

In May and June we gathered for two events (men and women) to explore what the Bible says about men and women in ministry. At the women's Big Ideas night Jenny Jefferys and Rach Munday did some great teaching on 1Timothy 2 and a reflection on feminism. A long Q&A with Jenny, Jo, Rach and Greg was very helpful.

This topic creates controversy among Christians and in the world, but we were able to see the goodness of God's way: men and women are equally valuable in God's church but at times serve him in different ways in different roles.

Pray that as a church both men and women would be glorifying God in all kinds of ministry.

UniChurch marriage seminar

On the 10th, Unichurch couples attended a marriage seminar at The Hub. It was an awesome afternoon which allowed them to think about how their marriages help them do the ministry of building God’s kingdom.

They were encouraged to love both singles and married couples around Unichurch, remembering that their job is firstly to serve Jesus.

Pray that all our married couples would be seeking to glorify God in their marriages.

Winter Warmers

Winter Warmers has kicked off whilst Unichurch Growth Groups are on pause over the holidays. Unichurchers have been meeting at the Hub every Tuesday to share a meal together and spend some time studying God's word.

Winter Warmers is a great chance for our Unichurch congregation to stay focused on God's word while they are on break from uni and their regular routines. It is a great time of fellowship as a congregation.

Please be praying that people will be coming along and continue to grow in God's word over the mid year break.

New Mobile Phone App?

We've been considering a HBC Phone App and we'd love your feedback and ideas! Would you use it? What would you use it for? Should we do it? Let us know! 

January Family News

WAVE Kids Club

In the third week of January, the WAVE Kids Club with Sideline Cafe kicked off. Over 600 kids came along throughout the week, with over 100 different adults sticking around at the coffee tent. All who came along got to hear and learn about how they could be friends with Jesus and what the gospel means. 

Thank God for the 200+ people who helped WAVE happen and pray for all those who heard the gospel.

Men & Meat Night

On the 25th, a stack men gathered at The Hub to hang out with friends, cut up and eat lamb and hear about Jesus.

Pray for the non-Christians who were invited along, and that they would continue to investigate who Jesus is.

Summer Nights

Over Summer, Newy:PM has been meeting on Tuesday at Summer Nights to hang out, let the kids play, eat together and listen to a story from the Bible, because it's easy to let God slip to the side when Growth Groups have come to an end. 

Pray that Newy:Pmers would practice and remember these Bible stories so they can lovingly share the Gospel, as well as think through what it means for their own lives.

Summer Sessions

Last Tuesday, Summer Sessions kicked off again for our Unichurch congregation. Summer Sessions is a great chance for Unichurch to continue to meet and study the Bible whilst on holidays. It will run every Tuesday until the 14th of Feb, at The Hub from 6pm-9pm. 

Pray that the Unichurchers would be challenged and equipped for another year of serving Jesus at uni.

Big Questions 

Over the Summer, all four congregations have been looking at four big questions about Christianity. These have been a big hit with non-Cristians thinking through the claims of Christianity as well as for Christians to consider how to answer wisely on their own.

We're planning to put these up online soon!

Growth Groups Kicking off

Over the past week or so, 100s of HBCers have been signing up for Growth Groups for the year. As a church, we're really keen on gathering around the bible in weekly groups to grow more like Christ together.

Please pray for our 70+ Growth Group leaders and their support teams. Please pray for our Newish Groups starting the Connect Series too! The hope is that those Newish Groups will become their own Growth Groups soon. 

Our Extended family

At HBC we partner with a bunch of people and organisations who we love, and are doing some ministry + evangelism that we can't do, but are really excited about. To keep things manageable, and to help deepen relationships between people in our church family here in Newcastle + Lake Mac and our family serving in other places, we divide them up amongst our 4 congregations.

HBC:NEWY MORNINGS
- Chris + Karen Webb | CMS Broome, WA. (visiting us in March!).
- Kingsley + Veronica Box | CMS, Slovenia.
- Stu + Isabella | CMS, South Asia.

HBC:NEWY ARVOS
- Rob + Jen Alley | AIM.
- Shem + Grace | HSJC
- Kelly Landrigan | CMS, France.

HBC:LAKE MAC
- Josh + Sarah Allen | Laneway Church, Footscray Vic.
- Lincoln + Leah Bill | HMP, Myanmar.
- Mike + Katie Taylor | CMS, Tanzania.

HBC:UNICHURCH
- Ross + Lyndal Webb | Wycliffe Bible Translators, Vanuatu.
- Dave Payne | Pioneers, Myanmar.
- Dene + Rachel Hughes | CMS, Japan.