Citywide Baptist Church
Speak the Truth in Love
There is nothing more powerful than the truth
Locations & Times
Citywide Baptist Church (Mornington)
400 Cambridge Rd, Mornington TAS 7018, Australia
Sunday 10:00 AM
As we start 2024 I am reminded of the bible passage that was the text for the first-ever service of the newly created Citywide Baptist Church
We are being invited to enlarge the place of our tent in order to welcome new people into the family... that requires us to do three things:
- stretch our curtains: make clear that people outside are welcome
- lengthen our cords: increase our capacity to welcome
- strengthen our stakes: be absolutely clear on the foundations
- stretch our curtains: make clear that people outside are welcome
- lengthen our cords: increase our capacity to welcome
- strengthen our stakes: be absolutely clear on the foundations
Some of the ways we are stretching our curtains in 2024:
- Supporting our people in their callings
- Online services, short videos and topical videos
- Focussed Prayer moments (Winter Solstice, Online Prayer Invitation)
- Community Connection Days (ANZAC DAY, Carols in the Paddock, Christmas Day)
- Welcoming people into our facilities
- LOCAL Dinners together with Hobart and Claremont Baptist churches
- Supporting Mission in Nepal
- Working towards a Young Adults Mission trip
- Trying a "Big Day Out" instead of a camp so more can join us.
- Welcoming the Senior Pastors from bigger Baptist churches across Australia
Some of the ways we are expanding our capacity in 2024:
- Connecting with and supporting other churches
- Fundraising to improve our facilities (signs, building, youth)
- Finding a youth and children's worker
- Working with other churches to do things we couldn't or wouldn't want to do ourselves.
Some of the ways we are strengthening our stakes in 2024:
- Teaching about the reality of community and getting into the big story of the bible.
- Encouraging everyone to do Foundations
- Creating pathways for anyone to study the bible with Frank Boreham college
- Strengthening the moments when we worship with the Nepalese congregation so we all sing in our own language and ensuring our business is truly done as one church.
- Deciding what is right for the backyard
- Implementing the new structural changes with Elders taking more initiative in pastoral care and spiritual oversight and trustees workgroups helping us address a lot of the key questions we need to face as a church
- Supporting our people in their callings
- Online services, short videos and topical videos
- Focussed Prayer moments (Winter Solstice, Online Prayer Invitation)
- Community Connection Days (ANZAC DAY, Carols in the Paddock, Christmas Day)
- Welcoming people into our facilities
- LOCAL Dinners together with Hobart and Claremont Baptist churches
- Supporting Mission in Nepal
- Working towards a Young Adults Mission trip
- Trying a "Big Day Out" instead of a camp so more can join us.
- Welcoming the Senior Pastors from bigger Baptist churches across Australia
Some of the ways we are expanding our capacity in 2024:
- Connecting with and supporting other churches
- Fundraising to improve our facilities (signs, building, youth)
- Finding a youth and children's worker
- Working with other churches to do things we couldn't or wouldn't want to do ourselves.
Some of the ways we are strengthening our stakes in 2024:
- Teaching about the reality of community and getting into the big story of the bible.
- Encouraging everyone to do Foundations
- Creating pathways for anyone to study the bible with Frank Boreham college
- Strengthening the moments when we worship with the Nepalese congregation so we all sing in our own language and ensuring our business is truly done as one church.
- Deciding what is right for the backyard
- Implementing the new structural changes with Elders taking more initiative in pastoral care and spiritual oversight and trustees workgroups helping us address a lot of the key questions we need to face as a church
What do you think Jesus would be wanting to say to us as Citywide Baptist at the start of 2024?
https://www.menti.com/al8p6ay66tksIn our society, people are increasingly becoming isolated.
Even in the Christian church, we are not experiencing the kind of community that Jesus clearly envisioned for us.
Even in the Christian church, we are not experiencing the kind of community that Jesus clearly envisioned for us.
This year we want to wrestle with what it would mean if we took Jesus' vision seriously.
Our first sermon series for the year is based on the kind of behaviour that would need to be normal for us if we were really sharing in community.
Our first sermon series for the year is based on the kind of behaviour that would need to be normal for us if we were really sharing in community.
Speak the Truth in Love
Have Space
Actively Listen.
Reflect Grace
Encourage
Have Space
Actively Listen.
Reflect Grace
Encourage
Speaking the Truth in Love is possibly the most challenging behaviour because it requires stepping into a tension:
Speaking the Truth in love means making the conscious choice to communicate how you see the world to others in a way that strengthens the hearer.
Speaking the truth in love is an act of Love
Can you think of a time when someone told you a difficult truth but did it in a way that you felt loved? What was it like?
Can you think of a time when someone told you a difficult truth but did it in a way that you felt loved? What was it like?
Speaking the truth in love requires us not simply to do what we feel like doing.
Can you think of a time when you told the truth to someone but didn’t think much about the impact of your words on them?
What was the impact?
Can you think of a time when you told the truth to someone but didn’t think much about the impact of your words on them?
What was the impact?
Speaking the truth in love is one of the ways we most reflect Jesus, and avoiding it is one of the ways we do the most damage.
Can you think of a time you consciously didn’t tell the truth to someone? What was it like?
Can you think of a time you consciously didn’t tell the truth to someone? What was it like?
The most effective communication is always speaking the truth in love.
- Is true for the speaker (honesty)
- is true for the listener (empathy)
- is true for the moment (sensitivity)
- Is true for the bigger purpose (calling)
- Harvard Business review.
- Is true for the speaker (honesty)
- is true for the listener (empathy)
- is true for the moment (sensitivity)
- Is true for the bigger purpose (calling)
- Harvard Business review.
Who are the people In your life that you would say are honest with you?
Who are the people you would say you have been honest enough with that they actually know a bit of what life is like for you?
Who are the people you would say you have been honest enough with that they actually know a bit of what life is like for you?
Have a go:
Ask three people close to you what they see as your strengths and weaknesses.
Give someone positive feedback.
Ask three people close to you what they see as your strengths and weaknesses.
Give someone positive feedback.
Questions
1) Talk about some of the things coming up this year that you are excited about, concerned about or have questions about.
2) What is your sense of what Jesus is saying to Citywide Baptist church at the moment? Take notes and forward them to the elders and pastors
3) Do you agree that people are becoming increasingly isolated? Where and how do you see that?
4) Can you think of a time when you told the truth to someone but didn’t think much about the impact of your words on them? What was the impact?
5) Are there any conversations you sense God is inviting you to have this week in order to speak the truth in love?
1) Talk about some of the things coming up this year that you are excited about, concerned about or have questions about.
2) What is your sense of what Jesus is saying to Citywide Baptist church at the moment? Take notes and forward them to the elders and pastors
3) Do you agree that people are becoming increasingly isolated? Where and how do you see that?
4) Can you think of a time when you told the truth to someone but didn’t think much about the impact of your words on them? What was the impact?
5) Are there any conversations you sense God is inviting you to have this week in order to speak the truth in love?