A verse that contextualizes this statement beautifully is Rom 8:29:

'For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.'
Romans 8:29 NIV

I love to read the MESSAGE paraphrase as a commentary to the scriptures sometimes. In it I believe Eugene Peterson grabs the meaning of this verse beautifully when he writes:

'God knew what he was doing from the very beginning. He decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love him along the same lines as the life of his Son. The Son stands first in the line of humanity he restored. We see the original and intended shape of our lives there in him. After God made that decision of what his children should be like, he followed it up by calling people by name. After he called them by name, he set them on a solid basis with himself. And then, after getting them established, he stayed with them to the end, gloriously completing what he had begun.'
Romans 8:29-30 MSG

So, in the climactic expression of Christ’s identity in Philippians 2:6-7 we see how to shape our lives like Christ’s:

'Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.'
Philippians 2:6-7 NIV

That last phrase always trips me up…”taking the nature of a servant”! A lot has been said about nature versus nurture in educational psychology, but I must admit, some things cannot be enforced through nurture (or outside forces). One of them is serving, it has to come from the inside, it has to become nature. That’s why we find our true identity when we are born again as Christ brings new life to our innermost being:

'For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.'
1 Peter 1:23 NIV

Interestingly, According to Gallup, 35 percent of Americans reported volunteering for a religious organization last year, down from 38 percent in 2020 and 44 percent in 2017.

“A recovery in volunteering may be more elusive as concerns about COVID-19 exposure and public health safety measures limit Americans’ willingness and ability to perform volunteer work,” the researchers wrote.

A lot of churches saw their long-time, reliable volunteers back away from their roles because their age put them at risk, said Chuck Peters, director of the kids ministry team at Lifeway Christian Resources.

Jamie Ivey, author and host of The Happy Hour podcast, recently discussed her involvement with Sunrise Homeless Navigation Centre in Austin, Texas.

“Hands down one of the best decisions I made this year was to start volunteering again,” she shared with her social media followers. “In early 2021 I kept feeling like something was off. I know 2020 & 2021 have both been off (understatement of the century) but it was more than the pandemic. Something was off in me.”

“If you are feeling off, maybe you need to give some of yourself away each week,” she wrote. “It’s been super healing for me this year!”

Stepping into who Christ made himself to be…we discover who we ought to be! Let’s serve our city more than ever, let’s follow Christ more than ever. This will lead to us loving people more accurately than ever and faith communities will be planted… 

FUSE Youth | Term 2 Flyer

Check our this Terms events.

Volunteers | Sign Up

Volunteers are a vital part of our Church, and each person brings a unique gift.

You are the body of Christ. Each one of you is a part of it. – 1 Corinthians 12:27

To become a volunteer, there are four simple steps that need to be completed:

1.       Complete a Volunteer Application Form. This provides us with information about you, helps us to find the right position for you and ensures we meet our legal/insurance requirements.

2.       Obtain/Update a Working With Children Check.  We require every volunteer to hold a WWCC, with the exception of teachers.
A registered teacher who does child-related work – other than teaching in a school or early childhood service – must notify WWCCV of this work by completing the Teacher notification form.

3.       Complete our Policy Induction – read and be aware of where to find our policies, sign our Policy Induction Form which includes signing our Code of Conduct.

4.       Provide us with a digital copy of your Vaccination Certificate using our secure dropbox.  All staff and volunteers are required to have at least two doses of the Covid-19 vaccine to work in places of worship.

Have any questions or want to discuss anything about this process, please feel free to contact Karen Fletcher in the Office 03 9702 1011.

FUSE Youth| Friday, 29th April

We are kicking off term two with an epic “Glow In The Dark” night! Come dressed in all white and get ready for a night of all things glowing, nerf guns, food & a whole lot of fun! 

Details:

• Time: 7.00pm – 9.30pm
• Where: 446 Centre Road, Berwick, Vic, 3806
• Cost: $5

Kids Church | The Great Commission and Spread of the Gospel

Join us in person or online 10am this Sunday at Kids Church…

PREP – GRADE 2 | The Great Commission and Spread of the Gospel

I can trust God no matter what | Matt 28: 16-20; Acts 1 & 2

WONDERKIDS and LITTLE SPARKS | God made everything and God made me

Creation Days 1 & 2 | Gen 1: 3 – 8

Sunday Service | Vision Sunday

Do you ever struggle to fully experience a meaningful life?

Feeling insecure in your identity, isolated emotionally and obligated by the need of other things. Become confident of who Christ is in you. Become an individual with purpose. Fill your relationships with purpose. Engage your profession with purpose. Discover a bigger purpose to live for.

This Sunday our worship team will take us all to heavenly places. We will bring you a fantastic message which you can implement into your own life. Why not come early and enjoy a coffee at our cafe. We look forward to seeing you!

If you can’t make it Sunday in person, join us online and watch live stream via YouTube or Facebook at 10am.

Boys Brigade | 2nd May

Be part of the action Monday night. For over 20 years the Boys Brigade has advanced Christ’s Kingdom among boys.

ANCHORS | Grades 1 & 2: 6pm – 7.15pm

JUNIORS | Grades 3 – 6: 7pm – 8.30pm

SENIORS | Grades 7 to 18 years old: 7pm – 9.30pm

Search to Find | 3rd May

Is there a better option for life?
Experience connection, hope, and purpose.
Come along to an initial meal and Introductory Talk, ‘Is it True?’
You then decide if you would like to continue the search.

Book now!

Details:

• Date: Tuesday 3rd May 2022
• Time: 7.30pm
• Where: 446 Centre Road, Berwick, Vic, 3806

Pastoral Care Equipping | Saturday 7th May

Caring for each other (Loving People) is an important value for us as a church. The recent COVID season has also highlighted the need for better pastoral care. As such, we plan to have a Pastoral Care Equipping Session on 7th May, Saturday starting at 9:00 am and finishing at 3:30 pm. Everyone is invited, especially if you are a caregiver, and would highly benefit to learn how to better care and Love People.

Glenise has over thirty-five years’ experience in ministry and is the Victorian State Director of Chaplaincy Australia. She travels extensively as a National Trainer for Alphacrucis College and provides many and varied workshops across the State of Victoria and Australia. Glenise specialises in Pastoral Care, Critical-incident Response, Trauma Reduction, Grief, Loss and Bereavement, and Suicide Intervention for first respondents. Having been deployed and leading teams at a state and national level during disasters, her broad experience has equipped her to speak with authority, insight, and heartfelt understanding. Click here to register. 

Details:

• Time: 9.00am – 3.30pm
• Date: Saturday 7th May 2022
• Where: 446 Centre Road, Berwick, Vic, 3806
• Cost: $10 for lunch

Seniors Ministry | 11th May

Our Seniors Ministry will be inspired by a skilled artist, Lynton Allen who will present The Gospel through his art.

Details:

Time: 1.30pm – 4.00pm

Where: 446 Centre Road, Berwick, Vic, 3806

Bring: please bring a platter for everyone to share

Annual General Meeting | 15th May

This is an annual meeting where we gather with our partners to conclude items of business for the previous year. This meeting can be attended by non-partners (they do not hold voting rights, however) who have registered their attendance at the church office before the event. We hold these meetings according to our constitution to:

(a) confirm the minutes of the previous annual General Meeting and of any other General Meeting held since the previous annual General Meeting;
(b) to receive from the Board reports (including financial statements) on the activities of BCOC during the previous Financial Year;
(c) to confirm the appointment of Elders or the Senior Minister as required;
(d) to appoint an auditor for the following Financial Year; and
(e) do any other thing required to be done by the Associations Incorporation Reform Act 2012 (Vic) at an annual General Meeting. 

Details:

• Date: Sunday May 15th 2022
• Time: 12.00pm – 1.00pm
• Where: 446 Centre Road, Berwick, Vic, 3806 

For more details, please email [email protected] or phone (03) 9702 1011

Partners Gathering | 15th May

This is a partners only gathering where we will:

• galvanise our unity before Christ as head of our movement
• communicate important information on the state of the movement
• share with our partners information about future developments
• celebrate key breakthroughs in our movement
• build a stronger sense of community and relationship as partners
• create an opportunity to foster healthy communication

Details:

Date: Sunday May 15th 2022
Time: 1.30pm – 3.30pm
Where: 446 Centre Road, Berwick, Vic, 3806

For more details, please email [email protected] or phone (03) 9702 1011

Forge Young Adults | Service

Our Y&Y Service is on Sunday, 15th May at 5:30pm.

Next Steps Lunch | 22nd May

If you are a newcomer then we especially invite you to join us at the Next Steps Lunch beginning 22nd May. The Next Steps Lunch is a 3-Sunday Lunch event (22nd May, 29th May, 5th June) where you will get the opportunity to get connected, learn more about the movement, discover your potential, and take the next steps in your faith journey whilst enjoying a sumptuous meal. The expectation is that people who book will attend all 3 lunches as each lunch has a different focus. And did I mention that it's free?

To book please click here.

State Youth Games | 10th – 13th June

It is with great excitement that we can say State Youth Games is finally back! Registrations are now open so if you are a youth or young adult, book your place now! This is a weekend you will not want to miss!

Key Details:

Date: Friday 10th June – Monday 13th June
Cost: $220 – part-time options are available (includes transport, accommodation, food across the whole weekend, sport & your nightly worship rally pass)
For more information and book, head to the website.

A bit more about SYG:

SYG is an event that unites thousands of youth & young adults from across Victoria. We head down to Lardner Park for the weekend and compete against each other in sport, eat (lots), make new friends, build community and get together for night rallies, where we see young people come to Jesus.

Thank you for being His Presence in Every Place! 

BRAAM BOTHA

Senior Pastor