Valley Vision Autumn 2022 by Lauren O'Connell

VALLEY VISION March 2022

TABLE OF CONTENTS WELCOME

VISIONING & WAITING

CHURCH COUNCIL UPDATE

HOW TO GET INVOLVED AT DVBC

EVER THOUGHT ABOUT...?

WELCOME TEAM

GATHERINGS HUB (CMT)

YOUNG ADULTS

INNOVA YOUTH

A WAY IN THE WILDERNESS

PLAYGROUP

MAINLY MUSIC

GIRLS BRIGADE

WOMEN IN FOCUS

TENNIS CLUB

FRIENDSHIP GROUP

GREENSBOROUGH PLAZA CHAT ROOM

HOUSES OF HOPE

GRIEFSHARE

FOCUS ON GOD

Diamond Valley Baptist Church 309 Diamond Creek Rd, Plenty VIC 3090 Phone 0409 667 008 Email office@dvbc.net Web: dvbc.net Facebook: facebook.com/diamondvalleybc Youtube: Search Diamond Valley Baptist Church 2

AN ERA OF CHANGE

I was reading a newsletter from one of my old professors recently and he said something that caught my eye:

During the last 20 or 30 years there has been an unravelling. We are in a change of era, not just an era of change.

marked the end of certainty and moved us into a post-modernity world, foreign to all we had known.

“We are seeing not an era of change but a change of era”

Trust in institutions is plummeting. Trust in the institutional church is very low. There is cynicism about politics of all flavours. There is cynicism about science and about truth. The flat earth society again thrives. There is upheaval amongst the empires of the world.

And we as followers of Jesus need to recognise that the era of Christendom and the stable era of modernity that afforded us a place at the centre of power in society is over.

It’s not just that there’s a lot of change in our fast paced world, but rather that we sit at the transition between two eras. The era of modernity that has shaped our world for so long is unravelling. We had a social contract with the nation State — We give up some of of our freedom and wealth and in exchange, the State, and Science and Commerce would protect us and improve us, and we would live the good life with no reliance on the old superstitions of Christendom, which had finally vanished for good after the Great war. And for the past 100 years our trust of that fairly modern social construct, the Nation state and a firm belief in reason and science and progress has defined how we live. And the church in our culture, positioned itself as the moral compass of the State. We liked to think we lived in a Christian country and we liked to think of the church as near the seat of power. ‘Not sure that worked particularly well.

Maybe a new and powerful Chinese empire is emerging. Maybe the United States could be tearing itself apart. Eastern Europe is again in flames. The youth in the Islamic world are dissatisfied by the compromises of their parents’ generation. Tribalism is growing. Suspicion and even visceral intolerance of the “other” grows apace. The ability for critical thinking and civil discourse is diminished — and even mocked…. By those on all sides. Everyone is “woke” to the perceived injustices of the “other side.” I don’t think all this has been caused by covid. This has been a slow train coming, for at least 30 years. Covid has simply acted as an amplifier for what was already happening. With hindsight we will probably recognise that the fall of the Berlin Wall

We are a minority cult at the margins of a wild and dangerous maelstrom. And the good news is that that is exactly where the church of Jesus Christ belongs and does it’s best! It is just so, uncomfortable when a disruptive change sweeps over us like a Tsunami. Let me leave you with Paul’s inspiring words in 2 Corinthians 4 ,as he writes to Christians facing far more daunting times than we could ever imagine …. “For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.” 2 Cor 4:8-18 (NLT)

VISIONING AND WAITING 2019 was a long time ago! It seems like only yesterday that we were meeting for our Vision Day in late 2019. So many dreams we believed God was putting on our heart. You may remember this little booklet which summarised our priorities. We were looking at putting on a new full-time associate with a focus on discipleship and families. We were planning an inter-church evangelism conference. We were beginning conversations with the BUV and their architect about developing the front of the church property both for local mission (eg low-cost housing, community garden) and generating income to support further mission. We were planning to upgrade our internship programme. We were about to launch a number of missional communities. We were considering another Vanuatu missions trip. We were looking at reframing our Sunday evenings for an outreach focus running Alpha and the Jesus the Game-Changer series. We were consulting with Monique ten Hoopen about relaunching the outreach hub, and putting on a community mission worker. We had a team together to encourage social enterprise and were working on an inter-church conference for young christian entrepreneurs. We were exploring when and how to plant some sort of a centre out in the Woodstock area past Doreen…. And then, quite suddenly, our circumstances changed. Sunday morning March 15, 2021 was our last regular service, as the next week we went into the first of our lockdowns.

Here we are two years later; 110 episodes of Diamo online and about 60 online sermons later we are just coming out of the crisis and catching our breath. And now, like many others, we are still coming to terms with what this new ‘post-covid world’ will look like. Many people now want to work from home, online education is a more familiar thing, and enjoying neighbourhood and living locally is becoming important. On the other hand, the data is that some who were ‘going through the motions’ of doing church have finally given up and will not return. Others still believe, but are not convinced that coming our to a weekly Sunday service, sitting in pews singing and listening to a talk cuts it – they want something more relational and communal. There’s uncertainty and anxiety about the future – will the economy bounce back? Will the crisis in the

Ukraine escalate? Will all the covid ‘tree-changers’ head back to the big cities? Will migration pick up again one day, or will the budding new estates at the outer edges of Melbourne decline? Anxiety and mental fatigue is at an all-time high. People’s creative edge has been dulled. What that means is that we (and many others) are in a season of refuelling and reflection. We are waiting on the Lord and watching to see how our church community and our mission field is changing – rather than just rolling out the old vision and hoping it still fits. As a matter of fact, we are all still uncertain week by week, whether our household will go into dreaded isolation! Waiting, watching and witnessing. Isaiah 40:31 says: “… But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and

not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” Psalm 27:14 says: “… Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!” We are in a season of waiting, watching and ensuring that each of us maintains their personal witness. Our Church Council had a ‘visioning retreat’ some time ago to begin to reflect on what we believed our vision was 24 months ago – and where we are now and what we are just beginning to see emerge. We are now prayerfully assessing that and working out how best to frame in a written form that can be a ‘compass’ to help us keep hearing God through the fog of these times. The great news is that our God goes before us and is active in our world. Our task is to watch for what God is up to, roll up our sleeves and get involved!

Church Council Update

he start of 2022 has brought with it a lightening of restictions and a lifting of spirits. We are keenly aware that our world and environment has changed and whilst this can bechallenging to our community, it opens up whole new vistas of opportunities. While we certainly hope that we can now keep on the path to COVID normal, our systems and plans must also be flexible and sound to ensure we can confidently navigate our pathway forward. The Council have continued to pay close attention to ensuring the operations and functions of the church are adequately resourced, forecasted and adjusted as required. Some areas of attention have particularly been surrounding pastoral team and staffing loads, property and building maintenance, IT systems and support, finances and budget management and pastoral care. We have also been very encouraged with the many new faces and families coming to call DVBC home. We have enjoyed meeting and sharing with a number of new members as part of the process of welcoming each into our church community. The Council team have spent a significant portion of our time praying and discussing God’s current and future plans for our church at DVBC. This will continue to form a big part of our time and attention moving into the second half of 2022. Please continue to pray and support us in this regard – we are really looking forward to bringing some more details of this to the DVBC family in the near future. Love and Blessings, Mark Freeman Council Chairman / on behalf of the DVBC Council team

HOW TO GET INVOLVED AT DVBC

ight now I’m sitting with my headphones on listening to a news update about a new varieriety of Omicron that is spreading and hearing the bleak news about the war in the Ukraine. Ukraine It’s hard to plan ahead, isn’t it, when things keep changing? Yet, in the midst of all this, we are still called to be God’s people in this place. What does that mean? Well we have three basic priorities and they don’t change, with or without Covid! 1. To live and serve together as followers of Jesus. How we love one another and how we live as followers of the way of Jesus is a witness – it’s life-giving for us and light-casting for those around us. Practising the disciplines of our faith and encouraging those around us who are faltering is key. 2. To bring wholeness and health to our community. Yes that includes praying for spiritual wholeness and health for those in our neighbourhoods – but it includes practically loving people and serving them too. We drop a casserole off on someone’s doorstep, not because we’re trying to convert them, but because that’s what Jesus would do. 3. To help people find and follow Jesus. Our prayer is that others would come to know Jesus as Lord. We are committed to encourage others on a journey to faith and then to new life in Christ. So being part of Diamo means what? Practically there are four “Gs” to get involved with as a part of our village! 1. Good news. Be a witness in your neighbourhood: pray for your neighbours, encourage them, serve them, share your life and story with them as appropriate. That’s something we can all do – regardless of what programs we can run at present. 2. Groups Join a Diamo group that does life together. Church happens best in smaller family-size communities. Yes we gather together of a Sunday to celebrate our faith and our Lord – but we also need to be part of a smaller group, whether that’s a Connect group, a micro-church, a bible-study group or a life-group – that’s where we can help each other grow in faith. 3. Growth Participate in discipleship and training activities as they are run. We’re just finishing the Prayer Course. There’s a Grief Share course being run and through each year there will be other courses, conferences and resources to help you and those in your household grow further in your faith and gifting. Make sure you keep an eye out for these. 4. Gatherings It is good to celebrate joyfully in larger gatherings. Come as a Connect group or household and join us. At present we only have the one weekly gathering at 10am Sundays (and there’s the online service if you can’t join us!). Eventually there will be other opportunities to celebrate, meet, eat, have fun together and to grow together. Make sure you join in these larger meetings too! If you want more information about these, make sure we have your name, mobile number, email and address on our database so we can communicate with you. Send us a note if you want to receive the E-news or the weekly families update – and tell us if you want to join a small group. 9

Ever Thought About...? Baptism

The once-for-all public affirmation that we have stopped living for ourselves and are declaring for all to see that ‘it is no longer I who lives but Christ who lives in me!” Contact us and we’ll organise a meet up to explain what’s involved.

Membership

Think about committing as a member to our community. Members share in the joy and the responsibility of discerning together God’s leading. Pick up a membership booklet from the foyer (or download one from dvbc.net and get the process started today!)

Passion

I wonder what’s your passion and gifting? There is always room for another to put up their hand and help out. Whether that’s welcoming or welfare; playgroups or prayer-groups; mentoring or maintenance! Don’t worry, we will make sure that people have the orientation and training to slot in at a level that fits best.

Prayer Partnership

We need prayer warriors: individuals and on our prayer network. Commit to praying for our church and our neighbourhood. Let us know today if you want to be part of the church’s ministry of prayer.

Financial Partnership

What are you hearing about stewardship? Each of us will be prompted to commit at a different level. What is yours? Are you aware of our electronic giving facility? There are projects we would love to initiate, if we had sponsors. Pray with us for our budget target to be met this year. You can contribute via: Diamond Valley Baptist Church BSB: 033 053 ACCOUNT: 560 299 Fill in a Communication Card at Church or send an email to office@dvbc.net with any questions or suggestions and we will ensure the right person gets back to you. 10

Welcome Team

hat has been happening on the Welcome Team over the last while?

It is a privilege to serve on the Welcome Team at Diamond Valley Baptist Church, to take part in the simple task of a smile, a handshake, and a welcoming greeting to everyone coming into the building each Sunday. Well, it used to be that simple! In recent times it has become more complex with QR codes, hand sanitizer and masks required. even when the smiles were hidden, the handshakes banned, the greetings still are appropriate and meaningful. The Team have stepped up and taken all these changes in their stride and we trust that members, friends, and visitors all appreciate the welcome to enter the sanctuary to praise and worship our faithful God who is not taken by surprise by this turn of events. Some of the team have faced ill health or personal circumstance that have impacted on their availability and new members would be very welcome to join our number. If you are interested, please contact Rosemary at the church office.

Gatherings Hub (CMT)

ur Gatherings Hub has managed to keep apace of the stop/start nature of our gatherings over the last season. We continue to coordinate the rosters each week to provide the music and technical part of our gatherings. The creative nature of the ministry was demonstrated when a member of our congregation constructed and set up the wonderful stations of the Cross around the auditorium for our Easter Services last year (and again for 2022). Thanks to John Waterman and the Pastors for allowing that to happen! So, it’s not just in the music ministry that we can allow gifts to be used and appreciated by all. Since returning from our prolonged absence from live services last year, we have put together four teams with mentors, who each take a turn once a month. We have welcomed new members to the ministry, which is encouraging, and continue to lead God’s people in Praise and Worship in a wonderful way each week.

We are planning to meet soon over a meal, as a whole team and we are hoping to run a training session later this year for newcomers in vocal and technical skills. We continue to encourage anyone wanting to be involved to come and sit while we practice each Sunday morning at 8.30 and see if it is what they think they would like to commit to. That includes both musicians and those with audio-visual skills who can be trained to use our sound desk Thank you to all who encourage those in this ministry. It is a collaborative effort, but one that needs commitment to turn up each week early and prepare for the service. At the moment we have the Worship Leaders forming the leadership group and Julie has kindly coordinated the group with the roster for each coming month We would ask for your ongoing prayer for this ministry and the way to best move forward into a new day!

Young Adults

t Diamond Valley Young Adults, we love doing life together, through all its victories and trials, knowing we’re treasured by Jesus! Typically we meet on a Sunday evening, gather round the bonfire or table, share a meal and hang out. We aim to build meaningful connections, and go for some faith-based encouragement whether it be sharing prayer/praise points followed by a time of prayer, reading the Bible, faith-based discussions, listening to a Christian message, worship, or When I come to youencourage each other in the faith. Recently we followed ng adults I feel accepted along with the 24/7 Prayer Course series and spent some no matter where I am in time talking about it and what it means for us. Currently my journey with Christ. we are watching and discussing the Alpha course together.

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At other times throughout the weeks, we attempt to journey with each other by keeping in touch, catching up, prayer groups, and being available for each other. Last year, the girls met regulary at Bootcamp for exercise on a Saturday morning either online or in person, and the boys have spent some time together too, as another way to enjoy life together.

I always feel so welcome and appreciated by the community and truly find my passion in love for God when I’m surrounded by the same passionate people. It is that burst of light when everything else seems dark and I couldn’t be more grateful for it.

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We endeavour to get out and about together in God’s cre– Brooke ation. It might look like day trips to the beach, camping or even just a social hang out. Looking forward, we hope to spend time with older members of our congregation on Sunday evenings, for some sharing, connection and encouragement. We also hope to grow in number, in faith and as a Church! Above all, we try to remember who we are in Christ and why we’re here...for Him, and to share the Good News of the Gospel to all nations. All are welcome as we journey through this wild adventure called life, in the hope of sharing Jesus with them. Recently Ash and Amber wound up their time leading the group. We thank the Lord for their faithfulness and leadership over the last few years. Jacob Cookson now leads and coordinates the group. if you are interested in joining in, contact Jacob! (0474 943 244)

INNOVA YOUTH

nnova Youth has seen some welcome change coming from 2020 into 2022. During 2020, we met only twelve times in person, out of forty Friday nights when we would normally have youth, only beginning to meet in person again with three weeks left of the youth calendar. Thankfully, even with 2021’s circuit-breaker lockdowns, we have had fewer events being moved online due to lockdown and restrictions, the rest all thankfully being in person at Diamond Valley Baptist Church. The last year has seen our community grow, with a surprising amount of new young people attending, as well as our leadership team starting to grow. One highlight from last year was a teaching series prepared by the Innova Leadership Team, called This Is Love, based on 1 John 4:10. We finished the year with a series called His Hands and Feet, based on 1 Corinthians. Another 2021 highlight from Innova was being able to attend EPIC 2021 at Camp Wilkin, back in April with a few other youth ministries, being the first camp we have been able to attend since State Youth Games 2019, and for a lot of the young people, it was their first time piling into cars, and taking a trip somewhere far away with their youth family for a few days. EPIC was a brilliant mix of growing as a community, learning about what it means to be a child of God, and having a go at different activities and challenges that were on offer. Both SYG and EPIC are back on this year. Innova Youth meets Friday evenings for

young people from Grade Six to Year Twelve. To stay up to date on what is happening, especially when things are a little unpredictable at times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/innovayouth, Instagram at @innovayouth, or send an email to jacob.cookson@dvbc.net.

A WAY in the wilderness

e’ve long dreamed of extending “church” from our beautiful building and grounds at 309 Diamond Creek Rd into the neighbourhoods in which we live. What this looks like, when it happens and how it all comes together is an ongoing, ever-changing conversation; many of us are already “being church” in the communities in which we live, work and play through our words, actions and relationships. We are a people deeply rooted in our place, drawing strength and inspiration from our landscapes, and investing deeply in those we live alongside and among. With this in mind, we have been tentatively and prayfully looking for opportunities to support and encourage gatherings in our neighbourhoods. Gatherings that build us up as a community, provide a place of welcome and exploration for those who dare not darken the doors of a church building, and allow us to have a little bit of fun in God’s glorious creation - all while placing God firmly in the centre. Last year we offered our first contemplative walks in Plenty Gorge Park, led by Shanda Sebbage. These late-afternoon walks provided participants of all ages with an invitation to slow down, connect and marvel at God’s creation. In term two we are thrilled to add a gathering in Doreen to the mix. Our Doreen gathering will incorporate many of the elements you’re used to seeing in our 309 Diamond Creek Rd gatherings - prayer, singing and a message among them. Just a little more relaxed. Informal. Free-flowing. And, importantly for our little people, interactive. So save the dates below and join us as we explore new ways to gather in our neighbourhoods.

Playgroup

022 is the year of babies - which makes sense, really! - and we could not be more thrilled to welcome a number of new families and their little people into our playgroup community. Place-making continues to take precedence over programming, as we ease back into communal gatherings and the little ones adjust to interacting with people outside their immediate families. Pastoral care is a priority and building relationships is key. All that said, our program is pretty wonderful this year, as we provide little people with plenty of opportunities to get messy, get creative and have fun! Exploring opportunities for connection and belonging in a variety of formats and locations is our focus going foward, and we would welcome your prayers as we discern where God is leading us and who God is inviting to be part of the journey.

Mainly Music

ollowing a somewhat rocky (disjointed!) start in 2021, we have hit the ground running in 2022. Our outstanding team has hit their stride and we’re slowly growing our enrolment list, which is once again peppered with lots of babies! Each week, the connections between our team and our families strengthen, as do the connections between the families with each other, and we eagerly look forward to seeing what God has in store for this ministry over the weeks and months ahead. We would very much appreciate your prayers of protection over our team, some of whom have been dealing with poor health and loss. We would also appreciate your prayers for our families, both the already enrolled ones and those God will guide here over the coming year.

Girls Brigade

irls’ Brigade kicked off 2022 with a fantastic water games night. Different age groups have been working towards new skills and building friendships. The older girls have had fun learning more about outdoor camping. We held a kitchen tea for Liz Hillard, and farewelled her as she moves and prepares for marriage. We held a hugely successful bring a friend night where we packed 41 bags for Share the Dignity. Please continue to pray for our girls as they develop and grow, and deepen their relationships with Christ. Last year Juniors (Grade 3–5) and Cadets (prep to grade 2) focused on the themes of Friendship, Caring and Courage. We had two huge nights for Mothers’ Day and a theme night around the letter P. The Pioneers (Year 9+) focussed on their future goals and completed a vision poster last term. They attended Pioneer Leadership Training Courses last August. We celebrated the marriage of our Pioneers Leader, Melissa Brown to Nathan Hawes and are profoundly grateful for her years of service to the girls and company. Bella Young, who has been Melissa’s co-leader in the Pioneers, has concluded her time with us. Thank you so much. The Seniors (Grades 6–8) learned about what we value in life. This included topics such as Fun, Community, Living with Jesus at the centre, and recognising our own and other’s uniqueness. We’ve been finding ways to encourage each other by writing ‘warm fuzzies’ and exploring what it means to be a good friend. Girls Brigade meets from 6.45pm to 8pm on Wednesdays during school terms at the church. Cheryl and the Leadership team, Jen, Liz, Robyn, Maria and Emi

Women in Focus

omen is Focus is a team of eight women of various ages and a variety of gifts, thoughts and ideas. But we all have something in common – love for the Lord and a desire to serve Him.

We’ve also sent cards, notes and encouraging scripture verses. As a team we feel like we’re the ones being blessed. Isn’t God great – He’s enabling us to bless others and is blessing us at the same time!

Our main focus is to support and encourage women in our church and the wider community.

2022 has less uncertainty and we are planning to hold events which will interest, support and encourage women of all ages. We warmly invite you to join us at our very first event for 2022: a movie night featuring The Princess Bride at 7pm Saturday, April 9. All ages welcome!

Prior to 2020 we arranged events which focused on encouraging and inspiring women. Because we were unable to meet last year, we “supported and encouraged” in a different way. We assisted with the group who prepared and delivered scones to mothers on Mother’s Day. On other occasions we prepared and delivered slices and treats to many women in our fellowship.

Our prayer for us all is that even though we may not know what the future holds. God does and will always, always be with us.

Tennis Club

ur Tennis Club has continued, when possible, during the last year. Because of the breaks we have had due to the COVID lockdowns the competition seasons have been delayed, but, where possible, our members have been keen to play. We had three teams in the competition in 2020 and were able to register a fourth team for the 2021 spring season. Over the last few months of 2020 work was done on the retaining walls at the side of the courts and we thank Paul Stoneman and John Hannigan who spend countless hours keeping the courts in perfect condition. Our Monday morning group is growing and has attracted new players who have no other connection to our Church. Anyone who would like to play social tennis on either a Monday morning from 9.30am to 12 noon or a Wednesday evening from 7.30pm would be made most welcome. Our hope is that now restrictions have eased, that our Club will be able to get back to normal in the not too distant future.

Friendship Group

n a church our size it really is hard to get to know a lot of people. We see a lot in the distance, but don’t get to know them. Sunday morning in the foyer is a great place to meet, but truth be known, it is so easy to gravitate to people you already know. The Friendship Group is a monthly gathering specifically designed to expand the possibility of getting to know more folk in a very friendly atmosphere. We have a variety of programs, including some outings, that we enjoy together. Some of our past activities have included Bundoora Park Café, the Chocolate Factory, Alowyn Gardens, Myraid Glass Factory, games in the Hall, visits to various homes, a range of speakers on different subjects, trips, sing-a-longs and cherry blossom time in the gardens. Covid has restricted many of our activities over the past 18 months. Now, when we meet at the church, we BYO lunch and fellowship first. We meet at 12.30pm on the first Wednesday of the month.

What I Like About Friendship Group Is ... Here are some comments from people who have enjoyed linking with others in the relaxed atmosphere of the friendship group meetings noting what it is they appreciate about these gatherings:

◆ “The variety of subject matter to do.

meetings as it is a good chance to get to know people in a relaxed atmosphere”. ◆ “Caring and sharing”. ◆ “Enjoy the fellowship – meeting new people – Good speakers – Outings (when permitted) Nice cakes….

The fellowship and friendship”

◆ “Meeting face to face and having

fellowship on different avenues of life and outings”. ◆ “Connecting, more intimate than large group. Friendship. Varied topics/ themes”. ◆ “I enjoy coming to Friendship Group

Greensborough Plaza Chat Room

he “Chatroom” in Greensborough Plaza was established in July 2018 as a place for anyone in the community to come for a chat, a quiet place or a book-share resource. It was somewhere for the socially isolated to sit and be with other people and make new friends. The ladies knitting group and the Codgers (men’s discussion time) are both popular weekly events. Before the first lockdown we were seeing 160 people a week come through. Masks have not been conducive to free discussion and smiling faces, so for a while we dropped to half that number. We have many “regulars” who join us for a chat over a jigsaw puzzle, and others just drop in while shopping and interact for a while. The team, comprising a chaplain and volunteers from a variety of local churches, are welcoming and friendly. We often have feedback about what an essential service such a place is in the busy plaza. If you’d like to know more about volunteering, please contact the church office.

Houses of Hope

e are planning to host a Houses of Hope dinner for later in the year, an opportunity for us to get together as a church family, learn more about the Houses of Hope program and enjoy some delicious international food! We are still collecting shopping bags and if you would like to donate food items some staples that our residents always appreciate are: tuna in oil, basmati rice, lentils, spices, tin tomatoes, tin corn, tin beans and UHT full cream milk. Food items may be left in the shopping bag tub. Thank you for your ongoing support and if you have any queries please call out, Houses of Hope Team

GriefShare

ith a heart for those suffering grief through bereavement, Heather Dunning began the search for the appropriate platform from which to help. Enter ‘GriefShare’. With much prayer and time spent seeking God’s leading, materials were purchased, a start date was set, and advertising began. On 22nd April 2021, a group of six people from four different churches – most, strangers to each other – came together each Thursday evening, to get to know each other, watch video material, have some great discussions, listen, trust, learn and grow through the 13 weeks that is GriefShare. Some of these participants are looking at taking the GriefShare course to their own church, some are keen for another course to be scheduled for others to benefit as they have. Blessed to be a blessing. Watching these people begin to heal, show such care, compassion, and support for one another; and seeing God at work in their lives has been an honour and a very special privilege. Getting together for dinner at the Café down the road before each session has been great fun too. Heather Dunning and Rosemary O’Keeffe had the privilege of facilitating this first GriefShare Course, a second (daytime group) is now running. Recently we held a well attended stand-alone GriefShare session specifically for those experiencing the death of a spouse. If you would like to know more about either of these courses, go to the GriefShare website (www.griefshare.org) or to register your interest in a future course, please call the DVBC office on 0409 667 008.

Focus on God

“THIS IS OUR TIME ON THE HISTORY LINE OF GOD. THIS IS IT. WHAT WILL WE DO WITH THE ONE DEEP EXHALE OF GOD ON THIS EARTH? FOR WE ARE BUT A VAPOR AND WE HAVE TO MAKE IT COUNT. WE’RE ON. DIRECT US, LORD, AND GET US ON OUR FEET.” – BETH MOORE