Church Extensions Opening!

Sunday 13th of July was a great day of celebration for our church family. We thanked God for the completion of our extensions to the church that have been completed without a cent owing on the $416,000 project.

Special guests, Bill Tilley, Member for Benambra and Rev. Grant Stewart, Regional Minister for the Baptist Union of Victoria, attended the opening with Grant sharing some reflections before Bill opened the extensions by cutting the ribbon.

This project has been the fifth in a series of building projects on the Melrose Drive site since 1987, the first of which was a manse which is now being used as the administration office. The core of the existing church building was erected in 1990, followed by the south hall, the north extension and some side rooms.

In 2006 our congregation agreed to extend again, mainly to accommodate the growing children's ministry and to more broadly meet the need of church growth. The cost were estimated to be $498,000. Yet with the use of many people from within the congregation, largely volunteers the project came in well under budget.

Special thanks was expressed during the morning service to the Building Committee, the workers and volunteers, to Allen Cummins and Graham Brewer who gave of themselves so generously throughout the project, and to all who contributed financially.

We can only say that through these last four years God has supplied all our needs. We have continued to generously give to mission throughout this time in Malawi and Uganda and God has seen our faithfulness.

To God be the glory, great things He has done!

Daily Journal for Wednesday 30th of June 2010

Hallelujah!

S - The twenty-four elders and four living creatures fell down and worshipped God, who was seated on the throne. And they cried: "Amen, Hallelujah!" Revelation 19:4 (TNIV)

O - The heavenly beings and angels, fell down and worshipped God. The vision that John sees points to the absolute majesty of God. If we could just glimpse this, just see this for a moment, we too would uncontrollably fall and worship. Hallelujah is derived from two words and means "Praise the Lord." Amen means firm, surely, trustworthy. The cries are saying, "This is definitely and surely true - praise be to the Lord!"

A - God is to be praised. If were just to get a glimpse I would fall down and worship. But I have read and understood that Jesus has come to earth, God in the flesh. As I have trusted and believed, the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit has filled me. I know for certain that God is my Lord and is to be praised. Therefore, today, though I have not seen God on his throne in all his majesty, I will worship him with all that I am knowing that he has saved me, lives in me by his Spirit and that one day I will fall before him in eternity.

I also am reminded that I am made in his image. God has made me a little lower than the angels, and crowned me with glory and honour. I too will one day be given a new heavenly body.  Today I will treat people with honour and value knowing that each is made in God's image and one day, through faith in Christ, they might be a being that in their eternal heavenly form I would be tempted to worship, such will be their splendour.

P - Father, Hallelujah! Praise be to you the Alpha, the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last. Amen and Amen!

Daily Reading - Revelation 19-20