Category Archive

In community work a catalyst is a person who brings the right people together to get an initiative going. They often step back once the initiative is established. I remember some years ago a couple in our church organised a special dinner for our Pastors. The Pastors were transported over the night by different drivers to multiple locations. The dinner … Read More

What can God do with brokenness in our lives? This week I have been speaking to high school students. The school is using the Japanese art of kintsugi to help students engage the ideas of creation, brokenness, restoration, purpose. We have decorated a pot, broken it, glued its broken pieces and planted a small tree.  Have you attempted kintsugi? The size of the … Read More

Are you a champion? Do people hear you say, “try this…”, or “go here, the food is great…” or “I know just what you need…”! If so, then you are a ‘champion’. I wonder if you enjoy promoting something which you have found helpful or might help others?  Our church needs champions. We have great news about the freedom Jesus brings. This is too important to keep to ourselves. In church life … Read More

As playgroup begins, the kids excitedly run to the ever-popular playdough table to begin making their wacky creations. They love the texture of the soft, pliable dough – it can be squashed or shaped, it can be broken apart and put back together. However, for playdough to stay fresh and functional it needs to be compacted back into one solid … Read More

This Sunday is the launch of our SALA exhibition for 2021! It has been exciting seeing artworks arrive at the church office – a great diversity of sizes, shapes, subjects, colours and materials. I’m fascinated to see where the artists find beauty, truth and goodness and how they have chosen to express them. The idea of beauty, truth and goodness … Read More

Would you say helping a church get started is a good thing? At the end of this month, Unley Park will help a church do just this. Over the past months, we have had conversations with two Iranian church communities. They are wanting to combine to evangelise and disciple more of the 2000 Iranians who call Adelaide home. Through the … Read More

We are more likely to talk about sex, than singleness. Kimberly Smith has written an excellent book on singleness, “What we cannot be alone: Understanding singleness in God’s family.” There were so many things I valued from reading it. First and foremost was understanding life from her perspective as a single person in church.  We love to talk about families and marriages in … Read More

Lockdowns & quarantines highlight the strength of healthy community. There are many, many stories of people looking out for one another.  Help like folk in Mildura offered frontline staff, attest to community strength. In our pastoral care ministry, we use the phrase ‘circle of support’ to describe the family, friends, and community a person can rely on in challenging times.   I meet people who have very few within their circle of support, at times only … Read More

We are one week from the summer Olympics. There will be a display of amazing athletic feats from extraordinary people. The belief required to perform at this level is incredible. At our Kids Holiday program, we were inspired by how Kerri Shrug ran and vaulted on an injured ankle for her team to win gold. We may not compete in … Read More

Thank you for your generosity. A significant portion of the financial support (80%) Unley Park Baptist’s ministry comes from the generosity of our congregation. At times I find myself having to explain this. A tradie working for us assumed the government, or a denominational body paid for our building upgrade. No, these finances come from our congregation. I have had people presume our … Read More