This coming Sunday is Palm Sunday and marks the beginning of Holy Week when Jesus entered Jerusalem as the coming king. It is one of the events that is told in all four gospels. This year we are using John’s gospel over Easter and I was drawn to his account of the triumphal entry (John 12:12-19). What has often struck me about the procession is its hiddenness. What I mean is that those involved didn’t appear to understand what was happening. For example,  the Romans didn’t seem to see it as a serious political act at all. At Passover, when Jewish nationalism (as we might call it) was at its highest (Passover was, after all, the reminder of their salvation from a foreign oppressor), they would have been on high alert for political unrest. And yet, when this rabbi – who had apparently raised someone from the dead – enters on a colt (how kings entered – see 1 Kings 1:33) the Romans do absolutely nothing. They obviously didn’t see this as a threat!

The disciples also didn’t really understand. John says they didn’t figure it out until after Jesus had been glorified (12:16). Only after his death and resurrection did they connect the dots.

I wonder if part of the reason the disciples didn’t understand was because everything was so busy. They had been swept up by the enthusiasm following Jesus’ raising of Lazarus from the dead, the increased opposition from the religious leaders, the coming festival of Passover, and the huge crowds of people who had descended on Jerusalem for it. There was so much to do and respond to, and in the moment, they didn’t understand the significance of what was happening.

And even if that wasn’t precisely what contributed to their lack of understanding, I certainly feel that it’s part of my own journey at the moment. There is a lot on and Easter is part of it! How do we slow down, even just a bit, to allow the significance of what we are celebrating touch us in the moment? However we do so, it will require some intentionality; it won’t happen by accident!

As a community of faith, one of our values is being On-Purpose; intention in creating space in our lives for the work of God. This Easter, let’s be On-Purpose and create some space for God to speak to us.

Marc Rader | Senior Pastor

SUN 13 APR: 9:30am - "Lives Changed by Jesus": A developing readiness to give an answer.
(Bible passage: 1 Peter 3:8-18) Preacher: Roxane Lawler. 

6:00pm - Same Message as in AM.

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY:

SAT 12 APR: All-Church Working Bee

THU 17 APR: 7:00PM Tenebrae (+ Communion)

FRI 18 APR: 9:30AM Good Friday Service

SUN 20 APR: 9:30AM & 6PM Easter Sunday Service

MAY MISSION MONTH - All throughout May

You can access GBC Calendar on GBC Links - Go to the "Calendar" tab on the drop down menu in GBC Links or click here and log in.

Invite your friends and family to join one (or more) of our Easter Services - onsite or online.

This week's questions:
1 How does the parable's implication that we can lose our forgiveness if we don't forgive well, fit with the sufficiency of the cross?
2. If the perpetrator has no interest in being forgiven, does Christian teaching allow for forgiveness to be a silent, internal act rather than a spoken one?
3. Is the saying “Not forgiving is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die” compatible with Christian teaching on forgiveness?

Produced each Monday as a companion to the sermon series and includes a brief overview of the sermon with a series of activities to do together as a LifeGroup: Questions to ask, Prayers to pray, Practices to try, Biblical passages to read.

Every Monday you can access that week's LifeGroup Resource on LinkTree and also on GBC Links/LifeGroups/Resource Library.

I’d like to invite you to join me in praying for the Lord’s leading and provision for two people to join our staff team.

1. A Communication Coordinator. This is a 12 hour/week role coordinate simple, consistent, and creative messaging about the mission and ministry of Gymea Baptist Church. The position description can be found HERE.
   
   
2. A Community Engagement Pastor. This is a full-time role whose primary responsibilities relate to our strategic priority of community engagement. The position description is available to view by clicking HERE.

If you, or someone you know, might be interested in either of these roles, please feel free to pass the position descriptions on to them or to direct them to GBC's website/Work With Us.

Please be in prayer that the Lord will bring the right people to join us and for the Nominating Committee who will be engaged in the process of recommending the pastoral appointment.

As was foreshadowed at our AGM last month, we are hoping to engage in a significant renovation of our facilities. The areas impacted are the staff offices and 0-5 children’s ministry spaces.

The general plan is to move all of our ministry staff office upstairs and to move our creche and preschool ministries to the renovated downstairs office space.

The reasons for this are several including safety issues, the value we place on children’s ministry, and the fact that we will be able to pay for the renovation out of the Property Trust (Click here for a more detailed rationale for the renovation works).

We will shortly be making the plans available and inviting feedback from the congregation. This will be followed by an extraordinary member’s meeting at which we will approve the expenditure.

Instead join us for our Tenebrae Service 7:00pm at GBC Onsite or GBC Online.

All men are invited to attend lunch on Wednesday 30th April at Donald Robinson Village (DRV), meeting at 12.15 for a 12.30 start.

Guest Speakers this month will be DRV Residents, Wilma and Alf Norman, who will tell us about their experiences on mission in New Guinea.

Cost for lunch is $19. 

Please book with Arthur Watterson on 8539 7990, or Ian Scarfe on 0439 914 957 by Tuesday 22nd April. Please note early booking deadline.    (Last minute cancellations must be paid for)

How great were the Christmas Window Box displays at Festival of Christmas 2024, eh?

If you would like to take part in designing / building / decorating this year's window boxes please let Jackie Martin know - Click HERE to send her an email.

KidZone is now on school holidays (13-27 April inclusive).

During this time we've planned some fun activities for the kids to do during the AM Services:

On April 13: Creche and PreSchool program will run as normal; KidZone (Kindy - Year 6) - Kids Activity Packs, sit with parents in Auditorium

April 20 Easter Sunday: Creche program will run as normal; PreSchool-Year 7 - During AM Service  Kids Talk then leave for Easter Egg Hunt in The Shed.

April 27: Creche and PreSchool program will run as normal. KidZone (Kindy - Year 6) - Kids Activity Packs, sit with parents in Auditorium

PRAYER REQUESTS:

* For our Kids Ministry Team and GBC Kids (and their families) for a restful and safe holiday. 

* For next term's curriculum that the children might "Encounter Jesus" as they use material from Olive Tree Media in conjunction with what the adults are studying in LifeGroups.

Clive, who attends our AM Congregation, urgently needs household items for his rental unit as his wife and children will be moving here from overseas after Easter.

1) lounge/sofa/couch;
2) washing machine;
3) microwave.

If you can bless this beautiful GBC Family with any of the above items please email karen.watkins@gymeabaptist.org.au. Transport and collection of item will be facilitated by Clive. 

We require someone to supervise a couple of children under 5 at Hopefield Kirrawee (in GBC creche) to allow their parent to attend a Hopefield program. You will need to have a current WWCC and be Safe Church compliant.

Dates: Wednesday 10:30am-1:30pm - April 16, 23, 30, May 14, 28, June 11, 25.

If you are available on one, a few or all those dates and keen to assist please email Keely, Community Hub Program Lead, Hopefield or phone Janet at the Hopefield office - 9545 0299.

Our Support Services Staff are in need of an iPhone. (We have the paid sim - just need a refurbished mobile phone ready to use with no locked screen).

If you have a phone you can give to Hopefield please contact Karen at Hopefield's office by email.

Thank you!