It’s beginning to sound a lot like Christmas! Have you heard the carols in the supermarket yet? It’s wonderful—and a little surreal—to be shopping to the sound of uplifting Christian verses. One that’s been echoing for me is this stanza from O Come, O Come Emmanuel:

Disperse the gloomy clouds of night, And death’s dark shadows put to flight. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel.

This carol draws on the glorious light imagery of Isaiah, and this Sunday we begin our new Advent series, The Light of Christmas. Across the next few weeks we’ll sit with Isaiah’s prophetic words that pointed God’s people toward a coming Light—one who would bring hope, healing, and wholeness into a dark and weary world.

My prayer is that these ancient promises will illuminate our lives again, helping us recognise the presence and work of Christ right here among us, no matter where we are or what we’re experiencing—even in the supermarket!

It’s also the second Sunday of Advent, the Sunday of peace. In a season that can feel noisy and hurried, Advent invites us to breathe, to slow down, and to make room for the peace Jesus gives—the kind the world can’t manufacture and we certainly can’t buy at Miranda Fair!

As the school year wraps up, a number of our ministries are winding down too. I’m so thankful to God for every leader, every volunteer, every behind-the-scenes act of service that has helped these ministries bless our church family and wider community. Let’s continue to serve God and others faithfully and generously, especially as we move toward the busy season of Christmas. And let's continue to pray for those serving in ministries who are about to get busier over the Christmas season. Like you, I'm so thankful to God for them.

Grace and peace,

Roxane Lawler | Associate Pastor

This Sunday:

Join online or onsite at 9:30AM and stick around after the service for tea and coffee!

Join at 6PM and stay for dinner afterwards!

This week we begin our Christmas sermon series titled The Light of Christmas.

Save The Date:

This Saturday 6th December: Ladies Gingerbread Decorating Afternoon at 2pm-4pm

19th, 20th, 21st December: Festival of Christmas 

Preparing the Way

The season of Christmas seems to take me by surprise each year, finding me unprepared! This reminds me of the words of Mark 1:2–3:

"I will send my messenger ahead of you… a voice of one calling in the wilderness, “Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.”

John the Baptist’s cry is more than a historical statement; it is an ongoing invitation to us in the frantic pace of life.

Advent reminds us that preparing for Christmas is far more than organising gatherings or wrapping gifts. It is about making room in the wilderness of our hearts for the One who comes. “Making straight paths” may look like slowing down long enough to listen for God’s gentle prompting, confessing what has grown crooked in our lives, or extending forgiveness where resentment has taken root. It may be choosing stillness over hurry, or compassion over irritation.

As we prepare to celebrate Christ’s birth, may we welcome Him not only into our homes but into our inner life—our hopes, our fears, our relationships. May the Spirit help us clear away the clutter so that Christ’s presence can be received with joy, humility, and renewed expectation.

Derek Mullins | Elder 

Our Festival of Christmas is starts in 14 days!!!  We need your help. GBC wants to throw the doors open and invite our community to come and experience the true meaning of Christmas in a non-threatening way.  We are only able to provide this opportunity with the help of the GBC family.

Follow this link to sign up to help: https://legacy.signup.zone/gbc-christmasfestival25

Festival of Christmas - 19, 20, 21 December - Sign Up NOW!

We need over 50 volunteers each night to bless our community.  Sign up and claim your role now!

Please ensure that your details are up to date in GBC Links as an email will be sent the week of the event to confirm your role and provide you with any further information.

The easy way to get people involved - create custom signup sheets, rosters, and rotas for free. Used by schools, fairs, businesses, sports, carers and charities. Great for organising volunteers.

Sutherland Board Of Christian Education

Dear Supporters, 
Thank you for your prayers and support for Christian SRE; our Boardwalk raised $1050. 
Joanne and Aaron have been teaching their students the meaning of some of Jesus’ names and about his birth which we celebrate at Christmas.

Please Pray for:
students and staff to appreciate Christmas.
favourable timetabling for 2026
more new students to choose taking SRE
continued financial support  

May you be blessed with Joy & Peace this Christmas and have a Hope filled 2026. 
God bless you
Sue McCubben for SBCE

 An Update from Mother’s Heart

Thank you, church family! Your generosity during May Mission Month continues to change lives in Cambodia. The Mother's Heart Organization (MHO) has sent an encouraging update and wants you to know how grateful they are for our partnership.

MHO's team of 16 staff in Phnom Penh and Battambang provides compassionate, Christ-centred support for vulnerable women, girls, and children. From January to October this year, they welcomed 29 new women into the program, safely delivered 27 babies, and cared for 153 women and 147 children-all healthy and free from malnutrition.

The team also helped several families get vital identity documents, giving them access to health care and education, and supported legal cases involving abuse, including one successful conviction.

Alongside crisis care, MHO equips women for long-term stability through education, vocational training, employment support, small-business help, and childcare. Stories Like those of Soriya and Kounila show the genuine hope your giving makes possible.

Click HERE to read the full report and see photos of this wonderful ministry.

Do you have a heart for our local community and meeting practical needs?  Do you have time on Monday 15 December from 8:30am?  

Thank you GBC family for being Big-Hearted and purchasing a bauble for the giving tree to help provide food and present hampers to local families through Hopefield.  But the opportunity doesn't stop with just giving a financial gift.  We need people to help pack these hampers on Monday, 15 December here at GBC starting at 8:30am.  We want to ensure that these hampers are presented with love and blessing.  We are praying that the recipients will experience God's love this Christmas.

Please contact Marjy to let her know you can help.  (Due to the nature of this activity, we ask volunteers to be over the age of 16 years.)

Baptist World Aid: Better World Gifts

Give a gift that gives twice

Do you know a family member who has everything, or a friend who is passionate about building a better world and don’t know what to get them for Christmas?

Consider a Baptist World Aid Better World Gift.

Your donation provides a gift for your loved one that gives twice – providing a valuable resource or gift to someone who really needs it. Better World Gifts are meaningful, ethical, and fun. Each card has a beautiful image which represents the impact of your donation, on behalf of your loved one. All the proceeds from our stationery gifts go to our Where Most Needed Fund. At their heart, these gifts are an expression of God’s extraordinary love at work in the world and how we get to share and be a part of it.

Follow the link for more information and to purchase

https://baptistworldaid.org.au/faith-in-action/better-world-gifts/

Prayer Requests from Karen Watkins:

I’d love you to pray for patience for me as my body continues to heal, specifically for: 
- a gradual return to work - my brain feels “squeezed” when I concentrate too hard; 
- ceasing of anxiety symptoms - still present in tingling lips, hands and feet; 
- over-stimulation from loud noises and enclosed spaces; and 
- lowering my blood pressure to an acceptable rate. 

If you have something for Family News, contact office@gymeabaptist.org.au or call on 9521 4611. 

You are invited to join us for a short but effective time of “zoom” prayer Thursday at 7:30pm. A 30 minute guided prayer led by one of our wonderful GBC Elders. You can join in using this link JOIN PRAYER ZOOM or using the Meeting ID: 919 1693 5880 Passcode: f603j2. We look forward to spending this time together in prayer.