On Good Friday at 9:30am, we’ll share a quiet time of Bible reading (John 19:28–42) as we reflect together.

On Easter Sunday at 9:30am, we celebrate hope and new life through John 20:1–18 — the empty tomb, and Jesus calling Mary by name.

Hope you can join us. Come as you are. There’s a place for you here.

Today we start Lent with Ash Wednesday. Lent is a time for fasting, prayer, and acts of kindness/alms giving as an inward journey of preparation for Easter. Many Christians today are reflecting on these words in Matthew’s Gospel that are Jesus talking about how we should fast, give alms, pray, and where our treasure is.

Lent is not about outward performance or public relations but about inward transformation as we seek to become more like Christ.  We act in spiritual practices like these not because they are traditions of the church but because they are instructions from Jesus on how to live more like him.

I invite you to enter into these 40 days of Lent by asking what God is calling you to do this lent to become more like Jesus?  Please read these words of Jesus and listen for the voice of the spirit inviting you to practises that will bring you to being more like Jesus.

Matthew 6:1-6:

“Beware of practicing your righteousness before others in order to be seen by them, for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven. So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be done in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”

Mathew 6:16-21:

“And whenever you fast, do not look somber, like the hypocrites, for they mark their faces to show others that they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal, but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Pastor Micah

Christmas is almost here! This year we have some special events and we would love you to join in and help us share God’s love with our community.  Also this year we will be fundraising for Doctors Without Borders, particularly for the work they are in doing in Gaza.  Here is the link for you to contribute directly, tax deductible, click here.

Christmas Market – 6 December 2025

Join us for a festive day of local stalls, delicious baked goods, coffee, and BBQ — all to support Doctors Without Borders and their work in Gaza!

Take part:

• Host a stall: $40 for community members (insurance needed). Limited spaces so please email Maria (admin@ashfieldbaptist.org.au) for registration form.
• Cake stall, BBQ & drinks: all proceeds will go to support Doctors without Borders.

Come along, shop local, and enjoy the community spirit. Every purchase helps make a difference! oh and don’t worry there will be coffee!

Save the Date!

Sunday 21st December 2025 at 10:30am

We will join with the Chinese Church and Fellowship of Hope for one special service together.
Please note the different start time – 10:30am.

Advent – Christmas – A Story of Peace on Earth

We retell this story of God coming to make peace with us and bring peace to us all.  Jesus is heralded and brings peace to all.

Christmas Day

Thursday 25th December 2025 at 9:30am, join us as we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ!

Ashfield Baptist Church will be resting on Sunday, 28 December – we look forward to seeing you next week!

Last Sunday we launched a new teaching series, Baptist Voices. Hayley opened with a reading from Acts 2:42–47 and invited us to reflect on the distinctives that have shaped us as a Baptist community. If you missed it, you can catch up here: Watch Hayley’s sermon.

This series is about pausing to listen carefully to the voice we bring as Baptists in a world full of noise and competing perspectives. What makes our story unique? Which beliefs and practices continue to matter – not only for us as a church family, but also as our contribution to the wider community? Whether you’ve been Baptist all your life or are new to the tradition, this is an opportunity to learn, ask questions, and grow together.

Upcoming Sundays

We’re looking forward to hearing from a variety of voices in the weeks ahead:

• 28 September – Pastor Micah Hurst
• 5 October – Gordon Torry
• 12 October – Leadership Panel
• 19 October – Guest Speaker Vivian Grice

Each week will bring a fresh perspective, helping us deepen our understanding of what it means to follow Jesus as a Baptist community today.

On a more sunny note, we have a fantastic guest speaker this Sunday, Steve Frost. 

Lawyer, mediator, conflict coach, and Baptist theologian, Steve Frost traded a high-flying legal career to serve those who can’t afford the costs of lawyers, founding the Horizons Family Law Centre, a charity that works alongside local churches to help families with high-conflict parenting disputes and domestic violence.

Steve practices law to help people solve problems and bring order out of chaos, helping people navigate conflict the way Jesus modeled and taught. Steve is a passionate, eloquent speaker advocating defence of the vulnerable and hopes in the storm.  

I am so excited to have Steve speaking to us as part of our Witnesses of God’s Love preaching series.  Steve will be speaking to us from: 

Matthew 5:43-48 

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbour and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

I can’t wait to see where God takes us through Steve’s time with us.  Join us Sunday 24 August 2025 in person or on line.

As followers of Jesus, we are called to be witnesses—to live out and speak about our experiences of God’s love (Khesed) through Jesus and the Spirit. This doesn’t mean being pushy or off-putting; rather, it’s about finding authentic and respectful ways to share our faith. Being a witness simply involves sharing what we personally know and have experienced of God’s love. No special training is required—just willingness and boldness.

We will hear from a few of us about how to witness to our experience of Jesus and we have a wonderful guest speaker coming, Steve Frost from Horizons Family Law.

• Steve Frost will be joining us on the 24th
• Hayley is preaching on the 31st
• Glen is preaching on the 7th of Sept.
• And I (Ps Micah) will be back to wrap things up on the 14th

We hope you can join us!

Then, from August 17, we move into a new series: Witnesses of Love.
Steve Frost from Horizons will be joining us too! Together, we’ll be exploring what it means to live as witnesses of God’s love. Not in a pushy or preachy way, but in the quiet courage of sharing our stories and letting our love speak.

Being a witness isn’t about having all the right words. It’s simply about being open—open to the Spirit, open to people, and open to sharing what we’ve come to know of God’s love for ourselves.

And just to add to the joy—Sunday 17 August is the Blessing Box Birthday!  We’ll be celebrating with a good old sausage sizzle at 19 Holden Street, and the Op Shop and Café will be open as well. If you’ve been around for a while, you’ll know how many stories of kindness and community have come from the Blessing Box. It’s worth celebrating.

Sunday 20^th of July, 9:30 – 11am. 

The service will be held at Ashfield Baptist Church (opposite the Childcare Centre) 

Theme: Living an attitude of gratitude

As part of the Service, our preschoolers will be performing a play based on Jesus’ healing of the ten Lepers from the book of Luke; and nursery and preschool children will perform a number of songs.  

I hope you are able to join us, we promise it will be lots of fun!

All are invited to morning tea in the Church Hall after the service.

Give thanks to the LORD for He is good, His love endures forever. Psalm 136:1

We are coming to the end of our series on living into the Kingdom of God by working through conflict. This week, we will finish by looking at the use—and misuse—of power.

Abuse, in many forms, can be understood as power used over others. But Jesus calls us to a different way. We will explore how we use power in relationships, the stories we tell about it, and how those narratives might contribute to abuse. (This will include a focus on elder abuse and coercive control.)

If there is anything in this teaching series that you would like to talk to someone about, please reach out to me or one of the Elders.  Conflict is a normal part of life but abuse is not.  Regardless of what has or is happening in your life, you do not have to go through it alone.  Please come talk to us or find help.  Here are a few resources:

• NSW Domestic Violence Line: 1800 656 463
• Lifeline: 13 11 14

From Sunday 27th July, we will be starting our new series on the quirky book of Ruth. The Youth and I spent a few weeks diving into this book and we learned so much. I am looking forward to exploring it with all of you.

Ps Micah