Leadership Greenhouses : Budding Leaders - 5 July 2026

Leadership Greenhouses : Budding Leaders - 5 July 2026

This week, we're exploring the sapling stage of the greenhouse, or what we might call the "budding leader." Saplings are incredibly fragile. As they grow, they depend on water, sunlight and the right environment. Without the care they need, they struggle to thrive. In discipleship and leadership, this is the stage where intentional investment matters. As a church, how are we caring for the saplings, the budding leaders among us? Are we encouraging them, mentoring them and giving them opportunities to serve and use their gifts? When we think about budding leaders, we often picture children, teenagers and young adults. But the budding leader might be you too. Pastor Steven Furtick once said, "If you're not dead, God's not done." That quote has always stayed with me. How often do we think, "Someone else can do that," or, "I don't have anything valuable to offer"? The truth is, God is always inviting us into something. That may be stepping into a leadership role within the church, or it may be opening the door for someone else, encouraging them, investing in them and helping them grow in their relationship with Jesus. My hope is this series sparks fresh thinking about what leadership could look like for you and for us as a church. If you have questions about leadership or would like to discern whether God might be calling you into a leadership role, please reach out to Benji or me. We'd love to pray with you and discern that journey together. Kaitlyn Phillips

Leadership Greenhouses - 28 June 2026

This Sunday, we begin a new three-week sermon series called Leadership Greenhouses. While the title might sound like a series just for church leaders, it's actually a series about discipleship, growth, and raising children of God. Using three parables from Mark's Gospel, we'll explore how Jesus creates environments where faith can grow and flourish. Just as a greenhouse provides the right conditions for plants to thrive, healthy discipleship requires purposeful nurturing. Before fruit appears above the surface, important work is happening beneath it. The soil must be prepared, seeds must be planted, and growth must be nurtured. Together, we'll discover what it looks like to prepare the soil of our hearts, plant seeds of faith in the lives of others, and participate in God's work of growing disciples who grow disciples. Whether you've been following Jesus for decades or are simply exploring faith, this series will encourage you to consider how God wants to grow you and use you in His Kingdom. Kaitlyn Phillips

Christ First - 21 June 2026

This can be a confronting reading. Jesus is preparing his disciples for their mission and the opposition that they will face. They should expect what happened to their teacher to happen to them. However, he wants to stress loyalty and courage and emphasise that trust in God is greater than any fear of people. The Jews needed that message particularly when Jerusalem had been destroyed and they found themselves in exile.    We may be called to sacrifice for Christ but when Christianity costs we are closer to the Fellowship of Christ and their sufferings and therefore the power of the resurrection becomes greater for us. The consequences of being disobedient to God’s will are far worse than any punishment for mankind.   Then there is the controversial statement “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.” For us at a time where there have been 2 major conflicts in the Ukraine and the Middle East with an appalling lack of respect for the value of individual human lives by leaders and World War three only just being  averted for now by the common sense of the non-combatants refusing to become involved in the fighting, this is confronting. But this was a language that the Christians and Jews of the time would understand. The Jews believed that on the Day of the Lord God would break into history and cause disruption and the most challenging example is where family members turn against each other because of choosing God. Jesus is saying that His coming is the Day of the Lord (not a single day but a time period) and probably the worst scenario is when we must choose between Him and our closest ties on earth. It is due to a merciful God than most people do not have to face such an extreme choice. Nor do people in our society have to risk their lives. However, the point is clear. If you try to hoard your life, to preserve it, you will lose it; if you spend your life in obeying Jesus’ commands and serving others, then your life will be enriched.   Ian Olver Matthew 10: 24-39

Mission is for me - 14 June 2026

Psalm 67:2 sings, “May your ways be known throughout the earth, your saving power among people everywhere.” When you read the big picture of the whole Bible, from Genesis through to Revelation, one of the themes you will notice is that the nation of Israel, the descendants of Abraham, were blessed by God to be a blessing to everyone else. At times they remembered this; many times they kept the blessing to themselves. Jesus came to release that blessing once and for all. As the entire world gathers around screens to cheer on their teams in the World Cup, we see in Psalm 67 a much smaller group of people gathered together to cheer on a future when the whole world will sing for joy—not because a round ball went into a net, but because: “ ... you govern the nations with justice and guide the people of the whole world.” (Psalm 67:4) The ongoing work of mission in today’s church continues singing that same song of Psalm 67. We are all part of it. The apostle Paul was part of it too and reflected on his motives and strategy in Romans 15:16–22. If you were to write to a church community you had never met, describing the mission work, motivations, and strategies you have been involved with during your lifetime, what would you say? This Sunday we will hear from a number of different people and gain a bigger picture of what BCUC is involved in when it comes to mission. You might hear your own story, discover places to get involved, or notice gaps that God is calling you to step up and fill. Your brother in Christ, Benji

Mission in our community - 7 June 2026

What does it look like to do local mission? In 1 Thessalonians we see a church with an incredible story - a complete turnaround from serving idols to worshipping the true and living God. The gospel went deep into this church, transforming them from the inside out. As this church lived out authentic gospel shaped community, the good news rang out from them to others all around their region, and many more people came to know the true and living God as well. This church can help be an example to show us what it looks like to live out authentic gospel shaped community, that overflows so that the gospel flows out into our local community, even into those parts of our local community that not all of us can go out to ourselves (like our university campuses!). Lauren Hansen