Welcome to West Preston Baptist Church

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Who we are

Our church is committed to serving God and each other. We are a small, vibrant community with people of all ages and many cultural backgrounds. We value:

• relationships characterised by authentic care, respect and forgiveness
• creative and engaging worship, with Jesus at the centre
• prayer, discipleship, and faithfulness to God and his leading
• engaging our children and young adults on a faith journey in a safe environment
• small groups that help us to grow spiritually and to care for each other
• active lay participation in all ministries
• serving those in need in the local community

Our Vision

Through our commitment to Christ, we aspire to a deeper connection with God, each other and those around us.
We care for our local community, invite people to faith and grow together in God.

What we do (Ministries)

Sunday services

We meet each Sunday morning at 10 am. We value creative and authentic worship that engages and involves everyone. Our services are led by members of the congregation or the pastor, with involvement of others for bible readings, offering, testimonies or facilitated activities. We sing a mix of modern/contemporary and “previously modern” Christian songs as well as occasional hymns, with words projected on screen. We value Bible-based, Jesus-centred preaching that is relevant to our lives and inspires us to life change and action. Communion is shared twice a month, facilitated by the Pastor or service leader, and all are welcome to partake. Find out more about what to expect at our services at our Common Questions page.

Home groups

During the week we meet in home groups that help us build relationships with each other and explore faith together. Interested in joining a home group? Feel free to get in touch at contact@wpbc.org.au.

Children and Youth

About one third of our church are under 18, so kids and youth are a priority for us. The children’s ministry on Sunday mornings currently consists of two groups, Transformers for kinder and primary school children and Mello for high school students. For more information, see our Kids and Youth page.

Prayer

Prayer is our life-line. An SMS prayer group enables prayer needs to be shared with our prayer team (with consent), being careful to deal appropriately with confidential or sensitive issues. The deacons also meet together once a month for a dedicated prayer meeting. If you would like prayer about something going on in your life or your loved ones, we would love to pray with you. You can get in touch by emailing contact@wpbc.org.au or calling 0491 100 531 .

Pastoral Care

Difficult times come upon us all at some point in life. Being connected with others who care about us and who can provide a listening ear helps soothe the sting of pain, grief and confusion. While we all endeavour to care for each other, we also have a pastoral care team to help facilitate pastoral care. If you are going through a tough time and would like someone to talk to, you can email contact@wpbc.org.au or call 0491 100 531 .

Asylum Seeker Support

We provide support to asylum seekers living at Sanctuary, a transitional accommodation run by BaptCare. Residents at Sanctuary have experienced homelessness while awaiting the outcome of their application for a Protection visa or Humanitarian claim. We support Sanctuary residents through:

• A monthly dinner. A team goes to Sanctuary and provides dinner in the common dining area. We eat dinner with the residents and build friendships with them. Some weeks we play board games after dinner. Other church members are involved by cooking meals.
• Foodbank delivery. We are involved in delivering foodbank supplies to Sanctuary each week.
• Exit housing. We provide assistance to Sanctuary residents who receive refugee status and then need to find other accommodation.

Social Activities

We like spending time together and enjoy regular social activities, such as men's pool nights, women's suppers and retreats. We have a church lunch (bring and share) on the second Sunday of each month in the church hall.

Church Camp

We always look forward to our annual church camp, which is held at Camp Wilkin in Anglesea each November. Kids (including kids-at-heart) love the trampolines, flying fox, high ropes, low ropes, archery, kangaroos, games room, giant chess, great food and, oh yeah, the beach of course! We have times of worship and explore the Bible in ways that are accessible to everyone.

What we believe

God - we believe in the existence of one God in three persons; Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This God is our Creator, and full of grace and compassion. God is active in the world and expects us to be. God is a God of community.

Jesus Christ - we believe Jesus is the Son of God. His death and resurrection provided the way to God. Christ’s humanity is the model for how to live and treat others. Jesus is the head of the church.

Holy Spirit - we believe the Holy Spirit is the means by which God works in us, and in the world. The Holy Spirit is active in bringing new life and bearing fruit, and helps us change. The Holy Spirit equips the church with all spiritual gifts.

The human condition - All people are sinners, which means we have all gone our own way, failed to meet God's perfect standard and neglected our relationship with God. We acknowledge the necessity of repentance towards God and of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, in order to know salvation.

The Bible - The Bible is the inspired word of God. It points us to Jesus, the Word of God, who is our authority on matters of faith and practice. The Bible is a gift from God. We all have the privilege and responsibility of paying close attention to scripture. We recognise the frailty of human interpretation, so we listen to the Holy Spirit and church community for illumination, while respecting those who hold different opinions on how to interpret and apply the Bible.

The Church - the church consists of people who are personally committed to Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, and to the mission of the church. The church is a fellowship of believers who have a living relationship with Christ; therefore each member, regardless of gender or office, is equal and has a share in the ministry of the church. The church has a responsibility to continue Christ's work by sharing the good news of God's love and forgiveness, by loving one another and caring for the marginalised.

Baptism - The church baptises believers as a sign of their salvation and their initiation into membership of the body of Christ. Wherever practicable, baptism is practiced by immersion into water, but we accept those whose baptism was conducted according to other Christian traditions.

The Lord's supper - Communion is a way to remember the sacrifice that Jesus made for us. It is an act of spiritual fellowship whereby, through remembrance of his life and death, believers may experience the reality and influence of his presence. All are welcome to share in communion.

The human condition - All people are sinners. We acknowledge the necessity of repentance towards God and of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, in order to know salvation and experience his kingdom in this life and the next.

The role of the congregation and minister God calls each member of the church to expand God’s Kingdom as part of the united body of Christ. The minister is called to provide servant leadership and spiritually nurture the congregation, in partnership with an elected Diaconate.

Baptist and other denominations - We believe there is one Church and we are called to be united. Denominations provide various expressions of the Christian faith. We align ourselves and are committed to the Baptist denomination, however we respect the differing practices and traditions of other denominations and welcome opportunities to work together.

Place and importance of prayer Prayer is an essential means of communion with God both individually and communally. We are to pray without ceasing for God’s guidance, power and involvement in our lives, communities and world.

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Minister and Deacons