Our community goes well beyond Sunday morning

These are the ministries of Lifeway Baptist Church — the ways we grow together, care for one another, and take the love of Jesus into Devonport and beyond. If any of them are for you, come along, or contact the church office and we will help you find your way in.

Pulse Groups

Pulse: keeping track of the heart beat of God

It’s easy to drift along on the spiritual journey, doing things the usual way, going to the usual things, operating in cruise mode.

Before you know it, you’ve been travelling along almost on auto-pilot… and then you catch yourself thinking: How did I get here? What am I doing with my life? Where is God in all of this?

Or maybe things are going great for you, but there doesn’t seem to be anyone who’s interested in what God has been doing in your life, or the ways you notice the Spirit at work around you… and you begin to wonder: Am I the only one who thinks like this? Is anyone out there seeing what I’m seeing? How do I know that what I’m tuning into is God?

If you are feeling like this, asking these questions, or just wondering how to make your journey with Jesus more real, PULSE is for you.

What is Pulse?

Pulse starts with a group of three people, meeting regularly to check how they’re travelling with God. It’s a bit like the obs the nurse does when you’re in hospital… temperature and pulse, are you in any pain? These questions help a nurse see if anything is happening that might slow down your recovery.

Pulse groups check in with each other to share how each person is going on the journey with Jesus. By sharing and listening to each other, and to God together, you become aware of the areas where you are on the track of transformation, and the areas where you are getting pulled off-track.

Pulse is about being transparent, accountable and supportive of each other.

What does Pulse look like?

  • First – find your Pulse companions. You can sort this out yourself, or contact the church office and we will place you in a group.
  • Then – decide when and where you are going to meet (weekly, fortnightly, monthly is ok — but the more regularly you meet, the deeper the journey will become) and how long you will spend together.
  • Finally – follow the steps that make up the Pulse framework. They’re simple and flexible and you can experiment until you find a rhythm that works for your group.

How to Pulse

Slow down

Give God the first word by taking five minutes to focus on God — listen to some worship music, have someone pick a short Bible reading to share with the group, and then spend a few moments quietly reflecting on it.

Connect

Take time to check in with how you are feeling. What are you struggling with? What are you celebrating? Be honest. It’s important that Pulse is a safe place, so be clear about confidentiality, and be careful about judging or giving advice. Make sure that everyone has a chance to share what is happening in their life. Be thoughtful when you speak or respond to others in the group.

Listen

The most important thing is to listen to each other — and to listen to God in your Pulse companions. What is God saying to you as you listen? Consider if it is something to say to the group.

Pray

Ask the question, “What can we pray for you today?” Be specific. Don’t be afraid to say “can we pray for you about…?” and be willing to ask for prayer. Then pray together — talk to God about your own needs, and those in the group.

Sunday Tribes

Our Sunday Tribes Children’s Program runs every Sunday during school terms for children aged 18 months to Grade 6.

At Lifeway Baptist Church, ministry to children and young people is one of our key values. Not only was Jesus explicit that children were of great importance in his kingdom, but we also know that the children are the future of our church and the future builders of God’s kingdom.

Our desire is that Lifeway Baptist Church is a place that children love to belong, a place where they feel valued and safe, and a place where they can freely explore faith in Jesus.

lifeway-kids-church-1

Everyone who serves in our ministry to children and young people is recruited, trained and supervised under our Safe Churches policy.

Love in a Cup

Our “Love in a Cup” cafe operates each Sunday after our worship service. All proceeds raised from coffee sales are used to fund clean water projects around the world. Over the years we have raised thousands of dollars and dug over 30 wells.

Global Missions

Mission is central to being a follower of Jesus. We believe that Jesus is the hope of the world and want to see his message go to every person on earth. As our partners at Global Interaction put it:

Our mission flows from a radical commitment to God’s mission to fulfill His redemptive purposes for his creation. God calls his people to be participants and it is the church’s privilege and responsibility to live out God’s love for the world.

We partner with a number of agencies to send and support workers all over the world. All our workers are committed to loving people and supporting communities to develop their own unique and relevant ways of following Jesus.

Social Justice

In God’s kingdom there is no famine, there are no refugees, peace reigns and all of creation is healthy. One day this will be realised in full, but until then we at Lifeway work to be agents of reconciliation and hope. We do this in a number of ways.

Catalyst

The Catalyst program is an initiative of Baptist World Aid and helps us to be informed and active advocates for justice. For over 16 years, Catalyst has been a valued and significant ministry of Baptist World Aid and the broader Baptist movement.

With the help of our coalition partners — including Micah Australia, Be Slavery Free, and A Just Cause — our Catalyst program has seen:

  • billions more given in aid,
  • the implementation of legislation to tackle slavery,
  • and dramatic changes in the supply chain practices of major brands, improving the lives of factory workers across the world.

Clean water, one cup at a time

All proceeds from our Love in a Cup cafe fund clean water projects around the world.

Fellowship

Being active and connecting with others is part of our DNA. For this reason we have a number of activities aimed at just that. Our seniors meet regularly for outings and lunches, as do our youth and young adults. Need more information? Please contact the church office.

Retirees Group

Tuesday, once a month. Regular social outings and activities for those who have retired. These include trips and outings, shared meals and guest speakers. Contact Pastor Roger.

Ladies Social Group

Thursday afternoon, once a month. An opportunity for ladies to meet together for an outing and afternoon tea. Especially aimed at the needs of older ladies, but ladies of all ages are welcome. Contact Faye Pearce.

Fellowship Club

Saturday night, once a month. An opportunity to get to know each other around an informal shared meal. Contact Susan Spurr.

Giving

Lifeway Baptist Church is supported by the generosity of the individuals who make up our congregation. This generosity reflects the lavish kindness of our creator who “did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all — how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:32)

If you wish to make a contribution to the work and ministry of Lifeway Baptist, you can do so by clicking below.

Give to Lifeway Baptist Church

Or via direct deposit:

  • BSB – 704922
  • Account – 100007388
  • Name – Devonport Baptist Church

Safe Churches

We are committed to ensuring that Lifeway Baptist Church is a safe place for both children and volunteers. To ensure this we prioritise:

  • safe recruitment of leaders,
  • adequate training of leaders,
  • continued supervision of leaders,
  • diligent response to reports of harm,
  • safe environments in ministry programs.

Anyone who wishes to be involved in ministry to vulnerable people is required to complete a ministry application form, obtain their Working with Vulnerable People card from Service Tasmania, and complete a Safe Churches training workshop.

To begin this process, or to get a full copy of our Safe Churches policy, please contact the church office at office@lifewaybaptist.org.au.

Get in touch

If you are wondering where you might fit, ask us. We would love to help you find a place.