Box Hill Baptist Church

Box Hill Baptist Church An inclusive, community-focused church in the heart of Box Hill.

Like Jesus, we seek to be affirming of all cultures, abilities, sexualities, genders, and backgrounds and build a community that serves our neighbours with love and compassion.

Why Worship?It’s not every time when you climb a high mountain that you get a good clear view. There are times when the ...
03/06/2026

Why Worship?

It’s not every time when you climb a high mountain that you get a good clear view. There are times when the clouds descend and the rain pours and you can’t see much beyond your nose.

So, it is with our experience of worship. Sometimes there are factors that are beyond our control and we find it hard to concentrate and enter into a spirit of worship. But what are the factors within our control that can enhance the experience of worship?

This Sunday we’re commencing a new series on ‘Rediscovering Worship’. We’re asking questions like ‘What is worship?’ ‘Why do we worship?’ and ‘What are the essential elements of a time of corporate worship?’

One church had a simple sign out the front that read like this: “Box Hill Baptist Church. Founded 1901. Where People Meet God.” That’s a good definition and a fine hope. A service of worship should be the occasion for an encounter with God—a time when the holy One breaks out of the sphere of mystery, touches the lives of human beings and readies us for service in the world. To be the means of such a miracle is the highest hope and the deepest purpose of worship.

What do you remember about your baptism?That was one of three questions we sat with around our tables at our Last Breakf...
31/05/2026

What do you remember about your baptism?

That was one of three questions we sat with around our tables at our Last Breakfast service yesterday, before welcoming two members of our community into the waters.

We heard of baptisms in this very baptistry and many others. Sprinkled in shallow basins, dunked in rivers, and even one in a spa!

Some of us could remember the day. Many couldn't. Some had only stories passed down by parents. Some came to faith later in life and shared that instead. But the through-line was the same: we belong to God, and we belong to one another.
That's what baptism has always meant.

And for those baptised on Sunday, welcome to the family! We're so glad you're with us.

Martin Luther had a habit. In moments of doubt or fear, when the dark crept in, he would touch his forehead and say to h...
27/05/2026

Martin Luther had a habit. In moments of doubt or fear, when the dark crept in, he would touch his forehead and say to himself, "I am baptised." Not "I was baptised" (past tense, finished, filed away), but "I am." Present tense. A current reality.

That's a strange way to talk about something that, for many of us, happened so long ago we couldn't pick the day out of a calendar if we tried.

Some of us were dunked or sprinkled as infants.

Some came to it as adults, with photos and a date we could still find.

Some were old enough to remember the cold water, the words said over us, the faces watching.

So what does it mean to remember something we may not actually remember?

Paul had this exact problem with the early church. When the Romans started drifting, his question wasn't "have you been baptised?" They had. His question was "don't you know what your baptism means?" (Romans 6:3). When the Corinthians fragmented into factions, he reminded them they had all been baptised into one body (1 Corinthians 12:13). When the Galatians went wobbly on identity, he pointed them back to the waters: "all of you who were baptised into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ" (Galatians 3:27).

For Paul, baptism wasn't a one-off event you graduated from. It was a place you kept returning to. An identity you put on every morning. The shape of a whole life.

Remembering your baptism, then, isn't really about remembering an event. It's about remembering who you are. That you have died with Christ and been raised with him. That you belong to him, and to his people.

This Sunday at our Last Breakfast service, we'll be taking time around our tables to share our baptism stories with one another: what we remember, what we've been told, what it means to us now. And we'll be welcoming two people into those same waters, joining the long line of the baptised.

Come ready to remember. Come ready to witness. And maybe, like Luther, find yourself touching your forehead this week and saying quietly: I am baptised.

"You shall receive power..." (Acts 1:8)Not the power that crushes opposition or forces compliance, but the power of the ...
22/05/2026

"You shall receive power..." (Acts 1:8)

Not the power that crushes opposition or forces compliance, but the power of the Holy Spirit, given as a gift and working through love.

This Sunday we celebrate Pentecost, 50 days after Easter, with followers of Jesus around the world. All are welcome to join us in-person or online. https://youtu.be/7xZbk_Z7Mjk

That's the Spirit! 🕊

21/05/2026

Shown in worship at Maple Leaf Lutheran Church, Seattle WA on Pentecost Sunday 2024

This Sunday we join with followers of Jesus around the world to celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit.This Sunday is cal...
21/05/2026

This Sunday we join with followers of Jesus around the world to celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit.

This Sunday is called ‘Pentecost Sunday’ reminding us that the day has its roots in the Jewish festival Shavuot or Feast of Weeks and that this day, which is often considered as the birthday of the church, happens fifty days after Easter.

Jesus noted one of the birthday gifts in his promise: “You shall receive power…” (Acts 1:8)

Political leaders who are in power usually want more power to get their policies implemented. Sports teams usually want more power so they can crush their opposition. This Sunday is a time to reflect on the distinctive power that comes with the Holy Spirit.

According to Jesus, the Holy Spirit’s power is received as a gift. It is not seized. It doesn’t work through fear and force to bring about compliance and control. The Holy Spirit’s power works through love and is for witness, service and transformation.

Approach this birthday like children do, with eagerness and expectancy. If Sunday’s anniversary is anything like the first Pentecost, it could be wild, leaving us amazed and perplexed. People walking down the street might poke their heads inside our church and say, “They’re filled with new wine.”

See you at the birthday celebration. That’s the Spirit!

19/05/2026

"We often don't realize what we can do until somebody else is no longer doing it for us."

Geoff's 'reflection on the Ascension' 😄

18/05/2026

"Australia is now not only the country in which we live. It is our home"

A wonderful, tear-jerking moment in our Sunday service as we celebrated with two wonderful members of our community who, after 12 years of uncertainty and fear, shared the news that they had received their permanent residency.

Our entire community was delighted to share in this special moment, and we also want to recognise Dr. Carina Garland Member for Chisholm and her office, who we deeply appreciate for their compassionate support and assistance.

The joy in the room, and the weight of anxiety being lifted was a wonderful thing to see. We look forward to what the future has for this amazing couple!

As this week marks Ascension Day in the Christian calendar I thought, “At Christmas you can buy a Christmas card, at Eas...
13/05/2026

As this week marks Ascension Day in the Christian calendar I thought, “At Christmas you can buy a Christmas card, at Easter you can buy a cross and resurrection accessories, but I’ve never been sent an Ascension card. Compared with Christmas and Easter, Ascension Day seems like a poor cousin. A very minor celebration.

But then I Googled ‘Ascension Merchandise’ and found a range of Ascension T shirts. Would you like one in sky blue, celestial pink, angelic white, majesty red or Upper Room brown? What words would you like to have printed on your shirt?

‘Is this the time?’

‘You will receive power’

‘To the ends of the earth’

‘Why do you stand looking?’

Why hasn’t a hot air balloon company called themselves ‘Ascension Rides’ that promise joyful, scenic rises across the Melbourne skies while passengers sing, ‘Up, up and away in my beautiful balloon’?

The cynical part of me wonders about the ascension, “Did it really happen?” Even though the creeds state that Jesus “ascended into heaven…” I’ve never had much conviction to recite that line. It hasn’t been a teaching that I’ve been prepared to die for. After all, the four Gospels hardly give it a mention.

But in recent days I’ve been pondering more about what Jesus and the early Christians wanted us to discover. The Ascension is not a lot of hot air. It shouldn’t leave us with a crook neck. It’s a teaching that builds confidence in God’s ability to use us. It’s a call to be followers of Jesus here in Melbourne but it stretches our vision to be engaged way beyond our locality.

I hope we can discover more together next Sunday either online or in person. If we gather with expectancy, I’m sure we’ll be brought down from the clouds and find it will empower our lives, lift our spirits and expand our vision.

Geoff

11/05/2026

Honest admission from this week's sermon: spending most of your life waiting for someone to walk in and say "I'm onto you", is more common than you think.

If you've ever felt like an imposter - in your work, your parenting, your faith - this clip is for you. And so is the rest of the message! https://youtu.be/i14tnAaNQzs

Address

3 Ellingworth Parade
Box Hill, VIC
3128

Opening Hours

10am - 12pm

Telephone

+61398901275

Website

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