Amid showers of praise and gratefulness to God, the Earthen Vessels Church (EVC) held their very first service at their new meeting place at the former South Yarra Community Baptist Church (SYCBC) buildings on June 1st.
Facilitated by the BUV Support Hub, the two churches partnered in the move, as SYCBC now meets solely online and EVC had been searching for a more permanent meeting place for many years.
Rev Khoi Doan encouraged the congregation to approach this new opportunity with the love of Christ as the “key foundation, the essential word that we remember in this place”.
“We call ourselves the Earthen Vessels, and I pray that we can all experience God’s great love for us and put ourselves in the place where we can be shaped by the Spirit of God, so that the fruit of love can be expressed through our lives… We pray that we would be known as a community that shows the love of Christ to those around us, because that’s what Jesus did when he gave his life for us.”
Khoi said it had been “a true blessing” to work in partnership with SYCBC. “The most remarkable aspect has been our shared conviction that God has clearly guided both our churches to this point, as evident in initial conversations, my longstanding relationship with SYCBC Ps Nathan Nettleton who was my lecturer at Whitley many years ago, perfectly aligned timing, and supportive stakeholders.”
He said it was a “truly historical moment” that the church of 44 years now has a place to call home – the church previously met at a hall in Box Hill. “I truly want to express our most grateful attitude to Nathan Nettleton and the BUV Support Hub for the opportunity for the stewardship of this building. In the last three months many people have spent their time, effort and finances to invest in this church – I’m really grateful for your hard work and faithfulness in taking care of many things.”
During the service, one leader said it was a great blessing to have new opportunities to serve the community. “Even more important than this, for me, is that when I attend the church, I can feel the Holy Spirit and how he has delivered us and guided us for many years. The presence of God is the most valuable thing I can have in my life, and when I go through trials I can be here in his house, in his presence and experience the peace and love he gives.”
Two members sang Blessed Be The Lord God Almighty, and the bible reading was on the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-24). Communion was shared using handmade unleavened bread and Khoi suggested that the congregation make this for each communion “as a way to dwell on the body of Christ broken for us”. A special lunch was held after the service to mark the occasion. A dedication service will be held on August 9 and Khoi said, “We would appreciate the wider Baptist community to remember us in their prayers as we seek to serve God and the people in the surrounding area.” All services are bilingual with translations flowing between Vietnamese and English.