The relationship and collaboration amongst Baptist churches on Bellarine and the Surf Coast has been solid for maybe 10 years. We have shared resources and promotion particularly in Summer missions like Frogs, SU and Blue Moose. Early in 2025 a few of the Baptist pastors got together and discussed how we may collaborate in actually reaching the region for Christ. We set an ambitious target of seeing 10,000 people (roughly 10% of the Bellarine / Surf Coast population) discipled over the next 10 years as a combined effort from local churches. So we met to commence making practical plans and strategies. But we found no peace in the ‘strategising’ so simply invited our churches to fast and pray.  

1.Prayer

Now I must say that Prayer had been rising in the hearts and minds within our churches for 18 months at that stage. With inspiration from the 24/7 prayer movement, each of the Baptist churches had established prayer rooms and conducted several days and weeks at a time of 24/7 prayer. I’m convinced that this foundation orchestrated by the Lord in the hearts of his people gives some explanation for the salvations we have begun to see.

2.Unity

As we encouraged our churches to pray at the beginning of 2025 we organised 3 consecutive combined worship services at the three different churches 3 weeks in a row. It was really encouraging to see an increasing number of people largely young adults attend services that had the express purpose to ‘minister to the Lord’, no sermons just prayer, worship and listening. The services had 200 to 300 people each time. Since then, we have continued with combined services at the beginning of each term and I am very happy to say now have 7 or 8 churches of various denominations gathering collectively. Although the initiative commenced with a few Baptist churches our hearts desire is to partner with all churches and denominations in the region to reach the region for Christ.

3.Strategy

Strategically we are employing a model that seeks to multiply life groups. The principles employed in this method creates a vocational pathway the enables future leaders to be identified including potential future pastors and church planters. The life groups practice a common DNA (thanks Neil Cole for the acronym) which includes not just Divine Truth (bible study) and Nurturing relationships (pastoral care) but Apostolic mission. We are literally mid stream right now with several first generation groups giving birth to second generation groups, with new leaders. Success with this strategy will see groups birthed to the fourth generation and beyond. We are learning as we go.

Early numbers are encouraging. With an initial target to see 20 people baptised in year one we are now in July and have seen 28 already in 2025 by His grace. This number is an aggregate of several churches, some baptising 1 and others baptising 10. Being that you are probably reading this in an exponential publication, you will know that with multiplication then 20 in year one, hopes for 40 in year two and 80 in year three etc. Mathematically this projection will hit 10,000 in 10 years. The mantra that we keep reminding ourselves of is that the difference between baptising 20 people in year one and only 20 people in year 10 instead of 5000 in year 10 is whether we effectively raise up, train and multiply leaders.

It’s early days but God’s grace is evident when you see people simply walk into a church and say they need God, and we have witnessed this on several occasions in multiple denominations. It is our hearts desire that our region would bring glory to his name. May our region be saturated with stories of his transforming grace, lives changed and relationships reconciled. More stories more glory.