AGM Reports 2025

Board

Chair & Deacon Geoff Hunt

Lead Pastor & Elder Paul Colyer

Administrator & Deacon Caroline Lucas

Treasurer & Elder Stuart Downie

Elder Dale Johnson

Deacon Celia Butler

Deacon Tracey Smith

Staff

Lead Pastor Paul Colyer

Ministry Support Sam & Tash van der Wacht

Seniors Ministry Worker Heidi Penfold

Children’s Ministry Worker & Belongs in Community Worker Tash Meyerink

Gathering Teams Coordinator Annie Chappell

Restore Counselling Coordinator Belinda Colyer

Ministry Leaders

Connect Groups Paul Colyer

Creche Cat Dean & Ange Fairbrother

Kids Church Tash Meyerink

Maintenance Pieter Hondema

Mission Action Group (MAG) Peter Bolt

Pastoral Care Paul Colyer

The Hub Carol Downie

Thrive Ange Fairbrother & Kath Holmes

Staff & Board Reports

Lead Pastor

At the core of our ministry is the desire to see lives transformed by the gospel of Jesus Christ. Our heartbeat is to help people know Jesus personally, grow in Him deeply, and go into the world to serve and share His love. Whether through Sunday gatherings, connect groups, outreach initiatives, or quiet moments of pastoral care, our purpose remains: to make disciples who delight in God, love one another, and live on mission.

This past year, we have much to thank God for. We’ve witnessed spiritual growth in many individuals, seen new people come through our doors, and watched ministries adapt and flourish despite challenges.

I’m especially thankful for the faithful service of our leadership teams and volunteers, the unity we’ve experienced across our two congregations, the encouragement of seeing people step into baptism, membership, and leadership roles, and God’s provision through people’s generosity, time, and prayer.

As we look to the year ahead, please join me in prayer for continued unity and clarity as we live out our identity as one church with two congregations, strength and refreshment for our leaders and ministry teams, wisdom as we seek to simplify and strengthen our ministry structure to serve more effectively and a deeper hunger across our church for God’s Word, prayer, and mission

In Christ,

Paul Colyer - Lead Pastor

Board

I have had the privilege and opportunity to join the Board in August last year and then transition to becoming Chairperson in December and it is from this place that I felt to share a little about this space.

Over the last year the Board (and church) has been involved in a year of transitions. It has been exciting to be involved in the church employing 3 new staff members who are all adding to the ministry of our church body. Over this time there has also been thought and consideration to the transition to 2 congregations which has been an exciting challenge.

The shape of the Board has changed over the year with a number of transitions in roles and some resignations. We have looked at how our church functions and sought to explore what Governance and Spiritual Oversight looks like and I am excited to see the new shape of the Board as we continue to look forward with a focus on Eldership exploring ‘Where are we going and Why?’ and our Board as a whole making sure are processes are legal, safe and financially prudent.

Can I encourage you all to praise God for the willing service of our Board and how God is at work amongst us. At times it has had it challenges but it is always inspiring to see how God can work through our conversations and decisions. Can I also take this opportunity to thank those members of our Board (Simon Holmes, Kyle Kophamel, Celia Butler, Travis Dean and Caroline Lucas ) who have stepped down already or will be stepping down at the AGM.

In his Service.

Geoff Hunt - Board Chair

Ministry Support

The Administration Ministry exists to support the smooth running of church life through behind-the-scenes organisation, communication, systems, and practical tasks. From managing bookings and church databases to producing materials and assisting ministries, admin helps create space for others to serve and grow.

We praise God for a strong year of support across events, ministries, and Sunday services. We are thankful for improvements in systems like Elvanto and internal processes that help our teams function more efficiently.

Pray for continued clarity, efficiency, and joy in the day-to-day work that supports ministry. Pray that all we do in the background would ultimately point to Christ and serve His church well.

Sam & Tash van der Wacht

Youth Worker

Dear church family, this is a strange report to write. For me personally, there is a lot of water under the bridge since writing my last AGM report as Associate Pastor. I certainly didn't see burnout coming last year but the Lord has been so gracious to me working out His good purposes about through that valley. I entered 2025 with hope and optimism that the Lord was bringing about a new season of my ministry - focused on youth - that I could settle into. As you now know, that was not the case and I find myself walking with Jesus through another transition. Despite all that though, our great God is faithfully at work glorifying Himself amongst our teens and teen ministries!

Pod Youth - our Friday night youth program - has been steadily building back up after its term 4 recess. In particular, we enjoyed welcoming around 15 regularly attending year 6 students to the group who are full of both energy and thoughtful questions! At its heart, Pod continues to be a space we seek to be warm and welcoming to non-churched friends and to help every participant connect with Jesus & explore the journey of faith together. The wonderful leadership team includes Mark C, Kaleb H, Laura J, Corban B, and Josh K. In addition to the leadership team we have a pool of rostered Support Crew - helping in various ways behind the scenes and with sign in/out! They're a wonderful blessing to the Leadership Team - Harriet M, Anneline E, Tracey S, Carla A.  Please join with me in praising God for the faithful service and commitment of both the Leaders and Support Crew.

Youth DGs - our Monday afternoon youth Bible studies - has continued steadily. DGs is all about providing a space for teens to dig deeper into the Bible and their emerging walk with Jesus. Sonya J has been enjoying her lovely seniors group and watching their hunger for God and His word grow. And I've enjoyed digging into topics with the junior group such as our identity in Christ, eternal perspective, the Holy Spirit, and a gospel outline - Two Ways to Live. This year we've also been blessed by Hannah J serving as a our Support Crew ensuring the smooth delivery and clean up of our arvo tea snacks (and special thanks to the pool of parents who donate the snacks regularly)! Please pray for a growing number of teens to choose the opportunity of joining a DGs group.

As I reflect on the past 12 months, I am reminded again that our confidence does not rest in smooth circumstances, but in the steadfast love and sovereign hand of our Lord Jesus. Even in times of transition and uncertainty, He is building His church, drawing young hearts to Himself, and raising up faithful leaders to walk alongside them. Please continue to pray that our youth ministries will be places where teens encounter the living Jesus and are transformed by Him. And pray for our team as they seek to serve with wisdom, love, and gospel clarity.

Thank you, my church family, for your support, encouragement, and prayers. May the Lord continue to do more than we could ask or imagine as we entrust the next generation to Him.

With love,

Simon Holmes

Seniors Ministry Worker

OASIS Ministry exists to love and care for the senior members of our congregation. We seek to do this by being attentive to practical needs, encouraging one another to keep seeking the Lord in every season, and creating a welcoming space where seniors can connect, encourage, and support one another.

I’ve been truly encouraged by the support and fellowship at our OASIS café mornings—praise God for His kindness in allowing these gatherings to flourish.

As we look ahead, I’d be grateful for your prayers—that God would sustain me in this ministry and stir the hearts of others to come alongside and serve. May new friendships be formed, and may long-standing ones grow deeper, as we continue to walk in grace together.

Heidi Penfold

Belongs in Community Worker

From the moment someone comes to one of our Gatherings we want to be welcoming them, connecting with them, and intentionally seeking to encourage them to make next steps in knowing Jesus and committing to him and his community at BBC. As a community centred on and united by Jesus, we want to continue to grow to know and love him and each other by gathering together (in formal and informal ways, corporate and small groups etc); loving and caring for each other; and serving and ministering to each other and beyond. We want to be building a culture that embodies the ‘one anothering’ taught and modelled by Jesus in the scriptures; oozes a warm, authentic and generous hospitality and love which we have first received from our gracious God… a community where all can belong and mature as a disciple of Jesus.

We have continued to welcome new individuals and families into our church across both congregations, which is a joy! As both congregations continue to establish themselves I praise God for the growing sense of care and community amongst our people. I praise God for the ways in which I have heard of and seen our church family seek to live in light of the good news and love of Jesus by welcoming people; praying for people; coming alongside, listening and encouraging people and practically caring for one another by word and deed.

Please pray that God will continue to save and redeem people by his word and bring them into our community at BBC. Pray that God will be working in us as a community, growing us to intentionally and sacrificially love and care for each other, support each other and humbly point each other to Jesus through the ups and downs of life. Pray that we continue to develop structures and ministries that can help facilitate this in church life. May we be a gospel shaped community, living in light of his grace, sharing his grace and fostering a community where we can all continue to grow and mature as disciples of Jesus.

Tash Meyerink

Gathering Teams Coordinator

I had the privilege of starting this position in May 2025. I have been very graciously received and have a wonderful team to work with. I want to take this opportunity to thank all my brothers and sisters in Christ who serve on the gathering teams, and particularly our team leaders, Sonya and Dale Johnson, Anderson Dufty and Mark Morrison. They serve gladly and diligently, putting in many hours behind the scenes each week.

It has been very encouraging to have people volunteering for the new Prayer and Bible Reading roster and to have more people involved in the weekly services this way.

We have loved having new people join our gathering teams, 6 people over the last few months, if I’m not mistaken. The team leaders are working together well as a group and are united in purpose and direction.

We had a fantastic vocal workshop with vocalist Melissa Hood, who taught us some technical skills and encouraged us to lead with an attitude of worship.

As there are four gathering teams, we would benefit from having more people join us. We are still fine tuning our processes and are planning to have some training in different areas of the service (praying, service leading etc.).

May our “love abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that (we) may approve what is excellent, and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruits of righteousness which come through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.” Philippians 1:9-11

Annie Chappell

Restore Counselling Coordinator

This year I continued to see God’s work in the life of the people who accessed the ministry. I counsel people on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays and most days are fully booked within my capacity.  This ministry exists to help people who are struggling and suffering to walk with hope, endurance and growing wisdom in relationship with their loving Father.  I get to see this happen and it is a great joy.  I also had opportunity to present two workshops.  I did a workshop on Lament for a group of about 10 women at the Free Reformed church.  (It was attended by various denominations).  I did a workshop on Understanding our struggle with Anger, at the Biblical Counsellors WA annual event in June.

I praise God for his astounding faithfulness and care for his people.  I am so thankful that Caroline Lucas has taken some biblical counselling courses and that this has been a blessing to her, and I am sure will translate into her mentoring and supporting others within our church.  I certainly can attest to this reality.  I am hoping to encourage some men to take up some of these courses too. I am also so thankful for the financial support you all have committed to in my role as a coordinator of the ministry. 

 I am currently exploring some possibilities of larger community supporting programs.  I am looking into Grief share, Divorce Care, Pain to Purpose, and Celebrate Recovery (Not alcohol and drug dependency specific) as options.  It is only in the investigation phases at this point. There are more things we long to do than what we are able to do.

If you have any questions or suggestions for me – I would love to get your feedback.

Please pray that God would continue to bring people for help and that God would sustain me and those that come alongside me in supporting the work of the ministry.

Belinda Colyer

Ministry Reports

Connect Groups

The heartbeat of our Connect Groups is to foster deeper relationships with God and one another through God’s Word, prayer, and genuine community. We long to see people growing in faith and living out the Gospel together in everyday life.

We give thanks for the steady commitment of our leaders and members this past year. It's been encouraging to see new people join groups and find a sense of belonging. We’re especially thankful for the way groups have supported one another through personal challenges, and how God has been at work in conversations around His Word.

Please pray for continued spiritual depth in our groups, that they would be places of transformation, not just routine. Pray also for more leaders to be raised up so we can grow our capacity to welcome others in. May each group remain Christ-centred, prayerful, and welcoming.

Paul Colyer

Creche

I feel there are several reasons why we do this ministry. Firstly so parents of little ones have the opportunity to sit in church and listen undirstracted to God word. It is also an opportunity for the team members to demonstrate God love to the little ones through caring, playing and nurturing them.

We have been lucky to have 4 full teams in the morning creche led by strong leaders - I am very thankful for my team leaders and there ability to fill in the gaps that I lack as a ministry leader. 

Please pray that we as team members continue to faithfully grow and build relationships with the little ones so they feel safe and valued. And for stamina for the teams, creche runs for every week of the year and with busy lives outside of the church some Sundays this can be exhausting. 

Cat Dean - Morning Creche

In creche, we seek to practically serve the young families in our church through provide a safe and welcoming space for our youngest church members. This allows the parents of young children to sit under the word and hear the sermon without the interruptions that small children bring! As creche teams, we seek to use the creche time each week to show the children Gods love and care, to model Christ like behaviour and get to know the children in a deeper level each week. We have the huge privilege of seeing these children every Sunday throughout the year and so we don’t take lightly the impact we can have on their little lives as we show them God’s love each week. 

We have so much to be thankful for in creche in the afternoon! Just this term we have seen the introduction of a 4th creche. In a short 11/12 months of being a new congregation, we have seen many people put up their hands to serve in creche and for this I am truly grateful! God has gifted us many amazing creche team members and team leaders who have a heart for caring for our the smallest members of our church family. I am thankful for the children we get to see each week and the insightful conversations we get to have with them all. 

We ask for continued prayer for our teams - we still need one more team member to round out our final team. As creche ministry functions throughout the entire year without a break, I pray for stamina and energy for our teams to keep serving at a high level even when life gets busy. We ask for earnest prayer for the salvation of all these little ones in our care! May god use our team members to share the gospel with them in age appropriate ways and model Christ like behaviour so that the children come to know and love the lord their saviour. 

 Ange Fairbrother - Afternoon Creche

Kids Church

At BBC Kids Church we not only aim to teach truth revealed in the Bible, but get to know each of our kids and humbly model what it is to be a maturing disciple of Jesus. Our prayer for the kids in our BBC family is that they will see, know and love Jesus and be able to ask questions, share their thoughts as we get to know him and his word together. We pray that they will come to a personal saving faith in Him and continue to grow as one of his maturing disciples, transformed by his grace!

I praise God that we have welcomed some new families and kids across both congregations. Despite initially not having enough teachers across the 2 congregations, I praise God that he has raised up new teachers and for these people’s willing hearts to serve in Kids Church and invest in our kid’s lives. I praise God for each of our kids that belong to our BBC community. We have had many opportunities to see them grow in their thinking and responding to Jesus and his word; to pray with and for each other; and to grow in confidence and belonging, building friendships as part of our BBC family.

Please pray that God will continue to sow seeds of faith in our kid’s hearts and that they will grow to know and love Jesus as they discover that they are loved and known by him. Please pray for God to raise up new teachers across both congregations and particularly 2 new Ministry Leaders (1 from each congregation) to lead the ministry into the new year (this is a significant need!). Pray that God will be continuing to encourage and equip our parents as they seek to bring their kids up in Jesus’ ways and share the good news with them, this is no easy task. Pray for our team of teachers, that they will continue to delight in and live for Jesus and that God will sustain and encourage them as they serve in this ministry.

Tash Meyerink

Mission

 The motivation for our activities is the same from one year to the next, it is the biblical command to proclaim the gospel to all people in all places. Even though our mission partners in Pakistan and the Congo especially have been exposed to dangers because of war all of our partners have been kept safe and provided for.

     We have also been able to support a new partner in Tanzania. Craig Willis-Jones and his family have been there for a number of years, training and teaching the local people to bring the good news.

The constant request from all of our partners is for prayer for them to deal with the day to day demands of living and working in challenging surroundings away from family and friends, and for wisdom and understanding in dealing with the people they wish to reach.

Peter Bolt

Maintenance

The Maintenance Team exists to care for our church property—both buildings and grounds—so that it remains safe, welcoming, and functional for all who use it. This hands-on ministry also provides an opportunity for fellowship and shared service among those who come together to help.

Praise God for the faithful team that meet regularly to tackle repairs, maintenance jobs, and yard work. We are grateful for the strong sense of community and camaraderie shared over tools and morning tea and thankful for the many unseen tasks that have kept our facilities running smoothly throughout the year.

Pray for strength, safety, and wisdom as the team continues their practical service. Ask God to bless the fellowship and relationships formed within the group. And pray for more willing hands to join in, especially as needs arise or special projects come up.

Admin Staff (on behalf of Pieter Hondema)

Pastoral Care

The heartbeat of our pastoral care ministry is to reflect Christ’s love by being present with people in times of need, walking alongside them with compassion, prayer, and practical support. It’s about helping people know they are seen, valued, and not alone.

We are thankful for the many quiet acts of love and support that happen throughout our church family—from meals delivered, to hospital visits, to listening ears. We’re especially grateful for those who have faithfully and sacrificially cared for people through illness, grief, and life transitions.

Please pray for wisdom, strength, and sensitivity for those offering care. Pray that our church would continue to grow in being a community where every person is known and loved. We are still very much at the beginning of developing pastoral care teams across the two congregations, please pray for wisdom as we continue to build in this space.

Paul Colyer

The Hub

The Hub exists to create a warm and welcoming space on Sundays where people can connect, ask questions, and take next steps into church life. Whether it's offering a smile, helping with event registrations, or guiding newcomers toward connection, the team plays a key role in fostering belonging.

Praise God for the faithful volunteers who serve with kindness and attentiveness each week. We are thankful for opportunities to assist people with sign-ups, ministry info, and getting connected. We’re grateful for moments of meaningful conversation and the chance to help people feel at home in our church community.

Pray for continued wisdom and grace as the team supports newcomers and regulars alike. Ask God to help the Hub be a space where people feel genuinely seen and welcomed. Pray for more volunteers with a heart for hospitality and connection.

Tash Meyerink (on behalf of Carol Downie)

Thrive

What a joy and privilege it has been to lead Thrive for another year! This ministry continues to be a blessing to the mums and little ones who attend. The depth of connection we’ve built—simply by sharing this season of life together—is truly special and unlike anything else. 

Over the past year, we’ve welcomed new mums and beautiful new babies into our community. We’ve cooked meals for each other, prayed for one another, and had countless honest conversations about what it means to be mums devoted to God—mums who long to share the love of Jesus with our children.

We would deeply value your prayers for our group. Many of the mums don’t have family nearby, and this church has become their family. If you feel led to support Thrive practically—by hosting us, providing meals for new mums, offering mentorship, becoming a surrogate grandparent, or helping with occasional childminding—we would love to hear from you.

With love,

Ange Fairbrother & Kath Holmes

Finances