Preparing Our Hearts for the Road Ahead
Dear BCOC family,
We are entering a significant moment in the life of our church.
Over many years, God has been kind to BCOC. We have seen lives changed, people baptised, families strengthened, ministries grow, new people find belonging, and our reach across the community continue to expand. We do not take this lightly. Every story of grace is a gift from God.
But there are seasons in the life of a church when growth is not only an encouragement — it is also an invitation. It calls us to pause, pray, listen and prepare for what God is asking of us next.
BCOC is not simply getting bigger. We are crossing an important threshold in our life together. As a church grows, the question is not simply, “How do we do more of the same?” The deeper question is,
“How do we faithfully carry the mission God has entrusted to us into the next season?”
What worked beautifully in one season may need to mature in another. This does not dishonour the past. In fact, we honour the past best when we build wisely for the future.
At the heart of this moment is not structure, strategy, staff or systems. At the heart of this moment is Jesus.
Ephesians 1:22–23 says that God placed all things under the feet of Christ and appointed Him as head over everything for the church, “which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”
That means BCOC does not belong to us. The church belongs to Jesus. He is the Head. We are His body. Our calling is not to preserve personal preferences, familiar patterns or comfortable habits. Our calling is to be a people through whom the presence and fullness of Christ is expressed in every place.
That has always been our heart: to be His presence in every place.
And this vision is much bigger than us. Habakkuk 2:14 declares,
“For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.”
God’s purpose is not small, private or self-protective. His glory is moving toward the renewal of all things. Every local church is invited to play its part in that great kingdom story.
This is why the road ahead matters.
As BCOC grows, belonging must become more intentional. Care must be shared more widely. Communication must become clearer. Leadership must be developed more deliberately. Pathways into serving, giving, growing and mission must become easier to understand. We are not seeking change for the sake of change; rather, we are seeking to steward the mission faithfully.
In the lead-up to our important Partners and Volunteer Gathering on Sunday, 19th July, we are inviting the whole BCOC family to prepare spiritually through prayer and fasting.
Christian fasting is not about earning God’s favour or proving our devotion. We fast because God has already come to us in Christ. Fasting helps reorder our desires. It exposes what we rely on for comfort, control and security. It reminds us that our deepest hunger is for God Himself.
So we invite you to pray.
Pray for our elders, pastors, staff, ministry leaders, partners, volunteers, children, youth, families, seniors, new believers, and those still finding their way home to God. Pray for unity. Pray for courage. Pray for humility. Pray for wisdom. Pray that Jesus would lead His church clearly.
And consider fasting in some way. It may be from a meal, a day of meals, media, entertainment, comfort, or anything that helps you make space to seek God with greater focus. The goal is not religious performance. The goal is to say again:
“Lord, we need You. Lead us. Shape us. Fill us. Send us.”
At BCOC, let’s not drift casually into the next season.
Let’s prepare our hearts.
Let’s seek the Lord together.
Let’s follow Jesus faithfully into the road ahead.
May BCOC truly be His presence in every place — until the earth is filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.
