About Us
Naringal Baptist
The light of Christ to our rural community.
Mission Statement
We, the Naringal Baptist Church, believe that God has called us to be The ‘Light of Christ’ to our Rural Community.
In humble dependence upon God and in the power of the Holy Spirit we will seek to fulfill this calling by:
Worshipping together
in ways that celebrate the truth of the gospel, that encourage and use the gifts God has given us,
and that build up our sense of fellowship and belonging.
Building up and equipping God's people
for life and service through regular prayer and Bible study in order that they may grow to be mature in Christ.
Proclaiming the gospel
and sharing our faith in Jesus Christ with those in our community in order that we may see them commit their lives to Jesus, be baptized and enter into the joy of God’s Kingdom.
Responding in loving and practical ways
to the needs of people within the church family and in the wider community;
caring for them in accordance with the Biblical call to act justly and love mercy
Doctrinal Statement
At Naringal Baptist Church, we believe –
1. In the divine inspiration and supreme authority of the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments.
2. That God exists eternally in three persons – God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.
3. That Jesus was fully man and fully God when He walked on earth.
4. That Jesus loves all people and died for our sins, rose from the dead and is now seated at the right hand of God in heaven.
5. That all people are sinners in need of salvation.
6. That salvation is only possible through repentance and faith in Jesus.
7. That the Holy Spirit lives in the heart of every believer.
8. That there is an afterlife, either in heaven with Jesus or separated from Him forever in hell.
9. That Jesus instructed believers to –
• Be baptised. We teach and practice believer’s baptism.
• Remember Jesus’ death until he returns by celebrating Communion together.
What we Believe
Here's some of what is in our statement of beliefs, our theology. You can find Doctrinal Statement. And here's our Mission Statement
Our history
Don't they say you've got to have lived in the town twenty years before you're considered a local? Well, Naringal Church has been here for over a hundred and five years (105!) You might say we are locals then. Of course it didn't always look like this and a lot of interesting things have happened over that time. Here's a very brief summary of what was and how we have become what we are today.
Today
We are a small, growing, rural church in the South West district of Victoria. We are located not fifteen minutes from Warrnambool and about that same distance from the Great Ocean Road to the south. Our church consists of about 150 people who get together regularly on a Sunday and at various times during the week in their interest groups. We feel we are being blessed with a growing church; as more and more people find out about us, they come. There's a lot of young people that make up the church, in fact as of March 2006 a bit under half the church was up to secondary school age. Now, our average age is well under 18 years old. We'd like to think we're a family church and it isn't unusual to see dad or mum doing something at church on Sunday alongside their son or daughter. We like it that way.
Strangely enough, the people that come are quite willing to travel to attend. People from as far away as Simpson, Cobden, Camperdown, and Warrnambool. Most people are from around the area and not necessarily farmers. Yes, we say we want to be "the light of Christ in our rural community" but our community consist of a diverse range of careers and vocations.
Chances are, if you need something done, someone at church will have just the right skills or the right connections. We will do our very best to ensure that you will feel 'at home' when you visit us. Ever wondered how God works in mysterious ways? Come to Naringal and find out just how amazing God can be. It'd be nice to see you soon. We are open from 10.00am onwards, the service starts at 10.30am every Sunday.