Previous editorials

 

11/05/2012

HAPPY MOTHERS' DAY

Everyone had a Mother! The big majority of us are hugely thankful for our mothers. For some of us, our relationship with mum wasn't and maybe isn't great. The Ten Commandments direct us to honour and respect our father and mother. That is much easier for some of us than others but it is God's desire for us. I like to reflect on this piece each Mother's Day:

Today we give thanks for our mothers, recognising
that some were more like God intended and
some were less;
that some are easier to love and relate to than others;
that some of us struggle to be the sons and daughters we want to be;
that we do not say the things we need to say to one another;
that all of us need God's grace and wisdom
to relate as God intended;
that being a mother is an awesome responsibility,
a potential heartache and a huge privilege;
that having a good mother is one of God's greatest
gifts in life.

On a more humorous note, read what some six year olds have written about mothers:

Why did God make mothers?

  1. She's the only one who knows where the sticky tape is.
  2. Mostly to clean the house.
  3. To help us out of there when we were getting born.

How did God make mothers?

  1. He used dirt, just like for the rest of us.
  2. Magic plus super powers and a lot of stirring.
  3. God made my Mum just the same like he made me. He just used bigger parts.
  4. God makes mothers out of clouds and angel hair and everything nice in the world and one dab of mean.

Why did God give you your mother and not some other mum?

  1. We're related.
  2. God knew she likes me a lot more than other people's mums like me.

What's the difference between mums & dads?

  1. Mums work at work and work at home and Dads just go to work at work.
  2. Mums know how to talk to teachers without scaring them.
  3. Dads are taller & stronger, but Mums have all the real power 'cause that's who you got to ask if you want to sleep over at your friend's.
  4. Mums have magic; they make you feel better without medicine.

What's one thing you'd change about your mum?

  1. She has this weird thing about me keeping my room tidy. I'd get rid of that.
  2. On the inside she's perfect. Outside, I think some kind of plastic surgery.
  3. I'd make my Mum smarter. Then she would know it was my sister who did it and not me.
  4. I would like for her to get rid of those invisible eyes on the back of her head.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO ALL MOTHERS!

Shalom, Steve

"Her children stand and bless her. Her husband praises her: There are many virtuous and capable women in the world, but you surpass them all!", Proverbs 31 verses 28 & 29 (NLT)

04/05/2012

Teaching Series and Building Sharing

Welcome to St Albans as we seek together God's presence and word to us, and encourage one another on our journeys with Jesus.

I will be in Dunedin this week at the South Island Ministry Conference, run annually by East Taieri Presbyterian Church. The main speaker is Dr Rod Wilson, President of Regent. I look forward to networking with other Presbyterian leaders in the South.

Our preacher this Sunday is Chris Dombroski, a former Methodist minister and later the senior elder here at St Albans. Chris believes that God has prompted him to offer a series of four sermons for our congregation on the following topics. The elders have invited Chris to share this series, beginning this Sunday and continuing on the next three Sunday nights at 7pm, including time for discussion on the topic.

This Week, May 6: 'Pie in the Sky'.
How Western Culture is impacting the church in general, bringing ideas which are not Biblical but are distorting our understanding of God and the Gospel.
Sunday night, May 13: 'The Entree'.
The Gospel foundation, the nature of sin and its deep in-grained ability to deceive and trap us, and why Jesus came. How to keep the Main thing the Main thing.
Sunday night, May 20: 'The Main Course'.
Exploring the full breadth of all Jesus achieved for us and how all-sufficient this Gospel is.
Sunday night, May 27: 'The Dessert'.
Practical ways to apply the Gospel; What it means to 'walk in the Spirit'; What the Gospel will not do; How to avoid confusion in our lives; What healing for our lives means; Understanding some of Jesus' hard sayings; The place of working for the Kingdom and living in freedom.

'Christ Sanctuary Church' is a Palmy Church of about 90 adults and children, led by Pastor Andrew Lim. Pastor Lim has been in Palmy for about 20 years, was previously pastor of Grace Church, and has lectured regularly at Bible College and Laidlaw College here.

Christ Sanctuary has been meeting in rented facilities since they began in February 2007, most recently in the Laidlaw College building in Queen Street. This building has been sold and Christ Sanctuary has been unable to find a permanent home where they can hold Sunday morning services. Pastor Lim approached me to ask whether they could meet at St Albans on Sunday afternoons until they can find a new home base. Our elders have generously agreed to host this sister church. They will hire our building from 1.30pm to 5.30pm on Sundays, with the arrangement to be reviewed in six months.

Next Sunday is Mothers' Day. Please join us at 10am to celebrate God's Gift of Mothers. Have you got a poem, skit, video clip, or story/testimony to share about Mothers or your mother; something you learned from your mother? Please contact Steve by phone or email as soon as possible.

Shalom, Steve

13/04/2012

Resurrection Hope and Fruit

This editorial is an edited Breakpoint Commentary by Chuck Colson on April 4, 2012. Subscribe to this free daily e-mail commentary or read it online at www.breakpoint.org.

The Christian hope is not based on wishful thinking but on the reality of God's promises and God's actions in history, especially the resurrection of Jesus. We often see the fruits of Christian hope in the lives of committed Christ-followers.

Justin Martyr, born around 100AD to pagan parents, grew up studying philosophy. While in Ephesus he was impressed by the steadfastness of Christians under persecution and he converted to Christianity. He is known for his written "Apologies", defences of the faith, addressed to the Roman Emperor and the Roman Senate.

Justin boldly defended the lives of his persecuted fellow Christians. For publically debating and defending the Christian beliefs in public, he was tried before a Roman prefect. When he refused to deny his faith, he was beheaded. It was Justin's hope in Christ that enabled him to boldly and sacrificially defend the truth.

Centuries later, Christ-follower Nien Cheng stood up to the Chinese authorities of her day. Cheng was arrested in 1966. During six years in prison she was pressured to make a false confession that she had been a spy for the imperialists. Despite torture, Cheng would not admit to something that wasn't true.

Cheng couldn't let the guards see her praying but in God she found solace for her grief, and hope to face each day. Cheng was released under the pretence that her behaviour had improved. But it was her hope in God that enabled her to endure her brutal treatment.

In a Cuban prison cell, Armando Valladares spent 22 years because of his refusal to bend the knee to the communist regime. Valladares counselled and plead with other inmates to stay true to the faith over the 8,000 days of hard labour and solitary confinement.

He resisted communist indoctrination and said,

"For me that would've meant spiritual suicide. All the time I was in jail, I never gave up my freedom. My freedom is not the space where I can walk around. There are lots of people in Cuba who have space to walk, and yet they are not free."

For Vallardes, true freedom was

"8,000 days of testing my religious convictions, my faith, of fighting the hate my atheist jailers were trying to instil in me with each bayonet thrust; fighting so that hate would not flourish in my heart."
When he was finally released in 1982, he published his book, Against All Hope.

For Justin Martyr, Cheng, and Vallardes, hope was not a flimsy optimism that everything would somehow work out alright. Hope was understanding that the reward for holding fast to God was a weight of glory that exceeded the pain of any momentary affliction.

For each of them, hope yielded joy, sacrificial love, boldness, and endurance. These are lives worth emulating, even in our far less challenging environment. As we imitate them in their hope, these are fruits which not only would change us, but the world in which we live.

Sunday Programmes for April 15, 2012
Main Services: 08.30am and 10:00am
Worship Leader: Nigel Tongs
Speaker: Steve Jourdain
Topic: Resurrection Fruit
Preschoolers' Programme: Sonbeams - Room available to parents
Children's Programme: SHaPe
Elders: 08.30am - Sue Allomes; 10:00am - Ivan Gore
Night Church: None this Sunday

Verse from the Scriptures

"Then Jesus told him, 'You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.'", John: 20 v. 29 (NLT)

Shalom! Steve

06/04/2012

Some Reflections on Resurrection

The Early Church Fathers strongly stressed the physical resurrection of Jesus. About 80 years after the Ascension of Jesus into heaven, Ignatius, the Bishop of Antioch, was being taken to Rome to be martyred because he would not deny Jesus' resurrection. Here are extracts from his letters to the Trallians and the Smyrneans:

"Jesus Christ...was really born, ate and drank, was really persecuted...really crucified and died...really raised from the dead...apart from whom we have no genuine life."
"I am convinced...that even after the resurrection he was in the flesh...a real human being."

Professor of English at Oxford & Cambridge Universities in the twentieth century, and writer of the Chronicles of Narnia, C.S. Lewis, wrote,

"Christianity is God expressing Himself through what we call 'real things'... namely, the actual incarnation, crucifixion and resurrection."

In 1986 the Bishops of the Church of England declared,

"We affirm our faith in the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ as an objective reality, both historical and divine, not as a way of speaking about the faith of his followers but as a fact on which their testimony depends for its truth."

A missionary and friend were watching a large religious festival in India. The cause of all the rejoicing was in the alleged discovery of a bone of the great Buddha. This bone, this sacred relic was now being presented to the city. The missionary observed that this provided a stark contrast between the two faiths, because resurrection lay at the heart of Christianity. He said,

"If any part of Jesus body was to be found it would be cause, not for rejoicing but dismay, for it would show that he hadnt risen from the dead."

"There really is no story about the Resurrection in the New Testament. Except in the most fragmentary way, it is not described at all. There is no poetry about it. Instead, it is simply proclaimed as a fact. Christ is risen! In fact, the very existence of the New Testament itself proclaims it. Unless something very real indeed took place on that strange, confused morning, there would be no New Testament, no Church, no Christianity."
Frederick Buechner in "The Magnificent Defeat"

In Boy Scouts, when a person is laying a trail for others to follow and then decides to return home, they leave a sign made of a circle with a dot in the middle (often made of stones). On the tomb of Lord Baden Powell, the founder of Scouting, is a circle with a dot in the middle. He has "Gone Home".

The Way Out
By Andrew Knowles

Jesus returns to his Father.
He has blazed a trail.
He has built a bridge.
The Way Out is complete.
Son of Man,
Son of God,
He takes his place in glory.
And as he does so,
He draws our world with him
Into his.

Nikolai Bukharin was sent from Moscow to Kiev in the early 1920s, to address a rally where attendance was compulsory. He spent one hour discrediting the Christian Faith. At the end, he invited questions. An Orthodox Christian Priest asked if he may speak. He climbed the stage, looked at the crowd and spoke the ancient Easter greeting, "Christ is Risen!" With a deafening roar the huge crowd replied, "He is risen indeed! Alleluia!"

Easter Greetings to you all! Alleluia! Steve

31/03/2012

Welcome to Our Palm Sunday Services

Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week or Passion Week, when we remember the joyful welcome of Jesus into Jerusalem, and look towards next weekend for the climax of God's mission to our world through his son Jesus. I invite you to plan to participate in the events of this week outlined elsewhere in this newsletter.

If you will be away for Easter, I wish you safe travelling and refreshing times. I hope you can connect with Easter events in other places.

Poems can be creative ways to aid our reflection, especially of very familiar events and stories such as Easter. I hope that you will take time this week to reflect, read and pray, inviting God to speak with you afresh of what it cost our God to become the saviour-rescuer of this whole world, and of you personally.

 

The Nail Man

by Steve Turner

Which one was it
that held the nails
and then hammered them
into place?

Did he hit them
out of anger,
or a simple sense of duty?

Was it a job
that had to be done,
or a good day's work
in the open air?

And when they
clawed past bone
and bit into wood,
was it like all the others,
or did history
shudder a little
beneath the head
of that hammer?
Was he still there,
packing away his tools,
when "It is finished"
was uttered to the throng,
or was he at home
washing his hands
and getting ready
for the night?

Will he be
among the forgiven
on that Day of Days,
his sin having been slain
by his own savage spike?

The gift of love and forgiveness comes with the responsibility to love and forgive.

Palm Sunday Services

Times: 8.30am & 10:00am
Worship Leaders: Steve Jourdain and Mark Angel
Children's Activities: Sonbeams (Preschoolers) Programme
Elder 10am: Nancy Hazeleger
The 7pm Night Church: Pot Luck Dinner Off site (see notice on Church Door)
"As he rode on, people spread their cloaks on the road ....the large crowd of his disciples began to thank God and praise him in loud voices for all the great things that they had seen: 'God bless the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory to God!'" ~~ Luke 19 v 35-38

Church family news

Congratulations ...

To Kelly and Warrick Taylor
on the birth of Neva Judith on March 8th, weighing 3.32kg (7lb 5oz). A sister for Alex.

Shalom, Steve

25/03/2012

St Albans news

Welcome to St Albans as we seek together God's presence and word to us, and encourage one another on our journeys with Jesus. We also welcome back to worship leading, Jenny Randall, for the first time since May last year when her baby-bump made playing the guitar too difficult!

I am in Dannevirke this weekend for the 125th Anniversary Celebrations of the Presbyterian Church, where I was minister for 14.5 years before coming to St Albans. I was their second longest serving minister behind Alexander Grant who served for 25 years at the beginning of the 20th century. It was a wonderful community in which to learn the role of a minister and for our children to spend their childhoods. My thanks to Rob Yule for preaching today which allows me to be in Dannevirke for the Saturday night dinner and Sunday service and picnic.

Thanks for your feedback on our new format Sunday Newsletter. People liked the change and especially the colour. However the elders have decided that we will only have a colour edition on special occasions as it costs $34+gst to have 170 newsletters printed each Sunday. Over 47 Sundays each year that amounts to $1,600 which the elders believe can be spent on more important things, including helping members who face financial hardship.

We acknowledge the move to Auckland this week of Tom & Margaret Price, after 25 years as St Albans members. Margaret has not been well and they have moved to Devonport to be near their daughter and family, and the greater medical resources. Sadly we were not able to farewell them at church. We wish them God's blessings and are thankful for their witness and service to our Lord among us and in the community. Tom was Deputy Principal of Freyberg High School when he retired.

Easter is fast approaching and we will again share services with Hokowhitu Baptist on Good Friday (at their site) and Easter Day (at St Albans). They have a new pastor, commissioned two weeks ago, Geoff Dixon, who finished his training at Carey Baptist College, Auckland, last year and has moved here with his wife Sonya and some of their children.

Next Sunday we will have an All-Age Service for Palm Sunday, to begin the Easter week.

On Good Friday, the Christian Broadcasting Association (CBA), will broadcast a live Christian-based programme on NewstalkZB, from 6am-6pm. They will have an estimated audience of 300,000 people [NZ's largest commercial audience - Research International], 86% of whom do not attend church. CBA exists "to communicate the essentials of the Christian faith to those who have never understood." They do it through broadcasting high-quality daily, weekly and seasonal programmes on NZ's top-rating secular commercial radio networks, through the voluntary contributions of some of NZ's top Christian broadcasters. The pamphlets with your newsletter today invite you to post a donation to their work or phone a $20 gift to 0900 80 222. I invite you to join me in supporting this Kingdom mission.

Shalom, Steve

18/03/2012

Illegal in 51 Countries

Welcome to St Albans as we seek together God's presence and word to us, and encourage one another on our journeys with Jesus.

Christians are one of the largest and most persecuted groups in the world, yet they are often neglected in the foreign policy of Western Governments. There is little practical engagement with the issue of anti-Christian persecution even though governments may acknowledge that respect for minorities and human rights is a foundation stone for national and international peace and security.

The Barnabas Fund (hope and aid for the persecuted church) - is a Christian mission which supports Christians wherever they are in a minority and suffer discrimination, oppression and persecution as a consequence of their faith. Barnabas Fund was established by Patrick & Rosemary Sookhdeo in 1993 and channels aid to projects run by national Christians in more than 50 countries.

Patrick was born in 1947 in British Guiana (now Guyana), to an originally Hindu father who had become a Muslim in order to marry Sookhdeo's Muslim mother. His family migrated to England in the late 1950s and in 1965, Sookhdeo converted to Christianity. He completed a doctorate in London and developed a passion for the persecuted Christian minorities, especially in Islamic countries. He is a prolific author and global speaker, who raises awareness of and aid for our brothers and sisters in Christ who suffer for their faith.

The Barnabas Fund has launched the Proclaim Freedom Campaign in 2012 to raise the profile of the persecuted church to press governments to:

Today an international petition will be circulated during the services, which you are invited to sign. It will also be on the Welcome Desk and Reception Counters for a few weeks.

You are also invited to take a copy and collect signatures from friends and colleagues.

The Universal Declaration on Human Rights Article 18 states: "Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. This right includes the freedom to change religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in a community with others and in public or private, to manifest their religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance."

As a US Senator once said, "If you believe in the cause of freedom, then proclaim it, live it and protect it, for humanity's future depends on it."

Shalom, Steve

11/03/2012

Apology for "End of world" prediction

A Warm Welcome to St Albans - one congregation of Christ's body in our city, where we encourage people to worship God in all areas of our lives.
Last year Harold Camping, leader of "Family Radio" predicted that Jesus would return to take his people out of the world on May 21, and that the world would end on October 21.
This week Mr Camping made a remarkable apology on www.familyradio.com:

"In this time of confusion and turmoil, God's Word remains the only truth in which we can trust. God has shown us again the truth that He alone is true. In Romans 3 v4, God declares: "Even if everyone else is a liar, God is true." Events within the last year have proven that no man can be fully trusted. Even the most sincere and zealous of us can be mistaken.

The May 21 campaign was an astounding event if you think about its impact upon this world. There is no question that millions, if not billions of people heard for the first time the Bible's warning that Jesus Christ will return....to rapture His people and destroy this natural world.

Yes, we humbly acknowledge we were wrong about the timing; yet though we were wrong, God is still using the May 21 warning in a very mighty way....the Bible has, in some ways, come out from under the shadows and is now being discussed by all kinds of people who never before paid any attention to the Bible....

We must also openly acknowledge that we have no new evidence pointing to another date for the end of the world. Though many dates are circulating, Family Radio has no interest in even considering another date. God has humbled us through the events of May 21, to continue to even more fervently search the Scriptures, not to find dates, but to be more faithful in our understanding.

We have learned the very painful lesson that all of creation is in God's hands and He will end time in His time, not ours! We humbly recognize that God may not tell His people the date when Christ will return, any more than He tells anyone the date they will die physically.

We realize that many people are hoping they will know the date of Christ's return. In fact for a time Family Radio fell into that kind of thinking. But we now realize that those people who were calling our attention to the Bible's statement that "of that day and hour knoweth no man" (Matt 24:36 & Mark 13:32), were right in their understanding of those verses and Family Radio was wrong.

We were even so bold as to insist that the Bible guaranteed that Christ would return on May 21 and that the true believers would be raptured. Yet this incorrect and sinful statement allowed God to get the attention of a great many people who otherwise would not have paid attention....We tremble before God as we humbly ask Him for forgiveness for making that sinful statement. We are so thankful that God is so loving that He will forgive even this sin....'

Shalom, Steve
4/03/2012

Explanation of God

Welcome to St Albans, especially if youre a newcomer. We hope you will all like our new-styled Newsletter with its more contemporary look. We are also considering a coloured format, through the purchase of a coloured printer. We would appreciate your feedback on this new style.

Eight year old Danny Dutton, from California, wrote the following school assignment 'to explain God'. Could we have written any better?

'One of God's main jobs is making people. He makes them to replace the ones that die, so there will be enough people to take care of things on earth. He doesn't make grownups, just babies. I think because they are smaller and easier to make. That way he doesn't have to take up his valuable time teaching them to talk and walk. He can just leave that to mothers and fathers.

God's second most important job is listening to prayers. An awful lot of this goes on, since some people, like preachers, pray at times beside bedtime. God doesn't have time to listen to the radio or TV because of this. Because he hears everything, there must be a terrible lot of noise in his ears, unless he has thought of a way to turn it off.

God sees everything and hears everything and is everywhere which keeps Him pretty busy. So you shouldn't go wasting his time by going over your mom and dad's head asking for something they said you couldn't have.

Jesus is God's Son. He used to do all the hard work, like walking on water and performing miracles and trying to teach the people who didn't want to learn about God. They finally got tired of him preaching and they crucified him. But he was good and kind, like his father, and he told his father that they didn't know what they were doing and to forgive them and God said O.K.

His dad (God) appreciated all his hard work on earth so he told him he didn't have to go out on the road anymore. He could stay in heaven. And now he helps his dad out by listening to prayers and seeing which things are important for God to action and which ones he can action himself without having to bother God. Like a secretary, only more important.

You can pray anytime you want and they are sure to help you because one of them is on duty at all times.

You should always go to church on Sunday because it makes God happy; and if there's anybody you want to make happy, it's God!

Don't skip church to do something you think will be more fun like going to the beach. This is wrong. And besides the sun doesn't come out at the beach until noon anyway.

If you don't believe in God, besides being an atheist, you will be very lonely, because your parents can't go everywhere with you, like to camp, but God can. It is good to know He's around you when you're scared or when you can't swim and get thrown into real deep water by big kids.

But... you shouldn't just always think of what God can do for you. I figure God put me here and he can take me back anytime he pleases.

And...that's why I believe in God.

Shalom, Steve

26/02/2012

Why some are not healed

A Warm Welcome to St Albans - one congregation of Christ's body in our city, where we encourage people to worship God in all areas of life. Its been a sad week for our congregation with the funeral yesterday for one of our brothers, Lawrence . Our hearts and prayers go out to his extended family. I trust that we can support them in personal and practical ways.

Lawrence's death is especially challenging because he believed in the healing ministry of Jesus, was active in praying for others and saw many healed. Lawrence also appeared to have been healed after much prayer, when his abdominal tumour had disappeared in two subsequent MRI scans.

How do we understand Lawrence's death, as Christ-followers who believe in God's power to heal? I will briefly suggest some responses and may speak about this on a future Sunday.

1. We believe that God is good, that God's purposes for us are good, and that God is willing and able to heal people today. We see these things in the life of God's son Jesus Christ, and many of us have seen and heard evidence of miraculous healing. Jesus healed everyone who came to him. We continue to pray in faith for healing.

2. Sickness and death are a consequence of human sinfulness and the Fall of humanity from God's original purposes. Every person will die, including all who have been miraculously healed. For those who have faith in God through Christ, and trust in him for their forgiveness and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, death is not to be feared and is the gateway to God's eternal heavenly presence. And God is very present with us in sickness, giving us His peace, comfort and strong sense of hope as he accompanies us in the dying process. The final stage of healing comes through death.

3. Unbelief or a lack of faith in the church community, due to wrong theology and the rejection of the spiritual gifts, can hinder healing; as can issues in the person's life.

4. There is mystery for us in God's sovereignty - in why God doesn't answer our prayers? We do not understand all the outworkings of God's purposes and timing. But we have seen and can trust in the love of God. "The things that I have seen, teach me to trust the Creator for the things that I have not seen." God's greatest desire is for us to have a close, loving relationship with Him, whatever our circumstances.

5. Asking the "Why?" questions, often bring no answers. We more likely find that God answers the "What?" questions - What can I learn here? What response do you want from me?

The Apostle Peter wrote, "All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, and we have a priceless inheritance - an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay."

Shalom, Steve

12/02/2012

Celebrating New Beginnings

Welcome to St Albans as we gather together to meet with God, whom we seek to honour and serve as the foundation and focus of our lives. A warm welcome to our visitors today and especially to the supporters of these people who are being baptised - publicly declaring their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and their intentions to live as his friends and followers.

This is a day of great celebration both for us at St Albans and also in Heaven! The Bible says that God rejoices in every person who turns away from doing their own thing in life and from wrong ways of living, and who turns to God's son Jesus as the forgiver of their sins and the leader of their lives.

All this is symbolised in the activity of baptism by immersion. When a person goes under the water they bury their old way of life and share in Jesus' death for the forgiveness of their sins. When they are raised out of the water, they are raised to a new way life with Jesus, who was raised from death and lives as our constant friend and leader.

Baptism is an outward sign of an inner response of love and commitment to God. Baptism is the positive response to what God has done for us and is doing in our lives. We simply say 'Yes' to God's invitation to become his friends and followers. This invitation comes to all people through Jesus Christ and there is nothing we can do personally to earn it or deserve it. We cannot, by our own efforts or abilities, gain God's approval or acceptance or friendship, or entry into heaven. It is God's gift to us and we must decide whether to accept it or refuse it. After baptism, we are called to live out God's way of love, justice, peace and right relationships in all aspects of our lives.

Two other celebrations coming up:

Rev Hamish Kirk, who has been at St Albans since moving from Nelson late last year, is being inducted as the new senior Army Chaplain at Linton Camp this Thursday at 11am. He joins chaplains Chris Purdie and Rewai Te Kahu in this huge mission field of young Kiwis and their officers. Chaplains have a unique role in the military which allows them to relate directly to people of any rank. Please pray for them as they offer pastoral care and seek to share the gospel of Jesus in that environment.

Rev Silvia Purdie will be inducted as the new minister of Milson Combined Church on Sunday February 26th, at 3pm. Silvia will begin this half-time position after she finished in the Foxton-Shannon Parish on January 1st. Milson is a combined Anglican, Methodist and Presbyterian Congregation. Interestingly, the Milson Church building is on the corner of Milson Line and Purdie Place, which is named after the uncle of Silvia's husband, who was minister at St David's Church in Palmy in the 1950s. You are welcome to attend this occasion.

Shalom, Steve

29/1/2012

New Year Update

Welcome to St Albans as summer holidays end and the new school year begins. We warmly welcome newcomers to join our community of Christ's body, as we support one another in our living for Jesus in 2012.

Much has happened in January - a birth, a wedding, two funerals, illnesses and two of our young people headed overseas, as you will read about on the back page. The Grant family have returned safely from Nepal via California and are adjusting back to life in Palmy. We've received the news that the Poulton family will return to us here to have their third child in March.

Then there's been another successful 'Buzz' holiday programme with a great team of helpers and the biggest number of attenders ever in January - about 50 kids! We had a wonderful New Wine Camp last weekend at Waikanae, attended by about 850 people (24 from St Albans). Around 1100 adults and children attended the open night last Sunday.

I want to thank you for your generous financial giving to the Christmas Appeal for our mission partners, the Salisburys and Beit Immanuel Congregation. I will confirm the figure this week but the Appeal will remain open until Sunday February 12. Thank you for your generous support of God's mission overseas.

This term we begin a new Discipleship Series called "Come let us worship" - thinking about worship as a way of life; our whole-of-life response to God. This will be an integrated 12-week focus with one personal study per week, discussion in small groups, and Sunday sermons on the theme. There is a book to buy for $15 and if you cannot attend a small group you can still buy a book and work through the studies. If you would like to join a small group for term one plz contact Small Group Coordinator Mike Edwards (356 2553) or me.

The series has four aspects:
1. Participation in a small group if you can. If you cannot be in a small group, you could arrange to meet with one or two others each week.
2. Doing the weekly study prior to meeting, either in one sitting or considering the material and a couple of questions over a number of days.
3. Memorising a Bible verse each week so that, like Jesus, we can recall verses in challenging times of our lives. The Psalm writer said, "I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you." (Ps 119 v11).
4. Complete a project. Most weeks there is a practical application to engage with. This course is not just about information but spiritual formation, aiming to help shape our living as disciples of Jesus.

I really hope that you can participate with us in this series. It is part of the Omega Discipleship series developed in Australia. During this term small groups can consider the other booklets in the series and consider doing other topics after this one.

May we live as true worshippers in all aspects of our lives as we get back into our regular routines.

Shalom, Steve

18/12/2011

It's Christmas. Lets celebrate & give!

Welcome to St Albans in this Christmas-Holiday season, especially if you are visitors. We are glad to have you worship with our part of Christ's community. I encourage us all to contribute to a Christmas Appeal this season that will make a real difference for others; to give beyond our own loved ones to those who dont know the love of family or the love of God.

Our own Christmas Appeal supports two of our St Albans Mission Partners. Murray Salisbury is a skilled linguist who checks Bible translations and trains translators around the world, so that poorer people groups in the two-thirds world can have Bible portions in their own language.

It's wonderful to think of Jewish people coming to recognise Jesus as their Messiah and putting their faith in him. Beit Immanuel in Tel Aviv is a congregation of such people, including many Russian Jewish immigrants, and this appeal will support their ministry among children. Please return your Christmas Appeal envelope soon. Extra envelopes with a handout on these mission partners are on the Welcome Desk.

Here is one of my favourite Christmas poems by John Shea.

'Sharon was five,
very sure of her facts
and recited them
slowly and solemnly,
convinced that every word
was revelation from God.

She said,
Mary and Joseph were so poor
they only had peanut butter
and jam sandwiches to eat,
and they went a long way from home
without getting lost.

They lady rode a donkey
and the man walked,
and the baby was inside the lady.
They had to stay in a stable
with an ox and an ass
but the Three Rich Men found them
because a star lighted the roof.

Shepherds came and you could pet
the sheep but not feed them.
The baby was borned.
And do you know who he was?

Her eyes inflated to silver dollars.
The baby was God!
She jumped in the air,
whirled around,
dived into the sofa,
and buried her head under the cushion...
which is the only proper response
to the Good News of Christmas!'

I agree! Shirley and I wish you a joyful and refreshing Christmas and holiday times.

Shalom, Steve

11/12/2011

CHRISTMAS & CHILDREN

Welcome to St Albans and to our Children's Christmas Service, especially if you are a visitor. Thanks to our Children's Pastor Russell and the groups of our young people who are contributing to our Christmas celebration today.

Last Sunday we launched our annual Christmas Appeal and we are encouraged to think beyond our own family and friends to give a Christmas Gift to others who are not as blessed as us to have so much in the way of possessions and opportunities. I want to encourage you to discuss within your household, especially with children, how we might change our focus from what we are getting this Christmas to what we can give to others. We can do this for example, by way of personally made gifts, spending time, inviting others to Christmas meals, or giving of our money to others with greater needs and inviting our children to give of their money also.

Last week I showed the video clip by 'Advent Conspiracy' (you can google it) and spoke about their motto to:

It's wonderful to think what a blessing Murray Salisbury is. As a skilled linguist he checks Bible translations and trains translators around the world, so that poorer people groups in the two-thirds world can have Bible portions in their own language. Our Christmas appeal supports him in this work.

It's wonderful to think of Jewish people coming to recognise Jesus as their Messiah and putting their faith in him. Beit Immanuel in Tel Aviv is a congregation of such people, including many Russian Jewish immigrants, and this appeal will support their ministry among children.

Rev Silvia Purdie is well known to many of us. This has been a very significant month for her. She concludes her ministry at Foxton-Shannon Parish at the end of December and last Wednesday she also concluded her leadership of Tot-Time here at St Albans. We are very thankful to her for taking on this role after Anthea Russell moved to Hamilton four years ago. Silvia has given creative and enthusiastic leadership growing out of her great love for children. Please remember her family this Christmas as her husband Chris is an army padre serving overseas.

At the regional Presbytery meeting last Thursday, Silvia was appointed as the new minister to the Milson Combined Church of Presbyterians, Methodists & Anglicans here in Palmy. Her induction will be on February 26th.

Tot-Time will be revamped by a new team next year, led by Rochelle B. Others on the team include: Jackie Wr, Teri E, Monica B, Lesley B, Lauren T, Graeme N, with others considering their involvement. We are currently registering to become a 'Mainly Music' group on Wednesdays at 10am. We would like others from St Albans to join the team as welcomers & supporters of the parents and children who attend, and as morning tea helpers. We want this to be a ministry of St Albans which is connecting with unchurched people in our community. Contact Rochelle via the office.

Shalom, Steve

3/12/2011

I LOVE CHRISTMAS

I love Christmas - but not for the reason you think! Kiwi kids love Christmas because they get plenty of presents. Some adults are the same!

What I love about Christmas is what God did. God gave an awesome gift. God our Creator gave his only son as a gift to our world; as a rescue package for a lost, hurting humanity that was headed for destruction. It was a costly gift but a gift that made a huge difference. What would the world be like today if Jesus had not come?

Ive become more interested in giving gifts at Christmas than in receiving gifts; giving gifts that make a difference to those who wont receive any gifts or to those that don't even know its Christmas. So often we struggle to find suitable Christmas gifts because the people we give to have everything they need.

Each Christmas St Albans has a Christmas Appeal when we encourage you to give a significant cash gift - something equivalent to what you would spend on a gift for a loved one. Please talk about it as a family. This could be the most significant Christmas gift that you give this year.

Our elders have decided to share our 2011 Christmas Appeal between two of our overseas mission partners. An insert is included in today's newsletter which highlights Beit Immanuel Congregation in Israel and Murray & Ruth Salisbury in England.

Beit Immanuel Congregation has been a sister church of St Albans since 1996, following a connection our previous minister,

Rob Yule, made with Pastors David & Michaella Lazarus on a visit to Israel. David & Michaella visited St Albans in 2002 and Rob, Anne Higgins and I have visited Beit Immanuel a number of times. They were one of the earliest congregations in modern Israel, of Jewish people who believed in Jesus (Yeshua) as their Messiah. They have a passion to share the gospel with their own people. Our appeal is especially to support the children of their congregation.

Murray & Ruth Salisbury are Kiwis who have belonged to Wycliffe Bible Translators since 1985, and are based in England. Murray is a gifted linguist and has become a translation consultant involved in checking translations and training translators throughout the world. They are also actively involved with Christian Prayer Ministries in England and Israel and their local church in Guildford. Its always exciting to hear of the blessing and impact for a new people group who get the Bible in their own heart language! We often dont appreciate the privilege we have.

Last year we gave $5,000 to the Christmas Appeal, $4,000 (2009) and $5,400 (2008). Can we better those totals this Christmas? Please reflect upon how thankful you are that Jesus came into our world and into your life - and how much you want others to know the love and hope that Jesus brings.

Shalom, Steve

20/11/2011

Preparing to Vote

Welcome to worship with our St Albans Community! A big thanks to all those who shared their encouraging testimonies with us last Sunday. You can hear them on our website under the 'Teaching' tab.

Our General Election is only a week away! Are you eager to vote? Are you disinterested or confused; or just going to vote as you've always voted?

Do you wonder whom Jesus would vote for? It's a good thing to consider!

From a Biblical world-view, how do we see the role of a government? I suggest it is to:

What would you want to add or subtract from this list?

Related to these are the Biblical values which should guide government policy:

To evaluate candidates and their parties against a Biblical vision for society requires some hard work. We need to be informed - to read literature (you can phone and ask for it to be posted), attend meetings, phone candidates, discuss issues with others including fellow Christians, and pray for God's guidance. Sadly I've been unable to organise an evening meeting of the candidates here at St Albans.

And obviously, we need to vote! Let's not take our democracy for granted and become apathetic. At least MMP ensures that our Party Vote is significant. Let's take our God-given responsibility seriously, as citizens of God's kingdom who live in God's world.

In his book "God's Politics" (2004), American evangelical Christian leader and social justice campaigner Jim Wallis said that all of us should be "values voters", and voting on all our values, making choices for "the common good'. The "faith priorities" and values that guide his voting are:

Shalom, Steve

13/11/2011

Questions for You

I spoke recently about hearing a visiting Christian leader and biblical scholar from England, Dr Chris Wright. He is the International Director of the Langham Partnership, an organisation foundered by Dr John Stott, which provides Christian leadership and theological training in the 'majority world'. He was speaking about the third international Conference in the Lausanne movement on World Evangelisation, which met in Cape Town late last year. About 4,200 people from 198 nations attended the conference.

Dr Wright told us that about 150,000 people become Christians everyday around the world, ninety percent of them in the 'majority world' of Africa, Asia and South America. While this is something to celebrate, Dr Wright stressed that there is a huge challenge to disciple these people so that their lives are transformed by Christ through God's word and Spirit and community. The majority world lacks the resources of mature, well-trained pastors and teachers, and the Scriptures and Christian books in their own languages.

So often, Dr Wright commented, the Christian lives of these new converts remain superficial and when they meet the problems and challenges of life, they revert to their old ways of responding that are based on their culture and not on their faith in Jesus. When they are sick for example, they revert to their witch-doctors and cultural medicine men rather than to the power of God. Or when conflict occurs, they often revert to tribal loyalties and revenge rather than to the peace-making and fellowship of their faith with those who are different.

Rather than 'not conforming to the ways of this world but being transformed by the renewal of their minds' (Romans 12 v 2), they mix together their old worldview with their limited Christian worldview. This is why discipling - teaching and growing in understanding and experience of life in the kingdom of God - is so important. Christ-followers are called to develop the new way of living that God intends for us.

Of course we Western 'minority world' Christians face this same challenge. How transformed are we into the way of Christ, in our lifestyle and worldview? How readily do we revert to our cultural ways of thinking and responding when we meet challenges? How entrenched are we in our cultural understanding of what brings happiness, success, status and security?

We all need to be constantly growing and developing in what it means to be Christ-followers, to not be conformed to the ways of this world but to be transformed into the likeness of Christ. This is the process of discipling, of making disciples.

At our Church Forum next Sunday night, we invite you to come and explore together how we as a church can be more effective in developing and growing the disciples who belong to St Albans. We'd like you to come and share your thoughts and engage in the discussion. Here are some questions to think about:

What effective experiences of disciple-making have you had?

What effective experiences of disciple-making have you seen elsewhere?

What opportunities can you identify which help people mature as disciples?

Shalom, Steve

30/10/2011

REGIONAL PRESBYTERIAN NEWS

Welcome to St Albans as we seek together God's presence and word to us, and encourage one another on our journeys with Jesus. Thanks to those children who joined our All Age Communion Service last Sunday.

Insurance
Property insurance premiums have risen dramatically following the Christchurch earthquakes. Our St Albans premium, paid in September, rose from $4,700 to $9,280 (excl. GST). The major insurer of NZ churches, ANSVAR, has announced it will no longer provide insurance to churches. ANSVAR made this announcement after all Presbyterian insurance had been renewed for another year, until August 2012.

Our Presbyterian Insurance Group will be working with other churches in the coming months to make new insurance arrangements. It is possible that in the future, churches (and homes) may only be able to obtain fire and demolition insurance.

In recognition of these increased expenses, our Manawatu Wanganui Presbytery meeting voted not to request levies from its parishes in this financial year. So that's good news as our levies of $1,600 are the highest in the presbytery because we are the biggest congregation.

Personnel
At the November Presbytery, our current Moderator Mrs Sue Swinbourne (St Marks & St Andrew's, PN) will conclude her two year term, with Rev Ken Wall of the same parish taking on that role.

Also retiring are Mrs Aimee Gray, who has completed two years as our Treasurer and Mr Ron Gibson, the Convenor of Property and Finance Committee for the past 9 years.

We have welcomed Rev Hamish Kirk, new Senior Army Chaplain and sadly farewell Rev Brian & Mrs Jenn Thom who will be leaving the Taihape and Hunterville Parishes to return to South Africa, at Christmas. They have served these parishes, and St Marks Wanganui, since they came to NZ nearly 10 years ago. Rev Silvia Purdie is also finishing as minister at Foxton-Shannon at the end of the year.

The Church Life Survey will feature in many NZ congregations and many denominations during November. This survey happens every 5 years and provides helpful data to aid planning and show trends in congregational life, values, beliefs etc. It asks about music styles, children and youth programmes, people's growth in faith and how the church helped them in their growth. It is anonymous and takes about 10 minutes to complete. The costs will be paid by PCANZ. St Albans will be doing this survey.

Presbytery Reform
Historically there have been about 25 regional presbyteries which make up the Presbyterian Church in NZ. Every parish belongs to a regional presbytery and each parish minister actually belongs to the presbytery (not the parish) which inducts the minister into a parish and ends the pastoral relationship when the minister leaves.

Four years ago there was a recommendation from the national General Assembly that presbyteries should seriously consider combining with their neighbours, to create bigger presbyteries which would benefit from economies of scale in resources and personnel, and to develop ways of better equipping local parishes in God's mission in their communities. Currently we are discussing combining with Taranaki, Gisborne-Hawkes Bay, Wairarapa and Wellington.

Shalom, Steve

21/10/2011

Prayer Requests to You

Welcome to St Albans as we seek together God's presence and word to us, and encourage one another on our journeys with Jesus. A warm welcome to any visitors today as we share in an all-age service on this final day of the school holidays.

Ive had two special prayer requests this week, from one of our members going overseas and from another member engaged in mission work overseas.

Murray is Director of YouthTrain and is engaged with training youth leaders in NZ and Australia by distance learning and face-to-face seminars, both to volunteers and those doing degree courses. Murray has been invited to Central Asia to teach for two weeks and leaves tomorrow. He writes:

'I will be giving three messages at the Asia Pacific Baptist Youth Conference as well as conducting three days of training for key youth leaders who will take the material I present to train youth leaders in various parts of the country. I'll also be speaking at a youth camp and a church. I would appreciate the prayers of St Albans people as follows:

Our mission partners, Katrina and Carlos Paez write from Bogota, Columbia, about their church's school holiday camp this past week. We can pray that God will continue to work in these children's lives after this camp.

'Around 120 volunteers from our church and 400 high school students, who have never attended church, are having a 3-day camp at our church building. The camp is free but each student needs to attach a photo to their application.

Six girls are attending from very poor homes associated with our ministry. They share beds with siblings so could not bring any bedding. Our ministry was able to supply bedding, knowing that it is rarely returned. At another recent school camp, some boys didn't have their own pyjamas, toothbrushes or deodorant because they shared with their siblings! This is the norm for millions of families. In recent government statistics, the number of people living below the poverty level has decreased - not because of improvements in living standards but because the government changed the way it measured the poverty level.

Please pray for the salvation of the six girls and for the rest of the kids at the camp. Carlos has a group of nine boys that he is responsible for, for 24 hours over 3 days! We are praying that their lives will be transformed and that they will be strong witnesses of the power of God. Thank you for partnering with us.'

Please be praying! Steve

9/10/2011

What's after Essential Jesus?

Welcome to St Albans at the start of another school holiday time, especially to any visitors. We trust that children, parents and teachers have some refreshing time during the holidays. Shirley and I will be away from next Friday. Please remember to pray for Russell & Michelle and their team who lead The Buzz Holiday Programme for primary school children this week at St Albans. The numbers are bigger than usual already, so we trust that it will be an enjoyable time of being together and growing in their understanding of God and his purposes for them.

The Essential Jesus series has finished and I look forward to hearing from the eight new small groups about their future plans. I do hope you have found value in meeting together as a small group for sharing, support, prayer and reflecting on your lives in the light of the Bible.

The elders are looking at a disciple-making series for next year.

I have many study booklets and DVD series which small groups can borrow and consider for their focus in the fourth term. The DVD study series include: 'A life worth Living' (on Philippians), 'Developing a faith that works' (on the book of James), The Parables of Jesus, 'What's so amazing about Grace?' (Philip Yancey) and 'Just walk across the room' (4 sessions on simple steps to sharing faith by Bill Hybels).

I also hope that you will continue your personal, regular reading of the Bible. I have some unused Bible Reading booklets which provide reflections on selected Bible passages just like the Essential Jesus series. You can take them from the table in the foyer free of charge. There is 'Daily Bread' and 'Closer to God' plus 'Snap Shot' Bible reading booklets for kids.

You could also buy the forerunner to Essential Jesus called 'Essential 100' which is in the same format and takes you through 100 essential readings in the Bible; $10 each.

Did you note the bargain vouchers at the end of each Essential Jesus book? You can get a very cheap copy of 'The One Year Bible' for $5, which sets out the whole Bible in 365 readings of an Old Testament passage, a New Testament passage & a Psalm or Proverbs passage for each day. There's also a voucher for half price Bible reading notes from Scripture Union.

COMING EVENTS NEXT TERM:

Prophecy 101 DVD Series - by Chuck Missler from Radio Rhema's programme '66-40' at Kingston Street Community Church on four Sunday nights from 6.30 ' 7.30pm followed by small group discussion for those who want to stay. October 16 & 30, November 6 & 13.

Emmaus Courses ' start Tuesday October 18th. (See page 3 of this newsletter for details.)

Dr Chris Wright ' English evangelical Bible scholar and International Director of the Langham Partnership International (which provides Christian leadership & theological training in the 'majority world') will be speaking at Central Baptist Church on Wednesday 26 October at 7.30pm. He will speak on 'The Mission of God's People in light of Lausanne III Conference on World Evangelism (Cape Town 2010).'

Shalom, Steve

2/10/2011

JEWISH NEW YEAR

Welcome to St Albans as we seek together God's presence and word to us, and encourage one another on our journeys with Jesus. We shared a positive combined service of Presbyterians last Sunday which gained encouraging feedback. I may have overdone comments that it would be a full service as many of our people didn't come!

One of the important values for St Albans over the past 25 or so years has been an acknowledgement of the Jewish roots of our faith. This has resulted in and been strengthened by, our sister church relationship with the Beit Immanuel Congregation in the old Jewish town of Jaffa, in modern day Tel Aviv. On their website (beitimmanuel.org) they describe their community as follows, 'we are an Israeli fellowship of Messianic Jews and Gentiles who believe that Yeshua (Jesus) is the Messiah who came to fulfil the prophesies in the Tanach (Hebrew scriptures), and that he is the Suffering Servant written about in Isaiah 53, the one who institutes a New Covenant as it is written in Jeremiah.' They were one of the earliest Messianic communities in Israel and their pastor wrote this blog recently:

'Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year), began last Wednesday evening September 28th at sunset, and Yom Kippur (The Day of Atonement) will be celebrated this coming Saturday night October 8th. They are the holiest days in the Jewish calendar. The New Year starts 'Ten Days of Awe," a period of reflection on the past year (on our misdeeds and resolving to do better) and a declaration of our hopes for the year ahead, concluding with the fast of Yom Kippur.

While positive resolutions to do better are commendable, the process of Teshuvah (repentance) is not based on the human emotional need for improvement. It is the realization that our purpose in this world is to serve a higher being to the best of our abilities. Walking in Teshuvah means humbly acknowledging our weaknesses and sin, as we turn back to goodness and back to God.

On Rosh Hashanah (New Year), we recognize that change is not only necessary, but possible. Listen to the 'U'Netaneh Tokef', one of the few prayers recited on both Rosh Hashanah as well as Yom Kippur:

"Let us now relate the power of this day's holiness, for it is awesome and frightening. On it Your Kingship will be exalted; Your throne will be firmed with kindness and You will sit upon it in truth. It is true that You alone are the One who judges, proves, knows, and bears witness...."

In the Jewish tradition we perceive repentance as not only regret for past failings, but a deep commitment to make things right going forward. We understand prayer as lifting our voices high and, as Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel taught, "praying with our feet" by getting involved in helping those in need.

So as Jewish communities around the world celebrated Rosh Hashanah.... may you know the strength of a living relationship with a loving God for a Blessed New Year.

L'shana Tova!

David and Michaella Lazarus

25/9/2011

Kupu Whakapono (Confession of Faith)

From this land of Aotearoa New Zealand
we confess that we believe in and belong
to the one true and living God,
who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
Love before all love.

We believe in God the Father,
sovereign and holy,
Creator and nurturer of all,
Father of Jesus Christ,
sender of the Holy Spirit,
and Judge of all the earth.

We believe in God the Son, Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour,
truly human and truly divine,
who lived among us full of grace and truth.
For our sin he was crucified
and by the power of God was raised from death,
forgiving us, setting us free and bringing to birth God's new creation.
Now ascended, he calls us to repentance and faith
and restores us to God and to one another.

We believe in God the Holy Spirit,
the giver of life at work in all creation,
who inspired the Scriptures and makes Christ known,
who transforms hearts and minds
and gathers us into the community of Christ,
empowering the Church in worship and in mission.

We belong to this triune God,
women and men,
young and old,
from many nations,
in Christ he iwi kotahi tatou, [we are one people]
witnesses to God's love in word and action,
servants of reconciliation,
and stewards of creation.

As God's people,
we look forward in hope and joy
to the return of Christ,
to the new heaven and earth,
where evil and death will be no more,
justice and peace will flourish,
and we shall forever delight in the glory of God

Interim adoption by the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of
Aotearoa New Zealand, September 2010, for use in churches while moving
through the final approval process.

18/9/2011

Measuring Church Life

Welcome to St Albans as we seek together God's presence and word to us, and encourage one another on our journeys with Jesus. Today our service is shorter as we hold our Annual General Meeting soon after 11am. We trust the meeting will not be long and hope you can stay on as we elect our elders and review our year.

Reviewing church life can be done in many ways. Last year on AGM Sunday I presented the new criteria for Parish Reviews from the national Presbyterian Church ' eight indicators of a healthy church:

An Outward Focus; A Sense of Direction; Worship Services that are real, vital and relevant; A Strong Sense of Community; A Lively Faith; An Involving Leadership, Healthy Relationships with the Wider Church; and the presence of Newcomers and Numerical Growth.

In last week's sermon, arising from our 'Essential Jesus' Bible readings from Revelations chapters 1 to 3, we focussed on the Heavenly Lord Jesus evaluating the seven churches of Roman Asia. Jesus both commended and criticised the churches according to how well or otherwise they were doing in their life, worship and witness.

I asked you to reflect upon 'What would the Lord Jesus commend or criticise about St Albans today?' I'm glad to hear that a number of our house groups spent time discussing this question. I would like to hear your feedback.

Another way of reviewing is to measure our life against the mission statement of our national church which reads: The mission of the Presbyterian Church is to work with others in making Jesus Christ known through:

How are we doing against these goals?

Another approach is to ask simply 'As a church, what's our business?' and then 'How's business?'

There are two main aspects of our business: The Inward and the Outward.

Our Inner Life as a church involves:

Our Outward Life involves: So for us at St Albans, both corporately and personally, 'How's business?'

What would our Lord Jesus, the head of the church, say?

Shalom, Steve

11/9/2011

10 Years After 9/11

An article on Sept. 9th by Jim Wallis, editor of SOJOMAIL ? a weekly email on spirituality, politics and culture; and founder of the SOJOURNERS Christian Community in Washington DC.

?On September 11, 2001... my first and deepest concern (beyond the lives? lost) was what this could do to our nation's soul. I was afraid of how America would respond to a terrorist attack of this scope.

As the suffering of this horrible event became increasingly clear in the hours and days that followed, parts of the American soul revealed themselves - the heroic responses of the first responders, and a city and nation of people taking care of each other.

For a moment, the world's last remaining superpower was vulnerable.... and perhaps for the first time, felt like most of the world.... America, had the high ground. The world did not identify with those who cruelly decided to take innocent lives in response to their grievances - both real and imagined. Instead, the world identified with a suffering America.

But it was Washington's response that I was most worried about. In response to America's own suffering, many others in Afghanistan, Iraq, and around the world would now suffer innocently - all in the name of our war on terrorism. The opportunity for deeper understanding, reflection, and redirection would elude us as we sought to erase our vulnerability with the need to demonstrate our superior force and power.

The world expected and would have supported a focused and sustained effort to bring this small band of criminals to justice. But these last 10 years of manipulated and corrupted intelligence, endless war, torture, secret armies of assassination, global violations of human rights, countless civilian casualties, and trillions of dollars wasted, caused America to lose the high ground long ago. The arrogance of American power was our only response to both the brutality and complexity of terrorism. These are decisions which have made the world an even more divided, dehumanized, and dangerous place.

Fortunately, there were other responses. A new generation of Christians has asked how Jesus would respond to these events. Methodist Bishop Will Willimon recently said in the evangelical magazine Christianity Today: "American Christians may look back upon our response to 9/11 as our greatest Christological defeat ? when our people felt vulnerable, they reached for the flag instead of the cross." Many are reaching for different things than their government, forging alternative responses to injustice and violence with love, dialogue and bridge-building.

On Friday September 9, Sojourners is co-sponsoring a press conference which will overlook Ground Zero. Global Evangelical leaders will be calling for peace and unity. While differences between faith traditions are not being glossed over, the nature of a loving and reconciling God is being courageously affirmed across religious lines. We will give examples of Christians and Muslims living together peacefully, even in the most conflicted parts of the world, and call for Christians to be good neighbours to the Muslim community. As we gather in our houses of worship this Sunday, September 11, many pastors will remind their parishioners of two fundamental truths: We must not be overcome by evil, but rather overcome evil with good, and "they will know we are Christians by our love."?

28.08.21

The Book that Made Your World

This editorial is an edited 'Breakpoint Commentary' by Chuck Colson on July 1st, 2011. Subscribe to this free daily email commentary or read it online at www.breakpoint.org Vishal Mangalwadi, an Indian national, is one of the greatest Christian worldview thinkers of our day. He believes that much of modern India, including its language, educational system, and political freedom, developed not out of Hinduism, but out of Christianity.

His newest book, The Book That Made Your World: How the Bible Created the Soul of Western Civilization explores the Bible's impact, not only in leading the West to unparalleled liberty and prosperity, but in helping India and other nations to share in the West's success.

Mangalwadi carefully examines the intellectual roots of Western concepts of human dignity, reason, morality, science, liberty, and self-sacrificial heroism, explaining how each of these concepts grew out of Biblical principles. He then contrasts the biblical view of life with alternative worldviews like Secularism, Islam, and Hinduism.

His own extensive experience doing relief work in rural India showed him the dehumanizing consequences of false worldviews.

For example, he tells how the parents of a baby girl refused to provide her with medical care she needed to digest food. The parents also refused to let the Mangalwadis help their daughter because their fatalistic, karma-based worldview taught them that their daughter had no hope for a happy, successful life.

The tragic story illuminates the importance of the biblical worldview, which sees all people as valuable because they are made in the image of God. And because we are made in the image of God, who freely chose to create the

world, we are free to work to change our lot in life, not bound by fate or karma to a life of misery.

As Mangalwadi documents so well, the Bible and the biblical worldview also encouraged technological development. Christian monks created labour-saving technologies (like the watermill and the flywheel) because while they saw work as valuable Christian service, they saw repetitive 'toil' as a result of sin. They sought to minimize toil so that they could have more time to pray. These and other technologies spread in order to liberate others made in God's image.

Mangalwadi also shows how translating the Bible into common languages brought about a social revolution in literacy even among the poorest peasants. Those peasants had as much right to study the word of God as priests and nobles. Bible translation also helped to create writing systems and unite various dialects into national languages, such as modern Hindi.

In another chapter, Mangalwadi shows how the biblical view of marriage and family life, which emphasized the equal dignity of women, helped lead to Western prosperity.

Mangalwadi credits the Bible for everything we value in Western civilization, but he also warns that by abandoning biblical beliefs and practices, the West has lost its soul and begun to degenerate. But there is hope. God's Word still has the power to transform individuals and resurrect entire cultures.

Shalom, Steve

12.08.21

Driving debt out of NZ

Welcome to St Albans, one part of Christ's family in our city, seeking to worship and serve God in all aspects of our lives.

Today we welcome our guest speaker, Aimee Cringle, who is from a newish mission agency in NZ called Christians Against Poverty (CAP). Our elders have recently agreed that St Albans will become a partner church with Christians Against Poverty'.

CAP provides a practical and spiritual solution to poverty and debt in NZ, through partnership with local churches who want to reach those in need in their communities. CAP will train volunteers from churches as CAP Money Coaches, who can work through individual budgets in a three-session CAP Money course. They will also support people on their road out of debt by negotiating with their creditors to get fairer repayment terms while prioritising the necessities of life. You don't need to be a financial whiz to become a coach just someone who can manage a household budget!

CAP is an evangelistic charity based on an evangelical Statement of Faith. Their Money Coaches are open to sharing the Gospel message with their clients when appropriate within the relationships they develop. CAP Money Courses (3 sessions) are run by Money Coaches who have had one-day training. Our members Mike Jones and Jan Burnett have done this training. Churches can become CAP Money Partners for $250 per year.

CAP Money is a proven outreach tool that helps empower a church to reach their community with a course that enables people to effectively manage their finances. Many churches may then want to extend their partnership with CAP by opening a CAP Debt Counselling Centre to help people who are struggling with debt. Here are some statistics from CAPs work in NZ:

Through one life at a time, we are seeing families freed from the desperation that debt causes. To find out more about Christians Against Poverty goto www.capnz.org.

This morning at Hokowhitu Baptist is the final service for their pastor Rodger Scoones (and wife Avis) who is retiring. They have served the church for 17 years and will continue to live in Palmy. I attended his farewell dinner with the church last night.

Shalom, Steve

12.08.11

NEWS FROM CHRISTCHURCH

Welcome to St Albans as we seek together God's presence and word to us, and encourage one another on our journeys with Jesus.

A couple of months ago we sent donations from our congregation and from a bequest, to two Presbyterian Churches in Christchurch to help people facing hardship. Here is an update from one of the ministers, Martin Stewart, who is also the Moderator of the Christchurch regional presbytery.

'People may recall that this project kick-started some months back after Anne and I gave money to a family we learned were struggling in east Christchurch after the February earthquake. The family were strangers to us (but not to God, we believe!!). I wrote about what took place that bleak but hopeful day and how our previous Dunedin church had given us the money for something special. Within days several people had committed quite some thousands of dollars to help us do it again in some form. Over the last 3 months, thanks to people talking and the national office picking up on the story, over $70,000 has now been raised! People and parishes from far off places like Auckland and Scotland have donated generously and Foodstuffs (parent body of New World Supermarkets) has given us a discount enabling the money go further.

So'. on Sunday 14 August, 67 pairs from our St Stephen's, St Mark's and St Giles churches will go out after church to deliver more than 350 supermarket vouchers worth $200 to homes in a red zone. The vouchers will be included in cards we have got printed.

It is a classic case of the mustard seed parable, the feeding of the five thousand and any other biblical illustrations of the way that the kingdom of God, with the Spirit of God at work, moves mountains. We are so thrilled to be playing some small part in this expression of God's generous grace and we wonder what God will now do with this. Thanks to the many who have been inspired to contribute to this wonderful effort!

$70,000 of vouchers weighs quite a bit. The burden of protecting them until Sunday weighs a bit heavier!'

Did you know that September 1st is Random Acts of Kindness (RAK) Day. After a cold, wet winter, what better way to celebrate the first day of Spring than by practicing a heart-warming act of generous kindness? It doesn't have to be costly and could be as simple as taking time to really listen to someone, choosing to let a car into the traffic, paying for a strangers' coffee, baking a cake for your neighbour....

Why not also plan to do something special as a church on that day or during that week? For inspiring ideas and other RAK Day resources, visit www.rak.org.nz. Help make the world a kinder place on RAK Day.

St Albans plans a RAK afternoon next Sunday at 2pm to clean up Paneiri Park at the end of Maxwells Line. contact the office for details!

Shalom, Steve

17.07.11

DISTURBING RESEARCH ABOUT TV!

Welcome to St Albans as we seek together God's presence and word to us, and encourage one another on our journeys with Jesus. A warm welcome to any school holiday visitors. We hope children, teachers, parents and grandparents have some refreshing time-out from your normal routines.

On the next two holiday Sundays at St Albans we will have; the SHaPe Holiday Programme during church next Sunday 24th and an All Age Service on Sunday 31st.

A recent news item from on-line media 'City News Service' made depressing reading. Its about research done on the values expressed in TV shows aimed at the 9'11 year old market in the USA.

'Fame is the leading value emphasised by television shows popular among 9-to-11year-olds, a major change from the past, according to a study by UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles) psychologists.

Fame was 15th among 16 values in similar studies conducted in 1987 and 1997, before topping the 2007 study. Community feeling (being part of a group) was the No. 1 value in 1967, 1977 and 1997 and second in 1987, but is now 11th in 2007.

"I was shocked, especially by the dramatic changes in the last 10 years," said Yalda Uhls, a UCLA doctoral student in developmental psychology and the lead author of the study, published in the July issue of Cyberpsychology: Journal of Psychosocial Research on Cyberspace.

"I thought fame would be important, but did not expect this drastic an increase or such a dramatic decrease in other values, such as community feeling. If you believe that television reflects the culture, as I do, then American culture has changed drastically."

Following fame in the top values in 2007 were achievement, popularity, image and financial success. In 1997, the top five were community feeling, benevolence (being kind and helping others), image, tradition and self-acceptance.

In 2007, benevolence dropped to 12th and tradition 15th.

Quite a few television series that are popular among "tweens" depict young people achieving great fame, despite little hard work, Uhls said, specifically citing Disney Channel's Hannah Montana. They fail to convey how rare such success is or the sacrifices required to achieve it.'

The shift from 1997 to 2007 is very disturbing if we want to grow a healthy, interdependent society. It appears to indicate a dramatic shift towards selfishness. The top 5 'values' (fame, achievement, popularity, image and financial success) are all about 'me' in contrast to community feeling, benevolence and tradition; and therefore are the opposite of the Christian gospel which seeks to deny self in order to serve others.

Sadly many of these same values have infiltrated the church. Faith is often personal and seen as one option among many towards self-fulfilment. Church is about what I can get from it and meeting my needs and those of my family. Truth, commitment, community and costly service are not popular.

The church is called to reflect the values of the 'Upside-down Kingdom', to challenge the prevailing culture, to be a prophetic voice, to proclaim Gods alternative. But are we?

Shalom, Steve

03.07.11

RADICAL GRATITUDE

This editorial is an edited 'Breakpoint Commentary' by Chuck Colson on June 29, 2011. Subscribe to this free daily email commentary or read it online at www.breakpoint.org Grateful for God in Tough Times. Some years ago, university psychologists conducted research on gratitude and thanksgiving. They divided participants into three groups. People in the first group practiced daily exercises like writing in a gratitude journal. They reported higher levels of alertness, determination, optimism, energy, and less depression and stress than the control group. Unsurprisingly, they were also much happier than the group who kept an account of the bad things that happened each day. One psychologist concluded that although a practice of gratitude is a key to most religions, its benefits extend to all people, regardless of faith or no faith. He suggested that anyone can increase their sense of well-being just from counting their blessings. As my colleague Ellen Vaughn wrote in her book, Radical Gratitude, no one is going to disagree that gratitude is a virtue. But, Ellen says, counting our blessings and conjuring up an attitude of to-whom-it-may-concern gratitude, is not enough. What do we do when cancer strikes or when loved ones die; when we find ourselves in the midst of brokenness and real suffering? That, she says, is where gratitude gets radical. While they often interact in a Christ-followers life, there are actually two types of thankfulness - one secondary, the other primary. The secondary sort is thankfulness for blessings received: life, health, home, family, freedom, a cold lemonade on a summer day; it's a mindset of appreciation for all good gifts. The great preacher and theologian Jonathan Edwards called thanks for such blessings "natural gratitude." It's a good thing. But this gratitude doesn't come naturally, if at all, when things go badly. It can't buoy us up in difficult times. Nor, by itself, does it truly please God. And, to paraphrase Jesus, even pagans can give thanks when things are going well. Edwards calls the deeper, primary form of thankfulness "gracious gratitude." It gives thanks not for goods received but for who God is: for God's character of goodness, love, power, excellencies - regardless of favours received. And it's real evidence of the Holy Spirit working in a person's life. This gracious gratitude for whom God is, also goes to the heart of who we are in Christ. It is relational, rather than conditional. Though our world may shatter, we are secure in Him. The fount of our joy, the love of the God who made us and saved us, cannot be quenched by any power that exists (Romans 8 v28-39). People who are filled with such radical gratitude are unstoppable, irrepressible, overflowing with what CS Lewis called "the good infection" - the supernatural, refreshing love of God that draws others. And that, more than any words we might speak, is a powerful witness to our neighbours that God's power is real and His presence very relevant, even in a world full of brokenness as well as blessings. Shalom, Steve

26.6.11

Earthquakes as God's Judgment?

During last Sunday's sermon on the Old Testament prophets, I was asked whether the Christchurch earthquakes could be God's judgment. Here is my brief response. See also our Newsletter editorial on March 13, 'God in the Rubble'.

Earthquakes and volcanoes are part of our world structure, part of having a heated core to keep the planet warm; relief valves for the inner core pressure. Fault lines often produce great harbours and volcanoes produce rich soil. People chose to live there for the benefits while knowing the risks. But it was not understood that Christchurch rested on multiple fault lines.

Were the earthquakes God's judgment on the people of Christchurch? For me, certainly not. God doesn't cause death and injury to punish general sinfulness. And is there anything extra sinful or evil about Christchurch compared with Auckland, Wellington or Palmy?

I haven't heard any prominent Christian leaders proclaiming a clear message from God that this was God's purpose. The Old Testament prophets always provided an explanation for God's judgment.

Since the coming of Jesus, and the New Kingdom/Covenant that he established, God relates to his world in a different way than when his primary people were the nation of Israel.

In Old Testament/Old Covenant times, God wanted Israel to be his agents of peace, justice and knowledge of God on the earth; a light to the other nations.

Under God's covenant, God provided the blessings of prosperity, protection and peace when his people Israel were faithful and obedient to his way of living. God brought warning and invited repentance when they failed to be faithful to God's ways. If they failed to respond to the warnings, God brought punishment upon them, often through drought and invading armies. God's aim was to see his people restored to a good relationship with him.

With the new kingdom/covenant of Jesus, God does not deal with nations and cities in the same way, as God does not have a covenant relationship with them. God does allow the consequences of sinful behaviour or poor choices, even of where people choose to live, to have damaging effects.

Does God aid the efforts of those who work for compassion, peace, justice and righteousness (right moral living), even from those who don't personally follow Him? I'm sure God does.

God does discipline his own people of course, who chose to live in relationship with him. But this tends to be in personal ways to prune us into being more faithful and productive or to gain our attention when we have wandered away.

Its also true that natural or human tragedies cause people to ask deeper questions about life and spirituality. God does work in those situations to heighten awareness of him, and to draw people into relationship.

God does hold people accountable for personal and corporate sin but doesn't punish innocent people for corporate sin. God has made a new way of dealing with sin through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. Through Jesus, we can find forgiveness and relationship now and avoid God's eternal judgment later.

Shalom, Steve

19.6.11

MORE MISSION OPPORTUNITIES

Welcome to St Albans as we seek together God's presence and word to us, and encourage one another on our journeys with Jesus.

Christchurch Earthquake Appeal: Members of our congregation have generously contributed $1000 to this Appeal and our Church Council has decided to also contribute $1000 from a recent bequest. This money will go to Christchurch Presbyterians to support their response to the local needs. More details of how these funds are used will follow.

Fresh Expressions Family Mentoring: Have you thought about getting involved with this project mentioned in my editorial three weeks ago, organised by the Christian social service agency 'Open Homes'? This free mentoring service aims to help parents/caregivers to recognise their strengths and abilities and to link them with support people from their community to improve their lives and parenting. Contact 'Fresh Perspectives' at 351 6340, text 027 712-2237 or visit www.freshperspective.org.nz. Please tell me if you want to explore this ministry so I can link you with others.

Radio Broadcasts: Thanks to the initiative of one of our members, Aaron Smylie, who works with Manawatu Community Access Radio, St Albans has been offered a one-hour broadcast slot on Sunday afternoons. The invitation is to broadcast a recent sermon and to have supporting material like songs, prayers, interviews and coming events. Aaron is willing to lead a small team of people in this project. Please contact Aaron or me if you are interested.

Just Zilch, Palmy's Free Food Store opened last Tuesday with a big crowd attending. Its an initiative by local Christian people to serve those who are struggling economically, by gathering food and making it available free of charge, building relationships, referring people to other services and sharing faith where appropriate. They have about 30 volunteers, both Christian and others, who collect the food and serve in the shop.

Just Zilch is open 4.30pm to 6pm, Tuesdays to Saturdays, near the Square at 14 Fitzherbert Ave. Melody's and Pioneer New Worlds provided a one-off pallet of food (tinned pears and noodles), Aokautere NW will contribute when they can, and Cafes 'Not Now James' and 'The Verdict' have been generous with left-over food.

On Wednesday 69 people visited the store collecting 6 items per person and on Thursday 70 people collected 7.5 items pp. One man said it was so long since he'd had a decent meal, while a mother was excited to put something nice in her daughter's lunch box. The mother later reported that her daughter's face was priceless when she opened her lunchbox.

Our St Albans 'Operation Tea-Break' requires a new coordinator. This is a ministry that provides meals to members of our congregation, and sometimes those beyond, to bless those who are facing a challenging time like illness, bereavement or a new baby. We have a list of people willing to cook meals, usually by cooking extra food for an evening meal when asked, and taking it to another family. The coordinator receives the requests from caring friends and contacts people on the list to arrange delivery.

Please contact me if you're interested.

Shalom, Steve

12.6.11

DISCOVERING CHRIST-CENTRED WISDOM

Welcome to St Albans, one congregation of Christ's body in our city, where we encourage people to worship and serve God in all areas of our lives.

Today begins Week 5 of our 'Essential Jesus' 20-week Bible reading series, This week is entitled 'Prophecies about a Saviour', looking at five prophetic passages from the Old Testament from centuries earlier, which speak about the coming of Jesus. I will introduce Week 6 with next Sunday's sermon on 'More Prophecies about a Saviour'.

Today we warmly welcome David and Rosemary Riddell from Nelson. David led a seminar here yesterday on 'Accelerated Personal Growth', will preach at this morning's service, and tomorrow will begin the ten day 'School of Living Wisdom' here at St Albans.

David is a former landscape gardener, Pentecostal pastor, did a theology degree at Knox College, Dunedin (where I did my degree) and has a post-graduate diploma in counselling. He is a counsellor, author and teacher of Living Wisdom. He has done over 30,000 hours of counselling and has run his mobile ten-day school for 15 years throughout NZ and overseas. So far 3,500 people have attended, including Shirley and I plus 6 of our extended family and about 40 members of St Albans. David also loves cars, landscape gardening, flying and working in his shed!

Rosemary is the course administrator, teaches some of the sessions, and is the cheerful and unflappable hostess and encourager of students! She has many other arty and crafty passions and talents.

The School of Living Wisdom provides great insight into what makes us tick emotionally, psychologically and spiritually, teaches life and relationship skills, and provides understanding of what makes life and relationships and family so difficult at times. It provides some real answers to life's dilemmas, some "how-tos" of "being transformed by the renewing of our minds" and experiencing the fullness of life that Jesus' promised through relationship with him. The course helps us address the hurtful experiences and poor parenting which have caused us to develop all kinds of mis-beliefs, wrong thinking and defence mechanisms to cope with the challenging experiences of life.

The course is a blend of relationship, family and ministry skills, with a mix of biblical theology, Christ-centred psychology, friendship and a lot of fun! And you are welcome to attend the School for a morning, afternoon or whole day, free of charge, to get a good understanding of what is offered. The School will meet in our Upper Room 1. Please contact Rosemary on 021 247 8860 or me if you would like to attend.

May God grant you wisdom, strength and grace as you live with and for Jesus this week!

Shalom, Steve

5.6.11

Church burnings & hope in Egypt

Welcome to St Albans, one congregation of Christ's body in our city, where we encourage people to worship and serve God in all areas of our lives. A warm welcome to those who are visiting with us during this holiday weekend.

Following the recent clashes between Coptic Christians and Muslims in Egypt and the burning of churches there, this extract from a new book on the Middle East Uprisings makes very encouraging reading. Bruce Feiler writes in 'Generation Freedom' about the rise of a new moderate partnership between Christians and Muslims and its counter-force against extremism. This partnership was birthed in the Egyptian uprising in Tahrir Square in Cairo, earlier this year, which ousted President Mubarak. Here is an edited version of what appeared in the June 6th edition of TIME magazine:

'Day after day during the revolution, Christians linked arms to protect Muslims during their prayers. Muslims did the same for Christians during Mass. On occasions, Muslims and Christians linked arms to protect Cairo's historic synagogue. Leader of the 'Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights' commented, 'During the revolution, the moral threshold shifted. Suddenly everyone, including the Muslim Brotherhood, was saying, 'Of course Egypt is for all Egyptians. Of course there should be no discrimination.'

This harmony was soon tested in the first church burning after the revolution in the village of Sol, two hours south of Cairo. Immediately a group of young Muslim and Christian leaders, who had worked together during the revolution, rushed to address the situation in Sol. They organised a reconciliation meeting and an outdoor unity rally. A popular Muslim tele-evangelism told the crowd, 'My message today for Christians and Muslims is, 'Let's be one hand.'' The military promised to rebuild the church and men of all ages, classes and faiths came to build it, under military protection.

Similar responses of unity followed the recent attacks in Cairo, and the Acting Prime Minister has banned demonstrations in front of houses of worship. Is a new era of genuine respect and partnership for all peoples in the Middle East dawning?

A poll taken in April, after the events in Sol, showed that 84% of Egyptians thought that Christians and other minorities should be able to practice their religion freely.

The chief battle in the Middle East today is for the hearts and minds of young people who are actively shaping events and willing to take on entrenched forces, even religious ones.

Islam itself is not the problem. Young people have two competing paths from which to choose: The Jihadists call for orthodoxy, violence and terrorism; or the new path coming out of the recent revolutions across the Middle East, of coexistence, ballot boxes and job opportunities.

The West should help cultivate this new path and strongly encourage this moderate Islam that denounces violence and rejects extremism.'

I think that we Christians elsewhere in the world, need to cultivate this new path with continuing prayer.

Shalom, Steve

29.5.11

Great Ministry Opportunities

Welcome to St Albans, one congregation of Christ's body in our city, where we encourage people to worship and serve God in all areas of our lives. Many of you will know of the Christian social service agency called the 'Open Home Foundation', which is best known for their foster care.

They are currently developing 'FRESH PERSPECTIVES', a network of family mentoring services in partnerships with local churches in NZ. This free mentoring service aims to help parent(s)/caregiver(s) to recognise their strengths and abilities and to link them with support people from their community to improve their lives and parenting.

Mentoring is about being a supportive friend to a parent or caregiver who has asked for help. Its about taking time to listen, encourage, help a family identify ways through difficulties and to walk with them for a time.

Mentoring supports people while they grapple with life's challenges or learn new skills; assisting them to realise their goals through manageable steps that will build an experience of small accumulative successes.

Everyone needs someone to believe in them. Self esteem is not entirely self generated, but comes from the way a person perceives themselves from how others treat them. If a person is treated as capable, they will think of themselves as capable. Mentors reassure parents/caregivers that they are both valued and valuable.

Mentors are not social workers or trained counsellors. They are motivators, advisors and advocates for those who they come alongside. They help parents to identify changes they want to make, plan the steps that will make a difference and help them to achieve these steps

Nikki comments, 'Mentoring enabled me to build my confidence, and now I'm able to go out and mix with other people in the community; and able to cope ' doing things that I was not able to do before such as grocery shopping.'

Mentors only work with one family at a time, for 1 to 3 hours per week, and have a supervisor for their support.

People interested in being mentors need to make application, provide references, agree to a Police Check and receive training over two Saturdays. If this opportunity interests you, please contact Fresh Perspectives at 06 351 6340, text 027 712-2237 or visit their website where there is much more information: www.freshperspective.org.nz. I would also appreciate you telling me if you want to explore this ministry opportunity.

Our elders have recently agreed that St Albans will become a partner church with 'CHRISTIANS AGAINST POVERTY' (CAP for short).

CAP provides a practical and spiritual solution to poverty and debt in NZ, through partnership with local churches who want to reach those in need in their communities. CAP will train volunteers from churches as CAP Money Coaches, who will work through individual budgets in a three-session CAP Money course. They will also support people on their road out of debt by negotiating with their creditors to get fairer repayment terms while prioritising the necessities of life. You dont need to be a financial whiz to become a coach. More information will follow.

Shalom, Steve

22.5.11

'ESSENTIAL JESUS' BEGINS!

Welcome to St Albans as we seek together God's presence and word to us, and encourage one another on our journeys with Jesus. Today we launch the 'Essential Jesus' Bible reading series. Im delighted that we have over 200 people engaging in this series and theres room for more! Essential Jesus is a 20-week Bible reading programme, with five readings a week, with small group discussion from dvd clips and prepared questions, and Sunday sermons on the theme. Or you can do the readings without belonging to a small group.

Essential Jesus invites people to read through 100 essential Bible passages about the life and mission of Jesus, and comes with a book of one-page reflections on each passage. This is a joint venture between the Bible Society, Scripture Union and Wycliffe Bible Translators. Sadly there will not be daily commentaries on the Bible passages on Radio Rhema.

The NZ Bible Society initiated this 'Essential Jesus' course and last years 'Essential 100' following research they commissioned by an independent company in 2008, about Bible ownership, reading, influence and discussion with others among Kiwis. They had nearly 3,400 responses.

68% of all New Zealanders own a Bible and ownership increases with age. It was also encouraging to see that 59% of 15 ' 24 year olds own a Bible. But only 5% of the total population read the Bible daily.

Among Christians, only 11% read the Bible daily, 13% read it weekly, with 32% reading it at least monthly (including those who read it daily and weekly).

25% of respondents stated that the teachings of the Bible do influence their lives. The influence of the Bible on one's life increases with age, with 18% of those aged 15 ' 24 compared to 41% aged over 65.

47% of Christians stated that the Bible does influence their life while 39% said that it sometimes influenced their life. Of those that read the Bible daily, 95% said it influences their life.

The Bible Society saw this very low readership of the Bible as 'a Bible engagement crisis' and developed last years Essential 100 series, to lead people through 100 essential Bible passages from Genesis to Revelation. 25,000 people from 350 churches took part. They hope for a bigger number participating in the Essential Jesus series this year.

The primary purpose of this Bible reading series is to connect people with God, through reading Gods Word and reflecting prayerfully on it. The Bible and Prayer are the primary ways that God has provided for us to engage with him and to enable God to influence our lives, both for our good and for His Kingdoms purposes.

Reading the Bible is not meant to be an optional extra for Christ-followers; or a 'good' thing to do occasionally. It is an opportunity to encounter God, to open ourselves to having the mind of Christ formed in us, and to hear Gods voice speaking to us and our situations in life.

Will you join us?

Shalom, Steve

15.5.11

'ESSENTIAL JESUS' BEGINS!

Welcome to St Albans as we seek together God's presence and word to us, and encourage one another on our journeys with Jesus. Today we launch the 'Essential Jesus' Bible reading series. Im delighted that we have over 200 people engaging in this series and theres room for more!

Essential Jesus is a 20-week Bible reading programme, with five readings a week, with small group discussion from dvd clips and prepared questions, and Sunday sermons on the theme. Or you can do the readings without belonging to a small group.

Essential Jesus invites people to read through 100 essential Bible passages about the life and mission of Jesus, and comes with a book of one-page reflections on each passage. This is a joint venture between the Bible Society, Scripture Union and Wycliffe Bible Translators. Sadly there will not be daily commentaries on the Bible passages on Radio Rhema.

The NZ Bible Society initiated this 'Essential Jesus' course and last years 'Essential 100' following research they commissioned by an independent company in 2008, about Bible ownership, reading, influence and discussion with others among Kiwis. They had nearly 3,400 responses.

68% of all New Zealanders own a Bible and ownership increases with age. It was also encouraging to see that 59% of 15 ' 24 year olds own a Bible. But only 5% of the total population read the Bible daily.

Among Christians, only 11% read the Bible daily, 13% read it weekly, with 32% reading it at least monthly (including those who read it daily and weekly).

25% of respondents stated that the teachings of the Bible do influence their lives. The influence of the Bible on one's life increases with age, with 18% of those aged 15 ' 24 compared to 41% aged over 65.

47% of Christians stated that the Bible does influence their life while 39% said that it sometimes influenced their life. Of those that read the Bible daily, 95% said it influences their life.

The Bible Society saw this very low readership of the Bible as 'a Bible engagement crisis' and developed last years Essential 100 series, to lead people through 100 essential Bible passages from Genesis to Revelation. 25,000 people from 350 churches took part. They hope for a bigger number participating in the Essential Jesus series this year.

The primary purpose of this Bible reading series is to connect people with God, through reading Gods Word and reflecting prayerfully on it. The Bible and Prayer are the primary ways that God has provided for us to engage with him and to enable God to influence our lives, both for our good and for His Kingdoms purposes.

Reading the Bible is not meant to be an optional extra for Christ-followers; or a 'good' thing to do occasionally. It is an opportunity to encounter God, to open ourselves to having the mind of Christ formed in us, and to hear Gods voice speaking to us and our situations in life.

Will you join us?

Shalom, Steve

8.5.11

A TIME TO REFLECT

Welcome to St Albans as we seek together God's presence and word to us, and encourage one another on our journeys with Jesus. We wish all mothers a Happy Mothers' Day and God's blessings on you all in your most significant role. We also give thanks for our mothers and the positive part they played in shaping our lives.

With the death of Osama bin-Laden this week, Ive been thinking about many things: That Osama also had or has a mother who is mourning his death. Was he a disappointment to her or did she support his mission?

That he too was a father and husband; and it is reported that in his will he apologised to his family for his neglect of them. Can any religious mission justify the neglect of ones family responsibilities as a parent? What will his children remember him for? Apparently his will also specifies that his children are not to join al-Qaeda but it didnt explain why. Hopefully they will make better faith choices.

About the tragedy of bin Laden's life ' a life committed to violent revolution for those he saw as oppressed and against those he saw as infidels and opposed to his God and his religion's mission. Bin Laden clearly lack of respect for those with different worldviews to his and for the innocent people who were the targets of his mission.

About what factors led to this son of a wealthy Saudi Arabian family committing his life to the liberation of poor Muslims whom he saw as unjustly treated by Western Governments. We can admire these concerns and his passion, but not his violent methods.

About the hope that the 'Arab Spring' of young Arabs and Muslims is a rejection of bin Laden's radical terrorist agenda through the nonviolent democratic movements we have seen in recent months.

The Vatican responded to news of bin Laden's death well: 'Osama bin Laden, as we all know, bore the most serious responsibility for spreading divisions and hatred among populations, causing the deaths of innumerable people, and manipulating religions to this end. In the face of a man's death, a Christian never rejoices, but reflects on the serious responsibilities of each person before God and before men, and hopes and works so that every event may be the occasion for the further growth of peace and not of hatred.'

The Bible takes evil seriously and says that evildoers should be held accountable for their deeds; that the State has the legitimate role of bringing to justice those who perpetrate crimes. Rather than kill him immediately, I would have much preferred to see bin Laden brought to public trial for his crimes against humanity, as has been the practice of democratic states in the past century. Democracies need to model just process. Osama bin Laden was perhaps the most monstrous face of the monster of terrorism in our time. But killing him has certainly not ended the threat of terrorism.

We can reflect on how best to respond to evil and those who perpetrate it. How do we change the conditions that have allowed terrorists to thrive? In this fallen world we are often faced with imperfect choices in response to obvious evil. Wisdom also has us look at ourselves and how we can be makers of peace in our situations.

Shalom, Steve

17.4.11

Communicating the Easter Message

NZ Christian media-man, Rob Harley asks, 'If you had the money to communicate the gospel to 150,000 Kiwis, how would you do it? Would you organise buses to take them to Eden Park for a Gospel Event; and repeat the event three times over to get them all in?'

Not surprisingly, he would use the media! This Easter, he and his colleagues involved with Christian Broadcasting Association (CBA) will use radio with a 12-hour programme on Good Friday.

For over 40 years, CBA has produced gospel-based programmes from 12 seconds to 18 hours for mainstream, commercial radio networks. They broadcast on NZs biggest commercial network NewstalkZB, which averages 180,000 listeners with their 90 sec 'Scrubcutters' (reflections on life) through to Sunday nights 8-9pm 'Real Life' with John Cowan. On Christmas Day they provide an 18 hour programme using links to involve prominent Christian guests from all over the world. Visit www.cba.org.nz for more info.

They use some of NZs best Christian communicators including Rob Harley, Petra Bagust, Ian Grant, John Cooney and John Cowan.

This Good Friday they will broadcast from 6am to 6pm through the NewstalkZB and RadioSport networks with an estimated audience of 300,000. Think of all those people at work, home and stuck in traffic who will be listening to an informative presentation of the Easter message with dialogue, music, guests, testimonies and talk-back.

Surveys have repeatedly shown that over 85% of their audience say that they regard 'religion and spirituality as not of primary importance in their lives'. And these people are unlikely to go to church at Easter. So what an opportunity to take the message of the church to them!

Of course CBA can only do this with funding and prayer from the Christian community. Last week we gave out their Free-post Easter Appeal Envelopes, or you can call 0900 81 222 to make a $20 gift through your telephone account, or put it in a marked envelope and return it to St Albans.

They also have a team of about 900 on their prayer network. You could join that by phoning 0800 PRAYER (0800 772 937) or email info@cba.org.nz

And you can LISTEN to their show next Friday (Good Friday) and tell me what you think!

Two weeks ago I wrote about Just Zilch, Palmys soon-to-open Free Store. Its an initiative by local Christian people to serve those who are struggling economically, by building relationships, referring people to other services and sharing faith where appropriate. They also want to build a community of volunteers, both Christian and others, who will serve in the shop and gather the goods.

Just Zilch will be situated in the former Gull Service Station close to the Square on Fitzherbert Ave, with opening hours from about 4.30 to 6.30pm, Tuesdays to Saturdays. The official opening has been delayed due to difficulties in finalising the lease as the owner is overseas.

Shalom, Steve

3.4.11

JUST ZILCH - Palmy's Free Store

Unemployment is rising in the Manawatu and tertiary student numbers have swelled. This means more people in the lowest income bracket. Food and living costs are on the rise, as is 'dumpster diving', and the outlook is gloomy for many in Palmerston North. Just Zilch is a Free Store that will help to meet an increasing need. You may have seen TV coverage of the Free Store in Waitakere City and in Wellingtons Cuba Mall.

Social need cannot be determined solely on income. According to Methodist Social Services foodbank coordinator Shelley Creswell, "There's just not enough income for some people. Their bills are higher, some are borrowing and have debts. It's not just people on benefits. There's been a huge increase in the number of employed people needing help'.

The Free Store will not have income testing. Many people who face financial struggle are embarrassed to seek assistance. The reduction in disposable income means that people may have a higher gross income, which excludes them from social assistance, but find they are unable to meet their basic food needs.

Palmerston North has a number of groups who distribute food to those in need, including the Salvation Army Foodbank, the Methodist Foodbank and the Street Van. Just Zilch has had discussion with these and will complement the local foodbanks which have clear criteria for use. People who currently use foodbanks are most often in long-term systemic need, rather than immediate or one-off need.

There are two situations in the community that Just Zilch seeks to address. Firstly, the surplus food that is thrown out daily or past used-by dates (and not yet collected by other groups); and secondly, the people and families who do not qualify for assistance from the current organisations. These include, but are not limited to, solo parent families, refugees and students who struggle to survive from week to week and a free store will help their budgets stretch further.

The chief motivation for Just Zilch lies in the nature of its outreach. They aim to target those who identify themselves as needy, rather than defining who should benefit. Its an initiative by local Christian people ' an outreach to serve people in a holistic way in the name of Christ, by building relationships, referring people to other services and sharing faith where appropriate. They also want to build a community of volunteers, both Christian and others, who will serve in the shop and gather the goods.

Just Zilch will be situated in the former Gull Service Station close to the Square on Fitzherbert Ave. It will be officially opened on Tuesday May 17 at 4pm and will be open from about 4.30 to 6.30pm, Tuesdays to Saturdays.

Just Zilch wants to work with local churches to reach out to our community. There may be people who are willing to give a little time each week to help us. For more information or offers of help, goto www.facebook.com/justzilch or email: justzilch.pn@gmail.com

The info for this article was supplied by Just Zilch Coordinator Rebecca Culver (027 663 9660).

27.3.11

DO YOU USE OUR CHURCH LIBRARY?

Welcome to St Albans, one congregation of Christ's body in our city, where we encourage people to worship God in all areas of our lives. A warm welcome to any visitors today. Our speaker today is Fiona Barnett, a long-time member of St Albans, who now leads the Sycamore Tree Project at Manawatu Regional Prison. This is a restorative justice programme which brings together both perpetrators and victims of crime.

Our monthly Newcomers Lunch is being hosted by Marinda and Frederik Dean today so if you have come to St Albans in the last few months, you are welcome to join them for lunch at 14 Batt Street, between Park Road and College Street after this service.

Have you ever explored our church library? We have a huge range of books from biblical and theological topics, to Christian living, biographies and novels. There is a good section on science and faith. And we have a large section of children's books and videos and dvds. We also subscribe to a number of Christian magazines, both NZ and overseas ones, which address many current issues from a Christian perspective. You can browse those in the library to quickly spot topics of interest.

The library has a computerised index system, with a card borrowing, and computerised catalogue in the workroom. Gail Alderson is our faithful librarian and recently did some research on borrowing patterns.

Gail's research shows that the most popular 30 titles are children's books and dvds. Of the most popular 60 titles, only 7 are adult books. There are 7 CDs that have been taken out more than 10 times in the past five years and there are 170 books that have been taken out more than 5 times in the past 5 years.

The most popular adult books are biographies and women's fiction. And as far as we can tell, women read books and men watch dvds!

We regularly buy new books and if you want to recommend any, please tell Gail or me. New books are usually put on the large display stand in the library. We are planning to do a cull of library books in the coming months to make more room on the shelves. I would also welcome any brief book reviews, either to be given verbally in Sunday services or to be printed in the Sunday newsletter.

The library is such a great asset. There are so many good books on a wide range of topics. Please have a browse!

I read this challenging statement recently by theologian Chris Wright in his new book The Mission of God's People (Zondervan, 2010): "People don't go to church on Sundays to support their pastors in their ministry. The pastor goes to church on Sunday to support the people in their ministry." I agree entirely! And to worship and listen to God together as His family.

Shalom, Steve

20.3.11

The Essential Jesus Project

Thank you for completing the Discipleship Survey recently. There is a lot of processing to do as so many of you wanted to join a small group or prayer partnership or mentoring relationship. That was very encouraging! I have copies for those who havent yet completed the survey.

Related to forming new small groups is the elders' decision for our church to participate in the 'Essential Jesus' Bible Programme next term, starting Sunday May 15th. It is a 20-week Bible reading programme, of five readings a week, with small group discussion from dvd clips, and Sunday sermons on the theme. It is a similar approach to the '40 Days of Purpose' which we did as a church in 2005.

The Essential Jesus programme invites people to read through 100 essential Bible passages about the life and mission of Jesus, and comes with a book of one-page reflections on each passage. This is a joint venture between the Bible Society, Scripture Union, Wycliffe Bible Translators and Radio Rhema.

You may have heard of the 'E100' programme last year, a 20-week programme to read 100 essential passages from the whole Bible. Radio Rhema broadcast Christian leaders giving a brief reflection on the daily passage, and repeated it 2 or 3 times a day.

This was launched in May last year and had 25,000 New Zealanders from more than 350 churches participating in the programme. The aim is to encourage regular Bible Reading among Christians.

According to Bible Society research undertaken in New Zealand, 68% of all New Zealanders own a Bible, and yet only 23% of Bible owners read at least once a month. 7% of Bible owners read it daily while 9% read it weekly. The survey also revealed that 46% of New Zealanders describe themselves as Christian. Among Christians, only 11% read the Bible daily and 13% read it weekly. Some Kiwi Christian leaders have labelled this situation a Bible Engagement Crisis. The Essential 100 and Essential Jesus programmes encourage Bible reading and discussion.

Also next term, we will host two other discipling events at St Albans.

1. The Alpha Marriage Course, which was so well appreciated last year, will be held over 7 Monday nights from May 9th. Im glad that Janet and Scott Ridsdale will lead this again. Its like a date night in a cafe atmosphere, where couples watch a dvd and have breaks to discuss topics as a couple. There's no group discussion! The course is limited to 15 couples so book in with the Ridsdales 353 0703.

2. David Riddell's 'School of Living Wisdom' will be back at St Albans for 10 days from June 13-24. This is an outstanding course to better understand ourselves and why we react as we do, to find healing for the hurts and wounds we carry, to improve our relational skills as partners, parents, workmates and friends, to gain insight into depression, anxieties and fears, plus addictions and personality disorders. It runs from 9am-3pm plus a free counselling session. See me if youre interested.

Shalom, Steve

13.3.11

God in the Rubble?

This is an abridged article by David Moxon, NZ Anglican Archbishop.

'Is this an act of God?' a TV3 reporter asked as we stood amid the carnage of the February 22 earthquake. It was a genuine question, posed by many in the aftermath of disaster.

The answer, of course, is No. God doesn't create earth tremors that kill hundreds of people. God is love, creative freedom, righteousness and justice. God doesn't remove grace from any part of the world that God has created. No way.

So how do we understand a natural disaster such as the Christchurch earthquake?

Good biblical theology accepts that the devastation wrought by plate tectonics is a result of freedom in the world that God has created. God's creation unfolds and develops, from the smallest atom to the movement of vast continents and mountain ranges, according to God-given principles of relative freedom.

God contains this freedom within the creative energy and purpose of divine grace, as a new creation is prepared and anticipated, but God doesn't manipulate events like a puppeteer.

God suffers with creation as it groans in travail like a woman in labour, as St Paul reflected. God takes on the pain and death of the world on the cross and offers back resurrection, in Christ. God in Christ overcomes the powers of sin and death, with a victory of grace and love....this is the way God overcomes, and this is the way we're called to live in a still-imperfect and unpredictable world ' as an Easter people.

In talking with Christchurch people, I noticed a deep interest in the place and meaning of the Christian church, especially the church as represented by ChristChurch Cathedral. This extraordinary and iconic sacred space at the centre of Christchurch has become the embodiment of the very heart of this city ' albeit a broken heart at this time.

The clergy connected to the cathedral, and throughout the stricken urban area, have touched some spiritual taproots; some deeply buried. One sign of solidarity and hope has been the clergy collar which singles out someone who lives with trauma and shock like anyone else, and yet is there for others in the name of God. That strikes a deep chord.

A tragic event [also] restores Kiwi community, in a time when many of us have retreated into private cyberspace, possessions, or the medication of drugs and alcohol. These can become symptoms of escape from the true realities and challenges of our world. But then calamity strikes, shaking the very basis of our life together, and people discover that they actually need each other. Neighbourliness and mutual compassion come alive again.

I saw free water bottles thrust into the hands of thirsty drivers and pedestrians ' ice creams handed out from passing vehicles' and homemade meals given out with practical help.

The image of God in everyone ' however tarnished, fallen or unrecognized ' can be glimpsed in the good that we become capable of. Which goes to prove, once again, that wherever there is goodness, there is God.

6.3.11

CALLING PALMY CHURCH TO PRAYER

Welcome to St Albans, one congregation of Christ's body in our city, where we encourage people to worship God in all areas of our lives. A warm welcome to any visitors and newcomers today.

Last year Josie Olsen from Wellington visited our Christian Leaders Association (CLA) Executive and shared her vision to call the churches in NZ to prayer and repentance, as a means to strengthen our unity and remove any barriers to Gods blessing on our mission and spiritual impact, and to God bringing healing and revival to our land.

Josie was a single mother living in Wainuiomata (Wellington) where she established a drop-in centre for street people. After a youth suicide in 2001, she cried out to God and promised to do whatever God wanted to help heal our land. God gave her this vision to call the church in every region to an assembly of repentance for its sins and failures to love one another and to love our neighbours; and to intercede for the needs of our land. Central to her vision are the Bible passages of Joel 2, Ezekiel 33, Daniel 9 and 2nd Chronicles 7 verse 14 - 'Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and heal their land.'

Josie is a Catholic and shared her vision with the Wainuiomata church leaders, Brian Caughley of Intercessors NZ, other Christian leaders and her Catholic Bishop. She sought to pass the vision on to others but the above people affirmed her role to facilitate this vision. The Bishop appointed Father Tom Sherry of Palmy to be her Spiritual Director and Scripture Guide in a small team who support her ministry. One challenging and exciting thing is that the vision comes through a Catholic person who is bringing Catholics and Protestants together throughout NZ. Josie has been meeting with a group of Catholic and Protestant intercessors in our city over the past year.

Josie has already facilitated repentance services in Wainuiomata, New Plymouth, Wanganui, Napier and Masterton and is moving on to the South island after this.

Many of Palmys church leaders and intercessors have heard Josie and a meeting is planned for Saturday March 19th at 1.30pm at St Marys Church, 69 Ruahine Street (opposite the hospital) to pray and talk and discern together the issues that God is calling us to repent from; and for what areas we need to intercede. We have also asked local Maori church leaders to join us. Then there will be a Repentance Service for the whole body of Christ in Palmy, probably at some time in April, on a Saturday afternoon.

I wanted you to be aware of this and I ask you to pray for our city church leaders in these coming weeks. It will be good to bring the leaders of Christ's people together to humble ourselves and pray and seek God and repent of those things which may inhibit Gods work in our region.

Shalom, Steve

27.2.11

MISSIONARIES IN HOKOWHITU!

Do we still need missionaries in Hokowhitu? What does it look like to make disciples in NZ today? Surveys in the last 30 years indicate that NZ is one of the most secular countries in the world. 60% of Australians say they don't know a Christian person ' would it be any different here?

Surveys also indicate that less than ten percent of NZ primary school children attend a church or Christian programme. What's the best way to reach this generation with the gospel?

Each week in NZ, by an Act of Parliament and with the agreement of their Board of Trustees, schools can close for 30 minutes to allow for the teaching of non-denominational Christian Religious Education (Bible in Schools). In Manawatu, 230 volunteers teach CRE to 6,351 children in 60 schools. In 2004, these figures were 100 volunteers teaching 3,200 children. What a wonderful story of missionary growth! You could be part of this! The children are open and responsive.

Without CRE, these children may never hear about Jesus Christ or the Biblical witness to God's character and purposes Yet there are still classes of children who miss out on this wonderful opportunity because there are simply not enough teachers and helpers to meet the need.

These St Albans members teach CRE: Rachel Locke-Shepherd (Hokowhitu School Coordinator), Lauren Tate-Davis (Winchester School Coordinator), Ruth Cooley, Marilyn Korte, Judy Matthews, Lloyd Shearman, Jackie Wheeler, Prue Drake (from our staff), with Lawrence Alderson and Jono Roff (as relievers) and Lesley Bates as Russell Street School chaplain.

These people are not only teachers and helpers in classrooms but also provide encouragement, support and prayer to the children. Here are two reports from teachers at Hokowhitu School:

'During the Christmas lessons, when one of my CRE kids was making a card with a manger scene, he thought about how his own father had left when he was born. He shared this with me with tears in his eyes. Holding back the lump in my throat, I assured this precious boy of God's love and presence and of God's desire to talk with him anywhere and anytime.'

'One of the kids who was normally well behaved in class, was unable to settle one day. I found out later that the child had been taken away from parents and was living with an aunt for safety reasons. I assured the child that God loves us and hears our prayers. I asked him if he would like to pray together and the boy bowed his head and I prayed with him.'

You are invited to join in this exciting ministry. Come and visit a CRE class and see what fun it can be. If you are interested call Rachel 3552539 or Lauren 3542994

You don't need special qualifications or experience; you don't need to learn a new language or renew a passport! You will need a sense of humour, a ready smile and a willingness to share the love of Jesus. This could be the start of something amazing for you!

Shalom, Steve

20.2.11

Being a Welcoming Community

Welcome to St Albans, one congregation of Christ's body in our city, where we encourage people to worship God in all areas of our lives. A warm welcome to any visitors and newcomers today.

Weve had many Newcomers to our church in the last two months. We need to remain intentional about welcoming people. Its easy on Sundays to so enjoy catching up with our friends that we miss the newcomers; and for newcomers to slip away unnoticed. Remember the Welcome Slogan 'Smile, Speak & Sup'.

A smile is easy to offer when our eyes meet someone and it helps to create a friendly environment. Speaking to newcomers is not easy for some and it means catching up with our friends later. But think of those times you were a newcomer and no one spoke to you! Or remember how much you appreciated someone welcoming you.

'Sup' is an old word for sharing food together. Deeper welcoming is about inviting people to our homes and visiting them in theirs; what the Bible calls 'hospitality'. Although our lives are full, I want to suggest that each family or flat invites someone you don't know to your home or visits someone in their home, in March.

We provide a Welcome Lunch in a home on the last Sunday of each month, where newcomers can meet one another and some St Albans people. Thanks to those who have offered to host the lunches this year. The next Welcome Lunch is next Sunday 27th.

Massey University Lectures start tomorrow. We welcome new students from Massey, UCOL and IPC to St Albans; and those who are returning. Please look out for them and welcome them; and remember students generally in your prayers, especially the first years as they begin this new stage of life. And remember their parents too! We also pray for those who teach at these tertiary education centres.

St Albans has supported Christian mission on local campuses and provided a church community for students over many years. We financially support the Tertiary Students Christian Fellowship staff worker, Mark Grace, and the Chaplaincy Team, from our local mission's budget. I also serve on the Inter-church Chaplaincy Board.

The chaplaincy building is named 'The Centre - Te Waiora' ' meaning 'The Water of Life'. We pray that the mission of the chaplains will help introduce students and staff to the true Water of Life. About 500 students visit and use the Centre each week of term time.

Finally I want to say a huge thanks to all who have contributed to the Christmas Appeal and given other financial support to our mission partners over the last three months. About $20,000 has been given by our congregation, including $6320 to the Christmas Appeal which concluded last Sunday. This is very generous in our challenging financial times. May we also be generous in our prayers for our mission partners, remembering them regularly. Plz keep their newsletters to continue with informed prayer.

Shalom, Steve

13.2.11

Labour of Love

From the Grant family, our mission partners in Nepal. We arrived in Kathmandu and the culture shock began! Our house is spacious with a gas oven, running water and western toilets but electricity is shared on a roster system. It is low power so when we did popcorn in the microwave, it took 20 minutes to warm slightly!

The contrasts here are stark. One minute we are walking alongside piles of stinking rubbish, with mangy dogs aplenty and beggars with leprosy on the street; and then we find a suitcase shop, so opulent, it could be in Paris! Nepalese food is delicious. The mission staff are so welcoming and helpful.

People are so friendly, and curious, often touching the children's faces to see how they feel, then casually moving on. Kathmandu is a polluted, smelly, busy city with many types of vehicles and we all have different feelings about it. Brenda loves it here but the children are never keen to walk because they feel overwhelmed.

Two didis ('de-de') work in our home, both lovely Christian ladies. One can cook any western food! Everything takes so long to prepare; even getting up for breakfast and showering. The freezing cold doesn't help with about 8 degs inside all the time. A lot of Nepalese spend time on their roofs in the sun.

Orientation and language training have started. Steven goes to the office for two hours language tuition, whilst Ezra comes here at three o'clock to teach the rest of us, using a method called TPR (total physical response). Its really fun and he has the children laughing.

Please pray as we begin Correspondence School. There is lots of work, it looks fun and will be a great escape for the children when Nepal feels too different.

Pray about our visas. We have a three-month tourist visa and Steven's medical licence gets issued for the same time; then on a month by month basis. After five months, if the government has not renewed their contract with our mission, there will be a lot of people going home, including us.

Pray as we travel to Pokhara on Feb 24th, and then to Tansen a few days later; for settled stomachs on a very long and winding trip.

You are all in our hearts and we check emails regularly despite the service being unreliable. Please know that we are praying for you also.

In his service, Steven, Brenda, Joel, Andrew, Sarah and Benjamin

6.2.11

WAITANGI DAY REFLECTIONS

I recently read four quotes (in italics) from Justice Eddie Durie in 1989, then Chief Judge of the Maori Land Court (1980-1998) and Chairperson of the Waitangi Tribunal (1980 - 2000), and currently a member of the Law Commission. He is a local person from Ngati Kauwhata and Rangitane in Manawatu, the longest serving member of the judiciary currently in office, and a highly respected and moderate Maori leader.

1. 'During my travels in other countries, I have seen the blacks in the USA seeking equal rights, Indians seeking the rights of indigenous persons, other groups seeking to establish their own rights as a group. I believe New Zealand is unique in seeking a racial solution based on partnership. I have not heard that espoused elsewhere.'

The Treaty was an enlightened document for its time and remains unique among colonisers and indigenous peoples. The British never came to Aotearoa to conquer the Maori by force but to establish a partnership. There is good evidence that the early Christian missionaries of Northland, mainly Anglicans, first sought a treaty to protect and ensure justice for Maori because of their abuse by British whalers/sealers and settlers.

2. 'The missionaries sold the Treaty to the Maori and it is important that they should sell it to the pakeha as their obligation.'

The Treaty was translated into Maori by missionary Henry Williams and missionaries strongly encouraged the northern chiefs to sign. In the months following Waitangi Day 1840, it was primarily missionaries who travelled around Aotearoa encouraging other chiefs to sign. As Christians today, I believe we have an obligation to see that Maori are protected and treated justly in the spirit of the Treaty which I'm sure our forebears saw as 'loving their neighbours.'

3. 'If we Maori are tangata whenua, the original people of the land, then the 'pakeha' settlers are tangata tiriti, who belong to the land by right of the Treaty. To honour our forebears, we as Maori must never challenge, never threaten, compromise or prejudice the rights of the 'pakeha' to be here. We cannot claim our rights if we cannot respect the rights of others.'

4. 'We cannot substitute the tyranny of the colonizers with the tyranny of Maori. There has to be a balance. Some Maori feel that we don't live up to their expectations, but if their expectations are unreasonable, then we should not want to live up to them. The Tribunal seeks a balance and a compromise, perhaps unacceptable to more radical groups.'

The Treaty is seen by many Maori as a founding covenant agreement with spiritual dimensions, both in 1840 and today. It has been abused and dishonoured but can still be recognized and affirmed. Past grievances need to be addressed and the Waitangi Tribunal has done this well, though needing more resources to process the backlog of claims. This enables wounds to heal and mana to be restored, offering hope and opportunity to iwi.

There will be continuing debate about the application of The Treaty to contemporary issues but these debates can be healthy signs of exploring our partnership when conducted with goodwill and respect.

Shalom, Steve

30.1.11

NEW YEAR UPDATE

Welcome to St Albans as summer holidays end and the new school year begins. We warmly welcome newcomers to join our community of Christ's body, as we support one another in our living for Jesus.

Today is the 25th anniversary of my ordination as a Presbyterian minister in Dannevirke in 1986. And I still love being a pastor! When people ask me how its going, my usual reply is, 'Im enjoying it; and when I dont, I cant think of what Id rather be doing!' Most of all I thank Shirley for her faithful support (she married a high school teacher, not a minister!) and I thank God for the faithful enabling of his Word and Spirit as I have served him in a huge range of situations. Theres always the unexpected to balance the routine! Its been a privilege to be with people in their most intimate and challenging times and Ive always been conscious that ministry is a partnership with the living God ' joining Him where He is already at work in people's lives.

I have also been blessed to be the pastor of two wonderful congregations and it continues to be a joy and privilege to journey with you in this supportive and equipping community of Christ-followers.

Much has happened in January with our mission partners: the Levy family have returned to Vanuatu (although Paula has had visa problems); the Grant family are in Nepal (having language training); Phil & Anna Allen were 'successfully' married on January 8th and have returned to England; and today we farewell the Paez family who return to Colombia on Tuesday. We also farewell Kathleen Batchelor who leaves on her 3-week mission trip to the Philippines next weekend, after the Lords people have provided her funding.

I really want to thank you for your very generous financial giving to the various appeals at the end of last year. $1360 for the Children's Christmas Appeal; $4100 to date for the Christmas Appeal for the Paez and Allens; and up to $15,000 for the Grants, Levys and Kathleen. Thank you for your generous support of Gods mission overseas.

And then theres been another successful holiday programme and its large team of helpers and a very valuable New Wine Camp last weekend, attended by about 900 people (34 from St Albans). 1250 adults and children attended the open night last Sunday.

The main speaker at New Wine was the pastor of Desert Vineyard Church (Los Angeles). One of his memorable stories about their church, which meets in a poor area rife with gangs and drugs, was about a gang member who became a Christ-follower. He invited his younger brother, a tough gang member, to church (which meets in cafe style with a Starbucks franchise!) After sitting uncomfortably through the service he walked out and the pastor followed him. When asked how he was feeling, the gang member replied with tears in his eyes, 'I feel like Im in the presence of goodness for the first time ever'. May we be such a church in 2011!

Shalom, Steve

19.12.10

Enable a Christmas Miracle

Welcome to St Albans in this Christmas season, especially if you are visitors. We are glad to have you celebrate with us. I encourage you to give to our Christmas Appeal with a significant financial gift that will make a real difference to others; to give beyond your own loved ones this Christmas, to those who dont know the love of family or the love of God. Please return your envelope soon.

Thank you to those who have already given money for Christmas gifts and made cards for the children of the 'Shaping Lives' ministry in Colombia ($700) and the 3T Boys Home in Burma ($515).

Here's a true story to encourage our giving: 'Mencia aged 7 and her brothers, Alex (5) and Ricky (2), slept wherever their parents laid them down in New York - on the streets, in a shelter or a grimy room in a cheap hotel. They played in parking lots and dark hallways that smelled of stale liquor.

Then their fragile world was shattered when their dad, Jose Abreu, was arrested on drug charges. They were homeless and fatherless.

In jail, Jose too was devastated. Overwhelmed by guilt, he had no hope of ever making things right.

In this desperate moment, Jose met the God of mercy and forgiveness and accepted Christ as his saviour. He grew rapidly in his new faith and eagerly shared it with his wife, Mayra. But Mayra was addicted to cocaine and wanted nothing to do with her husband's Jesus. God, however, had other plans.

That Christmas Eve, the Abreus family heard a knock on the door. "There was a delivery guy with a huge box," Mayra explains. 'It said, 'From Jose Abreu.' How can it be? Jose's in jail. He can't buy anything!"

But then Mayra remembered: Angel Tree! (The Prison Fellowship programme which provides Christmas presents for prisoners' children.)

The kids went crazy. Mencia shouted, "It's from Daddy!" Christmas presents! Clothes for everyone. A toy animal farm for Alex, a model cargo plane for Ricky, and a doll for Mencia.

As Mayra recalls, "I cannot describe the joy that my children and I felt when we opened them. I thanked God right there. I cried, and went on my knees. This is when I knew that God loved me, and I accepted the Lord Jesus into my life." She also prayed that God would free her from her addiction to cocaine. And God did. On the spot!

That happened 16 years ago. Then, after Jose's release, Mayra and Jose devoted their lives to serving prisoners and their families through Prison Fellowship and Angel Tree. They even took children into their home while their mothers were in prison.

Jose went home to the Lord in 2008, but Mayra continues her work of love. And it all started with a knock on the door....because someone cared enough to send Christmas gifts.'

This is a 'Breakpoint Commentary' from December 16 ' a free daily email commentary at www.breakpoint.org

Shirley and I wish you a joyful and refreshing Christmas and New Year.

Shalom, Steve

12.12.10

Advent Conspiracy!

Welcome to St Albans and to our Children's Christmas Service, especially if you are a visitor. Our thanks to the MAX group of Year 7-9 students, and their teacher Mike Clark, who have planned and are leading this service.

This editorial is a 'Breakpoint Commentary' from December 2009. Subscribe to this free daily email commentary at www.breakpoint.org

Advent is the month leading up to Christmas. In 2006, three American pastors had a vision to revitalize the celebration of Christmas in their churches. As they explain in their book Advent Conspiracy, they all hated the commercial pressure that turns the celebration of Jesus' birth into a cult of materialism. 'Our story is consumption and consumerism...We worship less. We spend more. We give less. We struggle more.'

They invited their congregations to spend less on themselves that Christmas so that they could spend more on others. Their churches were able to raise around half a million dollars to fund the digging of a high-capacity well in Nicaragua, and 13 deep wells in Liberia. And these 'Advent Conspirators' challenge us to go and do likewise.

At RethinkingChristmas.com people who have joined the Advent Conspiracy share practical suggestions on how to spend less money, yet give more love. One mother describes making personalized cookbooks for her kids by scanning family recipes written in her handwriting and her mother's, and putting them in a ring binder.

Her children will treasure that gift for years and hopefully pass it on to their children. It didnt cost much but involved a wealth of time - something more valuable.

And should our giving be limited to family and friends? This is the challenge of the Advent Conspiracy: 'As poor people who have benefitted from the wealth of God, it is our turn to model God's generosity by sharing our wealth with those in need.'

Whatever agency, project or people we give to, the point is to get beyond ourselves and love the neglected in the name of Christ. 'When we show up and love in the name of God, God shows up. That's the mystery of partnering with Jesus in the work he is still doing.'

During this time of recession, it may be encouraging to remember that God doesn't expect us to give what we don't have. Those without jobs may respond like the poor widow in Luke 21. Though she only put in two small copper coins, Jesus commended her. While others gave out of their wealth, she gave out of her poverty and from her heart.

So as we remember how, 2000 years ago, God's people longed for the coming of the Messiah, and as we look forward to Christ's coming again, lets consider changing in how we spend.

Please discuss with your family about giving a significant Christmas present to our Christmas Appeal, supporting our mission partners Phil & Anna Allen with Operation Mobilisation and The Paez family working with Street Kids in Bogota. See the Christmas Appeal brochure.

Shalom, Steve

5.12.10

I LOVE CHRISTMAS!

I love Christmas ' but not for the reason you think! Kiwi kids love Christmas because they get plenty of presents. Some adults are the same. Personally, I could go without presents at Christmas or at any time!

What I love about Christmas is what God did. God gave an awesome gift. God our Creator gave his only son as a gift to our world; as a rescue package for a lost, hurting humanity that was headed for destruction. It was a costly gift but a gift that made a huge difference. What would the world be like today if Jesus had not come?

Ive become more interested in giving gifts at Christmas than in receiving gifts; giving gifts that make a difference to those who wont receive any or to those that don't even know its Christmas. So often we struggle to find suitable Christmas gifts because the people we give to have everything they need.

Each Christmas St Albans has a Christmas Appeal when I encourage you to give a significant cash gift ' something equivalent to what you would spend on a gift for a loved one. Please talk about it as a family. This could be the most significant Christmas gift that you give this year.

Our elders have decided to share our 2010 Christmas Appeal between two of our overseas mission partners. An insert is included in today's newsletter which highlights the Paez Family in Colombia and Phil & Anna Allen in England.

The Paez family are involved with a ministry to children who live in poverty on the streets of Bogota, the capital city of Colombia. With a population of over 7 million people (but difficult to be accurate), they estimates that between 25% and 50% live in poverty. Katrina, a St Albans member, has worked with this ministry since 1993, and she and Carlos (raised in Bogota but attended university in the USA) are the assistant directors of this very significant ministry.

Phil Allen left St Albans 4 years ago and moved to the Head Office of Operation Mobilisation in northern England, where he is involved in their computer services for the head office and their 5,500 mission workers in 110 countries. Phil and Anna were married in October and this appeal is to provide support for them in their mission work. They will have a NZ marriage ceremony here at Kairanga on Saturday January 8th at 4.30pm, to which you are invited but you need to tell parents Doug & Nellie asap.

Last year we gave $4,000 to the Christmas Appeal and $5,400 in 2008. Can we better those totals this Christmas? Please reflect upon how thankful you are that Jesus came into our world and your life ' and how much you want others to know the love and hope that Jesus brings.

And please remember too that our cashflow is tight for our regular church expenses and keeping your offerings up-to-date is a huge help over the summer time.

Shalom, Steve

21.11.10

GIVING TO GODS WORK

Welcome to St Albans as we gather to meet with God, whom we seek to honour and serve as the foundation and focus of our lives. A warm welcome to the family and friends of the Dube, Levy and Roff families as we dedicate their children to God and as these parents dedicate themselves to nurturing their children in the faith of Jesus Christ, in their homes and church community.

In dedicating our children, we hope and pray that they will come to their own faith-response to Jesus Christ, as we saw in the four young people baptised last Sunday. Thank you for sharing in the service which was so meaningful for them and inspiring for us. And thanks too to those of you who shared Bible verses and prophetic words with those being baptised ' it was great to see you exercising your gifts and blessing the young people.

Another thank you to all who took envelopes last Sunday to give a Christmas gift to the children that our mission partners work with ' Street Kids in Bogota, Colombia, and teenage boys in the 3T Home in Yangon, Burma. In recent years we have engaged with the Samaritans Purse Shoebox Appeal to give Christmas gifts to Pacific children. However, our Overseas' Mission Committee thought it would be worthwhile to maintain a focus on the nine mission partners that we already support, and the children with which they are engaged.

We thought families might like to give a gift of at least $15 with a personalised Christmas Card for one of the children involved with the Street Kids ministry; and similar money for the boys in the 3T Home. Sadly, due to political restrictions, we cannot send personal cards those boys. However the money can be sent and used to buy them Christmas gifts, and they will be told where they come from.

We will also have our usual Christmas Appeal in December-January for another two of our mission partners. This year we will support Katrina & Carlos and their family and give a wedding gift to Phil and Anna Allen, both of whom will be home for a time this Summer. The Christmas Appeal is an opportunity to give a Christmas Gift to someone beyond our love-ones who needs our financial support to continue making disciples of other 'ethne' ' other people groups than our own.

Phil and Anna are having a NZ wedding celebration on Saturday January 8th, 4.30pm, at the home of Phil's brother at 1063 Kairanga Bunnythorpe Road. We are all invited to attend but need to confirm with Doug & Nellie Allen by November 30th please.

The Church Council is conscious of the number of appeals for financial support that we have had recently and invite us to be prayerful about giving support and generous with our relative wealth in order to be a blessing to others who dont have our resources.

We are also conscious that our own cashflow as a church is extremely tight and we need your regular giving to support our staff salaries and programmes.

Shalom, Steve

14.11.10

MAKING DISCIPLES OF JESUS

Welcome to St Albans as we gather together to meet with God, whom we seek to honour and serve as the foundation and focus of our lives. A warm welcome to the supporters of Ainsley, Charlotte, Genevieve and Rebekah being baptised today, publicly declaring their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and their intentions to live as his friends and followers.

This is a day of great celebration both for us at St Albans and also in Heaven! The Bible says that God rejoices about every person who turns away from doing their own thing in life and from wrong ways of living, and who turns to God's son Jesus as the forgiver of their sins and the leader of their lives.

All this is symbolised in the activity of baptism by immersion. When a person goes under the water they bury their old way of life and share in Jesus' death for the forgiveness of their sins. When they are raised out of the water, they are raised to a new way life with Jesus, who was raised from death and lives as our constant friend and leader.

Baptism is an outward sign of an inner response of love and commitment to God. Baptism is the positive response to what God has done for us and is doing in our lives. We simply say 'Yes' to God's invitation to become his friends and followers. This invitation comes to all people through Jesus Christ and there is nothing we can do personally to earn it or deserve it. We cannot gain God's approval or acceptance or friendship, or entry into heaven, through our own efforts or abilities. It is God's gift to us and we must decide whether to accept it or refuse it. After baptism, we are called to live out God's way of love, justice, peace and right relationships in all aspects of our lives.

I also want to commend to you the NEW WINE SUMMER CAMPS to be held in January (see the insert brochure). These are wonderful events for singles and families, with excellent programmes for all ages. There are a variety of options for accommodation and food to fit your budget. These are times of good holiday and fellowship, as well as stimulating Biblical teaching, inspiring worship and ministry in the Holy Spirit. The Waikanae camp is over Wellington Anniversary Weekend (January 21-24), Why not plan it as part of your holiday schedule? Shirley and I will be attending the Waikanae Camp, with other St Albanites. Get refreshed in the Spirit and well prepared for the new year!

Hugh and Karen Kemp and family are off to England early December, where Hugh will be Principal of Redcliffe College, Gloucester. The college provides Bible based cross-cultural mission training. The Kemps came to Palmy in 1999, when Hugh became Dean of the Bible College, based at St Albans. Hugh has been a much-valued Christian leader in our city. Their farewell is at Gateways Church (opp The Warehouse) on Saturday 27th November, at 6pm, and bring food to share. RSVP to Sylvia@emmaus.net.nz

7.11.10

DID YOU KNOW?

Welcome to St Albans, as we meet together to worship God, listen to God's Word, and encourage one another to worship God in all areas of our lives. A warm welcome to Dr Ian Bissett, Chairman of the International Nepal Fellowship in NZ, who is here to share in the Commissioning of the Grant family. Dr Bissett is a general surgeon and associate professor at Auckland University who, with his wife and three children, spent 11 years in Nepal until 1998.

The Grants leave for Nepal on January 16th, will have a month of language study in Kathmandu, and then go to Tansen United Mission Hospital in south western Nepal where Steven will work as an Obstetrician. They will return in January 2012. Any donations to support their work are best gifted through St Albans (labelled 'Grant Family'), as these will qualify for a tax rebate.

The Paez family, our mission partners working with the Street Kids Ministry in Bogota, Colombia, are returning home unexpectedly on November 27th until February 2nd. Their airfares from Los Angeles have generously been paid, so they can attend Katrina's brothers wedding here in Palmy on December 30th. He is marrying a Colombian woman he met when visiting Katrina in Bogota last year.

They will house-sit during most of their stay and are looking to borrow a car which can fit their three primary school kids from Dec 23rd to Jan 2nd.

They will visit some supporter churches and would like to visit any small groups before the year finishes. Contact me if youd like them to visit your group.

Newlyweds Phil and Anna Allen, our mission partners with Operation Mobilisation in England, will also be in Palmy in January and plan to have a wedding celebration at his brother John's home at Kairanga, on Saturday January 8th at 4.30pm. St Albans people are invited to attend.

Mission partners Ben & Steph Poulton in Pokara, Nepal, ask for our prayers as today they begin their 16 week Bible School for the Nations (BSN), with 16 students, 4 staff and Steph's parents. Please pray for those overseas teachers who are considering coming to help, most of whom have to pay their own way. Pray too for the provision of a house and 4-wheel drive for the family.

Pray for our mission partners Murray & Ruth Salisbury. Murray is a senior translation consultant with Wycliffe Bible Translators. Ruth has badly sprained her back at home in England while Murray is training Bible-translators in Korea until November 12th, following a 2-week translation workshop in Moscow. They both plan to lead a prayer retreat in Barcelona (Nov 19-27) for groups reaching out to refugees from North Africa.

Finally, Radio Rhema (NZ's major Christian Broadcaster) has to renew nearly all of its broadcasting licences by December 1st, to secure the right to broadcast Christian radio for the next 20 years. The cost is $6.4 million! They urgently need our prayers and financial support. Envelopes are available on the Welcome Desk.

31.10.10

ORDAINING NEW LEADERS

Welcome to St Albans, one part of Christ's body in our city, where we support and equip one another in our living for Jesus.

Today we celebrate the ordination and induction of three new elders, Raymond Hansen, Tarnia Hodges and Satyendra Ram, whom you have elected to join our leadership team. A special welcome to their family and friends who have come to support them today.

The word 'Presbyterian' means leadership or governance by elders, from the New Testament Greek word for elder (presbuteros). An elder was a senior person by age or position of responsibility. Elders in the Presbyterian Church are people who are recognised by the local congregation as having the character and giftings for church leadership. Once elected, they are ordained as an elder, meaning that they are called and set apart by God and the congregation for this position or office. They are ordained once, but may be re-inducted numerous times where the local church has a fixed term of service or the elder moves to another Presbyterian church.

At their induction, elders (and ministers) are asked to declare their personal faith and commitment to God and to the fundamental Christian beliefs, church government and 'way of doing things' of the Presbyterian Church, by signing a statement called 'The Formula'. This Formula was changed at our recent General Assembly to recognise that we have a new contemporary Confession of Faith 'Kupu Whakapono' which has been added to the Westminster Confession as the Subordinate Standards of our Presbyterian Church. It reads:

'I believe in the Word of God in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments and the fundamental doctrines of Christian Faith contained in the Kupu Whakapono and Commentary, the Westminster Confession of Faith, and other subordinate standards of this Church. I accept that liberty of conviction is recognised in this Church but only on such points as do not enter into the fundamental doctrines of Christian faith contained in the Scriptures and subordinate standards. I acknowledge the Presbyterian government of this Church to be agreeable to the Word of God and promise to submit to it. I promise to observe the order and administration of public worship as allowed in this Church.'

The congregation is asked to give to the newly elected elders all their 'support and encouragement in the Lord'. So we warmly welcome Raymond, Tarnia and Satyendra to be leaders among us and pray for God's enabling of them to be 'full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom' (Acts 6 verse 7).

Our current elders are: Ivan Gore, Steven Grant, Nancy Hazeleger, Anne Higgins, Alan Little, Jennifer Shaw, and me (known as the teaching elder).

Both the regional governing body, the Presbytery, and the national governing body, the General Assembly, are comprised in principle of an equal number of ministers and elders. This is an important value of Presbyterian leadership.

I greatly appreciate the eldership teams I have served with at St Albans for their vision, wisdom, critique and guidance of our church life and mission, and their personal support for me.

Shalom, Steve

24.10.10

ON TIME FOR WORSHIP

Welcome to St Albans, especially if you are a visitor on holiday. We are one congregation of Christ's body in our city, where we support one another in our living for Jesus. I am on holiday with my family this weekend. My thanks to our Youth Pastor Jeff and some of our young people for speaking this morning. Below are some helpful thoughts by one of my colleagues about being on time for church services.

'Lord, I'm late to church, but at least I'm here!" It's so easy to excuse my lateness. It's almost as if I think I'm doing God a favour by coming to worship!

I'm used to being on time for school or work or to catch a plane. I would hate to miss out or be penalised. But when it comes to church worship, there's no penalty. Am I influenced by our casual Kiwi culture to be late for Sunday worship? It's pretty common in many churches I have attended.

But if I'm late, I miss out on time to meet and talk with people before the service; to develop that sense of family that helps me give myself to God with all the others present. There is certainly no time to spend praying for God's anointing on all who gather to worship.

When I think about worship, it's something I'm doing - not just what the musicians or song leaders up front are doing. When I arrive late, am I really ready to give myself - body, soul and mind - together with others as one body, in worship to God? Whom I worship is what I make my priority. Is it really putting God in first place if I am letting other things distract me from being at church on time? If I'm late, what kind of worship am I going to experience anyway?

The Lord showed me too that being on time is an attitude of servanthood to those who are leading worship. It is more difficult for them to lead worship if I come into the service cold, hassled or distracted... and late; and am not even there to be welcomed properly. If I have a servant-heart, I will come at least five minutes before the service, to help provide a much more positive environment for them to start the worship.

It usually takes time for people to warm up to each other; and for worship to warm up with the anointing of God's Spirit. When I'm late its harder for the worship to warm up.

Being on time for worship is about being proactive. I like that word 'proactive'. It means I'm taking some initiative and responsibility for how I worship. Yes, time is a gift of God that I can receive and do something with. I can offer it to God in my worship.'

17.10.10

AWESOME ASSEMBLY!

Welcome to St Albans, one congregation of Christ's body in our city, where we support one another in our living for Jesus.

Thank you for your prayers for the General Assembly which met in Christchurch two weeks ago. It was a very stimulating and encouraging time of worship, teaching, meeting and discussion of the significant issues that face us as a national denomination. I believe that God-honouring decisions were made with a large majority consensus. My more detailed Assembly Report is inserted in this newsletter.

Worship and devotions were a significant feature of the Assembly, led by members of the Moderator's church in Gore. On Saturday night, the local Korean Church (NZ's largest Presbyterian Church) provided some musical items and led the closing worship. As the Assembly worshipped freely and passionately, it felt like a revival was breaking out!

In previous decades the Moderator appointed a chaplain/s to organise Assembly worship times. At the 1993 Assembly, I was the chaplain and probably the first chaplain to encourage people to raise their hands in worship. Maybe 15 out of 400 did so. On the Saturday night of this 2010 Assembly, about two thirds of the 350 people raised their hands in worship! This is one sign of significant change in our church.

The theme of the Assembly was 'Making disciple-making disciples' and I will explore this in coming weeks. A number of statements and stories challenged and inspired me throughout the Assembly:

'In the second half of our lives we can still bear fruit for God.'

'When we accept Jesus as our Saviour and Lord, we dont just receive new life. We are asked to give it away!'

'Making disciples is about doing life with another and making promises you can keep. Promises are the food of hope'; 'Someone poured their life into me, instead of pouring me into a programme'.

'Rather than asking, 'What can my faith do for me?' think about, 'What does my faith ask of me?'

One of the things Jesus clearly asked of his followers, even commanded them, as he departed from this earth was, 'Go to the people of all nations and make them my disciples. Baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teach them to do everything I have told you. I will be with you always, even until the end of the world.' (Matthew 28 verse 18)

As Jesus' followers today, how well are we doing what Jesus asks of us? How well are we each engaged in making disciples?

On Assembly Sunday at St Albans, I know that concerns were publically expressed about some aspects of a mission report in the service. Ive been speaking with those involved, with some others affected, and with the elders. We are clarifying the issues and working through the concerns.

The elders and I welcome your feedback on Sunday services or sermons. I would ask that in the first instance you talk with the speaker and then with me or the elders if you think we need to respond.

Shalom, Steve

10.10.10

ON THE ROAD TO ISRAEL

From St Alban's Office Administrator Prue Drake: Pastor David Tweed spoke at the final Christian Leaders Association meeting in 2009 about the amazing trip he and his wife Paula had lead through Turkey and Israel that September. That's when the idea came that I wanted to visit Israel with people who knew what they were doing and from a Christian angle. Being an encouragement to the People of the Land, rather than just tourists, really got my heart beating.

So I'm off to Israel this Wednesday for three weeks. David & Paula Tweed (leaders of Gateways Christian Fellowship in Church Street) have organised this tour of eight people. Jono Turner and David's father are coming plus four single women of diverse backgrounds and ages. I suspect doing the twin share will be challenging for starters!

Our first stop on the itinerary will be with St Alban's sister church Beit Immanuel in Tel Aviv. As well as understanding more of the history of the Land since Christ walked it, we also hope to be able to intercede in prayer for those who have yet to receive Jesus the Messiah as their Lord and King.

We will stay on a Kibbutz, visit Galilee, Haifa, Beersheba, Petra in Jordan, Eilat, Masada, the Dead Sea and Jerusalem.

I was surprised that we were not going for the Feast of Tabernacles in September but David was determined to have the guide that he has used in previous tours. Yaron is a Messianic Jew who has his ear to the ground and has a good sense of when it is too dangerous to enter border regions and when it is okay!

People seem to know I've always wanted to go to Israel - ever since I've studied the Bible! I suppose its obvious' why wouldn't you want to go and visit all those places where Jesus had his earth shatteringly short ministry? When I mentioned this to my younger sister a few months ago she said, 'Great. I want to pay for your airfares!' She had written it into her will a few years ago and thought she may as well have the pleasure of giving it to me now! I felt tears spring onto my cheeks at the sudden and wonderful generosity of it. It was such an encouragement as I contemplated the unknown.

The very next night I went to the second meeting of the tour group and David Tweed told us it was likely that Israel would be at war this summer, with growing threats from Lebanon and Gaza. I started to wonder if this was a good idea! Please pray for our safety.

We are blessed to be a blessing ' check out John 1 verse 16. We are the people who carry a blessing, so please pray for us as we enter the land God promised to His people two thousand years before He sent His Son. 'E te Ariki, Whakarongo mai ra ki a matou.' (O my Lord, listen to the cry of your people.)

Shalom!

26.9.10

PRAY FOR GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Welcome to St Albans, one congregation of Christ's body in our city, where we encourage people to worship God in all areas of their lives. Following a shorter service, we have our Annual General Meeting at 11.15am. We will review the past year and reflect upon God's goodness to us, how healthy our church has been, and how well weve engaged in God's mission. Someone has suggested its an Annual Gratitude Meeting! We will also vote on new elders to be added to the Church Council. You are welcome to attend the meeting and vote, either as members (if you have applied to the Church Council) or as associate members (who are listed in our Church Directory).

Next Thursday the Presbyterian General Assembly begins at 11am in Christchurch for its two-yearly meeting. It will finish next Sunday lunchtime. Every Presbyterian or Union church is represented in alternate years by the minister or an elder. This year Nancy Hazeleger represents St Albans and I will represent St Pauls Church in Feilding. Jeff Odhiambo will be a youth rep for the Manawatu Wanganui Presbytery region.

The General Assembly is our governing body which sets the vision, policy and regulations of our church and the Assembly staff (based in Wellington) provide the national administration. The assembly inducts a new Moderator to lead us through the next two years, and also confirms the election of the Moderator-designate for the following two years, after presbyteries and church councils voted earlier this year. The incoming Moderator is Rev Peter Cheyne, from Calvin Church in Gore, and the theme for his term is 'Making Disciple-making Disciples'. Peter is a good friend of mine and has been a key leader in our evangelical network ' Presbyterian AFFIRM. I have organised a Pre-Assembly Conference for Presbyterian AFFIRM this Wednesday at Hornby Church for those attending Assembly.

The Assembly receives and discusses about 40 reports - some for discussion in small groups and some have for lively debate in the full assembly. We also have keynote addresses and seminars on the Moderators theme, and great times of fellowship with other commissioners from all around NZ.

As a national denomination, we continue to be challenged by the decline in membership and the need for local churches to be more missional in reaching out into their communities with the love and good news of Jesus. As local churches decline in numbers and grow older, it is much more difficult for congregations to become mission focussed. The assembly will continue to grapple with these issues.

We will discuss the Reform of Presbyteries into larger more effective bodies to resource congregations, the replacement of the Westminster Confession as our Subordinate Standard with a new Contemporary Statement of Faith and Commentary, new review processes for ministers and congregations, and issues raised by local congregations (including the recommendation from St Andrews on the Terrace in Wellington to overturn the 2006 regulations on sexuality and leadership).

Please pray each day this week for the General Assembly, that we will make God-honouring and biblically sound decisions about our future.

Shalom, Steve

19.9.10

Youth Mission Trip

Teens live in a complex, diverse world. In an effort to understand these differences in cultures and people, they tend to regress into generalization and placing people into boxes and categories. This leads to unhealthy assumptions and stereotypes that inhibit meaningful conversations and interaction that will go beyond the superficial. In the youth group we want to help young people grow beyond this.

I do thank God that I was born and raised in Africa. My upbringing in Kenya, Uganda and West Africa has given me an insight of how an African thinks. I am also glad that I did spend some time in Asia and eventually in the western world. I have been given a unique opportunity to experience different contexts and be shaped by different cultures enriching my experiences and journey with the Lord.

This term in youth group we have been about 'Kairos', a Greek word meaning God-opportune, critical, decisive time, in contrast to chronological time (Chronos). It is where opportunity and action intersect. Everything we have been doing this term has been centred on this theme. We have also been grappling with the idea of authentically reaching our community and the best way to learn this is to experience it, since experience leads to understanding.

In an effort to combine our theme of Kairos and seizing some God-opportune moments and mission (seeing things from another perspective), we are taking a trip to St Elizabeth Anglican Church in Clendon Park, Manukau City, where we will be hosted by their community. We leave here next Friday 24th September and we will be back on Monday 27th, late at night. On Saturday morning we will join their church for their Saturday morning community work, going out in teams to witness how they serve their community. We will spend some time on Saturday practicing and preparing for their Sunday service which they have asked us to lead. After church on Sunday, we will spend the afternoon at the theme park - Rainbow's End. Monday morning we will visit the Beautification Charitable Trust that was begun by one of their Sunday school kids who got tired of graffiti in her community and went out and began painting. Now it is a million-dollar charitable trust. I chose this particular church because I admire how they have successfully engaged and are serving their community and heard about it through meeting their youth pastor at the 24-7 Youthworkers Conference at Waitangi in June.

We do appreciate your financial support through the fund raisers we have had. We are thankful for additional drivers: Roger Levy and Mike Clark. We do covet your prayers when we will be in South Auckland. We will be having an early morning prayer time this Wednesday from 6.30am to 7.30am. Please come and join us and help the youth pray in preparation for this trip. While we are away keep us in prayer for safety and to see more of what God has to teach us through this experience.

In His Cause, Jeff Odhiambo (Youth Pastor)

12.9.10

Of Muslims, Jews & Christians

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and the month of fasting, which started on August 11th, during which Muslims refrain from eating, drinking and sex from dawn to sunset. Fasting is intended to teach Muslims about patience, humility and spirituality, and a time for extra prayer. During Ramadan, Muslims ask forgiveness for past sins, pray for guidance and help in refraining from everyday evils, and try to purify themselves through self-restraint and good deeds. Muslims also believe Ramadan to be an auspicious month for the revelations of God to humankind, being the month in which the first verses of the Qur'an (Koran) were revealed to their prophet, Muhammad.

Last Sunday night was their 'Night of Power', the holiest night of their year, commemorating the first revelations of Allah to Mohammed. Muslims believe that angels perform special deeds on this night. Currently 80% of new Christians in Southern Asia come to faith in Christ as a direct result of supernatural encounters, especially in dreams.

I was asked to pray during last Sunday morning's service, by members of our Overseas Mission Committee, that our Lord Jesus Christ would reveal himself to many Muslims that night so that they would come to the fullness of faith in Him. I was very happy to pray for that.

Contrast that with the Christian Pastor in Florida who plans to publically burn over 200 Korans on the ninth anniversary of September 11th, as a statement against Islamic terrorism. While many Christians and non-Christians alike have condemned such a move as 'insensitive and an unnecessary provocation', he has remained unmoved.

It made me think, 'what would Jesus do?' It seems clear from Jesus' teachings and lifestyle that he would not engage in such action. 'Love your neighbour as yourself.' 'Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.' 'Blessed are the peacemakers...' And Paul wrote to the Romans in chapter 12, 'Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honourable. Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.'

Jesus sums up his directives above by saying, 'In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven.' Isnt that what we seek to do as followers of Jesus?

Also this past Wednesday was the start of the Jewish New Year (Rosh Hashanah) and next Friday Sept 18th, is the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur). These are the holiest days in the Jewish calendar. During these 'Ten Days of Awe', the Jews celebrate the New Year, but also reflect on past misdeeds with repentance and resolve to do better. Yom Kippur is a day of fasting and seeking God's forgiveness.

Let us also pray for Jewish people this week, that they may encounter their true Messiah, as they repent and pray and seek their God. Pray for our sisters and brothers at Beit Immanuel (Tel Aviv) and other Messianic believers in Israel, that they will have opportunities to speak of the saving grace of the Messiah Jesus, Yeshua.

Shalom, Steve

5.9.10

BEING BETTER FATHERS

Happy Fathers' Day to all you dads! We hope you enjoy celebrating with us this morning while recognising that we have not always been the dads we would want to be, and not all of us had the fathers we wanted. Our prayer is that a deepening relationship with our Heavenly Father will bring healing to the lives of those who need it, will comfort those who cannot be fathers, who have had children die or have strained relationships, and will empower and guide fathers to be the best they can be.

Most of us dads know the significance of the Apostle Pauls words to fathers not to 'aggravate [irritate] your children. If you do, they will become discouraged and quit trying.' The Message paraphrase says, 'Parents [fathers] dont come down too hard on your children or you'll crush their spirits.' (Colossians chapter 3 verse 21)

Fathers have a greater tendency to apply tougher discipline to their children than mothers, which can lead to discouragement. Thankfully we talk more openly about parenting matters these days and we fathers are more conscious of being encouraging and supportive while providing clear boundaries for our children.

The gift that we have arranged for families to buy for fathers today is called, 'The Best Principles Ever on How to Be a Dynamic Dad'. It comes from Family Life NZ, well known for their Marriage Weekends.

In the kit they provide a dvd of 14 inspirational 'Dad Stories', two little booklets on '25 Things to do with your Daughter/Son' and a card with ten questions to use in one-on-one times for Dads with their children. They ask, 'Why not take your child to breakfast at McDonalds and get to know them better by asking these questions. They will enjoy it! Listen without interrupting and take genuine interest, even if the answers dont please you.' They suggest taking notes to show youre really interested! The questions are:

1. What do you enjoy most about our family?

2. How would you describe your ideal day (from morning to bedtime)?

3. What two problems, if fixed, would make the most positive difference in our family?

4. Do you know what you'd do if our house caught fire?

5. If you had to leave our house in a hurry [and it wasnt a fire!], what three things would you take with you and why?

6. Who are your three closest friends? What do you enjoy about each one?

7. Are there some things I do that annoy or embarrass you? (Remember, just listen)

8. In what way would you most like to see me change, as your dad? (Remember, just listen)

9. Is there some secret that youre keeping from me because youre scared that I would love you less?

10. If you were mum or dad in our family, what would your top five rules be?

Please give it a try and let me know how it goes.

Shalom, Steve

29.8.10

Koinonia and 'Operation Share'

Welcome to St Albans Church this morning! Christian life is deeply relational, initiated by our relational God. As we gather together to worship God, we express our hearts to him as well as listening and responding to God. It means coming together as we are, where we are at. Maybe in an attitude of praise and thanks to God; or maybe struggling in some areas of our life. Both can be expressed to God who cares deeply about our whole lives.

But church is also about human relationships in God's family; what we call 'fellowship'. We are called to relate well, to share one another's joys and burdens; to help one another carry our loads.

This word 'fellowship' comes from the Greek word 'koinonia', used throughout the New Testament especially in Acts chapters 2 and 4, about the new community of Jesus' followers. 'All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord's Supper), and to prayer.' (Acts 2 v42, NLT)

The Contemporary English Version says, 'and they were like family to each other'.

The Good News Bible translates this: '...taking part in the fellowship, and sharing in the fellowship meals...'

The word 'koinonia' is often translated as 'sharing' but it has a greater depth to it than having a cuppa tea and chat after church or in a homegroup. It also has an economic aspect to it; about sharing our economic resources ' our income, possessions and skills - with one another.

Acts chapter 2 continues, 'All the Lord's followers often met together, and they shared everything they had. They would sell their property and possessions and give the money to whoever needed it.'

This practice continued in the church at Corinth, 'The one who had much did not have too much, and the one who had little did not have too little.' (2nd Cor 8 v15)

I have become much more aware in recent months of the financial pressure that some families in our church are under. The economic recession, loss of employment and rising prices are providing a huge financial challenge to many including some in our church.

St Albans has a history of generous response to needs in our church; we have ''Operation Tea-Break' to provide emergency meals; we have surplus food and clothing occasionally brought to St Albans to be shared.

Over recent years there have been discussions about developing a Resource or Talent Bank by which to share our possessions and skills. It was raised again at the Men's Camp and the Thursday morning housegroup has taken the initiative to make it happen. Alicia Odhiambo and Bernadine Carroll are willing to promote and administer a new initiative called 'OPERATION SHARE'.

'OPERATION SHARE' will enable a sharing of food, clothes, furniture and skills which can be gathered, stored and distributed in response to the practical needs in our church family. Please fill out the flyer in todays newsletter and return it to the church office or mailbox to help those who need it.

Shalom, Steve


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