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Unguarded Strengths

John 18:10"Na he hoari ta Haimona Pita, unuhia ana e ia a haua iho te pononga a te tohunga nui, tapahia ana tona taringa matau. Ko te ingoa o taua pononga ko Maraku.""Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, cutting off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.)""O Simona Peteru foi, ua i ai le pelu, ua se‘i e ia, ma taia a‘i le auauna a le ositaulaga sili, ua tipiesea lona taliga taumatau; o Maliko le igoa o le auauna."When he meets the sold...

Around Auckland - May 2023

Good times last month. Māori and Pasifika leaders met for a hui at Willow Park Camp in Eastern Beach. Most of them came from Auckland, and some from further afield. They connected and ate together, learned about resources, and spent time in prayer and korero about churches and future gospel work. Those who led the evening were Jerome Edwards and Max Guptill.Pray for all those involved in planning a future hui that the Lord would give clear direction, unity, and vision as Māori and Pasifika lea...

Lower North Island Regional Summit (27 May)

Above left: Peter Rhodes-Robinson from Onslow Community Church talking with leaders from Wellington and the Kāpiti Coast.Above right: Max Faletutulu from Tītahi Bay Community Church talks to leaders from Church on Vogel, Feilding Bible Chapel and others in the prayer workshop.Below left: Mark van Wijk, CCCNZ PastorLink Enabler, and Henare Whaanga, Pathway Christian Centre, talk with leaders from Onslow Community Church.Below right: Susie Snell and Karen McLeod from Feilding Bible Chapel talk t...

News from Churches in NZ

Our vision is to see churches—and the regional campsites and national support ministries who serve them—working together to point people to Jesus through the gospel from the Scriptures. It was a delight then to hear about three churches in the Canterbury region reaching into their communities through a combined regional Rally camp last weekend: Church Street Bible Chapel, Glentunnel Chapel and Rutland Street Church....

Community Connections and Discipleship

Benji Carey and others from Onekawa Bible Church have worked hard for many years establishing wonderful connections with local schools. Benji has been involved with Launchpad and providing music lessons in various schools. Others have helped with Launchpad too, as well as reading and taking morning tea to teachers.Over time, they have built relationships with around six schools in the area, with particularly strong connections with two or three. Children from these schools attend a weekly afters...

Intermediate Youth Group

I was so encouraged this week to hear from Liz Hodge, Springs Community Church, about her daughter, Susannah (12) starting a youth group for intermediate-aged girls.Susannah was keen to have a youth group to invite her friends to. With the support and blessing of her mum, Liz, they planned what it might look like. She designed an invitation and gave it out to her friends at school.After school on Tuesday, Susannah and 7 of her friends arrived at her house for youth group. Some of them attend chu...

Onslow Community Church Serving Sundays

Left to right: Dom, Liam, and Daniel prepare to serve their communityPete Rhodes-Robinson writes:“As part of the effort to engage with our local community, we schedule three days a year to go into the community and practically help individuals, families, and community organisations."We do this during our normal Sunday morning church time slot and meet in the evening to share stories, have dinner, worship, and pray together. Jobs generally come from the contacts of individual church members, an...

Southland Churches Come Together for Bible Teaching

Last weekend the church families from Elles Road Bible Chapel, Rosedale Bible Chapel and Edendale Christian Fellowship were involved in the Invercargill Winter Bible School.Graeme Hillas writes:“Yes, Invercargill Combined Bible School was a very encouraging and challenging time last weekend. There were four sessions each afternoon with a time of fellowship during the break for afternoon tea. The weekend was organized by both Rosedale and Elles Road Bible Chapel. "Invitations were extended to s...

Southland Churches coming together to reach their communities through Rally

Leaders work together to build the Rally cube, a reminder of all the ways Rally seeks to build connection with kids and their families....

The Hour Has Come

Matthew 26:46"Maranga, ka haere tatou: nana, ka tata te kaituku i ahau."Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!”In Matthew's story, Jesus says two prayers on the night he was betrayed. The prayers sound similar. But between the first prayer and the second, we see two profound shifts:In Jesus’ first prayer, he cries in anguish: "My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”Jesus restates his conviction around God’s sovereignty. �...

Praying in Gethsemane

Matthew 26:42"Ona toe maliu ‘ese lea o Iesu, o lona fa‘alua lea, ma tatalo atu, “Lo‘u Tamā e, ‘āfai e mafai ‘ona ‘ave‘esea lenei ipu se‘i ‘ou inu ai, ‘ia faia lou finagalo.""He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.”"Ka haere atu ano ia, ko te rua o ona hokinga, ka inoi, ka mea, E toku Matua, ki te kore e ahei kia pahemo atu tenei kapu i ahau, a me inu ano e ahau, wa...

Churches Come Together for the Gospel

Our heart is to see churches—and the regional campsites and national ministries that serve them—working together to point people to Jesus through the gospel from the Scriptures.It’s one of the simplest and most significant things we can do as churches. If we are running preaching training, youth leader or children and family leader training, opening it up to one or two more churches in the movement could be a tremendous blessing.Sarah Chalmers, youth pastor at Hillcrest Chapel in Hamilton ...

Māori and Pasifika Leaders Dinner

Closest to the camera, Satalaka Ligovasa and Meauke Finauga from Tuvalu Brethren Assembly find a "beautifully cooked meal.” I deeply appreciated being with Māori and Pasifika leaders from across Auckland and across the country last Friday night for the second annual Hui at Willow Park Christian Camp in Auckland.The evening was spent eating, laughing (thank you, Max) singing, and exploring together how we can be working together to point more people to Jesus through the gospel from the Bible.M...

Servant Leadership

Mark 10:45"Kihai nei hoki te Tama a te tangata i haere mai kia mahia he mea mana, engari kia mahi ia, kia tuku hoki i a ia kia mate hei utu mo nga tangata tokomaha." "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”"Auā e le‘i sau le Atali‘i o le Tagata ‘ina ‘ia ‘au‘auna mai tagata ‘iā te ia a ‘ia ‘au‘auna atu o ia ma foa‘i atu lona ola e ‘avea ma togiola mo tagata e to‘atele.”In Mark 10:42-45 Jesus speak...

Churches Reaching their Communities through Rally

I have got to say, I am absolutely loving hearing about what God is doing in CCCNZ/OBH churches as they reach their communities with the good news of Jesus through their Rally groups! In March, Rongotea Bible Chapel saw 50 children attend a fantastic evening Rally where they visited a local honey business....

Jesus' Humility

Philippians 2:7 "Engari i mea i a ia ano kia poaha, ka mau ki te ahua o te pononga, ka meinga kia rite ki te tangata." "Rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness." "Peita‘i ‘ua matuā fa‘amaulaloina o ia e ia lava,ma ‘ua tino mai o ia o le pologa." I've been thinking lately about how we see the world. Expressions like 'keep looking up' and 'step up' often come to mind.We frequently hear expressions like 'level up' and 'keep your...

Northland Churches and Camps

I was encouraged by this update by Naomi Mason, from Kaitaia Bible Chapel and Coopers Beach Christian Youth Camp in Northland:“2023 Easter camp at CBCYC was such a wonderful, encouraging time of fellowship together."Our speakers Murray Stevenson and Winston McEwan gave very encouraging messages that were well appreciated."This was a family camp, catering for all campers, with a program for children 12 and under and an older Bible study for 13-16 year olds."We have had lots of feedback from man...

Police Chaplains

I am encouraged to see leaders across the movement serving and supporting policemen and women by becoming police chaplains.Pictured above is Police Commissioner Andrew Costa, who is a part of The Street Church Wellington, with Carrie Toehemotu from Northcross Church, Lui Ponifasio, a pastor of Life Church Auckland and Peter Somervell, a pastor of Grace Church Nelson at a recent police chaplains conference.By Mark Grace, CCCNZ Ambassador...

Known Unto God

John 15:13"Kahore he aroha o tetahi i rahi ake i tenei, ara kia tuku te tangata i a ia ano kia mate mo ona hoa.""Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.""E le sili lava le alofa o se tasi i lenei alofa, ia tuuina atu e se tasi lona ola e sui a‘i ana uo."The Unknown Warrior now interred at the National War Memorial in Wellington died fighting for New Zealand in France sometime between April 1916 and November 1918.He was buried in one of the Commonwealth ...

Churches Camping

Clint Craig, Lead Pastor at LifeSwitch, wrote to me about how great it is to be able to run Camp Survivor again."As a church we have 300 local kids attending our kids camp, most of whom are from unchurched families."The camp utilises around 50 youth and a total of 125 volunteers from our church community. We see many kids respond to the gospel and hope to see a significant number of campers and families engage with the church in the coming weeks."The coolest part about camp is that we make it fr...

Churches Reaching out through Camps

CCCNZ PastorLink Enabler Mark van Wijk writes:“This week, more than 130 campers, leaders and adults gathered at Willow Park Christian Camp in East Auckland for the Willow Park Kids Camp."Many of the volunteers are from local CCCNZ churches, including Mt Wellington Community Church, Tāmaki Community Church, Manurewa Bible Church and Auckland Bible Church."...

My Delight Comes with a Duty

Romans 1:14-15"He nama kei runga i ahau na nga Kariki, a na nga Tautangata, na te hunga mohio, a na te hunga whakaarokore. Na reira e ngakau nui ana ahau kia whakapaua taku ki te kauwhau hoki i te rongopai ki a koutou i Roma.""I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish. That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are in Rome.""Ua ia te au mea a Eleni atoa ma nuu ese, o e popoto atoa ma e valelea; o le mea lea ou te naunau ai, ia ou folafola ...

News from Churches

It is delightful to see that eighteen teenagers and five parents volunteered at the Kingston Community Church School Holiday Programme last week....

Update from Church @ Cedarwood

It was lovely to hear from Bruce Scott today about how the church plant Church @ Cedarwood on the Kāpiti Coast is going.Bruce writes: “We give thanks to God for what he is doing in our midst."We love the sense of community growing in the life of the church through a regular Sunday lunch. We also love the sense of increasing community outreach through the men's monthly community breakfast, and growing involvement in the Waikanae drop-in centre.”...

The Good News of God's Wrath

Romans 1:18"E whakakitea iho ana hoki i te rangi to te Atua riri ki nga karakiakoretanga katoa, ki nga he o nga tangata e pehi ana i te pono i runga i te he.""The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness.""Ua faaalia mai foi le toasa o le Atua mai le lagi i le amio faalematau ma le amio leaga uma lava a tagata, o e taofi i le upu moni ma le amioletonu."Paul Windsor was teaching a group of students ...