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South Island Regional Summit

Our vision is to see churches working together, to point people to Jesus, through the gospel from the Scriptures.It was a real joy for the team to serve amongst ministry leaders from 11 churches at the Central-Upper South Island Regional Summit at Rutland Street Church on Saturday....

Holiday Programme at Kingston Community Church

Joel Birkin is the Youth and Community Worker at Kingston Community Church and says: “Our heart this week at our school holiday program has been to engage our community in the truth of the gospel through the narrative of creation, fall and the good news of Jesus. It has been encouraging to work alongside our leaders to engage with our community with the good news of Jesus Christ.“The children love engaging with the Bible and exploring big questions like how was the world created, what's brok...

Celebration and Thanksgiving

We are a movement of ordinary people in ordinary churches. The history of our movement is of ordinary churches sending ordinary people to plant churches who will speak and live the extraordinary message of good news. For this reason, it has been a profound joy over the last two years seeing Clark Road Chapel plant The Lighthouse Church in Northland, and Manurewa Bible Church plant Franklin Bible Church in Pukekohe in South Auckland....

Confronted and Comforted

By Mark Grace, CCCNZ AmbassadorJohn 12:5 “He aha tenei hinu te hokona ai ki nga pene e toru rau, ka hoatu ai ki te hunga rawakore?”“Na lē fa‘atauina atu aiseā lenei suāu‘u manogi i tenari e tolu selau, ma tu‘uina atu le tupe mo ē e matitiva?”“Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” Jesus is both a comforter and a confronter. We know Jesus cared for the poor. At the beginning of his ministry, Luke records Jesus opening ...

Invercargill News

A couple of snapshots of activities Rosedale Bible Chapel in Invercargill has been participating in. Ministry Coordinator and Elder Nigel Winder and Administrator Hannah Winder write: “At Rosedale, during our Sunday morning service time, we split into groups and moved around prayer stations that had been set up with different areas to focus our prayers on. The opportunity was given to meet again and pray around the interactive stations during the week at our Men’s Prayer Breakfast and our fo...

Growing Leaders

From left to right: Dan Tyler, Roger Osbaldiston and Alex Pope.I’ve had the privilege of participating and contributing in a small way to the NZ Christian Network Leaders' Congress this week.A stark workshop (which was excellent) was titled The Leadership Crisis in the Church and Ministry Training, highlighting the lack of churches growing next generation leadership.Sitting through the workshop I couldn’t get out of my mind Alex Pope, the youngest attendee. Alex is a youth pastor at Birkenhe...

Kerry Rickard concluding with CCCNZ

The elders at Kingston Community Church let me know in June that Kerry Rickard's two-days-a-week secondment agreement with CCCNZ will come to an end at the end of the year. Kerry and the eldership are encouraged by what God is doing in the church family and recognise that Kerry's time and input are needed in this coming season.We are incredibly grateful for Kerry and the contribution he makes to both the churches and to us as a team.Kerry, you are such a blessing to each of us. We are grateful t...

Kirikiriroa Hamilton Prayer Breakfast

From left to right: Jackie Millar (CCCNZ Prayer Enabler and Raleigh Street Christian Centre), Werner du Plessis (Tōtara Springs Christian Camp), Richard Davis (CCCNZ Camping Enabler and Raleigh Street Christian Centre), Bruce McDowall (Hillcrest Chapel), Mark Forrest (Raleigh Street Christian Centre), Ashley Cooper (ITeams Coordinator and Raleigh Street Christian Centre), Chris and Sarah Chalmers (Hillcrest Chapel), Jason McKinnon (Hillcrest Chapel), Kum Lan Brennan (Agora Church). On Wednesday...

7 Months On From Cyclone Gabrielle

Working Bee at Esk Valley on Saturday 9 September.On Saturday 9 September, volunteers from different churches gathered at Esk Valley in Hawke's Bay for a Working Bee. Some of the churches involved were Onekawa Bible Church, Riverbend Bible Church and the local Assemblies of God church. There were also volunteers from various areas: Napier, Hastings, Te Kuiti, New Plymouth, Tauranga, and Rotorua....

Hosanna!

By Mark Grace, CCCNZ AmbassadorJohn 12:13“Ka mau ratou ki nga manga nikau, haere ana ki te whakatau i a ia, me te karanga, Ohana: Ka whakapaingia ia, e haere mai nei i runga i te ingoa o te Ariki, te Kingi o Iharaira.”“O lea sa ‘ave e i latou lālā o le la‘au ma ō atu e fa‘afeiloa‘i ‘iā te ia, ‘ua ‘alalaga fo‘i i latou: “Osana, ia manuia lē o afio mai i le suafa o le Ali‘i, o le Tupu o Isaraelu!””“They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, “...

Canterbury Church Leaders Meet Together

We love seeing churches working together to point people to Jesus, through the gospel from the Scriptures. It was a delight to see representatives from Canterbury churches meet together last Sunday afternoon, hosted by Lawson Scott and Rutland Street Church. There were 10 churches represented: Bryndwr Chapel, Redemption Church Christchurch, Riccarton Community Church, Rutland Street Church, Springs Community Church, Wairakei Road Bible Church, Westchurch, Rowley Bible Church and Glentunnel Chape...

Waikato/Bay of Plenty Churches Working Together Through Rally

I love the way Paengaroa Bible Chapel, Greerton Bible Church, The Orchard Church and Fenton Park Bible Church are working together to point children and families to Jesus through the gospel from the Scriptures through Rally.On Saturday night the four churches and their Rally leaders came together at The Orchard Church in Te Puke for connection and encouragement....

A Far North Visit

It’s Saturday afternoon and I’m meeting Matt Scott (pictured below), youth leader at Clark Road Chapel and camp staff member at Marsden Bay Christian Camp.What a joy hearing about Matt’s heart to see churches working together to reach their communities through camping. A blessing to hear that the community in the area is knocking on the door to register kids for holiday programmes....

God’s Power at the Cross

By Mark Grace, CCCNZ AmbassadorColossians 2:15"Pauhua ake e ia ki raro nga rangatiratanga me nga mana, whakakitea nuitia ana e ia, a waiho ana e ia taua ripeka hei mea whakataka mana i a ratou.""‘Ua tu‘u‘eseina e ia o ali‘i sili ma faipule, ‘ona fa‘aalia mai lea o i latou ‘ia iloa uma, ‘ua manumālō fo‘i o ia ‘iā i latou i lea lava mea.""And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross."In Colossians 2:6-8...

City to City Learning Community

On Thursday, it was a real privilege to gather with 10 pastors from CCCNZ/OBH Churches (along with 20 others) in Auckland to hear more about the City to City Church Planting 18-month Learning Community starting in 2024....

Captivated by Christ

By Mark Grace, CCCNZ AmbassadorColossians 2:6"Na, kua riro na te Ariki, a Karaiti Ihu i a koutou, kia pena ano ta koutou haere i roto i a ia"."O lenei, fa‘apei ‘ona ‘outou talia le Ali‘i o Keriso Iesu, ia fa‘apea ‘ona ‘outou ola ai ‘iā te ia"."So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him".These words were written to a church that gathered in the city of Colossae. That ancient city is filled with inscriptions, memorials, and buildings whi...

Riccarton Community Church 75th Anniversary

On Sunday 27 August, Riccarton Community Church celebrated its 75th Anniversary.In the picture above: Cath and Phil Stedman, Senior Pastor at Riccarton Community Church, being prayed for by Murray Robertson, RCC Chair of Elders Bevan Burgess, and one of the church's young people.Associate Pastor Mark Wells writes: "It was a wonderful event—a chance to celebrate with nearly 400 current and past members of RCC, thanking God for His faithfulness thus f...

Onslow Community Church Serving Sundays

“Serving Sundays” have become a regular part of the church’s activities at Onslow Community Church. On Sunday 20 August, church members of all ages helped with various needs within the community.In the picture above: Cayla Fitzpatrick (front), Jo Bond (behind), Breeanna Fitzpatrick, Damon Fitzpatrick, and David Bond (rear).Pete Rhodes-Robinson, pastor at Onslow Community Church, says:“We were pleased to get out after a thunderstorm early on Sunday morning threatened the event and were ab...

CCCNZ Board Meeting in Christchurch

The CCCNZ Board has spent a very worthwhile time thinking through how we can continue to serve you as you work together as churches to point people to Jesus, through the gospel from the Scriptures.Pictured above: Some of the CCCNZ Board during their meeting. (Left to right) Ane Ponifasio, Alan Aitken, Stuart Bay, and Murray Frost.Over lunch it has been lovely to honour Lawson Scott, the chairperson of elders at Rutland Street Church, for the five years he has served...

Missionary First Party at Crossroads Church

On Saturday 26 August, Crossroads Church in Palmerston North held a fundraising night for their missionaries. Lead Pastor Reuben Porter writes: "It was a great night that was really well supported"....

Movement of the Word

On Thursday, a group of elders and pastors from Waikato and Auckland churches joined together to learn how to train people for Christian ministry with the Bible.The group was made up of Jeremy Lind (Raleigh Street Christian Centre), Jonathan Ruthven (Northgate Community Church), Philip Renner (Chapel Hill Community Church), Nam Ho, and Hayden Johns (Auckland Bible Church).The Movement of the Word teaches a profoundly simple but significant way of interpreting the Bible and training leaders, that...

Last Words Matter

By Mark Grace, CCCNZ AmbassadorMalachi 4:2"Ki a koutou ia e wehi na i toku ingoa ka ara ake te ra o te tika, he whakaora mate hoki i runga i ona parirau; a ka puta mai koutou, ka tupekepeke ano he kuao kau no te turanga kau.""A o outou o e matatau i lo‘u igoa, e alu ae ia te outou le La o le amiotonu; e i ai foi le mea e malolo ai i ona apaau; e o atu foi outou ma osooso, pei o tamai povi mai le fale povi.""But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its ...

Senior Citizens Gathering

Every Thursday at 10 am, a group of senior citizens gather at LifeChurch Manurewa. It's a time for fellowship, faith-building and food. The seniors group is made up of people aged 65+ who are both church members and others from the wider community.Tuiloma Apoua Muliaga, Seniors' Director, writes: "Our sessions start with prayer and sharing God’s Word, led by Senior Pastor Lui Ponifasio, followed by a very slow and light Zumba exercise", and end up with a shared lunch and playing games.The chur...

Kaipaki Bible Church started an Alpha Course in the Tauwhare community

This week I came away from a Zoom call with David Firth (pictured below) from Kaipaki Bible Church in Waikato, super encouraged by a variety of outreaches the church is facilitating around the region....

Growing in confidence in church based ministry through theological study

Abbey Grainger (on the right) teaching at HM Rage.Abbey Grainger, from Mt Wellington Community Church, is involved in serving God in her church as a youth leader, on the worship team, and at kids' camps.Last year, she began studying for a Graduate Diploma in Applied Theology through a New Zealand theological college and received support for her fees from a JH Baldwin Scholarship from Lichfield Lands.Abbey writes:"Last semester I took two papers—Introduction to the New Testament and Gospel of J...