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Mission Team in Levin

It was encouraging to be in Levin on Wednesday. Matthew and Sally Wright from Manawarū Bible Chapel are with a mission team of around 15 Kiwi and Aussie students from Sydney Missionary & Bible College serving in the ministries at a local church. The team is led by Alan and Alayne Thompson, originally from Manurewa Bible Church.Matthew and Sally are 18 months into a three-year degree at SMBC. They are lovingly sent and supported by&...

Clark Road Chapel Church Camp

Clark Road Chapel (Whangārei) had a great time last weekend at their church camp at Marsden Bay Christian Camp, with more than 130 people in attendance. ...

The Anchor Church Camp

Last weekend, The Anchor Church held its annual family camp at Forest Lakes in Ōtaki. They spoke about two important topics ‘Our Identity and Self-worth’ and ‘Evangelism in our Modern Context’.Pastor Darryl Ward writes,“The kids were well taught by Ray Cooper using his creativity to present the clear message of the gospel. We love Ray’s input into our church kids’ lives over a long time, and thankful to God for him and&nb...

Waikato Regional Elders' Dinner

On Monday night, 33 elders and pastors from the Waikato region met at Hillcrest Chapel in Hamilton.There were nine churches represented, including Agora Church, Chapel Hill Community Church, Hillcrest Chapel, Manawarū Bible Chapel, Matamata Bible Church, Northgate Community Church, Putaruru Gospel Chapel, Raleigh Street Christian Centre, and Whitiora Bible Church.Kerry Rickard and Joel Birkin from Kingston Community Chur...

Growing in faith and practical skills through internships

Sam Trebilco from Te Awamutu Bible Chapel and Taylor Firth from Kaipaki Bible Church have been reflecting on their recent experiences interning with MMM New Zealand (formerly known as Mobile Mission Maintenance). In 2023 they were employed by MMM to work with a builder four days a week, spend one day a week volunteering with MMM, and have blocks of theological study throughout the year.(Pictured above, from left to right: MMM National Director Ho...

Canterbury Regional Gathering

Last Sunday, 20 elders and leaders from nine churches gathered to pray together and hear of initiatives around the region. Churches represented include Rutland Street Church, Riccarton Community Church, Durham Street Gospel Hall, Westchurch, Springs Community Church, Bryndwr Chapel, Rowley Bible Church, Wairakei Road Bible Church, and The Embassy @ North Beach....

Sisters Hui Rotorua

I was so encouraging to hear about the Sisters Hui Rotorua, a regional Māori women’s conference held at Roosevelt Road Bible Church on Saturday 2 March. Sharon Brooks (Roosevelt Road Bible Church) writes, “It has been with great pleasure and in our Father’s presence we held the regional gathering of the women’s fellowship hui in Rotorua. We were blessed with our brethren sisters from Mangakino, Waharoa, Tauwhare, Matamata and all the way to Auckland.�...

God’s heart for the helpless

By Mark Grace, CCCNZ AmbassadorE tohe nei i te whakawa a te hunga e tukinotia ana: e whangai nei i te hunga mate hiakai: ko Ihowa hei wewete i nga herehere:He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets prisoners free.Psalm 146:7In Psalm 146, I’m confronted by God’s heart for the helpless.  In this psalm, we read about the God who creates everything, who is faithful, who upholds the cause of the oppressed, who gives food to the hungry, who sets pr...

A week in Sydney

It has been a privilege to be in Sydney this week joining with leaders who serve amongst the CCCAust (Christian Community Churches of Australia) movement in each state in Australia (pictured above). What an encouragement. I’ve been blessed to hear how churches are working together to point people to Jesus, through the gospel from the Bible. While in Sydney I’ve been able to touch base briefly with Matthew Wright from Manawarū Bible Chapel studying at Sydne...

Humility

By Mark Grace, CCCNZ AmbassadorKei meinga tetahi mea i runga i te wehewehe, i te whakapehapeha ranei, engari i runga i te ngakau papaku, me te whakanui a tetahi i tetahi ki runga ake i a ia;'Aua ne‘i faia se mea e tasi ma le finau vale, ma le mitamita fua; a ia taitasi outou ma manatu ma le loto maulalo, ua sili nisi uma ia te ia. 'Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.Philippians 2:3At some level, I think I do almost everything o...

Movement of the Word in Auckland and Waikato

On Sunday night, 16 Auckland leaders from Auckland Bible Church, Au uso Christian Fellowship – Henderson and Franklin Bible Church came together for a Movement of the Word training taster. The Movement of the Word assists local churches simply and profoundly to be growing and maturing leaders by assisting them to meet Christ through the Scriptures for themselves.It’s a few simple principles of digging into the Bible that can be used one-on-one, in a sm...

Heritage Brethren Christian Camping Hui

Last weekend, the second Camping Hui was held at Silverstream Retreat in Lower Hutt, Wellington. About 50 trustees from 24 camps came together to explore the future of camping from Brethren Heritage Campsites.A vision to see CCCNZ/OBH churches reaching their communities through camping was shared. Campsites are being invited to consider a new shared structure that will see local camp staff having more time and resources to serve the churches in their mission because property and o...

New Plymouth Community Church in the countryside

Last Sunday, New Plymouth Community Church (NPCC) enjoyed an outdoor family service. It was a great day of fellowship, filled with worship, testimony, and teaching. Pastor Brian Ropitini writes, “We are blessed to have a couple within our fellowship who have an amazing lifestyle block which they have also set up as a wedding venue. They generously offered us the use of their place to hold a summer family service.  ...

Thank you!

After seven years serving as pastor at Birkenhead Community Church in Auckland, Dan and Emily Tyler and their whānau are heading back to the UK where Dan will take up a Senior Minister position at Haywards Heath Baptist Church in South East England. We're grateful for Dan's contribution to the CCCNZ movement as a volunteer regional PastorLink Enabler for the North Shore. Thank you Dan and Emily!  We'll be praying for both the Tyler whānau and the Birkenhead C...

Rosedale Bible Chapel Church Camp

Last weekend, Rosedale Bible Chapel (Invercargill) held a church camp at Lakeland Park Camp, Queenstown.Elder Nigel Winder writes,“Over the weekend we explored together God's Great Invitation to Belong, Believe, and Become. “After some teaching on each theme, we gathered in mixed age groups to discuss further how we might apply and support each other as a church family in becoming lifelong committed followers of Jesus. “The weekend also included some...

Manawatū Regional Rally Camp

Last weekend I visited the annual Manawatū Regional Rally Camp at Forest Lakes Camp where 190 kids and their leaders came together for a weekend of fun, faith, and friendship. There were nine rally groups present, from Feilding Bible Chapel, Church on Vogel, Crossroads Church, York Street Chapel, Queen Street Chapel, Rongotea Bible Chapel, Woodville Gospel Hall, Bunnythorpe Family Church, and Dannevirke Bible Chapel. Half the children ...

God's consolation

By Mark Grace, CCCNZ AmbassadorHe iti rawa ranei mou nga whakamarie a te Atua, te kupu ngawari e hoatu ana ki a koe?Are God’s consolations not enough for you, words spoken gently to you?Job 15:11The intensity of the conversation is heating up. Job has lashed out at his ‘friends’ in Job 13:4. “You, however, smear me with lies; you are worthless physicians, all of you!”.Here, in Job 15:11, Eliphaz the Temanite strikes back: “Are God’s consolations not enough for you, words spoke...

Beginning preachers putting their theological studies into practice

Each Sunday morning over the summer months of January and February Lincoln Road Bible Chapel has been working through a sermon series called Story of the Bible.Seven different beginning preachers have had the opportunity to take a Sunday each, focussing on a different theme, such as Beginnings (Kyla Scrimgeour), Exodus (Thomas Scrimgeour), Kingdom (Lauren Palmer), Remnant (Susannah Olive), Jesus (Janai Randall), Church (Jeremy Tattersall) and New Creation (Isaac MacKenzie)....

United with Christ - Part 2

By Mark Grace, CCCNZ AmbassadorKi te mea hoki kua honoa tatou ki a ia i runga i te ahua o tona matenga, ka honoa ano tatou ki a ia i runga i te ahua o tona aranga:For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his.Romans 6:5Part 2 of 2:Paul Windsor, commenting on holiness, noted the number of seniors in his first church as a pastor who would grieve over sin in their lives—sin that he, in a sense, thought was minor. He c...

The Embassy launch

Last Sunday, one of CCCNZ's most recently linked in churches, North Beach Christian Fellowship in North New Brighton Christchurch, had a big celebration relaunch with a new name: The Embassy @ North Beach. Centred on 2 Corinthians 5:17-21, the vision is to live as ambassadors for Jesus in their community.The building was bursting at the seams, including guests from Rutland Street Church and other local churches. ...

Commissioning New Staff at Crossroads Church

On Sunday, Jacob Kendrew was commissioned as Young Adults pastor at Crossroads Church. During the service, the church prayed also for Lucy McIlwaine and Isaac Pettersen as they entered into their new roles of Operations Coordinator and Discipleship Pastor.Lead Pastor Reuben Porter writes:“We are so expectant and excited for the ways in which God will use Lucy, Isaac and Jacob's gifts as they step into their new roles. Please continue to pray for the...

CCCNZ Staff Conference

How can we serve alongside you as you work together as churches, campsites and support ministries to point people to Jesus through the gospel from the Scriptures? That’s the question we explored together as a staff team on Tuesday and Wednesday at our staff conference at Willow Park Christian Camp in Auckland. ...

United with Christ - Part 1

By Mark Grace, CCCNZ AmbassadorKi te mea hoki kua honoa tatou ki a ia i runga i te ahua o tona matenga, ka honoa ano tatou ki a ia i runga i te ahua o tona aranga:For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his.Romans 6:5Part 1 of 2: How are you and I, living in Aotearoa New Zealand in 2024, united with Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection, which occurred roughly 1990 years ago and 18,000 kilometers away?Faith....

Churches Working Together

Daniel and Sophia Choe from Rutland Street Church helped EAUKS (Ekalesia Au Uso Kerisiano Samoa) get underway with a ‘local mission’ training. The first session of the training was held on Sunday.This training equips older youth to be spiritual leaders at an outreach camp, which has a cohort of youth from a local school attending and a clear opportunity to follow up with those young people and their families.RSC and EAUKS are two Christchurch churches with a special relationship forged in th...

Church-based internships at Redemption Church Christchurch

Redemption Church Christchurch elders and deacons, along with the church’s pastoral interns met yesterday in Bryndwr Chapel’s building. The four interns (pictured below) are shadowing the elders to learn more with the view to potentially serving as full-time elders/pastors in a church in the future.Pastor Jason Winslade says the overall purpose of the internship is to encourage development in different aspects of pastoral ministry, with a view of not only helping their ow...