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Pentecost

This coming Sunday is a big day in the church year – Pentecost – 50 days after Easter. it’s the day when the church remembers God pouring out his Spirit on the first disciples and what is perhaps the birthday of the Church. That’s the day when the story of Jesus and what God is doing in our world really goes public. This small ragtag bunch of believers empowered by God took their story to the world. It’s a mixed story at times, stories of great hope and transformation but also of failu...

At the very centre

Sometimes it can seem as though Christianity is very complicated. Lots of different churches, lots of different emphasise on different parts of the Bible. For the non-church goer it can all seem a bit confusing – why so many different ones? Why can’t there just be one? Is there anything you agree on?That last question is the big one because at the centre of Christianity, in all its different flavours and cultural expressions, is the person of Jesus the Christ. Everything we do and believe is...

What do I believe in this crazy world?

Every day it seems, we are bombarded with new ideas and statements about how we should live our lives. Advertising says we need to buy product X if we are to be truly happy and politicians are constantly telling us that they know the way forward and how to solve all of societies complex problems. And somehow, we must try and decide just what is and isn’t true.The early church faced a similar problem, a growing number of people who thought they had the latest word on just who Jesus was? And som...

Together

This week, one of the members of our church will become the new senior pastor at Waikanae Baptist on the other side of the river. Andy and Chris have been part of our church for a couple of years while Andy worked as our Baptist Youth Coach for the lower half of the North Island. That role has now come to an end and Andy is about to begin his new role. As a church we are excited about what the future will hold for them and look forward to deepening the relationship between our Baptist Churches h...

A story to tell

Great movies or books are those that tell an engaging story. Perhaps about a person who has preformed incredible feats of human endurance or a tale of intrigue and mystery that keeps the reader or watcher guessing until the very end. Really great stories also help us to question our own values and behaviour, to challenge why we see the world the way we do and why we behave the way we do.The story of Jesus is a story that calls everything we believe into question, who are we, why are we here, wha...

To serve

The death of the Pope last week has reminded us what it means to serve with care and compassion for the least and lowest in our world. One of the last acts of the pope before his death was to visit with prisoners, something he has done every Easter since he became pope. But perhaps his most memorable act was when he became pope, and he replaced the gold papal chair with a plain wooden chair – a visible reminder that he saw his role as one of service not lordship over the church for which he wa...

For others

Last week we remembered the events of Easter when Jesus died and rose again. This week we acknowledge the sacrifice of men and women who have served our country over the last hundred years or more. The reasons why they went to serve are as varied as the people who went but what we do know is that they sacrificed their lives for others. Some were injured, others were killed, and many came home with psychological scars. Regardless of how we may feel about war itself, we can still express our grati...

Where is our security?

This last week has seen world financial markets in turmoil and many people watching their investments take a major hit as markets drop in value. The financial security many of us were hoping for has been seriously undermined. When the world seems so unstable, so in turmoil, where do we turn to find something that can give us hope and confidence. Jesus told us that despite all that happens God is still our security and our hope. It may feel a bit like God has abandoned us, But God still loves us ...

Easter Services

We would love you to come and join us as we remember and celebrate together Easter.17 April Thursday evening 7pm Service of the Shadows.  Takes about half an hour and gives you the chance to reflect on the events leading up to the death of Jesus.18 April Friday morning 9.30am Reflective Good Friday service.20 April Sunday morning 10am Easter Day celebration service....

You want me to love them?

Have you ever met people who cause you to consider that question. The sort of people who hold a different worldview to you or live a lifestyle you find completely different to your own. And you think how of earth could I love them? Jesus told his followers to love his enemies, and they weren’t just people who were different, they were people who had conquered your nation and held the power of life and death. Love them Jesus said, prayer for them and seek the very best for them. I’m sure his ...

Parts of a body

One of the images used in the Bible to describe the church is that of a body. Paul is the one who used that image as he talked about the church at Corinth. You are all one body, but different parts of it and all of you matter, even the more awkward bits. So just as we love our own bodies, we are to love those who make up the body of the church. We need to care for them and look after others even if they are a bit awkward. I wonder who you might love and care for?Why not check out the Who is Jesu...

Love has hands and feet

A survey asked children what love looked like. Here’s a couple of their responses."When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love."Rebecca - age 8A four-year-old child’s response to an elderly neighbour who had recently lost his wife. Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman's yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there. W...

In wonder and awe

Several years ago, well actually quite a few years ago, I was privileged to do an Outward-Bound Course at Anakiwa in the Marlborough Sounds. My course was run in July, so it was pretty cold     especially swimming in the sounds. One of the activities we did was a three-day tramp which coincided with the weekend. During that time my group or watch as they were called discovered that I was training to be a pastor, so they asked me to lead a prayer on the Sunday. On the Sunday m...

Start a conversation

Relationships require us to communicate, to talk with each other.  And true communication, if it is to be effective, requires it to be two way - it requires both speaking and hearing.  So, to get to know someone new or to keep a relationship growing or to restart a relationship requires us to converse with them. And what is true for us as humans is also true of our relationship with God. To get to know God means we must hold a conversation learning to both speak and listen to what God ...

A deeper life

To go deeper or to deepen our relationship with someone requires us to make it more intense, or more real. It requires a willingness to engage with the other person, to get to know them better. Doing so can lead to a relationship where trust is high and where there is a willingness to share more of ourselves. Jesus invites us to deepen our relationship with him and he uses the metaphor of a vine and its branches. He is the vine, the central trunk which has its roots buried deep in the ground and...

Called to.. share

We all like good news – those things in life that make us feel good and give us hope and joy. Perhaps you can think of some good news you have received and recall how it made you feel. The Christian story of Jesus has always claimed to be good news, in fact that is how Mark begins his story of Jesus – This is the Good News about Jesus the Messiah. At the heart of this good news is the proclamation that Jesus is the Messiah sent by God to set the world aright and to restore the relationship b...

Called to..be transformed

So often we forget that a key element of following Jesus is the willingness to be transformed. Somehow, we can get this idea that Jesus is just an add-on, like a bumper sticker, that actually demands nothing of us. Yet the Bible is very clear that following Jesus is going to require some degree of change for all of us. Why? Because most of us want the world, and God even, to give us what we want, to look after us and make life easy. We may not like to admit it, but deep down, we would rather be ...

We're starting up again!

mainly music kicks off again Wednesday 12 February 2025 from 10am. There is a small charge per family. This programme is a fun way for parents and their children to spend quality time together based around music and movement. It is an opportunity for us as a church to connect with and offer something back to the community of which we are a part. It’s also away for us to demonstrate care, concern and support for those with young children....

Called to ...

It’s easy to do things and forget just why we are doing them. Simon Sinek, the business motivational speaker, talks about your why. Why do you do what you do? Because if you can’t answer the why then you will end up doing all sorts of other things. Some may be really worthwhile, but they may still stop you doing what you originally planned to do. So why do you do what you do? What drives you? What ensures you are going in the right direction?Other the next few weeks we are going to be thinki...

New Year

January 1st is traditionally the time for change, for making new year’s resolutions about how this year we will try to get fit, eat less, work less, spend less, earn more,  - you know who it goes. And the stats tell us that by the end of January, about now,  most of us have already given up. Why? Because doing those things requires change and change is hard.And the same is true of our spiritual lives as well. We want to pray more, care more, love more, but all those things require us...

Christmas Day

Join us Christmas morning to celebrate together the birth of Jesus.  Hear again the story of Jesus birth through readings, carols and story. All welcome....

Love

Many people when asked will say that love is most often recognised as the gift of presence. We are there when needed, when things turn to custard, but also in those moments when what is needed is a listening ear. Being present for people can be the ultimate expression of love. Which is why the story of Christmas is so powerful. God chooses to be present with us in the world, to see what we see, to feel what we feel, to experience what we experience. God as one writer puts it, moves into the neig...

Christmas Carols - come and join us

Come and join us for Christmas Carols and a retelling of the Christmas story. Supper to follow. All welcome....

Joy

I’ve been thinking this week about the difference between excitement and joy. Excitement it seems is that emotion we feel when something unexpectedly good happens, like winning lotto. It is often intense and short in duration. Excitement disappears almost as quickly as it occurs. Joy on the other hand is a deep sense of contentment and goodness we feel often as a result of an interaction with others. It’s how we feel when we catch up with long missed relatives, our mokopuna or people who are...

Peace

Joseph, the husband of Mary, in the Bible is a picture of a man who faced with enormous questions and uncertainty, discovers peace and the ability to make the best of a difficult situation. Joseph is a good God-fearing man, who discovers that his wife to be is pregnant and he knows that he is NOT the father. So, what do you do? Well Joseph decided that the best thing to do was to call it all off without making a huge fuss. It was a good way to respond, because he could have had Mary condemned as...