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The Power of Being a Good Neighbour

In a world where many people feel isolated, unnoticed, or disconnected, simple acts of friendship can have a profound impact. The early church was known for sharing life together - sharing meals, caring for one another, and welcoming those around them. Their faith was visible through their hospitality.Being a good neighbour is about more than living beside someone. It is about noticing people, learning their names, listening to their stories, and responding when there is a need. Jesus taught tha...

Justice as a lifestyle

In Acts 2:42–47 we find a community transformed by the Holy Spirit, devoted to God and deeply committed to one another. Their faith was not merely expressed through worship and prayer; it was demonstrated through generosity, compassion, and justice.Today, the word “justice” often carries political or cultural baggage. It is often associated with punishment, revenge, or demanding that others pay for wrongdoing. Biblical justice is something far richer and broader. It flows from the very cha...

Sharing the story

There are some sounds that change everything. Like the barking of a dog when you are fast asleep and you get up to discover she is barking at shadows. Or maybe it’s the sound of a newborn child crying for the first time, or the sound of a phone call in the middle of the night, or the sound of a crowd erupting in celebration. In Acts 2 there is another sound. A great sound.Luke tells us that On the day of Pentecost all the believers were meeting together in one place. Suddenly, there was a soun...

Who influences you?

We live in a world overflowing with opinions, podcasts, influencers, and endless streams of information. Every day we are being formed by the voices we listen to and the stories we immerse ourselves in.In Acts 2, the early church devoted themselves to “the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” Their faith was intentional and transformative. Scripture was not simply information to study; it was a way of life that shaped their identity and actions.His...

Pentecost 2026

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 many consider the birthday of the Church. This year we are joining with other Baptist Churches around the world in the Acts 2 movement as we think about He Haruru Nui - the great noise that signalled God was doing something new. We will be exploring Acts and the characteristics that defined the early church ...

Build or tear down

I am often saddened by some of the derogatory language used by people on Facebook forums. Genuine questions or observations can generate a torrent of abuse against the original poster. And our public officials have become the source of online abuse and vitriol from those who hold opposing views. It is easier to tear down and destroy than to spend time building others up and encouraging genuine discussion and dialogue.And what we see on Facebook can happen between any two people or groups of peop...

Welcome home

Christina Koch was a member of the recent Artemis 2  mission to fly around the moon. Speaking about that mission she said "The thing that changed for me looking back at Earth was that I found myself noticing not only the beauty of the Earth, but how much blackness there was around it, and how it just made it even more special," Koch said."It truly emphasized how alike we are, how the same thing keeps every single person on planet Earth alive," she added. "We evolved on the same planet, we h...

Yes or No?

Have you ever noticed how our decisions in life affect us? Every time we say yes to something, by default we are saying no to a whole lot of other things. Maybe we notice it most with money – if I spend my last ten dollars on a pie then I no longer can choose to spend it on anything else. But life is more than just what we will spend our money on. We say yes to who we will vote for, or who we will spend our lives with, or what job we will hold down. And we can say yes or no to God. Many have d...

To lay down one's life

This coming Saturday is ANZAC day, when we as a nation will remember the people who served at Gallipoli, many of whom sacrificed their lives for others. And it is fitting that we remember those men and women who served on behalf of our country. Jesus said, ‘No greater love has a person than he lay down his life for his friends’, something he himself went on to do for all people.Sacrifice is not something many of us find easy, especially when our culture encourages us to pursue happiness and ...

Who do you trust?

Earlier this week the people of a particular country voted overwhelmingly to ditch their current leader and choose a new person. It seems that the people no longer trusted that the old leader was trustworthy. Later this year our country will once again get to vote for those we want to govern for the next three years. Who we will vote for is really a question of trust – do we trust this group of people to have our countries best interests at the centre of what they do. It’s not always an easy...

No fear in death

The resurrection story is a reminder that death has lost its power for those who place their faith and hope in Jesus. Jesus has conquered both the power of sin and the power of death. Which is why the early church faced death without fear. And why they refused to bow the knee to kings and authorities whose greatest threat was death. If the resurrection is true, then death has no power and need not be feared. The Christian lives with the hope that death is followed by a new resurrected life. This...

Easter Services

Thursday 2 April 7.00pm Service of the ShadowsFriday 3 April 9.30am Good Friday ReflectionSunday 5 April 10.00am Resurrection Sunday “He is risen! Christ is risen indeed! Alleluia!” This is the traditional Easter greeting we use to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus during the season of Easter.Easter Sunday is when we celebrate our Lord’s resurrection and we invite you to join us as we gather together around the Lord’s table....

A Big Surprise

Last week we were visiting some friends when the husband showed our grandson a magic trick. He took a piece of string looped it around and got our grandson to cut it in half. He then took the two cut ends and stuck them in his mouth and when he pulled them out again the string was whole again. Our grandson was so surprised   at what had happened.  His face was a picture of incredulity as he tried to work out what had  happened.  How had the string come back together?On E...

The Humble King

Our world likes power and those who have power often like to use it to get their own way. We don’t have to look very far today to see how some of those who hold that power use it to bully others into giving them what they desire. Palm Sunday reminds us that true power is interested in serving others. As Uncle Ben says to Peter, in Spiderman, ‘With great power comes great responsibility’.Palm Sunday tells us how the king and creator of the world chose to ride a donkey, a symbol of peace and...

Truth-telling

I’m not sure about you but sometimes been faced up to a truth about yourself is not easy. None of us likes to admit that we can be better or do better even if it is true. Often, we only see those truths when we create space or remove ourselves from the daily grind of life. A few years ago, I took some time out to do some personal reflection and when I did, I discovered some truths about myself that I didn’t really like. Removed from the normal routine of life had allowed me time to look at m...

Giving up for others

Often during Lent people talk about giving something up or perhaps even fasting (going without food) as they head towards Easter. The idea is that the sense of loss we feel by going without something, reminds us of the cost Jesus faced at Easter. Sacrifice isn’t normally part of our Western thinking, we are much more used to getting more and more, not less and less. This sacrifice that we do isn’t about trying to impress God or earn brownie points with God, instead we do it our of gratefulne...

Learning to Lament

How do we respond when life turns sour and it seems as though God has left us at the very moment we most desperately need him? Sometimes we get angry, sometimes we sulk, sometimes we just give up. The people of God experienced wilderness events, times when it all seemed to have gone wrong. Psalm 13 is a Psalm of Lament and asks the question “Where are you God? How long will I have to suffer? Here’s how it goes.For the choir director: A psalm of David. O LORD, how long will you forget me? For...

Mountain Tops

A mountaintop experience is Christian jargon for a moment in time when a person encounters God in a particularly life-changing way and profound way.  It refers to a story told in the Gospels when Jesus took Peter, John and James to the top of Mt Tabor to pray. While there something happens, Jesus is transformed and two figures, Moses and Elijah appear. And then to cap it all off, God speaks proclaiming Jesus to be the Son of God.The disciples, understandably, were overwhelmed by what they h...

Buyers' Remorse

This is the expression that covers the feeling we have when we regret a purchase or commitment we’ve made – often an expensive one. I always get it when I replace my car – Did I get a good deal? Did I pay too much? Is it mechanically sound? Why does it make that strange noise?Sometimes we regret voting for the party we voted for at the election. If I’d known they were going to do that, I wouldn’t have voted for them.It seems Jesus didn’t have a lot of time for people who suffered buy...

Love others

One day a religious expert tried to test Jesus with some questions, one of which was ‘Who is my neighbour?’ The expert was looking for an out, a way to choose who they would care for. In response Jesus told the story of the Good Samaritan and in doing so gave us a model of who and how we should care. Anyone who shows care and compassion to those in need is the good neighbour. And it almost always requires something of us – time, energy, resources. In other words, loving others requires us ...

Advent Four - Love

This week we saw both hate and love displayed. The hate came in the form of two men who used their hate to gun down innocent children, women and men. It was a despicable act for which there is no justification. The love was shown by a shopkeeper, Ahmed al Ahmed, who tackled one of the gunmen and stopped him from firing at great risk to his own life. He was shot multiple times. People are calling him a hero. Jesus once saidThis is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. ...

Advent 3 - Joy

Not too long to go now for all those who find the ‘waiting’ for Christmas so hard.  I know my grandkids are keen for the big day to arrive. For them there is the excitement of presents, both the giving and receiving they are looking forward to. Even with the best of intention the story about a baby, fades to the background. And I wonder about us as adults. How easily do we get sidetracked with all the glitter and excitement and the story of the baby born to save the world, gets lost fro...

Carols

Come and join us as we celebrate the Christmas story with carols, fun and laughter.  All welcome.Sunday 14 December from 4pm...

Advent two - Peace

Almost 2000 years ago some shepherds heard angels singing and proclaiming, ‘good news’. The Messiah was born and this Prince of Peace, as the prophets called, had come to gift peace to all. Peace with ourselves, peace with others and peace with God. I wonder what it might mean for us to lay down our arms, our battles, our enmity and instead allow the peace of Christ to bring us together. This Christmas may you be the one who offers peace to those who desperately need to hear it.Got questions...

Advent One - Hope

This coming Sunday marks the beginning of the church year. Advent is about waiting and watching, something most of us are not very good at. For hundreds of years the people of God had waited, hoping for the birth of the promised Messiah. It was a long wait and over time some people began to wonder if it as ever going to happen.  Maybe God had given up on them, maybe it was just a pipedream. Until one night a messenger from God appears to a young woman and said the time had finally come – ...