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EASTER CAMPS †I AM DOING A NEW THING...
| J u n e / J u l y 2 0 1 8 | v. 1 3 4 n o . 3 |
ONLINE Recently added CONFESSIONS OF A PASTOR A general practitioner with specialist skills in a generalist environment.
~ GRANT HARRIS
A CHURCH FAMILY ON A MISSION—CRAIG’S STORY A church intentionally patterned on Alpha.
We will maintain and strengthen our Baptist distinctive. We will celebrate God’s success amongst us as we seek to “inspire each other to good works.” Hebrews 10:24
~ HOWARD WEBB EDITOR Linda Grigg | linda@baptistmag.org.nz
THE LESSONS NEVER STOP The importance of self-awareness.
~ ETHAN MILLER
GLOBAL MISSION EDITOR Greg Knowles GRAPHIC DESIGNER Rebecca McLeay PRODUCTION MANAGER Jill Hitchcock | jill@baptistmag.org.nz
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E B I R C S B U S
— Front cover photography Maryanne Wardlaw — Scripture Unless otherwise specified, Scripture quotations are from New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™ Scripture quotations from the Berean Literal Bible are copyright ©2016 by Bible Hub. Used by Permission. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. — Opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the Baptist Churches of New Zealand or the magazine’s editorial team. — The NZ Baptist Magazine is the magazine of the Baptist Churches of New Zealand and the New Zealand Baptist Missionary Society.
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Distributed through local Baptist churches in New Zealand and dependent on their contributions. ISSN 1176-8711. A member of the Australasian Religious Press Association.
WINNER OF 2017 ARPA AWARD FOR BEST DESIGN MAGAZINE
2. “Embody”— incorporate, express, represent
CONTENT 04 08 10
A word from the editor Embody is the second of five strategic mission priorities we are exploring as themes in the Baptist magazine this year. In this issue we start with an article about what it means to be Baptist, and why the Baptist vision of church, though formed more than 400 years ago, is still relevant today. We then look at how some New Zealand Baptists are outworking their faith—whether overseas or at home—by advocating for the rights of others, caring for people holistically, or building kingdomfocused relationships in their respective communities. The Listening Hui are continuing to take place. Even if you cannot physically get to one of the meetings, you still can participate in this process. Don’t miss this opportunity to have your say about the Baptist movement in New Zealand. See page 29 for details. Talking about having your say, thanks to all who participated in our recent readership survey. We will analyse the responses and report back in the next edition some of the feedback we received. We will also announce the two winners of the Marketplacers vouchers. Even though the survey has closed, you can send feedback about the magazine or story ideas to me at any time! Blessings to you.
~Linda Grigg
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FEATURE
Baptist distinctives
YOUTH
Ethical clothing
CULTURE
God at work on Makaurau Marae
NEIGHBOURHOOD & JUSTICE
Health & well-being
LEADERSHIP
PressingOn together
OUR STORIES
DIRECTORY
GLOBAL MISSION
I am doing a new thing... Stories Small bites Opportunities to serve
Baptist / F E A T U R E
BAPTIST DISTINCTIVES Rediscovering our Baptist identity
What makes Baptists Baptist? John Tucker traces the Baptist vision of church and its value for ministry and mission today.
S
ome years ago, a Church Life Survey found that among all the Christian traditions in New Zealand, Baptists have the lowest sense of denominational identity. Most people in our churches don’t see themselves as Baptists. They don’t even know what it means to be Baptist. So what does it mean? And why is it important?
A radical vision of church The Baptist movement’s one great distinctive is its vision of the church. When the Baptist movement began in 1609, the Protestant churches of Europe were state churches to which all citizens were forced to belong, whether or not they were Christians. Resistance could mean imprisonment, torture and even death. The early
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Baptists came to the conviction that these churches weren’t reformed enough. A true church, they said, is a community of believers who, in response to Christ’s call and under his direct rule, freely gather together in covenant relationship with God and each other. At the heart of this vision is a radical emphasis on “the immediate Lordship of Christ over every individual human person and over every particular gathered church.”1 Christ alone has the right to command the individual conscience, to call people into his church. No one else—not the government, not our parents— can usurp his place by forcing people to believe anything. And Christ alone commands each local church. Final authority over any local church rests not with a bishop or a national council, not even with a senior pastor or a group of elders, but with the risen Christ who promises to be present and make his will known whenever that church gathers together to seek his will (Matthew 18:20). This is the Baptist vision of the church, and it has profound implications for discipleship, leadership, worship and mission today.
Discipleship Many Christian traditions believe that discipleship—the process of becoming like Jesus—requires withdrawal from the distractions of community into quietness and solitude. Baptists, however, with their emphasis on the dynamic presence of Christ in the gathered church, believe that sanctification can only occur within the context of a tightly‑knit community. That’s one of the reasons why the early Baptists tended to meet in small gatherings of 40 or 50. They believed the gathering should be small enough that its members could truly know one another, and (in their words) “perform all the duties of love one towards another, both to soul and body.” But this kind of community, even in smaller groups, never happens by accident. There needs to be a degree of
Leadership The Baptist vision also has profound implications for leadership and power in the church. Because Christ by his Spirit speaks directly to every believer, every believer in the local church should be involved in discerning Christ’s call on that church. And because Christ promises to be present and make his will known whenever his people gather together in his name, the church meeting is the place where we can expect the Spirit to reveal the mind of Christ. The primary locus of authority in any church, therefore, is not the pastor, nor the elders, nor a national gathering of leaders, but the risen Christ in the midst of his people as they gather together in his name. Yes, the New Testament teaches that Christ gives leaders to the church. Baptists have always recognised this by appointing pastors, elders and deacons, and expecting them to lead. But one of the ways leaders lead is by resourcing church members, and listening to church members, as they gather together in Christ’s name. This vision of congregational government does not have to degenerate into bitter formal debates decided by a majority vote. The church is not a democracy. It’s a Christocracy. The goal when we gather together is not to win a vote and impose our will, but to listen to the voice of Christ, and submit to his will. In recent years, however, this dynamic of gathering together
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Pearl/lightstock.com
THE BAPTIST VISION OF CHURCH HAS THE POTENTIAL TO G E N E R AT E I N C R E D I B L E C O M M U N I T Y.
intentionality. That’s why Baptists have often drawn up formal written covenants in which they have solemnly promised to give themselves both to the Lord and to one another “whatsoever it should cost them.” It’s this practice of covenanting together that underlies our modern practice of church membership. Unfortunately, membership in most Baptist churches today has become a pathetic parody of what our forebears practised. Becoming a church member today feels more like getting your name on the electoral roll, with a right to vote at church meetings, than giving yourself to a particular group of believers in a costly, counter-cultural commitment. No wonder most people see little value in becoming church members. No wonder so many of our young adults, longing for authentic Christian community, are leaving our churches. This is a tragedy, because the Baptist vision of church has the potential to generate incredible community. If we want to see people grow as disciples of Christ, and if we want to see our churches grow, it will mean rediscovering something like the Baptist practice of covenanting together.
Baptist / F E A T U R E
Maybe the Baptist vision of church has more prophetic relevance today than we realise. has been misunderstood, mishandled, and—not surprisingly—mothballed in many Baptist churches. This is a tragedy, though, because we live at a time when our society is just starting to crave this kind of leadership. Forbes magazine recently published an article on leadership entitled “None Of Us Is Smarter Than All Of Us.” This is how it started: “Collaboration has become an essential ingredient for organizational success (perhaps even survival). As organizations move toward more collaborative cultures, a new leadership model is emerging—one that replaces command and control with trust and inclusion. The leader’s role is to encourage team members to see themselves as valued contributors, to help them build their knowledge base, expand their personal networks, and to motivate them to offer their ideas and perspectives in service of a common goal.”2 This revolutionary approach to organisational leadership sounds suspiciously to me like historic Baptist leadership!
Worship The oldest description of Baptist worship that we have dates back to 1609. It records that the worship service began at 8am with a prayer and a Bible reading. This was followed by four or five different church members taking turns to prophesy or preach out of that text. Each sermon ran for about 45 to 60 minutes, with opportunity for interaction and discussion among the congregation. At midday the members shared a meal together and took a collection for
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the poor. Then, from 2pm to 6pm, the morning pattern of worship was repeated. Besides the incredible stamina of these early Baptists, two features stand out. Firstly, notice the incredible attention given to Scripture. For Baptists, the risen Christ communicates to his people supremely through their shared reflection on his Word. Consequently, the preaching of God’s Word has always been a priority. Secondly, notice the broad participation by members. Because Baptists believe that Christ speaks through the members of his body gathered together, they have tended to encourage participation by members in worship beyond just singing. As I travel around churches, though, the two complaints that I most commonly hear about worship are these: we don’t hear Scripture opened to us, and we don’t hear from one another. Maybe the Baptist vision of church has more prophetic relevance today than we realise.
Mission Steve Holmes writes that “it is difficult to think of another Christian tradition that has so uniformly seen mission as being so central to its vision of the life of the church.”3 Baptists have been more relentlessly focused on mission than most other traditions. Why? Again, this can be traced to our vision of the church, with its emphasis on the lordship of Christ over every individual person and every local church. If Christ alone has the right to command the individual conscience, and no one can enter the church without first hearing the call of Christ in the gospel, then evangelism is an absolute imperative. And if final authority over every local church rests with the risen Christ in the midst of his gathered people, and the state’s authority has limits beyond which it must not transgress, then proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom means resisting oppressive social and political systems.
Over the last 400 years, then, Baptists have often been at the forefront of the fight against oppressive social structures. William Carey in India led the campaign to abolish sati, or the burning of widows on their husbands’ funeral pyres. William Knibb, the Baptist missionary to Jamaica, played a crucial role in the abolition of slavery throughout the British Empire. Martin Luther King Jr, a Baptist minister, directed the campaign for civil rights in the USA. Mission, for Baptists, has meant preaching the gospel of the kingdom both to lost sinners and fallen systems. Reflecting on this tradition, and the injustice in our world today, Nancy Ammerman says that “it is a great time to be a Baptist. Our cultures need us now more than ever. They need us to speak up for the rights of people it would be easier to put down.”4 Does the Baptist vision have any relevance to ministry and mission today? Unquestionably!
Story: John Tucker Dr John Tucker is Principal of Carey Baptist College. He lectures in Christian history and preaching. 1. Stephen R. Holmes, Baptist Theology (London: T & T Clark, 2012), 161. 2. Carol Kinsey Goman, “None Of Us Is Smarter Than All Of Us: Collaborative Leadership From A To Z,” Forbes, 1 May 2016, forbes.com/ sites/carolkinseygoman/2016/05/01/ none-of-us-is-smarter-than-all-of-uscollaborative-leadership-from-a-to-z. 3. Holmes, Baptist Theology, 142-143. 4. Nancy Ammerman, “The Baptist Moment: Twenty-First Century Opportunities,” in The Gospel in the World: International Baptist Studies, ed. D. W. Bebbington (Carlisle: Paternoster Press, 2002), 340-41.
Golden Sands »
an inconvenient community
C
hurch planting comes with exciting opportunities to connect with new people and to reconnect with those who have checked out from church for a while. It also comes with challenges. Every new plant runs the risk of being held together solely by the planter’s personality. When we started, I was the main person connecting lots of disconnected people. It would have been so easy for it to remain that way. New gatherings also run the risk of being the ‘flavour of the month’ church—the newest item on the large spread of Sunday’s consumer menu. So we wanted to put a few things in place that push against these challenges and draw us towards something better. Something that is a bit different, a bit inconvenient even. The Baptist vision of the church as a covenanted community has been a powerful one that has shaped much of our journey so far. Prior to our launch in May 2018, we had regular launch gatherings where we met together with our core team. We intentionally shaped these gatherings around our Baptist convictions.
People sat around tables and we finished every gathering with a meal. Someone would share for 10 minutes about one of our church values and how that interacts with the gospel. But rather than us just pushing the vision of the church, we primed them with a few questions and had them discuss and pray with each other about how God might be shaping us as a church around that value. They then shared what they felt God might be saying. Our leadership processed this feedback and used it to help shape the future direction of the church. It was an amazing process for us. Regular discussions with each other shifted us from being a community centred on me to one that’s bound to one another. And God used all kinds of people, from kids to oldies, to shape the direction and vision of the church. But the process also brought challenges for our community. Sometimes you had to sit across from someone you didn’t get on with. Sometimes your ideas got pushed back, and sometimes it went on a bit long. It’s not particularly convenient, but whoever said following Jesus was meant to be? Post-launch, we are looking at how to keep integrating these values even
as the form of our gatherings change. We are re-drafting our membership covenant to reflect our community and its core convictions. We are planning periods of time within our services where we can continue to wrestle with the big questions God might be asking us. We are also working with app and software developers to find ways to use technology to take these church conversations beyond Sunday mornings. There isn’t a template for what we are trying to do, but we are excited to see what new things God might bring about as we aim to become that covenanted community.
Story: Colin Gruetzmacher Colin is the Pastor of Golden Sands Baptist, a new church plant in Papamoa East, Tauranga, which started in May 2018. He graduated from Carey Baptist College in 2015 and is married to Hayley. Their two kids are Leo and Cora. To follow the Golden Sands journey or to support them as they get started, go to goldensands.nz.
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ethical clothing Wearing your faith on your sleeve
Emma Melville is a member of the youth group at Glen Eden Baptist Church. She tells us why she has been championing the issue of ethical clothing. Youth Pastor Daniel Marshall explains how Emma’s advocacy is impacting those around her and beyond.
W
hen you choose ethical clothing, you consider where and how your clothes are made. Are the source of the materials and the manufacturing process having a positive impact on the people and communities who make what you wear? What about the environmental impact? Closing down all unethical clothing factories would result in the loss of millions of jobs for people who rely on them to survive. Therefore the aim of the ethical fashion movement is instead to create more sustainable business models where workers get paid fair wages and work in safe conditions. This benefits the community and frees people from the poverty cycle.
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Changing perspectives “Ethical clothing first really came to be an issue for me when I was in Year 10 at high school,” says Emma. “We had to do a research assignment on a social issue, and I felt the garment industry was a topic that was, and is, so relevant to our lives. We know little about where the clothes we wear every day come from, viewing it in a light that is more ‘out of sight, out of mind’.” It was watching the film True Cost that changed Emma’s perspective and started her passion for ethical fashion. The documentary highlighted the shortcomings of the garment industry and its inability to support its workers. “It is a confronting film but it shows the reality of how unsustainable the whole system is, from those on the
Igor Ovsyannykov/unsplash.com
Baptist / Y O U T H
ground floor of the sweatshops to wider environmental issues,” says Emma. But there was something else that also convicted Emma. “As Christians, we are called to be like Jesus, and this makes me think, ‘How can we do that if we are supporting an industry that is so unjust?’” she says. “In Isaiah 58, God said the Israelites’ devotion to him should impact all areas of their lives, especially how they treated the poor and oppressed. This also challenges us as Christians in how we outwork our faith. When we buy clothes based on style and price, we overlook the workers behind them. We don’t see them as people, nor do we consider the way they are treated.”
Changing actions Emma spoke to her youth group about ethical fashion and what they could do about it. This sparked a look into how Glen Eden Baptist produced their youth ministry shirts. In the past they had chosen the cheapest and fastest option, not necessarily considering the garment industry. This year, along with several of the ‘Western Front’ youth groups, they chose to create their youth shirts and ‘hoodies’ by screen-printing onto Freeset products.1 Emma has changed her personal buying habits too, explaining she now often purchases garments from op shops and recycled clothing stores. “I am not saying I am perfect and buy everything ethically. But I am making a conscious effort to consider those on the other end of my buying purchases and how my choices inadvertently affect theirs.” A youth pastor’s perspective Daniel says that Emma is by nature quiet and reserved. So, when he heard her speak with passion and urgency about ethical clothing, he knew he needed to create a platform for her to share this and to inspire her peers and the wider youth community.
“I believe that the next generation of great communicators, activists and change makers are the youth of today. Their voices are getting stronger and their desire is to bring change sooner rather than later. I do not want to be remembered as someone who stood in their way; rather, I am looking for those with the gift, and making as much space for them as I can. “The impact of change brought through Emma has affected our youth community. It has also benefited those in another part of the world whose lives will be better because of us purchasing ethical clothing,” says Daniel. Daniel’s own buying practices have also altered. He says before he would see an item he liked and make his decision based on the price tag. Now, his first look is at the origin tag. “This isn’t an issue of clothes; it is about the people making the clothes. As Emma said, as Christians, we cannot be blind to this issue.”
Story: Daniel Marshall and Emma Melville Daniel is a Carey Baptist College graduate who is the Pastor of Youth at Glen Eden Baptist Church, where he has been pastoring full-time for five years. He is married with two children. In his spare time he is an Australasian Barbecue Alliance meat judge, which means he judges meat at barbeque competitions. Emma Melville is currently a student at Auckland University of Technology where she is studying a Bachelor of Design. 1. Freeset is an ethical fashion business located in Sonagacchi, Kolkata, India. Its products are sold in New Zealand through Marketplacers marketplacers. co.nz/our-suppliers/freeset.
Take outs... 1. How are we creating space for the activists, the change makers, the passionate ones who normally would not be heard or given a platform to share their ideas and inspire us to bring change? 2. Are we actively seeking out the voice of the next generation who could lead us into change that will positively impact our communities, our cities, our nation and this world? 3. Are we open to conversations that may make us a little uncomfortable but would release others to be who God has called them to be and to bring change how God has called them to bring change?
To find out more about ethical fashion, you can • watch the film True Cost truecostmovie.com • read the Tearfund New Zealand and Baptist World Aid Australia ethical fashion guides tearfund.org.nz/ethicalfashionguide and baptistworldaid.org.au/resources/2018-ethical-fashion-guide.
v.134 no.3 † iwa 09
Baptist / C U L T U R E
Godat workon Makaurau marae
Seeing healing come
John Catmur believes that mission starts with asking, “How can we follow God as he transforms this community?” He tells us about the journey he and Māngere Baptist Church have been on in this regard.
T
he 20th September 2014 was a special day for me, not because it was the day of the general election, but because it was the first day I made contact with Makaurau marae, Ihumātao, Māngere. There were several places to go and vote in Māngere but I chose the one that was the absolute farthest from my house—that marae. God had already put on our hearts at Māngere Baptist the kaupapa for all our marae to experience revival and become self-sustaining faith communities. We were just about to see the first fruits of that as Val Teraitua, manager of Papatūānuku Kokiri marae,
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became a Christian in a dream and went on to exert the ministry she continues to this day. So, I was in the mood for making contact with marae!
Developing relationships At the polling booth, I met Qiane, a wahine toa (strong, accomplished woman) with a vivacious personality and a happening career in photography and journalism. We hit it off so well that I went around for a cuppa a week or two later. The relationship continued between Qiane and our church, as a few months later we invited her to present stories and pictures from her whenua as the main part of
“There is something spiritual happening... and I’ve come to find o u t w h a t i t i s .” our church service. In response, we prayed for her, although she did not profess a Christian faith. A year or so later I was looking for someone with whom to practice my conversation skills in Māori, so I asked Qiane to point me to anyone she knew who could help. Through this I met matua Ike, who acts as a kaumātua on the marae, speaking regularly on the pae at pōwhiri. This is how the deal unfolded: “Matua, I came today to ask you whether you could help me with some regular conversation practice, like weekly?” Matua Ike paused, then said, “Okay, do you believe in reciprocity?” “Āe,” I replied, planning to offer him money. “Okay,” he said. “Then you will come to the kōhanga reo at our marae every Friday at 11am and you will teach our tamariki about Jesus Christ from the Bible, in te reo Māori. In return, I’ll speak to you in Māori. I’m on my own journey, but once you’ve spoken to our tamariki for a while, maybe I’ll come to your church and hear what you have to say.” What had God done? I left on cloud nine and spent the following few months growing ever closer to Ike, the kids, and various adults at the marae.
Whakamoemiti Eight months later on a Tuesday night at our church, in walked Pauline. I had met Pauline once or twice at the marae but today she came to us; Val from Papatūānuku marae had invited her along. Pauline had been a Christian for around four years. During the evening, she explained that God had given her a vision of seeing whakamoemiti (praise and worship) happening on her marae but didn’t know what to do about it. Gobsmacked, I told her that this is also what we had been praying for over the last couple of years. As we figured out what to do, I went to see matua Ike and asked him what his thoughts were and whether a hui where this could happen might be allowed. He said, “I think it’s a wonderful idea and I’ll tell you what to do. Go to our marae secretary with Pauline and ask her to put it on the agenda for the marae committee. Then go along and ask their permission. I’ve no doubt they’ll say yes, and you could start a gathering in the New Year.” They did say yes, and on Sunday 3rd December last year we gathered for the first time with the vision of seeing healing come to the community. The first principle of the hui was whakawhanaungatanga, where people could come and share freely about their lives, get prayer, and be touched by the God who answers prayer. The second principle was wānanga, where not only is the Word of God preached but there is opportunity to share thoughts and questions, right
Starting with the community When it comes to mission, if we start with the community we have different questions and different priorities to when we start from the church. When we start from the church we tend to end with the church; that is, the growth of our church tends to be our goal. Thankfully this is not incompatible with the interests of the kingdom of God, although sometimes it can be.
or wrong, on the kaupapa—perhaps a bit like Alpha. Pānia was one of the first to share. “I’ve come here today because I’m searching. I have a difficult relationship with Christianity because of colonisation. But at the same time there is something spiritual happening inside of me and I’ve come to find out what it is,” she said. We’ve now met four times—it’s a monthly thing at the moment—and each has been a small delight in its own way. It’s not as if we’ve seen hundreds come to Christ. Mostly it’s been a gathering of about 10-12, and half of that is our team. (A big mihi to Pauline, Caleb, Maanaakinui, Louise and Puti!) But I think it’s the start of something wonderful and I look forward to seeing what God will do in the coming times from this bit of mission that started from the community.
Story: John Catmur John is Pastor of Māngere Baptist Church. He grew up in the UK and has lived in Aotearoa for 10 years. After a previous pastorate at Auckland Baptist Tabernacle, God did some serious re‑wiring of John’s brain to prepare him for a radically missional approach to church.
When we start with the community, however, the question becomes not, “How can I grow my church?” but “How can we transform the community?” In fact, taking another step back again, we realise that mission really starts with God, so we ask, “How can we follow God as he transforms this community?” I hope that our work with Makaurau marae is a small expression of that. ~ John Catmur
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Baptist / N E I G H B O U R H O O D & J U S T I C E
Health Well-being Caring for the whole person
In recent years, Cambridge Baptist Church has run four community events to raise awareness of services for seniors and to provide health screening for men. Delia Edmeades and Helen Vaughan explain how, and why, the events came about.
IN
2014, Delia took on the leadership of Cambridge Baptist’s pastoral care team, with a special emphasis on the over 70s. This was about the same time that Helen joined the church. Helen has been a faith community nurse for 10 years and was keen to use some of the knowledge gained through this ministry in the church. Delia is a retired nurse/midwife, so they were on the same wavelength. “My family and I nursed my father through his last few weeks of life. This was made easier because my parents had made plans for their older years,” says Helen. “Delia and I wanted other families to think about their senior years and to plan accordingly rather than having to make decisions at a time of crisis. “Another faith community nurse had run an expo for seniors. She gave us permission to use the name and we went from there. Age Concern had run a men’s event in Hamilton during Men’s Health Week for a few years. After discussion with them, we decided to run one in Cambridge. We have now run two of each of these events.”
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Community outreach The ‘Live Well – Live Safe EXPO for Seniors’ event provides information on assistance available to seniors in the community, from practical health and safety services, to retirement facilities in the area. The ‘Men’s Health’ event aims to provide one-stop screening for a wide range of health conditions. All men receive a ‘WOF card’ to be filled out by the on-site providers. Guidelines are given on recommended health checks for men, with advice to follow up with their general practitioner (GP) if any indicators show up. “We care about people’s spiritual, emotional, mental and physical health, so we try to cover all aspects at our events,” says Delia. “It provides an opportunity for the church to serve our community. We have also held seminars on topics such as advanced care planning, the importance of having a will, and setting up an enduring power of attorney.” While Delia and Helen are the organisers, the events are run by a volunteer team of about 30 church members. The most recent Men’s Health event was held in March 2018, with approximately 200 visitors attending. Forty health providers, including three GPs and three nurses, represented 18 local businesses or organisations on the day. “Our home group helped with many of the practical tasks, and a church member who has been a domestic science teacher managed the kitchen aspect,” says Helen.
WE CARE ABOUT PEOPLES’ SPIRITUAL, E M O T I O N A L , M E N TA L A N D P H Y S I C A L H E A LT H. “Hospitality was a big part of the event. Morning tea and lunches were offered to the providers, and morning tea to the visitors. Other volunteers assisted with parking, set up and take down, and greeting the visitors.”
The future Through these events, the church has formed strong relationships with the providers, and the feedback from them and the public is definitely positive. However, it is unsure if the events will continue to be an annual fixture on the calendar. Many of the volunteer team are in their 70s themselves, so it may depend on their own health and stamina. However, it is undeniable that this outreach has been appreciated and is of benefit. As an example, at the most recent Men’s Health event, just over 50% of those
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Baptist / N E I G H B O U R H O O D & J U S T I C E
who provided screening picked up something that needed referral to a GP. Considering that every three hours one New Zealand man dies of a preventable illness, such early detection is important.1 Health and senior services providers have also expressed appreciation at the opportunity to network at events like the ones Cambridge Baptist has held. To other churches contemplating organising something similar, Helen offers some advice. “I think this type of thing needs to have the involvement of a health professional. It would not have come about for us without my faith community nursing background. I don’t think that the providers would have taken us seriously if I hadn’t been able to tell them I was a registered nurse. Our nursing also gives us the required background knowledge. So first find yourselves a faith community nurse!”2
Story: Delia Edmeades and Helen Vaughan Delia has a passion for people’s spiritual, physical and emotional well-being. She brings a wealth of nursing and teaching experience to her Pastoral Care Ministry role. Her two sons and two grandsons live overseas, so travel remains on her agenda. She and husband Greg are happy to be spending their retirement years in active service with many of Cambridge Baptist’s community programmes. Helen has been a follower of Jesus since her late teens. She is married to Barry and they have three children and
seven grandchildren. She has been a faith community nurse for 10 years and a registered nurse for 36 years. She is currently the Chairperson of the New Zealand Faith Community Nurses Association. 1. “Men’s Health Week 12-18 June 2017,” Men’s Health Week, menshealthweek.co.nz. 2. A faith community nurse is a registered nurse who uses their professional nursing skills through their church (See faithcommunitynursing.nz.) Contact admin@faithcommunitynursing.nz if you are interested in learning more about faith community nursing or in running an event like this.
“Fostering a child is so important. You can see the difference you’re making.” Nonnie and Tomo started fostering children for what they could give, not what they would gain. But six years later, they’ve gained something they never expected: a daughter.
ADVERTORIAL
Do you want to make a difference in a child’s life? Do you have a sincere desire to help a child have a better life? Can you give a child or young person a welcoming and loving home?
In their 40s, with no children of their own, the couple had no burning ambition to be foster carers – until Nonnie attended a foster care information evening on a whim. When she came home she told husband Tomo, “We’ll go for it.”
If you answered ‘yes’, we’d love to hear from you! Iosis is an Auckland-based Christian social services organisation that works with children, young people and families in vulnerable situations.
They had intended to be respite carers only, and to look after pre-teens and teenagers. However, about four months into fostering they got a call from Iosis that would change their lives forever.
Nonnie and Tomo
Four nights caring for a five-year-old girl turned into weeks, then months and years. Now they have a daughter because recently they’ve been appointed Gemma’s* ‘home for life’.
During their time as Iosis foster carers, the couple has had 20 or more children stay with them, mostly for respite care, and they plan to foster more in the future.
“Fostering isn’t easy, but it’s incredibly worthwhile,” says Nonnie. “When Gemma was about six years old, she said to me, “You can’t make it alright, but you can make it better. And that’s what we’re here to do – to teach the children to have good relationships and make their lives better. Even if you’re only in their life for a short term, you’re so important.”
“The people who foster children do it for the love of the kids and wanting to make a difference”, says Nonnie. “Gemma is not the same child who came through our door. I’m proud of the fact that, together, we have been able to support Gemma to become a very confident child. That’s what you wish for. And that’s why we’re still doing it.” Name changed to protect identities.
*
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Right now, we’re looking for individuals or families willing to foster a child or young person. It doesn’t matter where you live in Auckland, or what your background, ethnicity or culture – as long as you can offer them a safe, stable and nurturing environment. In return, we can offer reimbursement, 24/7 support, on-going training, and connection with fellow Iosis foster carers. Being a foster carer might be the most challenging role you’ll ever take on. But it could be the most rewarding too! If you’re interested in becoming a foster parent, contact Sophia Misipati at Iosis, by calling 09 281 3716 or emailing enquiries@iosis.org.nz.
Baptist / L E A D E R S H I P
PressingOn… Prixel Creative/lightstock.com
together
Multiple communities, one journey
Rick Pierce tells us about a growing initiative called PressingOn, which combines the teaching resources and networking power of seven Baptist churches in Auckland.
S
omething special happens as we eat and drink together. Whether simply enjoying the rich, full taste of a cappuccino or flat white, or appreciating the fine cuisine of a full meal, many conversations around the table have been the catalyst for empowering vision. So were the humble beginnings of what is now known as PressingOn. Enticed with the offer of a free lunch from Grant Harris (Senior Pastor, Windsor Park Baptist Church), several pastors from Baptist churches on the North Shore gathered in 2011 to hear Grant’s heart “for churches to be working together for the benefit of our communities.” Like a stone thrown into a still pond, the conversation generated a ripple effect of further conversations. This ultimately resulted in Belmont, Northgate and Windsor Park embarking on a shared journey in 2012.
Getting in sync The name for this new initiative was ‘SYNC’. This is a term more commonly used to refer to the process of connecting
our mobile devices to our computers, ensuring that the data matches, i.e. that they ‘sync’. Here were three churches, playing with one of the traditional pillars of Baptist life, our autonomy, coming together in sync. In practice, this has largely been based on a shared teaching journey where the themes of approximately 75% of our Sunday gatherings have been the same across the churches involved. To help resource the journey we created a website, www.pressingon.org.nz. The name has its roots in Scripture, where the Apostle Paul encouraged the church at Philippi to press on “toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14). The teaching series and accompanying resources are designed to help us do just that. The aim of the website is to create a place for people to find resources related to our teaching series, thus contributing to our journey of transformation to Christ-likeness, no matter where in that journey we’re at. These aspects are some of the visible signs of the network. Behind the scenes, the pastors invest time in meeting together to plan teaching series, share resources
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Baptist / L E A D E R S H I P
W E ’R E PA R T O F SOMETHING BIGGER THAN ANY ONE C H U R C H. and experiences, identify key teaching points, and share creative thought on how to communicate these. We also discuss other opportunities, outside of Sunday, to invite our communities to engage in each series. The relational health of the process is based on mutual respect, recognising we all have something unique to contribute that makes the whole richer. Our teaching series have been the fruit of this investment. Each and every time they have been far richer in their outworking than when we originally began. In addition, our times together have been an opportunity to listen to one another’s hearts, struggles and hopes, and to encourage, love and pray for each other and our churches.
A name change The journey hasn’t all been plain sailing. With the freedom to opt in and out, a couple of churches have been part of the journey for just a short period over the past seven years. Each made a valuable contribution and there’s a process of grieving we go through when their place at the table is no longer filled. At times when the journey has been more difficult, people joked about ‘SYNC’ actually being ‘SINK’. This conjured up an image of the Titanic suffering the consequences of its collision with the iceberg—obviously not the impression we wanted to communicate! Confusion also arose
at times between our use of SYNC for the network and PressingOn as the resourcing site. Therefore, the need became apparent to drop the name SYNC and refer to the whole network of churches as PressingOn. We made this name change in 2016.
The network expands As word has spread of the network, the ripple effect has continued with other pastors expressing an interest in PressingOn. The network now stretches beyond the North Shore, with seven churches journeying together through 2018. Whangaparaoa joined Windsor Park and Northgate in 2016, Franklin and Royal Oak in 2017, and Beachlands and Manukau City at the beginning of this year. A key aspect of the PressingOn journey has been the sharing and resourcing of a teaching journey. However, the potential is far greater as we continue to build on the relationships established across the Auckland churches, stretching 65km from the Hibiscus Coast in the North to Pukekohe in the South and 55km to Beachlands in the East. Autonomy and unity PressingOn doesn’t undermine the autonomy of the individual churches. There’s significant freedom for pastors to be outworking the journey within their own churches. What the initiative helps us recognise is that we’re part of something bigger than any one church and the network serves to strengthen each church’s journey, in our autonomy. More significantly, it helps display the unity that we share through faith in Jesus Christ. Today’s issues are more complex than what any one church community in isolation can resolve or at least make a positive and creative response to. There’s a great need for us to recognise we’re better together! PressingOn is evidence of that. It is similar in effect to how two oxen, when joined together, can pull significantly more than the
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combined weights they’re able to pull individually. You only need to read the comments from the Senior Pastors currently involved to get a glimpse of the positive effect the initiative is having. The impact is also experienced within the individual churches as we look to connect across the various ministry areas such as children, youth and young adults. Having a church as a whole on the same journey brings much unity and richness as the different generations bring their unique and important contribution to the table. We are indeed better together! What I have observed along the journey of the past seven years is that we all have individual stories—as pastors, churches and the people of God—but we’re all connected by the greater story of God’s redemptive work in his creation. In this we’re better together for the sake of our church communities and for our participation in God’s greater story of bringing all things together in Christ. So as Baptist churches let’s press on together. It’s as simple as having a conversation with the pastors around your vicinity—over a great coffee, of course!
Story: Rick Pierce Rick is Pastor, Spiritual Formation, at Windsor Park Baptist Church. His role with PressingOn has been described as being like an “engine room” and “a little like glue holding the relationships together and being the connecting point for each of the church pastors.” He also holds responsibility for the shaping of the PressingOn teaching series.
Neil Hamilton, Pastor | Beachlands Baptist Church Any form of isolationism can be dangerous both to the church and the pastor. So, being able to journey with a bunch of other churches has really been a no-brainer. PressingOn has connected me to an incredible bunch of pastors who have an awesome love for the church. Tim Palmer, Senior Pastor | Franklin Baptist Church Preaching-series planning is a vital ministry task. It can seem difficult to let go of and share, but incredibly worthwhile when we do. Sharing of ideas and resources has also spilled into other areas, reducing the ministry load, energising with fresh inspiration, and creating a sense of team across churches. Alastair Hall, Senior Pastor | Manukau City Baptist Church I have enjoyed getting outside input into the sermon preparation process, and our youth and children’s leaders have enjoyed meeting other leaders. PressingOn has allowed flexibility to apply teaching in our own context yet have input from others’ perspective. The Believe resource that we are using has provided great framework for this. Tony Versey, Senior Pastor | Northgate Baptist Church Northgate benefits immensely from the combined wealth of wisdom and experience within PressingOn. Strategically we work together for a well-balanced diet of topical, seasonal and exegetical teachings, trainings and online inputs for the intentional spiritual growth and development of our church communities. ‘Together we achieve more’ couldn’t be more accurate. Hamish Baxter, Senior Pastor | Royal Oak Baptist Church I love being part of a group of Baptist churches who are intentionally working together toward a common goal. More than just meeting because we should, we meet to achieve together, spur one another on, and share ideas for our worship services! The sense of belonging to something wider is life-giving. Mike Enright, Teacher Pastor | Whangaparaoa Baptist Church Being involved in PressingOn means I have a group of fellow pastors to discuss preaching themes, ideas and resources with, which is great; and it means we (the people of Whangaparaoa Baptist) get to share in the resources of other churches, which is a real blessing. Grant Harris, Senior Pastor | Windsor Park Baptist Church For many years I’d thought about how we should associate more as Baptist churches, seeking to be more effective together. PressingOn is the result of many years of thinking and a few more years of trial and error. We are better together, and our churches are richer and deeper as a result.
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Sports chaplain award In March, Sports Chaplaincy New Zealand (SCNZ) presented Grant Harris with a Chaplain of the Year award for 2017. (The award was made late because SCNZ did not hold a ceremony last year.) Grant, who is Senior Pastor at Windsor Park Baptist Church, recently finished his eighth playing season as Chaplain with SkyCity NZ Breakers. Coincidentally, the 2018 award also went to a basketball chaplain—Shane Auld who serves with the Southland Sharks (shown left in photo with Grant). Grant did his training with Sports Chaplaincy Australia (SCA) in Melbourne because SCNZ hadn’t been formally established at that time. SCA was formed in 1984 and has approximately 800 chaplains. SCNZ, which became a charitable trust in 2013, recently appointed Morrinsville Baptist’s former Senior Pastor, Phil Pawley, as its Chief Executive. It has about 50 chaplains. “There are only a few of us who chaplain professional sports teams,” says Grant. “The majority are with lower-level clubs, schools and community sporting groups. Shane and I have a heart to get chaplains throughout New Zealand basketball. Willie Bryant, who attends Palmerston North Central Baptist, was recently
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Shane Auld and Grant Harris with their awards
appointed to Basketball Manawatu.” Grant says that one of the first things Dean Vickerman, former Head Coach at the SkyCity NZ Breakers, requested on becoming Head Coach at Melbourne United last year was to appoint a team chaplain, based on his experience with Grant in New Zealand. This shows the mana with which the chaplain’s role is held. You can see a video clip of members of the SkyCity NZ Breakers team talking about Grant’s role at vimeo.com/157522089.
rawpixel.com/unsplash.com
Our stories
Church heads outside to run international street food festival Mt Albert Baptist Church (MABC) has run an international street food festival for several years. For various reasons we decided to do things differently this year, including having a much larger scale and scope than before. We realised this was a wonderful opportunity to connect with our wider multicultural community. We are blessed with a lot of great talent in our church and we regularly have special events that showcase this talent. However, from the wider community’s perspective, it is not visible. People from the community simply drive by seeing a car park full of cars. So, in faith, we planned to hold the food festival in the car park. We went further though, and for the first time we chose to hold ‘church in the car park’. We intentionally designed a programme that would appeal to our wider community. The tag line for International Ministries at MABC is ‘Celebrating diversity, building community’. We aim to raise awareness of the various cultures represented in our church community and to grow our understanding and appreciation of these different ethnicities. The programme reflected this as we celebrated this diversity through ethnic music, dance and cultural games. We also chose a theme that would attract wider community support—the international refugee crisis— and had a fund-raising element to the event as well. We partnered with World Vision to promote this and interviewed one of their representatives. A refugee also shared his story. We ran the programme from 10am-2pm on a temporary stage on the covered deck of a large truck. We had approximately 15 different international food stalls, along with various MABC ministry stalls. These included ESOL, children’s ministries, Alpha, the toy library, mainly music and youth ministries. God blessed us with beautiful weather, and more than 500 people joined us for the event, including a large number from the wider community. It was a special day enjoying delicious ethnic food, while celebrating the rich cultural diversity. We raised $4,000 for World Vision’s work with refugees overseas, and we believe some important bridges have been built into the community that is Mt Albert.
Story: Rob Lovatt, International Ministries Pastor
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Baptist / O U R S T O R I E S
AN EASTER CAMP
PILGRIMAGE Ask any youth leader at any Easter Camp, “How is camp going?” and you will get the same answer every time. “Best. Camp. Ever!” This past Easter I observed why that answer is repeatedly given. As the Baptist Youth Ministries National Team Leader, I had the opportunity, along my wife Rachel, to visit four different Easter Camps this year: Northern at Mystery Creek, Central in Feilding, Southern in Christchurch and our Intermediate eCamp at Finlay Park. We never could have guessed how traveling to four camps in four days, catching flights, following Google maps to places we’ve never been, walking through thousands of teens’ campsites and tripping over innumerable tent pegs could give us such a clear picture of God, his creativity and the love Jesus has for us all. Much like the New Testament, there is ‘unity in diversity’ with these four different, yet similar, Easter Camps. Each has its own vibe, its own personality and its own focus. It was impressive to experience how far Northern Easter Camp has journeyed into a respectful, celebratory bicultural life. It has sensitively and wholeheartedly taken on the initiative to learn and transition camp into well-paced bicultural transformation that includes bicultural worship, haka, and speakers explaining Māori concepts that all point to the presence and work of Jesus in our lives. As my daughter said after a youth group’s spontaneous haka during worship, “I love my New Zealand culture.” I could not help but believe that God was thinking the same. Central Camp was impressive in a different way. Camps tend to take a bit of time to warm up. The first night session typically starts about 10pm. Everyone is tired after driving with a hyped-out group of teens in Easter weekend traffic,
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setting up the campsite, and experiencing the aftermath of late night McDonald’s on the road. By Saturday night, a largely enjoyable, yet still slightly unresponsive crowd of teens usually sits at a camp attentively. However, at Easter Camps everywhere, by Sunday night it is all on, with worship, heart-felt response and genuine decisions made to follow or re-follow Jesus. However, Central Easter Camp was different. The entire camp seemed to be more like church. All of camp was a worshipful response to what God had already been doing leading up to Easter weekend. There was an expectancy about the teens. Friday night started like a normal camp’s Sunday night. Worship, and even the worship band, seemed to be led more by the teens’ response to God instead of the other way around. Talk around camp was that something different was happening. Something special. Want to be encouraged? Watch thousands of teens respond to God! After many years, Southern Easter Camp experienced a dry Easter. No mud. No wet tents. But God definitely reigned! Christchurch has been in the news a lot about pain and loss. Earthquakes. Loss of life. More teen suicides than will ever make sense. So Southern’s leadership team decided to change the focus and the conversation. This was a camp of joy! The music, the speakers and the many different youth group leaders all zeroed in on the hope, joy and life that comes through Jesus. And it was a party. If you ever want to get a taste of what a ‘church service’ in heaven might look like, simply visit Southern Easter Camp. I’m actually smiling as I write this just thinking about them. Our Intermediate eCamp was also a little slice of heaven, but in a different way. Picture a banquet table where all are
invited and have a chair with their name on it. That’s eCamp! Sports. Talent quest. Water slides and biscuit rides. Everyone was welcomed. In a world that abandons and excludes, the kids experienced the love, welcome and inclusion of both Jesus and his people this Easter. But what impressed me most wasn’t the outstanding programme, worship team, nor speakers. It was the church leaders who walked alongside all these intermediate-age young people. I watched leaders play with the kids, sit with the kid missing his parents, pray with kids, be ‘pranked’ by the kids, and allow themselves to get tackled to the ground by pre-teens that haven’t showered in three days. That’s love. And that spoke volumes to these young people about how much Jesus loves them. Because the people saying it loved them the same way. While each camp was different, there were definite similarities. Prayer is central. Everyone. Every day. Each camp’s volunteer teams are simply inspirational. Always serving with a smile, they daily embodied Jesus’ words to love one another. There were senior pastors everywhere! It was incredibly encouraging to meet so many senior pastors who had travelled to camp for the day to visit his or her youth group. Never underestimate the impact a senior pastor can
make by simply showing up and hanging out. Finally, each camp is led by an outstanding director: Blue (Northern), Josh (eCamp), Andrew (Central) and Laura (Southern). Not only do they not sleep, they also don’t panic, don’t over-react, and don’t ever forget to thank God and everyone else about how great their camps all turned out. The best leaders look out the window and give credit to everyone else when things go well, and look in the mirror at themselves when things don’t. These four are the best! However, the biggest uniting factor between all four of these Easter Camps is their desire to show and tell young people about the love of Jesus. Teenagers went home with hope about their tomorrow. They went home knowing they are known by someone that cares. They went home with memories that they will tell their kids about one day. And they went home with a clear understanding and experience of what Jesus did on their behalf ... simply because he loves them. If anything, they now know that God wants them with him more than anything in the universe.
Story: Brian Krum, National Team Leader Baptist Youth Ministries
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Baptist / O U R S T O R I E S
The journey keeps going Although it was exciting to graduate with a Bachelor of Applied Theology at Carey Baptist College’s recent graduation ceremony, the journey isn’t over quite yet for one Carey student. Jess Dixon was one of 81 people who graduated from Carey on 24th March but she has decided to continue with her Post Graduate Diploma in Applied Theology. Jess, her husband Jared, and their two-year-old son Elijah are Missioners based at St John the Baptist in Waitara, New Plymouth. They are exploring new ways of being church into the future. “To be honest, we’re not sure what that looks like yet,” Jess says, “but we believe it’s important to contend and grapple with this ecclesially and to reflect theologically. Studying theology at Carey has enriched my knowledge of and relationship with God so much, and we believe this season isn’t over quite yet.” Like many students, Jess has family who have studied at Carey previously and the sense of community at the college connected with her. She had some real‑world experience first working at a hospital pharmacy and starting a Bachelor of Science degree until a deep experience with the Holy Spirit led her into investigating theology. “The vibe you get at Carey was something I wanted to be a part of,” she says. “Studying theology changes your lens. I’ve re‑discovered God, and the God I know now is so much better than the God I had before. It’s epic!”
ENGAGED. LOCATED. CONNECTED.
Jess Dixon and family
0800 773 776
carey.ac.nz
Study by
Distance and beat the traffic. Why not investigate the wide variety of courses on offer in Semester 2?
Introduction to the Old Testament Thinking Theologically Mission of God Poverty, Transformation & the Gospel Revelation and the Justice of God Introduction to Preaching Christology Biblical Narrative (Old Testament)
Enrol by 27th June to secure your place. E-mail enquiries@carey.ac.nz
2018 Carey graduates
Masters programme highlights 2018 saw the largest number of graduands in our Masters programme since its inception six years ago. Four postgraduate students and nine thesis students walked across the stage and were celebrated for their unique contributions to Christian research in New Zealand. Their research covered a diverse range of topics, from evaluating the external support services used by the New Zealand Defence Force chaplains to maintain their relationship with God, to exploring the stories of Māori‑Baptist engagement in the Lower Waikato, to theosis in the theology of Hans Urs von Balthasar. Carey Graduate School is extremely proud of each of the students and looks forward to seeing their research take life and impact people across New Zealand.
New Carey Staff
2018 Carey Masters graduates
Rob Ayres—Academic Director Rob has worked in tertiary education for more than 20 years. Over the last decade he has been involved in senior academic leadership roles within an Auckland institute of technology. Most recently, he was Director of Te Waka Urungi, a programme and course development unit at UNITEC. Rob has a passion for education, teacher development, and forming a Biblical world view, and enjoys playing a range of sports. He and his family attend Titirangi Baptist Church where Rob also serves as an elder.
Tim Lim—Director, Centre for Chinese Research and Training Tim is Visiting Lecturer at the London School of Theology and was previously an adjunct lecturer at Regent University School of Divinity. He has taught courses on Global Christianity, Global Theologies amid Systematic Theology and constructive Theology and Culture, and World Religions. Tim and his family will be moving to New Zealand in time to begin teaching in the second semester.
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Baptist / O U R S T O R I E S
Hillsborough Bollywood A good curry and the latest Bollywood tunes were key ingredients for a fun women’s night out at an Auckland Baptist church. Earlier this year, Hills Church, also known as Hillsborough Baptist, was transformed into a colourful venue filled with the smell of spice and the sound of Indian pop. Now in its second year, the church’s Bollywood Women’s Night attracts more than 100 women of all ages from the community. The evening’s meal was catered for by a local chef who offered a variety of curries and a mountain of naan, which was quickly devoured. Following dinner, the women were treated to a demonstration on how to wear a sari before everyone was fitted and dressed by a team armed with dozens of donated saris. This year’s performances included classical Indian and modern Bollywood dances. This was followed by a testimony from a new Christian, musical performances and a dance tutorial.
The women were treated to a sari-wearing demonstration
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The dance tutorial is a popular part of the night as women take to the dance floor and spend the rest of the evening giving Indian dance a go. The Mount Roskill electorate, where Hills Church is based, has undergone considerable cultural change in the last few decades, transitioning to become one of the most culturally diverse suburbs in New Zealand. In response to this change, Hills Church has evolved and the Bollywood evening is just part of the church’s heart to be an intercultural family. In May, the church welcomed Anil and Reena Kant to the leadership team. The Kants are well-recognised Christian media personalities throughout Asia and will develop Hills Church’s missional and intercultural ministries. Last year, the couple visited the church and hosted evangelism training as well as a cultural music event at a local school that was attended by 300 community members.
Story: Elesha Gordon
100 women attended the event
In mid-March, more than 200 pastors, church leaders and church members gathered at Glen Eden Baptist Church for the inaugural Transform18 Conference. Former Baptist Youth Ministries National Team Leader, Gary Grut, opened the conference with a call to churches to get out of the pews and start walking their streets, neighbourhoods and communities. The passion that poured from Gary’s keynote address truly ignited a spark in the attendees that lasted for both days of the conference. Lisa Woolley, CEO of VisionWest Community Trust, showed exactly how a church and trust can work together to transform their local community, sharing lessons learned from over 17 years of leading the trust. The first afternoon was filled with workshops on everything from working with government, to practical tips on running food banks, counselling centres and community housing. The theme throughout was clear, ‘What’s in your hand ... now go and use it to meet the needs of your community’. Day two started with Bishop Justin Duckworth challenging the audience to stop talking about it and just start doing it. His gentle but firm rebuke that most of us don’t work with community not because we don’t know how, but simply because it’s messy and inconvenient, really struck a chord. Major
Campbell Roberts of the Salvation Army’s Social Policy & Parliamentary Unit painted a startling picture of just how great the need is in New Zealand. He dovetailed his keynote into Justin’s, with a challenge that God specifically called his people to meet these needs. Murray Edridge, the former head of the Ministry of Social Development’s investment fund, presented an amazing paradigm for church and government’s role in caring for our communities. He said, “The church is called to ‘care’; the government’s role is to work on ‘cure’. But as anyone who has worked at the coalface knows, you never reach cure if you don’t first have the care.” The conference ended with Sheryl Connell, Treaty of Waitangi lawyer and negotiator and VisionWest Board member, sharing her own story of journeying with the Mongrel Mob. She invited those listening into the messy, life-giving, transformative work of journeying with our own communities. The feedback from the conference has been incredible, so much so that dates for Transform19 have already been secured: 14-15 March 2019.
Story: Richard Nauk, Head of Operations VisionWest Community Trust
2018 25-27 JUNE HUTT CITY BAPTIST
STARTING AT 6PM ON 25 TH, FINISHING AT 2PM ON 27 TH JUNE KEY SPEAKERS:
TAK BHANA (FROM CHURCH UNLIMITED) JAY RUKA (LUCAS) ROBYN MELLAR-SMITH ALASTAIR HALL CRAIG VERNALL
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Equip Empower Engage
DOING MINISTRY IN A KIWI WAY
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Baptist / O U R S T O R I E S
New Regional Mission Leader for Canterbury Westland On the 8th April 2018, I concluded 18+ years as Lincoln Baptist’s Senior Pastor, in order to pick up the Regional Mission Leader role for Canterbury Westland from the 1st May. About a year ago I remember reading in Deuteronomy 1:6 “You have stayed long enough at this mountain.” As I read these words, I was surprised. I knew God was preparing Christine and I to move on, and so we have. It took a year to figure out where to. Christine and I are committed to working alongside other churches and pastors in the region. We believe in the priesthood of all believers working together under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. That’s what motivated me to go from being a high school art teacher to youth pastoring, to studying at Carey, then pastoring at Lincoln Baptist while latterly going on our Association Board, and then becoming Chairperson of the Board. So, what excites me most about this role? People. We have a great CWBA Board. I’m looking forward to working with them in creating a regional team in the next 12 months to help churches get on with the gospel imperative of making disciples. And similar to the role of a telephone operator, I’m also looking forward to connecting people across our churches for the purpose of sharing our resources and skills as the Holy Spirit leads. I’m also looking forward to being surprised by God as he breathes new life into our region.
Story: Kim Peters Regional Mission Leader Canterbury Westland Baptist Association
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Winston and his wife Katrina with two of their children
New National Administrator appointed Winston Hema begins his role as the new National Administrator for the Baptist Churches of New Zealand on 5th June. Winston is married, with three young children. He is a member of Long Bay Baptist Church and was baptised at Te Aroha Baptist Church. He belongs to the iwi Ngāti Kahungunu te Wairoa. He is a qualified Chartered Accountant, and spent a number of years working at the Inland Revenue as an investigator. More recently he’s been a company accountant. “I was attracted to the National Administrator role because I feel called to serve the Lord with the skills and talents that he has given me, and this role provides an amazing opportunity to serve,” says Winston. “Jesus saved my life and has given me so much. The chance to use my professional skills and experience to assist the churches across New Zealand is an honour and a privilege.” Winston has served in a number of leadership positions within the church. He recently led a team to India to visit Freeset. He is a member of the Long Bay Baptist Church Development Committee, assisting with the financials and providing advisory services for the project. He has been a youth leader, and has led young adult and young family small groups. He also led Long Bay Baptist’s CAP Money programme through 2014-2016, and for the past two years he has provided free community accounting services from the church as a missional outreach. In his spare time, he is a keen sportsman. He plays touch rugby and golf. He has coached schoolboy touch rugby and rugby league teams. “I am currently studying the Māori art of taiaha in the Tū Taua course at Te Wānanga Aotearoa, which is very energetic. I also love spoken word poetry and the beautiful oratory gifts that God has given people,” says Winston. “I am so thankful to Jesus for the amazing life he has called me into. I often look back and thank God for his many blessings over me, my whanau and friends. I have significant respect for the former National Administrator, Daniel Palmer. I believe he did an excellent job and I hope to continue the good work he has done.”
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meet… Cor & Susan
humble servants
Cor and Susan Reyngoud attend Connect Baptist Church. This is their story.
What led you to Connect Baptist? Cor: Peter, our youngest, drowned on a Boys’ Brigade trip when he was 16 years old. We had a successful woodcraft business but after his death I lost interest in the business and sold it, and took early retirement. We asked Brian Smith, who was the Carey Baptist College Principal at the time, whether there was a church he knew of somewhere between Pukekohe and Wellsford that needed a hand. He said there was a new church that had started at Manukau Central (now known as Connect). We came from Epsom, so we had to find a house when we went there. I had always dreamed of building our own home. We bought a two-acre plot, got an architect to design it and I built it. Tell us about the English classes you started there Susan: The church playgroup had a bit of a playground. A Taiwanese couple brought their children down to play in the sandpits. They then started coming to church. We asked how we could help migrants like them. The wife said, “We learnt English at school but we don’t know Kiwi.” I heard a voice saying, “Perhaps we can help you.” I looked around to see who was talking and it was me! So we offered conversational English classes. We’d meet together at our place, have morning tea, and talk about Kiwi slang. Sometimes you had to swallow your pride and say some rude words to explain what other people meant when they said them, and to warn them not to use those words! I would also have a weekly Bible verse and go through the different sections of the Lord’s Prayer or something like that, to give them the meaning of the words. Cor was able to help the guys with practical things, like explaining the difference between lead-based and water-based paint, and answering their gardening questions. Over the years about 100 people were reached, with weekly attendances ranging from five to 20.
Most weren’t Christians to begin with, and having them come to our home bridged the gap. A lot of them started attending our church and some became Christians. One of them married one of the church elders!
Hospitality is important to you, isn’t it? Cor: When I arrived in New Zealand, the only English word I knew was ‘hello’ because it sounds the same in Dutch. One Sunday I went to a church but nobody talked to me. The next Sunday a mate and I went to Royal Oak Baptist. We were living temporarily in an old army camp at the time. A couple from the Baptist church came and visited us at the camp and took us to a family who befriended us. I ended up boarding with them and I became like their second son. Susan: You don’t have to preach; you just have to be hospitable. Welcome people. Be prepared to sit there with your mouth shut. That’s important. It’s not: “I know the answers.” It’s: “I want to know what you need. I will help you where I can.” You have a challenge for people contemplating retirement. What is it? Cor: A number of people, when they retire, sell their house and relocate somewhere cheaper to make some money. Instead of going to another strong church I think it would be good if they looked around to see if there is one that really needs their help. Susan: I think when you go to a new place, you’re there to support. You’re not there to tell them what to do. We sat at Connect for over 12 months, just going along, being part of the worship. So, be prepared to sit and just support. A new church likes financial support particularly! Then when the time comes, God gives you the opportunity like he gave us with the language class. He just opens the door. It’s amazing. God opens doors; be prepared to walk through them.
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meet… Judith Smith Volunteer
Judith Smith attends Caversham Baptist Church. This is her story.
Who do you volunteer for and what do you do there? I am the fill-in receptionist for Servants Health Centre. I cover the lunch break one day a week, plus any days the usual receptionist is away. The centre is a Christian‑based non-profit organisation and Dunedin’s only free healthcare clinic. All the doctors, nurses and counsellors are volunteers. They provide a wide range of services from lifestyle advice to minor surgery. We also sometimes provide small food parcels as our local ‘food share’ charity donates a few items to us each week, plus we provide tea and coffee while patients wait and sandwiches for those who haven’t eaten. What is your work background? For most of my working life I was in the hospitality industry but on becoming a Christian I felt I needed to do something else. I was living in Auckland at the time and I found work in the shop at Auckland Hospital. On my return to Dunedin, after two years of unemployment, God intervened and I became a workplace chaplain. I always loved meeting people and being of use. Volunteering is nothing new for you, is it? In the past I have volunteered in Hospice, Salvation Army and Save the Children shops, two of which have since closed. I was a Victim Support volunteer for seven years and a volunteer receptionist at a Zulu Bible college in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, for more than four years. When I turned 70 I thought I might stop, but God had other ideas. For the life of me, I can’t remember where I saw the job at Servants advertised. My reason for volunteering was mainly a desire to help where I could and because it makes me feel good. So now I do Servants Health Centre and once a fortnight at our Orphans Aid shop—and hopefully that won’t close! What part does your faith play in volunteering? It plays a huge part as I see it as being a servant. In the past I have not been able to talk about my faith or God, especially when I was with Victim Support. But I was able
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to answer the question, “Why do you do this?” with a brief statement about my faith and leave it up to God. Even if you can’t openly speak of your faith where you volunteer, you can pray, and I think that is a huge privilege. God can do amazing things through our prayers.
How has volunteering at Servants impacted you? Wow, where do I begin? It has made me realise that I must love others as God loves me. We have stressful situations at the clinic as many of the patients are either mentally unwell or on drugs and alcohol. It highlights to me that the amazing people I work alongside are some of the kindest, compassionate and most gifted people I have met. Because I grew up in a home with mental illness and alcohol abuse, I am not always that compassionate toward such people. God being the amazing God that he is—and having a great sense of humour—knew where to put me in order to rub off some of the hard edges! It is a strange thing but sometimes I forget who I was before Christ entered my life at the age of 40. Being at Servants reminds me of that in a positive way, and I trust I am becoming a little more like Christ. What would you like to say to others considering volunteering? Do it! No matter what you do, it is rewarding because you are helping to make someone’s life better. It will also give you a sense of well-being and achievement and is good for the brain. I had been a receptionist before but never had had to cope with a computer system like Medtech, but I learnt and I am sure it renewed some of my brain cells! So, go for it.
Assembly Council
update Kia ora church whānau, This is the first of a new segment for the Baptist magazine where I get to let you know about what we have been prayerfully considering as your Assembly Council. Over the past few months, a number of key issues have been considered, as well as new initiatives formulated. As you will be aware, we have begun our regional Listening Hui throughout the country. There was a clear sense that this was the right way to take stock of both the exciting and challenging aspects of Baptist life around the whenua in anticipation of new leadership.
The resignations of both our National Leader Craig Vernall and our National Administrator Daniel Palmer have been a point of serious and prolonged prayerful consideration. A thorough review and process has been established to see us into the next season as a denomination. Kelvyn Fairhall stepped in as National Administrator for a season and we have been very grateful for his experience and wisdom during this time. On 5th June Winston Hema takes the reigns as our new National Administrator. We look forward to his knowledge and insights at the national office and with the team at the Assembly Council table. I also had the privilege of standing in for Craig Vernall in April as other major denominational heads and advisors met with our Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern for the first time. Accompanied by Lisa Woolley, CEO of VisionWest, we had the privilege
of presenting, with the other heads of churches, a paper jointly prepared on the topics of child poverty, housing and climate change. What a privilege it is for the churches of Aotearoa to meet biannually with our Prime Minister. Long may it continue. Until next time. Ngā mihi nui Rob Stacey Assembly Council Chair
Assembly Council acts as the Assembly between annual Baptist Assemblies (Hui) and provides leadership for our Baptist movement. It is responsible for establishing policies and practices consistent with the determinations of Baptist Assembly and the well‑being of the movement.
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y the time this magazine goes to print, the Listening Hui will be halfway through and by all reports, this has been a valuable time. Thank you all for taking the time to pray and listen to the Spirit over these issues.
Windsor Park Baptist Church Wednesday, 6 June
ld he om be fr ill e pm w nu –9 ui ve r 7 H e ch o Th t ea 3pm a 1–
Whangarei Central Baptist Church Thursday, 7 June
Manukau City Baptist Church Wednesday, 13 June
The remaining Listening Hui, hosted by Rob Stacey and Josie Te Kahu, will be held at venues as per the map, so make sure you get along to kōrero on the following questions: 1. What is your current view of us as a movement? Reflect on both positive and negative aspects. Where are you seeing growth? 2. What would you like the future of our Baptist churches to look like? How do we achieve this? Consider both barriers and solutions. 3. What help would you like to obtain from outside the church? What role would you like the National Leader to play in this? 4. What level of importance does your church place on being resourced for mission?
Palmerston North Central Baptist Church Tuesday, 12 June
Please make sure you send in your submission to ac@baptist.org.nz so that these can be collated and assessed through an independent review team, reported back to Assembly Council and then communicated to you before the 2018 Baptist Hui.
Wellington Central Baptist Church Monday, 11 June
Gospel Perspective/lightstock.com
Baptist / O U R S T O R I E S
100 Years Ago A Risky World The old earth is not perfect. It’s largely wild. It has untamed elements in it. The God who made it was great enough to make it like this. There is something in you which can appreciate His great venture. It would seem as though when this planet of the sun grew ripe for life, that He resolved to make it a world of suggestions, of potentialities, of all sorts of hidden attractions and repulsions. He resolved to place it in the hands of a race that should be free in their will and unformed in their character; who could say “Yes” or “No,” to the tremendous propositions with which life confronted them. He did so. But the men He made said “Yes” and “No” in the wrong place, and brought down on their heads misery and tragedy. And then God was great enough to stand back. A little God would have rushed in at once to put things straight. He would have recalled His gift of freedom, and have made men good by fiat. But the God of the Christian faith was great enough to keep
to the rules He laid down. He was great enough to let the great adventure proceed with help from the spirit world quietly and in response to human desire granted. He is still doing so, and He is going to win. If God had come to us and said, “I am going to make a world that will be rough and contradictious. It is a world that may become the grandest of the stars if it is handled right. It is a world that will certainly become cruel and tragic if it is handled wrong. I offer you the chance of taking part in its life. Its perils I admit. You may be hurt. You may be killed. It’s a real adventure, with real dangers, and great heroisms attached. Are you willing?” Every one of us, and every one of His angels would have said, “Yes.” He knew we would, and so He didn’t ask us. We just came. Isn’t God great!
Baptist Magazine, June 1918 (abridged)
In Memoriam
Des Jones
It is with sadness that we acknowledge the recent death of Clarence Desmond Burson Jones, known as Des. He served the Baptist movement for 35 years with his late wife, Joan: Māori Department (Māori Ministries) 1956-71, North Invercargill-Glengarry (now Eastside) 1971-77, Hillcrest 1977-88, and Huntly 1988-91. Des, a widower, passed away on 15 April 2018. We extend our sympathy, love and prayers to Des’s children and grandchildren at this time. An obituary will be in the August issue of the magazine.
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What’s on your mind? A poem Feet Washing I wash your feet, Not because I must but because I want to. Whether your feet are covered in corns, callouses, Grime or animal dung, Or step pristinely out of a shower, I’d still choose to do it anyway, So there we go, warm soapy water and a simple sponge, Sliding around your ankles, smearing between toes, Tickling the soles of each foot, Taking away the hard bitterness of a life lived On the land and in the street. Feet washing is an act of humble service. In genuine humility we place someone else Before ourselves, above ourselves! They are important, worthy of respect and dignity, No matter who they are, No matter what they have done Or where they have come from. In the humble words of he who washed me, Whoever wishes to be first must be last, And whoever wishes to be first must be servant to all. It really is simply, as hard as that!
Poem: Stephen Davies Stephen has been a primary teacher for 32 years, more recently combining relief teaching with tennis coaching. He and his wife live in Christchurch and are members of South West Baptist Church. He has written some 15 volumes of poetry, both sacred and secular. This poem is taken from a collection by Stephen called A Rabbi Walked This Way © 2017, and is used with permission.
Directory FUNERAL SERVICES
NEWLANDS BAPTIST CHURCH 50TH ANNIVERSARY
CO-PASTOR
18TH & 19TH AUGUST 2018 REGISTER NOW! All who have a past or present association with Newlands Baptist Church are warmly invited to join us. LET US HELP YOU THROUGH...
FOR MORE DETAILS CONTACT 50th@nbc.net.nz | 04 976 5413
Dignity, sensitivity, and respect are the hallmarks of H Morris Funeral Services and we are proud to be able to provide funeral services to suit your needs and financial circumstances.
SOLE PASTOR
Our staff are available to you twentyfour hours a day to help put in place funeral plans, provide advice, and take care of all of the details to make the service meaningful and appropriate. 31 OCEAN VIEW ROAD, NORTHCOTE 09 489 5737 office@hmorris.co.nz hmorris.co.nz
GAY & CHRISTIAN
PONSONBY BAPTIST
Gay & Christian support & discussion group monthly meetings 027 279 4461 office@ponsonbybaptist.org.nz ponsonbybaptist.org.nz/gay-andchristian-information
We are seeking a part-time Co‑Pastor for three to four days a week to work alongside our current part-time Pastor, taking primary responsibility for: • leadership and leadership development • growing the Church in areas of children, youth, families. The person we are seeking will: • put God first and be led by the Holy Spirit
Mangere Bridge Baptist is a growing, community-focussed, multicultural Baptist church situated in Mangere Bridge, Auckland. We recently completed the construction of our new church building and, with the upcoming retirement of our current Pastor, we are seeking to appoint a new Pastor. We believe God is calling a person who is passionate for Jesus with strengths in leadership and vision and the skills to run an effective multicultural ministry. IF YOU THINK THIS MIGHT BE YOU, AND WOULD LIKE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE ROLE, PLEASE EMAIL US AT search@mangerebridgebaptist.com
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• have a passion to draw youth and families to Christ • have great communication and management skills • be able to identify, inspire and develop leaders and teams • tertiary level training and qualification in theology and ministry is desirable but not essential. Our Church is a family of around 140 people from diverse backgrounds, desiring to serve our community. Motueka has a great climate, beautiful beaches and mountains close by.
FOR AN INFORMATION PACK EMAIL treasurer.motbap@gmail.com OR PHONE ALASTAIR CURRIE ON 021 070 1515 CLOSING DATE 16 JULY 2018
Glo bal Mis si on Photo of the month Tranzsend workers are ordinary people doing extraordinary things. Recently the workers from one South Asian country met with NZBMS General Director, Rachel Murray, and a visiting New Zealand media team. If you recognise any of our team members, please pray for them—if you don’t recognise them, pray anyway!
TOG ETHER W E CA N RE A C H T H E W O RL D
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A word from Rachel MAKING ALL THINGS NEW The 2018 Prayer and Self Denial appeal is well underway. With the theme of ‘Made New: He Auaha Hōu’, a first Scripture that often comes to mind is 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV): “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come. The old has gone, the new is here!” For NZBMS personnel overseas but equally so for all followers of Jesus here in Aoteaora New Zealand, this is what we are about. Through the work of Christ on the cross we have been made new, and we are called to share and show Christ so others would know, the old can be gone and the new can come. It is key for new life in people but it also translates to physical space and its use, how we deal with time, how we engage with other generations, to prayer, to ministry activity, to business and so on. Is Christ central to all we do and how we do it so that the old has gone and the new can come? Are we willing to try new things, go to new places, engage with new people for the sake of newness in Christ? How is Christ making things new in your context?
I am doing a new thing… Through the prophet Isaiah our God says, “See, I am doing a new thing!” (Isaiah 43:19 NIV). Today, he continues to do new things in order to touch and challenge the lives of people. For many
Among the poor, Among the proud Among the persecuted, Among the privileged Christ is coming to make all things new.
of those new things, he is using the men
In the private house, In the public place In the wedding feast, In the judgement hall Christ is coming to make all things new.
doing in order to transform lives.
With a gentle touch, With an angry word With a clear conscience, With burning love Christ is coming to make all things new. That the Kingdom might come, That the world might believe That the powerful might stumble, That the hidden might be seen Christ is coming to make all things new. Within us, without us, Behind us, before us In this place, in every place, For this time, for all time Christ is coming to make all things new. © Gathering for Worship. Patterns and Prayers of the Community of Disciples. The Baptist Union of Great Britain. gā mihi nui, N Rachel Murray, General Director
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tranzsend.org.nz
and women of Tranzsend. In this month’s edition, we feature three new things he is
Baby Clinic—South Asia Our local newspaper reported that, each evening, in the red-light community near our apartment, 11,000 women ‘stand in line’ waiting for customers. The freedom businesses who employ those wanting to leave the line are growing steadily but there are still thousands of women who, for a variety of reasons, cannot leave. A freedom business started by a New Zealand couple established a community centre in the main lane where most of the women stand. Women from the community call into this centre, for a break, to paint their nails, to attend a language class, to check their blood pressure, or simply to escape the reality of their world for a while. It goes without saying that some of the women who stand in line will inevitably have children and, of those who call in to our community centre, a number are mums with new-born babies. In New Zealand, we are fortunate to have Plunket looking after new mothers and their babies—in our community there is no such support structure. Our vision is to do something to meet this need. Plans are well underway to start a baby clinic for the new mothers in the community. It will be a weekly clinic
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where the weight and size of babies are checked to ensure proper growth; a check is made on each baby’s sight, hearing and general development, and advice on good nutrition is provided. If we have concerns about any children we see, there is a free medical clinic with a visiting doctor that meets nearby each evening when we hold our clinic. We would appreciate your prayers for the development of this baby clinic. Our vision is to serve the mothers and babies we have contact with, and to proactively demonstrate the love of an eternal heavenly Father.
Reasons to Celebrate— South-East Asia Thai love a good party! Christmas 2016, it was decided to hold a party for the village of Naa next to CK village. For the past six years we had taught English to the children at CK village and Naa had now requested that we teach English at their village. At the party there was music in the local style and lots of presents and prizes. A believer from CK village told the locals why we celebrate Christmas. An announcement was also made that English classes would begin for the children in the new year. Move forward to the end of 2017— another Christmas party and a year of teaching English at Naa. Towards the end of the night, we heard the exciting news that two women from Naa village had prayed to receive Jesus as their Saviour. These two women had come to the 2016 Christmas party where
they first heard about Jesus. They were interested in the message but not sure they should trust the messengers because they had not met them before. Now, a year later, these two women met an older lady who they know—a believer from CK village. With two other believers, this older lady explained more about Jesus and the two women decided they wanted to follow him. A cell group began shortly afterwards. These ladies attended. One of them has a husband who for years had problems with his legs. He walked with crutches and had been unable to work. Lou from CK village told this woman to pray for healing in Jesus’ name. Soon after, Lou received news that the husband had thrown his crutches away, and was walking and back working! Last week another woman turned up at the cell group. She has some troubling family issues and had been to all sorts of people and places for help but to no avail. She asked, would they pray for her? I think I feel another party coming on this year!
Perspectives on Mission When I undertake research on the modern mission movement, I feel (to quote Eric Liddell) God’s pleasure. Having lived and worked in Asia, treading the footsteps of the Serampore Trio,1 reading their letters, diaries and books, being accustomed to the same climate and culture, their purposeful passion stirs my heart. Their unfaltering commitment to the
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missio Dei profoundly challenges me. Their compassion for the least, the little and the lost, confronts the callousness of my soul, like a contagion of grace, waking it up from its continual slumber. Did I sufficiently “expect great things from God?” Have I diligently “plodded and persevered” to fulfil the call God placed on my life? For me, to do historical research is to participate in the mission of God as expressed through the history of his people; a way to “attempt great things for God”.2 Like digging for nuggets of gold, lost in the annals of history, waiting to be uncovered. It is to understand what drove the mission movement then, and to inspire a new generation for mission now. Moreover, in doing research I join a quest undertaken by recent scholars to uncover our real heroes, to understand the realities of their sacrificial lives. It attempts to demythologise the way we have understood mission history. My own experience as a Dutch-BengaliKiwi may have provided me with a unique perspective. In a nutshell, I research to bring about justice to the past, in order to become a better practitioner in the present. I am hopeful it will enable me to write more intelligibly and contribute relevantly to the field, and to be enriched by a new understanding of God’s mission through well-directed research. In this process of (un)learning, reflection, questioning and re-learning, my hope and expectation is that we all will be transformed, to be able to discern “the good, well-pleasing and perfect will of God” for our own missions journey.3
1. The co-directors of the Serampore Mission: William Carey, Joshua Marshman and William Ward (from 1800–1823). 2. Carey’s famous watchword, quoted in George Smith, The Life of William Carey: Shoemaker and Missionary (London: John Murray, 1887), vii. 3. Romans 12:2 (Berean Literal Bible).
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Demographics In this column we give details of the nations
STORIES
Stories of Treasure and Transformation
NZBMS are working in. Please use these as a prompt to pray for these places, our people and the communities they serve. (For security reasons, we cannot name the nations). Known for its poverty, this vibrant South Asian city is a mega-city, home to 14.1 million people living on under 2,000 km2 of land.
Economy: Once the leading city in its nation, this city went through a time of huge economic decline. In the last few decades it has been revitalised to some extent through the growth of a number of manufacturing industries, including heavy engineering, agriculture, electronics, textiles and jute. Education: The city’s literacy rate is 87.14%, greater than the national average of 74%. While there are many schools and universities in this city, poverty means many people do not have the opportunity to attend. Climate: The city’s annual mean temperature is 26.8°C, with many months experiencing an average in the high 20s or low 30s. The humidity is high, however, making the hotter months quite uncomfortable. The monsoon climate results in a high rainfall—over 400mm during its peak month. Religion: According to the 2011 census, the religious make-up of this city is: • 76.51% Hindu • 20.60% Muslim • 0.88% Christian • 0.47% Jain • 0.45% other religions, including Sikh and Buddhist. The need: For our workers the initial challenges are language-learning, the oppressive humidity, and the sheer number of people who crowd the streets and make it a challenge to travel from one place to another. A major challenge facing this city is the influx of males who come from rural areas to seek work. This leads to other social problems including that of sex-trafficking—this city is home to one of the largest red-light districts in Asia. New Zealand Baptists are represented here primarily by people who have established a number of freedom businesses and associated businesses to give those working in the sex-trade an opportunity to find freedom. Please join us in praying for them.
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We love sharing the different ways God is transforming the communities we are a part of. In this month’s edition of ‘Stories’, we feature two accounts where the significance of Jesus has been a great inspiration to the people we serve.
I t ’s t h e small things Rula has taken most of the responsibility for the three ladies who make up our cleaning team. Two of the ladies are new to the team and one is a real gem—she works hard and has great initiative. Despite having a deformed hand due to some incident with electricity in the past, there is very little that she will not at least attempt, and usually succeed, in doing. From the time she joined us, she wore a black plastic watch. She would often adjust it while we were chatting and would regularly check it for the time. Then one day she wasn’t wearing it. Because she is responsible for cha-making (making tea for everyone at morning and afternoon tea time), it’s important that she knows what the time is. On the day when I first noticed she wasn’t wearing her watch, she received quite a fright when, in response to her asking what
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the time was, we told her it was just 15 minutes until cha time. She gave a little scream and scurried off to complete cha preparation. It was then that Rula informed me that the watch didn’t actually work; it never did. Regardless, this pint-sized whirlwind had been wearing and checking it, proud to have such a possession and to be able to tell the time, even though she had to rely on timepieces other than her own watch. My suspicion is that she had been quietly asking people for time checks throughout each day. Rula and I immediately concocted a plan to help our friend tell the time more easily. We couldn’t purchase a watch for her because that would cause discord with others. Instead, we found a wall clock which had not been in use for some months, installed a new battery, and gifted it to the cha-making kitchen. The result was one very happy cleaner/cha-maker. She appeared at my door, her face wreathed in smiles and full of effusive thanks.
L e t ’s t h r o w a p a r t y for young people with disabilities For some time now, I’ve been visiting a school for children with autism, spending time with them and their parents. People in the fellowship I attend often ask if they can come with me. I have to say, “no,” but did promise that if ever there was a oneoff event where I needed helpers, I’d let them know. Then I had the idea of a Jungle Party! It began with me throwing out an invitation to possible voluntary helpers to attend an organising meeting. Fifteen people turned up eager to take on responsibility for crafts, costumes, decorations, communications, enrolments: all those tasks that are too much for one person. Two months later, the evening before the party, a group of volunteers came together to cut, glue, and prepare craft materials and decorations in readiness for the big day. Many people had enrolled and the team was excited about being able to serve in this way. The next evening, a large group of happy parents and their children arrived at the community centre we had transformed into a jungle. Greeted by smiling volunteers, they were handed a painted welcome bag with a treasure hunt, a jungle-themed
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It struck me how small things can make such a difference to a person’s life. Overlooking the watch that doesn’t work and instead gifting a tool to give some independence and make the day easier. These small things are often what those outside of the faith, or new to it, notice.
From Jo in South Asia could enter one of the activity rooms: the craft room (to put together some of the beautiful crafts especially designed by an artist on our team), the headband room (to work with a volunteer to create an elephant, toucan, or monkey headband), or the jungle room (amongst colourful decorations and leafy plants, they could sit by the cellophane campfire or in a tent listening to one of the volunteers read a story). Before long, almost everyone was in the jungle room, drawn in by the music streaming from it. Here they encountered volunteers dressed as tigers, butterflies and parrots swaying a big rainbow parachute, or leading the children through animal dance moves with jungle rhythms and big artificial-grass pads equipped with homemade electronics. The children discovered they could leap on these and contribute different sounds to make up a song. The looks on the parents’ faces just blew me away. Two months of organising couldn’t prepare me for how good it felt to see parents arriving with their children, and to see how enthusiastic the volunteers were to minister in this way. Through hard work and a great deal of dependence on the Father, we were able to show love to cy pectan x e e these families. I think f li the people What is tween and this is something e b e c differen ped nations worth repeating—the lo in deve r nations? volunteers have already poo ge 38 started talking about it. r on pa Answe
venue map, and a soft-toy. Following animal footprints, they
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SUPPORT NEEDED
SMALL BITES
A REMINDER TO PRAY Tēnā koutou katoa. My name is Josie Te Kahu, and in my role as President, I sit on the NZBMS Council (first, during my term as VicePresident, and then as President, until November 2018). I haven’t had the privilege of travelling overseas to observe first-hand what is happening in our mission fields, but I have spoken to several of the returning Tranzsend workers. It strikes me as I see, hear and read about what is happening in the spaces where NZBMS serve, prayer remains a vital factor. While we can think of many things to do to achieve much for God, that we should simply pray seems almost an afterthought. Yet here is where we lose the vital connection to God because we are all called to the mission of making God known to the world. So, if this is our ultimate goal, then we best be asking, in every situation and at every crucial decision, be it big or small, “God, what would you have us do?” We need more prayer and we need more praying people. It places us in the right posture for serving. It stops us from doing what is human and allows us to see the hand of God move and his will unfold. What might mission look like if we all got busy praying? Thank you for your prayers for all aspects of mission, N MISSIO be it overseas or here in Aotearoa. Not all are called to ‘go’, but all are called to the mission of 20 yrss: 77.1 yrs making God known in tion pe d na s r lo y e v .9 e this world, and we are D 55 ations: Poor n all called to pray.
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38 toru tekau mā waru † v.134 no.3 baptistmag.org.nz
Roanna and Andrew and their three boys Noah, Miles and Theo live in a small provincial town in a poor, drought-prone, rice growing area of South East Asia known for its hot temperatures and spicy food. It is a strongly Buddhist region; less than 0.5% of the population are believers and there are few Christian churches. Roanna and Andrew seek to empower the local people to transform their lives and communities in the following ways: • Encouraging believers—life for believers here is often hard so we seek to encourage, equip and support these believers by walking alongside them in their daily lives. • Nurturing language—we believe that the heart language of the local people here is one of the keys to opening lives to the good news, so we seek to nurture the use of this language amongst believers. • Loving the least—we seek to love and serve those considered the least in this society, to show them their value and to help them find freedom and fullness of life in Jesus. “As a family, we continue to dream that this region would be transformed to be like a city on a hill that shines the love and truth of God into the surrounding provinces and nations.” Find out more about how to support one of these people— email info@tranzsend.org.nz.
OFFICE ARRIVALS Finance Manager: Felicia Spierings has been appointed the new Finance Manager for NZBMS. Felicia has over 20 years’ experience in the finance sector. She and her husband have two young adult children, attend Mt Albert Baptist, and have been a part of the Baptist family for many years. She commenced her role with NZBMS on 28 May. Communications Manager: Kathryn Willoughby has been appointed NZBMS’s Communications Manager on a one-year contract. Kathryn has a strong passion for mission and has served on a number of short term mission trips around the world, the most recent being a three-month stint in the Middle East. She brings with her a broad range of writing and promotional experience, having worked across a number of reputable companies, and we look forward to the creative and fresh perspective Kathryn will bring to the role.
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OPPORTUNITIES TO SERVE NZBMS, through Mission World, present the following opportunities to join in God’s mission by joining with Tranzsend or one of our other strategic mission partners. • Office Administrator (Arab World) with Interserve. For an NGO working alongside local community and government ministries. The NGO has opened up a new branch and is needing an organised, flexible and hospitable individual to help them. • Medical personnel (Cambodia) with OMF. For a community clinic. Opportunities for GPs, surgeons, dentists, nurses, therapists, nutritionists and laboratory workers. • ESOL teacher (Bolivia) with SIM. For a language learning ministry with the Quechua people of the Andes. • ESOL teachers (East Asia) with Tranzsend. An opportunity to be part of a high quality and growing language school.
• Linguists, teachers, IT technicians, maintenance personnel, translators (globally) with Wycliffe. A range of possibilities and opportunities to contribute to Bible translation work in rural and urban settings. • Area Director of Maintenance (Kenya) with MAF. To ensure MAF’s flight operations in Kenya, South Sudan and Tanzania operate with airworthy aircraft and scheduled aircraft maintenance is accomplished within allowable timeframes. • Range of roles (Arnhem Land, Australia) with Pioneers. To equip and support the local church in partnership with MAF. • IT support technician (Brazil) with WEC. To serve in WEC’s mission training college in Monte Claros.
For more information and to express an interest email info@missionworld.org.nz or phone 09 526 8446.
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