Portal (Issue 02) by BotanyLife Community Church

Portal

Issue 02 | October - December 2011

Responding to Christchurch {Letter to Christchurch} Making a (small) Difference / Todd & Sheree Hughes / SwitchOn Camp / Family Service New Community Group / Mainly Music, Fatherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day / Parenting Toolbox / The Grays

4 Contents {on the cover}

{regulars}

Pastor’s Column A word from the Pastor

Musings Practice Affirmation by Rowland Forman Children’s Ministry Drop Everything and Read Kid’s Portal Pull out pages full of activities to amuse the kids for a while Chickzone The Politically Incorrect Guide to Womanhood... Outreach Go and Do... BotanyLife in the Community Creative Space A place for you to be creative and show everyone Reviews - Music // Movies // Books Marriage & Parenting Advice from Andy and Nikki Bray of Family Life What’s On at BotanyLife? Get your pens out and mark these dates on your calendar

Feature Article Letter to Christchurch - I am so so so so sorry Making a (small) Difference Reporting on where our donations went Leadership Spotlight Meet Todd and Sheree Hughes - BotanyLife elder Switch-on Camp Empowering young people, eight years on New Community Group Here comes the newly married couples! Who’s That Get to know some of our fellow members in the church: in this issue it’s the Gray family Family Service An opportunity to observe how our kid’s ministry is helping our kids learn mainly music Father’s Day What do you get when you put together a room full of pre-schoolers, hot dogs, music and dads? Parenting Toolbox The journey begins... hold on tight!

32 34

the Portal team {editor} Brad Carr {writers} Charlotte Woodfield / Melissa Guyan / Mel Palmer / Andrew Mackereth / Mel Thorburn / Mark van Wijk / Al Ronberg {art} Art Director/Designer - Amanda Crane / Photographer - Al Ronberg {contributors} Rowland Forman, Andy and Nikki Bray, Nicola Mountfort

welcome to the...

Pastor’s Column

Brad Carr

Welcome to the second issue of Portal. A number of people have asked where the name for our church magazine comes from. Our team chose “Portal” because the term means a doorway, gateway or entrance. We liked the connotation of the magazine being a doorway into the life of our church, giving those who read these pages more insight into what’s going on in the life and ministry of BotanyLife. And for those who are really observant, you may have already noticed that the photo on the cover of each new issue of the magazine is a picture of a portal of some kind - clever eh? The main focus of this issue is the people of Christchurch and Canterbury. As the months go on, it’s easy to move on in our lives and forget that the people of Canterbury are still struggling. Recently New Zealand remembered the anniversary of the first Christchurch earthquake in September 2010. At the time, we celebrated that while there had been a great deal of damage to buildings and infrastructure, no loss of life occurred. Then came the tragedy of the second large quake in February this year that took the lives of 182 people. In the aftermath of a visit to Christchurch in June, Al Ronberg penned a letter to the city which we have printed in this edition of Portal. We also report on what happened to the money that we raised in a special offering after the February quake, and share the stories of how an individual and a community group offered practical help to the people of Christchurch. We also continue with some of our regular features, such as Rowland Forman’s Musings on the Word of God and Nikki Bray’s “6 No-No’s for Wives” (since we got so many comments from the guys after the article on “No-No’s for Husbands”!). Under the Leadership Spotlight this time around are Todd and Sheree Hughes, while we also profile the Gray family in “Who’s That?”. There’s also some great reading on our family service back in July, our parenting toolbox class, and mainly music’s Fathers’ Day evening. We’re also taking this opportunity to share in these pages some exciting new developments, such as a new Christmas outreach and our latest community group that’s just about to start. By the way, we are still looking for another writer to join the Portal team and help put this world-class publication together. If you have writing experience, or you fancy developing a hidden talent, please flick me an email and let me know. Alternatively, put something together (poem, story, picture, whatever) and submit it to our creative space, the way Aimee Gray and Andrew Mackereth have done this time around. And speaking of creative, we hope your kids absolutely love their Kids Portal in this issue. Enjoy the read!

Brad Carr / lead Pastor

botanylife community church {staff} Lead Pastor/Elder - Brad (and Rochelle) Carr / Community Pastor - Mark (and Steph) van Wijk / Children’s Pastor - Mel (and Drew) Palmer Church Administrator - Mel (and Julian) Thorburn / Youth Intern - Andrew Mackereth / Pastoral Intern - Rob (and Glenys) Hallows {Elders} Cliff (and Cassy) Hand, Todd (and Sheree) Hughes, Harataki (and Shona) Manihera, Steve (and Robyn) Young 3

Letter to Christchurch

i am so so so so sorry Text and Photography by Al Ronberg.

Feature article

trust in the ground below. I stayed a night with friends who have a ‘casual indifference’ to the aftershocks. They have developed an active resignation to the status quo of daily shakes, for an outsider this seems completely surreal.

uesday June 14, 2011

Dear Canterbury:

It is probably really bad of me to say, but I need to be transparent I live in Auckland. I watch the news. Along with the rest of the in writing this. I was kind of gutted that I didn’t feel the first 5.5 nation and the world, I watched the events of September and quake yesterday. I think to truly understand some things, you have February unfold in Christchurch and my heart was devastatingly to experience them for yourself. wrenched. Time has gone on and from afar, the story appears to I had really wanted to know what it felt like to endure this time in have become less about the tragic loss of life and more about the Canterbury. This fascination stopped indefinitely at 2:20pm when the failings of ‘the system’ and eventually the buzz died down to a little 6.3 quake hit. I was sitting next to a wall of massive glass sliding piece half way through the news report. I am completely guilty of doors on a camp overlooking Lyttleton Harbour. not keeping Christchurch in my consciousness. I As the quake hit, there was a completely had the luxury of distance from the heart of the I stayed a night with indescribable sinking in my very core as problem and I didn’t wake up thinking about friends who have a everything I knew about firm foundations was how crazy life is for the people that endure ‘casual indifference’ to called into question over the course of what felt these trials day after day. the aftershocks like forever. As we gathered outside after the Fast forward to the events of the last few buildings were evacuated, there was an array of days. I sat in a church service last Sunday (in responses. I saw parents calmly, but nervously, looking for their kids. Christchurch) where a grief counsellor was talking about how to I saw kids who have been living this nightmare for far too many manage stress and cope with the ongoing aftershocks and lack of months, sobbing into their parent’s chests. 5

cking In and Amanda Crane | Mu urhood Muck-In team nesis Energy Neighbo Ge the d the city. to on uti Amanda joine trib con all urch to make a sm n called went down to Christch s running a competitio go? Genesis Energy wa to for a you eer unt ed vol pir to ins at nce Wh was a cha bourhood Muck-In’. It All you had d. foo and s ‘Genesis Energy Neigh are airf r rch. They paid for you ple day down in Christchu ng with 250 other peo s randomly picked alo wa e nam My er. ent s to do wa in. , Wellington and Duned had from Auckland, Hamilton s a pretty early start. I wa It h? wn in Christchurc Cross Red rk. wo ’s day What did you do do full a for 5:40am. We flew down city helping out in to be at the airport at re spread around the we t tha ups gro into Education Centre. ks organised us Oa en Sev places. I was sent to ce and tidying and nan schools and other work inte ng, doing general ma edi we s an day the nt spe My team us as we worked. It wa n. The kids flitted around shovelling up liquefactio . m interesting experience ing muscles? It didn’t see the day? Apart from ach of t he ou t en ge wh rs you tea in did What al was almost impact, but the princip much. like we made a huge so small could mean so ing eth som t tha me d aze am It . you k nk tha said for Christchurch? I thin re could we be doing mo at is wh re on, The ini es. op r hom In you p with family to do more stuff to hel on families it would be quite cool ck-In session focussed Mu er oth An re. the n out for eye an p Kee . still so much to do dow esome buildings would be aw rather than the bigger ng. goi rth It was totally wo other Muck-In things.

Feature article

Others were cracking jokes or checking out the landslides that were becoming evident across the harbour. How did I cope? I got my camera out and tried to capture the moment. I have pics of the headlands and pics of people awkwardly standing around. For some people, it seemed like an adventure, it was their first real connection with the shaky story of Canterbury; for others it was fearful and another “kick in the guts”; still others were stuck in some kind of middle ground where they didn’t seem to know what to think or feel. Since that 6.3 quake I have to be completely honest and admit that I squirm internally every time the aftershocks come. I was woken from sleep twice and was longing to be back in my own bed where the worst that happens at 2am is a crying baby to change (or pass to her Mum). Waking up to an aftershock at 3am is so unsettling that I Skyped my Mum in the UK, just to say hi. I have now learned to listen for the faint rumblings that usually accompany an aftershock. In a few short hours I have learned a lot about life in Canterbury. I don’t think that I can go back and avoid caring anymore. This experience is somehow eating away at my ability to gloss over the events. I also really like that when I put on my Facebook that I “don’t particularly like these aftershocks”, that one of my Cantab friends accused me of being “a bit of a girl”! 7

Many things have touched me since I have been down here. I stopped to take pictures of Beckenham Baptist. This is a church where I have spoken, trained, entertained and helped out over my time working for the Boys’ Brigade and ICONZ. It now lies behind a chain-link fence, various sizes of rubble failing to announce that this was an amazing building that once housed the memories of weddings, funerals and other special moments. But that is a story repeated in buildings and empty sites right across the city. As I drove up the Cashmere Hills, it struck me that locals were strolling past the piles of rocks that used to form walls and boundaries, that to me were stark reminders of what has been happening here. How is it that what is crazily eye-catching for me, has slowly become part of the scenery here? I want to finish writing this by encouraging the rest of us to NEVER EVER FORGET OR MINIMISE what is happening down here. There are still huge needs that need to be met and opportunities to care for Canterbury. The baseline stress-levels down here are so much higher than any that we experience outside of the shakiness.

We need to look for opportunities to give Canterbury a break! I have a friend in the UK who has generously donated some cash and we have used that to provide flights for respite trips for the staff at Living Springs Camp. Having a break is probably something that can give these people the strength to carry on. I talked with my cousin on Sunday who reflected on eight solid days of shovelling silt after the February quake. He and his girlfriend reached a point where things were getting pretty tense, and a short break up in Hanmer Springs was a complete relationship saver! Sometimes a change of scenery is all you need to go back and face up to new and significant challenges. Christchurch… the sun rose again today… and whatever today brings, it is guaranteed to dip behind the Southern Alps again tonight… it will again light up the hills and rivers and valleys tomorrow as life ticks on. But please know this… everyday you will have my prayers… my passionate and enduring support and I sincerely hope that it comes with a stop to these horrible, horrible shakes. As I just hit that full-stop key... yet another aftershock hit... SIGH.

Ways we can help: • Donate to the Red Cross or Salvation Army on their websites. • Make contact with local churches in Christchurch where you know people in and seek out ways to help them support their communities. • Charity Auctions on Trademe or a garage sale (or organize fund-raising events like quiz-nights etc). • Open up your home to friends that might need a break. If you have a holiday home or caravan or something similar, allow that to be used. • Pray your little hearts out!!!

“Christchurch… the sun rose again today… and whatever today brings, it is guaranteed to dip behind the Southern Alps again tonight”

Making a (small) Difference Text by Brad Carr. Photography by Al Ronberg.

ironmen’s gift to a christchurch family While the congregation of BotanyLife gave generously to the overwhelming needs in Christchurch, one of our community groups decided to take a step further. The “Ironmen” group, led by Rowland Forman, decided that they would like to get involved a little more personally. Rowland contacted a friend at Riccarton Community Church, who immediately thought of an unchurched family connected with their mainly music program. The husband had just lost his job in the Christchurch CBD and money was tight. The Ironmen raised some funds together as a group, and sent that directly to the family in need. This was the wife’s response: “I was completely taken my surprise when Joy (our friend from church) told me of your amazing gift for us. The caring and support that people have shown my family and Christchurch has been incredible... Thank you so very much for your thoughts and prayers, and your gift.”

n the Sunday following the February earthquake, which saw such a devastating loss of life and significant property damage, we took up a special offering during our service to assist the churches and people of Canterbury. Between the money that was given that weekend, and extra payments that were made electronically into the church bank account in the next week or two, we raised almost $3,000. So where did the money go?

A number of those initiatives were:

The elders decided to split the money in half and donate it to a church and a mission organisation in Christchurch with whom we have some strong relationships as a church leadership. The church we selected was Riccarton Community Church who have been serving their local community in the name of Jesus since 1947. We have strong ties with the pastors of the church (in fact, Rowland Forman was teaching pastor at RCC a number of years ago), and we love the way that they impact and serve people outside their church walls. In light of that, we donated half of the money to RCC, and asked them to use it in whatever way seemed right to them. Along with our funds, Riccarton Community Church ended up receiving other donations from individuals and churches right around New Zealand. They used the money in a number of very different but practical ways that served and assisted people around Christchurch, especially during the dark days immediately following the earthquake.

•

Giving groceries, cash grants and vouchers to families in need the week after the earthquake

•

Sponsoring children and youth to go to camps during school holidays for a break

•

Paying for a youth worker to assist staff and students at Christchurch Girls High School, one of the more devastated schools in the city

•

Providing emergency accommodation to families who had lost their homes

In an email to me a few months later, Phil Stedman (pastor of RCC) wrote: “On behalf of Riccarton Community Church I want to provide a huge thanks to you and BotanyLife Church for your very generous support post the earthquakes that have hit Christchurch. Life will never be the same in Christchurch, however as a church community we really have felt blessed and supported by many churches and individuals. This has meant a lot to us and has made a real difference, not to just our church community but also the community we live in.” The other $1,500 that we raised went to a missions’ organisation called “Bright Hope World”, who do a fantastic job of serving the poorest of the poor around the world in the name of Christ. They are the crowd that we purchase the La Mai coffee from, that we serve at church and other events,

and also sell at the info table on Sundays. We have a fantastic relationship with Bright Hope, and are incredibly impressed with what they achieve around the world. During the February earthquake, Bright Hope’s offices and most of their resources were destroyed. While thankful that none of their staff or volunteers were killed, they ended up in the days after the earthquake operating out of temporary offices in the boardroom of another Christian organisation. Understandably, it was tough squeezing up to six staff into one boardroom as they scrambled to get all the necessary funds out to their global partners on time. In the weeks that followed, finding other usable office space in Christchurch was hard work, but in the last few months Bright Hope has managed to find and move into new offices. Rob Purdue, the Chairman of Bright Hope, emailed:

“We are truly grateful to God for the love and care you have shown. The generous gift from BotanyLife is greatly appreciated.” On behalf of the elders and staff, I want to add my thanks to those of Bright Hope and Riccarton Community Church, to everyone who donated something to the people of Christchurch. Please continue to pray and give to Canterbury as the Lord leads.

in the word

Musings

...with Rowland Forman

as in fact Therefore, encourage one another, and build each other up, just 1). 5:1 you are doing. (1 Thessalonians so that none But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. (Hebrews 3:13). If your gift is to encourage others, do it! (Romans 12:8, NLT)

Practice Affirmation Some people are born encouragers (or have that spiritual gift). Most of us mere mortals have to work at it. All of us though, according to the Scriptures listed above, are required to encourage each other. What about you? Do you see yourself as an encourager? How do you think others perceive you? One thing I’m certain of - all of us need encouragement. I know I do. Hebrews 3:13 gives us one good reason why. Our hearts can easily become calloused by sin. It’s as if a well chosen word of affirmation can soften our hearts. Or as a Japanese proverb says, “One kind word can warm up three winters.” I know that’s true. In my case one kind word has warmed up twenty winters. When I was leaving Dallas Seminary in 1991, one of my professors, Dr. Howard Hendricks gave me a book he had written and wrote words of affirmation on the first page. From time to time, when I feel discouraged, I go and pull the book off my shelves, soak in his kind words, and am ready to go on. We need encouragement but we can’t require it. It feels hollow when we solicit affirmation. I believe it’s better to take responsibility for being a better encourager and leave the need for encouragement to God. Recently, a

book found me, called Practicing Affirmation by Sam Crabtree. It has given me a new perspective on the art of affirmation. Here are three things I have learned:

the servants who invested five and two talents, “Well done, good and faithful servant!” They had done a good job, but it was the God-like quality of faithfulness that he affirmed.

1. Affirm God-Like Qualities

2. Put Deposits in Your Relational Bank

In the past, most of my affirming words have amounted to saying, “Good job!” And I think that it’s uplifting to catch someone doing something well and then telling them how much it has blessed you. Crabtree’s call though, is to affirm God-like qualities. One of the big narratives of the Bible is that God originally made us in his image, and tragically, because of the ‘Fall’, the image has been defaced but not erased. However, through Christ, the image of God is being restored (but will not be completed until we get to heaven).

Think of one of your friends or a family member. In the last week, what proportion of your interaction was encouragement and how much was correction in one form or another? Crabtree says that words of encouragement are like deposits in your relational cheque account. Corrections are withdrawals. If you make too many withdrawals in relation to the deposits, you go into overdraft. His book is not calling for sugary praise with no correction, but multiple affirmations for each correction and always distancing words of affirmation from any rebuke.

God-centered affirmation amounts to spotting the image of God in people, however imperfect it may be. I did that recently with my hairdresser (not that I have much hair to dress!). When I was about to pay, I said, “When I leave your salon I always feel happy. You are a very joyful person.” She looked at me with a tear in her eye and said, “No one has ever said that to me. Thank you.” Next time you spot one of your children telling the truth, showing great courage, or being incredibly kind to a sibling, instead of just saying, “Good job,” affirm the God-like quality in them.

3. Practice Encouragement

That’s what the man in Jesus’ parable about the talents did (Matthew 25:14-30). He said to

• Write a card or email that affirms a Christ-like quality in another person

Note that the call to the person with the spiritual gift of encouragement in Romans 12:8 above, is to keep doing it. If it’s not your gift but you know you should work at it, how about trying one of these practices in the next three months? • In prayer, ask God to help you spot aspects of his image in your friends or family • When you see a God-like character quality in someone, tell them then and there

Rowland Forman serves as the National Director of Living Stones Leadership Ministries, which helps local churches in New Zealand to develop servant-hearted leaders. He has been in full-time Christian ministry almost 40 years, serving as a Bible College Principal, Teaching Pastor, Church-Planter, Curriculum Writer, Author and Mentor. Rowland and Elaine are foundation members of BotanyLife, being part of the initial core group that started the church, and they both lead separate men’s and women’s community groups. They have three adult children, seven wonderful grandchildren, and a fantastic son-in-law.

leadership spotlight

meet...

Todd & Sheree

Hughes Church Elder

Todd and Sheree Hughes are one of five couples who serve as elders at BotanyLife. Text by Charlotte Woodfield.

ow did you get into eldership?

We both did the two year SALT leadership course with Brad and Rochelle, after which Todd was asked to attend eldership meetings as a way of working out if it was the right thing to do. What experience do you bring to the job? We are both ‘people’ people. But we feel very inadequate - we’re learning on the job! Any favourite aspects? It’s great to work alongside the pastoral team and eldership team - we learn a lot from them. They are passionate about God and His work through a local church. Give me a little background about your pathway to being among the elders: when and why did you join BotanyLife? We joined BotanyLife six years ago. We were looking for a church to be our family church, one that the kids as well as us would be keen to be part of. We really felt connected to it when we joined a Community Group, which at the time was meeting at Harry and Shona Manihera’s. Great bunch of families.

Tell me a bit about your own family - you have two daughters, right? Jamie and Kayla are 10 and 8, both into dancing and netball and love BK. They are both bookworms, and love anything by Roald Dahl or Enid Blyton. What other roles have you had in the church? When the kids were little, Sheree was involved in Mainly Music, crèche and Promiseland. Todd has been involved with team leading at community projects. We are both currently involved in the welcome team. Sheree is also in LOL [a woman’s community group] and Todd is in the Beach Boys community group. Let’s end with a few “getting to know you” questions. What’s your favourite dessert? Good old faithful apple crumble and ice-cream, with a crunchy top on of course. When you get free time, what do you like to do with it? As a family we enjoy boating and anything to do with the water. We go camping each summer.

We’re starting to get into a bit of geocaching! (NB: Geocaching is a treasure hunting game where you use a GPS to hide and seek containers with other geocachers.) We also love spending time with other church families, having people around for meals and just getting to know people better. Todd also really enjoys working on big and small projects in his garage, like making things out of wood or repairing his tractor or fiddling with motorbikes; anything to get away from the telly. So now we know what you do in the church - what are your day jobs? Sheree is a chartered accountant working for the Christian Broadcasting Association. Todd has worked for Turners and Growers since 1985, selling mainly potatoes and other fruit and vegetables. He has managed the Pukekohe division for the last 12 years. He is also a director - the first independent (non-grower) director - of Potatoes NZ, the industry organisation representing all potato growers in NZ.

Sunday 30th October

children’s ministry

“Christmas Shop of Wonders” programme begins in Promiseland/BK

Drop Everything...

... and Read Text by Mel Palmer

id cuddles. Who rates them? I do! I rate them as one of my most favourite things. And do you know what else

I love? Reading to my kids. I love seeing the wonder on their faces as we explore a new story. I love hearing their little voices take over as they fill in the blanks on their most loved books. I’m pretty sure that anyone who said, “All was quiet in the deep dark wood,” to Ben would soon hear, “The mouse found a nut and the nut was good.” The Gruffalo (and his child) even came to stay at our house the other day. They called Ben on his ‘cellphone’ and before too long the mattress was out on the floor and they were staying. The imagination of a three

As a teacher I think reading to your kids is one of the best things you can do for them! If you have pre-schoolers then the gift of time spent in books, every day, will set them well on the road to becoming readers themselves. They will learn to love a good story. And do you know what else is cool about reading to your kids? You get the cuddles at the same time! Now this probably won’t come as too much of a surprise to you, but as a Kids’ Pastor I build on the importance of reading with the importance of reading the Bible. Kids who love a good story won’t be disappointed. The Bible is full of them. It has it all... heroes, villains, princesses, kings, giants, warriors, love and war.

year old is a delight!

So when do you start? Well... there are some cute Bible board books out there for the tiniest members of our families, with great colourful illustrations. Pre-schoolers enjoy simple children’s Bibles with stories of Abraham, Moses, Noah and Jesus. As we know from other favourite books (like the Gruffalo) kids of this age LOVE repetition. Don’t be afraid to read the same Bible stories time and time again! As kids learn to read they can start reading to you from simple Bible versions and you can read to them from a longer version of an easy to understand translation (we use NLT out in BK). Talk about what you read, allow time for questions and seek answers together. Maybe your kids would like to have some fun and act out the stories you read. As kids get older, repetition loses its appeal. Perhaps the Bible is even starting to gather some dust as they’ve ‘heard it all before’. If this is the case then it is time to leave the well-known stories and dig out adventures fascinating to a Year 6 boy, such as Ehud sinking his knife completely into the evil king and the fat covering the handle (Brad sure brought that alive for us adults last year). And if you have girls, don’t miss the story of Esther preparing for an entire year for the ultimate beauty contest. There is much to keep them interested!

This term in BK we have been reminded the B-i-b-l-e is the book for us. As the Roanoke Jones series theme song says:

“In the Bible are the answers, They are real not counterfeit, They will lead me down the right road, And I’ll see the puzzle pieces fit. When I need to know the truth, There is one book that I look through, And what it says I do, ‘Cause God, I look to you, To the B-I-B-L-E, That’s the book for me.” The Bible is God’s story and it is EXCITING! But do you know what is even more exciting? We are right in the middle of it! Of course the Bible is God’s written word, but his story doesn’t begin and end there. He is still creating... still working in our midst... still changing lives today, just as he did when the stories in the Bible were penned. When was the last time you sat down and just reflected on how cool it is to be part of that story? And so I’d like to encourage all of you (not just the parents but any of you who have the time) read to a child! Read the Bible. Enthuse and excite your kids about God’s story. It is an adventure in which we all have a role to play.

there a place where it is can go to find the perfect gift? Is BK - Is there a place where you en and toys come alive? a place where anything can happ Christmas time year round? Is there where the professor will ders, Won of Shop tmas ssor Playtime’s Chris Of course there is! Just come to Profe ay through the eyes of holid this e ing of Christmas and to experienc help us to understand the true mean much jolliness and as and r, pape ping wrap your ls, bring your caro for business! people who were actually there! So open is ders Won of ssor Playtime’s Christmas Shop cheer as you can carry! Because Profe stmas story each week learn a different facet of the Chri In Promiseland your children will Guests who visit the shop y. Holl tant, assis his and Playtime as they spend time with Professor While learning the story of . need all while finding just what they will learn about the greatest gift of ry, kindness, obedience, joy, will help your children explore brave Jesus' birth and life, Professor Playtime m. patience, generosity, and evangelis

SwitchOn

youth ministry

2011

Empowering young people, eight years on Text by Andrew Mackereth

witchOn is based upon the premise that young people are not given enough credit. Their ability to sit and learn and engage deeply with Scripture is constantly being called into question. Their spiritual growth and commitment is coddled. You cannot expect young people to spend the good part of a weekend listening to and thinking through and contending with the Scriptures, can you? The organisers of SwitchOn would argue that you can. Not only do young people have the ability to engage with Scripture at a deeper level, they have a desire to.

over the years have included BotanyLife, Franklin Baptist, Manurewa Bible Chapel, Papakura Bible Chapel, Corner Stone, Crossroads and numerous more, with sponsorship from Pathways Bible and Mission College and Drury Tires. Camp has been instrumental in the forming of at least one marriage and many more friendships.

For the past eight Labour Weekends, SwitchOn youth camp has sought to fill this need, by teaching young people from the Word of God and encouraging them to study it themselves.

Our study this year, running from Friday the 21st of October to Monday the 24th, was centred on the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew’s Gospel, taught powerfully to us by speakers Geoff Smith and Cliff Wadsworth, along with BotanyLife’s very own Brad Carr, Stuart Jones, Phil Sproul and Rob Hallows. Time was spent learning from God’s Word, sleeping, eating, sliding, kicking, volleyballing, playing touch, playing frisbee, lighting fireworks, forming friendships and watching rugby.

For young people aged 13-30, SwitchOn is an opportunity for growth, recreation and community. Churches involved with SwitchOn

We’ll be back next year. Keep your eyes peeled young people. 15

community groups

new community group...

Young Marrieds Text by Mark van Wijk.

Steve and Jacqui are excited about this new opportunity to help young married couples,

ur desire is for everyone at BotanyLife to be connected to a community group, where they can build authentic relationships, in community with other church members.

“It’s a great opportunity to have discussions with those couples that are just starting out.”

We believe that community groups are a vital part of church life, and as we continue to grow as a church family, the importance of meeting regularly with a small group of people is becoming even greater. None of us can maintain relationships with the entire church family, but by spending time with a smaller group of people, each of us has the opportunity to connect authentically, grow consistently and share our lives together.

Steve, a Station Officer with the New Zealand Fire Service, and Jacqui, a Mum and Teacher for six wonderful children, have a real passion for building marriages, and we think their new ‘Young Married’s’ community group is a fantastic place for this to happen. If you’re interested in joining this exciting new group, then give Steve or Jacqui a call (537 1624) or email them faithandmore@ihug.co.nz they’d love to hear from you.

It’s always exciting when we launch a new community group, and the newest group to start is certainly no exception. Over the last couple of years we have loved seeing a number of newly-married couples join the BotanyLife family, and so we’ve been working hard to put a new community group in place that would provide a place for them to connect, grow and share life together. The group is led by Steve and Jacqui Thuell, who bring a wealth of experience into the group, having led similar groups in the past as well as leading a number of couples through pre-marriage counselling.

If you’re not yet connected into a community group, and the Young Marrieds group doesn’t sound like a good fit for you, then please email me at mark@botanylife.org.nz, I would love to help you find a group that would work well for you. Young Marrieds Community Group: 7:45pm Monday’s 16

Well...we’ve just finished our Roanoke Jones series. He was an ace detective. Have you learnt from him and from the series? In this KidsPortal you will get to put your detective skills and memory to the test. Having trouble keeping your secret messages secret? There are some activities on the last page of KidsPortal that you can do to sharpen your detective skills. Have fun!

Remember... we need your contributions for KidsPortal! If you have anything you’d like to write about please talk to Mel and we’ll save you some space next time.

kid’s portal

Hey Kids...

kidâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s portal

what is this?

Test your memory... Fill in the blanks, and then find the missing words in the word find. 1. I Will ..... Help from Others 2. I’m not too Important to ..... Others 3. I Will ..... God and Not Myself 4. I Will Show ..... to Others 5. I Will ..... What Others Have Done for Me 6. I will learn from others ..... 7. I Will Ask ..... for Help

8. I Will Ask Questions When I Have .....

Coded Message During the last holidays in BK we talked all about Faith. Can you remember what we said Faith is? Use the code to figure it out and remind yourself. Faith is:

        

 





















































Follow the Clues…Be a Bible Detective WHO AM I - Kids in the Bible (Bible clues are given to help if you need them) 1. I killed a giant with a slingshot (1 Samuel 17) - I am ... 2. I was sleeping when God spoke to me (1 Samuel 3) - I am ... 3. I had eleven brothers who were not very kind (Genesis 37) - I am ... 4. I was found by Pharoah’s daughter in a river (Exodus 2) - I am ... 5. I became King of Judah when I was eight years old (2 Kings 22) - I am ... 6. I was 12 years old when my parents lost track of me in Jerusalem (Luke 2) - I am ... 7. I fought my brother before I was even born (Genesis 25) - I am ... 8. I was prepared as a burnt offering, but was spared just in time (Genesis 22) - I am ...

kid’s portal

Do you remember the main points for Roanoke Jones?

kid’s portal

Sharpen

Your Detective

Skills

Uncovering clues is all about paying attention. How observant are you? Hone your skills with these simple exercises.

WHAT'S CHANGED? Study a room carefully. Note exactly where things are located and how they're positioned. Leave the room and ask a friend or family member to move a couple of things without telling you what they did. See if you can identify what's changed.

WHAT'S WHERE? Closely examine a photo in a book or magazine, then turn the picture over and write down everything you can remember about the people and objects in it, including colours, sizes, and locations. Compare your description to the picture. How close were you? WHAT JUST HAPPENED? Record a few minutes of a TV show while you watch it carefully. Turn off the TV and write down everything that happened, including who said and did what. Rewind the tape and compare your notes with the actual show. How did you do? WHAT'S THAT NOISE? Listen quietly for several minutes and make a list of everything you hear. How many sounds can you identify? When you think you've honed your hearing, ask a friend to step into another room and make a noise using an everyday object. See if you can guess what's making the sound.

For high tech code breaking, use a smart phone to read this QR code. You will be able to learn more about what’s in the bible. (Make sure you are in WiFi access, as it might take a while to load - try RedLaser if you need to download a free app to read it).

Answers: Test Your Memory: 1. Accept, 2. Help, 3. Worship, 4. Mercy, 5. Remember, 6. Mistakes, 7. God, 8. Doubts Coded Message: Believing what you can’t see because of what you can see Who am I? 1. David, 2. Samuel, 3. Joseph, 4. Moses, 5. Josiah, 6. Jesus, 7. Jacob, 8. Isaac

Ide

a!!

Go o ins nline ma truct to fi ke n io Do a per ns to d som isc spy e sec ope. r wo rk! et

Who’s that?

getting to know part of...

the BotanyLife Family

The Grays

Text by Charlotte Woodfield.

ot quite sure who makes up the Gray family? You wouldn’t be the first to be confused, with friends and even girlfriends at times mistaken for siblings. Here, just for you, is the rundown.

Aimee’s great love is musical theatre, with scores from at least a dozen musicals on her shelves, and far more in her head. She also teaches piano, singing and theory from home, to 21 young pupils. Tim is in Year 12 at Macleans College in Howick. He often helps out with the video-recording of the BotanyLife sermons, down the back of the church. He likes to play guitar, too - he’s been mostly teaching himself how to play over the last couple of years. And when Jeff loads up the trailer with his trail bike, Tim’s is often there too.

The parents are Jeff, an architect and sometime off-road motorbike trails rider, and Ros, a reading recovery teacher at St Anne’s School. About 15 years ago the family lived out in Clevedon, with a playhouse in the backyard designed by Jeff and built with his two eldest boys. By 1997 they had moved to Eastern Beach - closer to the secondary schools their children would soon be attending - and were living in a Jeff-designed, family-sized house.

If there’s one family tradition the Grays are fond of, it’s their Mystery Tours - circuitous car journeys to a mystery location. Aimee says she still vividly remembers the tour that took them to their new house. It started with Ros loading rugs and heaters into the car boot and refusing to explain why. “We got to our new house and we sat on the rugs on the tiles in the brand new dining room and had fish and chips to celebrate the power being on!”

Their oldest, Nick, is 25. He’s an investment banker and currently lives in Australia - but often travels to London for work. And if he’s able to fit in a game of 500 with old Kiwi friends while he’s there, so much the better.

Like most parents, the Grays don’t have a precise parenting philosophy, able to be summed up in a three-part maxim. But if there’s one thing both Jeff and Ros feel is important, it’s spending time together; whether at singing competitions, sharing a family dinner, or going on Mystery Tours. There’s a lot of pressure on parents and children, says Ros, to spend extra time at work or in activities. But it’s important to have balance. Jeff says the same applies to his biking.

When Nathanael, 22, graduates from university, it’ll be with both a degree in engineering and in arts; specifically, philosophy. When he gets spare time between assignments and his final year engineering project, he likes to visit Ponui Island, where he and his family have spent many holidays and Bible study camps. At BotanyLife, 19-year-old Aimee helps with the youth group, and with the music team, sometimes conducting a children’s choir. 21

sunday services

Family Service Text by Al Ronberg.

BotanyLife held its first ever Family Service on Sunday 10th July. All the children’s and youth ministries were cancelled for the day, and the entire congregation gathered together in the Riverina Hall for a fun and chaotic worship and learning experience. Here is one reaction to that service...

Sunday 18th December Jesus’ Birthday Party (Family Service)

Being a parent of two under-5s I have grown quite comfortable in a world filled with chaos. The BotanyLife family service was an outstanding event that had a delightful mix of chaos, humour and a superhero scale message on forgiveness. There wouldn’t be too many services in the history of our church that would be memorable for colourful wigs, popping balloons and spandex-clad superheroes, but now I can happily say that many families will remember this event with much fondness!

have to be honest right from the outset and say that I have a list. It is traditionally a super-secret list that I keep locked away somewhere very secure and where no man shall ever be able to stumble across it. Today therefore, is a very special day as I am going to share one of the items on that list and you have to promise not to tell another living soul... remember... I have a copy of the church directory and access to flour. My list is things I hope to NEVER see in a church service and it is with great reluctance that I can inform you that #17 “Man with undies outside pants” has now been crossed off. Thank you family service and SuperSizeMe - my eyes may never recover!!! There are times in life where a nice ordered approach to things is the way to go. Times when everything SHOULD fall into nice little places that will allow you to go on holiday at the beach knowing that the iron is turned off and your neighbour is feeding the goldfish. It is fair to state however, that a church family service is not one of these times.

The main thing that I think I truly appreciated about the Family Service, was the opportunity to observe how our kid’s ministry is helping our kids learn. We live in a tactile and visual age of learning and as a parent, it’s nice to know that my kids don’t just hear the Truth at Promiseland (or BK)... they actually get to engage all of their senses as they interact with the Bible. From the songs that they learn and perform, to the creative ways that the team help kids learn scripture, to the fact that there was time for our family to talk with each other about what we were learning... this service offered more than chuckles. It gave me an appreciation of all that our Children’s and Youth Ministry volunteers and staff invest in our kids. Cheers team!

Text by Melissa Guyan.

Wednesday 30th November

Mainly Music on Christmas celebrati

Wednesday 2nd November

y BotanyLife Mainl day th r bi h 6t ’s c si Mu

hat do you get when you put together a room full of pre-schoolers, hot dogs, music and dads? There’s only one conceivable answer… the Mainly Music Dad’s Night!

As the cacophony crescendoed, Nicola brought us together for a music session. It was a great chance for the dads to see what their kids get up to on a Wednesday morning. Running through a thirty-minute session of Mainly Music classics was fun... and watching the dads swing their arms, stamp their feet and jig around the floor was even better.

Walking through a curtain of black and white streamers, into a hall decorated with All Black flags was a treat. On Friday, September 2nd, at 5pm, the Te Tuhi auditorium was packed with families on their picnic rugs busily building vehicles that could transport a rugby ball.

Beanbags were thrown around the room for the beanbag song and corks flew high as the parachutes shot them into the air. It was noisy, it was chaotic, but no one could deny it was fun.

With supplies of straws, play dough and milk tops, there was plenty to work with. By dinnertime the display table was lined with varying creations from a ball buggy to a field on wheels.

To top off the evening, prizes were given out for the car creations followed by small tubs of ice cream for everyone.

Hot dogs and drinks were then served up to excited kids and hungry looking parents. It was the perfect time to socialise as parents talked to neighbouring picnickers and children rushed around dancing, jumping, giggling and playing tag.

During the “Think Spot”, Mark reminded the men how important the role of a father is. Seeing the delight on the children’s faces as they danced around their dads proved this to be true. It’s all about the time... and two hours on this particular night was well spent. 23

mainly music

Music Madness

chickzone

what’s been happening at...

Friday 18th November ChickZone Christmas E vent

Chickzone

Text by Mel Thorburn. Photography by Steph van Wijk and Mel Thorburn

The Politically Incorrect Guide to Womanhood...

Well I guess pink is not everyone’s cup of tea - particularly if you are of the male persuasion. But being that Chickzone events are for women, pink mock-tails served in martini glasses on arrival were a fun lead-in to a night of serious girl-talk. Hitting the hard topics of breast cancer and the importance of mother-daughter relationships, the evening of Friday 26th September had both solemn and funny

moments rolled in together. The gathering was of relevance to females both young and old, and there was a mix of ages in the house. The serious content kicked off with Patricia Field, national coordinator and educator for the NZ Breast Cancer Foundation, acknowledging those who may have been affected by breast cancer. She then laid out some statistics for us - a relieving stat was that nine out of ten lumps found are not cancerous. I have to say, that as a woman who has yet to undergo the joyous experience of a mammogram, I was eager to hear the gory details and understand what might be in store when my time comes. Patricia, with the help of many questions from the floor, was more than willing to

demystify the process and clarify why it is so important to go through the screening process and to recognise any changes. The message was clear, the earlier you detect the cancer, the better the outcome. And for all those blokes out there who think this has absolutely nothing to do with them…how wrong you are. It shocked me to find out that men can get breast cancer too! After a short interlude with prize baskets being handed out to a few lucky guests, Claire Farrelly, an educator for Parents Inc., appeared mic’d up and ready to go! Well actually poor Claire wasn’t feeling ready to go - a severe head cold and blocked sinuses had other ideas, but she pushed through like a trooper and shared her extensive knowledge with a smile.

chickzone

The importance of mother-daughter relationships was highlighted and Claire gave us the dos and don’ts if we want these relationships to be successful. • DON’T try to be their best friend. • DO make yourself available when they want to communicate. • DO remain calm and DON’T freak out when they come to you with something major. The impact personality clashes could have in mother-daughter (and son!) relationships, was obviously something many in the room could relate to. The cross-analysing of self to child was evident as several of the mother-daughter pairs in the crowd checked in to see if they had picked themselves correctly! The more serious issues of self-image and eating disorders were topics close to Claire’s heart and this raised some hands in the room for a thought-provoking question/answer session. The big-ideas were that you are the parent, so you need to temper your personality traits to meet those of your child and make sure you are intentional about instilling values in your family. If you think you don’t need to have some of the tough talks with your child yet, you may find that it is the playground that ends up doing this job for you. Don’t be scared to intervene on the big issues as you want them to get these right! And just as we were all getting ready to sort out every problem we might come across with our children, Claire’s time was up and the pink food bell had chimed! We arose from our serious girl talk to a seriously pink table of delectable edibles where the Chickzone team’s creativity was in full swing. Raspberry flavoured meringues and rose water infused cupcakes, which were topped with sugar coated petals, were just part of the spectacular supper we all enjoyed. But I’m sure the men can believe that the girly talk didn’t stop here. Over cups of tea, coffee and plates of fluffy pinkness the womenfolk continued to enjoy the company of our guest speakers and one another, until the chairs were being piled up around us!

outreach

the journey to our first...

Parenting Toolbox Text by Mel Thorburn.

everal BotanyLifer’s participated in and trained as facilitators in the Early Years (age 0-6) Toolbox course in mid 2010, with the view to offering this course to other families in our church and the wider community. We are proud to say that we are at last underway with the first every BotanyLife-run Toolbox course... but not an Early Years one! Confused? Not for long - I encourage you to read on as I will demystify not only what is a “Toolbox Course”, but also what we are up to this term. For those who don’t know what a ‘Toolbox’ course is, here’s how Parents Inc. (who run these groups) describe it... “Toolbox parenting groups are a unique and fresh approach to parent education. In an informal, relaxed and friendly environment participants are equipped with practical skills and strategies that can be immediately put to use. Over six sessions key parenting principles are explored and participants are encouraged in their parenting. Toolbox groups usually meet in someone’s home. There is a comprehensive manual, ‘experts’ on video and lively interaction. The information presented is relevant and insightful. Participants appreciate the opportunity to listen to someone else’s experience and realise that they all face similar issues and challenges. The course is facilitated by trained local volunteers who are friendly and supportive. They keep each session flowing smoothly and help participants to engage with the material.

Each session leaves participants with a range of activities and strategies to try at home. The atmosphere of the group is relaxed and informal and there is also a rich vein of humour that runs through the course. Toolbox certainly is positive, practical and fun!” And the facilitation by friendly supportive volunteers is where Nicola Mountfort and I (Melanie Thorburn) come in. Being two of those trained in the Early Years Toolbox last year, we were eager (maybe that’s a bit strong, lets say ‘willing’) to offer our newly acquired skills to those parents we come into contact with each Wednesday at Mainly Music. The initial response was great – many were keen and looking for strategies to assist them with parenting issues, but several were keen to do the next age group up. With only a couple of people actually confirmed to start our first ever facilitated Early Years course days before it started, we discovered that the same course was being offered just up the road, on the same night, at the same time and for FREE (there is a normally a $67.50 fee)! Nicola and I met to discuss the demise of our first course, but also noticed the direction God seemed to be leading us. From here we decided that there was still a need, but in a different capacity. Enquiries were made, a Middle Years (6-12 years) facilitator located and we now find ourselves participating in, and also training to become Middle Years Toolbox facilitators. Needless to say, the decision (or should I say calling) was the right one as we now find ourselves alongside 14 other parents! There are lots of lively conversations and stories being shared whilst the wealth of information is being absorbed. Our facilitator, Brigitte, is a wonderful resource to all, as she 26

brings not only her personal experience of parenting three (now teenage) children, but also her role as a counsellor at Pakuranga Counselling Centre. It is obvious that equipping parents to positively work with their children is a passion for her, with lots of little ‘gems’ of information being added to the discussions. It is wonderful to see these parents coming along each week, sharing their struggles and successes with us, and also for them to meet some other BotanyLifer’s who are doing the course. What a great opportunity for them to see us in a different context to Mainly Music (being hosted in the Mountfort home), and to not only learn more about each other, but also to witness some of the Christian values that we hold in our families. Toolbox is not just a practical parenting platform; it serves as a common ground where we can be vulnerable and honest together. So what happens after this course wraps up? This particular group is already talking about the hole they anticipate in their lives when our six weeks is complete. It goes to show how invaluable these sessions are for talking through our previous parenting week. Nicola and I hope that through these strengthened connections with the mainly music parents, we will be able to continue supporting them on our Wednesday morning get-togethers. And who knows, maybe a post-Toolbox get together will be planned! We plan to run a Middle Years course early next year and we’ve already had several parents express interest in this. So make sure you have a talk to either of us if you are keen to come along and experience a Toolbox course first hand.

The attitude you have as a parent is what your kids will learn from more than what you tell them. They donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t remember what you try to teach them. They remember what you are. -Jim Henson

outreach

Go and Do

BotanyLife in the Community

“We dream of BotanyLife growing wider as we broaden our impact in our local community, so that multitudes of people see God’s love and grace in action as we compassionately and practically serve them.” - ‘Growing Wider’, Flourishing Vision. Text and Photography by Mark van Wijk.

t has been tremendously exciting, over the past couple of years especially, to see this dream of a widening community impact becoming a reality for us. One of our church values states that we want to be a ‘Go and Do Church’, and by living this out through initiatives like our annual Community Project we have had the chance to share God’s love and grace in really practical and useful ways - and it is being noticed. Now, more than ever, BotanyLife is increasingly becoming a valued and respected part of our local community.

Thursday 15th December ny ro Ca ls at Bota

ber Sunday 4th Decem ries Se s ma ist Chr Begins

BotanyLife’s name would be great, but so that the name of Christ would be great. In my role as Community Pastor, much of the time I get to be the ‘face’ of BotanyLife for many in the community. This has meant that I’m regularly being invited to participate in, assist with, or run local events and initiatives. With limited time, obviously I need to be careful how I use it, so at the moment I spend time assisting with: Botany Community Action Network, Barry Curtis Skatepark Reference Group, Willowbank School BOT, Botany Community Day, and most recently the Health and Social Services Strategic Forum, which has been set up by the Howick Local Board.

As we engage with families, schools, community groups and networks we have gained a reputation as a group of Christians that have a genuine heart for our community, are not only willing to be involved, but take the initiative to do so, and are people who deliver on what we promise. In a world where Christians make the news for all the wrong reasons, I’m excited that we are able to start reversing some of this - and not so that our names would be great, not so that

Two organisations we work closely with - Auckland Council, and NZ Police, have taken a particular interest in us, and have asked us to increase our involvement and capacity in a variety of areas, including community events. 28

One of these is a new community Christmas event we hope to run annually at Botany Town Centre. Drawing on how Auckland Domain’s ‘Christmas in the Park’ used to be (as opposed to the Christmas-ish performance showcase it is now), we’ve been asked to run a more traditional Christmas event at Botany Town Centre that brings families together, and gives them the opportunity to sing carols, enjoy choirs and items, and hear the true message of Christmas. This will be an awesome level three outreach opportunity, which we want to make sure we do a fantastic job of. So mark Thursday 15th December in your diary now, and plan on being part of this special outreach event.

street and centre stage, and allowed community and social service groups to set up stands promoting their services to the community. The event was an unexpectedly huge success, with over 60 organisations, and thousands of people taking part. Botany Town Centre are highly supportive of the event, and are a substantial financial contributor, which is great to see. The next Botany Community Day is on Saturday 10th March 2012, so mark it in your diary now. If you’re available to help with the event, or would love to be one of the friendly faces of BotanyLife on our own stand, then I’d love to hear from you. By adding these two new community-based events to our calendar, we now have (including the community project), three big community events each year, that will give us even greater opportunities to share God’s love and His grace with our neighbours and friends. Now that’s exciting!

Another community event we’re adding to the BotanyLife Calendar is the ‘Botany Community Day’ which we have been asked to take a bigger role in. This event ran for the first time this year, at Botany Town Centre, where we took over the main

creative space

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work e.g. po etc to ems, portal@ art, botan ylife.or g.nz

reviews

grab a comfy seat, turn the volume up, grab some popcorn, it’s...

Review Time

Music

Reviewed by Mark van Wijk

Albatross / The Classic Crime In the five years since the release of Albatross, Seattle-based five-piece The Classic Crime have released two more excellent albums (The Silver Cord and Vagabonds) and an impressive acoustic EP (Seattle Sessions), any of which I could (and would) give a rave review to any day of the week. And let me be clear: you should buy all of the above. Each and every one will make you sing along. Each and every one will make you think. They are all marvellously put together.

Movies

But everything I love about The Classic Crime has been there since the very beginning, and if you don’t know who these guys are, then there is something to be said for looking to Albatross first. Powerfully rhythmic rock riffs. Thoughtful, provocative lyrics. Enthusiasm and introspection. Frontman Matt MacDonald bellows energetically in ‘The Fight’, ‘Blisters and Coffee’ and ‘The Coldest Heart’, but also proves more than competent to take it down a notch and lead the band in the more reflective ‘Who Needs Air’ and ‘Headlights’.

Everything that makes The Classic Crime an exceptional band was heard here first. For fans of Sonny and Cher, U2, Michael Jackson, Switchfoot, Relient K, Celine Dion, The Supremes, Avalanche City, Hillsong, Nirvana and The Eagles; The Classic Crime do not discriminate. H H H H H H H H H 9 stars

Reviewed by Charlotte Woodfield

Action | X-Men: First Class

Family | Tangled

Girly | Funny Face

This prequel takes you back to where the X-Men began; when Professor X and Magneto were Charles and Erik. And while many aspects of the film are enjoyable - the history, the 60’s aesthetic, the beginnings and trainings of young X-Men - it’s the Charles and Erik friendship that’s the fascinating emotional heart of the film. The film may not succeed on every front - female villain ‘Frost’ is the victim of January Jones’ rather wooden performance. But the battle between good and evil - played out within Erik, between him and Charles, and in their world at large - makes this movie both arresting and interesting. But, er, Magneto? That helmet and swooshy cape? Not as cool as you think.

Thank goodness we’re past the age of daft and dippy Disney heroines who only long after a bloke or wait for one to save them. Rapunzel might be helped out of her tower by rogue Flynn Rider, but it’s clear from her frypan-wielding abilities that she can take care of herself. It’s a rollicking take on the Rapunzel tale, with humour, swashbuckling, songs, and a nicely non-vomitous amount of romance. And the villainy of Mother Gothel, whose quest to stay youthful leads her to kidnap Rapunzel, is chilling without being too scary.

I wanted to like this. I was expecting to like it! Audrey ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’ Hepburn: tick. Musical: tick. Fred ‘legendary dancer’ Astaire: tick. But, alas, no. While the story was fun (a bookish heroine turned unexpected fashion model) the romance between Hepburn (nearly 30) and Astaire (nearly 60) felt a little off. The song and dance numbers are great fun, but when the main couple’s interaction makes you cringe, it does downgrade your enjoyment a touch. If you like philosophy, fashion, and romantic songs with an age gap and a floating swan in the background, this could be the movie for you. If not? Try Singin’ In The Rain.

Length: 1hr 40mins Rating: PG Age: 8 and over, some low level violence My score: 9/10

Length: 2hrs 12 min Rating: M (Violence, death, minor sexual content) My score: 7/10

Length: 1 hr 40mins Rating: G Age: 9 and over, light discussion of philosophy My score: 5/10

Disclaimer: These reviews contain personal opinions of the reviewers and do not necessarily reflect the views of BotanyLife Community Church. For more specific information on movies and music, check out www.pluggedin.com.

by Bruce Miller Review by Brad Carr

If you would like a copy of this book, they are available from the church office for only $10!

ountless times, well-meaning people have told me I need to ‘get my life in balance.’ But what does that mean?... I think balance is a dead end. The idea of balance logically entails something fixed, equivalent, uniform and average; yet none of those words describes a well-lived life. Balance is a false ideal that doesn’t guide us toward health but instead diverts us into despair. It puts an impossible burden on us. With those words, one of my friends and mentors in ministry, Bruce Miller, dismisses the idea of pursuing a “balanced” life in his book entitled Your Life in Rhythm. Earlier Bruce notes, “In reading the Bible cover to cover, I found no instruction to balance my life. Moreover, Jesus’ life does not seem to have been balanced at all. He says to take up our crosses and lose our lives. Sacrifice and balance don’t blend well. If anything, Jesus encourages radical lives, not balanced ones.” Bruce is the Senior Pastor of a church called Christ Fellowship in the city of McKinney, Texas (formally called McKinney Fellowship Bible Church). This is the church that Rochelle and I helped to plant during our time in the USA, and this is also the church that financially underwrote the launch of BotanyLife almost eight years ago.

In fact, Your Life in Rhythm was actually conceived at Botany Town Centre during a visit by Bruce to New Zealand in 2004 when BotanyLife was brand new. At a gathering of pastors that Rowland Forman hosted at Botany, Bruce first stumbled onto the idea of using the concept of ‘rhythm’ rather than ‘balance’ as an over-riding principle of life. Instead of trying to get everything in our lives to be ‘balanced’ (whatever that actually looks like) Bruce argues strongly in this book that rhythm is a much more natural and biblical model to follow in attempting to live our lives well for God. He develops this concept in the early chapters of the book, showing that God has designed a world that moves and flows according to seasons and cycles, and these rhythms give a much healthier paradigm for the way we can live our lives. The book is primarily divided around two different concepts of time, which are described using the Greek words ‘chronos’ and ‘kairos’. ‘Chronos’ is a word that describes the regular cycles and patterns of life that occur daily, weekly, monthly and yearly. The word ‘kairos’ describes the more unpredictable rhythms of different seasons and stages in life. Perhaps my only major criticism of the book is the use of these Greek words - I found them confusing at times, and I wish Bruce had used simpler, 33

clearer terms such as ‘cycles’ and ‘seasons’. Despite that, however, these concepts of cycles and seasons are really helpful and he does a great job of fleshing them out through the book. The majority of the book is devoted to understanding and living into these two different rhythms, with one section devoted to the concept of seasons and life stages, and another to the idea of regular cycles in life. Each section has an opening chapter that helps the reader understand the concept and identify where they fit in their own lives. That’s then followed by three additional chapters in each section, where Bruce gives three key strategies that help us live into whatever season and cycles we find ourselves in right now. The greatest strength of the book in my opinion is in these six practical strategies that help us seize this moment and live it in rhythm. I’m not going to tell you what those strategies are though you need to read the book to get those. I really like this book and the concept of living life in rhythm, so much so that I purchased a number of copies and gave them to many of the key leaders at BotanyLife a year or two ago. I would highly recommend it to anyone who is tired of trying to live a ‘balanced’ life. I would encourage you to get rid of balance, and discover how to live a life of rhythm.

reviews

Your Life in Rhythm

marriage / parenting

No No’s For Wives Robert Lewis says in his book the new eve that much of the happiness a wife will achieve in this life will be in direct proportion to how well she understands and engages the man in her life. Text by Nikki Bray

Studying the opposite sex is a life-long process. And intentionally connecting with the man in your life takes hard work. If you consistently avoid the following six No-No’s, you will engage his heart and solidify your relationship:

Andy and Nikki Bray are foundation members of BotanyLife, being part of the original leadership team that started the church in 2004. Together the Bray’s lead Familylife, a ministry which is dedicated to showing couples God’s plan for marriage and family. Through one day seminars and inspiring weekend conferences, Familylife presents biblical, proven principles to help people stay happily committed and continually growing for a life-time of oneness.

4. Never treat sex in marriage casually... It’s crucial to your husband. Crucial! Remember, good sex for a man is not only what it means for him but also what it means for you. Stay creative. Surprise him from time to time. Good sex is life-giving to a husband.

1. Never nag... There are better ways to address problems in your relationship such as a direct, face-to-face dialogue about what is bothering you. If that fails, seek outside help. But don’t nag. Andy reckons that nagging is like being bitten to death by a duck. Nagging never improves a man. It only hurts him. One of the worst things a man can experience is looking daily into the ‘mirror’ he loves (you) and seeing his faults and shortcomings relentlessly being played back to him.

5. Never assume his job is not your business... A man wants to marry a woman who will nourish his life vision. You should have a good hands-on knowledge of what your husband does and appreciate the pressures he faces. Interact with him when he needs to talk about his work. Problem solve with him when you can. Pray for him and let him know it. Be his career partner.

2. Never embarrass your man in public... Proverbs 12:4 says, “An excellent wife is the crown of her husband, But she who shames him is like rottenness in his bones.” Nothing can anger a man more than being criticized by his wife or girlfriend in front of his peers. Even something as simple as rolling your eyes to mock his words or behavior before others can devastate him. The reason? It shouts, “This guy doesn’t have it together.” He may not react visibly to this sort of thing in the moment, but that anger will often come out later in a different time and context.

6. Never fall more in love with your kids than with your husband... As involved Mums this can be hard…because we can often be seeing more of our kids than our husband. But I’ve been reminded on more than one occasion that it’s not so much as the time I give to Andy but my attitude towards him that tells him whether he’s a priority. The day will come when the house is empty of children. They’ll be gone. Ensure that the closeness between you and your husband doesn’t move out too. Keep developing new ways to enjoy each other even while the kids are home. Take regular getaways without the children throughout your marriage to renew and refresh your relationship. Keep finding new ways to connect and enjoy life together. And when that day comes when the last kid moves out, you’ll be able to turn to your husband and say, “At last! Our parenting is complete... just you and me babe!”

3. Never stop cheering for your man, even when he has flaws... There’s no perfect man or perfect marriage. Don’t fall into the trap of idealizing other couples and their outwardly perfect marriages. Still, many women embrace marriage perfection in their minds. This mirage unnecessarily undercuts and stokes dissatisfaction in their own marriages. Cheer the good stuff and entrust the rest to God. 34

Wednesday 2nd November y BotanyLife Mainl day Music’s 6th birth

mber Sunday 4th Dece Christmas Series Begins

Saturday 24th December Christmas Eve Service

Friday 18th November

ChickZone Christmas E vent

Thursday 15th December

any Carols at Bot

Sunday 25th December & Sunday 1st January No church services

“Christmas Shop of Wonders” programme begins in Promiseland/BK

Wednesday 30th November

Mainly Music tion Christmas celebra

Sunday 18th December Jesus’ Birthda y Party (Family Service )

Sunday 8th January 2012 Summer series begins

what’s on guide

What’s on at Botany...

Sunday 30th October