come alive
an online magazine for christian young adults in new zealand |june - july 2015 | issue five
EDITOR GRETA YEOMAN deputy editors NICOLA FROUD EVONNE KEY THE ALIVE TEAM ANNA GREENWOOD PAUL MCDONALD CONTRIBUTing writers MATT JOILS LYNDON ROGERS DESIGN & LAYOUT GRETA YEOMAN SUB-EDTIORS EVONNE KEY (GRAMMAR) GRETA YEOMAN (ARTICLE STRUCTURE) enquires COMEALIVEMAGAZINE@GMAIL.COM WWW.ALIVENZ.WORDPRESS.COM COVER PHOTO OF LUKE THOMPSON (SUPPLIED), BY TWO BIRDS TWEET.
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INSIDE
For The Love Of God, Think! pg 6
The Issue With Sports Obsession pg 7
HeBrews Beer pg 8
Luke Thompson pg 10
Winter Holidays pg 12
Eastercamp 2015 pg 16
FEATURE: 24/7 Faith pg 24
Streaming Now pg 28
10 Aussie Artists You Should Hear pg 32
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editorial greta yeoman, editor As I write this, I’m sitting at home in Christchurch. When this magazine goes out to the world, I’ll likely be sitting in a house in Dunedin releasing it from my new home down south. It’s been a big few months for change, having recently accepted a journalism job in Dunedin, so I’m now longer in my beautiful shakey city. Change is a funny thing, isn’t it. I wasn’t expecting to move. I was solely hunting for jobs in Christchurch and it kind of all just fell into place. But it feels right. Change has happened a lot recently. You may have noticed we changed our name. We’re now Come Alive. That had been brewing soon after the release of the first magazine when we realised there were other Alive Magazines out there. So we changed our name to my original dream of Come Alive. The website’s still alivenz.wordpress.com, but you can now flick us an email at comealivemagazine@gmail. com. To celebrate the change, we’ve also changed up our design. We really hope you like it! We’ve also changed up some of the content inside, including the introduction of the Local Legends section, where we hope to feature a few local cool people nation-wide, each issue. We may be a bit short on musicians considering we used most of them up in the April/May edition, but it’ll all be grand! On the topic of our previous issue, it did really well, we were stoked with it, with more reads in the first eight days than the entirity of the previous magazines entire lifetimes. Woop! As always, we hope we’re providing
“Change has happened a lot recently. You may have noticed we changed our name. We’re now Come Alive.” you with some spectacular content, and though this issue (and every other one in the future) will not be as ridiculous as the April/ May edition, we hope you still enjoy them. Our main feature, written by moi, explores the on-going struggle between work and faith, and the necessity but complexity of connecting the two. It has some wonderful comments in it. We also have the usual columns and opinion pieces, with Evonne and I rounding up the entertainment goodness in the world in Streaming Now. Evonne also explores some options for
winter adventures and we have extensive coverage from Northern and Southern Eastercamps. I also decided you needed a knowledge of some great Aussie talent to follow up our talented Kiwi’s in the last issue, so we’ve compiled a list of 10 Aussie Artists You Should Hear. Thanks again for reading. Let us speed through the chilly seasons, accompanied by fires, blankets, good books (or textbooks if you’re studying) and coffee/tea/hot chocolates. Keep warm and smiling! See you in August, Greta
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“Dying for something is easy because it is associated with glory. Living for something is the hard thing. Living for something extends beyond fashion, glory, or recognition. We live for what we believe.� - donald miller
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for the love of god, think! BY matt joils Why do you believe what you do? Is it something you learned from your parents, something you just accept? Do you ever doubt things? I have gone through a period of doubt. I realized that my whole life was built on what someone else had told me and I had no idea if it was true. The good news is Jesus was gracious to me. Just as He patiently showed Thomas His wounds after He rose from the dead, He patiently and thoroughly dealt with my doubts. I found that I could find overwhelming evidence of His historical existence, satisfying evidence of death and His resurrection, and compelling evidence that the Bible is a trustworthy source. Over time, I learned how to weigh up what people taught at church and compare it with the Bible, God’s word, the true perspective of how the world is. I learned also to ask questions of what other people believe. I find it frustrating that so many people leave life unexamined, never wondering about their assumptions, acting on faulty logic, and judging others as though they had it all correct. There are those who get angry at their idea of God for letting people die, as though God was their equal. However, God is the one who created the stars and the mountains, who sustains and provides for all the Earth. He gives life and has the right to take it away; He has the power and wisdom to make things that look bad turn out ultimately for good.
source: 4.design.com
“Ask lots of questions! Search honestly! Think deeply!” There are those who say all ways lead to God, contradicting Jesus and ignoring the differences between religions. It sounds humble to say none of us know the whole truth, just part of it. However, from what perspective can anyone make that call? How can you know that everyone else doesn’t know the truth unless you do? You can’t say “it’s all the elephant” if you’re just one of the blindfolded men feeling it, trying to figure out what it is. There are those who assume Christianity is for the unthinking masses, who never bother to investigate it for themselves. But our God is amazing. His claims can be prodded and tested, questioned and examined, and still hold their own. I am overjoyed that Christianity is intellectually stimulating. God is for my brain
as well as my heart! Jesus satisfies my questions as well as my soul! Can I get an AMEN? Even when I don’t feel close to God, when life is yucky and I wade through each day feeling pointless, I can go on. I can go on because when my emotions take a break, my mind is convinced. The truth is absolutely the truth. It’s unchangeable. On those days I keep going, fueled not by a spiritual high, but a solid conviction. Ask lots of questions! Search honestly! Think deeply! You will discover that the Gospel is the truth, and this truth will set you free indeed.
Matt joils is a contributing writer for come alive.
the issue with sport obsession BY paul mcdonald Hands clasped in silent prayer, sitting at the edge of my seat – it is a familiar sight in my household when watching sport. It is an obsession which began at an early age, and I know I am not alone when I say that. This small island nation cannot get enough of sport, you can see it everywhere – from our local sports fields, where young kids play football to San Francisco harbour, where our yachtsmen compete for the richest prize in sport the America’s Cup. New Zealand looks at its favourite pastime through a pair of rose tinted glasses. However, doing so is more dangerous than some of us might think. This is no secret, but sport has a dark side. For the sports stars themselves, this dark side can take the form of drugs, corruption and cheating. But for the millions of fans around the world, obsession with our favourite pastime can have some serious ramifications, some of which can lead to serious financial trouble and in some extreme cases, physical abuse. Throwing a “cheeky tenner” on a sports game can make the game more interesting, but when that $10 turns into a $10,000 bet, or worse, that is when it can start to get serious. Another dark side, one which is always more silent than it should be, is domestic abuse. After a devastating loss, sometimes fans vent their frustration and when that happens, it is often loved ones who feel the brunt of that frustration.
“Hands clasped in silent prayer, sitting at the edge of my seat – it is a familiar sight in my household when watching sport.” It is not only our wallets and families which can face the dark side of sports obsession, sometimes it is the sports stars themselves who suffer because of our obsession. While Stephen Donald became a national hero by kicking the winning penalty of the 2011 Rugby World Cup, a year earlier he was verbally abused by many fans who felt he had lost the Bledisloe Cup clash against Australia in Hong Kong. In 1999 after the devastating Rugby World Cup loss to France, All Black coach John Hart was given the boot due to public pressure. However, while sports obsession can have a few negative elements, there are many positive elements to it too.
One of my fondest memories as a child was travelling to Dunedin to watch my beloved Highlanders. Through this group of southern rugby players, I learnt many valuable life lessons. Unconditional love – if you have ever watched the Highlanders you will understand why. Loyalty – Sticking by someone through thick and thin, no matter what. Sport has the power to bring people together, it can create life long memories and can strengthen relationships, like it has with my Dad. The Rugby World Cup is only a few months away, but before fever pitch hits, always remember, support, but do so responsibly.
on the way to hillsong conf. BY greta yeoman Ever wanted to know what goes on at one of Hillsong’s conferences? Well due some some crazy circumstances and timing our Deputy Editors, Evonne Key and Nicola Froud are likely to be headed to Sydney to attend the full conference as Media! Because that’s what we are. Running June 29 - July 3, 2015 the conference will feature Brian & Bobbie Houston, Joel & Julia A’Bell, Christine Caine, Robert Fergusson, Hillsong Worship and Hillsong UNITED, Hillsong Young & Free. Full coverage of the conference to come in the August/September issue!
STILL THE SAME. JUST RE-NAMED.
LOCAL LEGENDS
faith and beer - Lukas Theilmann: he-brews BY lyndon rogers Lukas Thielmann is a good, Germanic mate of mine. We catch up over a coffee each week and have done for the last few years. He’s in church leadership, I’m in church leadership - it’s great to talk things through together. He’s married. He has a dog. He’s also an innovator – one of those rare people who make things happen that wouldn’t happen otherwise. In particular, he makes beer happen that wouldn’t otherwise be brewed. He does it with mates, and sees it as an experimental church kind of a space. So, over to him…
leaving party. He’s back in Chch now but I opened a bottle the other day and it tasted amazing. Can I have some? No. It’s special. Tell me about the blokes you brew with? We’re pretty casual really, there are usually some people I studied with, some people from Sumner and random people that get invited. What is Hebrews? HeBrews is basically an excuse to drink and brew beer with friends with a bit of an effort to introduce people to other people with similar interests. We get together, brew, chat. These days we brew mainly for church events, and other churches from around Chch who ask me to brew for them.
What’s the best beer you’ve brewed? I think the best ale I’ve brewed is a Coffee Stout with my mate Aaron. He was going to the States for a year and wanted something for his What advice would you give to a
young adult who wants to share their faith with a friend? I’m no expert on evangelism but I think for me a big barrier to sharing faith is feeling stupid. Studying and learning about God really gave me more confidence and a knowledge that faith doesn’t have to be blind and that it can stand up to secular rhetoric. But to be honest I think the biggest problem a lot of us have is that we don’t have many close relationships with people who don’t follow Jesus. I definitely know I’m guilty of that. Hanging out, building relationships is really what it boils down to I think. ‘Boils down to’ – is that a brewing pun? No.
lyndon rogers is a contributing writer for come alive.
source: supplied. Photo by Two Birds Tweet
LOCAL LEGENDS
luke thompson, keep rolling on escape”. He says the response to the EP has Luke Thompson doesn’t believe in “been nice”. “It’s always an interesting time refavourite songs. The Tauranga-based musician says leasing music, I find... it’s not one of my favourite times.. I’d much because you created them, you prefer to be on tour or in the stucan’t choose between them. dio or writing, than to be releasing But, he says, his current enjoysomething.” ment is ‘The Climb, The Fall’ off his recently released Strum Strum “It’s an interesting time because you’re done with it and all you EP. can really do is sit back and hope “It’s about those times when the lights go out and you are all alone people like it.” But now, with the release out of with yourself and how much that the way, Luke has just been on can be contrasted at times to the tour to support the EP. glamorous parts of life.” “I think that song’s got some cool He toured with Holly Arrowsmith, deciding “a long time ago” to do a stuff to say.” tour with her, first hearing her reHe describes it as like a Monday cordings then playing a show with morning after an awesome weekher while on tour with Avalanche end - “the moments you can’t
BY Greta yeoman
City. “She was even better live.” “You just can’t tell that kind of thing [how someone sounds live] anymore, with recording the way it is [now].” He describes her music as being quite “kindred”. “You know, like, I could have written that song or I wish I had written that song.” Though he says those connections don’t come along all that often, he discovered fellow musician Lydia Cole with a similar decision. “I knew immediately I’d love to do some recording [with her].” He says he didn’t know it would go so well. “To be honest, Lydia’s voice is so amazing and so unique and unu-
sual that I didn’t think my voice could sound good with her voice.” They recorded the single ‘Water’ together, with Lydia on harmonies. The video for the song has now clocked more than 57,000 views on YouTube and led to further collaborations together, including harmonies on ‘As A Mountain Stands’ from the Water EP and ‘Oh Christina’ from the new, Strum Strum, EP. “It’s cool collaborating with her [and] amazing touring with her.” “It’s a cool friendship to have.” His favourite song to play “is always something new”, picking un-released song ‘Rumours’ as a favourite, though of the songs he’s released he says it would probably be ‘Water’. “I’m always pretty happy with that song.” With Strum Strum released and toured, Luke is onto the next project. “It’s going to be called The Trials and Tribulations of Adam and his Seed.” Though he’s unsure whether it will be an album or EP, he says he’s really excited about some of the songs on it. Luke’s aware of the constant career that music is, always planning ahead in tours and releases, and source: supplied. Photo by J Hart says if he wasn’t a musician he’d
“It’s about those times when the lights go out and you are all alone with yourself and how much that can be contrasted at times to the glamorous parts of life.”
“I’ve always thought it would be really cool to be a builder.” probably do something polar opposite. “I’ve always thought it would be really cool to be a builder.” He says that a builder goes to work, works, comes home from work and keeps working until the particular project is finished. Then he moves onto the next thing. Luke says he really never feels
like his work is ever finished, and mentions some of his more “higher level” musician friends are always planning a year or so in ahead, so they have to be really intentional about taking breaks. “I’m just really lucky that I get to cook myself curry [from a packet suggested by Avalanche City’s Dave Baxter] at lunch and have
some down-time.” He’s a musician not a builder though so in regards to his career highlight, he says it’s a big question, but his recent shows in Europe would definitely be up there. “[It’s] amazing to be, just to be in a place like that, playing music, these really cool shows with one of my best friends [Stu Larsen].” “That’s something that will always be a highlight.”
luke’s new ep ‘strum strum’ is out now!
seasonal feature
WINTER HOLIDA We don’t have six feet of snow, and we don’t have Christmas, or Thanksgiving. In fact we’re lucky that we get snow at all, being an island nation in the South Pacific. (Unless you live in Auckland- in which case pay close attention to our more southern holiday suggestions.) But you can still have fun, and lots of it, if you know where to look, as Evonne Key discovers.
hit the slopes the remarkables The Queenstown area is full of fun things to do at any time of the year, but during the winter months it is alive with skiers and snowboarders from all around the world, seeking out its slopes. With a new base building and a recentlyinstalled chair- the Remarks will be just one of the places to be this winter, with the nearby contenders of Coronet, Cadrona, and Treble Cone.
mount ruapehu
If you’re from the bonnie North Island, and looking for somewhere to go with the family this winter, dust off the old skis and head to Mt Ruapehu to Whakapapa Ski Field. Great for families and intermediate skiiers and boarders, this mountain is a North Island favourite.
source: www.surftheelementstours.co.nz source: www.remarkablespark.com & www.nzski.com
AYING: NZ STYLE PORTERS SKI AREA If you’re looking for something smaller than the usual tourist hotspots, and are based in central to north South Island, you could check out Porters Ski Area, in Arthur’s Pass National park. Near Lake Lyndon and Coleridge, with Castle Hill down the road, surrounded in stunning mountains and native bush close by, Porters is a great location for your winter getaway.
source: www.skirebel.com & www.secure.totaltravel.com
MOUNT HUTT
Another great field in the Canterbury region, this ski area is closer to the big smoke of Christchurch, with the access road literally on small town Methven’s doorstep. With stunning views out over the plains, and the Southern Alps behind, this field has plenty of fun for all ages and abilities. Just be aware of its terribly pot-holed road.
source: www.myslopes.com & www.snowsports247
WINTER HOLIDA
SKY-DIVING
Adrenaline junkies; take note. Popular all year round, this extreme sport attracts many people during the winter months, due to the snow levels on the mountains. Imagine falling through the air, above snowcapped peaks, turquoise glaciers, cool blue lakes and dark pockets of native bush. Imagine seeing the towering Remarkables, up close and personal, draped in white. Sound like your thing? Stop by NZone in the Wakatipu area for your next thrill-seeking adventure,
source: www. southpacifictravellers.co.nz & www. gorentals.co.nz
JET-BOAT
Despite the chill in the air, especially down south, Jet-boating down a turquoise river with snow laden mountains in the distance is something not to be missed. You can try the world-renown Shotover Jet, with its fun, twisting canyon. Or, for a more picturesque adventure, and a longer one at that, you can experience the beauty and splendour of the Dart River Valley, from the back of a boat, at Dart River Jet.
aatravel.co.nz
source: www..kjet.co.nz
ice-skating in the south If you fancy a twirl on the ice, there are several places to check out in the South Island. There is Queenstown Ice Rink, home of the Southern Stampede, based in the beautiful Queenstown gardens. source: ww.media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/
AYING: NZ STYLE southern highlights Maybe you’re doing the South Island highlights. In June. The ski fields of the south, and then up through Central and the Manniototo, to see the Southern Alps in all their winter glory. Make sure to stop by at Twizel and warm those toes in the Tekapo Hot Pools. Check out a Lord of the Rings tour (if you didn’t get your fill in Queenstown), then head to Pukaki to feast your eyes upon the glory that is our highest mountain, Cook. source: Greta Yeoman
skate naseby or tekapo Or if you don’t mind the cold, and love fresh air, then both Alexandra and Tekapo have outdoor rinks for your enjoyment. For something a bit different, Naseby hosts an Olympic sized indoor curling rink, as well as outdoor areas. And, if you’re really up for some fun, the head into the forest for the Southern Hemisphere’s only ice luge.
source: www.teara.govt.nz
HAMNERS SPRINGS Hamner Springs is a local and tourist favourite all year round, with its famous hot pools. Not to be missed in the winter, where you can warm yourself from the freezing air in a sulphur laden, steamy bath. A gorgeous town, with walks and mountains nearby, Hamner is the go-to getaway place, for all your winter needs.
source: www.aatravel.com & nztravel.com.au
CELEBRATING EASTER ACROSS THE COUNTRY
every year, across new zealand thousands of young people gather over easter weekend at easter camps. come alive checked a few out.
SOUTHERN EC SPENCER PARK, christchurch “Aotearoa, we stand as one, Your people ‘til we see Your kingdom come.” One of the most powerful statements from Southern Eastercamp was the above, with over 3000 voices ringing it out in the Big Top meetings at the Spencer Park campsite. From a new song from the revised line-up of Satellite, Southern EC’s worship band, the music had never been so alive, nor the whole atmosphere of camp. There were numerous times over the camp when you’d look around and realise what a crowd of people this size could do to change the world, with many big and small ideas coming to fruition over the Easter weekend. From a few of my Year 13 youth group girls looking incredibly excited when at one of the afternoon seminars
Adrian Palmer from the Addington Coffee Co-op suggested schools could partner with Freeset to get their leavers merch done through the fairtrade company to thousands of people standing up to the call of standing up for children by supporting the 40 Hour Famine, the mood for change was buzzing. A smaller crowd attended this year, following last year’s flooding disaster and call-off of 2014’s EC, estimates of around 3300 attendees. But the worship was buzzing each night, with the excitement of singing along with Satellite, lead by vocalist Anna Whittaker and new guitarist/vocalist Bazzi Baxter. There was a glorious moment of two trumpets appearing the middle of one of the songs, which came with the
source: Photos by Greta Yeoman (c) Come Alive 2015
realisation and confirmation that worship isn’t just about what you’re singing, it can solely be the music itself. And the speakers were awesome. My sister had tears of laughter rolling down her face listening to Marko and my other sister loved EC ‘Camp Dad’ Mike Dodge’s warning to not getting too crazy in the mosh pit “because that little 14-year-old down the front will get squashed against the barrier and her eyes will pop out and get all dusty rolling around on that floor”, all said in such a dead-pan way. The idea of parables had never been clearer, with so many fantastic stories, mixed in with humour then jumping to serious comments, used to make the points by the speakers. MC’ed again by Attitude’s Christian and Valentine (aka Christiantine), some good punishment was handed out to rogue leaders during Big Top sessions for things including using campers toothbrushes by the way of electric shock chairs and smashing rotten eggs on faces. Carnival rides, including the very popular Hurricane, had massively long queues while the Jelly Wrestling, Milk Skulling,
an Outdoor Dance Party, and Spray-on Tattoos also proved popular. Cafes, including the famous Toastie Shack, a weird assortment of altered, bizarre bikes and Zorb Soccer were also well-crowded throughout the weekend. I think a Satellite lyric sums up the weekend perfectly. “Your light breaks through the night, we’re coming alive.”
by editor greta yeoman
NORTHERN EC
mystery creek, hamilton Easter Camp 2015 was a force to be reckoned with. It could only be described as a force, - now that I see the changes in my own youth, in its wake. We are still wide-eyed, asking ourselves, “what just happened?”. I may be a little biased, having been to the northern Baptist Youth Ministries Easter Camp at Mystery Creek for five years now, twice as a camper, and thrice as a leader, but aside from 2013’s, this year’s was quite different - and quite unbeatable. Thankful to say that we had no baby hurricanes this year, our tents stayed on our side of the camp site, not one flew across the pavilion; furthermore, our tents stayed in the same ground into which we pegged them - and the poles were even able to withstand the little wind and stay whole.
It was quite a different atmosphere to last year. The sunshine brought everyone out of their tent sites and into the village, down the water slide, enjoying village games and live sets playing, the talent quest providing a background hum to the thrum of the people to-ing and fro-ing between the bands and the stalls. By night, the entire space was warmly lit, the scent of roast pig smoking on a spit, pulling all numbers of people in, to enjoy pork together late at night. I made sure to attend the gig by [shift] - the Auckland band that we had the pleasure of interviewing last issue and we were able to introduce ourselves to each other in the flesh. Their gig was a chance to rock out, bob and clap, and have a little dance to some pop songs played [shift] style.
I was impressed but not surprised by the turnout of onesie pyjamas on Easter Sunday morning, as five thousand young people flocked together; - I say people, but the awesome bird’s eye shot taken tells me I mean an assembly of unicorns, dinosaurs, pikkachus, cows, and woodland and jungle animals. I maintain that I was the only pukeko to enter into the happenings of the morning. Worship kicked off each and every morning and night, and the transition time saw everyone in the bleachers upon their seats, having a dance party amongst their own youth communities. I compare this to other years, where the dancing normally begins with the sound of The Final Countdown; the party would be in full swing by the time the tune indicated the meeting’s official beginning! We were blessed to have Danielle as a spoken word poet address us each morning and night. Her words were convicting and her deliveries touching. Each day I looked forward to her segment, and to the storyteller. This girl had an undeniably beautiful speaking voice and the reading of the scripture was a new addition to the programme this year that I was massively blessed by. The band outdid themselves. I’m partial, and so are others, to the songs, anthems and tags that they have belted out years before, but they managed to create new musical legacies - songs that we were humming relentlessly throughout meals and long hot afternoons.
Four speakers (Mark Oestreicher, Matt Martyn, Esther Elliott and Robbie Dawkins) addressed us over the weekend and we were
again, stepping up into the role of verbalising our prayers, others, challenged to partake in, and be encouraged by, the healings that took place that night. I recall the campers in our youth who had seen a similar presentation in the
have been trickling into our Sunday services, each of our youth nights, and seeping into our recent regional service, our church’s healing service, and tonight, as I write this, saturating even our adult congregation in their private lives too. It’s a stain that we are constantly re-soaking, and I have seen expectations of God in our youth influx from His being there to oversee the happenings of our
“Doubts bowed to anticipation as most prayed, and were prayed for.” given four delivery styles. All are to be acknowledged for their messages that contained the truth and glory of the Easter story, and were devoid of any cliché that could keep us from hearing the gospel like it was for the first time. Many of our campers, (and I just know that many other youth groups would testify the same), were hugely impacted by our last speaker, Robbie. His ministry in America is a ministry of physical healing, and so Sunday night saw each and every one of us clustered together, in our youth communities, and smaller groups
seminar slot earlier in the day, and beforehand been skeptical of the reality of the healings that we had all been witness to. The seminar made a point, and opened their minds, and the similar evening session delivered to them a certainty that God still works in a supernatural way. Doubts bowed to anticipation as most prayed, and were prayed for. The conversations these witnessings triggered continued long into the night, the following morning, the youth meeting after camp the following Sunday. These testimonies and expectations of more of God’s work
world, right up, to actively bursting out of any box anyone dares to put Him in. We had constructed a beautiful box for Him, for us to open when we were all together, but instead He dares to be the white elephant in the room. We now can’t not acknowledge Him and bring glories and victories back to His doings. As our white elephant, He dares us to point Him out, and I am finally seeing others give, and am learning to give, credit where it is due.
by dept ed. nicola froud
Photos : Come Alive Dept Ed. Nicola Froud’s Youth Don. Used with permission.
FOCUS FEATURE
24/7 faith What does it mean to be a Christian in 2015? Especially when we spend most of our time either at work, or school or studying. At a recent event in Christchurch, the Thirsty Workers’ Guild, where young adults explore the mix of faith and work, people came to the conclusion that figuring out how your work and faith can intertwine is actually very important as you spend most of
your week working, studying or undertaking some sort of role in life. One of the speakers at the Thirsty Workers Guild was ‘Faith at Work’guru Alastair McKenzie, who spent six months surveying Christians on how their faith connected in with their work. He says most of those surveyed thought he was there to ask about how well they were going with evangelising their friends. He
wasn’t. He also found many people thought the church portrayed a ‘work is primarily for evangelism, secondly for money’ viewpoint. “What is clear is that most Christians do not feel that what they do most of the time really matters to God.” He says that there is a ‘Sunday/ Monday gap’, a failure to recognise God at work AT work, whilst
“I pray that our church scattered into each and every industry and profession and workplace will be used by God to transform those institutions, and be agents of his justice in the world along the way.” it is far easier to feel connected on a Sunday. “Because it often seems so much harder to have a sense of the presence of God at work on Monday. How do we understand and recognise God at work in our working worlds?” “Even most of our models of prayer are about retreating from our working worlds to meet with God.” The ultimate solution is not to find a ministry job. Yes, we need people in ministry. But we also need all the other jobs. He says he regularly heard comments about all Christians being equal, but those involved in “full-time Christian service” being somehow more equal, with a feeling of hierarchy existing. The hierarchy would begin with missionaries and pastors at the top, then “full-time” Christian workers, then part-time pastoral staff, following with volunteer workers in church activities appearing just above those who are solely involved in full-time “secular” work. “This “full-time Christian service” and “secular work” talk is still very common. And although a lot of people didn’t think that it should be like this in theory, most thought that it is still this way in practice. Even in their own minds.” But we need the the teachers, the doctors, the cleaners, the artists, the bus drivers, the pilots, the check-out chicks, the journalists, the rubbish collectors, the help-
line assistants, the lawyers, the truck drivers, the politicians and all the other jobs there are. That is how society works. You need a range of jobs to keep the world going. Alastair also comments that people such as doctors, teachers, youth workers etc, those that could be described as being in “helping professions”, felt more like their work was ‘ministry’, and that they felt as though the church affirmed that. The flip side, he adds, was that those that were in roles that didn’t involve so much face-to-face interaction with people (ie com-
“So Christians are free to study the world of human culture in order to know more of God; for as creatures made in His image we can appreciate truth and wisdom wherever we find it.” puter technicians, desk-bound office workers, factory workers, engineers etc) felt their jobs were lesser affirmed by the church and struggled to find a sense of God in their work. But can you still sense in your daily life? Can you still be known as a Christian in your job? “God is love”, people say. Then can we not be love in our workplaces? Can we not be the help-
ful, hardworking, caring people that we should be? Being a Christian and working doesn’t necessarily mean telling everyone about God, 24/7. That would get frustrating for your colleagues. Just imagine if they did the same to you, either about their religion or lack of. You’re not at work to preach. You’re there to work. Alastair is part of an international organisation called Theology of Work, which runs the website theologyofwork.org with resources and biblical studies regarding faith and work. The Theology of Work project is built on a belief that all Jesus-followers are called to live out their faith in whatever work they do. On their website they ran a transcript from a video piece from Katherine Alsdorf, founder Redeemer Presbyterian Church’s Centre for Faith & Work in New York City. She set up the Centre in 2002 after becoming a Christian and a CEO at the same time, and not knowing how to deal with either. In her talk, transcribed from the 2014 Faith@Work Summit, she talks of Christians concerned with rules and practises, such as whether to work on Sundays, taking particular roles in acting, creating advertising for iffy companies, but says it’s so much more than rules. “How can we help people see and experience that the gospel changes everything, that it actually has real power in our own work lives. The best place is to start with our own hearts. Can the gospel really change our hearts, and how does that happen?” One example Katherine took of applying the Gospel into work was that if you were jealous of
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a co-worker, how could the Bible change that, or if you feared failure, how the Gospel could calm your fear? “I pray that our church scattered into each and every industry and profession and workplace will be used by God to transform those institutions, and be agents of His justice in the world along the way.” She also describes work as “a bit of an idol factory”. “It leads us to overvalue success or money or security or recognition or comfort. And the gospel helps us to root out those idols and turn to Jesus for our salvation.” American author Donald Miller seemingly shares her thought, commenting, “every human being is searching for a deep sense of meaning, and yet we’re all chasing success. We’ve confused one for the other”. Alastair adds that most people admitted to never hearing a sermon about work, or hearing how work fits into God purposes. “[The] Church is very concerned about what I do with my spare time but doesn’t say much at all about what I do most of the time.” Author Tim Keller approached the subject in his book, Every Good Endeavor: Connecting Your Work to God’s Work, saying “if God’s purpose for your job is that you serve the human community, then the way to serve God best is to do the job as well as it can be done.” He also comments that when people say Christians work from a gospel worldview, it does not mean that they are constantly speaking about Christian teaching in their work. “This would mean that Christian musicians should play Christian music, Christian writers should write stories about conversion, and Christian businessmen and -women should work for companies that
“if God’s purpose for your job is that you serve the human community, then the way to serve God best is to do the job as well as it can be done.” make Christian-themed products and services for Christian customers.” “Yes, some Christians in those fields would sometimes do well to do those things, but it is a mistake to think that the Christian worldview is operating only when we are doing such overtly Christian activities.” He says, instead, people should think of the gospel as a set of glasses through which you “look” at everything else in the world. “Christian artists, when they do this faithfully, will not be completely beholden either to profit or to naked self-expression; and they will tell the widest variety of stories. Christians in business will see profit as only one of several bottom lines; and they will work passionately for any kind of enterprise that serves the common good. The Christian writer can constantly be showing the destructiveness of making something besides God into the central thing, even without mentioning God directly.” He also says that without an understanding of common grace, Christians will believe they can
live self-sufficiently within their “own cultural enclave”. “Some might feel that we should go only to Christian doctors, work only with Christian lawyers, listen only to Christian counselors, or enjoy only Christian artists.” He adds though non-believers have “seriously impaired spiritual vision”, so many of the gifts God put in the world are given to non-believers, referencing Mozart as a gift to people, whether he believed or not. “So Christians are free to study the world of human culture in order to know more of God; for as creatures made in His image we can appreciate truth and wisdom wherever we find it.” A quote from author and blogger Paul Angone’s new book All Groan Up (of which his blog is under the same name) sums up the stress of questioning your life well. “If you’re overwhelmed with asking what you want to do with your life, remember that’s a gift to even have time and space to ask.”
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STREAMING NOW IN OUR EARS Blood To Bone Gin
How Big How Blue How Beautiful Florence & The Machine OUT JUNE 1ST, HOW BIG HOW BLUE HOW BEAUTIFUL IS THE THIRD ALBUM FROM FLORENCE AND THE MACHINE. IT OFFERS NEW SOUNDS FROM THE BRITISH SONGWRITER, WHILST HER VOICE STILL HOLDS ITS OWN WITHIN THE SONGS. THE FIRST THREE SINGLES INCLUDE, WHAT KIND OF MAN, SHIP TO WRECK AND ST JUDE.
Wilder Mind Mumford & Sons
Empires Hillsong UNITED
Gin Wigmore will if you like boy & the newest album release her third al- bear you’ll love this from hillsong united bum, Blood To Bone, album. This is bais empires. They even on June 26. The first sically the english released a short single off the new version of the aussie video to announce album, new rush, was folk band boy & bear, the album from released on April with mumford & space! As christian 21st.. Blood To Bone is sons replacing their post reported lead the first album from banjos for electric singer, joel houston, the Kiwi since 2011’s guitars.with more said “We thought if Gravel & Wine. Gin rock-like sounds. there was ever a broke into the music than their previous place to launch our scene with her 2009 records whilst still new album, it should album Holy Smoke being mumford. the be somewhere we’ve and has performed on third album from never been before”. many shows including mumford & sons was THe albumm was Ellen. released May 4th. released May 26.
we are for the wilder places BY Greta yeoman Avalanche City has a new album out July 3rd. The first single, Inside Out, was debuted on X Factor in late April, joking online afterwards “I was really hoping I would win X Factor from it, but apparently guest artists can’t do that.” It is the first big release from Dave Baxter’s folk act since his breakthrough 2011 album Our New
Life Above The Ground. Dave released the lyrics to the title track and album cover on Facebook saying “It’s a backbone that bends into the wind, and a mind that faces fear. It’s the space in your lounges that beats like a drum, of war raging to your head. I was always for the failures, and we are for the wild places. I was always for the failures, and we are for the wild places.”
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STREAMING NOW featured video
Our featured video comes from Christchurch trio Burke&Cole, featuring one of the Come Alive crew, Corey Reddish. Corey drums for Josh Burke and Matty Coleman. The group have just released their first music video, called Discover. Find it at https://youtu.be/LZnJk4U4RFk
Jurrassic World Released: June 11
The Minions Released: June 25
Mr Holmes Released: July 30
following up the 1993 hit jurrassic park and it’s spin-offs (the last of which was in 2001), jurrassic world takes off Twenty-two years after the disastrous events of Jurassic Park. imdb says “the vision of founder John Hammond is now reality - a fully-functional theme park open to the public, and populated by dinosaurs.”
the minions of despicable me 1 & 2 return in their own movie. imdb says “Minions Stuart, Kevin and Bob are recruited by Scarlet Overkill, a super-villain who, alongside her inventor husband Herb, hatches a plot to take over the world.” Starring sandra bullock as one of the voice talents, the film is for release june 25th.
Flicks.co.nz says “Sir Ian McKellen is an aged and retired Sherlock Holmes in this crime mystery from director Bill Condon (Dreamgirls).The great detective’s memory is fading, but a 50-yearold case still troubles him. Residing in a Sussex village post-WWII, Mr. Holmes investigates the mystery with the fragments of memory he has left.”
cloud closes down BY greta yeoman Cloud Festival has closed their gates. The one-day Christian music festival, which debuted this past summer, announced its closure in late April. Created in a response to the closure of the multi-day Parachute Festival in early 2014, Cloud had struggled with competition from 15 events around Auckland Anniversary Weekend including Hamilton-based Festival One, a multi-day
festival also hoping to fill the Parachute gap. In a statement, the Cloud crew said it was a “privilege” to play a part in launching eight mission trips with Break Free Expeditions and having 80 children sponsored through TEARFund at the event. Festival Director Joel Ulbricht said they created Cloud Festival to see people come together. “While music plays a primary part, our core message was to provide a platform for local & global missions and to
encourage all who attended to be proactively involved in the message of being unashamedly all about Jesus.” Cloud 2015 was held at QBE Stadium in Auckland, hosting around 3500 people and acts including Hillsong Young & Free, Rapture Ruckus, Strahan and Newsboys.
festival one returns again for 2016 BY Greta yeoman Festival One will return next summer. The multi-day festival celebrating faith, art, community and music will again be hosted at Mystery Creek in 2016. Confirmed the day after Cloud Festival announced its closure, it seems the want of a multi-day festival is still in high demand. Even at an early stage, announcements for the festival include the return of Bible scholar Rikk Watts and Brady Toops, and is it confirmed - the Saturday night BBQ will be back again! In a video announcing their return, director Graham Burt said they were pleased to announce next year’s event. “It’s no surprise everybody wants to come back, and bring 15 of their nearest and dearest friends.” To be held on Auckland
“It’s no surprise everybody wants to come back, and bring 15 of their nearest and dearest friends.” Anniversary Weekend (January 29 - February 1st 2016), the festival began after the closure of long-running Parachute in 2014, with the Festival One crew quickly filling the space and bringing
acts including Switchfoot, Halfnoise and Gungor back to New Zealand. “Festival One 2016 is going to be stunning.” Keep an eye out on www. festival-one.co.nz or their Facebook page for more
details about guests and artists at the 2016 Festival. Some early-bird tickets are available now through the website and range from $99 for a child to $124 for an adult.
shorter nz tour before baby due Brooke Fraser announced her pregnancy. She then announced new dates The cancellation of her for a NZ tour to support NZ tour brought on her 2014 album, Brutal plenty of speculation, and some of the rumours Romantic, touring only where eventually proved Christchurch, Auckland correct when Kiwi muso and Wellington - shorter
By greta yeoman
than the initial 10-date tour. Brooke Fraser performs at the Isaac Theatre Royal in Christchurch on June 24, the Opera House in Wellington on June 26 and Holy Trinity Cathedral in Auckland on June 27.
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TOPPING BILLBOARD: rAPTURE RUCKus Rapture Ruckus topped the Billboard charts in late May. The ex-pat rappers hit the Christian/Gospel charts with their album Invader (Deluxe Edition) on May 25, 2015. The album is a mix of their albums Invader Vol I and Invader Vol II, and includes the hit Volcano, featuring Jonathon Thulin. In a press release from
Parachute Music, frontman Brad Dring said the success of Invader is a huge win for the indie ethic; especially considering the album was crowd-funded. “When I got the text from our manager saying the album debuted at #1 on Billboard, I thought he was pulling my leg.” He said he didn’t really believe it until he saw the chart.
“There it was at number one – it felt pretty unreal.” “We’ve always had an old school approach to promoting our music; we tour hard, sell CD’s at shows and make as many friends as we can. The great thing about this record is it was 100% funded by our fans and not a label, that’s freakin’ awesome.”
featured social media
Something to think about... “Be joyful always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances. For this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus!! 1 Thes. 5:16-18.” @newsboys on Twitter “Lovely one, nothing you do can undo the Cross, so freely & securely dream on, build on, & lead on.”
in the meme time
christian memes If you’ve never seen this page, you’re missing out. If you have seen this page just admire the photos on both sides of this text. They’re both from the Christian Memes Facebook page which is one of the best things on the ‘book. Check it out at https://www. facebook.com/MemesForJesus and watch your time fly away.
source: christian memes
Interested in writing for come ALIVE? Contact Greta at comealivemagazine@gmail.com 21
10 AUSSIE ARTISTS NATALIE SLADE
TUNE IN In our April/May edition we celebrated NZ Music Month. This issue we thought it was time we brought to your attention ten Australian acts worth of your ears. From folk to pop to hip-hop to rock and everything in between, Greta Yeoman presents a mix of artists from around the big land next door.
TIGERTOWN These Aussies have been attending Kiwi music festivals for a number of years now, bringing their alt/ rock/folk vibes to our stages. The five-piece family act, fronted by vocalist Charlie have played across their homeland, in the USA (including a recent slot at famed SXSW), the UK and, of course, New Zealand! They released a new single, Papernote, a few months back, which follows up their two previous EPs, Morning Has Finally Come and Wandering Eyes.
I met this lady while she lived in NZ, performing with the Fledge collective. She then moved back home to Sydney about a year ago and is back performing her strong vocals and lyrics as part of her own sounds, and releasing under the Yum Yum band also. For fans of electro/hip-hop/funky sounds, you should check out this talent who’s played support to Kiwi acts including Anika, Boh and Hollie, @peace and Sola Rosa.
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YOU SHOULD HEAR MEREDITH Meredith, the performance name of Brisbane-based Meredith Barker, is a solo artist hard to pigeonhole for genres, previously writing folk-style sounds and recently switching to more electro-based tunes. She released an EP called ‘The Darkness’ last year, which features five folk songs and is currently working on a new EP. She describes her genre as ‘electrofolk’, releasing a new single Jumpin’ Beds to support that sound change. The music video for the song was made by Danny McShane, a talented fellow Brisbane-based film-maker. Meredith also performs with good friend O’ Little Sister, often under their duo name Polaroid Sweethearts.
O’ LITTLE SISTER O’ Little Sister is Lucinda Johnson, another Brisbane-based folk musician. She released a self-titled album in 2012, featuring 8 wonderful folky tunes. She’s previously opened for Kiwi musos Lydia Cole and Luke Thompson when they’ve had Brissy shows. As mentioned in the profile for Meredith, she’s also collaborated with film-maker Danny McShane, but this time in doing a wee doco film about her life and music. Check it out on Vimeo, it’s pretty sweet!
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10 AUSSIE ARTISTS STU LARSEN
Follow Passenger? Then you may have heard of Stu Larsen. The Aussie solo musician has toured with the British pop-folk star Passenger, and appeared in a number of Passenger’s fantastic live videos. He also took Kiwi Luke Thompson as support act for his Europe tour recently. Stu released his second album, Vagabond, last year, following up his 2011 EP ‘Ryeford’.
the soorleys
The Soorleys are the favourite family band out of Parachute’s Artist Development Scheme. The Newcastle-based folk act made up of sisters, husbands and brothers-in-laws. The upbeat folk sounds of The Soorleys have been heard over the last few years at Parachute and then at the debut of Cloud this year. There are rumours of a second EP for release this year, with its debut single Destination released in early May.
BEN ABRAHAM We had this fellow in an interview for the magazine in late 2014, if you remember, celebrating his debut album release. Ben Abraham was the epitome of old style performance music, of playing hundreds of shows before putting out a record, rather than the modern style today of releasing an album without having ever performed. He’s performed at Parachute previously and the Melbourne-based artist shared his album vocals with Sara Bareilles and had songs produced by Gotye, the man behind ‘Somebody That I Used to Know’. Ben’s album Sirens is available for purchase on iTunes.
YOU SHOULD HEAR THE PAPER KITES
Ever heard the song Bloom? If you don’t know these guys, jump on Google and check out Bloom. I was first introduced to the Kites in 2010, when frontman Sam Bentley appeared on stage with a little-known Lydia Cole who was playing in support for Brooke Fraser’s Flags tour. In that time they’ve released two EPs, Woodland and Young North and a debut album States. A follow-up record is due out this year.
ANGUS & JULIA STONE Brother and sister duo Angus and Julia, have been around a long time, previously releasing two albums, then taking break, before releasing their latest self-titled album to re-launch their duo career. During their break from their duo performance, they both released solo albums. The band is best-known for the single ‘Big Jet Plane’ and released their self-titled third album in 2014, touring to New Zealand earlier this year.
MISSY HIGGINS If you didn’t know Missy Higgins was an Aussie songwriter, her latest record would confirm that. The pop/alternative musician released her fourth album, Oz, last year - a record of covers of some of her favourite Aussie songs. She also had her song Steer (you’d probably know it) as the opening track of the film adaption of Tomorrow When The War Began. She also has a Kiwi connection, performing a cover of Stuff & Nonsense on She Will Have Her Way, an all-female cover collection of Tim & Neil Finn’s songs.
STILL THE SAME. JUST RE-NAMED.