It'sallabouttiming-God'stiming

Rev. Peter Benzie - Redoubt North Wesleyan Church

Some might call it a miracle, others the result of many years of relationship building and prayer. Either way the invitation from our local primary school to have a fundraising BBQ as part of its Matariki “Starry Night” celebrations at the end of June is a cause for celebration. Why, because it was the first time that we were officially invited onto school grounds while parents and children were there as a church and when we were allowed to “advertise” ourselves as a church.

I don’t want that to sound negative – we have a great relationship with the school which is just 2 doors down from our church building (in fact we back onto the school grounds). One of our Servant Leaders is chair of the Board of Trustees, another is the ICT Manager and one of our Ministry Team Leaders is a senior teacher. For our first 2 years as a church we met in the school, we have provided funding to assist with the Brickery – a room full of Lego where the children learn and are helped to work through challenges in their life by building with Lego. In August our Sunday teaching will be about what heaven’s really like – I hope there’s an enormous brickery where I can build using Lego and not worry about having to buy the blocks! That would be heaven for me ☺. And throughout the last 23 years we ’ ve attended events at the school like Christmas in the Playground – “just” as people in the community.

It's all about relationship – building relationships so that we are able to take advantage of the opportunities that arise. Building relationships so that people trust you enough to want to hear the good news of the gospel. Not that we did that at the Matariki celebrations – that wasn’t the time or the place (though if anyone asked we’d have shared with them of course). This was a time to continue to build relationships, to become more known in our community, to help people see that we care about them.

Because when people know we care they are more likely to be open to hear – to hear the good news of the gospel.

This was also a cause for celebration because roughly half of those who see Redoubt North Wesleyan Methodist Church as their church family helped in some way – from buying the sausage etc. cooking during the day (sausages, chop suey, cookies), to helping on the night. The bonus was that we raised money for our building expansion. Unfortunately, it’s not all “sweetness and light” for us at the moment and I ask for your prayers as I and others provide pastoral support in a couple of very challenging situations. God is on the move through his church. I firmly believe that he is using our pastoral challenges to strengthen and grow us for the future when he will bring even more people to be part of our church family.

A future which includes expanding our building so that the number of people who can gather at the same time for worship and other fellowship opportunities will more than double. Please pray with us for his provision for that expansion also.

It’s all about timing – God’s timing. It was his timing for us to be invited into the school last month, it will be in his timing that his church building is expanded, and it will be in his timing that we see an increase in those who call Redoubt North Wesleyan Methodist Church their church home and church family.

May God bless you in whatever he has called you to. Rev. Peter Benzie, Lead Minister