Celebrating Multiplication

The National Council was excited to celebrate 3 significant multiplication moments at its last meeting on 17 June.

City Cross Link Kaiwaka was approved as a new church plant (Foundation Church) under the pastoral leadership of Lay Pastor Armand Catalong. In April 2022 City Cross Link established a Bible study among Filipino migrants in Kaiwaka (north of Wellsford). The group grew and began to take on a multi-cultural flavour with a local Maori family joining. By February 2023, Sunday worship services were underway under the umbrella of CCL. Pastor Armand was accepted as a Ministry Student as the group continued to grow. Pastor Joel Detalo reflected the encouragement of the CCL congregation for the application: “The Servant Leaders and Ministry Leaders of CCL Auckland are unanimous in our support of Armand and the whole Kaiwaka team. Last 5 February the whole church of Auckland came to Kaiwaka to launch the opening of our work there. From that day until now we are supporting the Kaiwaka work not just in prayer but with resources as well".

City Cross Link - Auckland was approved as a Pioneer Church recognising the growth of the church since it was planted in 2019. CCL has rapidly expanded its network across Auckland and beyond. Satellite small groups are meeting across the city. As the church has grown, it has become more multicultural, but continues to minister in a specialised way to Filipino migrants. Rev Rudyard Alejo has been recruited from the Philippines to assist Pastor Joel Detalo with the growth of the church and the opportunities to plant new churches. Rev Alejo has been granted a Religious Workers visa and will join us in New Zealand in August. Please pray that all goes well as he and his family transition out of life and ministry in the Philippines and into life and ministry in NZ, as well as for their travel.

WaikanaeChurchPlantwasreceivedasaprojectunderthe umbrellaoftheWMCANZ. MattandAngelaSwankhavebeenon thechurchplantingjourneysince2022. Itallstartedasaconnection atfamilypicnicsandbbqsandtransitionedintoaninformalchurch gatheringintheSwankhomeonSundayafternoons. Mattdescribes theircall:

AngelaandIhavehadaheartforplantingavibrantdisciplemaking churchintheKapitiregion.OverthelastfewyearsGodhasgrown ourheartforallofKapiti,especiallyforWaikanaeandOtaki.We believeGodhascalledustocultivatereproducingdisciplemakers inthisareaandregion.

Matthasbeenundertakingfortnightlycoachingandsharingwiththe DirectorofMultiplication-MikeYates. Thegroupisnowatastage initsdevelopmentthatitappliedtobecomea'project'ofthe WMCANZ.MattandAngelabothcomefromadenominationthatis verysimilartotheWesleyansintheologyandpractice.Foraperiod oftimeMattranayouthministryandworshipministryfora WesleyanchurchinMichigan.Theyarebothexcitedaboutthe possibilityofbeingpartoftheWMCANZmovementhereinNZ.