Overflow Magazine - Issue 9

FromtheEditor

Tēnā koe, Malo e lelei, Ni sa bula Vinaka, Annyeonghaseyo, Fakaalofa lahi atu, Kia orana, Nǐ hǎo, Hello!

In this season I find myself asking this question more often, ‘Who is Jesus in this context and what is He up to in our community today?’.

As we look to reach, grow and serve in our local contexts are we aware of the reality of Jesus' presence and activity? Jesus assures us of His continuing presence, the Spirit to help and be with us forever (see John 14).

Are we listening for God in our daily lives and how we can partner with the work He is already doing in and around us?

In this edition of Overflow, we get to listen to some of the ways God is working in and through WMCANZ in the many contexts we find ourselves. May we be encouraged and prompted by these resources, sharing and stories to hear what God is doing and how we might join with H

Prayers and blessings,

Denise Barrington Editor

Overflow

By National Superintendent Rev. Brett Jones

The year had hardly started when we had the opportunity to live out our Vision and Mission in compelling ways.

It started with floods in Auckland and ramped up across the country as Cyclone Gabrielle savaged communities. These are litmus test moments for the church where we get to test whether our Vision to see Transformed People, Churches and Communities OVERFLOWING with Grace and Holiness are words written on a page or on human hearts. These are the moments when we get to see whether our Mission to Empower and Equip Churches and Leaders to Reach, Grow and Serve are aspirational or perspirational.

What I saw? I saw a resilient church that swung into action to serve its communities. I saw a praying church that held each other up in a time where chaos might have led instead to despair. I saw a generous church that rallied together nationally and raised the single largest amount of money we have ever raised in the history of the Wesleyan Methodist church in New Zealand! $30,000 and counting.

Our churches in Gisborne and Napier were on the front line of overflowing a collective grace into the lives of hurting, disoriented people in their regions. They did this while dealing with their own losses and uncertainties. Churches across Auckland reached out to their neighbours in practical life-giving ways.

Many churches are reporting an upswing in attendance and optimism in 2023. Some point, in part, to the receding shadow of the pandemic. But what is equally true is that genuine transformation and authentic discipleship are only rarely triggered by positive external conditions. In fact, scripture speaks of the more likely truth, that the authentic work of the Spirit in a human life is revealed under pressure. We read this in Paul's words to the church at Corinth in 2 Cor 4:

7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this allsurpassing power is from God and not from us. 8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 10 We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.

As we together move towards living as transformed people, as we together align our efforts to equip and empower each other for the mission of reaching, growing and serving, we might pray less for better times and more that God's glory is revealed in our lives and His church in these times. The church, you see, is not called to be the church for "better times" but for the times we find ourselves in. May God's grace and holiness overflow into our lives and through our churches as we surrender to Him.

the Flood

By Rev. Dr Duncan Leighton

Cyclone Gabrielle certainly made an impact on our communities in Hawkes Bay, with bridges destroyed, roads completely washed-out and pockets of the population entirely cut off for days with only helicopters able to reach them.

Because of the nature of the disaster and communication failure, people had to work in groups with no overall coordination and churches helped in whatever way was appropriate to their area.

One local church functioned as a focal point for a civil defence team and others supplied meals and shelter as able. BBQ’s worked overtime! At least one local pastor organised home visits to ascertain that people were coping. We had thawing food in the freezer and ample supplies of gas so my wife and I cooked large pots of soup for the many volunteers working to clear the silt. We were glad to help the people trying to get the Eastern Institute of Technology (EIT) buildings functional after a tree went through the roof and metres of silt invaded the lower buildings. “A nice change from sausages, ” said one.

For me the most moving moment was when our friend Lawrence Yule, one time mayor and MP for Hastings came to see us. He has been asked to help in coordinating the recovery, but told us he had met people who, in the face of utter loss, were ‘ on the verge of suicide’. Some have literally lost everything – homes, crops, machinery, livestock, everything! And seeing their years of toil now come to nothing, will have to begin to rebuild their lives all over again. In the weeks and months ahead the churches of Hawkes Bay will have more work to do. We have a challenge and an opportunity to prove that our Gospel is Good News in every circumstance, come rain, shine or cyclone.

Responding

in the wake of devastation

Most of New Zealand was hoping for a very different start to our year. What started as a below average Summer soon became something far more tragic as floods gave way to a cyclone and with it the loss of homes, possessions and precious family members. Thanks to the generosity of Wesleyan Methodist churches and our people, we ' ve managed to raise nearly $30,000 to assist with emergency relief as well as longer term support,

The most urgent needs came in the wake of the cyclone. We were able to move quickly to help our Napier and Gisborne churches in a range of ways - together we:

Funded a generator which powered freezers (to supply meals), community charging stations, emergency accommodation, internet access and even a worship service Provided food security in the immediate aftermath of the weather event from church premises as well as provide food packs particularly for those less able to access Government relief as food supplies were exhausted. Our Gisborne church alone provided over 100 meal packs including beef and mutton that was purchased direct from the farmer and butchered by the church! These families would have been without meat but for this initiative.

Supporting school communities through provision of morning teas

Meeting immediate needs of families who have suffered specific losses that required immediate support

Supporting ministerial families where required

Our churches on the east coast of the North Island and across Auckland have worked tirelessly to support schools, the work of other agencies including the Red Cross and Salvation Army, neighbours in difficulty along with pastoral support and prayer. In some cases, the impact of water damage on church musical and electronic equipment is still being assessed. Currently we are working with our churches to assess medium to long term needs that they are seeing in their communities. Your generosity in resources and prayer is deeply appreciated.

Years in Bougainville

By: Rev. Kevin Brown (Educator, Advisor, Bougainville)

metocelebratewiththeBougainvillefriendshehadnotseenfor25 years.TherewasagreatsenseofjoyandthankstotheLordforHis Handuponthechurchoverthepastquartercentury.

ThreeNewZealanderstravelledacrossforthecelebrations.Rev.Kathy Cliffordcametosayfarewellaftermanyyearsofservicetothe college.MichelleYatesandRev.SioneTu’ungafasirepresentedtheNZ church,renewedties,andencouragedthechurch.Manychoirs representedtheirlocalchurchesfromacrossthecountry.Sione preachedattheanniversarycelebrations.Greetingswerebroughtby theisitosandfomthenationalsuperintendent,RevNathanielSulis.

experiences

East City Wesleyan

This year at East City Wesleyan, it’s a 2-prong Good Friday experience will include a prayer w community, a meal together and a contemplative worship service as we sit in the “shadow of the Cross”. Our Easter Sunday service is being shaped as a Celebration & Outreach service where our kids are leading the way!

We’re preparing an all-age worship service that is flowing out of the Kids Connect series that leads to Easter. Did You Know? is a gameshow themed Kids series that we ’ re shaping into an Easter service with an eye on the unchurched and dechurched in our community. So we’ll celebrate the resurrection of Christ and offer some real answers to the questions of life that flow out of the Easter story. We’re praying for the people we ’ re inviting – those who have been a part of the ECW family in the past and those we are connected to. Pray for us and them!

219 Burswood Drive, Burswood, Botany

Millwater Wesleyan Church

Good Friday Service: 7th April starts 9am

Easter Sunday Service: 9th April starts 10am

Kingsway Junior School, 2 Bonaire Road, Silverdale

Papakura Wesleyan Church

Palm Sunday Service: 2nd April starts 10am - Trinity Puppets

Good Friday Service: 7th April starts 6:30pm

Easter Sunday Service: 9th April starts 10am

163 Dominion Rd, Papakura, corner of Croskery & Dominion Rd

TheWell

GoodFridayTenebraeService: 7thAprilstarts7pm

GoodFriday.Wecallit“good”butthatdescriptionmayseem strangeoroutofplace.Afterall,it’sonGoodFridaythatwe rememberthecrucifixion,deathandburialofJesus;theevents werememberonthisdayaredarkanddifficultandpainful.We remembertheburdenthatChristboreforusandforour salvation--theweightofsin,shame,humiliationandpainthat wasplacedonHim.

Wecallthisday“good,”despiteitsdarknessandseriousness, anditisgood.ForallthatChristboreonthisdayheboreforour sake.Eachburdenlaidonhisshouldersisoneremovedfromour own.WefollowJesustodaywithanoddmixtureofhorrorand thankfulness,sadnessandrelief.

OurGoodFridayservicewillbemodelledafteratraditional Tenebraeservice.TenebraeisaLatinwordmeaningdarknessor shadows,andatenebraeserviceisajourneythroughthe darknesswhichChristboreforoursake.Wewillbereadingand reflectingonthestoryofChrist’ssuffering,death,andburial, observingthelayersofdarknessorshadowthathebore.This willbeasomberservice,aserviceofreflectivemourning.We inviteyoutojoinusaswefollowChristonHisjourneyinto darkness,eventhedarknessofdeath.

364ColomboStreet,Christchurch

HeartWellbeing

Emotional

Areastonurture:

Sabbathpractice“IamnotthecentreoftheUniverse”

Mentors-Supervision/Spousal

reflection/Mentors/Counsellors/Spiritualdirectors-discipline ofreflectionandobservation,unfiltered,mirrors

BrokennessJourney-takingstepstoaddressareasof brokenness

Measures:

Motivation/Energy/Mood/Stress/Anxiety/Fear

Asyouexplorethislastofthefiveareasofwellbeingwewillbe sharing,considerwhatareyournextstepsinthejourneyto wellbeing?

Perhapsyoucouldtaketimetoreflectagaininallfiveareasand makeaplanfortherestof2023?Howareyougoingtodevelop yourwellbeinginheart,mind,body,spiritandsocialinteractions?

“Ihavecomethattheymayhavelife,andhaveittothefull.”John 10:10 .

Church

Millwater Wesleyan has announced the appointment of Rev. Denise Barrington as Senior Minister. She will be moving from the Far North to take up her role in April.

Congratulations Denise!

Updates!

National

www.wesleyan.nz

NationalSuperintendent

Rev.BrettJones-natsuper@wesleyan.nz

Ass'tNationalSuperintendent

Rev AtuLagi-pastoralcare@wesleyannz DirectorofOperations

Rev.PeterBenzie-dirops@wesleyan.nz

NationalTreasurer

KerrinThomson-treasurer@wesleyannz DirectorofGlobalMissions

MichelleYates-missions@wesleyan.nz

DirectorofMinisterialFormation

Rev.MelissaPowell-nbmf@wesleyan.nz

DirectorofMultiplication

Rev.MikeYates-churchdevt@wesleyan.nz

DirectorofNextGenerations

Easter Sunday

Easter Monday

Donations

National Council Meeting

We invite you to make donations to the Wesleyan Methodist Church of Aotearoa-New Zealand. Join us to make a difference and reach the lost with the grace and holiness of Jesus Christ.

Using the WMCANZ bank account number below, please include your first initial and surname in the particulars field and 'donation' in the reference field.

03-0206-0380248-00

Particulars: e.g. 'J Smith' Reference: e.g. 'Donation'

Please email accounts@wesleyan.nz with your details to receive a donation receipt.