Can you sew? Would you like to make some flags?

As you know, we spend the first part of our service each week with the kids and adults all in together. We want to get better at worshipping together where both kids and adults are engaged and every person is encouraged to participate and actively bring their worship to God.

When we worshipped at Gateway Baptist during the summer, I (Jenny) noticed how much the kids loved the flags and so I thought we’d give it a try! If you would like to help by making some please get in touch - east@thestreet.org.nz

This Sunday 28 March at St Michael’s Anglican Church, 81 Upland Rd, Kelburn 5.30-7pm.

If you have a heart for helping former refugees settle and feel welcomed to New Zealand, then head along to St Michael's Anglican Church this Sunday evening to hear how you can get involved.

Easter Sunday is the absolute pinnacle of the Christian calendar and worth celebrating, but why? What is it about Easter that is such good news? Join us for hot cross buns, worship and a journey through the story of grace that God has been telling from beginning to end.  Why not think about inviting someone along?

Kids Zone will also have a programme running on Easter Sunday.

We are now part way through our sermon series in James called “Faith that works” which we started on 14 March. James is a book about real faith for real people. A book that shows it’s no good simply holding to a set of theoretical beliefs - James demands that faith must be put to work. Drawing from Jesus’ famous Sermon on the Mount and driving the same themes home with vivid pictures, the challenge of James is not understanding what it says but putting it into practice.

This Sunday 7 March we will be broadcasting an online service live at 10am - there will be no usual large gatherings at City, East or Night. While there is uncertainty over which Alert Level Wellington will be in, we have made the decision early to give clarity. It means we can prepare well for Sunday and means you know what your Sunday morning will look like.

For us that means East at Home. This is where you can register to attend someone’s home where you’ll enjoy some food and community, watch the online service and find spaces for Kids Zone as well. We’ll wrap up our We Are The Church series with the final metaphor: The Temple.

Register here to attend on Sunday https://www.eventbrite.co.nz/e/east-at-home-7-march-2021-tickets-143905524297

We are so grateful for the progress Markus Bain is making and that he was able to be transferred from Starship Hospital down to Wellington. He is however still very sick so please continue to pray for his healing. Karyn and Markus are in Wellington hospital and Mike continues to look after the other 2 boys at home.

One practical thing we can do to help them is to provide meals. If you could help with this, please sign up at the following link. All the info you need about how much to make, dietary requirements and how to drop off are on the link.

Take them a meal roster

This is such a great way to bless these guys as they continue on this hard road with Markus.

The Miramar Central School programme runs two sessions

Tuesday 9am -10.30am 

Wednesdays 9am - 10.30am. 

Volunteers arrive a little before 9am to meet Gillian (Kitchen & Garden) and get organised before the session starts. Gillian will let you know about any plans she has for the day and will give direction as to what tasks she would like you to do with a group of students. Gillian would appreciate help on either day.

The Holy Cross School programme runs two sessions (one after the other)

Tuesday 9.05am - 10.35am, 

Tuesday 11am - 12.30pm 

Volunteers arrive a little before 9am or 11am to meet Olivia (Garden) & Aleksandra (Kitchen) and get organised before the session starts. Olivia & Aleksandra will let you know the day before about the recipe of the day and any plans in the garden. They will give direction as to what tasks they would like you to do with a small group of students. When it is wet/cold - the gardening class happens indoors. We love for our volunteers to stay and share the food and converse with the students at the end of each session. The children tidy up/do the dishes at the end of each session. We are very happy for volunteers to choose either session.

If you’re interested in any of these please contact Olivia Boyd on 021 022 95948

Christians Against Poverty is an amazing organisation that we partner with to run a Debt Centre which enables us to help people who are living in unmanageable debt. A support worker is the person who joins the Debt Coach on visits to the client and then stays in contact with them to support them through their journey. This gives us the opportunity to bring them along to community dinners or to church, or whatever other opportunity arises. There are currently 6 CAP clients in our local area all of whom have support workers that live all around Wellington. We would love every CAP client in our area to have a local support worker. Please email Jenny to find out more if you’re interested. jenny.gill@thestreet.org.nz

Attention all parents of youth! Registrations are open for Easter Camp 2021

14 Feb - Early Bird Registration Deadline  - Cost:  $175

14 March - Standard Registration Deadline  -  Cost: $185

24 March - Late Registration Deadline  -  Cost: $205

Registrations are live at... https://rego.ec.org.nz/register/campers/

Click Here for all of the rest of The Easter Camp Info.

2020 was a year that challenged our concept of church. We could no longer come to a building at a particular time or on a particular day. The question that was often asked was, “When will church open again?” But the truth is that the church can never close because a church is not a time or a place but a people. Over four weeks we’re going to explore 4 pictures of the church in Scripture to help us understand what the Church is and why that’s important. Most importantly of all, we are going to discover the fundamental truth that we are the Church.

As you know, we are now holding our Sunday services at 56 Hobart Street. The agreement we have signed allows us to store our things in an office there during the week, and to use the building on a Sunday morning. This agreement is until June, by which time the two denominations responsible for the building will have made a decision about what will happen to it long term. Please commit this whole process to prayer, that God would have His way and that if this is where He wants us to be, that He would make a way!

Thinking matters presents: “Faith and Culture” online forum. For $20 you can watch the whole day, or download each talk individually. Find out more here

Attention all parents of youth! Registrations are open for Easter Camp 2021

14 March - Standard Registration Deadline  -  Cost: $185

24 March - Late Registration Deadline  -  Cost: $205

Registrations are live at... https://rego.ec.org.nz/register/campers/

Click Here for all of the rest of The Easter Camp Info.

If cost is an issue, please email jenny.gill@thestreet.org.nz to find out about accessing sponsorship.

Thank you for all of your prayers over the last few weeks as we have been negotiating the use of the building of Miramar Uniting Church, 56 Hobart Street. They have now agreed to us renting the space every Sunday morning. We will be in there from this Sunday 24th January! Praise God for His provision - we can’t wait to see you there!

Please pray for all those attending our current Alpha course and for those leading!

Please get in touch if you’d like to know more about attending a future course.

Contact east@thestreet.org.nz

Thank you so much for donating hampers to our CAP Debt Centre. In total, across our whole church, the total number donated was 153 Hampers, $1,800 in supermarket vouchers, and over $3000 cash! What a huge blessing to clients and families all over the Wellington region. We were even able to donate 4 hampers to Raukawa and Strathmore Park Community Centres to distribute to families they know are in need. Thank you so much for your generosity - you are amazing!

Prayer Update for Markus Bain

Please continue to pray for the Bain family. Mike, Jayden and Zeke are now in Auckland to spend the summer with Karyn and Markus.  Markus continues to make slow but steady progress. Please keep praying:

• For wisdom for the doctors to know when to remove his tracheostomy

• For his gut to regain function

• For his gut pain to be gone

• For Karyn as she advocates for Markus - for wisdom and energy

• For some quality and refreshing family time together over the summer

2020 has been a year with plenty of surprises.

From the perspective of the church, we’ve had to grapple with different ways of being the church. To ask what it means to be the church, how we engage with our society, and how we can share the gospel in our time.

Through this time Nick and Sarah have felt a strong and growing sense of call to a new season of mission. Today we are sharing that Nick and Sarah are stepping down as Senior Pastors to pursue this call.

The Street has always been a sending church. A hundred years ago we started as a mission, not a church. That heartbeat remains and we remain on mission as The Church.

In April 2021, Nick and Sarah will be starting a missional, disciple-making movement based in people’s homes, which they have called The Way. Take a look at the video below to find out more.

We are deeply grateful for Nick and Sarah’s leading, service, and care for us over the last 24 years. And there will be many opportunities in coming months to honour them for everything they’ve given to The Street. In the meantime, we invite you to join with us in praying for The Way, and this new era for our church.

We will be commissioning Nick and Sarah for this new season of ministry in the New Year. If you have any questions in the meantime, in the first instance get in touch with your Lead Pastor.

We have been approached by Strathmore Community Centre to see if we can help provide some packed lunches for children at some school holiday activities they are planning for the last 3 weeks of January. If you are willing to help by either donating food, or helping to make lunches, please email me on jenny.gill@thestreet.org.nz

In our service today (29 November) we are celebrating stories of what God has done this year through each of you as you have played your part in our mission of helping people become total followers of Jesus Christ.

If you have a story to share with our church community we’d love to hear it! Please email Simon and Jenny on east@thestreet.org.nz