Remember to bring back your CAP hampers to the service today (27 November) if you haven’t already! Apparently there is a nationwide shortage of Warehouse Gift Cards although people have been able to find them in supermarkets. Thanks so much for getting involved in this. It makes such a difference to the clients of CAP!
David is one of the two or three most important people in the Old Testament. Israel’s greatest king. A powerful warrior, intimate worshipper, writer of so many Psalms, a leader of great skill and integrity. And the ultimate occupant of his throne is Jesus Himself!
Yet it’s not where he started. When God told Samuel to go to Jesse’s house to anoint a king, Jesse lined up his sons and no one spared a thought for the smallest and youngest son whose only role was out in the field looking after sheep. This was not where anyone thought to look for a king.
But two things stand out here. Firstly, the thing that God is most interested in is devotion. While we look at outward attributes, God is focused on the heart (1 Sam 16:7). But more than this, God had been forming David in private. Who would have guessed that defending sheep from lions and bears would be God’s preparation for protecting Israel? You see, the very place of insignificance that we would think discounted David was actually the very place God chose to prepare his choice in secret.
It makes me wonder just how much God has been preparing you and I for the things he has for us to do and in ways we have never noticed. I wonder how God has been shaping you? I wonder what experiences God has allowed you to go through for the special tasks that are tailor-made for you.
And it’s this that also gives me confidence for us as a church. As we press into multiple locations and pursue multiplying disciple-makers, the need for leaders whose hearts are fully devoted to the Lord will only go up. And my unwavering confidence is that God has been preparing Davids in our church all along, only to reveal them at the perfect time.
Much love,
Simon
This post is part of the Senior Pastor’s weekly blog. Go to the blog feed >>
Dear church family,
Firstly, we would like to thank you so much for the time, prayer, and consideration that you have provided to the Elders and leadership through this consultation process. It has shown that you care deeply about this church and are passionate about seeing our facilities used for God's purposes.
This week, our Elders and leaders came to the united decision that we will not pursue this proposal with the Wellington Christian Education Project any further. We realise that this will come as a relief to some and be a disappointment to others.
There are a number of factors that played into this decision but one stands out above them all. 2022 has been a year of significant change for our church and we are conscious that we have not yet concluded some of these changes. As Elders and leaders, we have a growing clarity and excitement over where the Lord is leading us, particularly in the areas of making disciples and gathering in local communities. These are the things that require our focus and it has become clear that to pursue the school proposal would detract from our ability to pursue them.
We want to take this opportunity to thank Mark Larson from WECP. He is a great ambassador for Christian schooling and the Lord, and we pray that God will clearly show them the next steps in their journey. We would also encourage those of you who are passionate about a Christian school being established in Wellington to continue praying about this. We know that God can make a way even when it seems impossible.
Much love
The Street Church Elders and Leadership
S U N D A Y 1 8 D E C • 1 0 A M
at Maranatha Christian School, 180 Hill Road, Belmont, Lower Hutt
Children welcome to come dressed as a sheep or angel to be part of the show! Please join us for a festive morning tea after the service.
S U N D A Y 1 1 D E C • 1 0 A M
at Papakōwhai School Hall, 17 Spey Place, Papakōwhai, Wellington
Children welcome to come dressed as angels, stars, shepherds or barn animals to participate in the story. Morning tea after the service.
Ben and Jonno are creating a bit of a set for our Christmas services and we need a white sheet to staple to a wooden frame. If you have one we could have, that you don’t need back, please get in touch!
The Street Night are hosting 2 carol services on Sunday 18th December that you are all invited to; 3pm and 6pm, with a BBQ and ice creams between the 2 services. The 3pm one will be super child friendly, and the 6pm one will be targeted at a more adult crowd. If you’re around it will be a wonderful time to celebrate Christmas with our wider Street Church whānau. Look under “Events” for all the info you need.
I know it's been a crazy year which is partly why we've scaled down what we're doing from the big productions that we've done before. But it's still super helpful if as many people who can, do a little to help.
If you can do any of the following, please get in touch with Jenny and let her know
Setting up some decorations before the service on each of the Sundays - 27 Nov, 4, 11, 18 Dec (9am each week)
Preparing food - for example cooking Christmas ham, baking brownies or fruit mince pies, barbecuing sausages. We can do whatever food people are willing to make.
This year, instead of having one big production service, we have got a 4 week Christmas series called The Great Gift! We're journeying through the themes of advent: Hope, Peace, Love and Joy thinking about the greatest gift we've ever received - Jesus! There will be loads of fun and thoughtful items in these services so they're really suited to inviting friends, family, colleagues - everyone!
They'll each be 1 hour long so we'll have time to have food and drinks after the service.
Pick up fliers at the service to give to your friends, or share this link https://www.thestreet.org.nz/news/christmas-at-east
Last weekend we began a conversation as a church about sexuality and gender. The purpose of the talk was to posture ourselves in a particular way so that we can continue to learn and follow Jesus together. I have been humbled and amazed this week at how God is using the talk. It has had a far broader impact than I expected and I have been deeply moved by the stories and reflections people have shared.
I thought you may appreciate hearing some of the things I’m reflecting on in response to what I’m hearing.
There is hunger for clarity
To my shame, I expected some people to push back strongly because of how counter-cultural a Biblical worldview is. The opposite has been true. Instead I am hearing gratitude at the clarity that a fuller understanding of Scripture brings. This is actually something we should expect given how Jesus says that living in line with his teaching means we will know the truth and the truth will set us free (John 8:31-32). For the sake of people’s freedom, we have to be courageous enough to ground ourselves in Biblical truth.
Humility is disarming
I think one of the reasons the message was received with gratitude is because we were willing to apologise and acknowledge that every single one of us finds ourselves equal in our need for Jesus. A humble tone helps people to listen to what God has to say. I am learning that it is possible to be courageous with the truth without compromising a posture of humility.
Listening and learning
I know this was a core part of the message but it’s worth reiterating. I can’t give you a comprehensive answer of what it means to live our lives as people created male and female. I know it is an intrinsic part of the way we bear God’s image and yet it has become so tangled up with sex-based stereotypes. Untangling these two together both Biblically and humbly will take time.
As you reflect on the message from Sunday, is there anything that might need to change in the way you interact with others who are struggling in a way that maybe you never have or will? Who could you make space to listen to this week? Let’s not be a church that pushes away, but one that draws all people in toward Jesus. Can we continue this journey together, in humility, grace and truth.
Much love,
Simon
This post is part of the Senior Pastor’s weekly blog. Go to the blog feed >>
C A R O L S • F O O D • G A M E S
10am at 56 Hobart St, Miramar
Christmas is rapidly approaching and this year, rather than one special production service, we are spreading the joy and fun of Christmas across 4 weeks. Watch this space for more information coming next week, including fliers for you to invite your friends, family, neighbours and colleagues to join in this special build up to Christmas.
It’s only 3 weeks until the first service on 27th November, and each service (27 Nov, 4 Dec, 11 Dec, 18 Dec) will be 1 hour long with games, carols, food and lots of Christmas cheer! But we need your help to pull it off!
If you are available to help with any of the following please get in touch:
Preparing props to decorate the church: Wrapping boxes and other crafty things (In the lead up to 27 November)
Setting up the decorations before the service on each of those Sundays (8.45am each week)
Preparing food - cooking Christmas ham, baking brownies or fruit mince pies, barbecuing sausages
General help with things we haven’t thought of yet!
If you can help with any of these things, please email us as soon as you can so we can get cracking!
You may remember Merrie talking in her interview a few weeks ago about a Christmas BBQ for all of our CAP Debt Centre clients that she is organising as a way of celebrating them and all the hard work they have put in this year. She is looking for people to help with things like making a salad/dessert, helping with games, cooking on the bbq, helping with dishes etc. Not all things involve being there on the day, and we can reimburse for ingredients. The BBQ is happening during the day on Saturday 10th December. If you can help please fill in the following Google form.
Holly and Shawn Barabash are in Wellington over Christmas and would love to host anyone else who is here without family for Christmas Day. So if you were wondering what to do for Christmas Day get in touch with Holly on holly.barabash@gmail.com
As you may have seen in the last couple of newsletters; Strathmore Park Community Centre have been having major renovations done this year and are now fundraising to be able to kit the new centre out with nice new furniture and a new sound system. They have been so generous towards us allowing us to run Community Dinner there for free and so we’d love to support them in this. We’ll be making a donation on behalf of The Street - East, but if you would like to make a donation here is the link https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/spcc-transformation#!
Many of you would know Caitlin Ormiston, and you may also know that she is here in NZ to work for an organisation called Tertiary Students Christian Fellowship. They are currently looking for an experienced PA to work alongside their National Director, commencing in early 2023. For more information and an informal conversation about the role please contact Ben via email: benc@tscf.org.nz .
I had the privilege this week of meeting with an older friend whose garden overlooks Scorching Bay - one of the perks of being a pastor in the eastern suburbs!
As we talked a little about what Jesus is teaching us at the moment, and as I looked over the turquoise water, I was reminded of a favourite passage of mine:
“And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge - that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” - Ephesians 3:17b-19
What a prayer! Don’t you wish you could pray prayers like Paul? Fortunately, we can borrow such incredible words in prayer which is what I have been doing for you today.
What I love in particular about these verses is Paul’s description of God’s love. He prays that we would grasp the love of God before acknowledging that it has dimensions that cannot fully be grasped. He then prays that we’d know a love that cannot be fully known. It makes sense, then, that Paul would pray for power because grasping and knowing such love is beyond us.
As I looked at the ocean, I realised that were I to jump in, I would be completely immersed by it. I wouldn’t fully know the expanse of water but I would know something of it. I would grasp it in some way while also realising just how much greater these waters are than me. It’s like having some words to describe God’s love and yet never finding the words to express it in full.
The love of God answers the deepest longing of my soul. It tells me that I am significant, that I belong and that I am secure. I realise that if I don’t know this truly, I will go searching for it in all the wrong places. My encouragement to you today is to let the words of these verses marinate in your heart and mind. To immerse yourself like diving into the ocean. Like Paul I pray that you would have the power to grasp the ingraspable and there to find your soul truly satisfied in Him.
Much love,
Simon
This post is part of the Senior Pastor’s weekly blog. Go to the blog feed >>
Anna Field talks to Nick and Sarah about how things are going with The Way.
Nick and Sarah Field who were Senior Pastors of The Street for 25 years left 18 months ago to start a missional home church movement called The Way. Check out this update from them if you didn’t see it in the service and keep praying for them. The Way update .
Their website is www.theway.co.nz
Kahurangi School have kindly allowed us to hold community dinner there this year while Strathmore Community Centre is being renovated. Kahurangi are starting their own building work in November so we have been looking for another temporary venue. Praise God that Miramar Community Centre have agreed to us holding the dinner there until the start of Feb! Thanks for your prayers. Our first week in Miramar Community Centre will be Wednesday 16th November.
