Leading up to Christmas people from our church community will be sharing some thoughts on the themes of advent: Hope, Peace, Love and Joy. Listen to Matt and Jo share about what some of the characteristics of love look like within church community, and how we can remind ourselves to be participating in showing love to those around us through our actions.
Leading up to Christmas people from our church community will be sharing some thoughts on the themes of advent: Hope, Peace, Love and Joy. Listen to Lachlan remind us about how God loves the world - and that means you and me! How can we view the world today through that same lens of love that God has for us?
Leading up to Christmas people from our church community will be sharing some thoughts on the themes of advent: Hope, Peace, Love and Joy. Listen to Anna and Alastair share about how Jesus gave up his glory and lowered himself to our level to serve us in love.
Leading up to Christmas people from our church community will be sharing some thoughts on the themes of advent: Hope, Peace, Love and Joy. Listen to Jo share about how God doesn’t wait for us to be perfect before extending his love to us. His love is unfailing and filled with compassion.
We still don’t know what the plans are for the Miramar Uniting building next year but we have been given assurance that we can at least continue to use it until 31 March. Please keep praying about our building situation, for the Lord to provide what we need when we need it.
We put a message out via Life Group leaders recently to see who would be interested if we ran an East camp across Waitangi Weekend next year. Due to the short timeframe we’ve made a decision not to go ahead with the camp and we will relook at it again later in the year. Hannah and Dan Silvester are keen to run a camp style church picnic after the service on Waitangi weekend. So get the date in your calendars and we’ll update you with more information nearer the time.
Leading up to Christmas people from our church community will be sharing some thoughts on the themes of advent: Hope, Peace, Love and Joy. Listen to Sally share about the greetings of grace and peace in the Bible to believers, how we can be confident we’ve received these gifts from God and inspired to invite others to receive them too.
Leading up to Christmas people from our church community will be sharing some thoughts on the themes of advent: Hope, Peace, Love and Joy. Listen to Melissa share about how at Christmas time we are reminded that Jesus came into the world to give us peace - not just from the worries of this life, but ultimately peace for our souls - reconciliation between us and God, and a secure knowledge of our eternity.
Leading up to Christmas people from our church community will be sharing some thoughts on the themes of advent: Hope, Peace, Love and Joy. Listen to Elyse share about how the reason we are able to have peace is because Jesus suffered and sacrificed himself on our behalf.
Kia ora whānau,
Check out your relevant service information below for the Christmas and summer period!
Leading up to Christmas people from our church community will be sharing some thoughts on the themes of advent: Hope, Peace, Love and Joy. Listen to Dan and Hannah share about how God promises peace to his people, and what it can look like to lean on that truth through the highs and lows of life.
On Wednesday 14 December we will finish off the year at community dinners with a delicious Christmas dinner! If you don’t usually help at Community Dinner but would be available to help just that week, please let Jenny know. We’ll particularly need help with washing up and preparing food but you’ll also get to eat a delicious dinner with our amazing community. Thanks
Here’s a message of thanks from Merrie to everyone who donated CAP hampers this year:
The CAP Hampers are in and once again we are blown away by the generosity of our church family. They all look so amazing and there has obviously been a lot of thought put into the gifts.
On behalf of all of the CAP clients, and the Debt Coaches, I want to say a huge thank you to everyone for your generous giving, prayers and support both around the hampers but also throughout the year. Please continue to pray for our clients over Christmas and the holiday season, which can be especially tough on some. Let's pray they come to know the real reason we celebrate at this time.
He mihi nui ki a koe,
Merrie
Leading up to Christmas people from our church community will be sharing some thoughts on the themes of advent: Hope, Peace, Love and Joy. Listen to Claire share some words from Psalms written by King David long ago, and let’s be inspired to speak these prayers over our own lives today.
Leading up to Christmas people from our church community will be sharing some thoughts on the themes of advent: Hope, Peace, Love and Joy. Listen to Caitlin share about some people from the Bible who still chose to obey God even when they had only seen a portion of what He had promised.
Leading up to Christmas people from our church community will be sharing some thoughts on the themes of advent: Hope, Peace, Love and Joy. Listen to David share today about how true hope can’t come from the things of this world, but is found in God alone…
Leading up to Christmas people from our church community will be sharing some thoughts on the themes of advent: Hope, Peace, Love and Joy. Listen to Lili share today about the hope we have in spite of any circumstance…
Over the last couple of years, we have built a close relationship with the team at Mind Health. Mind Health refer to themselves as Wellbeing Specialists, and we have found the tools and resources they provide to be extremely helpful. During 2023, we have the amazing opportunity to host a trainee counsellor, Laurence Benson, through Mind Health.
This counselling will be free of charge and will be based in our offices in Mt Victoria. Head to www.thestreet.org.nz/counselling to register your interest, and someone will be in touch.
Check out the video to meet Laurence and hear more.
Last night I was at a Q&A with our Night community as a follow on from the Origins series. One of the questions I was asked to consider was how a good and all-powerful God can allow pain and suffering.
It’s such an important question because it affects us all. The things we go through and the conclusions we come to deeply affect our view of God. It’s also important because it can be a significant barrier for some people exploring faith.
What’s interesting is that from a philosophical point of view, the discussion has largely been settled. The alternatives are that God either wouldn’t have created us or would have created us as perfect puppets. Neither of those scenarios result in humanity in a loving relationship with God. Freewill was necessary to the extent that sin was possible.
Nevertheless, the discussion doesn’t feel settled. We don’t live on a philosophical level. When someone’s daughter has just been diagnosed with leukaemia, philosophy just doesn’t cut it. We have to meet people on a pastoral level. We have to make space to lament like David did so many times in the Psalms where he told God exactly how he felt and sought to bring his soul to a place of trust.
Ultimately, we have to come to Jesus. Tim Keller has said that while God doesn’t tell us why he has allowed suffering, he has shown us that it’s not because he doesn’t care. He chose eternally that there would be a moment when Jesus would enter the frailty of humanity to bear the cross for our sake. He cares so much about our pain and suffering that he chose to endure it to give us hope beyond it.
The gospel therefore provides an answer that is unique. For our secular culture, there is no objective basis to call anything evil. We’re told that suffering is what we’d expect from, as Richard Dawkins called it, a blind, pitiless, indifferent world. God, on the other hand, acknowledges that our pain and suffering is real, met us in the middle of it, and provides a way through and beyond it. There is no one like Jesus.
Much love,
Simon
This post is part of the Senior Pastor’s weekly blog. Go to the blog feed >>
Dear church whānau,
As we journey together as one church, it’s important to keep you up to date with some of the significant steps we’re taking. For the latest update on City’s local services, watch Simon and Jenny’s update. We’re also planning a follow-up before Christmas.
Much love
Simon and Jenny