SPREAD • issue four

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spreadissue four * summer 2012-13

shining like starssp

· 6:30p

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I wonder how 2012 has been for you? Bex and I have had a momentous year. We have been married for ten years. There have been many highlights, not least moving to New Zealand, the arrival of our three gorgeous boys and meeting you guys to name the first few that spring to mind.

2012 has been an absolutely vintage year for St Paul’s. There have been so many highlights, it’s not funny! Of course, we don’t have the time or space to write down all of our stories down but what follows in here is a glimpse of some of the great stuff that God is doing through us.

Its wonderful to get an update from Greg and Lisa out in Africa, hear Richard Drake’s ordinary miracles of community and catch a glimpse of the Manurewa Marae ‘Te Whakaora Tangata’ kids’ programme. Well done Liv and Michelle and all of you who form part of the volunteer team. The St Paul’s Marketplace Group continues to be a source of inspiration and support. There is so much to celebrate.

In this edition, I am also keen to reflect on where we are as a church and set out some of the priorities for next year. So many possibilities lies ahead for us as a community of faith. So do read on and enjoy.

Bex and I hope you have a wonderful Christmas and New Year. Make sure you have a good break so that you come back feeling refreshed and ready to go for it…

With best wishes,

mike, the vicar

mike’s spielwelcome

”arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.”

– MATTheW 5:14

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our vision for 2013

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Since the beginning, our heart’s desire at St Paul’s has been for our church to be Jesus-focused and Jesus-flavoured. We have wanted to be a church that reflects his heartbeat and faithfully witness to the life and destiny-transforming message of his life, death and resurrection. We have sought to be a church that welcomes and embraces all people: the rich, the poor, the marginalised, the young, the old, the newborn, the teenager, the married, the single, the divorced, the remarried, the employed, the unemployed, the Pakeha, the Maori, the Asian, the sober, the addicted, the housed, the homeless, the articulate and the uneducated.

We have sought to resist the temptation of becoming an inward-looking holy huddle. Rather we have attempted to identify and rise above our own sin, brokenness and self-centeredness for the sake of Jesus and press on with the mission that he is calling each one of us to in this place at this time.

We have sought to fix our gaze on Jesus and the city, not just on our Sunday services or overtly Christian activities and to be a real blessing to every person in every sector of the city, regardless of occupation, wealth or status. We have sought to hold his Word and Spirit together, his grace together with his truth.

Our theme of ‘Making A Difference to the City’ has challenged each of us to reflect on what God is calling us to and seek to “create, relate and restore by loving God each other and our world” in accordance with our church vision statement.

even though opportunities have undoubtedly been missed and mistakes have undoubtedly been made, we have so much to celebrate. This year alone has seen God bring some remarkable and extraordinary breakthroughs. The launch of the St Paul’s Theological Centre under Newt’s leadership, aimed at training and inspiring lay people across the city in a variety of churches, is already having considerable impact. I would strongly encourage you to download Dr. Jane Williams’ talk on the importance of theology in community - you will struggle to find a more lucid, inspiring or encouraging message.

As we look to 2013, what lies ahead? Our theme for next year is “Shining Like Stars” which is going to be a deeper focus and exploration on how we can live as authentic disciples of Jesus. At wonderful vestry and staff team vision days this year, we discussed the challenges and priorities for the church at our life stage and prayed, seeking God’s heartbeat and vision for us in this season. Your feedback at the State of the Nation evening has also shaped the formation of this theme and much of our focus next year.

Authentic discipleship is the key to achieving our vision. The more we seek to discern what Jesus is asking us to do, the more we are open as a church to his Word and Spirit, the more effective we will be together.

shining like starsWith this in mind, over the summer break I ask you to reflect on the following four areas: intimacy, mission, community, and service.

Get close. Authentic disciples of Jesus are into intimacy. One of the joys, wonders and mysteries of the Christian life is the offer of being in relationship with the eternal God. he calls us his friends.he calls us his children. Both speak of close intimacy and familiarity. Without this intimacy with Jesus, our mission effort will be largely nuked. Followers of Jesus who are intimate with him bear fruit.

“Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. 5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:4-5)

Step out. Come back in 2013 ready to step out. Authentic disciples of Jesus are in to mission. We are on a mission from God! Few take up the challenge. Few see it through. Yet if we are to experience all that God has for us next year, we need to witness to Jesus both in loving word and action. We cannot overstate the importance of this. Churches that give up on this pursuit die and dwindle and become communities that are beset by endless bureaucracy, politics and lifeless tradition – a self defeating cocktail if ever there was one.

“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labour on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear and come to me; listen, that you may live.” (Isaiah 55:1-3)

Group together. Authentic disciples of Jesus have always met in community. Throughout Christian history, community has lay at the heart of effective mission and ministry. That was the case for the first disciples who lived with Jesus and one another. This is the case for us. Such communities are the places that we can be inspired and grow and be emboldened.

“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another — and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” (hebrews 10: 23-25)

Lay down your life. Authentic disciples serve and those who have seen God do wonderful things lay down your life. This sounds grim and horrible but paradoxically is the way to life, freedom, growth and grace. To the extent that we hold back from service will be the extent that we fail to experience these qualities in our life. Reflect on the words of Jesus:

“Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.” (Matthew 10:39)

If we go for this, 2013 is going to be another great year.

mike norris

our vision for 2013

the ordinary miracles of

relating: community relating: community

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i’ve been thinking lately about ordinary miracles. those things that can seem commonplace if you aren’t paying attention, but are in fact wonderful and astounding when you reflect on them more deeply. the people and circumstances that truly change your life, but could be easily underestimated because they don’t always look like something amazing at first glance. I’ve found the people in our cluster and our small group have been like that for us over the last four years. This month Nicola and I farewell some dear friends from our small group who are relocating cities due to work. It’s sad to see them go, but now that they are godparents for our second child, we think we’ve got them tied to us for a while! Funny to think back to the first time we met, we were going to check out the lantern festival after a church service and Nicola invited someone we didn’t know to come with us. But of course, most treasured friendships begin in humble or stumbling way - we just don’t always think about that, do we? The godparents of our other son are also from our small group - again, people we didn’t know four years ago. In those years, so much life change has happened for our little small group! Kids, job changes, adventures, vulnerability, love, meals together and all sorts of memories. I remember when we each took a night to tell our life story using a whiteboard, explaining what made us who we are and the decisions we were facing at that time. I remember weekends away, times of praying together, support in grief and friends to laugh with.

Community is not the people that like the same brands as you, it’s more like the people you know are there for you; and you are willing to be there for them. how does this come about? Slowly usually, as people are willing to give time and energy to one another, and to undertake the long journey of building trust. Bonhoeffer reminds us that Christian community is ‘through’ and ‘in’ Jesus, saying “Those who want more than what Christ has established between us do not want Christian community. They are looking for some extraordinary experiences of community… Such people are bringing confused and tainted desires into the Christian community.”

“Those who dream of this idealised community demand that it be fulfilled by God, by others and by themselves.” (Bonhoeffer, Life Together). In contrast to the extraordinary experiences we are often tempted to seek or demand from others, stand the seemingly ordinary miracles of knowing others and being known. Of offering our time, energy, and gifts to others, and being willing to receive the same. These simple things contribute to a life that is rich and fulfilling.

It’s not always easy to follow Jesus in all the arenas of our lives - so what a difference it makes to have the love and support of others along the way. have a think about what kinds of community you have experienced, and who you know best these days. What’s the next step for you towards a life seeing more ordinary miracles?

richard drake

community

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relating: clusters

clusters & small groups

We have both clusters and small groups because they meet different needs and achieve different things. I’ve found that every small group, sooner or later, reaches a point where they have a certain difficult conversation. Some people want to invite more people to the group, and others want to restrict it to existing members (I’m sure this is sounding familiar to many of you!). There is a lot influencing a conversation like this, including people’s differing personalities, their take on community, and group dynamics to name a few. I won’t get into that stuff now, but suffice to say there’s a lot in the background and the stakes can be high!

A simplification of the opposing viewpoints sounds a bit like this:

‘We can’t have a closed group! Christians are supposed to be inviting and welcoming, not just introspective! It would be wrong to turn people away.’

‘But we’ve spent so long getting to know each other and building trust! We all need a safe place to be vulnerable and get support, and that will be destroyed if we keep letting new people come, and it won’t work anymore if the group keeps getting bigger.’

Do you identify with one perspective more than the other? how would you solve this issue?

This common dilemma illustrates why clusters are brilliant. Small groups alone can never accomplish all the needs we place on them. But when you have clusters and small groups together, we can do it!

Clusters are the place where anyone is always welcome. Consequently, they are the larger size group. Small groups can also form, and now that they have the cluster to be the main inviting and welcoming place, they are free to put a cap on their numbers. Clusters can be broad, small groups can go deep.

Clusters are usually the best (and least awkward) place to bring new people, and because they’re a bit bigger they are better at pulling off a project (like Northern Lights Cluster’s ‘neighbourhood good deed’) or throwing a great party (like Desert Place Cluster’s mid-winter Celtic dance). As more people get involved and decide they like a cluster, more small groups can form from within it.

The clusters usually meet either fortnightly or monthly, and the small groups meet the other weeks. So if your small group goes to cluster, you still see them then too.

Clusters can have any theme - it might be a shared passion, similar life stage, or simply be location based. They are a great way to pursue mission and build community in specific ways the wider church can’t. If there isn’t one that fits yet, why not gather a few people and start a new one? It doesn’t have to be complicated. We’re here to help, just get in touch with [email protected].

richard drake

lots of people ask me what the difference is between clusters and small groups. i thought i would take this

opportunity to try and explain it a bit more...

explain to me

relating: clusters

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caring: stories caring: stories

i pulled up outside the address just after 7pm. parking was already tight which was a good sign that the turn out for the northern lights ‘neighbourhood good deed’ was excellent.

This was going to be a great night. The leaders of the Northern Lights Cluster had heard about a grandmother who was trying to bring up her grandchildren, on her own, in a run down house. The house badly needed some TLC and a lick of paint. The Northern Lights cluster were just the team for the ‘makeover’ job.

Sure enough, dotted along the picket fence were people armed with cans of paint and paintbrushes already hard at work. As I entered the yard I was presented with a bucket and brush. “Just go around the back of the house and follow the water blaster” they said. Sounded so easy when they put it like that.

high on a ladder above my head Derek was shooting the high powered water pistol. he used it with the precision speed and accuracy of a expert marksman. In no time the slime and grunge was streaming off the walls of the house. Now I’m sure the regular showers of dirt splatter falling on my head were purely unintentional and a necessary part of the job (yeah right) but it didn’t matter. I was… happy.

As I stood there armed with my trusty scrubbing brush it occurred to me that this is what the kingdom of God is all about. A group of people, young and not so young, helping out a lady for nothing but the sheer reward of being Jesus hands and feet on earth.

In truth it hardly cost me anything. I was with friends, it was a lovely evening, people were smiling and joking, feeling useful and experiencing that often overlooked virtue of generosity. The funny thing is, as I have often noted in the past, when I put myself out and do something for the good of another I seem to gain even more in return.

For some time the Northern Lights have been actively seeking out ways in which to help those around us. It’s so easy to get caught up in our busyness and miss the needs of others. But not tonight. As darkness fell the job was done. The grandchildren were playing cheerfully in the front yard and Grandma was profuse in her gratitude. It was time to go off to the pub for a well earned drink. Ok, so we were a bit wet and bedragelled but we had something noone could remove. The commaraderie of good friends and satisfaction of a job well done.

by irene stretendeedsneighbourhood good

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it has been a while since we were with you, but africa has gotten under our skin. Our journey here has been heartbreaking and life giving as we work through not only the world around us but the worlds within us. We were asked to write just a little bit so i am going to tell you about one small journey that God has taken us on in his gracious quest for transformation.

When Greg and I left New Zealand, we were ready to use our business skills to serve the Kingdom of God. We turned over our corporate lives and came to a Christian NGO that works towards the ambitious vision of Christ centered transformation of South Sudan communities.

Our job was not to go live in a mud hut in South Sudan, but rather to work in the Kenyan head office to improve the finance department and instigate organizational change. God opened the door for us and we jumped in boots-and-all.

Upon arrival we realised we were walking straight into a minefield of dysfunction that had been building for five years and ready to explode. We had not prepared for head office resistance towards us, relational strains at work, and office politics. We also began to see that organizations are organizations world over. No matter if I work at a bank in NZ or in a village in South Sudan, the effects of human nature, leadership challenges, and financial stress make them seem very similar under the veneer of different purposes and missions.

So then what, after disillusionment and disappointment? The months that stretched out before us seemed like an endless slog uphill. We decided to open our eyes to the world beyond our organization. We looked around at the hundreds of individuals who are struggling to make life livable and started to pray that God would put people in our life that we were to walk alongside.

Soon after, standing on the street waiting for a matatu, I saw a lost looking guy wandering down the street. I greeting him, knowing by his distinct height and darkness that he was South Sudanese, and we began to talk. After asking him if he needed anything he said he was walking around trying to figure out how to pay his school fees. Deng was a South Sudanese refugee, and like so many Sudanese, he walked three months to Kenya as a child to escape the war. Normally, I would have

a quest for transformation by lisa + greg bowman

listened to the story with an element of being ‘world wise’ here in Africa, but God told me to help this one, so no questions were asked. I told him I would pay his school fees, and give him money for food as he hadn’t eaten for a few days. Deng came over later, met Greg, and we began a relationship that we continue on to this day.

As I went to school and paid his school fees, he told me something that has stayed within my heart. he gave me permission to be Christ to him. I laughed at first because I have never been told this before and it sounded so out of place, but upon reflection I started to see the profound nature of his comment.

I was given permission to carry the highest honor on this earth, to feed a hungry person, give him some clothes, and build a relationship.

As time has passed since the early days of disillusionment, our work in the organization has improved. however, our journey has taught us that we too can hide behind a veneer or an organization’s purpose and mission as a substitute for being Christ to the individuals in our life. It is not just about structural development, changing systems to multiply benefits, or better financial management, but also about looking for who is walking down the street right in front of our house.

So as I sign off this letter, I want to leave you with a challenge. It is simply this: Who is the Holy Spirit prompting you to be Christ to, and how are you going to respond? I promise that this will lead you to amazing places right in your own back yard!

relating: overseas relating: overseas

We use digital audio players to teach the kids in Dinka cattlecamps who cannot attend schools.

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shining lights: storiesshining lights: stories

jan halstead - st paul’s marketplace group

i’ve always been very suspicious of anything remotely autobiographical, because i don’t think that many of us are all that good at telling the truth about ourselves. but mike can be pretty persuasive...

For a long time I was a lawyer doing company and government transactions, mostly in London and New York, spending much of my year in aircraft and hotels. From all that canned air, I gained a real love for New Zealand’s fresh air, incredible landscapes, beaches and sea, farms and forests, and Katie and I have interests in a couple of farm properties we are very passionate about. I chaired the board of the Auckland City Mission for a bit, and tried to make a contribution to various charities. For the last 10 years or so I have been the founding shareholder in a number of large coastal property projects, mostly permanently conserving large pieces of coastline as conservation estate and farms, although we have a large residential development near the city here. We planted and protected several million trees and preserved a lot of history. Our relationships with iwi have been important, and I have done a project for the government in that area also, re-negotiating a large treaty settlement and river management system. I am also deputy chairman of the board of Te Papa, the national guardian of our stories as a nation.

I have been a Christian a long time and over the years I find I believe much more strongly in God’s presence in the world, the incredible beauty of his creation, his power in our lives and his love for all mankind. For me, St Paul’s is all about us dealing with the fact that we are real people, with real lives (and failings), exploring together an amazing journey with a God of miracles who is interested in us. I love the reality of the St Paul’s approach – full strength shot of the reality of God, full strength shot of the reality of who we are. As a consequence I find I can be me, and try to be a better me, and try to care for others and our world a bit better.

a reluctant autobioby evan williams

if you have a story about something God has done in your life, we would love you to share it with us. it is good that we encourage one another with what God is doing. if you are not confident writing something, just give us a call or email [email protected] – we would love to help you put something together...

in the marketplace

business as usual, booming or challenging, finding work, losing or drowning in it, discovering ideas, sharing or abandoning them, getting on with your colleagues or clashing with them? have we got a deal for you! st paul’s marketplace group has found chatting and praying together can often be helpful, sometimes extraordinary and occasionally miraculous. At 6.30pm on the third Monday of each month all manner of industries, trades, professions and disciplines are represented over a meal at the Cruickshank’s home in Remuera. Guest speakers share their knowledge and experience at one meeting in three. everyone tells their current business stories at others, culminating in a special Christmas gathering.

Business success comes in many guises but so often God’s timing seems to be the key. One such story is yet to have an entirely happy ending but it is a continuing saga of God’s interest in our businesses as well as every other part of our lives.

On the eve of spending tens of thousands on new equipment for business growth, a couple decided to abandon their plans after praying with the group and receiving their corporate (and Godly) wisdom. In ensuing months advancing technology threw their industry into disarray, rendering such equipment obsolete and their decision entirely correct. Proceeding with the purchase would have been catastrophic for the family and the business.

So changed was the industry they even tried to sell their old machinery but for months there were no takers at any price. Out of the blue a missionary organisation in Sri Lanka heard about the equipment, spoke to our faithful but anxious couple, arranged a sponsor to transport the huge machine and are now prospering from the output. Just a few weeks after that, another SPMG member travelling in America met this generous sponsor at a completely unrelated gathering and together they could marvel at this divine “coincidence”. God knew: the key was their strength to share the story, ask for prayer and then be guided by the collective wisdom.

Only God knows the end from the beginning. We don’t know what the next episode will be for this couple or anyone in business, we can but do our homework, play our part and discuss options with like-minded people,. What God can bring to the equation is the over arching theme of SPMG meetings. The twists and turns in each person’s working walk are helpful, varied and interesting. Support, prayer, feedback and encouragement at and between meetings are on offer. You are most welcome.

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a human jungle gym by liv maclean

there are times in your life when you realise that despite your clever wit and ability to reason, in fact you are most valuable as a human jungle gym. anyone with kids is likely to be familiar with this refreshing correction of perspective. this opportunity is also on offer every saturday morning at the manurewa ‘marae te whakaora tangata’ kids program, supported by many at st paul’s.

shining lights: stories

established in 2010, the not-for-profit, social service Te Whakaora Tangata Trust (TWTT) was born out of Cliffy and Indranee Reddy’s belief that a community subject to intergenerational dysfunction doesn’t have to remain that way. They responded to the opportunity in Clendon to achieve ‘Te Whakaora Tangata’, life restoration for the people, by seeking to break the cycle of hurt - one person at a time. TWTT programmes include emotional healing, parenting, easy healthy cooking, PD supervision and a youth programme. Lives are being transformed and the Manurewa Marae has become a place of refuge, security and love... a home.

Cliffy and Indranee’s dream of a community ‘on earth as it is in heaven’ is being realised with whanau members receiving healing and then perpetuating it.

Imagine your pre-teen announce they have been recruited into a gang. This is the reality in Clendon where poverty, sexual and substance abuse make life a relentlessly lonely struggle. With Auckland’s highest rate of solo-parent families, TWTT seeks to offer Clendon’s youth a positive alternative source of identity and belonging and a safe place to play and grow with confidence.

Several volunteers led by Michelle Young are part of St Paul’s. They profess to have no special powers apart from turning up willing to show love and invest time in a bunch of very cool kids who have had far less than their fair share of both of these.

Whatever your personal status of shoulder-ride giving potential, we could use your help. Please pray that the transforming love of Jesus would continue to see these kids shed their suspicion and know that they are made in the image of a God who loves them. Please consider whether you may have a heart for these kids and be able to invest some of your Saturdays with them too. Please help financially - TWTT depend on donations to survive. We’re also taking the kids to Adventure World for the end of year party, and need sponsors for kids at $25 each. We are so excited to see God bring restoration to people’s lives in front of our eyes, and would love to share if you want to know more. Please contact Michelle Young at [email protected] or phone 027 200 6173.

let it shineby josh couch

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Three weeks ago we wrangled 35 friends together to clamber up a dark mountain-side with a bunch of lights in hand. We had torches, candles, fluorescent tubes, halogens, glow-sticks and fairy lights. Lining them all up we spelt out in giant letters “the light has come”.

We were filming our Christmas appeal video to raise funds for our Christmas radio programme. We’ve been given 18 hours of air-time on NewstalkZB and Radio sport, enabling us to reach over 200,000 people. Our hope is to shed some light on who Christ is for all to see.

I’m stunned that Jesus, who claims to be the Light with a capital “L”, turns around and calls us the light of the world. You could see it as a pretty weighty responsibility if he’d said you can be the light of the world. But he didn’t. he said we already are!

And when I look round at those Christians I know working in the mainstream media, that’s what I see. They’re not harping on about Jesus and bible-bashing their workmates at the water-cooler. They’re just being who they are, where they are. A little light… letting it shine.

Josh attends the 3:30pm service at St Paul’s and is a radio producer at Christian Broadcasting Association. They create programming for New Zealand’s leading radio network NewstalkZB. www.cba.org.nz.

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i’ve taken off my shoes and belt and i’m emptying the contents of my pockets into a plastic tray. it’s a familiar routine, but today i’m not flying anywhere. i’m heading into mt eden prison for the first time with the boys from ‘inside out’.

I signed up to do prison ministry because I felt like I should. After all, when Jesus comes to separate the sheep from the goats, prison visits will be on his magic list, right? And since I hadn’t fed or clothed anyone recently, I thought this might be a good way to chalk up some points.

By the time I get to the security gate I’ve been to the toilet twice already. The only time I’ve seen the inside of a prison is in the movies, so my mental images aren’t pretty. It doesn’t help that Dino and a couple of the guys have taken pleasure in telling me a horror story or two… thanks guys.

After entering the unit and meeting the inmates the nerves dissolve away as they give us a warm and heartfelt welcome. I can see how grateful they are to have us there. It’s quite moving to see them express their love for God in such an undesirable place and in full view of all the other inmates. As these things often go, the line between giver and receiver becomes blurry.

I even find myself welling up a little when I hear them belt out the most rousing rendition of my favourite hymn. In prison, grace really is amazing.

So despite the questionable motives (to grow wool instead of horns), a year later I feel like I’ve become a useful part of the Inside Out team with a great bunch of guys. Every time we go in it feels like we help bring a bit of light where not much exists and learn a lot of lessons ourselves along the way. The most important of all being this: Make sure you leave with the same amount of people you arrived with.

the best mentor

i am a clinical nurse specialist in the ear nose and throat department at auckland city hospital, working with people with head and neck cancers. it’s a privilege to work where i do.

The work of a nurse offers challenges and events we cannot always anticipate. We see sick and healthy people, we see death, we see suffering, pain, but we also see good outcomes. We certainly see people at probably the most vulnerable times of their lives, and encounter levels of intimacy where many will never go. We must be able to gain the trust of the patient/family/whanau, to listen and be generous in time, administer care with tenderness and compassion, not judging, and offer direction. This caring is manifested in hugs, holding a hand, comforting words, the dressing of wounds, gentleness, helping people do a range of tasks they can’t do themselves and being an advocate with and for the ones being cared for. Scripture says we are surrounded by a cloud of witnesses - patients, families, colleagues, the media even, that watch how we perform our care. And so does our God.

Mother Teresa once said “I see God in every human being. When I wash the leper’s wounds, I feel I am nursing the Lord himself. ” Now that’s a challenge for nurses who have a faith and trust in God.

nursing the lord by noelle farrell

by ben green

most workplaces these days encourage mentoring, they do this because personal growth and learning is an essential career component, and even more importantly it’s a fast-track to improved performance.

When I look around at the people I know at St Paul’s on a Sunday, I see mentors everywhere. I’m hugely privileged to be surrounded by great fathers, sons, husbands, fantastic teachers, amazing business leaders but importantly for me, all these people have a character which is crafted through their relationship with Christ. If Jesus is the ultimate mentor, then living with and learning from people who know him can’t be a bad place to be.

St Paul’s is a place for me where I reset myself, it’s a place where I can check in, reflect on my motivations and learn from others. As much as I love my business career in IT and Telecommunications, corporate careers also have a way of knocking you around sometimes. My St Paul’s community understands that sometimes it’s great, sometimes it’s not, but they are with me either way.

It took me a while to understand that becoming a Christian was the closest thing there is to living life to the full, and that’s about the workplace too. I feel that my decisions and actions makes a difference to the people I work with so it makes sense to invite Gods wisdom into that - I’d be mad not to.

by mick andrewsa prison from inside-out


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diary for december

sun Sunday ServicesShining like Stars 1 9am · 11am 3:30pm · 6:30pm

Sunday ServicesLearning How to Shine 1 9am · 11am 3:30pm · 6:30pm

Parachute Hamilton

mon

tuewed Marriage Preparation

7:30pm · Crypt

thu SPPRAY 6:45am

SPPRAY 6:45am

fri

sat

sun Sunday ServicesShining like Stars 2 9am · 11am 3:30pm · 6:30pm

mon

tue

wed

thu SPPRAY 6:45am

fri Parachute Hamilton

sat Parachute Hamilton

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Church Camp 2013New Wine Matakana


Church Camp 2013New Wine Matakana Free ‘try it’ evening


church CAMP2013NEW WINE MATAKANA

9-13 janUARY

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31

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church closed december

4 65

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1 32

church closed january

diary for january


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sun Sunday ServicesAdvent 1 & Adult Baptisms 9am · 11am 3:30pm · 6:30pm

mon Space 10am · Crypt

tue

wed Hey Ewe! Rehearsal4-6pm · Church

Reflective Service7.30pm · Church

thu SPPRAY 6:45am

Mainly Music 10am · Crypt

SPPRAY 6:45am

fri

sat Hey Ewe! Dress Rehearsal10.30am -12.30pm · Church

sun Sunday Services‘Hey Ewe!’ Childrens’ Church Production Advent 2: 9am · 11am 3:30pm · 6:30pm

Sunday ServicesAdvent 4 9am · 11am 3:30pm · 6:30pm

mon Space 10am · Crypt

Christmas Eve Candlelight Communion 11pm · Church

tue Christmas DayFamily Service 10am · Church

wed

thu SPPRAY 6:45am


fri

sat GLOW Dress RehearsalChurch

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mon

tue

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GLOW 6pm · Vector ArenaNo Sunday Services

2322

FIVE whole

days

5over

the SUMMER

Camping IN COMMUNITY

inspiring international

SPEAKERS

COOL KIDS' ProGRAMMES

lotsa NEW FRIENDS

worship by st pauls

more INfO

stpauls.org.nz

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church CAMP2013

NEW WINE MATAKANA

9-13 janUARY

where are you going to be in january 2013? are you going to be on your own on a beach somewhere, procrastinating at home, finishing off the deck or volunteering to work through the break ‘cos you don’t have any better plans? why not join st paul’s on a fun road-trip and camping adventure at new wine matakana? as a church we are fully getting behind this festival and wanting as many of you as possible to come on up and join in on our official church camp for 2013 and its going to be a busload of fun!

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Sunday ServicesVision 1 9am · 11am 3:30pm · 6:30pm

Space 10am · Crypt

Exploring Prayer Greg Burson 7.30pm · Church

Space 10am · Crypt

Space 10am · Crypt

Marriage Preparation7:30pm · Crypt




SPPRAY 6:45am

SPPRAY 6:45am


SPPRAY 6:45am


SPPRAY 6:45am


Whanau Friday5- 8pm Okahu Bay

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GLOW_2012_Postcard_02.indd 1 11/8/12 4:10 PM

photos // meg robinson • james bowman • louise giles

come share the love6pm sun 16 decvector arenatickets $5 from glow.org.nz

Documents

SPREAD • issue four