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[March-June 2008 Newsletter]
March Madness
There was much more to cheer about in March than just basketball championships.
Starting with WCF's 1-year anniversary on March 2, there have been a series
of special events and "divine appointments" that have made this
an exciting season of growth. Besides the usual events surrounding the
Easter season, we held a Sedar (Passover) meal and footwashing service
for our church and community. For some, this was a meaningful encounter
with their Saviour, the sacrificial Lamb of God. For others, this was
their first introduction to Christ. Chad could only smile as he overheard
Helen, one of our visitors who was already a Christian, answering question
after question from one of our Chinese friends who was just learning about
God. On Easter morning, we headed out to a local park long before sunrise
to celebrate Jesus' resurrection. We were surprised as we were met with
more than 50 people from all walks of life who had seen our signs and
come for the Sunrise Service. Together, we sang, prayed and refreshed
our hope in the One to come. To see pictures and the video from this event,
please see the multimedia section.
A
"Real" Pastor at last!
Before Chad arrived in New Zealand seven years ago, ordination was not
something he had ever considered (let alone being a pastor). However,
through the encouragement of Pastor David Ravell and God's intervention,
he began the licensing process in 2005. After nearly a three-year process,
Chad was ordained on 30 March. Nathan and Tammy Nielson, pastors from
Town Center Community Church in Georgia, flew to Auckland to conduct this
special service. Pastors, teachers and many significant friends packed
out the church to encourage us that day. Malama and her extended Niuean
family presented songs and adorned both Chad and Diane with special gifts
to acknowledge this special occasion. Thanks to the Nielsons and everyone
who made this such a memorable day.
Matthew 28:19 - Just GO.
Since the launch of WCF, God has emphasized a clear message to us: Jesus
didn't tell us to wait around for people to enter the church doors. Instead
he said, "Go." Last year, the leadership team began several
intentional ministries in our community. As a result, we've started to
notice many of our members also witnessing to their neighbours and workmates.
Some have begun to create interest groups to reach those who would not
typically go to church. For instance, Kathrin has a great interest in
the outdoors. Five months ago, she began to arrange hiking events for
both church members and anyone outside the church. This has resulted in
the formation of several new friendships and a number of fruitful conversations
about Christ and faith. We are excited to see where these things will
lead. For multimedia on these outdoor events, please visit www.westside.org.nz.
WCF
has continued to offer events to meet felt needs in the community. In
April, the Nielsons stayed for an extra 2 weeks to lead our second parenting
workshop entitled "Growing Great Kids" while several volunteers
worked in the back providing childcare. Dan is currently teaching a class
on budgeting that particularly targets the Kiwi mentality of living from
paycheck to paycheck. In addition, Chad and Dan have also found a great
opportunity to minister through chaplaincy at a local university. This
has brought the opportunities to speak to classes on topics like "Death,
Dying and Spirituality." They recently hosted a free morning tea
where students could meet and ask questions. The event proved so successful
that they were nearly out of food halfway through the morning. Hardly
a week goes by that we do not have a significant conversation with someone
there about Christ, something which we have been praying for a long time.
God is at work!
The Life of Diane
Diane continues to blossom in her work as a worship leader and administrator
(not to mention holding down the fort behind the scenes). There have been
some changes though. Due to the recent death of an ex-colleague, Diane
was offered a part-time position at her previous workplace of Shine TV,
New Zealand's Christian television station - a position which she readily
accepted. Her new responsibilities allow her to impact many people through
her input on programming decisions and conversations with viewers on a
one-on-one basis. The job is also a blessing as the number of hours spent
there balances perfectly with the number of hours that she needs to work
for WCF.
Her career in dog training has not been put on hold. She (and Missy) participate every Friday at a dog club where she has been able to meet many like-minded animal enthusiasts. Many of these have had very little contact with Christianity and Diane's constant prayer is that she would be able to make a positive impact there as well.
Praises
· Praise God for the formation of several new ministry teams at
WCF (eg. Greeters, Creative Arts, "clean-up" crew)
· The Beisleys have raised enough funding to be allowed to return
for a second term in September. They still have a lot of travelling to
do this summer (and funds to raise), so please keep them in your prayers.
· Praise God for the open doors we have found among staff and students
at the local university.
Prayer Requests
· Pray for wisdom for our team over the coming months as we restructure
leadership and staffing for future growth.
· Pray that our members would be raised up as workers in the harvest
field so that many will come to know Him.