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A Night Around the World at Eden Community Church

Passengers gathered at Eden Community Church's cultural night on Saturday.This year’s celebration theme was “A Night Around the World”. It was also a fundraiser for the Cooper family, who are heading to the Middle East.   “The idea was to replicate an actual flight and provide guests with a passport and dinner tokens once on board," said Meg Imai. John Stephenson said, "The smiles gave testimony to a brilliant evening of culture and diver...

Church-Camp Partnership Bearing Fruit

Russell Grainger, pastor at Mt Wellington Community Church, writes:“MWCC is very strongly camping-orientated in a number of ways. At the baptisms today, every one of the seven that got baptised mentioned involvement with a camp in one or more ways as a critical part of their faith journey. These camps included Willow Park kids camps, HM Rage, Easter Camp at Taupō, and our annual church camp."Be encouraged! Church-camp partnerships are alive and well and camping is still having ...

God, the Creator of the Matariki

Job 9:9"Nana nei i hanga a Aketura, a Tautoru, a Matariki, me nga ruma i te tonga.""He is the Maker of the Bear and Orion, the Pleiades and the constellations of the south.""O lē na faia Asa, ma Kisila, ma Kima, atoa ma ana o i le itu i toga."Matariki points to the Mediator.Matariki is the Māori name for the constellation of stars known as the Pleiades. In the Bible, Job declares, "God is the maker of the Bear and Orion, Matariki and the constellations of the south."Job references the Matariki...

Orewa Community Church farewells Murray Cooper

Ninety people came together at Orewa Community Church for a surprise celebration of Murray Cooper's fourteen-and-a-half years of pastoral service.He now steps away from the pressure of full-time ministry but will continue to use his pastoral gifts at OCC. ...

Orwell Street Church Housing Project

It’s very encouraging to see how churches are working to help their communities and show the love of Jesus in practical ways.This is the case with the housing project that Orwell Street Church in Oamaru has been involved in....

Call me Mara

Ruth 1:20"Na ka mea ia ki a ratou, Kaua ahau e karangatia, ko Naomi; ko Mara ta koutou e karanga ai ki ahau: he kawa rawa hoki ta te Kaha Rawa mahi ki ahau." "Don’t call me Naomi,” she told them. “Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter." "A ‘ua fai atu o ia ‘iā te i latou, “‘Aua tou te ta‘ua a‘u o Naomi, a ‘ia ta‘ua a‘u o Mara; auā ‘ua matuā ‘o‘ona mea ‘ua faia ‘iā te a‘u e Lē ona le malosi uma lava."Ruth chapter one takes place i...

Onslow Community Church in the Newspaper

Above and below: I was encouraged to read how Onslow Community Church is pointing people to Jesus in their region's local newspaper. ...

Outreach News From Churches

CCCNZ Camping Enabler Richard Davis recently met with Justin Thompson, a pastor at Manawaru Bible Chapel.Richard writes: ”Justin shared the church's vision for their community which is centred around the local school, Manawaru Primary, which has about 85 students."The church has built a strong relationship with them over a number of years through Bible in Schools, school chaplaincy work, and other school community assistance. One result of this relationship is tha...

The Four Horsemen

Revelation 6:1"A i kite ahau i te wahanga o tetahi o nga hiri e te Reme, i rongo hoki i tetahi o nga mea ora e wha e mea mai ana, ano he reo whatitiri, Haere mai.""I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, “Come!” "Na ‘ou iloa atu fo‘i ‘ua tatalaina e le Tama‘i Mamoe le tasi o fa‘amaufa‘ailoga e fitu, ‘ona ‘ou fa‘alogoina ai lea o le tasi o meaola e fa, o lona leo e pei o se faititil...

First Training South Island

During King’s Birthday weekend, 37 younger leaders from 4 churches - Grace Church, Rutland Street Church, Riccarton Community Church, and Halswell Community Church attended the First Training at South Island Waipara Adventure Centre....

Waikato-Auckland Regional Rally Training Day

Tony Foster the NZ Rally co-ordinator writes: "We had an amazing time at the Waikato and Auckland Regional Training day, which was held at Whitiora Bible Church last weekend. Thanks, Whitiora, for hosting us!...

CCCNZ Annual General Meeting

During the pōwhiri, from left: Malachi Williams, Nick Goodwin, Julie McKinnon, Cynthia Hulse, Char Williams and Paul Samuels.On Friday afternoon, we gathered at the Tauwhare Marae in the Waikato.The day involved a Pōwhiri, a listening hui with CCCNZ Board members and Māori CCCNZ-OBH leaders, an AGM and a good time talking together over lunch.A huge thank you to Te Mape Haimona, Renata Te Aho and Norm Silcock (leaders of Tauwhare Marae and Tauwhare Gospel Chapel) for so warmly hosting us and c...

Jesus Is Better Than Your Comforts

Revelation 1:12-13"Na ka tahuri ake ahau kia kite i te reo i korero nei ki ahau. A, i taku tahuritanga ake, ka kite ahau i nga turanga rama koura e whitu; A i waenganui o nga turanga rama ko tetahi e rite ana ki te Tama a te tangata, ko tona kakahu tatu noa ki nga waewae, he mea whitiki te uma ki te whitiki koura." "I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe r...

Ephesians 6 Expressed through Dance

On Sunday 28th of May, the youth group at Auuso Kerisiano Otara (Otara Brethren Christian Fellowship), led by Damaris Amerika, performed a breathtaking kapa haka at church. They sought to present the message of Ephesians 6 (standing strong in the full armour of God) with various Tongan, Samoan, and Māori expressions in the dance.By Richard Fountain, CCCNZ Auckland Enabler...

Jesus and His Salvation

John 18:10"Na he hoari ta Haimona Pita, unuhia ana e ia a haua iho te pononga a te tohunga nui, tapahia ana tona taringa matau. Ko te ingoa o taua pononga ko Maraku." "Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, cutting off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.)" "O Simona Peteru foi, ua i ai le pelu, ua se‘i e ia, ma taia a‘i le auauna a le ositaulaga sili, ua tipiesea lona taliga taumatau; o Maliko le igoa o le auauna." What on earth is go...

The Gospel proclaimed at HM Rage

I loved hearing about HM RAGE over King's Birthday Weekend.650 youth from 22 youth groups gathered at Tōtara Springs Christian Centre just outside Matamata. The majority of youth groups were from CCCNZ-OBH churches. What a joy it is to know youth spent the weekend hearing about God’s grace to us through Jesus’s death and resurrection. So good! A huge thank you for the incredible work done by so many volunteer youth leaders, parents, operations and logistics people to make the weekend possib...

Unguarded Strengths

John 18:10"Na he hoari ta Haimona Pita, unuhia ana e ia a haua iho te pononga a te tohunga nui, tapahia ana tona taringa matau. Ko te ingoa o taua pononga ko Maraku.""Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, cutting off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.)""O Simona Peteru foi, ua i ai le pelu, ua se‘i e ia, ma taia a‘i le auauna a le ositaulaga sili, ua tipiesea lona taliga taumatau; o Maliko le igoa o le auauna."When he meets the sold...

Around Auckland - May 2023

Good times last month. Māori and Pasifika leaders met for a hui at Willow Park Camp in Eastern Beach. Most of them came from Auckland, and some from further afield. They connected and ate together, learned about resources, and spent time in prayer and korero about churches and future gospel work. Those who led the evening were Jerome Edwards and Max Guptill.Pray for all those involved in planning a future hui that the Lord would give clear direction, unity, and vision as Māori and Pasifika lea...

Lower North Island Regional Summit (27 May)

Above left: Peter Rhodes-Robinson from Onslow Community Church talking with leaders from Wellington and the Kāpiti Coast.Above right: Max Faletutulu from Tītahi Bay Community Church talks to leaders from Church on Vogel, Feilding Bible Chapel and others in the prayer workshop.Below left: Mark van Wijk, CCCNZ PastorLink Enabler, and Henare Whaanga, Pathway Christian Centre, talk with leaders from Onslow Community Church.Below right: Susie Snell and Karen McLeod from Feilding Bible Chapel talk t...

News from Churches in NZ

Our vision is to see churches—and the regional campsites and national support ministries who serve them—working together to point people to Jesus through the gospel from the Scriptures. It was a delight then to hear about three churches in the Canterbury region reaching into their communities through a combined regional Rally camp last weekend: Church Street Bible Chapel, Glentunnel Chapel and Rutland Street Church....

Community Connections and Discipleship

Benji Carey and others from Onekawa Bible Church have worked hard for many years establishing wonderful connections with local schools. Benji has been involved with Launchpad and providing music lessons in various schools. Others have helped with Launchpad too, as well as reading and taking morning tea to teachers.Over time, they have built relationships with around six schools in the area, with particularly strong connections with two or three. Children from these schools attend a weekly afters...

Intermediate Youth Group

I was so encouraged this week to hear from Liz Hodge, Springs Community Church, about her daughter, Susannah (12) starting a youth group for intermediate-aged girls.Susannah was keen to have a youth group to invite her friends to. With the support and blessing of her mum, Liz, they planned what it might look like. She designed an invitation and gave it out to her friends at school.After school on Tuesday, Susannah and 7 of her friends arrived at her house for youth group. Some of them attend chu...

Onslow Community Church Serving Sundays

Left to right: Dom, Liam, and Daniel prepare to serve their communityPete Rhodes-Robinson writes:“As part of the effort to engage with our local community, we schedule three days a year to go into the community and practically help individuals, families, and community organisations."We do this during our normal Sunday morning church time slot and meet in the evening to share stories, have dinner, worship, and pray together. Jobs generally come from the contacts of individual church members, an...

Southland Churches Come Together for Bible Teaching

Last weekend the church families from Elles Road Bible Chapel, Rosedale Bible Chapel and Edendale Christian Fellowship were involved in the Invercargill Winter Bible School.Graeme Hillas writes:“Yes, Invercargill Combined Bible School was a very encouraging and challenging time last weekend. There were four sessions each afternoon with a time of fellowship during the break for afternoon tea. The weekend was organized by both Rosedale and Elles Road Bible Chapel. "Invitations were extended to s...

Southland Churches coming together to reach their communities through Rally

Leaders work together to build the Rally cube, a reminder of all the ways Rally seeks to build connection with kids and their families....