We loved being amongst 100+ people from 17 Waikato and Bay of Plenty churches on Saturday at the CCCNZ Regional Summit, held at Tōtara Springs Christian Centre in Matamata.
The day began with a time of worship led by the young adults from Hukanui Bible Church (HBC) in Hamilton, followed by a powerful teaching on “The Message of the Cross” delivered by HBC pastor Dan Pettersen.
This set a warm and inviting tone for a day filled with connection, interaction, learning, and sharing among attendees.
It was wonderful to witness people engaging through a variety of sessions and topics, exchanging stories, and embodying the community of God’s people.
We're grateful for the contribution of Kim McCall (Hillcrest Chapel), Wendy and John Buchanan (GC3), Kylie Brown (Lifezone Church), Richard Goodwin (Pathways Bible College), Tony Foster (NZ Rally), and Michael Hanson (GC3) in leading forums and workshops.
In one of the forums, it was lovely to hear four new Christians share their journeys of coming to faith in Jesus and growing in him.
We also heard inspiring stories of what God is doing in this region. Elders and elderships talked through the challenges and opportunities they are wrestling with. A huge thank you for all you are doing as leaders in independent churches in the Waikato and Bay of Plenty, and special thanks to Emma Cox (Lifezone Church), Christine Renner (Chapel Hill Community Church), and Sam Crosbie (Hukanui Bible Church) for sharing.
We are looking forward to seeing and hearing of the ways the Lord will draw various churches together to work together to point more people to Jesus, through the gospel from the Bible.
One of the most encouraging aspects of the day was hearing remarks like, “It was so good to meet so-and-so,” and “I learned something new that I can apply in my ministry, church, or personal life.”
Churches represented were Agora Church, Chapel Hill Community Church, Church@109, Hillcrest Chapel, Hukanui Bible Church, Kaipaki Bible Church, Lifezone Church, Manawarū Bible Chapel, Matamata Bible Church, Mount Bible Chapel, Northgate Community Church, New Plymouth Community Church, Putaruru Gospel Chapel, Raleigh Street Christian Centre, Roosevelt Road Bible Church, Tauwhare Gospel Chapel, and Whitiora Bible Church.
