I was encouraged by the good turnout at the first two meetings of our Discipleship Series on 13th and 20th of October. There were probably at least 40 people at each of those meetings. Themed “The Grand Narrative of Scripture: Creation, Fall, Redemption and Consummation,” the series is an important part of our discipleship strategy for this year. I’m glad many made the effort to attend the talks, and I hope many more will come along to the remaining two talks. The third talk, on Redemption, is scheduled for 10th November, and the fourth one, on Consummation, is scheduled for 17th November.
The videos of the first two talks are now available to watch online on these links:
I’m grateful to Hugo Durrheim for producing these videos for us.
I would also like to update you about the Confirmation and Membership Course – this has been going well. Four participants are taking the course in preparation for the Confirmation Service scheduled for February 2025. We have had 3 meetings thus far, and there are 5 more to go. Please uphold us in your prayers: me, as I teach the classes, and the participants: Melissa Wills, Temiah Cyster, Channing Cyster and Emily-Rose Cyster.
Last Saturday we held the last meeting for the evaluation of our church ministries. Thank you to all who came along and contributed their ideas. We are now awaiting a report from Rev Derek Harding who facilitated the meeting, and we pray the whole process would yield good ideas and plans for our ministries.
Tomorrow seven members of our youth group (Elevate Youth), led by Jonathan Tweeddale, will be traveling to Nelson to attend a Spring Camp organised by our Diocese. Please pray for safe travels and a transformative experience for them at the Camp.
Please don’t forget that this Saturday we have our monthly Prayer Meeting in the church, at 3-4pm. Join us as we pray for the needs of our church, particularly for the volunteers who faithfully serve in our various ministries.
Market Morning is just 4 Saturdays away – please put the date in your diary: 16th November. The MM Team had our final meeting last week, and we’re excited and looking forward to the event. Please pray that any remaining preparation will be completed on time and any remaining gaps in volunteers will be filled. Also, please pray for good health for the team, for good weather on the day, and a blessed, fun and successful day for us all!
June Cairns, a faithful member of our Wednesday congregation, went home to be with the Lord last week. She attended our Wednesday services regularly and helped in the kitchen until about 2 years ago, when frail health meant she was no longer able to continue these involvements. I had the opportunity to visit June at Ashwood last month and to pray for her and anoint her with oil. Now she is with the Lord who she loved and served.
Noel Raxworthy, a former church member, also went home to the Lord this month. I didn’t know Noel personally, but many in church family will remember him. He was an active member here for many years, until about seven years ago when they shifted to Christchurch. God’s comfort be upon the Raxworthy and Cairns families!
This Sunday (Reformation Sunday) we will be joining many churches around the world in remembering the Reformation. Initiated by Martin Luther, the Reformation Movement was instrumental in recovering biblical Christianity from the rubble of the Middle Ages. Because the Reformation was essentially a ‘back to the Bible’ movement, therefore this Sunday I’ll be sharing a message on the theme “The Bible: God’s Word For Us.”
Here are a few quotes to give you a sense of the importance and the lasting impact of the Reformation on the world:
“It is impossible to understand modern history apart from the Reformation. We cannot understand the history of Europe, England or America without studying the Reformation. For example, in America, there would never have been Pilgrim Fathers if there had not first been a Protestant Reformation.” – Jack Arnold
“Perhaps Luther’s greatest achievement was the German Bible. No other work has had strong an impact on a nation’s development and heritage as has this Book.” – Henry Zecher
“It we Protestants are ‘reformed and always reforming,’ then commemorating the Reformation should cause us not so much to celebrate the past as to renew our mission and ministry in the present.” – Christopher Gehrz
