Kia tau ki a koutou te atawhai me te rangimarie o te Atua
願 父 神 所 賜 的 恩 惠 和 平 安 與 你 們 同 在
Grace and peace to you from God

HOW WONDERFUL; HOW BEAUTIFUL ... UNITY

One of the psalms set down for last Sunday was Psalm 133 with these beautiful words of unity and harmony and love –

How wonderful, how beautiful, when brothers and sisters get along! It’s like costly anointing oil flowing down head and beard, flowing down Aaron’s beard, flowing down the collar of his priestly robes. It’s like the dew on Mount Hermon flowing down the slopes of Zion. Yes, that’s where God commands the blessing, ordains eternal life. (Psalm 133 The Message)

I had these words ringing in my ears and heart as I travelled to the Bay of Plenty to visit the brothers and sisters there last weekend. I had these words of unity ringing in my heart as I met with representatives of the Whakatane Māori Pastorate (Presbyterian Church) and with some members from the Lutheran church in Whakatane on Saturday morning, as we introduced ourselves to each other and started a gentle conversation of how we might share life, worship and ministry together.

On Sunday morning, the opening words of this psalm once again came into their own, as Lutherans from Whakatane and Lutherans (and Methodists too) from Kawerau filled most of the 30+ seats at the Whakatane Church for worship. Instead of worshipping as two small groups – six in one place and half a dozen in another – we came together. It was wonderful; it was beautiful. There was a real buzz to worship and we had fun being together; not to mention how pleasant it must have been to God.

Lord God of unity and harmony and love, thank you that the brothers and sisters of Kawerau and Whakatane can get along … Lutherans and Methodists together, and Lord, we pray for your blessing as we explore getting along with our Presbyterian brothers and sisters, all for the sake of the gospel. Amen.

CLOSE OF TAURANGA LUTHERAN FELLOWSHIP

I’m no good with big crowds, but I reckon between 15 and 20 people gathered at the home of Carol and Leon Jurgens in Tauranga last Sunday (17th August) to formally close Tauranga Lutheran Fellowship. Despite a tinge of sadness surrounding the occasion (I found it just as hard to utter the closing words for this young Fellowship as I did for 138-year old Halcombe just over a year ago), we celebrated with the words of Psalm 8:4-5 that our God is mindful of us and that he will care for us into the future. We sang ‘How Great Thou Art’, prayed together, reminisced together, gathered at the Lord’s Table together, and then enjoyed the fellowship of brothers and sisters together united in Christ.

Lord God, thank you for your ministry to your saints at Tauranga Lutheran Fellowship over the last few years. Be mindful of and care for these people as they find new church homes where they can be nurtured in their faith and encouraged in lives of love and service to you and to others. Amen.

PERSONAL PEACE-MAKING AND CONFLICT COACHING – A LIFE-CHANGING EVENT – BOTANY (2-4 October)

This 2+ day training event builds on the introductory peace-making seminars conducted by Rev Bruce Zagel. This training takes the basic steps of personal peace-making and applies them to daily life situations. You’ll learn and practise ways to apply your Christian faith in family, business, church, and legal conflicts. You’ll learn how to coach others into peace-making approaches.

Since all children of God are called to be peacemakers, this training is appropriate for every Christian. Church leaders who have responsibilities for teaching and assisting others in their conflicts will find this training especially helpful for assisting others to respond to conflict in a biblically faithful manner.

• Where: Botany Lutheran Church 150C Harris Road, East Tamaki
• When: 2 October 2014 7:00 pm to 9.00 pm 3 October 2014 8:30 am to 5.30 pm 4 October 2014 8:30 am to 5.30 pm
• Cost: Training $175.00 plus meals ($15 / day) = $205.00
• Some LLL assistance may be available for participants

For more information or to receive a registration form, contact:

• Dr Pauline Simonsen 06 3574859 rpsimonsen@inspire.net.nz, or
• The LCNZ Administrator 04 3852540 admin@lutheran.org.nz

NEW PRESIDENT FOR LCNZ LLL

At its recent meeting, the LLL Board elected Marg Gust from Marton as its President. Please pray for God’s blessing on this Board and as Marg leads.

KAWERAU 50th ANNIVERSARY OF THE CHURCH BUILDING

The 50th Anniversary of the church building at Kawerau Lutheran Church will be celebrated on Sunday 19th October with a Service with Holy Communion at 10.30am. Guest preacher will be Assistant Bishop John Davison. A light catered lunch will follow.

Past and present members and friends of the congregation are warmly invited. 

Please RSVP by Monday 6th October to Erik Rohde, 07 3228365, or rohde@clear.net.nz.

The church is on the corner of River Road and Ward Street, Kawerau.

COLLEGE OF BISHOPS / GENERAL CHURCH COUNCIL (GCC)

Last week I attended a face-to-face College of Bishops’ meeting in Adelaide. I simply report here what LCA-NZ Bishop, John Henderson wrote in his latest Heartland eNews (I’m sure he won’t mind) –

Between 11th and 15th August the College of Bishops were involved in:

• Interviewing final year pastoral theology students.
• Debriefing with second year out pastors as part of the Graduate Pastor Program.
• A full day’s discussion preparing for the 2015 General Pastors Conference and General Convention of Synod.
• A solid day’s meeting on the oversight of the pastoral ministry and other affairs of the church, with visitors from the School of Pastoral Theology, LCA Communications, Reconciliation Ministry, and the Board for Local Mission.

From GCC:

• The College of Bishops has expressed the preference that the ‘ordination’ matter which has been under discussion in the LCA for some time, and which is a major matter for the next Convention, be officially termed, “Women and the Call to the Office of the Public Ministry”. While this is a bit of a mouthful, it is an accurate representation of the wording used by the LCA at its formation, as in the Theses of Agreement VI.11.
• District Bishops will be motivating and equipping dialogues in local places and zones on “Women and the Call to the Office of the Public Ministry.”
• The General Church Council decided to reinstate the Secretary of the Church as a full time position, reverting to the arrangement envisaged in the LCA Constitution. Secretary of the Church is a pastoral role which supports my office and the College of Bishops. Effectively this change means de-linking the position from that of Mission Director from the beginning of 2015. Official notice will be given of this, and the LCA call process adopted for both positions.

SPICE RETREAT

Thee wives of LCNZ pastors are meeting for their annual Spice Retreat in Wellington this weekend.

Spice = plural of Spouse

Unfortunately this year there will only be a small group of Spice meeting with retreat facilitator, Pauline Simonsen at the Home of Compassion in Island Bay.  

Can I ask you to thank God for the wives of the pastors of the LCNZ -

• Julie (wife of Pastor Joe, Mountainside, Auckland)
• Diane (wife of Pastor John, Hamilton)
• Lynda (wife of Pastor Phil, Whanganui)
• Leanne (wife of Bishop Mark, Wellington)
• Haidee (wife of Pastor Chris, Upper Moutere/Hope)
• Meg (wife of Specific Ministry Pastor Ahi, Christchurch)

The Lord God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.’ (Genesis 2:18)

Thank you Lord God for your gift to us of pastor's wives.  Thank you for the partnership in your ministry that you enable them to share with us.  Watch over them and keep them safe, and give them joy in the calling you have placed on their lives.  Amen.

THANKS!

There’s a reason why you haven’t had an update from me for a while. Since I last wrote, I’ve spent a night in hospital (unexpectedly), and I’ve been on two week’s Medical Leave. I’ve had extremely high blood pressure through most of this year, but I’m glad to say that with medication it seems to be under control. Thank you to everyone who expressed their love for me and our family during this time, through cards, emails, texts, Facebook messages, flowers, phone calls etc.

Sadly, due to Medical Leave, I missed two important events in Brisbane – the Chinese Ministry Conference and a meeting of the Mission Directors, but I got plenty of emails to make sure that I’d missed nothing too much.

MĀNAWATANGA / BLESSING

Kia tau ki a tātou katoa Te atawhai o tō tātou Ariki, a Ihu Karaiti Me te aroha o te Atua Me te whiwhingatahitanga Ki te wairua tapu Ake, ake, ake Amine

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all forever and ever. Amen.

Kia noho a Ihowa ki a koutou; the Lord be with you.

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+MARK

Pastor Mark Whitfield BTh MSM Bishop of the Lutheran Church of New Zealand / Pihopa o te Hāhi Rūtana o Aotearoa

Kia tau ki a koutou te atawhai me te rangimarie o te Atua
願 父 神 所 賜 的 恩 惠 和 平 安 與 你 們 同 在
Grace and peace to you from God

INSTALLATIONS; THE MINISTRY TEAM IS GROWING IN THE LCNZ

Over the next two Sundays, three people will be installed to specific ministry roles and responsibilities in the LCNZ. When was the last time that so much installing went on in the LCNZ?

This Sunday – 6th July – Jaswanth Kukatlapalli will be installed as vicar at Mountainside Lutheran Church. The LCNZ has a wonderful history of being asked to assist in the formation of pastors for the Church through the ‘practical’ vicarage program (Geoff Burger, Mike Heinrich, Lester Reinbott, Adrian Weber, John Davison, Tim Koch, Tim Jarick over the years, to name a few), but we haven’t had anyone for a while. So how wonderful it is that one of our own (Jaswanth went to seminary from St Pauls Wellington) is able to come back to do his vicarage at Mountainside under Pastor Joe Kummerow. Swagatham; suswagatham Jaswanth. Welcome back home!

This Sunday, I will install Ahi Allen as the Pastoral Leader (a Specific Ministry Pastor / SMP in Training) at St Pauls Lutheran Church, Christchurch. Since the conclusion of Pastor David Lipsys’ ministry at the end of last year, Ahi has increasingly heard the call of the Lord to make himself available for this ministry of pastoral leadership at St Pauls. From this Sunday on, Ahi, together with the members of St Pauls and the wider Church (LCNZ) will start the journey of discernment that may lead to Ahi being ordained as an SMP in a year’s time.

On Sunday 13th July, Brent Siddall will be installed as the Pastoral Ministry Leader at St Martin in Marton. I think I wrote about Brent and the St Martin process in my last update.

So, why don’t you join me in thanking God for providing these pastoral servants for his Church here in New Zealand? What a gift from God these men are and what blessings, we pray, their service in His Church will bring.

Heavenly Father, we thank you for calling Jaswanth, Ahi and Brent to be stewards of your holy mysteries and for giving them to us here in the LCNZ. Fill them with your Holy Spirit, so that they may tenderly care for your people and give freely of themselves to them. Help them to proclaim the gospel clearly and lead your people boldly. As the Mountainside, Marton and Christchurch congregations receive these men, let their members hold firmly to the word of life, rejoice in your grace, and shine brightly as a light in the world; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

HAERE RA PASTOR BRIAN AND JANET

As we prepare to install Ahi at St Pauls Christchurch and begin a new season of ministry under him, we also farewell Pastor Brian Schwarz and Janet, who have served there for the last 4 months. What a blessing they have been also – rebuilding hope amongst the remaining members of St Pauls, rebuilding numbers, offering encouragement and vision for the future, and simply proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which alone has power to renew and to give life. Brian and Janet – you have laid good foundations for future ministry in and through St Pauls. Thank you sincerely for 4 months of your time and love. We wish you every blessing as you return to Adelaide and then move over to Perth for an interim ministry there later this year.

We thank you, gracious Father, for Pastor Brian and Janet and their ministry in St Pauls Christchurch. We commend them to you and your grace as they return to their home in Adelaide and as they prepare to take up their call to Perth. Support them as they leave us. Help them as they begin work in their new field of service. Encourage them to be faithful to you in their pastoral calling, so that through their devotion to prayer and to the ministry of your word, your church may be nurtured and extended; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

NEW ZEALAND BIBLE MONTH

To give churches more flexibility and more opportunity to celebrate the Bible, Bible Sunday will become New Zealand Bible Month and is celebrated this month.

This allows churches to select a single Sunday or all four in the month of July to lift up the Bible and encourage people to read it and apply it to their lives. This particularly helps those churches unable to celebrate on the traditional set Sunday date to still participate in the nationwide Bible Month campaign.

Bible Society will produce a range of useful resources to help churches encourage Bible engagement and help people build a regular habit of Bible reading.

Check out www.biblesunday.org.nz for more information.

CLOSE OF TAURANGA LUTHERAN FELLOWSHIP

This was planned to take place on Sunday 15th June, but due to illness (mine), we have postponed the Closing Service until Sunday 17th August.

CONFLICT COACHING – A LIFE-CHANGING EVENT – BOTANY LUTHERAN CHURCH (2-4 October)

Personal Peacemaking and Conflict Coaching Training is a 2+ day training event on reconciling relationships, resolving conflict, and preparing others to address their conflicts. In this power-packed presentation, you will see how God’s ministry of reconciliation can be lived out in your daily life. You’ll learn and practice ways to apply your Christian faith in family, business, church, and legal conflicts. Since all children of God are called to be peacemakers, this training is appropriate for every Christian. Church leaders who have responsibilities for teaching and assisting others in their conflicts will find this training especially helpful for assisting others to respond to conflict in a biblically faithful manner.

Personal Peacemaking and Conflict Coaching Training covers the following topics:

• Understanding conflict from a biblical viewpoint
• Identifying worldly and godly responses to conflict
• Three opportunities for the Christian in conflict
• How to confess your faults without justification
• How to forgive others as God forgave you
• How to achieve genuine reconciliation
• How to coach others wrestling with conflict
• How to get to the heart of conflict
• How to proclaim the Gospel in the midst of conflict

Where: Botany Lutheran Church 150C Harris Road, East Tamaki

When: 2 October 2014 7:00 pm to 9.00 pm 3 October 2014 8:30 am to 5.30 pm 4 October 2014 8:30 am to 5.30 pm

Cost: Training $175.00 Lunch, am/pm tea available Friday and Saturday $30

RSVP: 15 July 2014 to admin@lutheran.org.nz / Phone (04) 3852540

COLLEGE OF BISHOPS RETREAT

On Sunday evening, 22nd June, I, together with my family, Pastors Jim Pietsch and Rodger Russ, and Megan and Anne Somerville, gave a traditional Māori welcome to six LCA-NZ Bishops (John Henderson, Greg Pietsch, Greg Pfeiffer, David Altus, Mark Lieschke and Noel Noack), the Mission Director / Secretary of the LCA-NZ (Neville Otto), and Pauline Simonsen. After my mihi, Anne led us through a process of introducing ourselves, which was followed by an evening Holy Communion service.

We concluded the welcome by sitting at table together for the evening meal. Thus began the College of Bishop’s Retreat for 2014.

We met in a beautiful location at the Home of Compassion in Island Bay, Wellington, where we had access to a wonderful chapel, well-appointed single rooms, a prayer chapel, and a lounge that looked out over lawns, gardens, and, as some Bishops found out … a golf course as well!

Pauline Simonsen was our retreat facilitator, and led us through a devotion and study on the psalms (a process of orientation, disorientation and reorientation) each morning of the retreat. Dr Stuart Lange from Laidlaw College in Auckland gave a presentation on the bicentenary of the arrival of the gospel in Aotearoa.

There was one perfectly fine day during days of retreat (and the rest of the days were absolutely stunning, as you’d expect in Wellington!), and so the Bishops got to enjoy a 360degree vista of this beautiful harbour city from the top of Mt Victoria. We also had a guided tour through Te Papa and through Old St Pauls, and enjoyed a simple Vespers service at St Pauls Lutheran one afternoon. On the final evening we all met at the Whitfield home for dinner and light entertainment – music for organ and recorder (Bishop Mark and Bishop Greg Pf), singing accompanied by the ukulele (Bishop Mark L), a lovely hymn provided by Bishop Greg Pi, and a short example of Pastor Neville Otto’s film-making abilities via a PowerPoint display … I’ll make no comment about which of those items was the ‘light’ entertainment.

Some of you were also privileged to welcome and to hear one of the Bishops preach in your own Church before the retreat began.

The retreat was history-in-the-making; the first time all of the LCA-NZ Bishops have been in New Zealand together, and I believe we gave all of them an opportunity to understand life and ministry here in New Zealand much better.

THE LLL NEEDS YOU

The Lutheran Layman’s League (LLL) – read all about it at http://www.lutheran.org.nz/lutheran-laymens-league – is looking for new volunteers to serve on the LLL Board. Convenor of the Board, Caroline Samsom tells me she’d love to see more people volunteer to serve from other regions of the LCNZ (we currently have most from the Auckland / Hamilton area). If you’re interested in finding out more, please contact the LLL secretary, Marg Gust on margg3@xtra.co.nz or (06) 3277813.

FAKEBOOK … NATIONAL YOUTH CAMP … 7th to 10th July

Our young people meet next week for the LCNZ National Youth Camp. Please keep the young people of our church in your prayers; they are not only the church of the future; they are the church now!

NEW LOOK LCNZ WEBSITE

A revamped website for the LCNZ has been launched at http://www.lutheran.org.nz. The new site has an easier to read, fresh and modern design. The site is responsive and so will scale down and display well on mobile phone and tablet devices. And website content will be found and listed better by search engines. If you have any comments or feedback or have spotted information that should be corrected please email Simon Lieschke at simon@lieschke.net.

WHAKANUIA TE WIKI O TE REO MĀORI 2014 (Māori Language Week)

We are blessed in New Zealand with a beautiful indigenous language; Te Reo Māori. I continue to grow in my appreciation and love of it, even though I only speak it and understand it at a very elementary level. I’d love to see the LCNZ grow in its honouring of and use of Te Reo, one of our three official languages, and so I commend to you Māori Language Week.

Māori Language Week this year runs from the 21st to the 27th July. I’d like to encourage pastors and worship leaders to consider using some Te Reo in their worship on either Sunday 20th July or Sunday 27th July (or on both), and I’d like to encourage you to consider using Te Reo as you greet each other for meetings, Home Group gatherings, Small Group, etc. A simple “Kia ora” or “Tēnā koe” would be great. I will make some resources available to pastors and congregational leaders closer to the week.

MĀNAWATANGA / BLESSING

Kia tau ki a tātou katoa Te atawhai o tō tātou Ariki, a Ihu Karaiti Me te aroha o te Atua Me te whiwhingatahitanga Ki te wairua tapu Ake, ake, ake Amine

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all Forever and ever Amen

Kia noho a Ihowa ki a koutou; the Lord be with you.

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+MARK

Pastor Mark Whitfield BTh MSM Bishop of the Lutheran Church of New Zealand / Pihopa o te Hāhi Rūtana o Aotearoa

Kia tau ki a koutou te atawhai me te rangimarie o te Atua
願 父 神 所 賜 的 恩 惠 和 平 安 與 你 們 同 在
Grace and peace to you from God

YOU HAVE BEEN BROUGHT TO JESUS

I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength, believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him. But the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel (Martin Luther in his Explanation to The Third Article of the Creed).

This Sunday the Church celebrates God’s gift of the Holy Spirit; the means by which we come to Jesus to believe in him and belong to him. Luther goes on to say that the Holy Spirit has called us by the gospel, enlightened us with his gifts, and made us holy and kept us in the true faith.

If you’re at worship this coming Sunday, then thank the Holy Spirit, because the Holy Spirit is responsible for you being there.

If you pray today, then thank the Holy Spirit, because it’s the Spirit that has given you faith to pray.

If you read something from the Bible today (or any day) and you feel warmed and loved by Jesus even more, then thank the Holy Spirit, because the Spirit has brought you to Jesus.

If you get a buzz about belonging to te whānau a te Karaiti (the family and friends of Christ and all the diversity and variety therein), then thank the Holy Spirit.

If you feel moved to visit someone today … someone who is unwell or shut-in; if you feel moved to offer a word of encouragement to someone in need, or if you offer to lend a hand to someone who needs help … then thank the Holy Spirit for enlightening you with his gifts and making you more and more like Jesus.

If you love belonging to Jesus Christ, then praise the Holy Spirit.

And if you think the Holy Spirit only works at a personal and individual level, then check out what Luther says about the Holy Spirit’s effect on the Church of God –

In the same way [the Holy Spirit] calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian Church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith.

What a blessing that you and I have been warmed and infused with the Holy Spirit of Jesus. However, let’s remind ourselves – the Holy Spirit is not a gift or a resource to keep to ourselves; it’s the means by which we share in God’s mission of telling the world that he loves them in Christ –

“Peace to you. Just as the Father sent me, I send you.” Then he took a deep breath and breathed into them. “Receive the Holy Spirit.” (John 20:21-22)

THE HOLY SPIRIT IS STIRRING THE NEW BOARD FOR LOCAL MISSION

Recently, Sharolyn Mollet and I attended the second face-to-face meeting of the new Board for Local Mission (BLMiss), established by General Synod in April last year.

This board has one real simple objective, amongst many objectives and that is to be a doingboard rather than a talking board. In other words it wants to ensure that mission at a local level throughout Australia and New Zealand is done and not just talked about. Of course, there needs to be some talking and planning, but it’s all with a view to doing some doing; to identifying the many opportunities that exist in both nations for sharing Christ and his love, and then actually doing it.

A gift to our meeting and indeed to our Church is Dean Eaton; newly-appointed Mission Facilitator and Church Planting Mentor. Dean shared with us a vision of a Church that is growing and going in and with the love of Christ.

Sharolyn and I had time to meet with Dean and to share with him our desire to see the Holy Spirit stir up some new ministries here in Aotearoa.

The Holy Spirit certainly touched this meeting and warmed our hearts; the Spirit is ready to blow and burn where and when it will through the LCA and the LCNZ. Eyes and hearts open, everyone!

HOLY SPIRIT STIRS ST MARTIN MARTON TO CALL

Last Sunday morning after worship, the members of St Martin, Marton called Brent Siddall to be their new part-time Pastoral Ministry Worker. Brent trained for the Anglican priesthood, but never sought ordination. He has worked in the media (radio) here in New Zealand in the UK, and in sales and management also in the UK. He lives in Whanganui with his mother and is an active member of Harrison Street Community (St Johns Lutheran) Church in Whanganui.

In keeping with the Spirit who cares for the Church (gathers it, enlightens it, makes it holy), the Spirit has now offered a gift of love to the members of St Martin … someone to care for them and grow them in Christ, so that they also may go and bless others with his love.

Please pray for Brent and the saints at St Martin during this time that Brent will be considering the call.

HOLY SPIRIT STIRS IN CHRISTCHURCH

Since I last wrote, there has been a lot of Holy Spirit-generated activity at St Pauls Christchurch, as they also plan for future ministry in their congregation and to their community.

During the interim ministry of Pastor Brian (and Janet) Schwarz, attendances at Sunday worship have steadily increased, a number of folk have ‘come back’ to St Pauls, and generally-speaking there is a renewed optimism and hope for the future. Thanks Holy Spirit; you can come again … and again and again.

Disaster Relief money, so generously given by people in Japan, Australia, the USA, and throughout New Zealand, is still being offered and made available to those with significant earthquake-related repair needs. At the same time the leadership of the LCNZ continues to discuss with the members of St Pauls how we might go about blessing the wider community as well.

Council of Synod (COS) held its most recent meeting at St Pauls over a Saturday and a Sunday, in order to give tangible expression of our love and support for this congregation.

Please pray for the members of St Pauls as they discuss a future ministry plan and vote on it in these coming days.

I WILL NOT LEAVE YOU … CLOSE OF TAURANGA LUTHERAN FELLOWSHIP

The promise that Jesus gave as he prepared to ascend to heaven, is the promise of his continuing presence through the gift of the Holy Spirit –

I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever – the Spirit of truth … you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you (John 14:16-18).

My prayer is that this word and promise of Jesus will sustain the members of Tauranga Lutheran Fellowship after their congregation closes on Sunday 15th June. I realise that this is a sad occasion in some ways, but it is also an opportunity for us to thank God that by His Spirit he gathered this congregation together for a season, enlightened these people with his gifts and made them holy.

Some members have already been led by the Spirit to find spiritual home and nurture in other churches in the region, but will continue to meet regularly as a ‘Lutheran group’ for fellowship, worship, and to receive the sacrament from a licensed lay-person. I have also committed to regular visiting, along with visits to Whakatane and Kawerau.

THIS SUNDAY MARKS 200 DAYS TO GO UNTIL THE BICENTENARY OF THE GOSPEL …

It’s only 200 days until we celebrate the 200th anniversary of Te Harinui – the good news of great joy in Christ in our nation.

Once again, here are some suggestions for how you / your congregation might observe this –

You might:

• Ask your pastor to preach on 200 years of the Gospel in New Zealand
• Show the trailer of Te Rongopai, the DVD specially created to tell the story of Christian beginnings and the spread of the Gospel
• Show the whole DVD (or maybe just one or more segments from the DVD). You can order it here by going to this website – http://nzchristiannetwork.org.nz/te-rongopai-dvd/
• Include the Bicentenary Statement – Discussion Paper in your church newsletter, available here – http://nzchristiannetwork.org.nz/multimedia-archive/a-discussion-paper-for-the-gospel-bicentenary-aotearoa-new-zealand/
• Say a karakia / prayer in both English and Maori
• Mention the NZ Christian Network and Gospel 2014 websites for people to find further information
• Put the number of days left before 25 December somewhere in your church newsletter each week
• Or something else.

COLLEGE OF BISHOPS RETREAT

From Sunday 22nd June to Thursday 26th June, the College of Bishops will meet in their annual retreat at the Home of Compassion in Island Bay.

LCA Secretary and Mission Director, Pastor Neville Otto will also join us for retreat, and Pauline Simonsen will be the retreat facilitator. We will also be honoured by a visit and presentation by Dr Stuart Lange from Laidlaw College in Auckland; Stuart will present on the bicentenary of the gospel in Aotearoa.

I had hoped that there would be a Bishop (or Mission Director) to preach in each LCNZ location on the 22nd June, but that is not possible. Can I please encourage you all to get along to worship that Sunday morning where a Bishop is preaching?

FAKEBOOK … NATIONAL YOUTH CAMP … 7th to 10th July

Fakebook … making connections in the modern world.

• Have fun in the snow
• Make new friends from all over NZ
• Grow in your faith together
• Ruapehu Christian Camp Owhango (near Taumarunui)
• Cost is $150.00 pp
• For more Information, contact Marjon at marjon.gerson@clear.net.nz or 09 579 4490

THE GATEWAY GIFT

A word from the Gateway Gift Trust Board chair, Jill Hobden –

The Gateway Gift Trust Board has signalled for some time now that the money available for grants from our investments is decreasing and this year the investment income will be more than 10% less than the total grants approved last year. This trend is expected to continue into 2015 and possibly extend beyond that. Congregations are requested to keep this in mind when making decisions about making a major grant application and to also note the 2014 closing date of 18th July for these applications.

THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT

E karanga ana tou Wairua Tapu, i nga hunga, i nga iwi, i nga reo, kia manako ki nga mea miharo i poua e koe. Na tou Wairua Tapu, i tiri te rongopai ki Aotearoa. E karanga ana koe i tenei ra, i tenei ra, kia kotahi nga iwi i raro i tou maru, kia whangaia te hunga matekai, kia whakaorangia nga turoro, kia tukua nga whakarau kia haere noa, kia mataara te tatari atu ki tou rangatiratanga.

Through the Holy Spirit nations, races, and languages are called to welcome the great things you have done. Through the Holy Spirit you have brought the good news to our land. Day by day you call us to be one people, to be your people. Day by day you call us to feed the hungry, heal the sick, deliver the oppressed, and to wait and watch for your kingdom.

(From Variations to the Great Thanksgiving in A New Zealand Prayer Book – He Karakia Mihinare o Aotearoa, for Pentecost)

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Kia noho a Ihowa ki a koutou; the Lord be with you.

+MARK
Pastor Mark Whitfield BTh MSM
Bishop of the Lutheran Church of New Zealand / Pihopa o te Hāhi Rūtana o Aotearoa