01 Auckland
Mountainside Church, Auckland
The last two years have seen times of challenge, and also times of inspiration and hope.
First, we will mention the significant announcement made at the start of 2025.
The Call to Pr Nich
Calls have been ever present for Pr Nich over recent years and particularly during 2024; in the month of December Pr Nich received 3 calls. Members of the Mountainside community were advised that he would be considering these, as well as his call to Mountainside, and he would announce his decision in the New Year.
When Pr Nich advised that after much prayer and discussion, he and Julie had decided to accept the call to Lifeway, Epping in Sydney, it would be fair to say that initially some were shocked, but overall, people were accepting and supportive of God’s plan for Pr Nich and his family.
We at Mountainside are now preparing to faithfully trust God’s ongoing plan for us.
Our Call Committee will be working in the months ahead to clarify what we need in a pastor going forward.
We will definitely miss the ministry of Pr Nich, and also of Julie who has given of her time so freely, and has initiated or been a part of several Mountainside ministries.
The ongoing life of Mountainside Church is highlighted as follows:
Livestream of Worship Services
We were grateful to receive a Gateway Minor Grant in May 2024 to assist in the purchase of new livestream equipment, in addition to local fundraising and Mountainside Budget contributions.
Even after the return to normal life post Covid, worship services have continued to be livestreamed weekly. But now we are able to stream via Youtube with better quality video production, and enhanced camera placement.
Our worship services reach not only Mountainside members who cannot attend in person, but also the wider LCNZ, and any interested persons in NZ or overseas.
We recognise there is great potential in livestreaming – for building community, and for online engagement in other ways eg. sermons online, devotional material etc. This is an area which could be a future ongoing focus for us.
Sermon Series
Preaching by Pr Nich and Felix has continued in the form of Sermon Series, with ongoing engagement and assistance from Lifeway, Epping – the Sermon Series preaching has become very much accepted.
We are very grateful to Lifeway for the collaboration, including access to their wonderful graphics and videos.
During the Pastoral Vacancy, our Lay Readers will use a mix of Lectionary and Series Sermons (these historical Series materials having been provided by Bishop Richard).
Prayer Group
Our regular fortnightly Prayer Group continues and has evolved. The group meets fortnightly on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday evenings of the month, and prayer requests can also be emailed at any time, which can be passed on to the Prayer Group WhatsApp.
Parish Council have also regularly requested prayer for their meetings – this has been a great support in the past year when the Council has had to grapple with challenges.
A Prayer Vigil was held in May 2024, in the 24hrs leading up to 9am on Pentecost Sunday. Members were invited to be part of this prayer vigil by committing to pray wherever we were for a 1hr time slot between 9am Saturday and 9am Sunday, and were then provided with prayer starters and ideas. This proved to be a very moving time for all those who took part.
Pr Nich said of prayer in his AGM report “I can give many examples of how God has answered the prayers of those meeting to pray for our church. This is one of the most important ministries that this church has, in my opinion.”
Ongoing Ministries
Our Tiny Tots ministry, English language classes, Foodbank and Christmas Carol singing to those who cannot attend regularly have all been making connections in various ways. One person thanked the Tiny Tots team, as she had never heard the Easter story before; another person was overwhelmed that the people of Mountainside would give their time and dedication to teach English to migrants for free, with no expectation of anything in return. Simple interactions with people delivering Foodbank parcels are appreciated, and some have asked for prayer. Last Christmas, in a retirement home where a Mountainside member was living, increasing numbers of residents have been joining in, and singing along using the carol song sheets provided.
The Chinese Language Community ongoing ministries are many and varied. The significant Hong Kong Dinner Gatherings held several times a year, with 70-90 attending, have been enhanced by follow-up events to nurture deeper friendships and spiritual exploration – such as Men’s Gathering, Hong Kong Ladies High Tea, Dinner gatherings at church/homes, and a Renewal and Growth in Marriage seminar.
Discipleship and Spiritual Growth has included a weekly online devotion group, a Mandarin Bible study class, God for Us small groups to support the spiritual growth of new believers and provide training opportunities for future leaders; and the formation of a group of 13 members, using the “Emotionally Healthy Discipleship” materials to delve deeper into the integration of faith and emotional well-being.
Challenges – short term
Mountainside Constitution
Our 2018 Constitution has not been serving us well, and there has been discussion about this for some time. We are keen to further this in the future and in particular to allow for Administration to be separate from Governance, and for the constitution to reflect our Ministry and Mission.
Mountainside Future Direction – Partners in Ministry
The 2025 calendar included plans for discussion about Mountainside future direction/Constitution even before Pr Nich’s acceptance of call. We have been in discussion with Marg Spicer of Partners in Ministry, an organisation which assists Church Councils in NZ/Australia, not in strategic planning, but rather – to review and discuss their processes, and the resources within their church community, then leading to discussion about ministry opportunities, and what might be achieved with God’s help.
Three separate meetings are held, with involvement first of leadership, then leadership plus other members, with time to reflect between each meeting. We are excited to be part of this process.
Challenges – longer term
Cross-Cultural Ministry
We were grateful to receive approval for a Gateway Major Grant in October 2024, to partly cover the costs of Felix Tong and the Chinese Language Community Ministry. There has been growth in this Ministry particularly over the past year, thanks to God, and the untiring efforts of Felix and his Leadership Team.
At the Exponential Conference (church mission, outreach and church planting) which Pr Nich attended in Florida in March 2023, it was clear from the Cross-cultural workshops, that this type of ministry has its own challenges. One being that the timeframe is not the same as a single culture ministry – instead of 3-4 years, it takes 7-8 years on average. This is what we are experiencing. Now after 4 plus years, greater opportunities are opening up. But the Ministry still needs support, in addition to what the Gateway Grant and the Mountainside Budget can provide. And it would be helpful to have certainty of greater than 1 year funding. This is the impetus behind several Remits to the 2025 LCNZ Synod re Gateway Funding, which are proposed by Mountainside. (Note: these Remits are actually about supporting and caring about the mission of the wider LCNZ).
More Interaction Opportunities between English Speaking and Chinese Speaking Members:
There were several combined events in 2024.
- In April last year – Pastor Mark Worthing, head of Frontier School for Mission Training Program for NSW, ACT District spoke to us about his experiences at Port Macquarie congregation, in NSW. This was an inspiring evening, and was very well attended.
- In May last year – a Dessert evening, the focus of which was to highlight the foundational ideas of the Chinese Language ministry, particularly integration – meaning that we are one congregation, but with 2 language groups; and also to discuss the future, going into 2025 and beyond. The aim was to use some of the feedback and insights from this gathering to shape our applications to the LCNZ for future funding.
- In October – a Worship, Fun and Fellowship evening with games, dinner and a Bible Quiz. The getting to know each other’s names game was highly successful and a highlight.
- This May – the Farewell evening for the Kitchen family will be another opportunity for everyone to mingle in a relaxed atmosphere.
Some of these events have been better attended than others but each opportunity to gather and get to know each other better is of value.
Encouraging Signs
More Elders and a Full Parish Council
At our recent AGM in March, we were blessed to have nominations for all positions on our Parish Council, and additional Elders were also appointed. This will assist us greatly during the Pastoral Vacancy and beyond.
4 Lay Readers were also approved at the AGM.
Music Workshop with Grant Norseworthy
In March this year we were fortunate to have the skills of Grant Norseworthy in a Saturday workshop for musicians, singers and anyone interested in Music Worship. This was very well attended, showing the care that Mountainside members have for taking on new music ideas Several songs were rehearsed for worship on Sunday, with amazing musical backing. They really enhanced the worship. Now follows the process of deciding what is possible for us in music worship in a sustainable way going forward.
Confirmation and Step-Up to Communion
On two Sundays in April this year we witnessed the Lord at work in his children – first, there were 6 youngsters who had completed the Step-Up to Communion classes, and then there were 7 young people who were presented for Confirmation on Easter Sunday.
Baptisms
There was also a child Baptism on Easter Sunday; and an adult Baptism took place during Sunday worship earlier in the year. In the Chinese Language Community there were 2 adult baptisms in August last year, for people who first connected with our church through the Hong Kong dinner gatherings in 2019. Furthermore, one entire family was baptized and joined the Chinese language community this past year.
New attendees and New Members
Over the past couple of years approximately 25 people have come through the doors of Mountainside, and have been attending Sunday worship on a regular or semi-regular basis. Mountainside is seen as a welcoming space, and the gospel is preached faithfully.
Furthermore, new Members have been welcomed during Sunday worship, and to the Chinese Language Community during Saturday worship, at various times over the past year; Some who do not wish to take part in a ceremony, have also become members.
Some Concluding Words
In his final AGM report in March, Pr Nich wrote, “I look back over the last year and am greatly encouraged by what I see God is doing in people”.
And “the heart of Mountainside is not programmes but people. God has been doing some amazing things here in this church community and I believe he will continue to this into the future”.
Pr Nich has also said that he has noticed people are growing in their faith.
So, this is a picture of Mountainside at present – we feel that God is working in this place.
Mountainside Church, Auckland
Financial Statements:
https://lca.box.com/shared/static/l0wln3431m6rj2rur0c757x4qmba4t34.pdf
https://lca.box.com/shared/static/tmjdo4diyrvmmlmbwzqsx1aloqg8deuz.pdf
