I’m grateful to have had the opportunity for a short break with my family last weekend. Guan, Angela, Nathan, and I drove up to St Arnaud on Saturday, stayed the night, and returned to Blenheim on Sunday afternoon. Though brief, it was a much-appreciated getaway and a lovely time for us to be together in such a beautiful place. As always, the big eels by the lakefront were a highlight for Angela and Nathan! The weather was gorgeous while we were there, which allowed us to enjoy some short walks around the township. Thank you for your prayers for us.
Our time at the lake was originally meant to be a bit longer, as the Diocesan Leadership Camp was scheduled to take place there from Thursday to Saturday. Unfortunately, due to forecasted severe weather, the camp was cancelled. While that was disappointing, it was a wise and sensible decision – especially considering that some participants would have travelled from as far away as Greymouth, where road conditions could have been hazardous. In place of the camp, the Diocesan Team organised a one-day event in Nelson, which was livestreamed. I was able to tune in to parts of it and found it valuable.
As we come to the final week of the school holidays, I pray that all our families are blessed with quality time together and refreshed before the new school term begins next week.
We also give thanks to the Lord for the truly amazing outcome of our Missions Sunday Special Appeal for Barnabas Aid on June 29th – over $4,500 was raised from our church family! This generous gift goes toward Barnabas Aid’s current mission focus: “providing one million pigs and one million chickens to Christian farmers facing marginalisation and poverty” (link here).
This generous giving is a testament to the heart and spirit of our church family, and your readiness to support the work of God’s mission. Rev Richard Drury, the South Island Coordinator for Barnabas Aid, sent the following note of thanks:
“Dear Deo and the good folk at St Christopher’s, I want to convey my heartfelt thanks for the tremendous support and encouragement you have demonstrated in word and deed to Barnabas Aid and to the wider household of faith … On behalf of BA, I was overwhelmed by the generosity and joy expressed as partners in the gospel and extended to our brothers and sisters in Christ. Thank you so much! I hope to write a few words and send some photo images to be used for our In Touch notices on the inside back cover of our magazine. Hopefully it might be published there in due course. God bless you all!”
A big thank you to everyone who contributed to the appeal and to the team who prepared and served the food at the Barnabas Aid Fundraising Luncheon. The food was delicious, the fellowship was joyful, and the result was outstanding!
I’m also delighted to announce a new initiative launching soon at St Christopher’s: a Children’s Choir called Rising Voices, for children aged 6–12. This new ministry will be led by Maria van Zyl, with Guan as the contact person. It is open to all children –whether part of our church or not. The choir will meet fortnightly on Saturdays from 12:00 to 12:30 PM, starting July 26th. Maria brings experience in leading children's choirs and a heart for nurturing young voices. Please see the flyer below for more details – and do pray for Maria and Guan as they begin this ministry. If you know a child who might enjoy being part of it, please invite them to join!
I was pleased to hear from Ellen Anderson that the new Young Adults Group had a wonderful first gathering last Thursday, with six confirmed participants. This is very encouraging. The Filipino Group, which I lead on Saturday evenings in the Church Lounge, continues to go well, with around ten people regularly attending. It has been a space for genuine fellowship, Bible study and prayer.
Please keep all our small groups in your prayers, that they may continue to grow and be a blessing to those involved.
I would also like to ask for your prayers for Hilary McCarthy, whose husband Ian recently passed away. Please keep Hilary and her family in your thoughts and prayers during this time of loss.
It's also been a real encouragement to see several members of our church family who had been unwell now returning to worship with us. What a testimony this is to the healing power of prayer and the faithfulness of our Great Physician. We continue to pray for those still facing illness, asking the Lord to surround them with his healing, peace and love.
Please also uphold the Market Morning Team in prayer as they prepare for our upcoming Market Morning on November 15th. Pray especially for Viv Peters and the team – for good health, strength, wisdom and provision. If you’d like to help this year and want more information, please speak to Viv or email her at vivip@xtra.co.nz.
With School Term 3 beginning next week, our church programs that have been on a break during the school holidays will also resume – including home groups, Jitterbugs, Sunday School, Elevate Youth, and more. Let’s remember all the leaders and volunteers in these ministries in our prayers as they prepare for a new term of ministry.
Finally, I look forward to seeing you all this Sunday at our 9am and 10:30am services, and of course at morning tea between the services. We’ll be returning to our study of the Book of Acts, focusing on Acts 2:42–47 – a passage that paints a vibrant picture of the early church in Jerusalem. I encourage you to come along, and if you can, bring a friend.
