Christian Life Issue Four: AUGUST

AUGUST 2013 • Issue FOUR • www.christian-life.co.nz

Praying for CHANGE

FREE

The changing face of

ISRAEL

A painful but powerful experience

10 WAYS ORDINARY PEOPLE BECAME GOOD LEADERS

Sue Van Schreven

WIFE. MOTHER. WORLD CHANGER. HER INCREDIBLE STORY INSIDE...

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Contents...

Issue four | AUGUST 13

03

The hectic yet fulfilling life of

Sue van Schreven

05

Ten ways ordinary people became

good leaders

06

Local news

10

Praying for change

12

The call to stronger faith

14

The changing face of Israel

16

Sistas - Outside the line

18

Christian Life Classifieds

“LIVING STONES”

HEALING AND EVANGELISM MEETINGS WITH Bill Subritzky

TOUR OF ISRAEL

Thursday 19 September – Invercargill 7pm, Invercargill Workingmen’s Club, 154 Esk Street, Invercargill.

14

JOIN TOUR LEADERS KEN & MARY TAYLOR

Departing New Zealand on 5th Feb 2014 For three weeks in the Holy Land • • • •

See the sites – Israel and Petra Meet Believers – both Messianic and Arab Be inspired – Hebrew perspective teaching Pray strategically

To book your place and for more information contact:The Director: Prayer for Israel NZ Email: pfi@clear.net.nz Phone: 09-425-5760

Publisher Matthew Danswan Advertising P: 09 281 4896 Advertising Manager Ray Curle: ray.curle@initiatemedia.net

Tuesday 24 September – Henderson, Auckland 7pm, Bruce Mclaren Intermediate School, 69 Bruce Mclaren Road, Henderson.

Every Wednesday – Greenlane, Auckland 7pm, Greenlane Christian Centre, 17 Marewa Road, Greenlane.

These healing meetings are hosted by our sister organisation, Charisma Christian Ministries.

Their team will pray for the sick.

For more information and further meeting updates visit:

www.doveministries.com or Freephone 0800 36 36 83

Correspondence PO Box 47212, Ponsonby, Auckland 1144, New Zealand No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or part, without prior written permission. Opinions expressed in this magazine do not

necessarily reflect those of the staff. All attempts are made to verify advertising material, and no responsibilty is taken for misleading or erroneous material.

Copyright 2013. www.initiatemedia.net www.christian-life.co.nz

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Profile

The hectic yet fulfilling life of

SUE VAN SCHREVEN Sue... Wife. Mother. World changer!

By Deanna Kloosterboer As a mum myself, I can’t help but be reminded of the movie title “I don’t know how she does it” when I look at Sue’s hectic daily schedule. A typical day for Sue is somewhat more of an incredible act of juggling, multi-tasking and huge organisational skills to ensure that everything gets done. Not only is she a devoted wife and mother, Sue is also the CEO and founder of Orphans Aid International Charitable Trust.

Like many mums around New Zealand, Sue’s day starts off much the same with preparing lunches and getting her two boys Ben (14) and Daniel (12) off to school. Waving goodbye to her kids at the bus stop, another set of children await her much needed attention.

Describing herself as “perhaps slightly outrageous in my desire to bring change”, Sue has dedicated her life to rescuing abandoned children who would otherwise have no one. Using every ounce of her being to leave no stone unturned in the quest to find and care for more and more of the world’s unwanted, forgotten and neglected. To me, she seems to embody the inspiring woman described in Proverbs chapter 31. “She extends her hand to the poor, yes, she reaches out her hands to the needy.”

Sue’s third child, Orphans Aid International Charitable Trust, was born in 2004 with humble beginnings and still is Kiwi grass roots. Although very challenging and feeling in the deep end at times, Sue surprisingly already had a skillset that would put her in good stead with starting up a charitable trust. Previously she had been a youth pastor, followed by working for Westpac as an Investment Advisor. Yes, God always makes sure we are prepared for the task at hand, even if we have no idea yet! Over the past 9 years, Orphans Aid International has continued to grow and has works in Russia, Romania, India, Uganda and have also helped at home in New Zealand in the aftermath of the devastating Christchurch Earthquakes.

“Try telling Queenstown humanitarian Sue van Schreven she’s a modern day saint and she laughs politely and shrugs it off,” says one reporter in an article about her. Sue’s passion and drive however have come from a heart-breaking journey of her own. It was the tragic loss of her brother in 1993 that became a momentous point in her life.

“Pete’s death sent my life in a different direction and made me think very deeply about what was important and what wasn’t. His life has been one of the catalysts…”. Ever since, Sue has worked even harder to reach out and help those who are vulnerable and unable to help themselves.

With such busy and full on days, I really can’t help but wonder how she manages to juggle the roles of wife and mother on the one hand and then to have this whole other world that she deals with daily! I personally find it hard to fit in much else other than wife, mother and Top: Carl and Sue; Below: Carl with Sue and their boys (from left) Daniel and Ben, in front of the Toyota Corolla gifted to the charity in May 2013 by Toyota New Zealand

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I want to be leading this great organisation as we take on other continents and forgotten corners of the world… and hopefully we (as a team) never lose our compassion and edge to step out and dare to dream that we can be the ones to bring justice and hope.” all that, that entails. I would liken her to that of a true modern day ‘Supermum’! Though I’m sure she would laugh in the contagious laugh that she has, at the sheer thought. Sue has definitely found the balance a stretch saying, “There’s nothing I’d rather be doing with my life. Where I struggle is the price to pay as far as long hours… the juggle with family commitments being the most difficult to manage. The cause has been amazing but there’s no time for any social life. I’ve had to learn to accept that.”

Sue really is a humble yet vibrant, lovely woman that is so full of life and passion. It makes sense, really, that with her endearing and caring personality, that she would fit the role perfectly and take it seriously. She is truly doing all she can to put into action the words of the Psalmist “Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.” (Psalm 82 3-4) After so often being asked, “How did you get started?” Sue decided to put her story on paper in her recent autobiography, ‘Rescue: Pursuit of the Ultimate Dream’, which details her journey from the beginning up until now. A truly empowering and moving read! I, myself, was in tears the whole way through! It gives a very real look behind the scenes of what Sue has accomplished and in a way, you feel as though you’ve somewhat walked the journey with her. What I love is her raw, human honesty – a mother’s heart striving to change the world for those who are hopeless and helpless. ‘Rescue: Pursuit of the Ultimate Dream’ is available online on her blog website at www.suesblog.co for $35 NZD including postage.

So where to from here? If you were to ask Sue her 5, 10 or 20 year plan, “I want to be leading this great organisation as we take on other continents and forgotten corners of the world… and hopefully we (as a team) never lose our compassion and edge to step out and dare to dream that we can be the ones to bring justice and hope.”

A question that Sue asks that we should all make the time to answer is this. “What is it that burns within you? What captures your heart?” For in answering this, like Sue, we will each be able to reach more of our God given purpose and calling in life – to make sure we really count.

Top:Sue with Andre. Andre was rescued at 3 when the home in Romania was first opened.

At that point he was unable to walk, talk or eat due to neglect and being left in a hospital cot. He has lived at the Sue’s orphanage in Romania ever since; Below: Sue holds Cipri with his new foster mum (left) and Casa Kiwi house parent Luminta (right) - July 2013

4 | Christian Life Issue Four August 13

To sign up for Sue’s regular emails and updates please visit www.orphansaidinternational.org or like Orphans Aid International on Facebook.

Business

The literature on leadership can be discouraging.

After reading multiple case studies, theories, and biographies, one can be left with the impression that good leadership is next to impossible. It is limited to those who have the attributes of Superman without the aversion to kryptonite.

I recently compiled a list of good leaders (a few I would characterize as great leaders) who, by most definitions, are common, ordinary people. They were at the middle of their classes in grades. They really did not and do not have charismatic personalities. They had no family or demographic advantages. And none of them, to my knowledge, were outstanding in extracurricular activities.

But now they are doing very well. It’s as if a switch turned on at some point in their lives. They decided that they would no longer be addicted to mediocrity. Instead, they decided they would make a difference. Yet they had few of the innate gifts associated with good or great leaders.

So I wrote down a list of more than twenty characteristics of these men and women. And, somewhat to my surprise, I noted that all of them had ten characteristics in common. Though statisticians would argue that I found correlative factors, I really believe that most, if not all of these characteristics, are causative.

How then do many common people become good or great leaders? Here are the first five characteristics.

They determined that their integrity would be uncompromised. They did not cut corners or cheat.

Though others around them were smarter, more forceful, and more creative, they never compromised in their work and lives. They saw their integrity and reputation to be priceless gifts that could not be forfeited.

They worked hard. Often when others around

them played or wasted time, these leaders continued to work. If they had an employer, they felt like they were stealing from the company unless they gave their best efforts. If they were self-employed, they knew that other companies would eat them alive if they did not work hard.

They took responsibility for themselves. You will never hear these leaders blaming their employers. You will not hear them complaining because someone else in the organization was recognized or received a promotion. Stated simply, they did not blame others or circumstances. They believed that they lived in a great nation where they had multiple advantages to get ahead.

They were decisive. They learned that slow decision-making was poor leadership. They knew that analysis paralysis could kill an effort. Instead of living in fear of making the wrong decisions, they moved forward just as soon as they had sufficient information, not complete information. They saw smart people failing to make prompt decisions because they were enamored with more and more information and data.

They read a lot. While many of their peers spent dozens of hours each week watching meaningless television, these good leaders were reading books, articles, and anything they could to make them a better person and a better leader. Like the impoverished Abraham Lincoln reading books by dim candlelight, these ordinary men and women became extraordinary through their constant and continued learning, regardless of the sacrifice.

Keep in mind that I am looking at common men and women who became good, and even great, leaders. I am not talking about the smartest, the best educated, or the most articulate. These are common men and women who are now extraordinary leaders.

Thom Rainer is the president and CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources. www.thomrainer.com

Can the Bible teach us anything useful about business?

How can I be a Christian at work?

Is it wrong to want to earn lots of money?

Is marketing evil?

Should ministries borrow money?

Can a ‘secular’ career be as good as a ‘ministry’ job?

Is it wrong to be professional?

Can a Christian ever be considered a good manager?

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Local news briefs...

Humanists claim ‘asset rich NZ churches should pay fair tax Religious charities are riding on the back of the ordinary taxpayer, write Max Wallace and Robert Nola.

Max Wallace and Robert Nola are members of the New Zealand Association of Rationalists and Humanists.

Many were dismayed when the Auckland City Council voted, 10 to 6, to give the Anglican Cathedral in Parnell a donation of $3 million for further development. Does the Anglican Church also need public money to rebuild the Christchurch Cathedral?

Charities expert Dr Michael Gousmett has alleged that Church Properties Trustees, the owner of the cathedral, has assets of $180 million with a further $40 million to come from insurance and other income.

So, just how wealthy are New Zealand churches?

Members of the New Zealand Association of Rationalists and Humanists have investigated the information available on the databases of the Charities Commission Register available on-line.

Our best attempt to analyse the commission’s complex data finds that something in the region of 4000

registered religious charities hold $7.3 billion in equity with $1.4 billion in liabilities.

When we include entities that have religion as a secondary purpose, we estimate the figures climb to over 6500 registered religious charities with $11 billion in assets and $2.1 billion in liabilities.

As might be expected, we found the Catholic and Anglican churches are the wealthiest in New Zealand with total assets running into billions.

By any measure, churches are seriously rich.

As well as being wealthy, they pay few taxes. According to the Charities Act 5(i), charitable purposes include the advancement of religion. This charitable activity obtains its funds from tax-exempt passive investments, pre-tax income of individual donors, and some active commercial interests, such as the Seventh Day Adventists’ company Sanitarium.

As the data indicates, churches have become corporate onshore tax havens which are subsidised by taxpayers so that the religious can pursue their penchant for the supernatural.

Where Are the Workers?

Mission Aviation Fellowship’s greatest need, apart from the obvious critical ones of prayer and finances, is workers.

The New Zealand Church traditionally has a good record in the number of workers that are sent overseas on mission assignments. In fact, we are at top the world when it comes to the number of people commissioned to serve God overseas on a per capita bases.

MAF too, when compared to the rest of the world, takes this responsibility seriously, with ‘little old NZ’ carrying its fair share of the burden to provide workers for overseas MAF mission positions. However, MAF’s ministry is hampered and held back because there simply aren’t enough suitably qualified and experienced people who have answered God’s call to “go!” In fact, in Papua New Guinea, MAF’s work has had to scale down because there aren’t enough people to fulfil critical roles. In this part of the world, two of the largest of MAF’s fields of service have significant staff shortages.

Of course not everyone is “called” to an overseas posting, and not everyone who thinks God is calling them to work overseas is suitable. But both of these criteria are vital – calling and suitability. Judging these requirements

can be very difficult at times and requires Holy Spirit discernment and wisdom. Too often, an individual or a family arrives on the field excited about the opportunity to serve God, only to find that, for a variety of reasons, it is too hard or not what they were expecting.

As we advertise, teach and encourage people to consider an overseas mission opportunity, we also need to look for the appropriate qualities required. “Suitability” encompasses qualities such as: favourable personality, emotional stability, a strong work ethic and a high individual capacity. This latter asset is often overlooked.

Please join me to pray for the Lord to send out workers into the harvest field. MAF has a number of vacancies for skilled and professional persons, and not just the traditional ones of pilots and engineers. We need IT specialists, managers, mechanics, teachers… Most of all, we need people who hear the call to go to the mission field with MAF, and take up that call with the vision and mission of MAF – sharing God’s love through aviation and technology.

Mark Fox CEO MAF NZ Top: Rachel Goodfellow preparing for a flight in Arnhem Land in North Australia; Bottom: Pilot Mark Fox

6 | Christian Life Issue Four August 13

Local news

NZ school Bible programme upsets researcher A Bible in Schools programme that is being dropped from Auckland schools for being too evangelistic will still be taught in Wanganui.

The Connect programme concentrated on sin and encouraged tutors to get children to go to church, said David Hines, a member of the Secular Education Network.

It was the most evangelistic form of religious instruction in New Zealand, said Mr Hines, who has just completed a study of how religion is taught in our classrooms.

Most of the volunteer tutors for the Wanganui Council for Christian Education use the Connect curriculum for the weekly lessons in their 16 schools, which include St John’s Hill, Mosston, Westmere, Wanganui East, Castlecliff and Aranui.

Connect is an Australian programme produced by the self-confessed “number one evangelical school curriculum publisher” in that country.

The Auckland-based Churches Education Commission (CEC) handles religious education in 712 New Zealand schools on behalf of 16 Christian denominations. A few of those schools have been using the Connect curriculum, but the commission has decided to stop that from next year.

Chief executive Simon Greening said Connect was “too evangelistic”, didn’t focus on values, and was more appropriate for a Sunday school.

The commission doesn’t have control over the Wanganui group, which broke away from the national body years ago.

“It’s a free society. They can do as they please as long as the schools and parents are happy,” Mr Greening said.

Mr Hines and the network wanted to remove Christian instruction in schools, but had no objection to children learning about religion in an even-handed, factual way.

New Zealand’s state schools are secular and can’t offer religious instruction but primary principals can set aside half an hour a week for outside groups to come in and offer it. Parents can exempt their children from those sessions.

Mr Hines said Connect had a heavy emphasis on sin and “Jesus dying for our sins”. Its manual for tutors told them how to get students to join a church if they showed signs that “God’s spirit” had been talking to them.

The Wanganui Council of Christian Education referred to its work as “Bible in Schools” and its secretary, Michelle Wilson, didn’t think Connect is too evangelistic.

She said the Wanganui tutors were all volunteers and included pastors and retired teachers. What they taught was “heavily Bible-based” and they planned to carry on using the Connect curriculum.

There were lots of reasons to continue Christian instruction in New Zealand schools, she said.

“Faith, whatever that may be, is foundational to one’s world and life view.

“Christianity has and still does play an important part in shaping New Zealand society, in a good way for all New Zealanders, love, selfdenial, the 10 Commandments, charity.”

A 2009 report by the Human Rights Commission defined religious instruction as programmes that “carry an explicit or implicit endorsement of a particular faith”. They contrasted with “religious education” in which a range of religious beliefs were given even-handed treatment.

Mr Hines said most of the curriculums he looked at in his study were uncritical of Scripture, and oblivious to non-Christian interpretations: “The New Zealand curriculum puts a value on curiosity; these programmes seem to put a value on silence and conformity.”

The best programmes were more focused on values, but he said the New Zealand education curriculum already had a values programme.

Mr Hines’ study found 578 schools offering Christian instruction and 62 that had stopped offering it in the last two years. He enlisted the help of the Ombudsman when an initial 700 schools failed to reply to his request for information.

NZ doctor suspended for prescribing abortion drug A New Zealand doctor has been suspended from practice for six months after being found guilty of illegally prescribing misoprostol, a drug used in medical abortions.

The Health Practitioner’s Disciplinary Tribunal’s decision came after it was found that three of his patients’ abortions were illegal, breaching the Contraception, Sterilization and Abortion Act of 1977.

It was revealed that the doctor, whose name has been suppressed, gave one patient 56 tabs of misoprostol (Cytotec), another 16, eight to a third patient, and a fourth got two tablets.

In all four cases, the doctor failed to document the prescriptions in the patient’s clinical notes.

The Tribunal was told that the doctor failed to determine the viability of the pregnancy or to exclude the possibility of a pregnancy being ectopic. Neither did she ensure adequate support was available to the women.

A nurse, who had been instructed by the doctor on the telephone to dispense the prostaglandin without seeing the woman first, was found guilty of professional mis-

conduct.

In addition to the suspension, it is recommended that the doctor be prohibited from prescribing or supplying misoprostol to patients for three years after she resumes her practice.

In addition, the doctor must attend regular peer group meetings and note taking courses. She is also required to disclose the charges to all current and future employers.

According to John Tait, chairman of the New Zealand Committee, Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, misoprostol is used in New Zealand to soften the cervix prior to dilatation and curettage (D&C) for miscarriage or termination of pregnancy.

He also noted that while misoprostol is used for inducing labor overseas, it is not used for that purpose in New Zealand.

The usual dosage used in a surgical setting would be 800 micrograms, which equals four tablets.

This article courtesy of LifeSiteNews

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Local news

NZ PM John Key says Labour’s housing policy ‘desperate’ Prime Minister John Key says Labour’s new housing policy smacks of desperation by leader David Shearer and trade experts suggest it could open up a future government to action under the investor-state dispute resolution provisions of several free trade agreements.

Mr Key told reporters in Korea the policy “is probably more about trying to save David Shearer’s bacon than it is about fixing the housing market”.

He also said preliminary advice from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade was that the policy could breach several free trade agreements – and that could include the China deal negotiated by Labour.

The policy would ban foreigners who were not resident in New Zealand from buying residential property, unless it added to housing stock such as building new or buying from a new development.

Mr Key wondered whether Labour expected house bidders to turn up to auctions with their passports.

Mr Key tried to suggest that British builders working temporarily on the Christchurch rebuild would be prevented from buying a house under the policy. But Labour finance spokesman David Parker said that was not the case, although the property would have to be sold once a temporary resident left the country.

Finance Minister Bill English said yesterday one of the problems with the policy was that no one knew for sure how much housing stock was bought by foreigners.

In Auckland, where almost 40 per cent of the population was born overseas “a lot of the people who are perceived as foreign buyers are actually New Zealand residents and New Zealand buyers”.

Trade law specialist Daniel Kalderimis of Chapman Tripp told the Herald that on an initial reading, the policy could breach the most-favoured-nation treatment article of New Zealand’s free trade agreement with China, though not the article on national treatment.

The most favoured nation clause says that any favourable conditions China or New Zealand offers to third parties for investment activities must be offered to New Zealand or China as well. That means that any exemptions for Australians from new house-buying rules should also apply to Chinese.

Wellington church closes after quake Another heritage-listed central Wellington landmark has been closed in the wake of last weekend’s big earthquake.

Parishioners who arrived for Sunday mass at St Mary of the Angels in Boulcott St yesterday were ushered into the church hall and told the 91-year-old building would be closed for up to 18 months for earthquakestrengthening work.

It follows the forced evacuation of the Old Public Trust building in Lambton Quay, which sustained serious damage in last Sunday’s 6.5 magnitude earthquake.

The category 1 heritage-listed St Mary’s, which had already been yellow-stickered as requiring strengthening work, came through the quake unscathed, but parish priest Father Barry Scannell said the safety of parishioners was paramount.

“We were probably looking to close towards the end of this year but, after last week, we decided to expedite it in the interests of safety.”

The quake highlighted the urgency of the upgrade work being planned on the church, he said. Some strengthening was done when it was reroofed and refurbished in the 1980s and 90s, but it now required a full upgrade, at a cost of an estimated $5 million to $8m.

The gothic revival church was designed by Wellington architect Frederick de Jersey Clere, who also designed St Gerard’s Monastery in Mt Victoria, another heritage building that needs strengthening.

Wellington Catholic archdiocese administration director David Mullin said no further church closures had been prompted by last week’s quakes.

Anglican Insurance Board chairman Don Baskerville said the Anglican and Presbyterian churches

were going through the same assessment exercise, and raised the question of whether New Zealand could afford to strengthen all its quake-prone heritage buildings.

“This is an issue that has politicians too scared, and a lot of ostriches have their heads buried in the sand,” he said.

Mr Baskerville believed the engineering and building capacity existed to do the work required on thousands of buildings, but it was going to take time.

The bigger issue was how much it would cost, and whether some old buildings would have to be pulled down.

Mr Mullin said about 50 of the 180 parish buildings in an archdiocese that ran from Westport to Levin had been assessed as earthquake-prone since the Christchurch earthquakes.

The Catholic Church was going through the process of deciding which would be strengthened first, which it could afford to do, and which ones parishioners would have to pay for.

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Prayer

PRAYING FOR CHANGE Are you waiting for God to change someone or something in your life? Is there a negative situation or circumstance that keeps showing up for you? Have you found yourself lamenting, “It doesn’t matter how hard I try, things just never seem to change”.... LARA PHEGAN investigates.

M

any of us have found ourselves feeling this way at one time or another. The more we try to force things to change, the more frustrated or hurt we feel. Sometimes, after hitting our head against the wall again, we lose hope, give up, or stop trying.

Fortunately true change is possible – but the breakthrough doesn’t come by asking God to change something ‘out there’; it comes from asking God to change something ‘in here’ - within us. Instead of praying, “God, we need you to work a miracle in this situation and change so and so, or such and such”, we need to say: “God, change me; make me the woman I need to be to have a breakthrough in this situation; make me the person I need to be to move beyond this unhealthy dynamic. Make me the woman I need to be to experience greater peace in this situation”.

which offer you the perfect opportunity to do so.

This approach to growth and emotional healing is very different to one where you expect God to fix everything for you. It’s an approach that acknowledges that you play a part in the experiences of your life. It acknowledges that if you invite the light of truth to shine on your own heart, you’ll receive divine wisdom that offers you new perspectives on yourself and the situation at hand, revealing doorways to freedom that you simply couldn’t see before.

One of my on-line students, Trish, experienced this when she took a ‘Change me’ approach to the challenges she was having with her sister. For years Trish had been on the receiving end of undermining comments from her sister, who regularly made negative statements about Trish’s appearance when they were ready to go out somewhere special. WithChange me out fail, her sister would say something underminI need to warn you though – it’s a powerful prayer. ing that would hurt Trish’s feelings, make her doubt And the opportunities that come your way to help her attractiveness and ruin her evening. Trish had you change won’t always be comfortable for you. tried several things over the years to improve the You may have heard the joke that if you pray for situation but none of her efforts had created lasting God to take away your anger, everything that could change. annoy you is going to show up in your life in the When I suggested the ‘Change me’ approach to next 24 hours.

Trish she was willing to give it a try. And she was It doesn’t always happen like that but the mes- amazed by what happened when she did. sage stands true: when you’re finally ready to Together we worked to create a simple prayer change, things will start showing up in your life that resonated with Trish, and for three days Trish walked around praying, “God, change me; Make me the woman I need to be, to feel good about the body you gave me and to feel a healthy pride in my appearance”.

Notice that her ‘Change me’ prayer didn’t mention her sister or anyone else outside herself. ReFar East Broadcasting Company has member, the ‘change been communicating Christ to the me’ approach does World by Radio for over 65 years. not focus on other Communicating Jesus through the people or external Bamboo Curtain. Jesus into remote circumstances. The villages. Jesus into political and religious ‘change me’ aphot-spots where hardly any missionaries proach asks God to ever go. shine the light of More than 3 billion people from truth on you, and inAfrica to Asia are within reach of our vites divine wisdom broadcasts. If you LIKE US on Facebook to show you where (www.facebook.com/febcnz), we’ll keep your own emotional you in touch with what we’re doing and wounds, behaviours, how you can be involved. ‘blindness’ or limitations are playing a With your help, we’ll continue to provide part in the situation radios and broadcast programmes in front of you. in the heart languages of unreached For Trish it happeoples. And with FEBC, you’ll be pened like this: she communicating was getting dressed Christ to the World for work in the mornby Radio. ing and she suddenly ‘heard’ the thoughts running through her own mind as she put Far East Broadcasting Company on her foundation Christ to the World by Radio make-up: www.facebook.com/febcnz febcnz.org “Look at your blotches”

If connected you to one of the best outreach endeavors on earth, would you like it?

10 | Christian Life Issue Four August 13

“Your eyes are so small” “Your face is too round” “You’re so ugly” “Oooh yuk, look at that!”

“You’re so fat” Trish knew that what she was hearing were the thoughts that went through her mind every morning - in fact, every time she looked in a mirror! Trish told me that it shocked her; that she found it hard to believe what she was hearing. She said she paused for a moment, then looked up at herself in the mirror, and looking into her own eyes she said very quietly, “That’s mean. That’s very mean. You’re not being nice at all”.

Long story short, Trish turned her attention to building a more positive relationship with her own body. Her prayers centered on forgiving herself for being so unloving towards herself, and asking God to help her be kinder. Trish knew it wouldn’t come naturally so she made a commitment to say one kind or complimentary thing to herself every time she passed a mirror. She also decided that every morning before leaving for work, she’d find two things she felt genuinely happy with about her appearance that day, and thank God for them. She renewed her promise to be kinder to herself by focusing on those two things throughout the day – bringing her attention back to those two positive things whenever she found herself thinking or feeling something negative about herself. As you probably know, what you focus on expands and what you give your attention to grows; so slowly but surely, Trish began feeling more accepting and positive about her physical appearance.

Guess what happened with Trish’s sister and her negative comments? Nothing. She still says undermining things to Trish. She hasn’t changed at all.

But Trish has. And her sister’s negative comments no longer have a devastating affect on her. Trish is a very different woman these days – and loving every minute of it.

In situations like these things can still ‘look’ the same on the outside, but you’ll know a miracle has occurred because you’ll experience the same events differently. Everything ‘out there’ stays the same, but what happens inside of you in response to it, is worlds apart from what used to go on within you.

The ‘Change me’ approach isn’t always just about changing the way you relate to yourself though. Sometimes it requires you to make significant changes in the way you relate to other people.

I’ve faced a similar situation to Trish’s but my breakthrough required quite a different response.

In my case, the undermining comments had come from a friend who, in certain situations – usually a group setting - would say something unkind about me in front of everyone. Like Trish, I’d tried several attempts to stop this from happening, or to stop it from bothering me, but none of my efforts had worked. So, I tried the ‘Change me’ approach.

The wisdom I received was extremely hard for me to ‘accept’ back then as it challenged all my ideas about what it means to be a loving woman. I’d always thought that the loving thing to do in a situation like that was to avoid making a scene, keep quiet, and forgive her in my heart. But the more I said ‘Change me’, the more I saw that I needed to let go of those beliefs and start standing up for myself instead of keeping quiet. I also saw that in my efforts to be a ‘loving person’, I often required myself to put up with unloving treatment from others. Ouch! I

Prayer

wanted to resist it, but I knew the next step to wholeness for me was to find my voice and start speaking up for myself. Which terrified me! Like I said earlier, the ‘Change me’ approach isn’t always an easy one.

Sometimes it requires you to do the complete opposite of what you’d usually do – or to do something so out of character, so unfamiliar, so ‘risky’for you, that you find yourself thinking, “There’s no way I’m doing that!”. But sometimes the thing you’re resisting the most, the thing you’re most afraid to consider, the behaviour that feels least natural, least safe, least comfortable to you – is the doorway to your freedom.

It was a few weeks before another situation came up with that friend again. Right in front of everyone she made one of her belittling comments about me.

So do you know what I did? I opened my mouth and I said something in my own defense. To my surprise it came out witty and everyone laughed. Except for her. And me. My heart was thumping so hard and my hands were trembling under the table. She didn’t say a word but the look she gave me let me know exactly what she thought of me. My initial impulse was to get up and leave before I burst into tears. I wanted to go home and crawl into bed. But I didn’t.

I stayed right where I was. And to my delight (and despite her scowl), I found myself chatting away to other people and carrying on as if nothing had happened. I’d found my voice, learned to stand up for myself, and expanded my definition of being a loving woman to include being loving to myself! Like I said, ‘Change me’ is a powerful prayer.

These days I don’t see her except very occasionally through a mutual acquaintance. She hasn’t made any belittling comments about me since that night, all those years ago. And I doubt she ever will.

So how do you know if the Change me’ approach is going to involve a change that’s only evident to you and God, or if it’s going to mean you need to totally change your behaviour and do something completely out of character for you? You don’t.

There isn’t a set formula. You don’t know until you begin exactly what kind of change is required for you to have a breakthrough. What you can be sure of though is that one way or another, you’re going

to have some work to do on changing yourself, and sometimes you’re not going to like what’s being asked of you because it’s the opposite of what you feel like doing – and dealing with that is what is going to create the miracle.

So, where in your life have you been caught in a repetitive, negative pattern? Who or what have you been waiting for God to change? Where have you given up, shut down or stopped trying because things seem so hopeless and helpless?

Would you be willing to try a new approach and allow the change you’re longing for to occur through you. Would you be willing to try the ‘Change me” approach?

The reality is that most of the time, if change is going to come, it’s going to come through you. It’s not going to come to you. You have to be what’s different. And then because you’re different, your experience of what’s occurring will be different – regardless of whether or not anyone or anything out there changes.

If you do open your heart to a ‘Change me’ approach, the challenging situations in your life will no longer be sources of pointless pain and suffer-

ing. They’ll become doorways to your own personal growth and healing. With new insights, you’ll stop reacting in your usual ways. You’ll stop going down the same dead-end streets. You’ll stop engaging in old patterns. You’ll change. And your life will change.

So why not take your attention off everyone else and what they’re doing or not doing and ask God to shine the light of truth on you. Ask to see what it is in you that needs healing or changing or shifting in order for you to have a personal breakthrough.

And commit to acting on the wisdom you receive, no matter how hard it is for you. Use the challenging situations that come up in your life as an opportunity for you to go through the fire of transformation. Be willing to leave your old self behind and move past your current limitations.

Allow a new and greater version of yourself to come forth.

Say it now, and set a miracle in motion: “Ok God, change me”.

Lara Phegan is the author of A Woman’s Guide to Power, Purpose and Joy. She writes in a range of international magazines and offers inspirational teachings for living a life of faith, love, fulfillment and success through her on-line publications and services.

To contact Lara or subscribe to her free inspirational newsletter, email laraphegan@xtra.co.nz or visit www.lara-phegan.com

Living Faith Spring Conference

Woman to Woman

From the book of James

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Today economic problems and the speed of social change are part of the times that try men’s souls. It’s never easy to hold the line in soul-trying times. You may be facing giants in your life now which will have shrunk when you look back with the perspective of time. What will your story look like in a year’s time? 10 years? 100 years?

What will be your legacy?

W

hen we face giants that we think we can’t overcome, this can lead to feeling intimidated and inadequate. Steve Farrar says, “If you have a desire in your heart to be picked up and used by the living God, you can’t expect to stroll through the sunshine and daisies for the rest of your years. If you really want a life of usefulness to God, you have to be ready to fight. You must be willing to take on the giants that come lumbering into your path to block your way and stop your progress.”

men who have left first. On the other hand, fathers are the most influential people in bringing families into the church. If Dad comes to Christ first, 93% of families will follow. Remember Jesus called and invested Himself into the lives of twelve men for three years. Those twelve men changed the world.

•

A powerful and dynamic cause to which they can commit their lives.

Those giants can be diseases, disappointments, depressions, addictions, financial problems, career setbacks, family breakdowns or personal failures. But God is a giant too - the sort that you want on your side! God is the greatest of all giants and He is a trump card in your life. It doesn’t matter what you are facing, God trumps your giant!

God is wisdom, God is love and God is power. What more powerful combination could you want?

•

A challenging vision that inspires them to achieve a meaningful goal.

We serve a powerful God; we should be confident in our faith. There is no place for wimpy Christianity – it is Christianity with muscle.

Men are very important in the life of our churches because: •

Men are action-orientated and their focus on the outside world brings a healthy perspective.

•

They are hard-wired for risk taking and rise to a challenge.

Men are innovators and want things to progress and succeed.

If you really want a life of usefulness to God, you have to be ready to fight. You must be willing to take on the giants that come lumbering into your path to block your way and stop your progress.

Men who understand God’s wisdom, love and power are vital to the advancement of the Christian faith. The sad fact is that today many men do not have a vibrant faith and are not engaged in the life of the church. In almost every church that has closed its doors it is the

12 | Christian Life Issue Four August 13

Today Christian men are looking for:

Families, churches and communities need men who are healthy and active. They need men to be men. Men who can relate well to others, be influential, are great workers and rescue those in need.

They bring their resources into the church, be they technical, financial or natural giftings.

Men bring strength to a church as they combine to get the job done.

•

Men want to be part of a team under a visionary leader, taking part in an adventure with other men.

Churches who understand men are keen to develop a productive and dynamic Men’s Ministry, because it brings men out of isolation and gives them a Band of Brothers to experience adventure with and to process life with. When men understand and appreciate their purpose, they will bring greater strength and resources to their church, and be a godly influence in their homes, workplaces, and every area of their lives.

•

They want to see results and know that they can make a difference.

Promise Keepers’ mission is to help men live transformed lives. We want to successfully face the

Men bring strength to a church as they combine to get the job done.

challenges that life throws our way, and in God’s power overcome those obstacles and continually grow stronger in our faith. With a rich history of Men’s Events over the last 20 years we have seen thousands of men energised to stand up for what is right, live with integrity and purpose and make the world a better place for those they know and love.

We can now look back over an incredible journey of impacting Events, stories of God transforming men and growth of Ministry with Men in churches. One of the greatest outcomes of Promise Keepers is that so many men are actively growing spiritually, building friendships and doing ministry and mission together every week.

Andrew says about his experience at Promise Keepers over the years, “As I have come to expect, awesome wisdom and challenges for me in my walk with Christ... This year you have given me better tools to lead and encourage my family. I have attended three

Promise Keepers in the last four years, only missing one through sickness. I now get excited before each Event, wondering what He will change in me this year and the amazing changes this will have in my life and family. The first Promise Keepers I attended I gave my life to Christ. The second I was convicted to take ownership of the dishwashing and have reaped amazing and unexpected benefits for my wife and my marriage. This year I am convicted to start a daily prayer life on my knees, humbling myself before my King. I can’t wait for next year!”

At this year’s Events, men will come together and examine aspects of Christian manhood that build a muscular faith – a faith that is on the move. The theme for 2013 is “The Call”. Men will be clarifying the call that is on their life by: •

•

Discovering the upward call of God for the next stage of their spiritual journey.

•

Breaking free from spiritual mediocrity to a future of hope and purpose.

•

Activating His plan for their destiny.

All men are invited to answer the call at Promise Keepers Events this year in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.

Understanding that God knows them and has a plan for their life.

Men’s Events 2013

CHRISTCHURCH

WELLINGTON

AUCKLAND

promisekeepers.org.nz

23-24 August

13-14 September

4-5 October

0800 PROMISE ( 77 66 47 )

www.christian-life.co.nz | 13

The Changing Face of Israel Rev. Hon. Graeme Lee, NZ National Leader of Christians for Israel New Zealand, shares his heart for the Holy Land...

During the 15 years that I served with the NZ Parliament I did what I could to make contact with and give support to the Israeli Embassy. In 1994 the Government of Israel kindly invited my wife and I to tour Israel as their guests. It was a profound and most enjoyable learning experience.

However my first visit to Israel was 40 years earlier in 1954 – just 6 years after the Declaration of Independence! I am grateful to my father who took me as a teenager on that occasion. It was a hugely impacting and life changing visit!

We had no tourist support group or indeed any contacts at all when we arrived. But God was in this ‘pioneer journey’! The right people just appeared at the right time from nowhere.

The first was a committed Arab Christian. He owned an old 1938 blue Chevrolet and he took us first to Bethany. This visit turned out to be a life encounter for me at the Tomb of Lazarus.

It was a sandy, unkempt, neglected area but one of the profound blessings was that the site was seemingly unchanged. The dirty, dusty signboard lying on the ground read: “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, and those who live and believe in me will never die”. John 11:25 I remember well the strange and almost overwhelming emotion that came over me when I realised that Jesus had once stood approximately where I stood – and the only acknowledgement to the miracle performing Son of God was the old disfigured and discarded sign! It was my first encounter with God and it was very real.

The city of Jerusalem was largely under Jordanian control at that time. For instance you could not go to the ‘Wailing Wall’. You could only see it at a distance. Imagine the frustration of the Jewish people at that time. We did however find our way to the ‘Garden Tomb’. This was also a very special experience.

The Garden Tomb today is an amazing place and still I believe, administered by an English Trust. The layout and presentation for meditation is superb and so wonderful for worship. When Dad and I found the location it was just the opposite! Unkempt,

Clockwise from top: Jerusalem at night from the Walls of the Old City; Lebanon Israel border (Israel Army); Old City Walls; Mount of Beatitudes; Garden tomb

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long grass, rocky outcrops and a very hidden tomb entrance. In the middle of the area was a simple old small house – I think it was also blue.

It was occupied by one person, Solomon Mattar, another on-fire Arab Christian. He acted as a selfappointed caretaker.

I remember the great reply when I asked him why he would do the job on his own. The answer was, “I preach the Resurrection message about 10 to 20 times a day – what greater privilege is there in the whole world than that! Unfortunately Solomon was killed in the 1956 war. I don’t know anything about the circumstances.”

My third visit to Israel was in March 2013.

This came only 11 months after accepting the leadership of Christians for Israel NZ. The group accompanying me included Board members, John Gummer, Denis Smith, Graham Simpson and their wives. The first eight days in Jerusalem was to attend the Bi-annual International Forum.

We reaffirmed our mission: • To stand for Israel in these days recognising that God has separate purposes and designs for the Jewish people as he has for the Church.

• To emphasise what the Bible says about the everlasting covenants that God has made with only one nation - Israel.

• To know what the Bible says about the Land.

Israel doesn’t occupy the land that they own!

God has defined the boundaries and they will be

defined again in a soon coming day!

• To challenge the Church about the error and danger of the ‘Replacement Theology’.

• To issue a quality, bi-monthly free paper called Israel & Christians Today comprising of 15 pages that is unique in its wide variety of articles.

Christians for Israel NZ has been fully involved for some years in assisting Jewish people who are in poverty and mostly subject to Anti-Semitism; to return to Israel. It is called Aliyah. This is a modern day miracle and fulfilment of prophetic teaching. In the past most people contacts have been in Russia with the help of the Ebenezer organisation. Now new opportunities have emerged for people to be helped in the Ukraine also.

Christians for Israel NZ has also accepted responsibility for the development of the Ministry throughout the South Pacific Islands. This includes nations like Fiji, Cook Islands, Samoa, Tonga, New Caledonia etc. Presently the Israel & Christians Today paper is being sent to strategic contacts. Our assessment to date is that the christian church in the Islands is very positive toward Israel but knowledge is limited. We are planning to meet this challenge in the future with appropriate meetings.

Auckland, is also the Polynesian capital of the world. Our development plan therefore includes greater contact with the Pacific Island Community in Auckland.

After the Forum we undertook a special education study familiarisation tour of the whole of Israel. It

Pastor of The Peoples Church, Toronto and Author

was life changing. We did the tourist regulars like visiting the Mount of Olives, the Old City, the Western Wall, sailing on the Lake of Galilee and swimming in the Dead Sea, to name just a few.

We were also privileged to visit special places like Seiderot – the city closest to Gaza, the West Bank, Bethlehem and the Lebanese border, where we talked to and prayed for the Israeli Defence Force in that area.

Each was a wonderful experience but we were blessed to add truly different and deep encounters where we listened and dialogued with Rabbis and Religious Jews on Judaism and the Bible. One such place was called the Centre for Jewish and Christian Understanding.nWe were challenged by the knowledge these people had of the Old Testament but unable to comprehend their blindness to the Messiah, Jesus Christ.

An important reason for our visit to Israel was to seek out ‘projects’. Ways and means by which we could help the returning immigrants (particularly the Holocaust survivors) to get established. The large flow of immigrants have stretched the infrastructure of Israel and real help is needed for many people.

We were directed to two excellent organisations Hineni and For Zion’s Sake. Both give amazing assistance to Holocaust survivors.

It is well accepted now by the Religious Jews that the Evangelistic Christians are their greatest supporters.

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New Zealand Ministry Tour 2013 Wed. Sept. 25th - Auckland - Greenlane Christian Centre - 09 520 1288 Thurs. Sept. 26th - Cambridge - Raleigh St. Christian Centre - 07 827 5794 Fri. Sept. 27th - Hamilton - Whitiora Bible Church - 07 838 1454 Sun. Sept. 29th - Wellington - The Street Church - 04 385 7315 Mon. Sept 30th - Blenheim - Nativitiy Church - 03 578 3909 Tues.-Thurs. Oct 1st-3rd - Christchurch

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www.christian-life.co.nz | 15

Step out of the ordinary.

Reach beyond your limits, and live OUTSIDE THE LINE.

It’s September, and rising beneath Auckland’s more-often-than-not grey sky is an expression of brilliant colour from the women of New Zealand and beyond.

Sistas Women’s Conference is here.

This year’s special guests include: Charlotte Gambill, Dr. Robi Sonderegger, Christine Martin and Sy Rogers

hosted by Ps Maree de Jong, Senior Pastor of LIFE

Since it’s debut in 2000, Sistas Women’s Conference has annually seen thousands of women gather together to worship, grow and laugh along the way. Over three nights and two days, thousands of women gather together to hear from incredible local and international speakers who wholeheartedly believe in the extraordinary lives we are called to live. The worship team paves the way for genuine moments, little treats and surprises pop up at every turn, and authentic, unscripted community forms between the delegates - all of which makes for three days that can bring change to their lives as well as those around them.

Back in 2012, Ps Maree de Jong, the conference host, was inspired by a song called ‘Waiting Outside the Line’ by Greyson Chance. In an unexpected moment, she felt God say to her, “This is what I do. I wait for people to step outside the line, the box if you like, that they place around their lives. I wait for them to see how much bigger I am, how much more there is for their lives if they dare to trust Me and reach beyond their contained thinking and the limitations they create around themselves.”

In that moment, she knew it wasn’t just a message for her, but an encouragement for many others. She goes on to say, “I am so excited and confident that God is going to expand our ‘ordinary’ and inspire us to ‘extraordinary’ – a life full of colour waiting just outside the line.”

Beyond The Conference...

...Sistas Unite is able to spread colour and hope through many projects and ministries, including A Girl Called Hope, the A21 Campaign, Hagar International, their local ‘Love in Action’ initiatives, and Watoto Ministries in Africa. One project in particular, recently dubbed ‘Undies for Africa’ by a newspaper, saw over 3000 pairs of underwear donated by Sistas delegates last year. As well as supporting the A21 Campaign, a large portion of this collection went to Watoto’s ‘Keep a Girl in School’ campaign in Uganda. Without underwear for basic sanitary needs, girls were unable to attend school each month, and Watoto found them falling behind and dropping out. Thanks to many women’s generosity, Watoto was able to pilot this programme so that these girls are able to stay in school throughout the month, allowing this generation to help rebuild their war-torn country.

At this year’s Sistas Conference, our aim is to make a difference in the lives of children in hospitals across New Zealand by collecting Colouring/Puzzle books and Pencil/Crayons for kids of all ages! If you’re joining us at conference, we hope you could bring a set or two and drop them off at the Sistas Unite area.

16 | Christian Life Issue Four August 13

Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out.

Romans 12:1-2, The Message

Sistas Women’s Conference will be holding back-to-back conferences this year at LIFE Convention Centre (110 Montgomerie Rd, Airport Oaks, Auckland).

Conference One will run from 3-5 September and Conference Two, which is now at capacity, will run from 5-7 September.

It’s not too late to register, visit sistas.org.nz!

This year isn’t the first hint of colour that Sistas has brought though; in fact the last 13 years have been filled with it. One such moment is the Surprise a Sista initiative - an opportunity to honour a woman who loves like Jesus despite the challenges of life. Each year nominations flood in from around the country with touching stories of women who have persevered through tragedy and struggles, yet haven’t wavered in their love for God and compassion for people. Each year tears are shed as Sistas Conference is able to bless this unsung and completely surprised woman, and thank them for being such an inspiration to all those in their world and at conference. This is all made possible thanks to those women who support Sistas Unite, the community outreach arm of Sistas Conference.

The colourful experience doesn’t just end with Sistas Women’s Conference though; each year emails and letters fly in, excitedly recounting divinely-appointed moments in women’s worlds across the nations, as well as countless new initiatives people have started their local community.

It goes to show that it really just takes one person stepping outside the line to see the world filled with a brighter hue and a bit more colour. When talking about Sistas, Ps Maree reminds us of Romans 12, where God encourages us to take our everyday lives - eating, sleeping, walking around, working - and to place it before Him. With Sistas 2013 just around the corner and anticipation growing everyday, it’s exciting to think that things are only going to get bigger, brighter and more vibrant from here!

GET CONNECTED. STAY CONNECTED.

sistas.org.nz

Sistas Stories // ** “Sistas Conference was amazing again this year – for me, probably the most impacting ever. It was such an awesome experience to be among thousands of other Christian women, worshipping God and just being under His Word. I walked out of the conference a different person, feeling alive and so close to Jesus. The word ‘believe’ has taken on new meaning: it’s a sense of complete trust and faith; a new freedom from fear and worry. THANK YOU, all who were involved in SISTAS. You’re awesome, God bless you. Much love.

fb.com/sistasnz

twitter.com/sistasnz

** “I just wanted to say thank you for putting on such a fantastic conference. This was my first time at Sistas after always wanting to go but never getting there (now I wish I had gone before)! I came with maybe a few pre-conceived ideas, but I just loved how the whole conference was so God-centered. We were a group of nine from our church in Te Awamutu that attended and we are looking forward to having a recap meeting and moving forward in impacting our church and community for God. So thanks again for having such a positive impact into those thousands of women’s lives.

Kind regards.”

@sistasnz / #sistas13

** “This is the first Sistas I have attended and I found it to be incredibly uplifting. Every speaker gave such an inspiring message and all were so relatable. I was saved 2 years ago but only truly started my walk with God earlier this year. Sistas opened the floodgates for me and I had the priviledge of experiencing the power and glory of God first hand while I was there. Since the conference I have been on my first Mission trip where I saw with my own eyes the healing hands of Jesus touch people’s lives. If it is God’s will that I am able to attend next year I will be there for sure! Blessings”

www.christian-life.co.nz | 17

Classifieds... brought to you by My Christian Daily Jobs www.mychristiandaily.com/jobs

POSITIONS VACANT

MINISTRY OPPORTUNITY SENIOR PASTOR The Chinese Alliance Christian Church (www.cacc.org.nz) is seeking to fill the role of Senior Pastor.

The pre-requisites we are looking for include: 1.

2.

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A minimum of 10 years of ordained pastoral experience Demonstration of a godly servant style leadership Visionary and able to work with leadership to create and execute a plan for the future Lead a multicultural Pastoral Staff Pastoral experience for immigrant church Inclusiveness and empathy for the unique needs of a multicultural congregation of 200+

Please email your CV along with 3 references to yeungpenelope@gmail.com or post it to Penelope Yeung, Chinese Alliance Christian Church, 60 Ben Lomond Crescent, Pakuranga Heights, Auckland, 2010.

All enquiries to: Pastor Phil Coates pastor@miramarbaptist.org Ch: (04) 388 6535 Mob: 021 236 8139

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1. Children & Families Pastor (20 hrs/week) This role would suit someone who is passionate about helping children grow to know Jesus and grow in spiritual gifts; excited about helping parents grow as spiritual caregivers; loves running children’s programs and family-oriented worship services; has some experience and/or qualifications in children’s ministry; and is filled with the Spirit & faith.

2. Community Pastor (15 hrs/week) This role would suit someone who is passionate about reaching out to the spiritually lost; enjoys leading Alpha and community outreach projects: naturally builds networks with people and links between the church and the community; and is filled with the Spirit and faith.

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Three Kings Congregational Church Three Kings Congregational Church is seeking a pastor to lead and develop our fellowship.

We are a small but diverse community with big hearts and big plans. We seek a person of spiritual maturity, dynamism and demonstrated leadership skills, and a heart for pastoral care.

For more information see www.tkcc.org.nz To register your interest please email Carole Stone Closing date 23 August, 2013.

PICK UP YOUR FREE COPY TODAY 18 | Christian Life Issue Four August 13

We are delighted to be partnering with the Christian bookshops of NZ to make Christian Life absolutely FREE of charge each month.

That’s right, it won’t cost you a cent to read each edition!

To pick up your copy each month FIND A CHRISTIAN STORE NEAR YOU. Visit www.cba.net.nz or www.manna.co.nz.

EVENTS

Saturday Christian Fellowship Meets every Saturday at 10:00am In the Friendship Room of the Central Baptist Church Charlemont St Hamilton

Bible Story Telling A 3 day workshop to transform your ministry

For more information and messages visit:

Thursday 3rd to Sunday 6th October 2013 Hope Presbyterian 27 Amyes Road, Hornby Christchurch

www.saturdaychristianfellowship.weebly.com Pastors Dennis and Penny Email: cfi@ihug.co.nz Cell: 021 384452

RESOURCES

RECONNECTING MEN! It’s all about right connections – men need to be properly connected to be all they can be...

PART 1: Reconnect with your HEART $17.50 This book of 8 studies looks at how men can connect more fully with their Heavenly Father and with their own heart - that inner wellspring of life from which everything else flows. Each chapter unfolds the journey step by step concluding with ‘Workshop Time’ - easy response questions exploring the topic personally and practically. (92 pages) PART 2: Reconnect with your FAMILY This second book of 9 studies looks at how men can be more fully $18.50 connected and fulfilled in family life - with their wife, their children, their own father, other men, and the Kingdom of God. These studies can build and even save marriages and family life, and help men develop a Kingdom perspective and purpose. (140 pages)

Limited places – book today For cost and details contact Leanne at: Hope Presbyterian Church, Ph 03-349 9446 Email: Leanne.hall@hopechurch.net.nz

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Insight Focused Therapy Training 2013/14 Take mastery of your life and move beyond your limitations.

SPECIAL OFFER: Both books for $30.00 initial order TO ORDER >> email: office@omega-discipleship.org.nz OR phone: 04-9052209

Totara Springs Christian Centre is one of the largest centre’s of its kind in New Zealand and is a venue for school camps, church retreats, business conferences, sporting and artistic events, holiday camps and weddings. We are situated in a beautiful setting, nestled at the foot of the Kaimai mountain ranges just outside Matamata. There are 90 plus acres of parklike grounds with accommodation for 420 people in fully serviced motels, 3 lodge complexes and 18 cabins. All our camps are fully catered by our resident catering team www.totarasprings.org.nz or bookings@totarasprings.org.nz or phone 07-8884700

Insight Focused Therapy (IFT) is an exciting new integrative model of counselling.

In our training you will learn aspects of the latest neuroscience research, alongside the principles of The IFT process, with Attachment Theory, its focus on acceptance, Fixed Point vs kindness and Emergent Living, compassion assists in Coherence and Clean calming the reactivity Language Theories, of the fight and flight biological principals response so that in and spirituality. the stillness of acceptance, new insights can emerge.

Training consists of 10 x 1 day seminars, commencing in Auckland on September the 7th 2013.

INSIGHT

Enquiries?

I N T E R N AT I O N A L

phone Sandy Fabrin +64 9 846 8887 email sandyf@insightcounselling.co.nz website www.insightcounselling .co.nz

Waihi Beach Christian Camp presents Summer Family Chill Out Camp 4-8 January 2014 Come and relax at beautiful Waihi Beach. We’ll look after your kids in the mornings while you get a well deserved break. In the afternoons and evenings we have optional beach activities, games, crafts or a family movie Simply the most affordable family holiday at the beach!

Adults $130 Kids from $95.00 Family rates available

Register online at www.waihibeach.org.nz (07) 683-5834

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EQUIPPING YOU AND YOUR CHURCH

The chorus of the title track, Glorious Ruins, was an underlying theme through the life of Hillsong Church in the lead up to the Hillsong Live praise & worship album recording, Glorious Ruins.

It’s a vivid image which captures the imagination and stirs the soul.

Brian Houston, Senior Pastor of Hillsong Church explains, “Ruins can speak of crushing defeat or perhaps of something abandoned, but the good news today is that the ruins come to life. …Through Jesus Christ what we look at is ruins that become glorious...” Whether it’s in your time of personal devotion or in your church, we pray that the lyrics contained in this album stir your faith & love in Jesus Christ.

HOw TO

MAxIMIsE YOUR LIfE

‘How To Maximise Your Life’ is a compiled and revised edition of ‘the maximised life series’ by Brian Houston. First published as five separate books, this complete collection brings together several biblical truths for living with purpose, building intimate and meaningful relationships and finding the balance to healthy living and wholeness.

by Brian Houston

Within these audio messages, Pastor Brian and Bobbie Houston show us that at its core, the Christian faith is incredibly glorious.

With passion, humour and conviction, they share how the redemptive message of Jesus and the invitation to become a part of God’s Church and His unfolding salvation-story is a beautiful privilege; full of hope and glory.

by Brian & Bobbie Houston

Glorious... is a teaching series that was taught through the life of Hillsong Church; inspirational to Hillsong Live’s latest album, Glorious Ruins.

These and many more resources available from hillsong.com/resources