MAHU MONTHLY FEBRUARY 2021
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NEWS ABOUT MAHU CHURCH AND MAHU VISION TRUST
WHAT'S NEW New Jr Student Interns Mainly Music meets again Lockdown Blessings
HIGHLIGHTS Key updates Areas of need
OUR PEOPLE Faces of Mahu Church Notices
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FEBRUARY 2021
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"YOUTH LEADERS” BY ALISHA MCLENNAN
Megan Hughes Year 12 Favourite Chocolate: Mint chocolate, or Fererro Rocher on special occasions! Favourite Subject: P.E.
George Williams-Mart Year 13 Favourite Chocolate: Dairy Milk Favourite Subject: Chemistry
Megan Hughes is heading into Year 12 at Mahurangi College. She is currently planning to study Ecology at university, start a rhino sanctuary and to have a game farm (which is the much bigger and much cooler South African equivalent of a life-style block). She would also like me to preface this bio by informing you that she is not as cheesy as she sounds. Her family moved here from a little town called Fish Hoek in South Africa in March 2020, and they were welcomed to our country by the first lockdown. Fortunately for us, by the end of that year she had attended a few of our Youth Group events and was asked to continue on as a leader in the next year. “I tried being a youth leader in South Africa, and it was probably the best part of my life, so it was a goal of mine to become a youth leader when moving to New Zealand,” she says. So far she has enjoyed being a part of the planning sessions for Youth Group, co-hosting Mahu Youth Kids Online and creating and delivering activity packs. “I’m very much a person who likes to help others and help people, and now being an intern I get to do that more!” Although she admits that the pizzas she was forced to eat in an episode of Mahu Kids Online were bad, she says “I did something different and out of my comfort zone, and - even though I nearly threw up - it felt good!”
George Williams-Mart is going into Year 13 at Mahurangi College. He is hoping to go onto study chemistry and/or media at university but until then, he has agreed to take on the role of Jr Youth Intern to help out with Youth Group, Mahu Kids Online and the Food Bank. He has been a part of the youth group for 3 years prior, and was keen to take on the challenge that the new role will provide. “Youth Group taught me a lot about helping out the community in different ways, and how to have fun with everyone while doing that. This role means I can do more of that same stuff,” he says. One month into the year and he has already contributed greatly to the church including co-hosting Mahu Kids Online, formulating and delivering Activity Packs, and one particularly harrowing mission in which he spent an hour trying to rescue a key for the foodbank from Davina’s car. Knowing that there are people to rely on has made the decision to intern an easy one. He says he is looking forward to learning a lot from Aidan, Sarah and Becks. After being asked if he has any regrets so far he says “The pizzas. That’s the only regret - but they were horrible!”
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FEBRUARY 2021
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“MAINLY MUSIC STARTS AGAIN!” After 4 and a half long months of lockdowns reconfigurations, Mainly Music is up and running again.
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The program has been missed by leaders, parents and kids. One child made a video and sent it to a leader about how much he missed Mainly Music, and ended it with his own rendition of My God is so Big. Needless to say, it's a relief to be back. “It's been a bit stressful, but I’ve got a great team, they’re really fantastic, and we’re all excited.” Robyn says, after her first week of sessions. In order for people from all walks of life to be able to join, Mainly Music will be holding one session on Wednesdays 10am, and another session on Thursdays potentially more in a form of play group. The Wednesday sessions require vaccine passports and have a limit of 100 people under the Red Traffic Light system. A play group on Thursday would not require vaccine passports and could cater up to 25 people - not counting the number of staff. Sessions take place inside, but tarpaulins and picnic blankets are laid outside afterwards for people to sit on while eating morning tea and talking.
Ensuring ventilation in the church has proved a bit of a mission, but the Mainly Music team have engineered a barrier system in order to keep doors wide open while still thwarting potential child escape artists. “I’ve opened windows in the Church that I didn’t know could open!” says Robyn. The outside area has been fenced off so that there is enough ventilation for the children and the parents after the session. Twelve families attended the first session on Wednesday, and 5 families on the trial play group on Thursday. Prayer has been a big help for the program. The first Wednesday back was quite rainy and drizzly, naturally there was a lot of prayer that day. Just at morning-tea time the rain stopped, and started again after they had finished! And there was lovely weather on Thursday. The team is looking at planning their Special Easter Session, which will be the last session of Term 1.
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FEBRUARY 2021
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"LOCKDOWN BLESSINGS" Despite the challenges COVID restrictions have placed on Mainly Music, Robyn Fisher maintains that God’s work never stops. A Mainly Music mum called Robyn and told her about the challenges she was facing. She had recently had a second baby and was struggling to find support. The woman’s mother was unable to offer support to her daughter and grandchildren due a lack of Wheelchair Access in the home. Robyn Fisher prayed to God about finding ways to help them, and that was when she was enlightened by the idea to contact Bernie McClean. Bernie has always had empathy for people with muscle dystrophy given his athletically competitive background, and he was eager to donate his time and expertise. When Bernie came around to assess ways to put in a wheelchair ramp, he suggested that the most apt place was to put it through the garage area. The issue being that the garage was currently a storage area. After some thoughts and discussions with the mum, Robyn asked Stella Sholte to help with clearing out the garage, so Stella and Bernie got to work. A couple who regularly gives to Mainly Music for their financial contribution, donated the ramp’s materials. “I was blessed by people at the church.” She says. With the garage clear, Bernie was able to build a permanent ramp fixture for wheelchair access. The mother of the Mainly Music mum can now access the home of her daughter and grandchildren, and offer the support she was unable to previously. She is now able to come and go more freely, and the ramp is at the perfect incline that her grandchildren can help to push up the wheelchair safely. Miracles may appear small, but stories like these prove that the fruit is abundant.
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FEBRUARY 2021
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FACES OF MAHU CHURCH
BRENT BURRIDGE “Since I was 10 I wanted to be a pilot or a radio host. My teacher said I couldn’t be a pilot because I had asthma, and I believed him.” So Radio it was for Brent Burridge (aka, MoreFM’s Brent Harbour). His parents bought him a microphone from Dick Smith, and he would use it to practice reading the news and picking songs using the family cassette player. At 17 he started auditioning - a friend of his Dad knew Barry Holland at 1ZB. After 3 rejection letters from Radio New Zealand, a couple of people agreed to see him for the station Magic91FM. He was hired there the day after he made his audition tape. He started on air at 19. Since then, he has worked in Australia, United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom, but how did he come to Mahurangi Presbyterian Church? 1977 - the year Star Wars came out, Brent notes as an avid fan of Empire Strikes Back - The Burridge family moved to Avondale to New Lynn. Brent and his two brothers, Warwick and Phil, attended Avondale College. Brent’s two best friends in college were Christian, and they would drag him along to Youth for Christ Rallies, which back then were run by Ian Grant. “I remember thinking all these people waving their arms and singing was a bit strange, but being able to go to those events kept me out of trouble,” Brent says. One day he met a girl, Kezia Page, at a party. She would call him during nights he was on air, and while the songs were playing. Brent eventually got up the courage to ask her out. At that time Kezia and her parents (David and Elizabeth) were attending Northcote Baptist. She was initially afraid to tell Brent she was a Christian. When she eventually did, Brent said “It doesn’t bother me,” and that he was happy to go along to church with her. “I think becoming a Christian has grounded me, in terms of my behaviour and interactions with people. I’ve always been someone who tries to make sure people have a good time and feel relaxed, but I’ve become more of a peacemaker and cool-headed. It’s always better to defuse problems before they explode.” Brent says. The couple got married and had three AWESOME daughters, Aidan (our current videographer for online content), and talented twins Kiera and Aspen (who are regulars on our worship team).
While Brent was working in Dubai, Kezia and the girls followed David and Elizabeth Page to Mahurangi Presbyterian. Kezia really liked it, so when he returned to New Zealand he came along. “The appeal for me was actually Nick as a pastor, he has a sense of humour and tells contemporary stories, but maintains a good message, and makes people feel comfortable. And, of course, the people in the congregation were great and kind to us,” Brent says. Since joining us, the church has greatly benefitted from Brent’s skill set. He has conducted interviews on our Church Mission nights, and various other people who come to tell their stories. He is currently doing bible readings for our online content, is an alpha leader for one of our pastorates, and is voicing Bo for Mahu Kids Online videos. Brent uses his platform to help the community wherever he can. “Being part of the media has enabled me to be a part of the community, and support events and fundraisers,” he says. One thing Brent is particularly proud of is his ability to contribute to the I Got Your Backpack campaign. “They are an organisation that provides backpacks of supplies and resources for victims of Domestic Violence if someone and their kids have had to leave in the middle of the night with only the clothes on their back. The organisation is run by wonderful people,” he says. When asked about one of the best things God has done in his life, his answer is his family. “My girls, my wife, they keep me pretty steady. Kezia has put up with me for over 30 years, so clearly she has the patience of a saint.”
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FEBRUARY 2021
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BUILDING UPDATE The chapel area has been erected, and the roof is almost on!
DONATION If you would like to make a financial contribution, you can donate to: MAHU PRES CAPITAL FUNDRAISING ACCOUNT 12-3105-0003156-02 In the reference, please include your name for a tax deductible receipt.
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FEBRUARY 2021
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COMING UP! Wed, 9 Feb <Mainly Music> 10am Vaccine passport holders Thu, 10 Feb <Mainly Music> 10 am Mixed group Sun, 13 Feb <Pastorates started> Contact your Pastorate leaders or David for questions Mondays <Healing Rooms> Contact Julie Calvert Thursdays < Prayer Meeting> 8-9am Planned to be held at the Church Office Lounge Fridays <Coffee@10> 10am Contact Jan West Fridays <Junior Youth> 3:30-5pm <Senior Youth> 7-9pm Contact Sarah or Moe Sun, 13 Mar <Church on Zoom> 10:30am We will have a combined online service as Mahu Church on Zoom
CELEBRATING LIFE! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
Jan-03 Jan-06 Jan-06 Jan-10 Jan-10 Jan-12 Jan-12 Jan-13 Jan-13 Jan-19 Jan-21 Jan-21 Jan-24 Jan-25 Jan-26 Jan-26 Jan-29 Jan-29 Jan-30
Arlen Eirena Esther Elmore Bukarerei Timiti Tynan Eirena Medina Pangilinan-Nunn Beryl Good-Penn Victoria Teokila Roger Mackay Kevin Anderson Kerry Anderson Eunete Been-Kiataake Alisha McLennan David Jones Christina Buxton Les Johnston Glyndyr Johnston Helen Clarke Hannah Shaw Tamsyn Gilmore
CONGRATULATIONS!
Feb-01 Feb-03 Feb-03 Feb-13 Feb-15 Feb-15 Feb-16 Feb-18 Feb-18 Feb-18 Feb-25 Feb-27 Feb-27 Feb-27
Hana Robertson Ian Anderson Jamie North Matang Teakin Maya Robertson Hilde Husselmann Rowan Gilmore Tesimoni Fine Barry Thompson Jean Moss Moaniba Been-Kiataake Warwick Hambleton Clem Smith Lineni Vaotangi
Feb-12
Happy 50th Weddling Aniversary to Rosanna and Kevin Ball
If we missed your birthday, or you want to announce happy news, make some prayer requests or simply want to give us some feedback on the newsletter, please email Hana (hana@mahu.org.nz). P. 7
PASTORATES HAVE STARTED! From Sun, 13 Feb, Pastorates have started! Despite the blustery weather, we had a total turn out of 180 people across all the pastorates. Thank you all to our Pastorate Leaders and everyone that was involved in making this happen! For those who prefer to watch online, the sermon can still be viewed through our YouTube link. https://youtu.be/s_htwRbuX70 Everyone should have been allocated to one of the following Pastorates. Please contact your Pastorate leader or David Mcleod (david@mahu.org.nz) if you haven't been allocated or if you have any questions regarding this. Church PM - Sarah Crocombe and Lara Armstrong Church AM - Ray and Chris Pollock St. Andrews - Neville and Margaret Johnson, Les and Glyndyr Johnston Snells Beach Tennis Club (Vax Passport venue) - Richard and Aileen Swain Besoul (Vax Passport venue) - Gene Nicolson Goatly Jones Farm - Etitara Beia, Kamarie Ioran, Rosanna Ball Goatly Don's - Martha Farmer and Cheryll England
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FEBRUARY 2021
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NOTICES Online Prayer Room Online Prayer Room is for anyone who would like someone to pray with personally and confidentially with them about any matter at all. Contact prayer@mahu.org.nz or ring Barbara at 021 255 0274.
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