MAHU MONTHLY MAY 2022
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NEWS ABOUT MAHU CHURCH AND MAHU VISION TRUST
WHAT'S NEW Alpha Started Monastic House
HIGHLIGHTS Building Update Food for Thought
OUR PEOPLE Faces of Mahu Church Notices
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MAY 2022
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ALPHA STARTED! Four of the Alpha groups have started up and running this term. staggered way, but all have kicked off very well.
Some of the groups started in a
Below are the following Alpha groups: Alpha Heart - Mondays 11:30am @ Mahu Church (Martha & Sue & Anna) Youth Alpha- Fridays 6.30pm at church (Sarah) Matakana - Tuesdays 6.30pm @ Sharp Rd (Barbara, Bronwyn, Neville) Warkworth- Wednesdays 6.30pm @ Jade River Pl (Brent & Kesia + Tony & Cush) Online Alpha - Wednesdays 6.30pm @ Zoom (David and Joy) Snells Beach Alpha - Due to start 8 June on Wednesdays 'Alpha Heart' is a group mainly from our congregation that didn't have the opportunity to participate in the original Alpha courses when our church first launched. 'Youth Alpha' is currently being led by Sarah with people that come to Senior Youth Group (Yr9-13), and there are about 15 people in the group. 'Matakana Alpha' is being led by Neville and Barbara where a mix of believers and non-believers regularly gather at the Lanes on Sharpe Rd. 'Warkworth Alpha' started at the Georgetti's on 18 May. Brent and Kezia are also involved with running the group of about 3 people alongside the Georgettis. 'Online Alpha' also started led by David and Joy on 18May, and it has 6 people. 'Snells Beach Alpha' is scheduled to start on 8 June at the Thompson's place. There are still some spaces available. We would appreciate prayers for God to guide the right people to the place and for the Holy Spirit to move and touch the hearts of people that attend the groups and also blessings over the hosts and the leaders. PHOTOS FROM ALPHA HEART
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MAY 2022
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ALPHA STARTED! (CONT'D) Alpha Retreat (the Holy Spirit Weekend) is being planned on 3 different weekends as the start of the groups staggered.
10 & 11 June 24 & 25 June 22 & 23 July
10-12 June
<Alpha Heart & Matakana Alpha (St. Andrews)> <Online Alpha & Warkworth Alpha (BeSoul)> < Snells Beach Alpha & Algies Bay Alpha>
<Alpha Retreat - Youth Camp at One Tree Point>
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MAY 2022
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NEW IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD A Monastic House run by the church has officially begun in Snells Beach. Northern Presbytery has given the pilot project a significant sum of money towards the rental of a property. This means that interns residing in the monastic house will have their rent partially subsidised. . Youth Worker Sarah is managing this house, and current staff and interns Moe, Aronna and Becks have moved in. The interns have committed to communal prayer sessions with each other, a lifestyle of following Jesus, and to serve as a part of a local congregation. “We are starting week two of our morning prayer times and Rebekah always has a hot coffee ready for me when I arrive. We were incredibly fortunate to get such an amazing house that suited our needs,” Sarah says. Pastor Nick McLennan says, “If the church is to grow into the next generation it needs to develop leaders who are passionate about Jesus and following his call on their lives.” This Monastic Housing pilot project is set to be trialled for the next two years. Upon its success, the concept could be spread throughout the Northern and National Presbytery. House members participate in a daily morning bible study run by Sarah from Tuesday through to Friday. After Youth Camp, they are looking to start up a weekly Young Adults group. If local demand for the Monastic House and Internship programme continues, the Church may have to acquire a second house in the coming year. “I would love to see a second house started for our ‘guy interns’, but the rental market is crazy, so if anyone wants to buy us a house…. we won’t say no,” Sarah says.
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MAY 2022
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BUILDING UPDATE The last 310 square metres of concrete was poured on Tuesday 3rd of May, completing the concrete work on the inside of the building. A set of precast stairs have been installed, which access to the second floor can be achieved without the use of a ladder. The team is hoping to complete the roof structure purlins and the roof plane bracing, which will allow the remaining roofing insulated panels to be loaded via crane in preparation for laying. The first delivery of windows has has arrived, and these are now awaiting installation. ITTS Engineering is currently constructing the main staircase to the top floor, and will be positioned in the entrance foyer.
PHOTOS BY JONATHAN LANE
Foodbank: The new Church and Community Centre will allow more space for food storage, a secure environment, and convenient access for anyone who needs food. Warkworth Christian Foodlink has been providing food parcels to those in need for more than 30 years. This is a cooperative venture of the local churches in the area (including Catholic, Methodist, Anglican, Vineyard, Ablaze and Baptist) and is managed by Mahu Vision Community Trust. Over the last two years, the food needs of our community have increased dramatically, going from an average of 10 parcels per week to approximately 25 parcels per week. Foodbank worker Davina Monds says it would appear that these needs are not going away any time soon. She says: “We are constantly impressed by this community’s supportive nature, shown through donations directly to us, the Countdown donation food box, and people checking on their neighbours,” “Nobody needs to go hungry on our community's watch." Check out our website for further information and videos of the building’s progress: https://mahu.org.nz/building-update/
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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MAY 2022
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A TRIBUTE TO ANN & LARRY CATES BY MARIE ANTICICH
Ann Cates recently celebrated her 82th birthday at an afternoon event in the Kaipara Flats Hall, organised by her daughter Jenny Eirena Many tributes were paid to Ann, including this one by Marie Anticich: I want to pay tribute to the work Ann and Larry did at the Mahurangi Presbyterian Sunday School for nearly ten years from 2008 to 2017. Those were wonderful years and hundreds of children benefited from Ann’s Bible teaching and instruction. In fact thousands of children have come under her care during her years as a school-teacher, Sunday school supervisor and through the SUPAkidz club at Matakana Primary School.
Mission work required training in linguistics and so Ann did two specialist courses at the Summer Institute of Linguistics in Brisbane, before departing to Papua New Guinea.
Ann also ran 17 inter-church holiday programmes in the Wilson Hall, with upto 60 children in attendance. And all of this is quite apart from her missionary work in Papua New Guinea.
At that time few Papua New Guinean adults could read or write and a Lutheran missionary, who was translating the New Testament into the Atzera language, asked Wycliffe for help.
Ann Roke, as she was then, grew up in Matakana and walked barefoot to primary school, summer and winter. From age 12, she taught at the interdenominational Sunday School in Matakana, which was run by her parents, in a hall built by her grandparents. The hall has since been shifted to Matakana School where, in a circular turn of events, Ann runs the SUPAkidz programme.
To meet this need, Ann developed a far-reaching adult literacy programme to help local people learn to read and write. She focussed on preparing primers and reading material in the Atzera language, and on training the few local people who could read as teachers.
Early in 1970 Ann met Larry Cates, an American missionary who was working as a radio operator for From 1958 -1959 Ann studied at Auckland Teachers’ Wycliffe Bible Translators at the mission base in College then taught for three years, including two Ukarumpa. Ann lived in a local village and so their years at her old primary school in Matakana. On courtship was largely conducted via short wave Sunday mornings she led a Bible class at Mahurangi radio, and they met up for the occasional date. Presbyterian in Warkworth, and helped develop an inter-church weekly bible study for young adults in Ann and Larry were married at Valley Road Baptist Church in Auckland in November1970, and returned local homes. to PNG and to work in the Aztera programme. They While studying at Bible College of New Zealand in had two children, Norman and Jenny, who have Henderson, she concurrently ran the Sunday School both gone on to achieve success in their own fields; at Valley Road Baptist Church, which became her Jenny in music and Norman in digital media. ‘sending’ church when she went overseas.
In 1986 the Cates family returned to New Zealand. Ann had always wanted to become a missionary – but They lived in Pakuranga for18 years while Norman where and with whom? One day the Lord spoke to and Jenny finished their secondary schooling and her clearly at a prayer day: “It’s Wycliffe! Ann. It’s then went to university. Wycliffe.” She contacted the Wycliffe representatives in Auckland, Neville James and his family, and the rest During those years Ann worked full-time teaching English as a Second Language at Pakuranga as they say, is history. Intermediate, while Larry worked in a Christian bookshop and at Wycliffe’s international office in Auckland. P. 6
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A TRIBUTE TO ANN & LARRY CATES (CONT'D) BY MARIE ANTICICH
Today Jenny and her husband, Bruce Eirena, also work for Wycliffe and recently served in PNG. They have blessed Ann and Larry with three lovely grandchildren, Indianna, Tynan and Arlen. In 2006 Ann and Larry moved to Warkworth and, in 2008, Ann filled in for Erin Haines as Sunday School supervisor at Mahurangi Presbyterian, when Erin became ill. Sadly, Erin passed away and Ann and Larry ran the Presbyterian Sunday School for the next nine years. The Sunday school had an average weekly attendance of 35-40 children, with a cross-section of children from different countries, including many children from Kiribati and Tuvalu. Under Ann’s tutelage, I was privileged to run the preschool Sunday School for several years, and I found that – even at this young age – the little ones were very open and receptive to the Gospel. We used the SUNZ (Scripture Union) curriculum with teachers’ books outlining lesson plans and a colourful, age-appropriate worksheet for each child. During the week Ann contacted the children’s families – often ringing them on week nights – and visiting them at home, especially if there was a need. She was strong on teaching memory verses and liked to teach verses in a variety of ways to keep the youngsters intrigued. From time to time she organised Sunday School presentations for the church congregation; and I particularly remember a memorable ‘Christmas-aroundthe-world’ production which the children performed at a combined church service in the Mahurangi College Hall. To this day Ann continues to run the SUPAkidz Club at Matakana Primary School, which she started in 2008, with the help of leaders from various denominations. Always, Larry was at Ann’s right hand, supporting and helping her in every way possible, demonstrating his servant heart and a remarkable devotion to the cause. Ann and Larry ran the Mahurangi Presbyterian Church Sunday School for nine years until 2017.
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MAY 2022
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FOOD FOR THOUGHT CHALLENGE! - EASY SCONESMakes about 9 scones Ingredients: 1 can of coconut milk or coconut cream 3 cups of self-rising flour (OR 3 cups of basic flour + 1 tp of baking powder + 1/4 tp of salt) 1 cup of chocolate chips or chopped up dates (optional) Steps: 1. Prepare the oven to 180 C 2. Mix the ingredients well in a large bowl 3. Add some chocolate chips and dates and mix well again 4. Scoop and divide the dough into about 9 cup-size scones onto an oven tray and bake for about 15 mins 5. Enjoy with butter and/or jam with your hot drink!
Share your go to EASY & BASIC recipes with us! We are asking you to share some of your easy recipes using just very basic ingredients! Our aim is to share some of our easy go-to-recipes in the food parcels we give out to the community to help them provide some ideas around cooking basic meals, easy baking or preserving food. Please bear in mind that some people may not have a proper cooking facility. Please email your recipe to: media@mahu.org.nz! P. 8
MAY 2022
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COMING UP! Wed, 8 June <Snells Beach Alpha starts> Starting at Barry and Diane Thompson's place @ 6:30pm on Weds 3 sessions <Alpha Retreat - Holy Spirit Weekend @ Berakah> Combined sessions will be held for different Alpha groups on 3 separate weekends. 10 & 11 June <Alpha Heart & Matakana Alpha (St. Andrews)> 24 & 25 June <Online Alpha & Warkworth Alpha (BeSoul)> 22 & 23 July < Snells Beach Alpha & Algies Bay Alpha> 10-12 June <Alpha Retreat - Youth Camp at One Tree Point> 𝐖𝐡𝐨: Students in Y9 - Y13 𝐂𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐎𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝟏: $90 (𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘥 4+ 𝘈𝘭𝘱𝘩𝘢 𝘕𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴) 𝐂𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝟐: $100 if you don't attend Sunday Nights Sat, 18 June <Northern Presbytery Leadership Conference> 9:30am - 2:20pm @ St. Columba, Botany, 480 Ti Rakau Drive $15 for lunch Carpooling ride leaves from church carpark at 8am Fri, 8 July <Live Cluedo - Quiz Night for all> 7pm @ Church Hall Everyone is welcome to join. Find out who the culprit is! Join to have fun with young people from the community!
CELEBRATING LIFE! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
May-01 May-03 May-07 May-08 May-12 May-14 May-15 May-18 May-19 May-21 May-23 May-24 May-24 May-26 May-28 May-29 May-31
Ben Feleti Donald Algie Megan Boyce Aidan Burridge Dilys Parry Chance Trotter Ana Fine Jayden Husselmann Joy Saleupolu Bronwyn Lane Emily Shaw Brian Dangerfield Mele Fine Gail Duncan Nasia McLennan Etitara Beia Kelly Hall
Jun-01 Jun-05 Jun-05 Jun-06 Jun-08 Jun-13 Jun-22 Jun-24 Jun-24 Jun-24
Kezia Burridge Rosanna Ball David Trotter Debbie Hall Bernie McClean James Trotter Robyn Hambleton Juliet Gilmore Trismarie Peo Moses Fine
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. 9
MAY 2022
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NOTICES Volunteers needed for Heartbeat Christian Store! Heartbeat Christian Store is looking for more volunteers to join this amazing ministry into our community! If you have a few hours spare a week or a month to join our team, Janine would love to hear from you! Text or call Janine on 0274483986
Thank you Anne Wood! Big thank you to Anne Wood for always proofreading this monthly newsletter with such kindness at last minute notice!! We cannot do this without you.
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.
Donation of items to Church As we have slowly started the process of decluttering in preparation of moving to our new building, please contact the church regarding donation goods before bringing items to site.
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