MAHU MONTHLY ISN 3
SEPTEMBER 2021
NEWS ABOUT MAHU CHURCH AND MAHU VISION TRUST
WHAT'S NEW Global Missions Healing Rooms Nick's Study Leave
HIGHLIGHTS Key updates Areas of need
OUR PEOPLE Faces of Mahu Church Celebrations
Bernie on the front cover of Mahurangi Matters
Zoom staff meeting
See p.5 for Building Update
Recent donation from the church and community enabled us tp stock up for Foodlink. (see p.3)
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SEPTEMBER 2021
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GLOBAL MISSIONS DINNER
“SPREADING THE GOOD NEWS” BY ALISHA MCLENNAN
The Global Missions Week in August ended with a Saturday night dinner, including food, a quiz, a guest speaker, and music. Some attendees wore traditional dress and brought along ethnic dishes from the countries they had been missionaries in. After dinner were musical items performed by Laite and Kanei Fine. A quiz was run and presented by Janette Grimmer, where eight teams tested their knowledge of Mahurangi Presbyterian Church’s current missionaries. Chair of the Global Missions Team David McLeod says, “Everyone that came seemed to really enjoy it.” Guest Speaker and AUT Business Lecturer John Tan discussed his passion for Cambodia. He travels with a group to the country 2-4 times a year. During these missions he and his team dig wells and share the gospel. He discussed his experiences working in a third world country and how God reveals himself in unusual ways. The event hosted approximately 80 attendees. David says “Our church has always had a heart for mission. We’ve been served by Christ, and we’ve been sent by Christ.”
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SEPTEMBER 2021 HEALING ROOMS
“GOD ENCOUNTERS” BY ALISHA MCLENNAN
The past couple of months have been busy for our Healing Rooms Ministry. Healing Rooms Director Julie Calvert has been leading Encountering God Days, these act as Healing Rooms Training Days as well as what Julie describes as “equipping the saints for the work of God”. In the last month three of these days have been held in Warkworth, Botany and Hamilton. The Warkworth Encountering God Day hosted 30 attendees. During these events, not only did Julie see healing of physical pain seen amongst the attendees, but groups experienced a fresh infilling of the holy spirit and fresh life. She recalls people telling her “I have peace to a depth I’ve never known.” Although this is currently postponed due to lockdown restrictions, traditionally the Healing Rooms regularly meets in Mahurangi Presbyterian Church on Monday mornings (11am-1pm) and Wednesday evenings (6pm-7.30pm). On Mondays the team has been meeting an hour in advance to worship, pray and prepare for the session, with Eleanor Hamilton accompanying with guitar. The last Monday before the lockdown saw seven people enter within the first 20 minutes of the session starting. The team had to split into four and use almost every room in the church. Results from these bi-weekly sessions have included reductions in medications needed, breaking of trauma from accidents, and children being able to sleep better. The lockdown has cancelled a trip to Hastings for the Healing Rooms team, but they are keeping up the Ministry through Facebook and over the phone. They are looking into other technical avenues to further aid people during this time. Julie Calvert can be contacted for further information on help from the Healing Rooms Ministry at 021 925 775.
FOODLINK
“BLESSINGS” The Foodbank has been one of the significant ways the Mahurangi community helps care for its people. Through the Covid-19 pandemic we have had 6 new volunteers from the community offer to help the foodbank on a regular weekly basis. There has also been widespread support from community groups including Warkworth Lions and Rotary Club Food Rescue, Local Schools and Mufti Days, local Business Houses and generous individuals and families. This support comes in the way of donated goods, fresh fruit and produce as well as financial donations. Earlier this year, a citrus orchard owner gave permission for volunteers to pick mandarins from his property to use in food parcels. We are extremely grateful for the flood of donations in response to the August 2021 lockdown. If you have made or intend to make a donation to the Foodlink account (Warkworth Christian Foodlink: ANZ 01-0482-0005321-11), please include a name and contact address or email so that it can be acknowledged and a tax receipt issued.
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SEPTEMBER 2021
STUDY LEAVE PROJECT
“MONASTIC HOUSE INTERNSHIP” BY ALISHA MCLENNAN
Our pastor Nick went on a study leave over June and July this year. Alisha, his daughter has interviewed him about some of the issues he went to research on. Young leaders in our community are a small commodity. While we have seen several great young leaders emerge from within our own Church’s Youth Work and our 24/7 programme. Most of these leaders eventually head off into the cities after year 13. This is not a problem limited to our church alone. Throughout the Presbytery there is a struggle to integrate younger leaders into the life of the church. "As a Presbytery I'm not convinced we have been as intentional as we could be when it comes to how we bring through younger leaders once they leave secondary education" he says. "We need a clear strategy as to how we plan to grow leaders from within our ranks,” he says. "We also need to rethink the kind of leaders we are trying to develop. Our models for training people are generally focussed on the development of skills and knowledge, rather than character. Things like patience, honesty and dependability are critical elements of leadership, but they can be difficult to address in a classroom environment.”
Currently, the AYM are running 5 houses with a total of fifty residents committed to Youth Work. These houses are attached to eight Anglican Churches throughout Wellington. Their three main focuses include daily prayer together in the morning and evenings, serving in youth work, and living out faith together in a community where they can hold each other accountable. There is a gap in the Christian community for young people as they age out of youth groups and move on to university or work. Nick says that AYM’s approach could be particularly applicable to our Warkworth situation, where most of the youth we work with move away to university, currently leaving any youth that remain feeling isolated. “A monastic house provides an environment where young adults can remain in the community in an environment that provides support and challenges them at this time in their lives,” Nick says. While there are no immediate plans to establish one of these houses in the community, if the opportunity arose to set one up Nick says he would be keen so see one up and running.
The Anglican Youth Movement in Wellington (AYM) has addressed this issue using the model of Monastic Housing. Nick visited Hutt Valley Regional Coordinator for the Anglican Youth Movement, Andy Spence, to discuss the concept and success of this model.
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SEPTEMBER 2021
ALPHA
“KEEPING CONNECTED” CHURCH LIFE
With the sudden announcement into Level 4 lockdown, the congregation has not been able to meet. Although it may have been different to the original intention of running the church Alpha sessions, it has certainly helped to build and strengthen relationships within the church to encourage and support each other. With the blessing of the Lord, incorporating the Alpha Discussion Groups has motivated many of us to keep in touch in small groups either online or over the phone, and some have even overcome the technological barrier to log into online groups. Unfortunately, the Holy Spirit Weekend will not take place this month, but the Alpha team has been in discussion to see how the last session can be catered to accommodate the current situation.
If you are currently not part of a Discussion Group and would like to join a group, please email the office (reception@mahu.org.nz). On Sunday 19, the Alpha team is looking to meet altogether for a full church meeting over Zoom at 10:30am. You will receive an invite next Thursday for those interested. Alisha McLennan has also put together an instruction on how to set up a Zoom call (online video call) on the next page. If you cannot join for any reason, please don't hesitate to phone the church, and we can accommodate to include you via other means such as through phone calls.
BUILDING UPDATE The new church building has had approximately a month’s progress underway prior to the lockdown. The current focus is working on foundations and floor slabs with Jacobson Projects. Concrete for the lift has been dug out, as well as ground floor footings. Concrete has been poured into the footings, and they were ready for inspection the day after we went into lockdown. Alert Level 4 requires that no workers can be on the building site and unfortunately essential services exclude new builds. Project Head Kevin Pyle says that last week’s weather probably would have stopped the project anyway. Workers can return at Level 3, but the footings that were ready to go before lockdown will have to be cleaned out by the time they get there. Automatic submersible pumps are clearing the water out of the footings in the meantime. “We can’t do much apart from organising behind the scenes, it’s a bit of a wait and see really,” Kevin says. The building team, along with Bill Boyce, are investigating options for getting an internet connection onto the site. This could assist communication and security purposes and will also prove reusable when the building is up and running.
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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SEPTEMBER 2021 ONLINE COMMUNICATION
“HOW TO JOIN A ZOOM MEETING” BY ALISHA MCLENNAN
We have put together a basic 'How to join a Zoom Meeting' below. If you are using a phone or tablet you must first download the Zoom app from the Google Play Store or the App Store) – it is free. If you have further questions, please don't hesitate to contact our church office. 1. Click on the link that has been sent to you (via email, facebook messenger or other form of internet messaging)
2. A new tab will open, and a pop up window showing this, click the ‘Open Zoom Meetings’ button.
3. Click ‘Join with Video’
4. This may potentially pop-up – DON’T PANIC. The host hasn’t got around to inviting you yet.
5. Click ‘Join with Computer Audio’ If you still can’t hear anything, check on your computer or tablet that the sound is on.
6. YAY YOU DID IT!!
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SEPTEMBER 2021
“ GOLDEN MARRIAGE” FACES OF MAHU CHURCH
John and Beverly Lewington are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary on 21st August. They have been interviewed about the history of their marriage and their involvement with our church. Bev was born in an orchard in Motueka as the second oldest daughter of six children. A lady at her old church taught her music, and Bev became a music teacher. She moved to Levin to teach, and this is where she met her ‘husband-to-be’ John at a Youth Group in a little church when they were still in their teenage years. Being secretly love-at– first sights, both Bev and John recall the night when John’s friend sat right in the middle of Bev and John in a car, and John was annoyed. Following this, John sulked believing this would be an unrequited love. He was met with a pleasant surprise when Bev still took a liking to John over his friend later on. They got married a few years later and then moved to Warkworth in 1976 when John got a job for the Satellite Station. They were soon blessed with three children Daniel, Joanna and Mark. Their legacy with the Youth Group at Mahu Church didn’t start until their children got a bit older. For a while, they were running a small church of their own in Snells Beach where Bev played the organ and ran a little Sunday school. It was when the oldest entered in his teenage years that they were asked to be involved with Derek and Allyson to run SCY (St. Columbo Youth), a Youth Group at Mahurangi Presbyterian Church. Derek Heckler led the team as a visionary leader along with others including Margaret Whitehead, Jude Mercer, Sharine Heywhay, Ruth Hallam, and Bev and John.
They always had activities on the weekends where the youths would socialise on Saturday nights followed by dining , studying, playing games and doing chores on Sunday nights. Every 4th Saturday, the youth took charge to plan and organise activities for themselves. “But you know, the things they love doing haven't changed. All they wanted to do was pretty much to go to someone’s house and hang out together,” John reminisces. The vibrancy of the youth group caught on in the community and attracted many young people. At one point during that time the youth group had over 100 kids. John and Bev also recall ‘the Midnight Express’ where once a year, they would hire buses that leave on Friday night that would head into the city to do activities like ten-pin bowling and ice-skating, movie watching and visiting the Parakai pools at 3am, and the long night excursion would finish with breakfast at McDonald’s at 8am in the morning. The pair also spearheaded many camps and trips such as adventures to Mt. Ruapehu and Oakridge Camp. Along with many memories they helped to create for the youths and for themselves, they also loved sharing the love of Christ. It was a full-time commitment for them for over a decade, but a fulfilling ministry. Bev and John are celebrating their 50th anniversary this year. Unfortunately, the lockdown restrictions have changed their plans from celebrating at Pyle’s Homestead in One Tree Point to their home in Warkworth; however, their love for each other over these five decades remains stronger than ever. When asked “What’s the secret for a long-lasting marriage?” Bev says “I don’t know, that’s a hard question because I’ve always been in love with him!”
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SEPTEMBER 2021 POETRY
“THE DAY OF AUGUST 27TH” It was National Poetry Day on 28th of August. Kathy Carter-Lee has emailed a few friends and family to write poems to celebrate the day. An amazing amount of talent was shown, and one poem written by one of our church members is featured to acknowledge the COVID times as well as share encouragement.
The Day of August 27th Awakening consciousness returning The curtain drawn The sky falling upon us this day as a shrouded cloak A foretaste to an announcement later in the day? The house walls fighting off the advances of warring rain, wind and cold ….maybe even the virus Work completed, ‘end meeting’ pushed Announcement delivered Lockdown has now settled in for a rather unwelcomed stay How can I make it a friend? Mine its possibilities Be thankful for its mercies Shudder at the alternative Thankful for all I have this day By Gavin McConnell
NEW JOURNALIST Some of you may have noticed that we have a new journalist that joined our Newsletter team! Alisha McLennan, a daughter of Nick McLennan has graduated with a degree in journalism from Massey University. She has volunteered to write many of the articles for this issue. Expect to see some more contributions in the coming months!
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SEPTEMBER 2021
LOCKDOWN LIFE
“PETS OF MAHU” We gathered a few photos of pets that belong to our church family. Feel free to send some photos you'd like to share for our future issues to media@mahu.org.nz!
Emmie North
Chewy McLennan
NEW JOURNALIST
Timmy Reddel
Charles Mori-Robertson
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SEPTEMBER 2021
COMING UP! Tue, 14 Sept
Fri, 17 Sept
Sun, 19 Sept
Fri, 1 Oct
Sat, 31 Oct
<Church Annual Meeting> Postponed <Heartache for Aotearoa> Postponed <Full Church Meeting Online @ 10:30am> We will aim to have an online church with everyone! Keep tuned! <Family Picnic Dinner> Subject to level changes. To be confirmed. <Kowhai Festival 2021> Combined Church Service at Mahurangi College Subject to level changes. To be confirmed.
CELEBRATING LIFE! CONGRATULATIONS!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
Sep 3 Sep 6 Sep 7 Sep 9 Sep 9 Sep 10 Sep 11 Sep 11 Sep 17 Sep 19 Sep 20 Sep 20 Sep 20
Douglas Brown Frank Grose Jenny Eirena Nick McLennan Jethro Saleupolu Pat Cooper-Jenkins Lois Flay Marie McLennan Muriel Sharp Sam Tefono Alma Mansill Kathleen Smith Rai-Toka Tumoa
Sep 22 Sep 22 Sep 23 Sep 25 Sep 26 Sep 27 Sep 28 Sep 29 Sep 29 Sep 29
Tony Georgetti Jack Lanyon Leri Teteti Bev Buttle Jaiden Armstrong Cushla Georgetti Elizabeth Page Helen Brown Ross Segedin Tekena Been-Kiataake
Happy Father's Day to all those Super Heros! We hope you all celebrated in style despite being in Lockdown...!!
If we missed your birthday, or 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).
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