The Majestic Magazine
24
CREDITS Executive Producer Leo Hanssen Editor Kimberly Mallinson & Michelle Armitage Production Manager Kimberly Mallinson Graphic Designer Contributors Leo Hanssen, Kimberly Mallinson Jim Howard, Gemma Banks Graeme Fawcett, Myriam Hooper Karin de Keijzer, Sharyn Hay Sarah Kirner, Philip Wade Robertson Family, Andre Hanssen Janika Lee-Walker, Craig Forster Olivia Bastion, Kay Jackson
“Show Love Give Hope Inspire Faith” OFFICE HOURS Mon - Tues - 10am-5pm Wed - Fri - 9am-5pm Cnr Manchester & Lichfield Sts PO Box 2223 Christchurch 8140 Phone 03 379 2781 Fax 03 366 4445 Email reception@majestic.org.nz Website www.majestic.org.nz
SENIOR MINISTERS DEPARTMENT Leo & Suzanne Hanssen Senior Ministers Allan Jackson Momentum Suzanne Hanssen She Leo Hanssen Fuse Business Division MINISTRY LEADERSHIP TEAM Leo & Suzanne Hanssen Sharyn Hay Laura Willan Andre Hanssen ADMINISTRATION DEPARTMENT Russell Hay Finance Manager Barry Jackson Facilities/Technical Manager Kimberly Mallinson Events Manager & PA to Senior Minister Sue Mackintosh Receptionist/Admin Assistant ARTS DEPARTMENT Andre Hanssen Creative Arts Minister Nathan Phillips Music Minister Elly Hanssen Dance Director Sharyn Hay CREATE Principal Julian Hay CREATE Asst. Principal & Music Director Graphic Designer/Multimedia Mike Henderson Intern INTERNATIONAL DEPARTMENT Jimmy Chae Korean Minister Do Young Kim Korean Minister YOUTH & YOUNG ADULTS DEPARTMENT Andre & Elly Hanssen Majestic Youth Ministers Jeremy & Laura Willan Rockfire Youth Ministers Barry & Rachelle Jackson Source Ministers Michele Rosewall Intern PASTORAL CARE Russell & Sharyn Hay Pastoral Care Ministers & Connect Course Directors Keith & Doris Brading Seniors’ Ministry Coordinators Kimberly Mallinson Gateway Director CHILDREN’S DEPARTMENT Sharyn Hay Children’s Ministry Director Kirsty Montgomery Juniors Director COMMUNITY ACTION Laura Willan Schools Network Director Suzanne Hanssen Sustain Director Youth Workers in Schools Jeremy & Laura Willan (Shirley Intermediate) Kezza Wardlaw (Linwood Intermediate) Laura Tuaine (Linwood Intermediate) Hannah Eder (Shirley Intermediate)
DEAR CHURCH The major event we have all experienced in the last few weeks has changed the landscape of our city forever. Not only that, but people’s lives have been turned upside down, never to be the same. In fact, I hope that none of us will ever be the same again. This is an opportune time for us to support each other and our community by showing love, giving hope and inspiring faith. We need to remember that out of adversity comes opportunity, as was so well put by our Mayor, Bob Parker at our Sunday Service on the 19th of September. The Introduction of the 15 Revolution mini series will help us in our efforts to reach people on all levels. As we move into spring, pray there will be freshness in our hearts for the season we are in. We continue to see God at work in the church across many areas, and the new roof on our Majestic building is nearly completed. We keep moving towards our church plant in Seoul. There is so much to thank God for. We will keep moving into all that God has put in our hearts. We love you church.
Leo & Suzanne
Visitors Its great to have you here with us and we’d love to get to know you more. You are invited to join us in the Welcome Lounge at the close of the morning service. Come and have a drink and meet some of the key team here at Majestic.
Congratulations New Babies Samuel Hong & Jeong Eun Seon had a daughter, Irene on 21 April Matt and Mel Clarke had a son, Nicodemus on 3 May Mike & Rachel Henderson had a son, Ethan-James, on May 20 Heath & Kiri-Lee Williams had a son, Honour-Lee on 28 May Simon & Sonya Mbonyinshuti had a son, Maurice on 6 June Henry & Christina Te Chan had a son, Kaelan on 22 June Phil & Mel Wade had a daughter, Scarlett on 26 July Darius Bridges & Kimberlee Elley had a daughter, Sadie on 27 July Dan & Kallysa Hollis had a son, Asher on 12 August Jon & Tracey Weir had a daughter, Chalise on 13 August Greg and Kelly Hay had a son, Isaac on 27 September Mel Coira had a daughter, Psalm, on October 4 Engagements Sam Reid and Jo Leahy got engaged on July 9 Jordi Duff and Brooke Fowler got engaged on 8 September Weddings Michael & Rosetta Ah Tong were married at Majestic House on Saturday 21 August
All Church Prayer Friday 1st October & Friday 5th November First Friday of each month from 6:00-7:30pm at Majestic.
Submerge Sunday 24 October & 21 November 2010 Submerge is our monthly water baptism service. It is an opportunity for those new to the faith to demonstrate they are committed to following Jesus. Fourth Sunday of each month following our 6pm mX service. Sign up for our next Submerge at the Information Desk or contact Kimberly: kim@majestic.org.nz or 379 2781
A Girl Called Hope Walk Saturday 30th October North Hagley Park Register to walk 5km and help fundraise by getting sponsorship from friends and family. Join us in raising money to directly help transform the lives of young New Zealand women in need. Give her a future and a hope. www.agirlcalledhope.org.nz SHE goes out for coffee. Majestic women, after the completion of the walk we will all be heading out to THE COFFEE HOUSE for a catch up (290 Montreal St)
Gateway Courses Gateway is a great way to get connected into church life if you are a new follower of Jesus, or just new to Majestic and wanting to grow in your faith. This year we are offering: Following Jesus an 8 week discipleship course covering key foundations of faith. Following Jesus runs on a Monday evening from 7.30-9.30pm. Cost is $15. You may join us at any stage during the 8 weeks. For more info or to register please contact Kim at the church office: kim@majestic.org.nz or 379 2781
Gravity Camp 2010 Registration starts 6pm Friday October 8th. Camp finishes 9am Sunday October 10th. Living Springs, Governors Bay. Our guest speakers are Craig and Nadia Clark who are the Youth Pastors of LIFE in Auckland and National Directors of Get Smart. Cost is $95 per person or $10 per meeting (no meals). Bring Bible, pen, notebook, togs, towel, toiletries, sleeping bag, pillow, PJ’s, sports gear and extra cash. Please arrange your own transport to and from camp.
Seniors Friday 15th October Seniors Coffee Morning 10am. Addington Coffee Co-op Friday 19th November Seniors Christmas Luncheon 12pm. Third Floor, Majestic.
Momentum Box Car November Wilson Bedford Row Carpark Building. Email Allan Jackson to join a team allanjacko@hotmail.com. Spectators welcome
Believe Tour Monday 29th - Tuesday 30th November - 7.30pm - Majestic Kubala Ministries would like to invite you to be a part of the CITY WIDE ‘Believe Tour’ with one of the world’s leading healing evangelists, Andrew Kubala. Don’t miss this opportunity!
Create Term 4 Timetable
Create Academy is offering open classes during term 4. Register for classes by emailing create@majestic.org.nz
A Miracle Border Crossing Karin de Keijzer
One of the many challenges of living for 10 years in Central Asia was obtaining my yearly visa. It’s like running a marathon! Kazakhstan recently changed the law yet again making it impossible to extend your visa while in Kazakhstan. This means travelling to neighbouring Kyrgyzstan. On Monday 5th April, Marina, one of our leaders, and I left for the nearest Kazakhstan Embassy in Bishkek. The following day we arrived at the Kazakh Embassy to be told that Foreign Affairs hadn’t yet sent the necessary papers through. Snails pace is quite normal in this part of the world! In our rented accommodation that night, Marina and I were woken by loud voices, sirens and gunshots as the small nation of Kyrgyzstan descended into chaos. We were right in the thick of the beginnings of a coup. Protesters angry at President Kurmanbek Bakiyev managed to overthrow his government and claim partial control of the country as the President f led to the south of the country. Approximately 75 protestors were killed and hundreds wounded in clashes with police. There was grave concern that a civil war might break out between Bakiyev’s supporters in the south and opposition party members in the north. Despite the situation an amazing peace came over us. Before leaving for Bishkek the Lord had given me the scripture, “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him and he delivers them”. Psalm 34:7 The following day in the midst of the chaos and looting, we cautiously returned to the Kazakhstan Embassy only to be told that because of the volatile situation, they would
not be opening the Embassy and the border between Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan was closed. We remained calm and enveloped in God’s amazing peace even after receiving this news. There was a real feeling that we were being upheld in prayer at this time. Several days later I was finally able to obtain my new Kazakhstan visa. When we heard rumours that the border could be open again on Sunday 11th April, both Marina and I felt that we should try to return to Kazakhstan, and took a taxi to the border. This was usually an extremely busy border but I was amazed to see no other cars or people apart from the soldiers and customs officials. We showed our passports and walked across the border into Kazakhstan. On the Kazakh side of the border crossing we were searched thoroughly. When the guard picked up my handbag he pulled out my Kazakhstani money. Usually I wear a money belt but that morning I had put my money in my handbag. I was also carrying quite a few American dollars and wasn’t sure what would happen. I prayed, “Lord, please make seeing eyes blind”. At that very moment the guard was distracted as two strangers suddenly arrived in the line. As he looked away, I took the money out and slipped it into my coat. The guards waved us through and the two strangers disappeared as quickly as they had come. Marina couldn’t believe what she had seen and we thanked the Lord for this awesome miracle. The Kazakh taxi driver driving us the 5 hours back to Almaty, was amazed that we made it through as the borders were closed! I always travel on my Dutch passport in Central Asia and the following day I was called by the Dutch Consulate in Bishkek. She too was bewildered and said, “It’s not possible that you crossed the border as the borders are still closed”. I love miracles and it was great to be part of one. I truly believe angels escorted us across the border and that the Lord made seeing eyes blind. We really do serve a miracle working GOD!
Handing over the leadership and leaving Kazakhstan God has greatly blessed us with His favour over the years we have worked in Central Asia. A strong national team and ministry have been raised up and over 7,000 people have completed the various courses Paula and I have written. To date, over 1,000 Babushka’s have met Jesus and over 100,000 copies of our magazine have been distributed over Central Asia. Countless lives and families have been changed by the healing power of Jesus. Majestic Church has been a part of this through prayers and giving. In 2009 we left Aglow International and became a national ministry. Pastors and church leaders are excited by this and we have been told many times, “Now you are one of us”. It also safeguards the work as the government is investigating all foreign organisations. The inf luence of Islam continues to grow stronger in this region and there is no way of knowing how long the doors of opportunity will stay open. In early May we passed the work onto our national leadership and said our many goodbyes. Although for me, a big part of my heart will always stay in Central Asia, I feel privileged to be able to pass the work on to a strong national team. This has always been a dream of mine and I know now is the right time. Our teams are already being asked to speak in different parts of the region, on ‘Healing of the Soul, God’s Restoration of Life’s Hurts’. It is my hope that I will be able to return each year to visit the team and give them much needed encouragement. We certainly serve a ‘BIG GOD’ and I am so thankful that He who started this work in Central Asia will bring it forth to completion.
Thank you as a church for being part of this work in Central Asia.
“
Family Corner
Grab Your Children And Read Together
“And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28: 20b These are Jesus’ last words that He said to His followers 2000 years ago but He also said these words to everybody that would follow Jesus after that – which means you and me! Jesus’ promise to us means that He is with us always - every single moment of every single day. When we get up in the morning, right through the day and every moment that we are asleep at night – Jesus is with us! He promises to be with us in the good times and the bad times and even in the sad times. We are so blessed to know that when we are afraid – Jesus is with us. We can give Him our fear and He will give us back peace! There’s an awesome story in the Bible about three young men who followed after God with all their hearts. Their names were Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. They loved God so much that they were prepared to be thrown
into a fiery furnace instead of bowing down to an idol that the King had made. These young men were so sure of how big their God was and they even said – “We know that our God can save us but even if he doesn’t we will NOT bow down”. The King was so mad that the young men would dare to disobey him that he made the furnace seven times hotter than normal. It was so hot that the guards who threw the young men in died! But then a miracle happened – the King couldn’t believe what he was seeing because there were now four men in the furnace and the extra one looked like a son of a God! Jesus was with these young men and they were saved! They came out of the fire and even their clothes didn’t smell. Jesus wants us feel His presence and know His peace deep down in our hearts no matter what happens around us (even in earthquakes) and to be sure of this for the rest of our lives Jesus is with us! Sharyn Hay
Cities and Nations Graeme Fawcett
Can you give us a taste of Shulam? We were visiting our friends, Ben and his mum, squeezed round a tiny table in their one room apartment. Ben asked Lucy about her faith. She shared how she was saved from a Buddhist family, how Jesus transformed her life – and her family as well. Ben was quiet for a moment, then said, “I want become a Christian, too.” His mum chimed in, “We should both become Christians.” A week later, they turned their lives over to Jesus – and were baptized right away. Since then they have been filled with the Holy Spirit and are sharing the gospel with friends and making disciples. At least 3 of Ben’s friends have come to Jesus. So you guys have been living in Shulam – wherever that is? Well, it’s a code word for the place in Central Asia where we work where 20 million Muslims live. And yes, we have spent a year there. For the 2 of us, our focus is to share the vision with people and prepare the ones God calls into Shulam – “mobilizing” is what we call it. We felt like we needed a year in Shulam ourselves so we would have a better idea of
what we were inviting others to do. Have you managed to lure anyone into going there? We have an amazing team, all from Christchurch. 3 couples with 4 children, and one single lady, in the city where Greg and Kelly Hay were living, and one young couple just moved into another city. They are all doing so well, loving people and making disciples. Are you still living there? No, we figure we’ve suffered enough! We are based back in Japan; but now it’s time for us to reconnect with the sending churches here. We need to report back … and “blow the trumpet” to call more young people into the nations – making disciples just like Jesus taught us to do! We are passionate about helping young people seize their destiny in God, maybe for the nations but definitely for the Kingdom of God! How long are you here for? Apart from going to Mozambique in November, we are here till the end of February. Time to reconnect with this amazing Majestic family!
Album Review Newworldson
Newworldson’s self-titled album is the third that has been released from the gospel group. Fronted by Joel Parisen, the Canadian born group sets a unique vibe, different to that of typical Christian music. Although primarily from a Jazz, Soul and Blues background, Newworldson explores various genres inspired from their world travel, producing an eclectic combination of tracks. Tracks range from the up-tempo funk of “You Set the Rhythm” to the melancholic feel of “O Lament”. Every track offers the listener something new and different to listen and ponder; as Christian themes are often referenced in subtle poetry within the lyrics. Their
Book Review Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God
To be honest as I entered the Christian bookstore I was unsure of what kind of book I was going to leave with. As I was scanning all the possibilities and considering recommendations from people within the store, it was the title above anything else that drew me to this book. As I stood there and read the title I thought to myself “I could do with some crazy love” and so it was decided.
first single from the album “There is a Way”; a pop ballad, translating a message of hope in a lost world, peaked at number 2 on the US Billboard Magazine Christian Music Charts in early 2010. Listening to Newworldson produces an array of emotions and thoughts. Their well thought out lyrics challenge world norms and Christian faith through stories and worship. This paired with their amazing musical talent provides an album that does more than just entertain and is suitable for any fragment of life. I recommend vacuuming to “Do You Believe in Love?” As one of my personal favourite live acts from Parachute festival 2010, Newworldson blew me away with not only their musical talent, but with the Sprit that their music carried, impacting many lives at the festival. This same Sprit can be experienced through listening to this album. This is why I highly recommend at least a listen. Meditate on their lyrics and allow the Holy Sprit to move within you and if you can make sure you catch them live at Parachute 2011. Sarah Kirner starts to challenge the reader. Through the next few chapters questions arise to provoke thought and self-criticism. Chan uses various testimonies and stories backed with scripture to illustrate his points and relate them to the reader. He claims that the reason he wrote this book is because he believes that “much of our talk does not match our lives”, that we need to take our relationship with God seriously, not because we should, but because God deserves the very best of all that we can give Him.
Francis Chan begins the book by exploring the greatness of God and in doing this challenges how you look at God. He challenges the reader to stop “talking at God”, and instead explore who God actually is through creation, through life, through His Word.
I chose this book because of the title. Initially I thought this book was about God’s love for His people. And although Chan’s writing style isn’t the most technical and tends to use extremes, the more I read I realised that it was actually about living a life out of a crazy love for God. This is simply because He is a great God and He deserves it. This book helped me question where I was at in my relationship with God. It challenged my perception of Him and highlighted areas that I need to improve on. I would recommend this book to someone who wants to challenge their thinking and who maybe struggling with their relationship with God. It brings you back to basics and highlights the splendour of our God, “His perfect holiness, by definition, assures us that our words can’t contain Him. Isn’t it a comfort to worship a God we cannot exaggerate?”
After setting the foundation of who God is, Chan then
Sarah Kirner
Meet a Majestic Family The Robertsons
Dad - John, Mum - Sharon and their teenage kids - Martin, Melissa, Katrina and Sarah. When and what first brought you along to Majestic? When we returned in 2009 from living temporarily in Auckland, we moved into Christchurch rather than North Canterbury where we had been previously. We spent about a year visiting various churches including Majestic. We were primarily looking for a church with a vibrant youth group for our children. What do you love most about being a part of this church? Life Groups. What were you doing before you came to Majestic? The last church we were a part of was Life Christian Centre in Rangiora – we were there for about four years and very involved. Prior to this we were life members at South City Christian Centre. We are heavily involved in the business world owning and running Hearing Technology (an audiology practice) in Auckland, Christchurch and Timaru, and Medica Consulting (a workplace health monitoring company). We see the business world as an essential “pillar of society” and are totally committed to seeing transformation in this arena.
What has been one of your families highlights over the past year? A family highlight this year was seeing Melissa baptised at Majestic, and Martin becoming involved in the band as a drummer. Martin, Melissa, Katrina and Sarah, you are part of Majestic Youth. What do you love most about Majestic Youth? We love being part of the D-groups, being part of the youth committee (Martin) and going to mX on Sunday nights. How do you involve yourselves in the church? Sharon is involved in the SHE Women’s committee, and volunteers in the kitchen. Going to D-groups, and Life Groups, Fuse Business events etc. What are you looking forward to for the remainder of 2010? Roll on Christmas holidays! 2010 has been an extremely busy and challenging year for us. If you could give some advice to people reading this what would that be? It is important to be clear on what sphere of influence you are called to, even if that doesn’t fit the traditional model of church. Get very focussed on this and give it your all – this is your purpose and this is where you have been given Kingdom authority and can expect to see transformational breakthrough.
God Is Love Jim Howard
Have you ever wondered why God made creation? When we think of creation we often think of the stars, but what about Adam and Eve? They were to rule over creation, so it is no wonder man has been to the moon. God made man after His own image. Now, there is a wild statement. God made all things just because He decided to – but why? Just consider for a moment: how would you define creation? It is more than the stars and mankind. God decided that water would be needed for all sorts of life, so He made one atom of hydrogen to combine with two atoms of oxygen. To do this, He created the parts of atoms and the unlimited combinations of atoms to make an infinite number of materials. This is where man comes in to continue creation. When God made creation He really did create man in His own image, and so enabled him to exploit creation. A great responsibility! Creation, then, is vastly beyond our ability to define. It is without limit. But why create something that, in some sense defines God? As we know, Adam and Eve sinned thus removing mankind from intimate fellowship with God. Mankind, however, still had the
ability to continue with limitless creation, but the sin of Adam and Eve broke the main point of God’s reason for creation. God never had a ‘plan B!’ God always intended to have intimate fellowship with those He created in His own image. Intimate fellowship cannot be defined and explained because it is the merging of spirits. Can you grasp the fact that God wanted such merging with His creation? As Jesus said, “He is in us and we are in Him.” God cannot be diverted from His plan and His original purpose and as such, He had an extravagant plan to fulfill this purpose. He sent His Son, Jesus, to be a sacrifice in order to restore this broken fellowship between Himself and mankind. Amazingly, the offer of intimate fellowship is without cost to us! We are simply asked to believe. Obviously, there is much depth to this belief, but the essential thing is that this fellowship is a free gift. By grace we are saved and we cannot do anything to earn or merit salvation. From now on we are free from the law and from works. God simply blesses us, and we, out of love, obey Him. Words cannot express the depth of this glorious and majestic blessing. The choice is ours, because God has determined in Himself to bless us! So, why did God create creation? He did it for all who will receive of Him and believe. God is love.
Meet the Artist Olivia Bastion
Olivia Bastion is an avant-garde artist who has found her home within a group of Collective Artists who are all part of our Majestic community. Her artworks are both experimental and innovative in style. Her paintings push beyond the norm or expected to express a message that will provoke thought and reaction about today’s culture. How long have you been at Majestic? I’ve been in and out of Majestic for the past few years but finally settled down and have been here solidly for almost a year. How would you describe Majestic in one sentence? It’s a lively and exciting church that’s always trying to push the boundaries with spreading God’s Word.
which helped inspire me to expand my own creativeness. But my love for art really started to pick up near the end of high school when I became a lot more interested in character drawing, graffiti and stencil artwork. It was my sister who brought me my very first can of Montana Hardcore and my friend Holly who took me out painting that truly got me hooked on graffiti. How do you incorporate your belief in God into your art? Recently it’s been the characters I’ve been creating to represent God in many different ways. How do you use your art to translate a message? With the last exhibition I was in I focused mainly on characters to translate the message I wanted to express, which was ‘Ready for War’. I created characters that represented how we should be for the Lord; armed and ready and clothed in the His Spiritual Armour as we’re always in battle. I tend to send a more aggressive message rather than something that says “happy happy joy joy”. Is there something that God has really challenged you about this year? For me to stop procrastinating with everything I do in life, and to become very, very patient. Haha!
What kind of artist are you? Describe. To be truly honest I’m not quite sure? The closest I could try to describe myself as an artist would probably be ‘Experimental Modern Day Artist.’ Because I’m always trying to use what’s around me and with what I can afford to express myself. Can you pin point what or remember who first inspired you to do what you do? I’ve been inspired by plenty of different people in many different areas throughout my life. When I was young I would always watch in awe as my older brother and sister would do amazing drawings of many different characters and do paintings on their bedroom walls. Both my parents are very creative in their own way;
What dreams do you have for the future? Where do you see your art going? I’m at a crossroads with what I’m doing with my future and my art. But I do have big dreams of always travelling the world and getting any chance I can to meet plenty of different artists and people. Do you have any words of wisdom for aspiring artists? Absorb everything creative around you. Don’t let people tell you how you should be doing your art; because it could be the only thing that allows you to express who you are. If you just mould to what other people say you should be doing, then you could end up trapped in so many ways with how you feel inside. Do what you feel with art. Don’t look back. Trust that God will always inspire you.
Christchurch Earthquake Saturday 4 September 2010 Christchurch Earthquake Saturday 4 September 2010 At times like this, when we have just experienced a traumatic event which has affected our whole city, it can make us wonder “Where are you God?” Take heart in knowing that God is in the middle of it with us. We may have been challenged about our trust in God. Where is our trust and what are the things that shake our lives? The Bible tells us that everything that can be shaken will be shaken, because God wants what is left in our lives to be that which is pure, that which is Him, that which He wishes to bring forth in our lives for the saving of cities and nations. That is His body, church and bride! His bride will be totally and utterly perfect in everyway. That is what we are becoming. At times like this,
that is what God is doing or wanting to do in our lives. He wastes no opportunity. The earth shook and God goes “I don’t like that happening for people, but what I can bring out of this is something beautiful and something good.” The story of Elijah running in fear and hiding from the Prophets of Baal in 1 Kings 19 brings us answers about where God is in the midst of turmoil. The Lord came to Elijah in the cave he was hiding inside on Mt Sinai and asks him “What are you doing here, Elijah?” (V9). What place does today find you in? Is it a place you should be at? Is it a place of transition? Some of us have had bigger things happen to our situations than others have. The disappointment we are feeling is very valid as we are human after all. But it is how we process these times that are even more important – we
can’t stay where we are. Elijah had a great big sob story for God. “I have zealously served the Lord God Almighty. But the people of Israel have broken their covenant with you, torn down your altars, and killed every one of your prophets. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.” (V10). At times like this we can feel like we are the only one that is going through what we are going through, but know that you are not alone in your fears and feelings. We all felt the earthquake. We can share our stories together and let God use these times to build into our lives His strength, grace and power. This is a time not to be wasted. It is a time when God can do something amazing. God said to Elijah “I want you to go out and stand on the mountain. A mighty windstorm hit the mountain. Rocks were torn lose but God was not in the storm. After the wind storm there was an earthquake, but God was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake there was a fire, but God was not in the fire. After the fire there was a sound of a gentle whisper. God wasn’t in the wind, earthquake or fire BUT HE WAS THERE because Elijah saw Him pass by. In the middle of an earthquake – we can know that God was there with us. The earth shook because it was time to shake… God was not the cause of the earthquake, but He was there and He is with us no matter what we face and no matter what our fears are. To have fear is normal. What we never need the enemy to do is to take that fear and make us fearful people. Don’t stay where you are in fear and anxiety, it may mean getting some counselling or help. Allow the Holy Spirit to work in you and through you. Don’t allow the enemy to have victory in this situation. We can stand tall and strong in God and know we are not living ruled by fear. (1 John 4:18 says that Perfect Love drives out fear). Allow the love of God to touch your life. Everybody is deserving of God’s love. These are days of mercy and grace. Days of God’s blessing and favour. They are days to hold with responsibility and honour. We need to thank God for these days we live in. Thank Him for saving our city. Stuff is stuff but people are people. Everyone is still here and able to hear the gospel of Jesus.
Brick buildings that hadn’t been earthquake strengthened shook until they came down. God wants to do this in our lives too. Allow the Holy Spirit to shake in our lives what He needs to shake. Let the old brick buildings of your life come down to make space for something new. What the something new is going to be is a big question. God wants to build something new, attractive, beautiful, prosperous and attractive that will bring all the blessing that God wants to bring to us and to our city. Twenty years ago our city of Christchurch was given a prophetic word by Rick Joyner “our city would be a city of refuge.” God can’t speak a prophetic word over His city and then have a huge loss of life. God has proved through this earthquake that our city is a safe place to be. We are a city of safety and refuge. A prosperous city. We need to get these things in our hearts and spirits and start declaring them out. Believe what God is doing here. We want our city to be all that God intends it to be. These are great days for our city and as God’s people we have a chance to be involved with the rebuilding and seeing change come to individuals. Change in a city does not just come through infrastructure but also through changed people and changed lives “I AM FEELING LIKE GOD IS ABOUT TO DO SOMETHING WONDERFUL HERE IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS. What we are suffering is a devastating event in one sense, but a unifying event in another sense. It is going to bring prosperity to your city. I am speaking prosperity in more than the financial sense. Prosperity of spirit, belief, community, wealth, culture, influence, health… coming out of the city of Christchurch. You can’t have a prosperous outcome if you haven’t been singing as you have “GOD DEFEND NEW ZEALAND.” Even though people have been scared, your city is supporting one another. People are being looked after. Australia sings about their mineral wealth…our anthem is about dirt, and you sing about God. You can’t have an open heaven without that. That is why I know God is working all things together for good (Romans 8:28).” Jeff Crabtree, Sunday 5 September 2010
Source
Source Fashion Experience
Walking down the stairs into the underground bar, music blaring - you would think there was some nightclub commotion on. Alas, tonight Concrete Club was hosting a church event – Source Fashion Experience. An informal fashion show where emerging clothing labels within our church – and also local fashion stores; join together and present their latest collections. What made this night extra cool were the performances throughout the night amongst the different collections. This made you feel like you could get the most out of each collection without feeling bombarded with all of the outfits at once. A few items that stood out from the collections were; the Gold Digga dress by Jordi Duff, which was a short gold synthetic dress, with a tasselled
hood. Another was an outfit by Porcelain; which was a cute Russian party skirt – a highwaisted red and white striped skirt teamed with a plain black starlight top. Nathan Phillips and Ningtoutau Ben Ezra performing “Sunday Morning” by Maroon Five in matching shirts and ties added a slightly eccentric note to the night, heightening the whole atmosphere. Another great moment was the super awkward hug demonstrated by the infamous Barry Jackson and Keza Wardlaw who were the MC’s for the evening. Fingers crossed this event will be on the calendar next year (or even possibly sooner) as it definitely is something you don’t want to miss! Gemma Banks
Korea Team 2010 Reports
From our trip last year we were able to get feedback and see what God had done, in par ticular the Tamarik i School, which after our visit last year experienced a huge boost. The School has now quadr upled in size and ever y thing is going really well, so that was great to hear from the Directors of the School. They thanked us again for coming and investing into their students and praying for the blessing of God to be on them. I believe we will hear more of these stories as we go back again and plant a Majestic church. The team did a fantastic job and were ver y encouraging, comfor ting, inspiring and made a lasting impact on all. The team really got the feel for Majestic in Seoul and what God is ask ing us to bring to that place. Exciting times are ahead! Andre Hanssen
Korea was awesome! I loved how the people were so nice and ver y generous. My favourite par t of the trip was meeting the Nor th Koreans because when you hear their stories you realise they have gone through so much, yet they are still happy and generous and they never give up on God. I was really inspired by the trip and God was speak ing to me heaps. God became more real to me. I had never experienced God like I did on the trip to Korea. I really got a hear t for the people of Korea and really want to go back there one day. Janika Lee-Walker
Korea Trip 2010 Sarah Kirner’s Blog
Day 1 We arrive in Seoul at 8ish after 15 hours of f lying. Greeted with a banner (Majestic Eagles) and handmade bunches of f lowers made of paper and candy- amazing. Drive into the city. It’s insane how small you feel when amongst millions of people (11
Day 6 At 7pm we had prayer meeting. Ps Jimmy (aka Albi) led. What an amazing night. Jimmy challenged us to pray with thankfull hearts. We spent time sharing what we were most thankful for and then spent time praying for others. Ps Jimmy lead so well, it got me
million) and high buildings. Walk the streets, eat the food, smell the smells. Met some beautiful people. Their ser vant hearts challenge me. Sleep at 2ish on the thinnest mattresses I have ever seen ha ha. I love Korea!
really excited about the future for Majestic. Ps Jimmy is definitely the man for the job.
Day 3 5am start. Packed our bags and headed to early morning prayer meeting at Ps Kim’s church. It’s pretty much like a normal church ser vice but at 6am in the morning. Ever y person is a fierce prayer. Not a silent voice in the place. We then are taken to a Pastor’s church who is a wanted man for all his work with North Korean refugees. We watch a DVD about his ministr y. SO CHALLENGING. Two hour drive to a youth camp where we spent the night. We performed at 7pm. The crowd went insane. It’s amazing how the arts translate into any language. It transformed the atmosphere. After the performance we were mobbed by all the young people wanting photos. Julian was a favorite. A ll the girls thought he looked like Edward from Twilight.
Day 7 We made our way to a television studio. Ps Kim asked us to perform on her talk show, WHAT! We did three songs. A local Korean song, Art of Love (this song is going to haunt me forever), and Scales. They seemed to go well. It was such an honour to be asked. We have seen so much favour on the trip and we have only been here a week! It was interesting performing to a camera, quite a lot harder than I thought. An amazing experience. After the show we met up with Tim from Virus and we went up to N Tower. The tower is situated in the middle of Seoul, on top of a hill and has 360 degree view of the city. To get to the tower we had to walk up about 1km of stairs. It was hard work as it was really hot. Ps Jimmy managed to transform his top into a little cropped number. Very fashionable. Unfortunately there was over an hour wait so we didn’t get to the top, but the view from the base was enough to take my breath away. And all the barriers have locks attached to them with love notes inscribed or written on them. So romantic. Swoon.
Day 8 Woke at 8am and made our way via subway to COG. At the subway I was last in the queue to get on and all of the sudden the doors started to close before I could get on. Luckily Dave and another local (my heroes) saw them closing and pried them open enough for me and my bag to get through. My heart was beating so fast. At COG we were taken to Seoul Community University where we did a performance beside the cafeteria. It was a really tough crowd. Ps Jimmy was saying that they were really resistant to any talk about church. We then went to a subway station and did a performance there. It was about 30 degrees outside so you can image how hot it was for the dancers. They were literally dripping with sweat. It went well, a good crowd watched.
found this funny because the sea is anything but clean. It was day 2 of the festival when we arrived but it seemed like a desert wasteland. No one was there. We were introduced to the festival director and given lunch (too fishy for me). There were heaps of children around so we spent some of the evening playing sneak up granny with them. Keza is really great with the kids. They all seem to flock to him. We watched some of the show and then went home. We are staying at this motel/dog reserve, ha ha. Korea apparently has a sacred dog, the only breed they won’t eat! The motel us situated next to a lake and dense forest. Simply divine. Very quiet and relaxing. We have a girl’s room, which is big. We sleep on blankets on the floor; literally thin duvets on hard lino floors. Sleep is sleep when you are tired.
Day 9 Awoke bright and early at 5am to catch a cab to the bus station. When we arrived we waited for ages for Ps Jimmy and his house load to arrive. We found out that we were at the wrong station, lucky the correct one was just across the road. We catch a bus to the beach festival, which was about 4 and a half hour drive. The rural scenery of South Korea
Day 10 We went into the festival at 1pm for our sound check. It went well. The stage was solid concrete. Sound check was great. Baz is the sound master. We went for a swim. Met some interesting characters. The beach was packed, as it was really muggy and hot. Had another swim, threw seaweed at Keza. We were the first act on at 7pm and so we
is hard to describe. It’s kind of like a chaotic Canterbury. Lots of dense forest and hills. Everything is overgrown, scraps (i.e. cars) are common, yet it is extremely beautiful and green. It was easy to observe as there wasn’t a lot of repetition. We arrive at the festival which is titled “clean sea, clean music”. I
performed to a small crowd. Elly showed her video clip. It was amazing. It blew me away, next level. All the performances went great; the crowd grew with each song. It was heaps of fun. After the show the team went and signed autographs, I mingled with our fans, weird. Signed a few boys t-shirts,
got to trial my autograph signature that I have had since I was little. We met a gospel 3-piece boy band from Seoul. They were very attractive, swoon. They gave us free CDs; I’m yet to listen. We hung around and
passionate, cool crew. We have a lot to learn from them as a whole. The service ended with a jam. So proud of our team. Day 13
watched some of the acts. They were amazing musicians but it was a shame that they weren’t playing original music. Hillsong is still a firm favorite. We joined in with the crowd beside the stage and instantly became favorites for the cameras close up. We must of stood out like sore thumbs. Had a cool chat with a girl called Jo in the crowd. She was cute.
A f t er chu r ch t he or ga n i ser s f r om t he beach fest iv a l met up w it h u s a nd t ook u s out for cof fee. W hat a n honou r it wa s, God ha s show n u s so much favou r. T hey spoke a bout how we wer e a g i f t f r om God, t hat t hey wer e wa nt i ng t o cont i nue t o work w it h u s i n t he f ut u r e i nv it i ng u s t o t he fest iv a l aga i n nex t yea r. So a ma z i ng.
Day 11 We arrived back in Seoul to be greeted by a Pastor from Fun Church who kindly shouted us lunch. He then took us in the bus to Fun Church. What an amazing church. Such cool
Day 16 We awoke nice and early at 4.30am and prepared for our 3-day stay at COG camp. We went to camp in a bus. It took us 2 hours to get to our destination and the last 30 mins
facilities. Ps Park is really cool. We prepared our set for the shared service with His Pop (a Christian hip hop crew). Ps Leo and Suzanne arrived. It was so nice to see them and get a big hug. Ps Leo preached, he was awesome. His Pop were really amazing. They are such a
was uphill on an uneven road so it kind of felt like a roller coaster. The campsite was amazing. It’s situated on the mountain, in the middle if nowhere. The scenery is breathtaking, vast bush and waterfalls. There was even a fresh water pool, which
takes water from the waterfall, pumps it into the pool and then filters it back into the river. There are 3 levels in the main building. Such an amazing facility. We started almost 3 hours later than planned. Ps Andre spoke an inspiring message about Majestic and creativity. I performed Tightrope, which was fun. We finished with some worship. Our God is An Awesome God with beat boxing. Day 17 We woke up at 6.30am and prepared for practice at 7.30am. We met in the hall and
practiced for a drama called ‘Follow’ that Julian wrote. We practiced through breakfast and the morning started at 9.30am. ‘Follow’ went really well. They loved it. We went and had a break. Ps Kim invited the whole team up to her private quarters for dinner. We had Korean curry with rice and bread. Super yummy. It was a real honour to share tea with her and the elders of COG. We had lots of laughs. One of the Professors insisted that we looked at the view from the dining area before we sat down and ate. It was breath taking. Lush forest coated in a mist of rain, with the sound of a gentle waterfall. I had a
Psalm 19 moment. The night meeting started directly afterwards. It lasted 6 hours!! We started with worship and Ps Kim spoke a message about frequency. To be honest it’s really hard to sit on your bum and focus on a message for that long so a lot of the message went over my head. We ended the night with song and dance. It was so much fun. In reflection, Korea is a beautiful country. Full of many different opportunities and possibilities. The people are extremely friendly, faithful, loving and generous.
The city is vibrant, overflowing in culture and mystery. But the main thing I noticed about Korea is that there truly is a place for Majestic in their society. The Korean church has a lot to give and in many ways it is amazing. But there is a gap and I believe that God has blessed Majestic with the ability and solution to help fill that gap. Korea seems to be driven by status, money and is highly inf luenced by pop culture. The present church doesn’t seem to be reaching the younger generations, thus limiting their inf luence. This is insane because they are Korea’s future and these are the people we have a heart and calling for.
The Big Idea Following Jesus FOLLOW – THE 10 STEPS JESUS GAVE TO US 1. ONE LOVE - Mark 12:30 Love is something to be experienced. It is something to feel. It is bigger than anything else. Jesus is love personified from heaven. We can thank God that He sent His son Jesus to earth to show us what true love can really look like and the power it can have. Real love is that He loved us first, even before we recognise and accept this love. We need to recognise and realise that no matter where our lives have been in the past or where they will go in the future, God cannot love you anymore than what He does right now. His love has been complete for your life from the time of your conception to the time you die. We need to recognise and realise that God IS love. He doesn’t just do or express love. When we look at Peter’s response to his encounter with Jesus in John 21, we see Peter running over the water towards the shore. The first time Peter did the water thing it was about him doing what Jesus could do. This time it was about getting to Jesus and reconnecting with His love and letting go of his guilt and shame. Being someone of importance or inf luence comes from a place of followership. It starts with getting wet and messy – running to where Jesus is. His love is drawing us and waiting for a response. Perhaps it is time to let blame, shame, anger, guilt and resentment go. If you let walls that divide you and God, or you and someone else come down, God’s Love is able to surround you with a wall of safety and protection.
2. TURN – 2 Corinthians 5:17 The literal meaning of sin means to miss the mark. God has a plan for you and a plan for every person. There is a path we are called to walk in that He has planned for us - it is a sinless path. Unfortunately it is not going to happen because we have all missed the mark. Good and evil has been right through society since the day Adam and Eve chose to disobey God and eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Sin has fruit and consequences. Not trusting God and going our own way and doing our own thing is sin. Look at Eve and what happened when she started conversing with the enemy – she became confused and tripped up because lies and truth were mixed together. “You won’t die” – a lie, as God said they would die if they ate the fruit. “God knows your eyes will be opened if you eat it, knowing good and evil” – the truth that God had told them. You’ve crossed the line when you decide that God might not actually mind about your sin. If you come forward a few thousand years – you will see Jesus hanging on a cross. History f lew back to the beginning with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden where they made a decision to go their own way and disobey God’s one and only command. Jesus took Adam and Eve’s disobedience and placed it upon Himself. We can’t forget the cost of the price He paid every time we sin. That price should keep us from sinning. Jesus is our antidote for sin. His story has changed the face of history. To get out of sin we have to do something – repentance. This should be a part of our normal everyday lives. Repentance means to change direction. We turn around from disobedience and walk another way – towards Jesus. Every time we turn our lives around towards God in repentance, it is just Jesus saying “follow me”. With repentance we have to engage our minds – our minds need to be renewed to be transformed. Jesus will change our heart, but we have control over our thoughts and thinking processes. The enemy did not force Eve to sin. She chose to listen and disobey God. It is the same for us – we choose to sin. 3. SUBMERGE – Galatians 2:20 Acts 8 tells the story of Phillip’s encounter with an Ethiopian eunuch. It is a great reminder to us all, that without being involved
in the lives of people, the opportunities for people to come and know about Jesus diminish. God has called the church to make a difference in people’s lives and to help point them to Jesus. We are called to be believers who live the life of Christ and who have our hearts and lives open to the Holy Spirit so that He can speak to us at anytime, so we can be available to see lives changed. As we move we can encounter God. If we stand still the likelihood of things happening out of our lives is very small. This Ethiopian eunuch invited Phillip to be a part of his world and join him in his chariot. There are a lot of people today who really want us to be a part of their world. We have to get alongside of them first. Once invited in, you get involved. Phillip told him the Good News about Jesus. We may think people don’t want to know the Good News, but they do. As they rode along they came to some water. The Eunuch ordered the chariot to stop and Phillip baptised him. Because Phillip listened to the voice of the Holy Spirit and got involved in someone’s life – the Eunuch’s life was changed. He gave the Eunuch an invitation to believe, repent and come down to the water. Being baptised gave the Eunuch a picture to help understand his salvation – Jesus died, was buried and rose again to give new life to him! 4. POWER – Acts 1:8 The Holy Spirit completes the trinity in our lives. Jesus like you and me was tied to time and space. He could only do what He did when he travelled to a town or city. He said that it was far better that He go and send the Holy Spirit to us in His place. The Holy Spirit lives and resides in every person that repents from sin and accepts Jesus. If you’ve turned, repented and accepted Jesus the Holy Spirit is within you. That couldn’t happen while Jesus was on earth. God’s work can be done far quicker when He is spread throughout the earth reaching across the space of time and geography. In the Old Testament the Holy Spirit visited people and they had encounters with Him. He went with the people of God – dove, pillar of cloud and fire, visitations etc. In the New Testament after Jesus left and the Holy Spirit came, He was no longer with us but IN US (John 14:17). Wherever we go we carry the Holy Spirit.
When Peter was preaching on the Day of Pentecost, He asks everyone to turn from sins and follow Jesus and be water baptised, he promised that after they had done that they would receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The gift was activation. When you receive a gift it needs to be unwrapped. Some of us need to unwrap the Holy Spirit in our lives and activate His power. Power in Greek means dynamo or dynamic. Is your life dynamic? We are called to live full of His power working in and through you to do all He is calling you to do. 5. OBEY– John 14:23 Hearing and listening are important to obedience. We have to be people who want to listen to authority over our life. Ultimately we have to learn how to hear and listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit speaking to us. Obedience is given high priority throughout scripture: both in the Old and New Testament. God knows some things that we don’t, we need to learn and take notice. God knows that we are fallible. He knows what is good for us and He knows what will save us. Our generation can become so self-sufficient, disinterested and introspective. We pick and choose whether or not it suits us to be obedient and think it doesn’t matter. But obedience matters to how we live our life. Obedience is an important part of who you are and how you live your life. God said no to Saul’s Kingship because of disobedience. If he lost kingship – what do we have the potential to lose through our disobedience? What is our reply to a command from God? A question from our boss? A request from our parents? Do we have a real recognition of who Jesus is? We need fresh revelation of the power of Jesus’ words and our response. Is there something God has asked us to do but we haven’t done yet? Our lives will go nowhere when we live in disobedience. Obeying leads us to the path of our destiny. Obedience brings great rewards – it brings fulfillment and prosperity. Are we in a place where we can just listen and obey? 6. PROVE – John 13:34-35 Everything in the foundations of the Christian faith is based on God’s love for us, and our call to love one another. The church is at the centre of God’s love. The church has always been the vehicle on God’s heart to see the gospel spread. We are made for each other.
You can’t love God and not His church – you can’t separate the two. Jesus and His church are one. He is building a beautiful church – His bride. You can’t fully love Jesus if you don’t love His church. How do you fit right now? God needs to soften a lot of our hearts so that we can get involved with what God desires to do. We carry our thoughts and attitudes when we come into the House of God to worship. When we give up to Him all that we are – atmosphere begins to shift and change. He wants it all left at the foot of the cross. We are pulling down the Word and saying, “God let Your will be done on earth just like it is in Heaven.” If we see the love of God – then we will start living as The Church should, loving one another. This is the number one thing that God wants us to get. John 13:34-35 encapsulates a new command followers of Jesus have been given “Love each other. Just as I have loved you.” It is based on Jesus’ love for us – from His heart and life (whereas the old command given in Deuteronomy 6:5 was based on loving people as you saw yourself). Are you struggling to love someone in your world? The answer is not in you - but in Him and His love for you. We can come to Jesus at any time and know His forgiveness on our lives. If we live in the forgiveness of God, we are also required to be ready to forgive our brother, sister, boss or family member who has hurt us. We have sin in our hearts if we are holding unforgiveness. Unforgiveness locks us in a prison of sorts and God can do nothing about it until we shift our thinking in our hearts. Is it time to let hurt and unforgiveness go? As we love and forgive, people will look at the church and recognise that is where they want to be because that is where true love is. 7. EAT – 1 John 1:7 Many people understand the communion table to be a place of remembering as that is what Jesus requested when he shared a last supper of wine and bread with His disciples “do this in remembrance of me”. But coming together for a time of communion is also a place where we can meet with Jesus and receive a fresh touch of His love and grace or healing and encouragement. 8. PRAY – Matthew 18:19-20 When we pray it is not about content, vocabulary or being seen. It is not about
eloquence but it is about attitude. It is where we find ourselves. The basis of prayer is not way out there and hard to reach. There is no set formula or selected time or place. The most intimate time of prayer happens outside the spotlight of people when we are just spending time with God and chatting to him like we would a spouse, friend or family member. It is a place we go to with God for anointing from Him and the release of giftings in our life in their fullness. It is where we hear God and He hears us. It is where His love is given to us for the world in which we live. We are asked to pray at all times. The Holy Spirit is the only person who is with you all the time. What an awesome thing to know that God is not out there in the distance when we pray. He is waiting to hear words that come from the depths of our heart that are going to not only help us, but also shift the heart of God to move on our behalf. We are called to pray together. We begin to understand the voice of God in the power of agreement with other believers when we come together to pray. Don’t leave it to a few to do the work for you! We are to pray persistently. We have all had disappointments where we feel like God hasn’t answered in times of prayer. It seems to be a part of life in God. God wants to build stuff into us in the times when He answers in a way we don’t expect. Prayer focuses our trust in God and gives us tenacity. Keep asking, seeking and knocking because The Word tells us doors will be opened. The Word of God is truth and goes beyond our current level of experience. Intimacy with God enables us to sustain prayer because we are spending time with the one we love. Intimacy changes our misconceptions about Him. When we realize we are sons and daughters of the Most High God, we change from being employees of prayer to friends of prayer. 9. GIVE – Luke 6:38 Giving starts with caring for and believing in people. There is eternal value in giving. We are all called to be givers. We may not have the bank balance of someone like Bill Gates, but we have something to give, we may not have the same skill level as some people, but we have something to give and we all have time for others that we can give. When we come and worship, God wants us to come and give our all. When we give it is not for people but for God. We give because
of our heart for God and His Kingdom. Our God is a generous giver and we are called to model how He lives. We are here to see our world changed. As we give in money, skill, time, things, reconciliation and new beginnings, we help what is going on in our city and the nations. We add to what good is already happening. All of these gifts can lead to the greatest gift of all – Jesus. 10. FOLLOW ME – Matthew 28:19-20 The greater focus Jesus wants us to have is for others. Jesus’ priority is for finding lost people. We are asked to love our neighbour as we love ourselves. As we start to reach out and connect with people we get a heart for the lost. The greater the love of God in our lives the more purity of heart and love we will have and the greater effect we will have when we reach out to people. When the great compassion of God overwhelms us and helps us see past race, religion and backgrounds and we give a profound gift such as this we are leading people to the greatest gift of all: Jesus. True compassion can only come when we know the love of God in our lives and we love Him back. Loving Him back is not just standing at church on a Sunday saying “I love you Jesus”, that is not what church is all about. We are church wherever we go. We come on a Sunday to hear the Word of God, to hear the vision of the church and worship as a corporate body so that we can all go out and do what God has called us to do. But that is only a small part of church. Church happens the other 6 days a week as well. Wherever God has us and gives us the opportunity to connect with somebody that is our opportunity to show compassion and the love of God. If we are not putting feet to our faith and actually doing things for people all we are doing is religion. Religion does not make a difference, change a need or change the world – which is what true faith does. God’s heart is for the ONE. He will always go after the ONE that has strayed and is lost from the f lock. We need to pray and ask God for a heart for people which comes out of His heart for us. We need to be open to opportunities that God will bring our way. We all have networks of people that we are a part of. That is a great place to start. If your network is just full of Christians then it is time to become like Jesus.
Submerge Our Water Baptism Service on Sunday 20 June 2010 “My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who lives, but Christ who lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.� Galatians 2:20 NLT
Late night With friends Time for sleep Early morning ahead Dreams wash over As I turn in my sleep Suddenly I am aroused By the violent shaking Of my room Confusion, fear? A piercing shout interrupts my thoughts I am completely awake now Stumbling around In darkness I reach for the door Open to find More darkness Streetlights out? Cars are already zooming by I take a picture perplexed at the dark Loud talking interrupts me again I am suddenly aware of the Dormant situation. Quickly I check on the family And light candles in My room I realize mum is talking in the Cellphone to Nanna Who is very upset and alone We jump in the car And head for her place Up the driveway Already I see broken pot plants. Through the door From what my eyes can make out, In pitch black Her house was a mess Spreads, sauces, jars, and everything You could think of in a pantry Was now on the floor Glass cabinet was leaning on the couch Glass ornaments split across the room This shaking of our city Of our neighbourhood Of our house Destroying what we worked so hard to acquire In thirty seconds or less What will take us years to mend.
The Last Word
Philip Wade - Film Producer
Philip is a Sydney based producer working in TVC, music video and film. He has produced 5 short films with director Gary Eck (HAPPY FEET 2) which have been showcased on the international film festival circuit. Philip, his wife Mel (a previous Majestic Youth Pastor) and their two kids Finn and Scarlett made the move to Christchurch in July, with the plan being to spend 6 months in closer contact with their kiwi family and friends. As a film producer, what does your role involve? Finding good stories, developing them (with a writer), putting a team together (director, cast) raising finance, getting the film made and getting it to an audience. Who is your biggest inspiration? My brother Andrew. When you were young, what did you want to be? An Olympic runner. What is your all time favourite movie and why? Its too hard to pick just one - I love Little Miss Sunshine, Shawshank Redemption, Quentin
Tarantino films especially Reservoir Dogs, Groundhog Day, Napoleon Dynamite, The Big Lebowsky, anything with Will Ferrell. How did your desire to be a film-producer develop? I helped out working on other people’s short films. I just loved it and thought I should make my own. Up and coming projects? I’ve been working for 3 years on a romantic comedy feature film. We’re getting close, hopefully shooting next year. How do you manage producing movies on top of having a full time job, and a family with two young children? It’s a lot of work and it can be tricky but, my wife is amazing (you’ve got no idea), and I work for myself which gives me the flexibility to be able to manage everything. What is you greatest achievement in the film world? Attaching American finance to my romantic comedy. Winning the Tropfest Film festival. Thriller or Comedy? Comedy. Words of advice for people aspiring to get into the film industry? Work hard, get around talented & experienced people and keep practicing & learning at every opportunity. Gemma Banks