Christchurch Earthquake Disaster

My thoughts and prayers are with everyone in Christchurch following another devastating earthquake today.  I sincerely hope that all of your family and friends are safe.  Do please contact Mathew Newton at the church if you need any pastoral assistance in respect of the earthquake (Bex and I are up north). And let’s be praying for all those who have lost loved ones and are coming to terms with what has happened. We will as a church be exploring how we can offer practical help over the coming days.

Final stop Oihi Bay

Well I am counting down the days now. It is not long before I come back to St Paul’s. It has been great bumping in to some of you around the place this week.
Bex and I had a great lunch with Paul and Thaya on Monday. It’s so good to have them with us. They are going to be fantastic (Although lets be honest Paul’s “Sun in” hair has a touch of Orangutan about it! Sorry Paul!).
We are on holiday next week. We are staying very near Oihi Bay. I have been reading a lot of Kiwi history over the last weeks and obviously for the church this is a significant place as it is where Samuel Marsden preached the first sermon in New Zealand on Christmas Day 1814. There is a great account of this momentous event in one of the books that I have just read called “Bible and Treaty” by Keith Newman that was published last year. It’s a great read and tells the story of the first missionaries contact with the Maori.
For now, I am going to feed my youngest son, who along with a bit of Weetbix and banana, likes to eat his Ricies (about 30) one at a time. I am not joking. Every breakfast time is a great lesson in patience!
Then Bex and I have put today aside to discuss this year at St Paul's and pray for the church.

Amazing Grace

Bex and I have just spent the day with Dave and Liz MacGregor and all their team down at Grace Vineyard  Church in Christchurch. I got down to Christchurch last Saturday and attended all of the Sunday services. They were absolutely wonderful. Great worship and sense of the presence of God. It has been fantastic spending a lot of time with Dave as well over the last few days who has passed on a lot of wisdom from his experience and practical tips too.  He and Liz are great people.
Bex and I also had a drink with Alan and Sandra Jamieson from Spreydon Baptist Church last night. It was great fun and very helpful catching up with them. Spreydon is another really exciting church.
I can't wait to spend time with the boys when I get back as I have not seen a great deal of them for weeks. They want me to take them on a “man’s camping trip” and so that is what we will do. I am feeling a bit nervous. The last time I went camping about twenty years ago was a disaster. I bought a really cheap tent. I was chuffed because it was such a great bargain. I pulled it out of my rucksack half way up Mt Kenya on the snow line and to my horror realized it was a toddlers tent designed for the back garden. It was too small for even me to get inside. Oh dear. Please pray for us!
I can’t wait to be back at St Paul’s in just over two weeks. It will be so good to see everyone again. I am praying for you and asking that this year would be a fantastic year for everyone.