Steve writes:
"He is Risen." Such is the Christian cry at Easter. I trust that however and wherever you spent your Easter - whether at church, at Easter Camp or on holiday, that you found time to ponder the remarkable events of Easter, and to renew your commitment to walk with Jesus.
At our Sunday morning service, that desire to walk with the Risen Jesus will find a very practical expression as Stephen Russell is baptised.
On Thursday evening, that desire to walk with the Risen Jesus also found practical expression. About 45 people gathered for a youth forum, a discussion on the future direction of our youth ministry, with the resignation of Amy Hay. It was a joy to see parents, pre-teens, grandparents, youth group leaders and community youth in one place talking, listening and dreaming together. Together we were updated on the current shape of our youth ministry. Together we prayed. In groups we talked about what we wanted to see develop in our young people and ways that we might get there. Mike Dodge from Canterbury Youth Services was present and commended us. He deemed it the best approach to clarifying future youth directions that he has seen in his twenty years of youth ministry experience.
It was not a decision making evening, but simply a chance to share hopes and explore ideas. Armed with your feedback, the Board will compile the results and use that in terms of ongoing decision making. Contact the office, or check out the notice board, if you want a full copy of what was discussed. ... "He is Risen."
Steve writes:
As a church we have been focusing on Philemon, a book which reminds us that
Building the Kingdom is about how we relate and forgive and love in our
homes and workplaces.
To help us remember this, we have a home at the front of the
church. And we were given a little home to take home. Each home had
questions, based on the book of Philemon, that I hoped would prove useful
for us in applying Building the Kingdom practically.
Someone asked me to provide an example of what it means to
answer the 8 questions. So at the risk of being personal, here is what I
wrote:
When did I first become aware of grace in my story? The day I ran across a
bonfire, as a child, ashes still hot, and escaped without burnt feet.
How has grace changed the way I think and act? I tend to suffer from
self-doubt, and grace keeps reminding me that I am made in the image of God.
What would a grace-filled community look like? A whole lot of people secure
in their God-image would treat themselves and the people they meet as God's
image bearers. That would be radical in our world today.
What is my particular life gift? Creativity (although I never considered
myself creative growing up).
How have I discerned this? By learning to listen to the Spirit and to take
risks.
How is your gift guarded? A key for me is finding people I know will give me
honest feedback. I also have to watch I don't take criticism too personally,
because combined with self-doubt, it would stop me using my life-gift of
creativity.
What practices form me in the finding of grace? Here are four that are
important to me at the moment. First, I have been reading Psalm 139 and
Psalm 121 daily at the moment. Second, running because it reminds me to live
in God's rhythms. Third, journalling, as a way of recording and remembering
what God is saying to me. Fourth a wise, older person who helps me pay
attention to God in my life.
What time should I give? Regular reading of Scripture, up early enough to
run, airplanes to journal in and a monthly meeting with my wise friend.
That's me. How about you? How have you answered the
questions and applied Philemon to your life?
Last week I was invited to accompany my 16 year old next door neighbour to a course at the Cathedral where 25 young people were asking questions about aspects of the Christian faith. She wanted me to hear what was being discussed and then answer questions about it afterwards.
The week before that she had come with her mother to my place for coffee to ask questions about faith and the church. She goes to St M’s College where there is some Christian teaching and there were various things that were puzzling her.
And how did this come about? Last year in a sermon from Luke, Steve asked us to eat with our neighbours on their territory i.e. take food to them. On the way home from church that day I stopped at a bakery to buy lunch for us, and doubled the purchase to take lunch to the next door neighbours, even though I really thought that they would think it an extremely strange thing to do. As good luck would have it, I didn't need to knock on their door because my neighbour was standing in our shared driveway, wondering what to do about lunch, and wondering who was going to look after their new kitten in their home for a week while they went on holiday. And so we obliged on both counts, which took the friendship to a deeper level over the following months.
Building relationships with non-believers, helping others on their journey, listening to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, and actively sharing our faith are all intertwined when we take Kingdom building seriously.