A couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure of taking a “workplace blessing” (a card and a box of chocolates) to the Special Needs Library in Huxley Street, not far from the church. The library stocks a variety of educational and therapeutic toys for people with special physical, mental, emotional and sensory needs, and is staffed by a tireless team of women.
The gift was warmly accepted, and the manager was keen to show me around. Summing up what they did she said, “We try to help everyone who comes through the door however we can, even if it is just a little bit.” To that I replied, “Yes, that’s like us [at Opawa Baptist] really.”
In the sense of Luke 10 we have walked into the Special Needs Library and offered peace; that peace has been warmly reciprocated, and the Kingdom of God has come near: people find healing through that library every week.
I am so pleased to be part of a church that wants to thank those who work so hard to help people in need, to help them to know that their work does not go unnoticed, and to give something back to them.
The food bank, community chaplaincy, Mainly Music and Koru are just some of the other community focused mission we are doing. We are also asking people if they want to be part of walks and demographic seminars to get a better picture of Waltham.
If you want to be more involved with community mission, just let me know.
Last Sunday we announced that the building project fundraising had hit $400,000.
This includes bequests set aside, interest on assets, pledges, gifts, successful trust applications and some interest free loans. This totals 80% of the estimated cost and was the figure we had said we needed to reach in order to start building. It's a fantastic response and thanks to all those who have given in prayer, leadership, finances and faith.
It means we can take the next step - drawing up detailed plans, approaching Council and starting to think about the tender and building process!! This week the architect began work. If things go smoothly, we could be building in the new year.
The building project began in prayer. It needs to continue in prayer. As we move into this new phase, I am calling an all-church prayer meeting for the next two Sunday mornings (June 29 and July 6), 9:30-10:20 am, in the 24/7 prayer room. We follow a God who is just as interested in the detail of plans and consent applications as anything else. The big picture of God's Kingdom come is always made present in the detail of our everyday lives, finances and forward planning. So Opawa Baptist, you are invited to haul yourself out of bed on a frosty winter's morning as together we seek God for smooth processes into the next stage of our building project.
While we start, we still need to continue fundraising. First up is a comedy and dessert evening on July 26. Our hope is that a high-quality comedy night is something we can easily and naturally invite friends to and thus serves as a way of shifting the fundraising away from the pockets of us at Opawa. If all of us can simply find two friends with a sense of humour and needing a cheery laugh in the middle of winter, we could fill the church and raise some $4,000. Tickets and promotional information are available at the door, all individually named. Please take yours.
Regina is journalling here
Phil is journalling here
Judy is journalling here
Viv is journalling here
Allan is journalling here
... anyone is welcome to join them, introduction
href="http://www.emergentkiwi.org.nz/archives/discerning_kingdom_signs_as_
the_practice_of_a_community.php">here, instructions
signs.pdf">here and
For our Kingdom Signs "logo" go to Steve's web site, 16 June entry here
Over the last month, we have been experimenting with five auditorium changes. The changes were made for Pentecost Sunday, when the church needs to be praying, “Come Holy Spirit, disturb us, your people.” As part of experiencing this work of the Spirit, I asked Peter Majendie and Andy Dean, with advice from Al Sands, to work with me “disturbing the church.”
The “disturbance” was to last a month and then to be evaluated. This was done over last weekend and the results crunched by Lynne Taylor, using her Baptist Union Researcher skills. The full results are up on the notice board.
They were discussed at the Board meeting this week and the following actions taken:
1: Given that 64% of people liked and strongly liked the pulpit moved forward (20% neutral and 15% disliked) - keep that change
2: Given that 57% of people liked and strongly liked the screen moved forward (20% neutral and 24% of people disliked) - keep that change
3: Given that 44% of people liked and strongly liked the dome being covered (31% neutral and 26% of people disliked) - keep that change
4: Given that 57% of people disliked the sheets (12% neutral and 31% liked and strongly liked), that we temporarily reverse that change. However, given that the main objections were around “looking shabby” and “hiding musicians,” that we do another experiment in this area later.
5: The multiple images produced sharply different reactions. 47% of people liked and strongly liked the multiple images, while 47% of people disliked and strongly disliked. Only 7% are neutral. This will require us to all walk graciously. In the meantime, we stop the moving images (which we have to do because they are tied to the sheets). But that we do more experimenting, looking for ways to honour our diversity, the 47% who like them and the 47% of those who dislike them.
These decisions best honour the responses from us, the Opawa body of Christ. Thanks to all those who participated in the evaluation.
A special thanks to Peter and Andy for all their hard work. At the beginning I told them the “disturbance” had to be cheap. This was a hard thing to ask. No-one, perhaps especially artists, likes to be told to give of their skills on the cheap and to expose their work to criticism for “looking shabby.” But I made the request because, if the changes cost money, then what is an experiment can look like a compulsory change. So I want to honour the humility with which Peter and Andy offered their gifts among us.
Enabling people to walk and grow with Jesus and reflecting his love in our communities and beyond. That's our vision statement as a church.
Are you seeing it? I am.
On Tuesday I got the news that after three weeks of Baptism class, led by Paul McMahon, the group wants to keep meeting, because people simply want to keep learning about who Jesus is.
On Wednesday evening I was at the How to Read the New Testament, led by Craig Fairhall. Fifteen people in the room, a really nice mix of long, medium and new timers. And those new to the church, why are they there? Well, because they don't know much about the Bible and want to understand more.
Read that sentence again.
Hearing that for me is like being in heaven - to be part of a church that is enabling people to walk and grow.
We offer other ways for people to walk and grow. These include:
a. Growth Coaching - 1-1 whole of life coaching that starts where people are at and walk alongside them at their pace. For more, talk to Craig Fairhall.
b. Evening Block Courses - this term, How to Read the Bible. Next term, God at Work - juggling the work-life balance and mid-life career planning. For more, talk to Craig Fairhall.
c. Seven Practices of Faith - an introduction to following Jesus. For more, talk to Paul McMahon.
d. Walking Waltham - a guided prayer tour of our local community. For more, talk to Paul.
e. God at Work group - meets monthly to challenge each other to be salt and light in their workplaces.
Yours in our shared vision: Enabling people to walk and grow with Jesus and reflecting his love in our communities and beyond.