Gateway Magazine, Issue 17, June 2012

JUNE 2012ISSUE 17

DISCOVER I CONNECT I GATHER I GO

GATEWAY CHURCH950 VICTORIA ST, HAMILTON, NEW ZEALANDWWW.GATEWAYCHURCH.ORG.NZ(07) 839 1284OFFICE OPEN 9 AM - 4 PM, TUESDAY - FRIDAY

02 - desk of don and karen

03 - op shop

05 - kids camp

06 - june/july calendar

08 - easter camp

10 - adam and nicola lowe

11 - imagine

12 - 10 questions...

12 - connect groups

EDITORIAL

This edition of the Gateway mag features two significant events for our community, Gaties camp and Easter Camp. These camps are incredibly formative and impacting in the life of our young people at Gateway. We’d like to thank you again for your generous support of these events through your sponsorship, time and energy.

These camps become ’markers’ for some of our people that they look back on and it allows them to remain steadfast in their pursuit of God when times are rough. Like Moses’ altars, they become testimonies of God encounters that do not fade quickly.

As we come into the winter season it is sometimes necessary for us to look back at God’s journey with us, to remind us that all is not cold and miserable, that He is still there and that as the song goes, ‘the stories of his faithfulness are without end’

We trust that you will see the stories formed at the camps through the lens and anecdotes of the writers and photographers.

Happy reading

Shannon u

shannon richmond

COVER PHOTOGRAPHY BY JESSICA MICHELS

YOU’LL FIND IT HERE

DESK OF DON...words by don barry

At the beginning of this year the leadership team here at Gateway went on a three day retreat. We set ourselves to seek God and to see if we could discern what was on His heart for this season of our corporate life.

Several themes emerged out of our time together. We felt that God was asking us to embark on a time of re-digging wells that had been blocked up. The metaphor of blocked wells comes out of Genesis 26 where Isaac began to re-dig the wells his father Abraham had dug in an earlier generation. The Philistines, those ancient and perpetual enemies of God’s covenant people, had come after Abraham and had stopped up the wells he had dug. Isaac, who represents a new generation and a new season, had to reopen them.

As we unpacked this idea of what re-digging wells might mean for us, several thoughts emerged.

Firstly, we felt the need for people to re-dig wells of personal devotion. How easy it is in the busy lives we lead to end up having prayer times (if we have them at all) that are perfunctory and lifeless. Our devotional times are often done ‘on the hoof,’ and are driven more by a sense of duty than they are the natural outflow of delight. I’m often reminded of and challenged by Jeremiah’s lament in 2:13, “For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters and hewn themselves cisterns, broken cisterns that can hold no water.” Our longing is that, when it comes to our devotional lives, we can drink fresh water from deep wells and not simply resort to dirty, contaminated water from buckets that haven’t been lowered into a well for far too long to be healthy.

We want to challenge you and hopefully resource you over the next few weeks and months to begin to re-dig, where necessary, some fresh wells in this dimension of your devotional life.

A second well that we felt we needed to re-dig is very much related to the first. It has to do with the idea of moving in personal {and corporate} faith. Let me try and explain by asking you a couple of questions; “What are you really on the ‘stretch for’ from God? What is stretching your faith at present? I suspect that too many of us are actually quite comfortable thank you very much. We stretched in the past, but at present life is manageable and comfortable and there isn’t anything pressing us to lean into God. Of course there are things we’d like God to do for us/in us, but they aren’t keeping us from our sleep or our food, or pretty much anything else either!

We came away from our leadership retreat with the feeling that God wanted to stir us to believe Him for things in this season that we may have allowed to be forgotten. I think God wants us, like Jacob of old, to press in and wrestle until he blesses us. Wrestling and digging aren’t really compatible with ease and comfort are they?

The third well that we felt challenged to re-dig was that of evangelism. Many of us react negatively to the ‘E’ word because of models we have seen {or maybe even used} in the past that were insensitive and mechanical. The problem is that abuse has led to neglect for many of us. To be truthful, I don’t know what ‘evangelism at Gateway’ should look like. Like many of you, I have more ideas about how it shouldn’t look that I do how it should. As leaders, we felt prompted to at least begin the conversation about what it might look like to re-dig these wells. How can we communicate our faith effectively, both personally and corporately?

Throughout this year we plan to engage with these issues on various levels and in different formats. Our hope is that by God’s grace and with His help to re-dig and unstop some wells. We are inviting you to pick up a shovel and join us in the endeavour.

Looking forward to drinking fresh water from deep wells,

Don. u

02

GATEWAY OP SHOP...words by shannon richmond

A few months ago the magazine featured the Gateway Book shop, but that is only par t of what occurs at 14 Liverpool st. Alongside the social and community aspect of the initiative is the Op shop. In fact the Op Shop was the f irst offshoot of the Wednesday meal. Its purpose

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was to provide a source of income to support the ever-increasing costs of running a free meal. Originally the Op shop was located in what is now our prayer room/Gaties shakers room but the move of the op shop from the much smaller room to 14 Liverpool Street has seen a signif icant increase in shop revenues. It has created a lot more space for products especially furniture.

The shop is run by a team of volunteers, who contribute their time and skills to make the shop a great place to work and a great place for customers. Over the past few years the team have developed a range of procedures and systems to ensure the shop runs smoothly and professionally.

The team are always on the lookout for furniture and other such products to sell in the shop and can pick it up if you can’t drop it off to the shop itself. The team also appreciate having food vouchers to give to those in need.

One of the many positive spin-offs from the shop is the opportunity it provides for interaction and socialising between the volunteers, many who are regulars who benef it from the Wednesday Meals. For some; the shop provides a place of identity, for others it is the opportunity to put their stock management and customer service skills to good use, and for others it is their leadership and team skills that are being developed. u

GATIES CAMP 2012words by shannon richmond

Kids camp celebrated its 21st birthday this year at Finlay park. Once again we had heaps of fun, great times of encountering God and lots of happy kids. Check out the photos for a glimpse of what we got up to.

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JUNE...

06

18

04

FRIDAY MORNING PRAYER 6.15 am in the Prayer Room, followed by breakfast. All are welcome.

15

17

13

WEDNESDAY NIGHT MEALS5.30 pm, a free community meal here in the Dining Hall of the Gateway building.

SUN

WED

FRI

SUN

20WED

MON

22

25MON

FRI

29FRI

INTERCESSORS GROUP 7.30 pm in the Prayer Room, access via the Dining Hall.

FRIDAY MORNING PRAYER 6.15 am in the Prayer Room, followed by breakfast.

30SAT




HEALING ROOMS 7.30 pm - 9.00 pm, in the Nursery, for more info email [email protected]

PURSUE GATHERING7 pm, keep an eye out for details.

24SUN

MORNING GATHERING 10.00 am

EVENING GATHERING 6.30 pm

MEN’S BREAKFASTKeep this date free for the next Men’s Breakfast, more details to come.


27WED


CRAVE CONVERGE7.00 pm - 9.00 pm, meets in the Auditorium here in the Gateway building.

MAINLY MUSIC 10.00 am in the Dining Hall, $3 per family.


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FRIMAINLY MUSIC 10.00 am in the Dining Hall, $3 per family.




MON

WED

08FRI



SUN10 MORNING GATHERING 10.00 am


11 INTERCESSORS GROUP 7.30 pm in the Prayer Room, access via the Dining Hall.MON

MAINLY MUSIC 10.00 am in the Dining Hall. $3 per family.




GATIES CELEBRATION SUNDAY Kids head upstairs from the start of the break.

14THUR

FULL GATIES LEADERS MEETING 7.30 pm in the Elim room.

GO MISSION 6.30 pm in the Dining Hall, check the website for more details

15FRI

IMAGINE 7.00 pm, on the Third Floor, more details to come.

CRAVE CONVERGE MIC NIGHT7.00 pm - 9.00 pm, more details to come.

CRAVE DODGEBALL COMP More details to come!

MAINLY MUSIC DESSERT NIGHTMore details to come!

01

JULY...

04

FRIDAY MORNING PRAYER 6.15 am in the Prayer Room, followed by breakfast. All are welcome.

13

15

11

SUN

WED

FRI

SUN

20

23MON

FRI

27FRI





HEALING ROOMS 7.30 pm - 9.00 pm, in the Nursery, for more info email [email protected]

22SUN






02




MON

WED

06FRI

SUN08 MORNING GATHERING 10.00 am


09 INTERCESSORS GROUP 7.30 pm in the Prayer Room, access via the Dining Hall.MON




GO MISSION 6.30 pm in the Dining Hall, check the website for more details

16MON


18WED


CRAVE CONVERGE MIC NIGHT7.00 pm - 9.00 pm, more details to come.


25WED

PURSUE GATHERING7 pm, keep an eye out for details.

29SUN



30MON


Pull it out, stick it on your fridge, these are the dates you might like to keep in mind for June/July... As always, any new events will be posted on the Gateway website, www.gatewaychurch.org.nz, as well as on our Facebook page.

As Easter rolled around for another year, the Crave office became a hive of activity once again. Organising just over 100 young people and leaders to head out to Mystery Creek for what has become not only a highlight of the Crave year but also a significant part in many of our young people’s journeys with God.

On Thursday 5th April, in our very popular and stylish new Crave hoodies we took camp by storm, only just managing to squish ‘Marae-style’ into the marquees at our campsite. It was here that we set up our ‘one bag of luggage’ and mattress for what would become our home for the next five days. Again this year, thanks to a small group of amazing volunteers our site looked one of the best at camp with a fenced-off café and lounge area, volleyball court and games tables.

That evening, we joined the other 4300 young people from around the north island to unpack the theme “Beautiful Mess” and what that means for us in the Easter story. Each day consisted of two main sessions, one in the morning and one later that evening, where we participated in the excitement of tribal wars, performances, stories of Easter, worship and speakers from New Zealand and Australia. After the morning sessions we were able to sit with the Crave Community in our small groups and discuss what had been shared or experienced that morning.

There is always much to do at camp and this year was no different. An old school picnic complete with bow ties, egg and spoon races, cupcakes and iceblocks, sports, a white party, Rapture Ruckus and much more. Some Crave crew represented in the XFactor talent quest, paintball and mudslide while others went along to a seminar or two. Our own campsite was also a very popular hang out, thanks to our camp parents Raymond and Rebeka Kelsen who kept the place tidy and looked out for our leaders and teens by always having hot chocs and baking on hand.

Despite being interrupted by a fire alarm evacuation, Sunday night was a significant time as the Holy Spirit moved and touched so many of us in different ways. We saw healing and breakthrough and it was amazing to see our Crave crew praying for one another and worshipping and connecting with our God. For many it was the ‘penny-drop’ moment in understanding the message of Easter and coming to the realisation that Christ died for each of us so that we may be free from our mess and able to have relationship with Jesus.

We had the privilege of camping next door to some local friends from Horsham Downs and to end the night in celebration, we took the opportunity to “bond” with them over mid-night pizza and hot chips followed by a dance rave with our very own DJ B-Rocker.

Easter Camp was such a good time. So many good people from Gateway were involved with making parts of camp happen. Crave leaders and Support Team were phenomenal and God was so faithful. u

CRAVE AT EASTER CAMPwords by roxana kelsen

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2012: the year of new beginnings. If you had told me three years ago that I would be married, living in New Zealand and serving in a church as a worship intern I most probably wouldn’t have believed you. But here I am. It’s been a quite a journey getting to this place but it has definitely been worth it.

For the past few years of my life I have served at a small summer youth camp that is run by WEC (Worldwide Evangelisation for Christ) and it was on one of these camps that the prospect of New Zealand was presented to me. I became friends with a very lovely science teacher from London who said that in the new year she was moving to New Zealand in order to study at Eastwest College in preparation for working as a missionary. Little did I know that this science teacher from London would later become my wife Nicola.

My friendship with Nicola soon turned into a relationship and although it was the last thing I wanted I knew she still had to go to New Zealand. In early 2011 Nicola embarked on her adventure and I continued with my studies in music. Through God alone (and the power of Skype) we managed to maintain contact and our relationship blossomed under the intense circumstances. Throughout this short time I became more and more involved in the life of my church, helping out with the worship teams and leading different groups in worship throughout the church.

Right from the off Nicola knew in her heart that her church in New Zealand was going to be Gateway. As she continued in her studies she began to get more and more integrated in Gateways life and culture. Within a few weeks she was put into a Pursue connect group, was helping with meals and eventually running the Gateway library.

ADAM & NICOLAwords by adam lowe

One evening (or morning New Zealand time) Nicola was telling me about Gateway and how they had announced who the interns were for that year. It was during this conversation that the idea of us both living in New Zealand together began to formulate. Nicola suggested that I should email Donald Goodhall and ask for some info about the interns program at Gateway. At this stage neither of us really considered the implications of this and didn’t even know whether it would mean that I move out as soon as I finished my studies or whether it would even happen at all. We prayed about it, trusting God to keep us at the centre of His will. It was a few days later when I received a reply saying he would “be keen to hear more about my story and whether Gateway could be a part of that story”.

Donald and I continued to discuss whether the Gateway internship would be for me. Without knowing that these conversations were taking place a friend contacted me saying he wanted to pay for a return flight for me to go to New Zealand to see Nicola. Within a week the flights were booked for July.

After I finished my studies I set out for my two week trip to New Zealand. During this time Nicola and I got engaged. She brought me to Gateway and I met up with Donald. By the end of this two week period the prospect of me coming to Gateway had been set in stone and plans were being made as to what I might be doing during my time there.

During the months that followed things started to fall in to place and Nicola and I really saw God’s hand over our lives. We had both our visas accepted and Nicola received both the funds and grades to allow her to continue onto the second year course at Eastwest. I went back to the WEC summer camp and soon after found a job that would keep me going until Nicola returned home.

And so the time soon came for Nicola to return home. We spent the Christmas holidays together with Nicola serving in a homeless shelter whilst I was at work. In what seems like moments after Christmas we reached our wedding day. Even though it had been planned from two separate hemispheres it was still a truly magical day, one which we look upon with happiness in our hearts.

Our friends greatly blessed us and planned a secret honeymoon which gave us time away for a few days before we were set to leave for New Zealand. Once we arrived we had a few days to settle in, adjust to the heat (we’d just come from winter) and get over the jet lag and within a couple of weeks I had started at the church and Nicola had started her studies again.

I now work two and a half days a week at the church and have been privileged enough to have been involved with events like Hydrate and Easter Camp as well as playing in the Gateway band. The main areas I am devoted to are the Crave worship band, worship for Pursue and doing the Gateway podcasts as well as other little jobs around the church. Throughout the rest of the week I work at the college helping out on a building site and doing other general maintenance jobs around the site.

Nicola has resumed her studies and leads a kids BBQ ministry team from the college at Ngaruawahia. She continues her work in the Gateway Library and has also recently been given the opportunity to help out in the office of a Friday afternoon. We both help out with the Wednesday night meals and love serving with the team each week.

Stepping out in faith and obedience was daunting, but God is faithful and has continued to lead us every step of the way. Already this year has proved to be one of amazing opportunities, growth and transformation. I don’t know what the future holds for us but I do know that right now we’re where God wants us to be. u

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The Meaning of Life #2

“Sleep is comforting, sleep is safe. Some wake on their own accord, well rested and ready for the day ahead. Others don’t want to be woken. Ever. And if one never wants to wake, but wants to instead, stay in the comfort and safety of sleep, no amount of alarm clocks ringing will ever stir these types to rise and embrace the day. These types of people will continue on in their safe, comfortable sleep for as long as they can. These types of people will only embrace the day once the day rudely embraces them.

And there are a number of ways that the day can embrace a sleeper. The most inconvenient and jolting is when it pounces on the sleeper, overturns them to the floor, steals their bed, and leaves them dazed, cold, and very much awake, but with no instruction about what to do next, except to embrace this ghastly thing that has woken them up.

That is the last thing any sleeper wants to do. But, unfortunately, the cold floor does not allow for sleeping, only awakening, and the cold floor is all that is left. Embrace that

IMAGINEwords by hannah gilmour

which has caused you to be taken from your comfort and security you must; or, cold and miserable, you will very slowly die from exhaustion, trying in vain to fall asleep again.”

(Extract from A Girl Called Friend – the ponderings of a mid-twenty year old, over-qualified, sporadically paid, unintentional musician. And single.)

NB: The previous quote is written by a very reluctant waker. We can want to wake up, and we can choose to wake up. Imagine is a new initiative at Gateway to allow a space for the awakening of the imagination to: the reality of God; the need for community and creativity; and how as individuals we fit into a greater story. Think Stephen Spielberg meets Mark Zuckerberg introduced by Jesus.

WHEN: 7pm, Friday 15th June. Long term goal is to have this run bi-monthly

WHERE: In ‘the Gate’ - 3rd floor of the fabulous ‘once-I-was-a-supermarket’ Gateway Church building

WHY: See above

WHAT: See above

WHO: Anyone keen to wake up and maybe, with Jesus and his whanau, change the world u

‘CLEARLY, HUMAN TRANSFORMATIVE ACTIVITY DEPENDS UPON A TRANSFORMED IMAGINATION. NUMBNESS DOES NOT HURT LIKE TORTURE, BUT IN A QUITE PARALLEL WAY, NUMBNESS ROBS US OF OUR CAPABILITY FOR HUMANITY.’

TAKEN FROM ‘THE PROPHETIC IMAGINATION’ BY WALTER BRUEGGEMAN

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1. Where are you at this moment? At work (during lunch) in front of my many computer monitors looking at 1000’s of lines of code and calculations talking on the phone and drinking lots of coffeeeeeeeee….controlling the world!! (aka ‘NEO’ yeah right!)

2. What do you like about being your current age?Not making as many mistakes as when I was young and enjoying the finer things of life way more.

3. What’s the latest book you’re read? The Modern Seer by Jim Driscoll. Love books/topics like this sooooooooooooo much!! Learning to hear God’s voice & then communicating what he is saying, anywhere, anytime.

10 QUESTIONS WITH...GEOFF LAWN

4. What is your favourite album? Don’t really have one, just any random song where you hear a heart cry, just like the Psalms.

5. You can have 3 people to dinner dead or living, bar Jesus - who do you invite?Jill Austin, John Wimber and Don Barry.

6. What’s one thing you remember your mother teaching you?Turn down that guitar!! I play a lot quieter now…really I do!

7. Where do you go to get quiet?Driving in the car and outside in the early hours looking up at the stars.

8. What is one thing you could talk about for hours? (because you are so passionate about it)The current/future technology landscape. As I work with and get to implement extremes in technology, I get to see the what, how & why of current tech systems and devices. How we use technology and how technology uses us. How devices give us certain freedom and also take some freedom away from us. I find I have to reflect on why there is such a large disconnect between consumer gadgetry and the nuts and bolts of what makes technology work. If I write a book one day about this it will be titled something like ‘Technology – No longer the battle to control your mind but the battle to control your heart’

9. How do you know Jesus is real?My life is not the mess it used to be.

10. What is one thing you think people don’t know about you?That I used to play the cornet in brass bands (short hair) for many years when I was a youngster before changing to guitar and playing in pubs (long hair!). u

In the last month or so we have seen an increasing number of people join connect groups here at Gateway. One group had twenty people turn up on its first night! Other groups are full to the brim.

Hence we are asking you, our church community, if there is anyone who would be interested in facilitating a group. We have plenty of resources available, so looking after a group doesn’t have to mean preparing a study week after week. In fact a few of our groups meet fortnightly or even monthly.

Often the best approach to running a group is achieved through a partnership – two people co-leading and thus sharing the load.

So we would love to meet with you and see what is on your heart regards connect groups at Gateway. Drop me an email [email protected]

CONNECT GROUPSwords by shannon richmond

One group that has just started is run by Abraham and Debbie Lee. They meet on Saturdays in the church nursery with a focus on developing multi-ethnic relationships. If you would like to know more about this group then contact the office and we can put you in touch with them.

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GATEWAY CHURCH950 VICTORIA ST, HAMILTON, NEW ZEALANDWWW.GATEWAYCHURCH.ORG.NZ(07) 839 1284OFFICE OPEN 9 AM - 4 PM, TUESDAY - FRIDAY

Gateway Magazine, Issue 17, June 2012

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Transcript of Gateway Magazine, Issue 17, June 2012