2001. While watching a slide presentation of underprivileged children from India at a house group meeting, Ken and Wendy Fraser were impressed that God wanted them to help unemployed people in the Hutt Valley (in New Zealand). Continue reading “Children from India inspire Kiwis to lend a helping hand”
2005. A church agency representing the views of the national representatives of four mainline churches (in New Zealand) is concerned that a government bill at select committee stage will unduly penalise domestic purposes beneficiaries who do not establish paternity of their children. Continue reading “Penalising approach not welcomed”
2001. The Community Outreach Mission for the Salvation Army Crossroads Community Church in Lower Hutt (in New Zealand) runs the only regular community meal in the city. Continue reading ““They were coming because they wished to meet with other people””
2006. The thirty-one advertised ministerial vacancies in Presbyterian churches throughout New Zealand do not constitute a major shortage, according to the church’s assembly executive secretary Dr Kerry Enright. He conceded, however, that parishes with smaller numbers could not attract ministers. Continue reading ““We don’t think this year we are facing a major shortage”: Presbyterian secretary”
2001. The Anglican Church in New Zealand invests socially, and social responsibility is of high priority. Chief Executive of Trust Investments Management Ltd, Peter Jansen, says the Anglican Church is not a wealthy church and does not invest in sin, in response to a 2 September Sunday Star Times article that investigated the Church’s finances. Continue reading ““We are never consciously investing in prohibited investments”: Anglican church”
The week’s music. September 6—September 13. 1972, 1982, 1992, 2002, 2012, 2022. Nothing made a strong impression. One stood above … Continue reading Strong impressions hard to come by
Parking problems 2007. More Lower Hutt residents want to go to the library on a Sunday morning than go to … Continue reading Was there enough room to move?
2004/2013. David Moxon became an Archbishop of the Anglican Church in New Zealand and then the Anglican representative to the Vatican in Rome for five years. This was a little of a trajectory of his activities in my interview with him starting with the interview in 2004 and then the interview in 2013. Starting with older The Lord of the Rings news. Continue reading “Applied theology of the Lord of the Rings sold out”
2013. This is Anglican Archbishop David Moxon’s “review” of the first Hobbit movie via an interview I did with him in 2013. Continue reading “Is the first Hobbit movie a ‘religious word’ or principle or something which can change at the heart level?”
2004. I interviewed David Moxon (pictured above), the then Bishop of the Waikato (in New Zealand), about The Lord of the Rings movies that were released in the theatre. It seems quite timely to publish that interview in light of the latest ‘incarnation’ of the Lord of the Rings in the media. Here is David Moxon’s “review” of The Lord of the Rings movies by Peter Jackson This is an unofficial review but an interview I had with him in 2004. Continue reading ““A serious misunderstanding of Tolkien’s intentions” says Bishop in response to critic’s malinging of The Return of the King”
2002. In Manchester, UK, an alternative young people’s magazine was launched, which is especially geared towards those in the Church. Continue reading “To present advice in a way “that is cool and appealing to young people””
2002. An annual four-day Christian carnival held in Britain over August 23 – 26 hit capacity attendances this year. Continue reading “Largest gathering of festivalgoers for over four years”
2002. In the heart of Wellington City [in New Zealand] is the first semi-professional recording studio in the city managed by Christians, says FX Audio Manager Mat Barnes. Youth center Zeal’s latest development is FX Audio, a recording facility for college students and young bands so they can venture confidently into the music industry. Continue reading ““Our focus is to encourage and motivate youth””
2002. The CD Store’s latest venture in retailing Christian music may become a significant part of the music industry in New Zealand, says the chain’s Manager Roger Harper. Continue reading “Retailers saw an opportunity to expand gospel music in the marketplace”
2007. Bible College of New Zealand enrolments are holding steady although they are well down on those of the early 2000s. Figures have declined in the past two years because of a drop in the number of international students.
The college expects 650 full time equivalent students this year at its national campus in West Auckland, nine regional centers, and distance learning center – the same as last year. Continue reading “People still trucking into Bible college”
2004. Scripture Union is making fundamental changes to their range of published resources which will take over from the old range of Bible materials in September this year.
Salt, a range of published resources to help leaders of children’s, youth, and all-age church-based ministry to run learning sessions and weekly services, will be succeeded by Light. Salt has been active since 1984, though Scripture Union has been publishing a similar church-based curriculum for over 60 years. Continue reading “New Bible materials are a ‘fundamental reshaping’ of older resources”
2000. Bible teacher and author Charles W. ‘Chuck’ Missler is described on his ministry website, Koinonia House (khouse.org), as a “unique man with a unique message”.
Mr. Missler was speaking throughout New Zealand over the Easter period and beyond. Continue reading “Sitting down with a Bible teacher: “Jesus Christ is the only relevant issue, churches are not””
DEVOTION. Jesus’ lesson of the fig tree may be better understood as a figure of speech that teaches us something rather than give an ordinary description of life. Continue reading “Extraordinary figures of speech”
2007. The pending release of a movie garnering Christian support in Australia is gathering interest in New Zealand.
Continue reading “Amazing Grace: “a timely evangelistic tool””
2002. The Television New Zealand public broadcasting charter will gradually come into effect but TVNZ will not have an obligation to reflect programmes with a direct spiritual flavour as this will not be part of their objectives, unless there is a change to the charter before it becomes law.
Continue reading “Programming that contribute to spiritual and ethical development recommended”
2000. The law change in religious and spiritual broadcasting in New Zealand means that church groups as well as minority groups should, by legislation, expect their fair share of radio and television programming, but has been responded tentatively to by some Christians working in secular radio and television.
Continue reading “Legal ground to apply pressure to NZ on Air and Parliament”
2005. The Presbyterian Church is consulting with parishes and presbyteries to decide on the priorities for the church’s national tasks.
Focus on the Future is a series of meetings with parishioners being held in the North and South Island and encourages written submissions.
Continue reading “‘Focus on the future’ for national church”
2002. Wellington Pastor Anthony Walton views writing books, including his latest, Future Church: Church by Design, as a leadership tool for producing vision, “casting a direction the church needs to head down”.
2006. Knox Presbyterian Church in Lower Hutt (New Zealand) is undertaking the extension and renovation of its Grimes Hall at a cost of nearly $750,000.
Continue reading “Hall extension intends to make room for all”
2006. The Presbyterian Church in the South Auckland village of Clevedon (a town in New Zealand; see picture below) has paid $1.2 million for 8ha of rural land on which it hopes to build a $7 million “worship centre”.
2005. Members of Christian Friendship Fellowship (NZ) are gathering at Queen Charlotte Sound this Easter from all over New Zealand for one of the fellowship’s major get-togethers of the year, the “Significant Singles” camp.
Continue reading “Singles seeking friendship take to get-together”
2001. Mark Pierson, of Cityside Baptist Church in Auckland, sees huge numbers of people leaving Western churches as a great opportunity.
2006. Larger Baptist churches are having difficulty filling senior pastor roles meaning nearly half the pastor vacancies in Baptist churches are either for congregations of 300 or more or in multi-staffed churches.
Continue reading ““After a while there was a need to have clear leadership””
The plan is this. That it goes to plan. What is the plan? No pain in the game that’s lived … Continue reading Ways
God loves us more than we can love God God gives more to us than we could give to God … Continue reading The giver
2000. Aglow New Zealand encourages women to become whole in body, soul, and spirit in an age where it can be fashionable to focus on form rather than content.
2005. New Zealand Council of Christian Social Services is challenging the Government to sufficiently fund rest homes and hospitals of elderly people and says a 3 percent funding increase is too little too late.
2000. “We exist so that God, working in and through us, will use us, to help people know, apply, experience, embrace and proclaim God’s truth on marriage and family. The result is godly families reaching others with God’s truth”, explains Andy Bray, Director of FamilyLife (in New Zealand), a ministry that encourages a variety of couples at various stages in life in their marriages and roles as mothers and fathers.
2000. The YWAM New Zealand outreach team experienced a “fruitful” three weeks at the Sydney Olympic games this year says Jay Granat, team leader.
2004. Christian World Service (CWS) is raising money to contribute to the rebuilding of cyclone-damaged Niue.
Cyclone Heta devastated Alofi and the only hospital on the island on January 6.
Religious education seems to have no place in a secular society, but there are those who want to change this.
Continue reading ““Academically rigorous” religious and values education”
2003. A “rookie” pastor found that churches were not co-operating as strongly as ideal, and he desired a greater unity. It was not enough to motivate Stefan Schlogl, Pastor of Victory Christian Centre, to action but when God spoke to him about initiating fellowship between ministers in the Hutt Valley, he immediately sent letters to some of them sharing his vision.
2005. Avalon Baptist Church in Lower Hutt choose a gold background for this election-related sign so as not to confuse onlookers that it supported a particular party.
Continue reading “Christians and voting”
2004. The Rally for Human Rights preceded hundreds who marched Monday in the Enough is Enough rally taking a message to Parliament’s steps about the sanctity of marriage, proposed legalizing of civil unions and the Care of Children Bill deemed to undermine the marriage institution.
Continue reading “Christians stir controversy at Parliament”
The previous ‘poem’ I wrote, “The Friend”, was written out of more a matter of intent than designing something artistic. … Continue reading Intent
I have come across some odd sayings in my day. But more than odd, they were controversial sayings, but delivered palatably, with even with a hint that it should be accepted. Except when I heard it, I may have had the advantage of my knowledge over others in the crowd.
The controversies were told at church, but if one knows their Bible quite literally, as I do, you would think twice about the saying. You would recognize it as controversial and that it did not quite fit the evidence of the Bible. Maybe they were aiming for mass and consumer acceptance, but I sat there dismayed. Waiting for someone to correct. So here it is. The fallacies that appeared from time to time on my journeys. How do I reply…
Continue reading “Myths and facts”
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