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Brian and Louise Bayly, Ken and Marlene Beazley, Roger and Bev Bell, Malcom and Sue Borrie, Gary and Heather Brockett, Barry and Raewyn Everett,

Jack and Dorothy Jensen, Greg and Lynda Morel.

“Then all your people will be righteous, and they will possess the land forever. They are the shoot I have planted, the work of my hands, for the display of my splendor. The least of you will become a thousand, the smallest a mighty nation. I am the Lord; in its time

I will do this swiftly.” Isaiah 60:21-22 (NIV)

With thanks to God and His faithfulness and in recognition of those who left Panmure Baptist Church to found this church and who are still with us today:

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30 years young! This is a significant milestone in our journey of faith. It has been an amazing experience reflecting on the last three decades recalling what God has done amongst us. He has been incredibly good to us and in reading the special memories and highlights recorded within the pages of this book we celebrate first and foremost His grace and favour upon us.

In my first year of ministry here I recall shopping in Big Fresh Supermarket one time and asking the Lord, “If you ever gave us a warehouse like this, what would be the key to filling it?” God dropped four words in my heart - reaching, winning, building and sending, which the church adopted as its growth strategy. This book records how this strategy has unfolded over the last 30 years. Many people have put their hand to the plough to be a part of the vision - some have had highly visible roles while others have served behind the scenes. Whether big or small everyone’s contribution over the years has been significant in helping shape Eastgate into the church it is today, adding to a long list of people who have been transformed by the gospel.

Our signature scripture has been Isaiah 62:10 “Go through, go through the gates! Prepare the way for the people. Build up, build up the highway, remove the stones. Raise up a banner for the nations.” Right from the outset God clearly spoke that we were to maximise the opportunities presented to us and build a significant work for Him.

Every time I go fishing my fish finder opens with the words – seize the day! It’s shouting at me – catch as many fish as you can! And God’s purpose for us as we move into the next 30 years is to catch as many fish for the Kingdom as we can!

May you enjoy reading the highlights and special memories contained in these pages!

Allan Taylor Senior Pastor

“You shall remember all the waY which the lord led You…” Deuteronomy 8:2

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Q&a with the senior pastors When did you decide to make Jesus Christ the Lord of your life and commit to serving Him?

allan: I was led to Christ by my mother at 13 years of age and baptised shortly after in the Kaitaia Baptist Church. Although this was a sincere decision, it wasn’t until 1969 at Ngaruawahia Easter camp when I was 17 years of age that I fully surrendered to Jesus Christ and made Him Lord of my life. It was during my later teenage years that I became aware of a call to pastoral ministry on my life which grew during my twenties especially after I was filled with the Holy Spirit in 1973. I was so keen to pursue the call of God while studying for my Bachelor of Commerce degree that I wanted to throw in my studies to train for the ministry, but God made it clear especially in 1975 through a word of prophecy that if I would wait patiently God would open up the right door. It seemed an interminably long time to wait but two years later Zion Bible College opened and I became a foundation student, the first Principal Rev Victor Johnston being a member of my home church. In 1980 the door opened to become Assistant Pastor at Te Atatu Baptist where I had been attending since 1967.

lYnette: I gave my heart to the Lord as a child but rededicated my life to Him in 1969 while attending the Billy Graham Crusades at Western Springs at the age of 13 and was then baptised. When I was 16 I attended a week at Faith Bible College and during that week God spoke very clearly to me about returning to study to prepare for what lay ahead.

How did you meet each other?

allan: At the Te Atatu Baptist Church where Lynette was worshipping with her family. We knew

each other as friends growing up together in the youth group, attending the same connect group and also serving together on the worship team. Things became more serious when I became Assistant Pastor in 1980 at the same time as Lynette was the church typist. We were engaged in March 1981 and married in December the same year.

When did you know with certainty the calling that was placed on your life, and how did that play out?

lYnette: I felt the call to be a pastor’s wife in my early teens and this never left me, and as I continued to journey with God, this desire became a reality. When Allan and I got engaged, we knew what God was calling us to together. Towards the end of 1985 we felt that God was changing direction for us and that our time at Te Atatu Baptist was coming to an end. I can remember an evening service where we had a visiting ministry come from America. The pastor stopped preaching and started prophesying over us confirming everything that was in our hearts regarding the call to Pigeon Mountain Baptist. We had a challenging road ahead with a bigger mortgage, a lower salary and a second baby on the way! But we had seen God provide for us in so many ways and again He was going to stretch us and cause us to dig into Him.

Describe the early days of Pigeon Mountain Baptist.

allan: They were very exciting years, although the church was very different from the larger church I had come from. When I first arrived, I remember sitting down in my study on a Tuesday morning wondering how I was going to occupy my time until the next Sunday service, wow, how things have changed! The

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church grew quite rapidly in the years 1986 to 1991 at which point we often had difficulties fitting the people into the Pakuranga College Hall.

Two key things happened in the early years which were very significant. In 1987 a Chinese lady by the name of Bonnie Wei became a Christian in the church and together we started a weekly cultural integration programme for Asians which grew to 150 people. This story featured on the Paul Holmes TV show and gave the church increased exposure which resulted in new people being drawn to the church. Also in 1987 John and Nella Greaves started a Christian Video Library. This ministry grew from a handful of tapes to some 14,000 videos and remained open until 2003, with people coming from far and wide to hire tapes. Other great memories include outstanding visiting ministries, regular trips to India, church dinners and home group concerts, the annual picnic to Motuihe Island on the ferry, quite honestly too many to name – they were great years.

What was your family life like?

lYnette: Family life was very busy as we moved into our house in Darren Crescent, having the church offices downstairs with meetings held during the week. Some days our home was like a railway station with people coming to do photocopying, see Allan and submit notices for the church newsletter. We had to adjust to how we did life. If meetings were on, no washing could be done and my work was cut out for me trying to keep two active boys quiet while daddy had prayer meetings in the office downstairs. When our third son, Timothy, arrived in 1989, life was proving to be too hectic, so offices had to be found elsewhere!

Our three boys have always been involved in some way, from becoming the church cleaners when we moved into

the new building, to becoming involved in the worship team and youth group. We feel incredibly blessed with Samuel, Jonathan and Timothy as they have grown into men with hearts after God, a love for His House and a desire to serve Him with their musical talents and other gifts.

How have you expanded to make way for the growth and the changing face of the church?

allan: I have always believed that good leaders are learners, so reading and attending key conferences have been a priority. I have continually endeavoured to be open to the new things that God has wanted to do, identifying opportunities in the community and challenging the church to respond to them.

One way I have personally had to change is learning to delegate and release ministry to others. This has been a continuing journey to the point where my role is now essentially oversighting the team, preaching and planning the Sunday services.

What gives you the most satisfaction from what you do?

allan: There a lot about what I do which gives me great satisfaction, I’m sure that is why I have stayed so long! Seeing the church grow and people come to faith in Christ, as well as meeting new people and connecting with them at our New Friends Luncheons. I love working with our dedicated and gifted pastoral team, and seeing them, and other people in the church grow in their gifts and talents. It’s also exciting seeing new preachers emerging. Ministering overseas and opening up new areas for our short term missions teams brings me fulfilment, as well as seeing teams return from overseas, having been engaged in short term cross

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cultural mission. Seeing the church function as a New Testament church gives me great satisfaction – seeing the lonely finding comfort, the hurting finding healing, the broken finding wholeness, people with questions finding answers and lost people finding new life in Jesus Christ. So yes, there is a lot that gives me great satisfaction and I consider it a privilege to serve in such a wonderful church.

Who are Allan and Lynette in 4 words?

Devoted followers of Jesus.

What are you looking forward to in the next season of Eastgate’s journey?

allan: I look forward to seeing Eastgate go forward from strength to strength impacting East Auckland in an even greater way with the good news of the Gospel - even if it might be from my zimmer frame on the sidelines in my later years! God called me to this church to lay a foundation – the superstructure is yet to be built. I look forward to seeing God raise up new people to take the church forward. I also look forward to becoming more involved in the wider Baptist church and in global missions. And hopefully a little more fishing!

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buildinG a churchThe story of Eastgate began when a group of people worshipping at Panmure Baptist had a vision for a satellite church in East Auckland. Within a short space of time, three homegroups formed the nucleus of the church known as Pigeon Mountain Fellowship and started meeting weekly at Farm Cove Intermediate School in October 1984. After a successful twelve months, the need for a pastor of its own became apparent.

Gerald Savvy, who was the administrator at Panmure Baptist, had met Allan Taylor at a Bill Subritsky meeting where he had been involved with the worship team from Te Atatu Baptist. A few months later, Allan received a call from Brian Bayly, an elder at Pigeon Mountain Fellowship, asking if he would consider becoming the pastor of the church. After praying about this for several months, Allan accepted the call and commenced in August 1986. In 1987 the first deacons were appointed, a constitution was adopted and the church was welcomed into the Baptist Family of Churches at Assembly in November 1987.

When Allan and Lynette arrived, the church offices were based at Panmure Baptist Church, however Allan and Lynette purchased a home with a view to it being used as a church base. It wasn’t long before the church began to grow and employed a part time secretary, Judith Grobelny, who worked in the office located in the Taylors’ basement. A few years later, the office moved to Elliot Street and then to 14 Ben Lomond Crescent where it remained based until the church purchased the current facilities.

Sunday services were the highlight of the week. After four years of meeting in Farm Cove Intermediate, they moved to Pakuranga College Hall. Associate Principal Athol Agnew, a member of the church, was instrumental in obtaining the consent of the college. The years in the college were wonderful years of growth with many new people joining the church and new ministries starting. In March 1998 the lease at the college was terminated and in April Sunday services began at the Pakuranga Rugby Club in Lloyd Elsmore Park (complete with the

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lingering stench of cigarettes and alcohol from the night before!) As there was no storeroom available, a truck was purchased to transport all the equipment that was needed, with set up starting at 6:30am every Sunday.

While the original vision had been to grow on relationships rather than to purchase land and buildings, the huge job of setting up every Sunday was proving difficult to sustain. Back in 1995 the church had purchased land on the corner of Botany and Cascades Road, but it became increasingly clear that it was too small for church requirements. Finally, in 1998 the decision was made to sell the land and purchase a vacant, dilapidated warehouse at 5 Ben Lomond Crescent. In faith, the building was purchased for $675,000 and refurbished over 8 months at a cost of $800,000. The church was renamed Eastgate Christian Centre and held its first service at the new facility in November 1999. Two years later, #9 Ben Lomond was purchased for $640,000 with the vision to establish it as a base for outreach into the community. It is currently home to

the Second Hand Shop and Youth Rooms with part of the building being leased to commercial tenants. With a vision for future expansion, a decision was made in 2005 to purchase properties on the boundary of the Church as they became available. A short time later, 18 Reelick Avenue was purchased and a minor dwelling erected on the rear of the site.

Although the church is blessed with its fine facilities, Pastor Allan has always emphasized the church is not about buildings but about people and that the strength of the church lies in its love for God and people; that is what matters most!

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GettinG connectedThe heart of Eastgate has always been the people. Not the masses – but the importance of the individual. From first time visitors to familiar faces returning we have endeavoured to be a church that is welcoming and friendly to each person. For Christians and non-Christians alike many people have expressed how being greeted by a warm welcome has been a key to them returning for a second visit. From very early on, our welcome and assimilation teams have worked hard to ensure that Sunday visitors have received a positive experience, followed by an invitation to a New Peoples Luncheon in the weeks following.

These luncheons, now held every six weeks after the 10.30am Sunday service, have been a very successful means of introducing new families to Church staff and the Mission and Vision of Eastgate.

Through the years we have sought to help people make new friends and build a sense of community within the church through ‘Dinners of Eight’, ‘Dinners by Design’, groups such as The Roaring Forties, Recycled Teenagers and in the early years especially, annual concerts held in the Fencible Lounge in Howick.

For over 17 years we all boarded ‘the big red barge’ floating to Motuihe Island for our annual church picnic. These were great times of fun and fellowship travelling across the water and enjoying sports and activities all afternoon long.

For young and old, church camps also played an important part in building a sense of community. These include memorable times at Peter Snell Youth Village, and Totara Springs Matamata where visiting speakers such as Tony Saxon helped make these a life changing time for many.

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Connect groups have been key for people to find new friends and develop relationships and continue to be a tremendous strength in the church. In addition, we have had a strong pastoral care ministry led for many years by Jack and Dorothy Jensen. Along with their team, Jack and Dorothy faithfully followed up, visited, cared and prayed for many families during times of crisis and need.

For those wanting to belong in a formal way to Eastgate we have always had a membership roll. However in 2008 to emphasise the importance and interpretation of what this meant Membership was changed to Partnership. Partnership is a commitment to link arms with the leadership to help achieve the vision and mission of the church. This resulted in many more people including young people and young adults becoming Partners of the church.

multicultural churchOver the years East Auckland has moved from being a largely white, monocultural community to a diverse suburb of many cultures. Eastgate has also changed and we have seen a huge increase in the numbers of different cultures attending our services.

Following the successful cultural integration ministry begun by Bonnie Wei in the late eighties, Barrie and Marie Turner in the mid 1990s began an Asian group, meeting weekly in their home. After several years the group grew extensively and moved to the church. With up to 75 people attending Friday night the Asian Ministry continued with ESOL being offered, along with Alpha and an in-depth Bible study option. Charged with the role to develop the multicultural community within Eastgate, Pastor Alfredo Lim joined the pastoral team in 2008. Since that time the Filipino ministry has grown to over 100 people.

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Now home to around 45 different nationalities, Eastgate has become a culturally diverse church. Each year we celebrate and honour each other’s heritage through a festive and colourful International Worship Service. Themed ‘One In Christ’ this Sunday celebration always includes a shared meal complete with the popular pig on a spit!

church careWe have endeavoured to be known by our friendliness towards first time visitors and relationships have grown and deepened through the years. It is encouraging to see four generations continuing to worship and serve here, and many people have found lifelong friends.

For over a decade the Blessing Basket (Foodbank) has provided groceries for families in need and Emergency Meals are ready and waiting for crisis situations. At

Christmas time we join with Angel Tree in providing presents for children of prisoners and Christmas Hampers for families in our local community.

praYerStemming from the personal passion and commitment Pastor Allan has demonstrated for prayer, this has become one of the core priorities and principles in all that we do. From prayer walks up Pigeon Mountain over 25 years ago to corporate 21 and even 40 day fasts, the congregation has always been encouraged not only to pray but to acknowledge that God moves in answer to our prayers.

Over the years we have developed a prayer ministry that is multi-faceted. It includes: Sunday Prayer Ministry Teams, Prayer Chain for personal needs, Prayer Retreats, Prayer Shield providing cover for specific ministries,

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Prayer Cards for general requests and an Intercessors Group that has met weekly for many years.

Until recently the Wednesday weekly prayer meetings were held in the Upper Room and were attended by a small group of dedicated prayer warriors who met rain, hail or snow!

More recently God has called us to step up in our commitment to prayer with Lighthouses of Prayer where over 200 families are committed to weekly prayer in their homes, and daily 7am and 7pm prayer meetings at the church centre. The combined effect of this prayer being felt right across the church.

Vision Fest and VolunteersIn 2003 we linked together our AGM with a celebration of the year past and preview of the year coming. Visionfest is now an annual highlight where we acknowledge and

thank the incredibly important volunteer teams in the church, showcase the year’s activities and share where God is leading us for the next 12 months. With food and fellowship in between, the AGM follows and is a time to celebrate God’s financial provision for us as a church.

leadership deVelopment With a desire to strengthen and equip people, over recent years we have been more intentional in developing leaders, especially to lead connect groups and other ministries.

The church year begins with a weekend, normally the first weekend of February, focused on input into leaders. People such as Pastor Bruce Hills from Australia, and Andy Shudall from Eastgate have provided great input at these events. We also set aside one Sunday evening per term for leadership development.

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Since 2010 we have had a growing relationship with Willow Creek Association and Eastgate now hosts the annual Global Leadership Conference and other leadership events. A significant number of our leaders take advantage of these opportunities and benefit greatly from the leadership input.

personal Growth courses At the heart of our vision to see people’s lives transformed, Eastgate has provided the opportunity for both the congregation and the community to grow and develop in areas of emotional, spiritual and relational health. In the early years, Dorothy and Jack Jensen were instrumental in leading many of these courses. Along with others leaders, their diligence and compassion for each person who attended was the key factor in many coming to faith and wholeness. These courses included:

Careforce Recovery, Search for Life, Woman to Woman, Man to Man, Homes of Honour, and Divorce Care. Other equipping courses such as Roots to Grow - Wings to Fly, Contagious Christianity, Network and SHAPE. These courses have helped people to find their place and be more effective in ministry.

With the diversity of needs in our community Eastgate has also provided courses such as In Time Music School, Maximising Manhood, Cleansing Streams, Parenting Courses, Peak Performance Living, Financial Freedom, CAP Money Courses, The Marriage Course and many one off seminars/breakfasts with outstanding speakers who are specialist in their field.

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riVer daYsIt was the vision of Andrea Chipman and Kim Kyle to establish an interdenominational meeting where people were encouraged to enjoy the presence of God in an unhurried atmosphere of prayer and worship. In 2006 a new ministry known as the “River Day” which originated in Pauanui began at Eastgate. Each meeting was unique, with up to 75 people in attendance. Guest speakers would bring fresh insights from the Word of God, and often prophetic words were given which brought great encouragement to those present.

Out of this ministry grew biannual Combined Church Healing Meetings which were supported by Pakuranga Baptist, St Columba, the River and Eastgate. The various churches took turns to host joint healing meetings.

Over the years there have been decisions to follow Christ, deliverance, recommitments to the Lord, healings, release of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, prophetic words and the experience of joy being in the presence of God during the River Mornings and River Evenings.

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children’s churchChildren are a very significant part of our church family. Right from the outset, an effective and God-centred children’s programme has always been a priority for Eastgate, and with the dedication and enthusiasm of so many leaders and volunteers, achieving this has never been a problem.

Over the years, Children’s Church have shown much flexibility and grace when it has come to location, sometimes meeting in changing rooms or at the Howick Historical Village when Eastgate relocated to Pakuranga Rugby Club in 1998. They have also led the way, sacrificing pocket money to support missionary children overseas and to sponsor Sophy in Cambodia and Lift in Thailand.

The teachers and leaders encourage children to use their God-given gifts and talents. There have been opportunities for the children to be involved in the weekly music team, dramatic presentations, public speaking and running the church services. It has been encouraging to see children grasp the eternal truths of God, grow in their faith and contribute to the life of the church.

It doesn’t stop there. In the recent months, the Children’s Church introduced Friday Family Dinners with the aim to build a strong faith community. At these dinners, parents are welcome to come along and mingle with other parents outside of Sunday church and kids are encouraged to build stronger friendships with one another.

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intermediate YouthAs the church has continued to grow, so has the number of children and in 1988, recognising the importance of the 11 – 13 age group, an Intermediate programme commenced which included debates, social events and many speakers for the 14 youth who attended. This proved successful and a Friday evening social programme was added in 1994 with 20 Intermediate aged children regularly attending. Over the next six years, the ministry grew slowly but steadily so that by the year 2000 there were 45 Intermediates on the “Youth Quake” roll, attending the regular Sunday and Friday programmes.

2003 saw a name change to “Hypt” to reflect the crazy nature of the Intermediate years, and the ministry was taken to a whole new level. The next few years saw many exciting events, including the introduction of Easter Camp, which remains an annual activity for this group of

young people. Activities such as FBI nights, sleepovers, giant monopoly, kidnapping gnomes and the Amazing Race are among the events enjoyed by this age group.

Another name change took place in 2006 and “Charged” began. Sunday study sessions were a great success, as the youth embarked on a journey to learn more about God’s Word. Now with up to 50 attending this ministry is becoming more influential in our schools and community.

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hiGhschool YouthThe youth play a vital role in Eastgate. Right from the start, youth have been involved in aspects of church life, including volunteering, missions trips and fundraising, to name a few.

Many leaders including David and Jean Moore, Greg Morel, Karen Vernon and Ralf Fields have been involved over the years, teaching young people about God’s love for them. The first paid Youth Pastor was Andy Sutton who used as his base “The Fuse Box” in #5 which was set up with the discarded tables and chairs from Georgie Pie restaurant on Pakuranga Highway. Andy was followed by Al Ronberg, Tracey Wakefield and then Martin Druskovich.

Camps have contributed significantly to the growth of youth. The combined Easter Camps are an annual

highlight, and in 2009 Eastgate’s very own annual “Fresh Camp” began, which has upwards of 100 intermediate and high school youth attending.

Tuesday nights are where the deep stuff happens. The youth look forward to these nights where they have the opportunity to dive into God’s Word and ask some of those hard questions that they might be facing in life. Since 2011 we have reached out into Pakuranga College with four youth workers actively involved. This has recently resulted in a steady flow of new youth coming through the doors of “Alive Youth”.

There has always been a great culture of leadership development within the youth, and many ministries within Eastgate benefit from the training that these young people have been given. What started with ten youth attending “The Fuse Box” has grown to to sixty

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youth at Number 9. This group of energetic world-changers will continue to impact Eastgate and the surrounding community in mind-blowing ways.

YounG adultsSince the early ‘90s we have provided space for young adults to connect with each other. Leaders such as Alison and Phil Vautier, and Paul Mackenzie have encouraged this age group to get involved in church life and grow in their faith.

As the number of young adults grew, it became apparent that Eastgate needed to begin a ministry specifically for the 18-30 age group. In 2007, the “18-plus” ministry began with 40 people attending three connect groups. Food and fun proved to be of great importance, and social events and camps revolved around these with great success.

In 2012 we employed Sam Taylor to care for this group. As this ministry continued to grow, a focus on community was prevalent, and in 2012 young adults was re-labelled “1 Degree – Community of 18-30’s”. A core leadership team was established and growth was evident, with up to 70 people attending six connect groups.

2014 has proven to be the best year yet, kicking off with YAK (Young Adults Kamp) in Whangarei where 45 attended a Holy Spirit inspired weekend. 1-Degree continues to see great momentum, growth and God working through these young adults’ lives.

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women’s ministrYEarly on it was evident that there was a real need for a ministry where women could build relationships, both within the church family and the community. With this in mind, Francine Bennett began a women’s ministry in 1992, which was initially to provide a time when women could come together to be ministered to, to minister to others and to form friendships with other women that would provide personal and spiritual growth.

This ministry hit the ground running, and began to include activities and events such as prayer retreats, camps at Willow Park, daytime Bible studies and a group who catered for women with special needs. In 1994 the very first Women’s Breakfast was held with around 70 women attending, and since that time many successful breakfasts have been held.

Over the coming years, the ministry was ever-changing and growing, and an outward focus began to take shape. A number of events were held that focussed on reaching out to women in the community, including fashion shows that saw approximately 400 women attend, Destitute Gourmet with Sophie Grey, Easy Entertaining and Colour Me Beautiful.

In 2013 the Women’s Ministry underwent a re-brand and the name was changed to “She Connects”. The name reflects the new vision of the ministry as they aim to connect, grow and support women by running events that give them the opportunity to connect with God and with each other.

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men’s ministrYIn 1994 the blokes decided it was high time that a ministry was formed to reach and equip men of our church to be spiritual leaders of their families, church, work and the community. It began with an enthusiastic team organising such events as pool nights and camps at Willow Park, as well as smaller Bible study groups. This ministry endeavoured to provide an environment in which guys could learn to convert biblical truth into action that serves and honours their commitment to Jesus Christ.

Over the years, they ensured that they got to do some fun activities, focusing on growing relationships, not programmes. 2006 saw the inaugural Go Kart Cup take place, where church men and their friends gathered to recapture or celebrate youthful vigour and even discover the pain and penalties of driving outside of the rules, as well as the rewards of driving within them. Golf days and bowling nights were also successes, providing a context for men to show off various levels of sporting prowess or incompetence.

Each year, the Promise Keepers conference has been a priority, with up to 50 men attending, getting equipped and diving deeper into God’s Word. Men’s Breakfasts are a highlight, and many Eastgate men get out their aprons and get into the kitchen to prepare food and even clean up the mess afterwards! As each year passes, Men’s Ministry continues to build a sense of community amongst the blokes, forming and reinforcing relationships, and helping men grow closer to God and in their faith.

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worship and creatiVeWhen Pigeon Mountain Baptist was birthed it had a small but passionate worship ministry. Farm Cove Intermediate was one of the few schools around that actually owned an organ, so music in the early days was a piano and organ duet, with Lynette on the organ and Louise Bayly on the piano. Other instruments were added when available.

In 1988, the church made two big purchases, a new typewriter and some microphones! The worship team was on its way up! Youth cell groups were formed with a focus on drama and singing, which added to the services. There was also a very active group of ladies who played the timbrels under the guidance of Jean Moore and helped accompany the praise.

As more songs were introduced to the worship repertoire, bass players and regular guitarists were added, and as the church grew, many more musicians joined the team.

With the church moving to Pakuranga College in 1988 we lost the use of the organ at Farm Cove, but gained the use of the beautiful grand piano at Pakuranga College. The large stage was ideal for all sorts of creative ideas; a regular dance troop, youth-led worship and dramas were all part of the exciting new era in our church’s history.

Fast forward to 1996 when we moved to two morning services which required much greater commitment from our worship and creative teams. The worship team had their morning tea at Palmers across the road during the second service. There were a few times where the fun and community shared at Palmers took longer than the

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length of the sermon. Pastor Allan was able to calmly walk from the podium and use his talents on the piano to play and lead the closing song at the end of the service!

In 1998, we moved location to the rugby club and went back to a single Sunday service. Everything from the children’s church wall partitioning, their supplies, and our full sound system and musical equipment needed to be assembled, put into place and afterwards disassembled and repacked back in to the truck for weekly storage off site.

Finally in November 1999 we had our first service in our own premises. The joy we felt in not having to move our gear around each week! A permanent home meant that we could hang speakers, and hard wire a stage specifically for our purposes. The overhead projector was dusted and put away for “emergency use only” as we embraced the computer and data projector era. Creatively, the church was re-invigorated; the stage in the new building allowed for regular dramas and other creative events.

Although the music style and team have changed, the focus of worship has remained centred on our love for our Heavenly Father. It has always been our vision for people to encounter Jesus Christ in new and meaningful ways, ready to go into the world to share their faith.

Deep thanks and gratitude need to be extended to the “originals” who are still in our team today; Greg and Lynda Morel, Louise Bayly and Lynette Taylor.

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productions and serVicesStarting a great history of creative arts in the church, the first church production was held in 1987 – the story of Noah. This involved both young and old with Bob Blake starring in the lead role.

In 1993 we began seeker services in the morning. These included topics from the traditional Easter and Christmas services through to full series such as “Get a Life”, “Coping with Failure”, “Parents Wanted”, and “What’s a Family For?” all spearheaded by Karen Vernon. “Jesus Christ, Superstar” coincided with the musical that was running in the Auckland Town Hall. Memories include bright and colourful costumes and the great singing and dancing. Brendan Irwin had the lead part in this particular service, and some still talk with shock about him only having a vest on while on stage, with no shirt underneath it!

The youth shared their learnings about “safe sex - God’s version” in a series of short dramas involving cardboard cars “parked up” across the stage with teenagers (and other adults) dialoguing. Several people remember the church treasurer of the time, Jack Irwin, and his wife Ngaire participating in this drama very enthusiastically.

This was a period of growth at Pigeon Mountain Baptist. Dramas, creative dances, puppets, and musical items were used extensively to enhance the topics, people remembering these long after the services were done.

Dave and Dale Garrett, NZ’s top worship writers of the day, were guest speakers / singers at a service. Bill Subritsky and Barry Smith also came and spoke at outreach services.

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The year after we moved into #5 Ben Lomond we had a very successful visit by Team Impact, a group of strong men from the USA bringing the gospel message along with mind blowing (and stage busting!) feats of strength, attended by 4000-5000 people. Other productions in #5 have included The Case of the Empty Tomb, the children’s musical Trading Places and Hell’s Gates and Heaven’s Flames.

In 2003 we moved once again to two morning services and in 2004 The Zone, Eastgate’s evening service commenced. The latter was definitely louder, aimed at the youth and young adult congregation. Paul McKenzie with his team created exciting services including motorbikes driven in with one of the singers on the back, with serial dramas to enhance the topics each Sunday night.

In 2007 we moved to our current format of an early service at 8.30am, family services at 9.00am and 10.30am and the evening service at 5.30pm.

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christmas at eastGateChristmas gives us the opportunity to reach our community in creative ways. In the early 1990s Karen Vernon organised a truck with a brass band on the back to visit various homes and play carols, a great witness to friends and neighbours. For several years we entered a church float in the Howick Christmas parade, using Barry Turner’s large truck and winning first prize on at least one occasion. In the late 90s John and Jan Balderston held a Christmas concert in their front garden in Devon Road, Bucklands Beach, which became so popular it moved to a local park with church support and became a significant outreach to the local community.

In 2005 Neil Cheyne agreed to take up the challenge to organise a Christmas event based in our own premises. The Christmas Walkthrough was born! With the help of 100 volunteers, almost 1,400 people came through “The Time Tunnel”. Visitors experienced Christmas through the eyes of a futuristic family, burnt sausages at the beach and joined in with carols from the Victorian era. These scenes paved the way for the community to be challenged on the real meaning of Christmas, concluding their journey where it all began – at the birth of Jesus Christ. The smell of fresh coffee and mince pies encouraged people to stay and chat, and some wanting to know more about Jesus.

As word spread over the next few years, the number of visitors and volunteers continued to grow. In 2012 the script took a dramatic change and “Jingle All The Way” was presented to the church and surrounding community. Excitement was evident as the children sucked on lollipops and clung to their balloon animals in the ever growing queue, and they were not disappointed. People of all ages were again challenged as Jingles the Elf went on a quest through Santa’s workshop to find out why presents are given at Christmas. 2013 saw almost 6000 people come through the doors with over 250 volunteers involved.

Each year, Eastgate and the community alike continue to get excited and enthusiastic about the awaited Walkthrough experience. As God continues to bless and speak to people during this season, and the team relies on Him for guidance and direction, exciting things are undoubtedly in store for the future of the Christmas Walkthrough.

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Global missionsA heart for overseas missions has been a part of Eastgate’s DNA from the beginning, reflecting Jesus’ command to go into all the world and make disciples. Reflection on the last 30 years displays how this heart for global missions has continued to grow. Through Faith Promise giving which is profiled at our Annual Missions Weekend, giving to global missions also continues to increase significantly each year.

Eastgate’s first missionary, Lesley Smith, served in Spain from 1989 to 2004 and set up a Christian retreat centre called Cascadas. She is currently in Christchurch working with NZCMS, the Anglican mission agency.

In those early years, Eastgate supported several national evangelists through Asian Outreach: Romanere in Cambodia, Jonas in Pakistan (who was imprisoned for his faith) and Soyombo, Shukree and Zayaa in Mongolia. Badmaa has been supported for the longest and now holds a position of considerable influence as the National Director of Asian Outreach Mongolia.

In the late ‘80s and early ‘90s Pastor Allan led a number of church short term mission trips to India with International Outreach. The teams went around the villages preaching the gospel and praying for the sick, coming back with many powerful stories of how God had worked in and through them. In one secluded village people threw stones at them and chased them out of the village with sticks!

Allan also went on a trip to Papua New Guinea with Pastor Tak Bhana in 1996 where he was involved in evangelism, teaching and praying for the sick. He was asked to travel by boat to a remote island, spending a

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week in a tin shack riddled with cockroaches in a village that had never before seen a white person. God moved mightily, and at the end of that week many people were baptised in the ocean and many miraculous healings took place.

Andrew and Liz Moselen, with their children Rachel, Daniel, Benjamin and Matthew have served with Asian Outreach in Mongolia since 1999. They have been involved in discipling the young church there, training church leaders and setting up community development projects.

Earlier this year Gary and Heather Brockett, foundation members of the church, left for Bangladesh where they are serving with Tranzsend, the overseas missions arm of the Baptist Missionary Society.

Over the last 15 years Eastgate has supported many other missionaries, both long and short term, individuals and groups including: Sharon Scarrow in Hong Kong/Macau, Illka and Maree Rauhala in central Thailand and Mark and Viv Holt in northern Thailand, all serving with Tranzsend; Kim Goodwin who leads Commissioned2Go Bible College in Indonesia, training nationals for church planting and pastoral work; Gareth and Sarah Pheloung and Jan and Sasha Bruneau-Herman who serve in Cambodia.

Many individuals and short term mission teams from our church have visited such places such as Fiji, the Philippines, Vanuatu, Indonesia, Africa, the Solomon Islands, India, Norway and China.

It is exciting what God is doing in global mission at Eastgate!

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second hand shopIn 1987, Allan was introduced to Grant Turner, the new boyfriend of Kim Beazley who was the daughter of foundation members Ken and Marlene. As Grant had many questions about the Christian faith, he met with Allan over several weeks, and decided to give his life to the Lord. On the day that Grant made this life changing decision, he mentioned the possibility of using his skills and experience to open up a second hand shop for the church sometime in the future. Little did he know that the seed he had planted in Pastor Allan’s mind was the beginning of a fruitful and very successful ministry.

As Allan sat in his new office at 5 Ben Lomond Crescent in 2001, some 14 years later, the vision for this ministry continued to stir in his spirit. To any onlooker, he would seem to be daydreaming, but as Allan looked out his study window toward the warehouse next door, he “saw” second hand furniture being carried in and out of the large roller-doors. As the building came up for sale,

following the prompting of the Holy Spirit the church purchased the building with the opening of the Second Hand Shop in mind. A phone conversation with Grant confirmed that he was interested in helping with the ministry, and he became the first manager of the Second Hand Shop.

Twelve years on, the shop continues to go from strength to strength and now employs 4 fulltime staff, 8 part time staff and has 5 regular volunteers. The Second Hand Shop truck has become a common sight, travelling around the streets of East Auckland, picking up and delivering second hand goods to its many customers. The staff pray together daily and regularly witness wonderful miracles of God’s provision. We continue to be amazed at God’s favour on the shop which generates significant funds for Kingdom purposes and is sometimes referred to by leaders of the church as “the miracle shop.”

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communitYCombined with a strong sense of being a permission giving church, and a vision to be a 24/7 Church, Eastgate has “reached out” into the local community with creativity and flair. Motivated by God’s love for others, and challenged to be practical and relevant, we have engaged in a wide range of outreaches, activities, courses and major events to provide a bridge from our world of faith to the local community.

In the early years we were continually looking for public facilities in which to hold outreach ministries including school holiday programmes, craft groups, parenting courses and a garden club.

mainlY musicEastgate is alive with young families both on Sundays and during the week. From 1993 the church offices have heard the sound of toddler music sessions as families come from the surrounding areas to enjoy the programme, play and eat a yummy morning tea each week. All they had were cassette tapes but Karen Vernon and

Lynette Taylor, who began this ministry, had so many coming they had to run back to back sessions. Theme days, fire engines, birthday boxes and Dad days were all part of the mix. After moving to #5 Ben Lomond Crescent this ministry grew and every week around 50 kids still bring their caregivers for an energetic and creative Mainly Music session. There are several women who have served on the team for many years, Bev Bell for a record 18! This is one ministry that continues to be vibrant and effective in building bridges into the local community.

plaYGroupIn 2000 Raewyn Schwerzel had a twofold vision to provide a quality play programme for pre-schoolers which promotes Christian values, and opportunities for friendship and support for parents and caregivers. Beginning with up to 40 adults and even more children, playgroup has continued to be a place where both church and non-church families have found support and encouragement. Each session has been different with crafts, songs, morning tea and safe play equipment.

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With willing volunteers over the years the teams have connected and shared God’s love with more than 500 families in our local community…so far!

women’s FuelWomen’s Fuel was a new ministry that commenced in February 2008. Raewyn Schwerzel together with a dedicated team ran this ministry as a weekly programme on Tuesday mornings as an outreach to the community and a safe place to bring unchurched friends.

The vision of this ministry was to provide a programme where women of all ages could come together and support one another. It provided an opportunity for a cross section of women (from Grandmas to Mums with preschool children) - to come and catch their breath, be accepted, connect with others on a regular basis, get input on relevant issues and be creative. A “Fuel Spot” each week gave encouragement from a biblical perspective.

The programme covered a variety of activities including themed mornings, visiting speakers, demonstrations,

crafts and special morning teas with personal faith stories. Throughout this ministry that ran until December 2013 a few ladies found faith, a number of long term friendships were formed, young Mums have had time out and many have been encouraged through their difficult times and have been given hope. This ministry continues under the new name of “Women Connect” held every second and fourth Tuesday of the month.

alpha course In 1998 we ran our first Alpha Course to help people understand the gospel better and to provide a safe environment where people could ask questions about Christianity. Over the years Warren and Loma Howes, John Balderston, Sue Croad and their teams often ran 4 courses at one time, days and evenings, and even in other languages (Russian, Mandarin). We continued to run the course at least twice a year since as it has proved to be an effective and relevant tool for winning people to Christ. With 16 years of courses and hundreds of people won for Christ Alpha continues today under the leadership of Arnold Karsten.

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bible in schoolsFrom our earliest days Eastgate has reached out into local schools through Bible In Schools. Though we have had teachers spread throughout the local area, early on we adopted Wakaaranga Primary School as the focus our resources. Thanks to the many faithful volunteers over the years, thousands of children have been reached with the message of the gospel. Currently teachers from Eastgate are teaching about 1000 children each week.

cascades corridorThroughout the last decade we have developed a vision to see an increasing number of people attending from the 900 households comprising the Cascades Corridor. We consider these families our neighbours and to demonstrate God’s love we have distributed gifts at Easter and Christmas for the last 8 years. Volunteers have prayed faithfully for these families and through the monthly community flyer we have offered special opportunities to attend personal development courses and events such as our community games days. It is encouraging to see an increased number of people attending Eastgate from this area.

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