Issue 11 | Sept - Dec 2014

3

elcome to our last issue of Portal for 2014 - one that will get you in the mood for Christmas if you aren’t already thinking along those lines! I myself was not altogether ready to embrace the

‘silly season’ - that was until I began editing the articles for this issue. I am now feeling quite inspired and excited about the lead up to the special day of Christ’s birth, and have put it on my ‘to do’ list to attempt at least one of the Christmas craft ideas that feature on pages 16-18.

And of course, this Christmas is extra special as we celebrate 200 years of the gospel coming to our homeland of Aotearoa! This topic is our focus for the feature article in this issue, and it is also being explored by our primary aged kids out in the Forest & Jungle on Sundays for the next few weeks. I would highly advise those of you with kids in this age group (and everyone else too!) to check out this article in preparation for dinner conversation with the kids!

As we look ahead to the coming frivolities, the end of the year is a great chance to reflect on what we’ve achieved during the last 11 months. BotanyLife has indeed been busy with not only another Community Project in September notched up on the board, but also with the transformation of the Community Centre on Ti Rakau Drive. Brad’s update on ‘A Place to Shine’ will bring you up to speed with the latest developments, of which it is well worth celebrating.

I guess I can’t ignore the white elephant that is this note from me as ‘editor’. Yes ... I’m not sure how, but it comes to pass that I am the new editor for Portal. How did Brad manage that you may ask? He is privy to my (now very ancient) resume and recalled a previous life where such skills were used! I only hope the high standard that has been set by my predecessor’s Andrew Mackereth and Shawn Crane can be upheld. I am sure that each of you who has sat down to read Portal over the last year will join me in thanking Shawn for all his hard work in putting together such great issues for us all to enjoy.

I sincerely hope that you can take a relaxing break from the busyness that you find in your day, pick up this special Christmas edition of Portal, and get into the spirit of the season with the wonderful offerings the Portal team has put together for you!

A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

W

THE PORTAL TEAM{EDITOR} Mel Thorburn {WRITERS} Andy and Nikki Bray / Robin Byrne / Brad Carr / Max Carr / Debbie du Toit / Tina Funnell

Melissa Guyan / Isabel Hand / Owen Jennings / Mel Palmer / Abby Smith / Tricia Stevenson / Mark van Wijk

{ART} Art Director/Designer - Amanda Crane

4

{REGULARS}

03 Editors Column A note from the Editor

06 Feature Article 200 Years of the Gospel

20 Leadership Spotlight Meet Leo and Carolyn van Gemst - Small Groups Leaders / Set up Team Leader / New mainly music Leader

24 Community Groups Connect and Serve

25 A Place to Shine Update Check in for the latest news!

26 Children’s Ministry Fun and Fireworks, We will miss you!

30 Youth Ministry Spotlight on Xchange

32 Who’s That? Get to know some of our fellow members in the church

35 Pastor’s Column My God is so big

36 Reviews Grab a comfy seat, turn the volume up, rustle the family together and grab some popcorn

38 Marriage and Parenting Surviving Christmas by Nikki Bray

39 What’s On at BotanyLife? Get your pens out and mark these dates on your calendar

{SPECIALS}

10 Christmas Outreach Jesus’ Birthday, Christmas Kindness, Carols at Botany, Christmas on Ice

14 Christmas Special When All Your Christmases Come At Once: A Slightly Irreverent Look At Grace, Christmas Craft, Christmas Gift Ideas, Jesus On Air

22 10 Year Timeline The Later Years (2011 - 2014)

Contents10

26

32

5

BOTANYLIFE COMMUNITY

CHURCH{STAFF}

LEAD PASTOR/ELDER - BRAD (& ROCHELLE) CARR COMMUNITY PASTOR - MARK (& STEPH) VAN WIJK

CHILDREN’S PASTOR - MEL (& DREW) PALMER WORSHIP & GROUPS PASTOR - ROBIN (& SONIA) BYRNE OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR - MEL (& JULIAN) THORBURN

SUNDAY ADMINISTRATOR - MANDY FRANCIS

{ELDERS}TODD (& SHEREE) HUGHES

KK (& SUSAN) LEONG ANDRE (& CHRISTL) KIRSTEIN

STUART & IANTHE JONES (GUEST ELDER)

6

200 Years of the Gospel

Text by Brad Carr.

7

FE

AT

UR

E A

RT

ICL

EF

EA

TU

RE

AR

TIC

LE

“BEHOLD, I BRING YOU GOOD TIDINGS OF GREAT JOY, WHICH SHALL BE TO ALL PEOPLE.

FOR UNTO YOU IS BORN THIS DAY IN THE CITY OF DAVID A SAVIOUR, WHICH IS CHRIST

THE LORD” (LUKE 2, 10-11; KJV).

These words, spoken by the angel as he announced the birth of the Messiah to the shepherds of Beth-lehem, have tremendous significance in the lead up to Christmas this year in New Zealand. We are about to celebrate one of the most important anniversaries in New Zealand’s history in the next month or so, but for many kiwis it will go unnoticed, wedged between the centenaries of the start of World War One this year and the Anzac campaign in Gallipoli next year.

Christmas Day this year is the 200th anniversary of the first missionary church service on the soil of Aotearoa. A small handful of services had been held earlier on board various ships that harboured in New Zealand waters, but they were for the benefit of the English and French sailors on the ships with little thought for the indigenous Maori population.

The church service held on Christmas Day 1814, was the first service held in New Zealand with the specific intention of sharing the good news of Jesus with Maori. It was held at Oihi Bay in the Bay of Islands, at the invitation of the local Ngapuhi chief Ruatara. The service was led by the Rev Samuel Marsden, an evangelical Anglican minister who resided in Parramatta, Sydney. These two men were the central characters in this largely unknown part of New Zealand’s Christian history.

Ruatara had sailed for London in 1809 with the intention of meeting King George III to seek ways to assist and help the Ngapuhi people. Instead, he was locked up on arrival in England, refused the wages that he had earned on-board, and then placed on a convict ship heading back to Australia without even setting foot on English soil. On the voyage back to Australia on the convict ship Ann, Ruatara fell extremely ill and would almost certainly have died if not for the fact he was befriended and nursed back to health by Marsden, an English minister based in Australia.

Marsden was a pastor and a magistrate, and earned the unfortunate nickname of the “Flogging Parson” for the heavy punishments he handed down against convicts. This highly contradictory figure, however, also had a great heart for

Maori and a huge desire to see the gospel brought to New Zealand. In 1805 he met Ruatara’s uncle Te Pahi, who was also a Ngapuhi chief, when he had visited New South Wales and attended Marsden’s church. Through this and other regular contacts in Sydney with visiting Maori, Marsden developed a burden for their people and country.

On arriving in Australia, Ruatara accepted Marsden’s invitation to stay with him in his home in Parramatta, and with the young chief’s help Marsden began to learn the Maori language. Ruatara invited Marsden to begin a Christian mission among the people of his tribe, both to share his faith but also to impart other skills and knowledge that would assist them in different areas of life.

An initial attempt in 1810 was abandoned, but in November 1814 Marsden sailed for New Zealand with three missionary families who would remain in New Zealand and establish a mission post near Ruatara’s tribe. Marsden and the others were accompanied by Ruatara, along with the great Ngapuhi chiefs Hongi Hika and Korokoro. They landed at Motukawanui Island near Whangaroa Bay in Northland on 19th December 1814, and reached Ruatara’s pa at Rangihoua (Oihi Bay) on 22nd December.

In preparation for the first ever church service on the soil of Aotearoa, Ruatara built a makeshift pulpit for Marsden to preach from, and laid out some upturned waka to serve as pews as he had seen in Marsden’s church in Parramatta. On Christmas morning, approximately 400 Maori attended the service as Marsden preached the gospel from the passage in Luke quoted above. When it became clear that his Maori was not as understandable as they had hoped, Ruatara then translated the message. At the conclusion of the service the Maori listeners responded with a haka.

Marsden later wrote in his journal:

“It being Christmas Day, I preached from the Second Chapter of St. Luke’s Gospel and tenth verse… We could not but feel the strongest persuasion, that the time was at hand when the glory of the Lord would be revealed to the poor benighted Heathens; and that those who were to remain on the island, had strong reasons to believe that their labours would be crowned and blessed with success.”

8

Sadly, while that Christmas Day was a great beginning, the mission station itself struggled for the next few years for a number of reasons: the death of Ruatara a few days after that Christmas Day service; the disunity between the three missionary families that undermined their work; and their involvement in the trading of muskets. It also didn’t help that Marsden, the leader of the enterprise, had to return to Sydney in March 1815 and did not return again to New Zealand until 1819.

However, the arrival of other missionaries in the 1820’s, such as Henry and William Williams, slowly gave the gospel a foothold among the Maori people. This was despite the fact that the arrival of more settlers threatened to undermine the missionaries work and threatened the peace between Maori and Europeans. From the 1830’s onwards, great gains were made among Maori, especially through the evangelistic efforts of Maori converts who themselves took the gospel to other iwi and hapu around the country. Over the course of a few decades, great advances were made as Maori in their thousands embraced the good news that Marsden had shared and became followers of Jesus.

As we celebrate Christmas this year, and the wonder of the incarnation - God in human flesh - we also have an additional reason to celebrate. From that small beginning, two hundred years ago, the good news of Jesus has repeatedly travelled and been preached and shared up and down our shores. What a wonderful opportunity this year, to reflect and share this part of our country’s story, that many kiwis - and more recent immigrants - have not really known.

9

FE

AT

UR

E A

RT

ICL

EF

EA

TU

RE

AR

TIC

LE

10

JESUS’ BIRTHDAY PARTY

CO

MM

UN

ITY

PR

OJ

EC

TC

HR

IST

MA

S O

UT

RE

AC

H

Text by Isabel Hand.

race yourselves. Christmas is coming. The lights, carols, presents, food, sugar highs and that party. You know the one.

Jesus’ birthday party!

The date is set (Sunday, December 14). The venue is booked (Botany Downs Secondary College). The time is locked in (10am - 12pm). Now we need fellow party goers for this family friendly event. Are we worried? Phhht no! If last year, or the year before, or even the year before that is anything to go by, we’re not going to be short of enthusiastic party people. In fact, we are expecting over 200 kids this year! But maybe we are a little worried. Just a bit. Worried that we’re going to be short of one person in particular - YOU .

I don’t see why you wouldn’t be going. I mean, all your friends will be there; your old friends, present friends... future friends... And I know that you’ve also been waiting in anticipation for a chance to dress up like... a bible character? An Angel? Wise Man? Shepherd? Mary? Joseph? Now’s your chance!

When you arrive, you can send your kids on a treasure hunt, let them navigate through a series of planned birthday games and activities (suited for both pre-school and primary aged children) and eat a boat load of sugar! It’s a low-key family outreach event and heaps of fun! And it’s a great chance to invite your family and un-churched friends (as well as their kids) to enjoy a morning of bustling community and activity, or to relax inside with a cup of coffee, some company and awesome home baked treats.

Lend us your skills or your lack of skills. We don’t mind! Come learn with us. Come paint some faces, help decorate some biscuits or lead some games. If you are keen and able, we want you! You can still get involved by contacting Mandy Francis or signing up at church.

We need 150 volunteers in total for: • Running activities • Operating the cafe • Welcoming guests• Set up• Decorating• Directing cars

Parents of small children, you have your own special task. We don’t want you to volunteer. No. We want you to concentrate on your children and their friends having a great time.

If any of this sounds like you, you should volunteer or just come along and enjoy. If this doesn’t sound like you, you’re wrong and should come anyway.

It shall be a most triumphant event.

Especially if YOU are going to be there.

B

“My three year old especially had a ball, and we got some non-Christian kids to come

along and meet us there, and they had a really wonderful

experience of "church" and have left with a better

understanding of what Christmas really is about.”

“I sat in that gym towards the end

feeling so incredibly blessed by all your

hard work and the joy that had gone into it, and I just had to say

thank you!”

JESUS’ BIRTHDAY PARTY

“The diversity of the “stations” was impressive!”

From Mandy the angel and chief coordinator -

“It would not be possible without all the volunteers, so thank

YOU for making Jesus Birthday Party one

to remember”

11

CH

RIS

TM

AS

OU

TR

EA

CH

hat is Christmas Kindness some may ask? Then again, some have been involved since the dawn

of giving hampers to those in our community in need at Christmas time.

Christmas Kindness started off as a way to help our community at a time that some people find it hard to enjoy the season of giving and celebrate the wondrous birth of baby Jesus due to their circumstances. We are now able to deliver wonderful hampers full of practical food for meals and also some Christmas treats that would see a family who has been through a rough patch this year enjoy some festive dining.

There are many reasons why an outreach like this would benefit a family, perhaps due to illness in the family, lack of work or those who may need to feel they are not alone at Christmas. You may know of a person or family that you think would appreciate some kindness at Christmas and you are welcome to contact Mark (mark@botanylife.org.nz) at the office to nominate them.

I have had the privilege of being involved in this Botany Life “outward” ministry for the past two years along with the hard working ladies in my Community Group - Soul Sisters.

To begin this outreach (being launched on Sunday 23rd November), we ask for BotanyLife church members to tick off our “shopping list” and indicate what they would like to contribute to one of our hampers. These sheets are available for a couple of weeks, in case you are away one Sunday.

Taking a shopping list home with you, which indicates the items you would like to contribute, you have until Sunday 7th December to deliver these items to church or until the 15th December to the church office for late deliveries (no deliveries to church on Jesus’ Birthday please - 14th December).

The hamper items are handed over to the Soul Sisters to pack up into hampers, wrap them and add a card from BotanyLife for our recipients. We also buy any items that may still be required for the hampers.

If time is not on your side around this busy time of year, there is the option of placing money in our collection box on the table, which will go towards purchasing the last few items of food for the hampers.

Soul Sisters enjoy a morning - usually our last “meeting” before Christmas - putting together these lovely hampers, while sampling some festive food baked by each other. Louise Hopman, our in-house card maker, creates amazing cards each year, for this special reason.

Once these are all made up, we will contact our deliverers... we are happy to have you deliver your hamper to your nominated family if you would like to or a member of BotanyLife will deliver it for you around the week before Christmas.

We are always looking for people in our church community who may be able to donate food items for approximately 15+ hampers from their places of work. If you can help with this, please advise me (tina.funnell@outlook.com) before the 16th November so we can include it in our hamper packing layout.

I, along with my fellow Soul Sisters (who meet on alternate Thursday mornings, if you would like to join us, we’d love to have you), look forward to seeing you at the Christmas Kindness table on and after the 23rd of November. We look forward to having you, whoever you may be, involved in this outreach of Christmas Kindness this year and to remind us all of The Reason for the Season.

“I TELL YOU THE TRUTH, WHATEVER YOU DID FOR ONE OF THE LEAST OF THESE BROTHERS

OF MINE, YOU DID FOR ME” (MATT 25:40)

“… REMEMBER THE WORDS OF THE LORD JESUS, HOW HE SAID , IT IS MORE BLESSED TO

GIVE THAN TO RECEIVE” (ACTS 20:35)

W

Text by Tina Funnell.

CHRISTMAS

KINDNESS

12

Carols at Botany

Text by Tricia Stevenson.

ark! It’s time for carol singing! Come down to the Botany Town Centre on Thursday 4th December, at

7pm for the 4th annual Carols at Botany event. Sponsored by the Town Centre and proudly hosted by BotanyLife, this collaborative event is filled with live music, games, prizes, a Christmas message, and more.

Held in the Botany Town Square (near the Whitcoulls Bookstore), this event is your chance to join in with the BotanyLife worship team to sing some carols and infuse the season with Christmas joy. Along with a few other special features, including a short message about Christmas from Brad, there will be games, which judging by earlier years, will be heaps of fun!

So invite your friends, bring your family, grab something to eat (the food court is right there!) and enjoy a special night of carols and togetherness. The Town Centre will be abuzz with activity and is sure to be filled with some interesting christmassy characters - see how many you can spot!

Or perhaps for the busier Christmas shopper, a pause in your purchasing to enjoy a few carols is more you. A well-timed shopping excursion to Botany Town Centre could allow you to not only tick off some items on your Christmas to do list, but to also join with your BotanyLife family and the community to celebrate the reason you have one. What better way to inspire some heartfelt Christmas preparation than sharing the reason in song.

Finally, Carols at Botany is an excellent outreach opportunity to share the story of Christmas with those who may not otherwise hear it. The event has always been well received by the community, proven by the fact that BotanyLife has now been invited back for the 4th year running. If you have not been to one of these events, perhaps this is the year for you.

Come and share in the experience.

H

13

CH

RIS

TM

AS

OU

TR

EA

CH

ave you been dreaming of a “White Christmas”? Fancy a bit of “Winter

Wonderland” on snow and ice this Christmas? Feel like roasting some chestnuts on an open fire? Well, you can have it right here... in Botany (well, kind of, apart from the chestnuts)!

“Christmas on Ice” is a new, unique and exciting outreach event run by BotanyLife and Paradice Ice Skating for families and people of all ages. It will happen on Sunday 21st December, from 6-8pm at Paradice Ice Skating. There’ll be fantastic band items (from the middle of the ice!), music, fun games and activities for the kids (and adults!), competitions, snow... and of course a chance to show off your skills (or not!!) on the ice.

What a great opportunity to invite people along to this Christmas “Connect” event. It will be a totally safe environment for building bridges with any unchurched friends or family you may bring.

In addition, “Christmas on Ice” will be raising funds for a worthwhile charity that benefits our local community. Neither BotanyLife nor Paradice will make any money from the event; instead, all proceeds from “Christmas on Ice” this year will be going to Totara Hospice, who have been meeting palliative care needs of the South and the South East Auckland community now for 30 years. Tickets will cost $5 per child, $10 per adult, or $20 per family, with every cent going directly to the work of Totara Hospice.

We’re tremendously excited about adding this “cool” event to the range of things we offer our community at Christmas time, and would encourage everyone to come along on December 21st and enjoy a wonderful evening together. A massive THANK-YOU to Chris Blong, owner (and fellow BotanyLifer) of Paradice Ice Skating for making this happen!

So get your skates on and we’ll see you there!

H

Text by Robin Byrne.

14

-------- Original message --------

From: Heavenly Father < HF@throneroom.

com >

Date: BC 1.

To: Gabriel

Subject: Request for Plan - we are going in.

The time has arrived. We are going into

the world. It is the moment when our

promises will be fulfilled. You should set

up a meeting with the team - you will need

Izzy, Dave, Mosey, Jerry and co. Those

boys have all the background info. Get me

a plan.

HF.

-------- Original message --------

From: Gabe < Gabriel@goldstreets.com >

Date: BC 1.

To: Heavenly Father HF@throneroom.com

Subject: Request for Plan - we are going in.

Dear Father God

Met with the boys. Got an awesome plan

figured. Dave and his old man want to

build a really flash palace for the baby.

Mosey - he is our map reader - wants to

shift the arrival site to something more

grand - maybe Jerusalem itself. The

planned town is too down market, just too

out of the way. Jerry is a bit grumpy but

he will try and jazz up one of old songs

into a decent cantata. Izzy wants to be in

charge of choosing a really prestigious

family to birth the babe. We will rope the

Minor boys in to get the message out all

round the world. Jonah isn’t back from

his fishing trip with some of his mates - its

been a long time but we are sure he will

turn up. Hosea is pretty focused now

that his wife is back with him. Mal is still

busy down at the floodgates, pouring out

blessings but is keen to redirect them to

the birthing team. This is going to be a

biggie. We reckon you will love the splash

this will make. We can stick it to all those

who reckon you had given up on the

promises.

Yours respectfully

Gabe.

-------- Original message --------From: Gabriel <Gabe@goldstreets.com> Date: BC 1. To: Dave David@kingspalace.hv ; Izzy Isaiah@prophets.hv ; Mosey Moses@burningbush.org; Jerry Jeremiah@prophets.com Danny Daniel@prophets.com Zeek Ezekiel@prophets.com B team - Habby habakkuk@minors.hv ; Mal malachi@minors.hv ; Zeff Zephaniah@minors.hv ; Jo joel@minors.hv ; Hosea hosea@minors.hv

Subject: Request for Plan - we are going in.Hi GuysExciting news. Had a call from upstairs. We are going in at last. Its all systems ‘go’. We need a plan. Can you guys rattle thru your records and check on what you said, please? Can you be at my place on No.1, Pearly Gates Avenue asap.Cheers

Gabe

-------- Original message --------From: Heavenly Father < HF@throneroom.com >Date: BC 1.To: GabrielSubject: Request for Plan - we are going in.Yeah. Nah. Gabriel, oh Gabriel, my dear boy. You guys don’t get it do you!!! Grab a La Mai coffee and sit down somewhere quietly while I explain MY plans……………………………….

15

ost of us enjoy a bit of razzamatazz for Christmas. Had we been planning the very

first one I guess we would have gone for a biggie. Lots of lights, drumrolls and singing. We would want a grand arrival for the Saviour of mankind.

It’s ironic that He snuck into a crappy, little, unknown village, shoved into a back room, ignored by the throngs out getting their names ticked off, introduced to the outcast, smelly, sheep herders rather than the rich and famous, and then barely noticed for 12 years.

But it is God’s way of telling us something important. His ways are not our ways. His logic is not our logic. He calls our smarts a load of rubbish. He does not need or want our ideas on what is important and what matters. Why then this perturbing feeling that we can be someone or do something worthwhile for God? Of course, we can arrange a decent birthday for the Christ child!!!

Not too deep down we believe we scrub up OK. We don’t do the real bad stuff. “OK, I am a sinner” - that’s the throwaway line. But most of us are pretty much “OK, Jack” on who we are and what we do.

Now here is a tough call. The Grace Giver says the very best we can do is about as good as a dirty rag. In the Jewish context it is hard to think of a more objectionable analogy. The Bible is very explicit in Isaiah 64:6. Sorry, but it is critical to the Grace Giver shocking you to get His point across. He simply doesn’t need your puny inputs; He doesn’t even need your Sunday best in an effort to add to what He has done. However, He does want you to get a grasp of the immensity and wonder of His grace.

Firstly, we need to reach for an understanding of the pristine, unimpeachable nature of our Father’s holiness. That helps us see the ugliness of sin and the paucity of goodness in who we are and what we do outside of Christ. We start to catch a glimpse of the unbridgeable gap between the impeccable, perfection of the Heavenly Father and sheer hopelessness of our position.

That’s when grace kicks in - Grace. Yes, grace. Amazing grace, saving grace, incredible grace. But misunderstood grace and under-valued grace. We tend to think grace is about us. We sing about the amazing grace that saves us. But grace is mostly about God’s answer to Himself.

On the one hand His holiness reigned, changeless and unassailable. On the other hand we, His awesome creation, lost, dead, hopeless. Locked into eternal love for His

wayward creatures He bursts into the world in Bethlehem ‘full of grace and truth’. Grace can bridge the gap; grace can heal, purify, forgive and forget. Grace makes all things possible because it preserves the Lord’s righteousness and yet saves us sinners, the objects of his love and pity. Grace is really about Him, the Cross and the magnitude of Christ’s sacrifice. Grace gathers up and draws together all of the Father’s incredible attributes without compromise.

Grace, then is complete. God doesn’t do half measures. His character is flawless, no bits missing, no cracks, no shortcuts. It is totally efficacious. That’s why when we are saved by that faultless, consummate grace we can never be lost again. Our Heavenly Father just does not make mistakes. It is why we can trust Him absolutely.

So what are we doing trying to chip in with our goodness, our puffery, our sneaky feelings of self-worth and petty “I’ll be good if you deliver” bargaining?

The Bible has an apt way of handling this. “Reckon (or consider) yourself dead (of no value, useless) but alive (invigorated by, focused on) in Christ,” it says in Romans 6:11. What I “reckon or consider” is what I believe. We say “I reckon the All Blacks will win”. Based on what we have been exposed to on TV, radio, discussions etc we believe they are the best. If we are going to believe ourselves dead (of no value, useless) then we do so, on the basis of what we have been exposed to. “Believing (faith) comes from hearing and hearing by the Word of God”. If we keep ourselves exposed to God’s word, hang out with Christians, meditate on what we have learned, get into prayer attitude and pattern, then the useless stuff gets buried.

So grab this grace with both hands and heart. Immerse yourself in the Book. Get to know the Grace Giver. Your belief system toughens up. The unproductive, self-focused stuff stays under the slab. What God wants in your life - the effective, fruitful deals becomes more obvious and more doable. The Grace Giver is glorified.

UPON THAT CROSS OF JESUS MINE EYE AT TIMES CAN SEE

THE VERY DYING FORM OF ONE, WHO SUFFERED THERE FOR ME;

AND FROM MY SMITTEN HEART, WITH TEARS, TWO WONDERS I CONFESS,

THE WONDERS OF HIS GLORIOUS GRACE, AND MY OWN WORTHLESSNESS.

MText by Owen Jennings.

WHEN ALL YOUR CHRISTMASES COME AT ONCE

A Slightly Irreverent Look At Grace

CH

RIS

TM

AS

SP

EC

IAL

16

Christmas Craft: Advent Calendars Text by Louise Hopman.

ell my friends, it is Christmas time again. I, like a lot of you, have a

love-hate relationship with Christmas. I love that it is a time to remember the birth of our Saviour, but I have an extreme dislike for the commercialism that comes with it.

When I was asked to do a craft for Portal I wanted to do something that would help refocus us as families (with or without little ones).

These advent calendars are super easy to create and can be used year after year.

I have created a quick mini envelope calendar. You can create your own mini envelopes like I have here out of velum, or you could just buy some small gift cards with envelopes and use them. I stamped numbers on the front but you could just write them or print numbers on your home printer then cut and stick to the front of the envelope, grab some string and some mini pegs and you’re all done.

The other calendar is done with matchboxes, which I purchased from the supermarket. I just wrapped them with brown paper and added some washi tape (decorative tape). I wanted quite a simple look. You could use Christmas paper if you wanted it more colourful. I cut some numbers, stuck them onto the match boxes and attached them to some frayed fabric, using hot glue and Velcro dots so I can remove them for easy storage. I made a pocket along the top of the fabric for some dowel to go through. I used some iron on hemming tape to secure it, so no sewing!

The notes I put inside the envelopes for my calendar are ones that will help you reflect on this past year and focus on the birth of Christ - I also wanted this year to be super-simple. I love doing crafts and looking at lights, the list goes on and on. But if I pull out of the advent calendar and can’t do the assigned activity on that day (like baking for a neighbour), I feel like I’ve failed, so this year it is a purely a reflective calendar.

Here are some suggestions for what you could put on your cards if you wanted an activity advent:

1. Act out the Nativity and read the Christmas story2. Make homemade hot chocolate3. Christmas movies and popcorn4. Make and decorate sugar cookies5. Go Christmas shopping as a family6. Drive to see Christmas lights7. Go ice skating8. Have snowman pancakes for dinner!9. Make paper snowflakes and hang in windows10. Write letters to family11. Deliver treats to neighbours and friends12. Make and decorate gingerbread houses13. Invite friends over for a Christmas sing-a-long!14. Baking day!15. Spot the Nativity (How many Nativity scenes can you

spot today?)16. Deliver treats to local fire stations17. Go to Jesus Birthday Party18. Go for a summer walk19. Stuff and stamp Christmas cards20. Gather friends to go Christmas carolling at a local

nursing home21. Make Christmas crafts22. Make a sandman (I’ve adapted this from a US website)23. Family game night!24. Make snowman soup! Hot choc with snowman kisses

(mini marshmallows) stirred with a candy cane25. Secret Santa night26. Attend Christmas concert, play, or performance27. Decorate Christmas tree28. Go to library and check out Christmas books29. Attend Christmas party30. Make handmade ornaments

I have a blog and I will add these links to my blog so you can just click the links from there. Check it out at: www.hoppystampin.blogspot.com

The websites noted on the facing page are where you can download the cards for your advent calendars. There are lots of others around too, just ask Google!

W

17

CH

RIS

TM

AS

SP

EC

IAL

http:

//pla

yful

lear

ning

.net

/wp-

cont

ent/

uplo

ads/

Fam

ily-R

eflec

tion

s-A

dven

t.pdf

h

ttp:

//sim

plyk

iers

te.c

om/2

014/

11/2

5-da

ys-o

f-fa

mily

-chr

istm

as-a

ctiv

itie

s.ht

ml

http:

//ww

w.1

dogw

oof.c

om/2

012/

11/s

crip

ture

-adv

ent-

cale

ndar

.htm

l#_a

5y_p

=104

0244

h

ttp:

//ide

alis

tmom

.com

/201

3/11

/adv

ent-

cale

ndar

/

18

Christmas Gift Ideas

Text by Elaine Forman.

GIFT #1

Here is an inexpensive gift which is very easy to make up. I got my jars and the small clothespins from the ‘Look Sharp’ shop in Lunn Ave, Panmure or you could look in the 1-2-3$ stores. I tripled the recipe and it yielded these two jars.

JAMAICAN JERK RUB

1 tablespoon onion powder1 tablespoon packed brown sugar1 tablespoon dried thyme, crushed1 1/2 teaspoons salt1 1/2 teaspoons ground allspice1 teaspoon cracked black pepper1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon1/2 teaspoon ground cloves1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

In a bowl, stir all the above ingredients together. Spoon into a glass spice jar and attach directions for using rub to the jar. Makes about 1/3 cup.

On the label you can write how to use the rub. TO USE: Rub half of the rub evenly onto pork or chicken before grilling. Store the mix in a cool, dry place for up to six months.

GIFT #2

This second festive gift offering are really yummy crunchy bites that you can put out for a Christmas party, wrap up a batch for a hostess gift, give to a teacher or friend, or just enjoy some for a snack!

CINNAMON PRALINE NUTS

1/2 cup packed brown sugar1/3 cup heavy whipping cream1 teaspoon ground cinnamon1/2 teaspoon grated orange peel1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg2 cups pecan halves1 cup walnut halves(I did a mixture of walnuts and cashews)

Preheat oven to 170C. In a large bowl mix the first 5 ingredients until blended. Add nuts and toss to coat. Transfer to a greased baking tray. Bake 20-25 minutes or until toasted, stirring twice. Cool completely and store in an airtight container.

Package in whatever way you wish. You could line a small gift box with wax paper then fill it with the snack mix.

Enjoy!

CH

RIS

TM

AS

SP

EC

IAL

19

CH

RIS

TM

AS

SP

EC

IAL

JESUS ON AIR Text by Mark van Wijk.

s we enter the Christmas season, we wanted to highlight what CBA (Christian Broadcasting

Association) are up to. CBA is led by Phil Guyan, and they are one of our National Outreach Partners. It was formed over 40 years ago to communicate the essentials of the Christian faith to those who have never understood.

They use top rating secular commercial radio to reach mass audiences of people who would never set foot inside a church. Over the past ten years CBA has broadcast more than 4,000 programmes to NZ's largest radio audiences, averaging 220,000 listeners each working day.

For over a decade, CBA has been broadcasting Christmas Day specials on NewstalkZB, and simulcast on the popular 21-station nation-wide Radio Sport network. Beginning with 6 hours on Christmas Eve, and followed by a further 12 hours on Christmas Day, CBA have a brilliantly creative line-up of programming ready to go - below are some highlights.

Jehan Casinader (reporter on TVNZ's Seven Sharp) will host a programme that will connect with the key people behind the big news stories of 2014, and what are they up to for Christmas.

On Christmas morning, the Crazy Christmas Kids (6:00 - 9:00am), which was awarded 'Best children's radio show 2013' at the NZ Radio Awards, will be hosted in 2014 by Catherine Sylvester, Frank Ritchie and Levi Guyan.

The hilariously creative Newstalk BC programme was produced in 2013, and has since won a number awards - here in New Zealand at the NZ Radio Awards, at the New York Radio Awards (2 golds and 2 silvers), and it has also just won the 'Creative Feature - Radio' award at the London AIB Awards.

This Christmas, CBA have produced a remake of Newstalk BC - updated for current issues, including:

• The changing of the Roman SPQR emblem• A referendum on flogging children• Challenge to Caesar's leadership

The programme will include 'call-ins' from John Key, Peter Leitch, John Campbell, Jason Gunn, Pippa Wetzell, and features Mr John Clarke (a.k.a. Fred Dagg) as the innkeeper. Check out www.Newstalkbc.com for more info.

This year, in the Xmas Factor singing competition, kids under 12 can phone 0800 XMAS FACTOR and record an audition (before 18th December). Every kid that goes to air gets a prize!

Other programmes during the day include:• Interviews with Dr Ben Carson, Alister McGrath and

N.T. Wright• Celebrations around '200 years of the gospel in New

Zealand', with live crosses to services.• Celebrity interviews with Petra Bagust, and their favourite

Christmas songs• Peacemakers - Rob Harley and John Cooney explore the

idea of peace on earth as they interview peacemakers from around the world.

As you can see, the CBA team have an exciting and busy day ahead of them with this year's programme, and they'd really appreciate your support!

As we head into the Christmas season and count down to Christmas Day, please be praying for the CBA team. In particular, please pray for:

• The production team (40 people are involved this year!)• The presenters on air (especially those presenting live)• The listeners from all around New Zealand

If you'd like to support CBA financially, we'd encourage you to check out www.cba.org.nz/donate or call 0900 80 CBA (222) to donate $20.

A

20

LE

AD

ER

SH

IP S

PO

TL

IGH

T

was the year that Leo and Carolyn van Gemst moved to New Zealand from

South Africa. It was the year that they found BotanyLife, and we found them!

Both of them grew up in Cape Town but came from different belief backgrounds. Leo, brought up in a non-Christian home, had become a Christian through Youth Group, while Carolyn was brought up in a Christian home, where her Christian faith nurtured. Finding a church to call home was a key priority for them on their arrival in New Zealand, but as many of you church-home-hunters know - it’s not always easy.

HOW DID YOU KNOW BOTANYLIFE WAS RIGHT FOR YOU?

When we walked into BotanyLife the first time we visited, we knew we’d found our spiritual home - from Brad’s preaching, to the style of worship, to the friendly welcome, it was just what we were looking for.

TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR FAMILY...

We’ve been married 11 years now and have 3 children. Ashleigh (9) is our academic, very goal-driven with a funny sense of humour too. Andrew (6) has recently become our ninja, climbing anything he can - passage walls, up one side of a door frame, and so on. But he’s also a thinker/dreamer and can be in a world of his own. Craig (3) is our soft-hearted toughie, never

stops talking at home, though is rather shy and quiet around people he doesn’t know. And we should add the latest addition - Midnight (a black lab cross of unknown origins) now 6 months old and is a puppy with lots of energy!!!

WHAT DO YOU BOTH DO FOR WORK?Leo is a software engineer at Datacom, programming in a “language” very few people understand! Carolyn is an “at home mum”, but before kids she was a high school mathematics and music teacher.

WHAT ARE YOUR HOBBIES?Leo enjoys playing around on his PC as well as odd jobs/DIY around the house - though he now has the added job of walking Midnight in the evenings. Reading and music is Carolyn's way of relaxing. Both of us enjoy building puzzles and can become rather competitive trying to find certain pieces before the other one does. We also like getting outdoors with the kids - walking, exploring different places … and now that Craig is getting older we’d like to start camping again.

WHAT ARE YOUR LEADERSHIP ROLES AT BOTANYLIFE?We currently lead the 1945BC community group. When we were first approached there were quite a few “newly married” couples... but things have changed a bit! With some being overseas, others moving away, some starting families, we’re not

2010

SMALL GROUPS LEADERS / SET UP TEAM LEADER NEW MAINLY MUSIC LEADER

Text by Abby Smith.

Leo and Carolyn van Gemst

21

LE

AD

ER

SH

IP S

PO

TL

IGH

T

really a newly married group anymore. At the moment we’re actually looking to open it up to anyone looking for a small group - singles or married.

In addition to that, Leo is one of the setup team leaders at church on Sunday mornings, while Carolyn is about to take over leading the BotanyLife mainly music group on Wednesday mornings from Nicola Mountfort.

WHY DID YOU INVOLVE YOURSELVES IN LEADERSHIP?Ummm... we were asked! : )

WHAT DO YOU LIKE BEST ABOUT BEING INVOLVED IN LEADERSHIP?It’s nice to be involved and get to know different people that you might not have connected with otherwise. Mainly music is really great as it is not just about a little morning of singing and dancing ... it’s also an outreach ministry, connecting with other mums (a lot who do not go to church) and being able to be show love, care & interest in what’s happening in their lives. It’s really a practical way of showing God’s love (and it’s awesome when we can bring God into a conversation too!)

WHAT DO YOU THINK MAKES A GOOD LEADER?Probably having a servant heart - being compassionate and caring, concerned about the well-being of others.

The answer Leo and Carolyn gave me to one particular question, I believe sums up why this family and others like them are such an integral part of BotanyLife. When asked, “What legacy would you like to leave of your time at BotanyLife?” their answer was as follows:It’s not like we’re doing anything so people will remember who we are. But I guess we’d like to be remembered as people who are reliable and always willing to help.

IF I THINK OF CHURCH LIKE A HAMBURGER (LOVING PLANET BURGER AS I DO), AND

BRAD AND THE LEADERSHIP TEAM BEING THE MEAT PATTIE, IT IS PEOPLE LIKE THE

VAN GEMSTS WHO UNASSUMINGLY SERVE, WHO ARE THE LETTUCE, TOMATO, CHEESE

AND SAUCE OF THE HAMBURGER. THEY MAY NOT BE THE CENTERPIECE OF THE

BURGER, BUT WOW IS THAT HAMBURGER SO MUCH BETTER AND FILLING WITH THOSE

ACCOMPANIMENTS!

22

10

YE

AR

S

Jan 1st 2011Janine Martell takes

over as church treasurer from Curtis

Mountfort

Feb 4th 2011New office lease

signed for 138C Harris Road,

East Tamaki

Feb 6th 2011Vision Sunday: “Starting Point” preaching series

through Genesis 1-25

Feb 8th 2011Mel Thorburn

replaces Shellene Garofalakis

as the Church Administrator

mar 1st 2011Mel Palmer joins

staff in a new paid role as Children’s

Pastor

Mar 12th 2011First “Botany

Community Day” held at Botany Town

Centre

jul 3rd 2011First edition of

Portal, our church magazine, rolls off

the press

apr 9th - 10th 2011Community project

at Point View School, Dannemora

July 17th 2011Todd Hughes

affirmed as new elder at BotanyLife

jul 10th 2011First Family Service on forgiveness with adults and children together in church

nov 4th & 5th 2011Elders’ overnight

retreat to brainstorm a new five-year

vision

Nov 3rd 2011Rochelle

Carr, Brendan Downey-Parish and

Rowland Forman appointed as first

Community Group Shepherds

feb 9th 2012Third SaLT group begins meeting for the next two years

dec 15th 2011First “Carols at

Botany” service at Botany Town Centre

Feb 17th 2012Mandy Francis hired

as administrator of BotanyLife

Community Trust

apr 1st 2012New five-year “Shine” vision

shared

may 15th 2012Mandy Francis joins the church staff as Sunday Administrator

jun 10th 2012Final service at

Riverina School in Pakuranga

jun 17th 2012First service held in the Performing

Arts Centre, Botany College

feb 12th 2012Vision Sunday: “Storytellers”

preaching series through Luke 1-9; new BotanyKids

program launched with five areas:

Greenhouse, Garden, Orchard, Forest,

Jungle

THE LATER YE ARSJune 22nd 2012

Elders pull together a small taskforce

to look at potential global outreach

partnerships

sep 16th 2012KK Leong affirmed

as new elder at BotanyLife

23

10

YE

AR

S

sept 22nd - 23rd 2012Community Project at Anchorage Park School, Pakuranga

oct 21st 2012“Pure Sex”

preaching series from the Song of

Songs begins for 8 weeks

oct 25th 2012Elders’ decide to begin looking to

lease or purchase a “ministry centre”

nov 22nd 2012Curtis Mountfort finds a potential

building to buy on Ti Rakau Drive

dec 4th 2012Elders agree to pursue the Ti

Rakau building with certain conditions

feb 3rd 2013Vision Sunday: “Follow Him”

preaching series through Luke 9-19

feb 11th 2013Sale and purchase agreement signed on new building

at 272e Ti Rakau Drive

Apr 7th 2013Igor Gerritson

preaching from The Orchard church

in Te Puke, which BotanyLife agreed to financially support for next two years

apr 19th 2013Settlement on the new community

centre on Ti Rakau Drive

may 4th 2013Leadership café in

the new community centre

may 19th 2013“A Place to Shine” capital campaign launched to raise

money for the fit-out of the community

centre

jul 7th 2013“Wonka Church”

Family Service with adults and children

together

jul 19th - 21st 2013Switch-On Camp for

youth and young adults moves to July

school holidays

aug 3rd 2013Church office is

moved from Harris Road premises to new community

centre

sep 14th - 15th 2013Community Project

at Wakaaranga School, Pakuranga

sep 22nd 2013“The Road to the Cross” preaching

series through Luke 19-24

feb 15th - 16th 201410th Anniversary

dinner and celebrations

Feb 16th 2014Vision Sunday:

“Majesty” preaching series through Isaiah;

Andre Kirstein affirmed as new

elder at BotanyLife

Mar 30th 2014First Explore course offered on Sunday

morning during church

Jun 11th – 19th 2014Owen Jennings,

Mark van Wijk and Brad Carr travel to

Thailand with Bright Hope

Jun 29th 2014Lego Church

Family service

(2011 - 2014)

Jul 22nd 2014Robin Byrne joins

staff as Worship and Groups Pastor

Aug 4th 2014MMM begins

renovation of the community centre

Sep 13th – 14th 2014

Community Project at Pigeon

Mountain School,

Bucklands Beach

24

Text by Robin Byrne.

ere at BotanyLife, we are passionate about people getting “connected”. A massive part of that is being

involved in a community group. In a growing church like ours, anyone is in danger of getting “lost in the crowd”. And that is the last thing we want! In our small groups here at BotanyLife, people are encouraged, challenged, taught, prayed and cared for, and authentic relationships are built.

God has designed us to live in community with Him, and He designed us to be communal with and to reproduce spiritual life in others. Reflect on some of the God-given benefits of being part of a community group:

• we get strength for life’s storms• we receive wisdom for making important decisions• we experience accountability which is vital to spiritual

growth• we find acceptance that helps repair our wounds

That’s just to name a few!

We have many fantastic stories here at BotanyLife of people who have trusted in Christ or been impacted in some way by our community groups.

With Christmas just around the corner, what a fantastic opportunity we have within our community groups, or individually, to serve and make an impact in people’s lives. Think for a moment about the beautiful picture of what Jesus is like and why he came in Philippians 2. He came to serve (v 6-7) and He came to redeem the world (v 8-11), and verse 5 challenges us to be “just like Him”. We go a long way to accomplishing this by serving others.

It could be an encouraging phone call or email, taking someone out for coffee or a meal, or baking for a neighbour. As a group you could take on a small project for someone or raise money for a local charity or school. One great way for your group to practice serving is to help people who cannot return the favour or even thank you! Scripture identifies them as poor, orphan, widow and stranger. Giving to them is nothing like our Christmas giving, when we often receive presents as well as give them. But Christ-like giving includes discovering needs, then serving and loving someone who may be unable to give back. This kind of giving creates an atmosphere of humility in a small group.

So there are plenty of things we can be doing this Christmas in response to all that Christ has done for us!

Meanwhile, if you are not connected or part of a community group I’d love to help you become involved in one here at BotanyLife... come see me if that’s you!

H

Connect and serve

CO

MM

UN

ITY

GR

OU

PS

25

This year we have taken some time in both our church services and in the various editions of Portal (including this issue) to look back on the past 10 years that BotanyLife has been going. In future years when we look back on 2014, I believe one of the most important events we will celebrate about this year will be the beginning of the community centre renovations.

Thanks to the work of MMM back in July and August, the skeleton of the centre has been finished and it is now easy to identify all of the different rooms and areas. We are now hard at work trying to get all the internal systems of the building planned and organised so we can finish and paint the upstairs area.

In some ways it is just like a human body, where the vital organs and systems cannot be seen beneath the skin but are vital for the health and wellbeing of the person. In the same way, the things we are working on at the moment - electricity, air conditioning systems, fire systems, alarms, data cabling - are absolutely essential for the healthy running of the centre for years to come. These items are also very expensive components in our renovation budget. This means Mandy has been hard at work putting tender documents

together for some of these areas, and the building team will make some decisions about these in the near future.

In the last few weeks we have knocked down the wall separating our upstairs offices from the new mezzanine floor, meaning we will now have internal access to the rest of the centre. That will be a really exciting event, as it will then begin to feel like the one connected community centre that we are wanting. Hopefully, we can finish up the installation of some of those internal elements in the next couple of months, and then begin the process of lining, plastering and painting the upstairs rooms so they can start to be used.

As we complete this year, I am thrilled that we have now surpassed $200,000 in gifts to A Place to Shine. It looks like we are tracking pretty well against the pledges that were made back in 2013, which is fantastic as we head into the final year of giving for the building. On behalf of the elders and the trustees of our community trust, I want to say thanks to everyone who has contributed so generously to the building fund over the past couple of years. It’s your continued gifts that are making these renovations possible, and Lord willing will see us complete the building by this time next year.

A PLACE TO SHINE

Text by Brad Carr.

Update

CO

MM

UN

ITY

CE

NT

RE

2626

Fun and Fireworks Text by Ben Palmer.

DATE: 7 NovemberSTART: 5:30pmWhen people arrived they wrote their name and paid their money. It was a lot of money because there were a lot of people. When all the kids arrived we played sport out on the reserve.Meanwhile some of our small group leaders made popcorn and before, my Mum made Raro. We came in and watched a movie: Arthur Christmas. It is cool. It is a cool adventure movie. Santa is funny.In the middle of the movie we had pizza and chips. We sat with our small groups. I ate 3 pieces of pizza. My older brother ate 5 pieces and they were BIG! We played a bit more.Then what did we do? I’ll tell you. We watched the rest of Arthur Christmas. We watched for a long time and then the movie finished. Then we had fireworks. They were colourful. Some people got a bit scared by the noise of the fireworks and had to go inside to watch from there. Some kids got scared of the noise of the girls screaming. They were excited. My little brother loved the fireworks! I did too.

CH

ILD

RE

N’S

MIN

IST

RY

27

CH

ILD

RE

N’S

MIN

IST

RY

28

We will miss you!

Text by Mel Palmer.

JAI - I loved all the socials with my friends.

Outside activities are really fun. Jesus Birthday Party is

my favourite!

Here are our 2014 BotanyKids ‘Graduates’. These kids have

just enjoyed their last year in the Jungle and next year will be joining

our intermediate ministry, Xchange. I asked them for their best memory of their time in BotanyKids. And this

is what they said…

MICAH - My favourite memory was the fun

learning games that taught us about the Bible and God

and I really enjoyed the socials.

SHELDON - The time

when the Year 6 boys were supposed to make a castle out of toothpicks

and marshmallows and they decided it would be nicer to eat

the marshmallows instead. I also enjoyed watching the

grasshopper gang videos.

JADEN - My favourite memory is of the

Spy Chase. I especially remember the countdown where we had 3 seconds to

go away and hide.

CONOR - My favourite thing has been Jesus

Birthday party. It is so fun every year!

ALEX-DAVID - Playing outside with the foam

machine!

29

ALEXIS - My favourite memory was the time when

the Olympic Games was the theme. I loved all the

activities I got to participate in and the fact that my

country, Hungary, won.

TANNA - I loved learning about David

& Goliath with the huge statue of Goliath and also

water fun days.

KAYLA - I will miss all the cool units like the spy

thingy and Cloud 9.

EMILY - My favourite time in kids church has been Lego church and

movie nights.

CH

ILD

RE

N’S

MIN

IST

RY

To all of you who feature on this page - we will miss you!

We hope you love your time in Xchange. Have fun, learn lots and we pray that you continue get to know our awesome God

more and more and that you trust Him with your future. You never know, this might not be the end of BotanyKids for you - one day you might be back as

a leader!

HOPE - My favourite memories from

BotanyKids were the Spy and Airplane topics, Jesus’ Birthday Parties and all my friends and leaders there.

MILLA - My favourite memory of my time in

BotanyKids was the video clips and praying as a group

together for the other people in the group.

OLIVIA - I just love coming in and learning

about the Bible and I made new friends who also

believe.

ALANA - I enjoyed spending time with other people, getting to know

God more and having fun.

GEORGIA - Water fun days!!

3030

Spotlighton_Xchange

YO

UT

H M

INIS

TR

Y

Text by Robin Byrne.

change is our exciting year 7 and 8 youth ministry here at BotanyLife.

As youth enter adulthood, Xchange kickstarts a process by which they might be transformed! Xchange aims to foster friendships, challenge youth to think for themselves and encourage them to own their faith and choices. All this is part of “bridging the gap”, the process by which youth are prepared to follow Christ through school and beyond...

At BotanyLife our youth ministries have struck a concordance in mission. This is drawn out of Romans 12:1-2, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is - His good, pleasing and perfect will”.

Xchange purposes to transform young people with the knowledge of the gospel and challenge them to live in a way that challenges the world, so that they might seek to know and follow our Saviour!

Xchange meet Sunday mornings during term time (whilst church meets). These thought-provoking and challenging studies are led by Paul and Rachael Knight, and a fantastic team who love to see our youth grow closer to God.

We also have a great social team, who began working together this year, who organise and run some fun and exciting socials a couple of times per term.

As the year is fast approaching its end, we also have a number of kids who will be finishing up at Xchange and

moving on to ALTR (our high school ministry). In fact, we have approximately 18 kids leaving and the same number joining from the Jungle (our BotanyKids Year 5 and 6 ministry).

I asked a few of the kids a couple of questions: What have you enjoyed most about Xchange and how has Xchange made an impact on your life?

Here are their responses...

“I have enjoyed the lessons that we have every Sunday and the socials we have are heaps of fun. Xchange has taught me how to live a life with Jesus and how I can become a better Christian” - Sue Lynn

“The fact that we were sometimes given lollies by Paul for getting the answers right. By the way, the answers were not always ‘Jesus’ or the ‘Bible’. Jonathon taught me about quantum physics. I also liked that it felt like community” - Josh

“I have enjoyed learning heaps more about living a Christian life and expanding my knowledge about God. I have also loved getting to know my friends and teachers from Xchange better. Xchange has helped me to make wise decisions through what I have learnt. I can now process everyday things through my increasing knowledge” - Eva

Wow! What fantastic answers kids - thank you so much!!

A massive thank you to all involved in this awesome ministry. Please be praying for our kids and leaders in Xchange…

X

31

YO

UT

H M

INIS

TR

Y

32

WH

O’S

TH

AT

? Neil Blizard

Text by Max Carr.

NEIL, COULD YOU TELL US A WEE BIT ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND?I grew up in South Africa and finished my schooling there. Then, a year after my parents and sisters moved to New Zealand, I did too. I studied in Auckland and graduated with a B.Com in International Business and Marketing. I’m single, on the right side of 40 and, to the best of my knowledge, I don’t have any kids.

…AND A WEE BIT ABOUT YOUR WORK HISTORY AS WELL?I work in FMCG (fast moving consumer goods). Most of my roles have been sales based but I have also spent time exporting and doing one or two other interesting and not so interesting things along the way. Currently I work for Bluebird and I now manage one of the two sales channels for them.

COULD YOU PLEASE TELL US HOW YOU CAME TO KNOW CHRIST?Growing up in South Africa, lots of people went to church and so did I. I was blessed enough to be born into a Christian family, so Christianity was always part of my life growing up. I made a commitment to Christ when I was about 8 or 9. Unfortunately though, in my late teens, I stopped going to church and followed my own path for a number of years. At the age of 25, after finally coming to my senses, I recommitted my life to God. Thankfully he was happy to take me back. I will passionately follow both Him and His word, as best I can, for the rest of my life.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT “SPIN YOUR WHEELS”? There are a diverse range of things that I really enjoy. So I’d say, life in general ‘spins my wheels’. My faith, family and friends are all very important to me. I love nature and the amazingly beautiful country we live in. As far as other interests go, reading, learning, exercise in virtually any form, hunting, fishing, the outdoors and anything that involves competition would make the list.

ARE YOU READING ANY BOOKS AT THE MOMENT? IF SO, WHAT ARE THEY?I’m working my way through “Touch Points for Men” as part of my quiet time and for work I’m reading “The Shopper Marketing Revolution”. I won’t bore you with the details of that one.

WHERE WOULD WE FIND YOU, AND WHAT WOULD YOU BE DOING, IF YOU WERE ON YOUR DREAM HOLIDAY?My dream holiday would be to take a year off (at least) and do a round the world trip, starting with three months backpacking around South America.

HAVE YOU ANY HOBBIES OR LEISURE PURSUITS YOU COULD LET US IN ON?Of course I do. Trout fishing, triathlon, my dog and making macramé hanging baskets all seem to have featured at various times this year. Ok, I was kidding about the macramé but wanted to put it in there to see if anyone was still reading.

33

WH

O’S

TH

AT

?

WHAT IS YOUR TASTE IN CHRISTIAN MUSIC?Well I really love most styles of music but I would say that Third Day and most of the Hillsong worship albums would be my favourites. I’ve been thrashing the Hillsong Zion Accoustic Sessions album lately and would recommend it.

IF YOU WERE TO BE PICKED IN THE NEXT ALL BLACK TEAM, WHERE WOULD YOU BE PLAYING?As much as I admire the ABs and I’m happy to admit that they are currently the better team... I’d prefer to be picked for the Springboks thanks. My favourite playing positions are second-five or fullback.

IF YOU COULD HAVE AN HOUR WITH SOME BIBLICAL CHARACTER (OTHER THAN JESUS) WHO WOULD YOU CHOOSE?This is too good a question for a simple answer. So, Old Testament non-human would have to be, Balaam’s donkey

because that would be super interesting. OT female would be

Esther, to explore her courage, faith and trust in God in the face of life threatening circumstances. OT male is easy, Solomon. I’d like to find out from the wisest man ever, how and why he ended up making so many poor choices. New Testament non-human would be the winged, eye covered lion from Revelation. One word, awesome!! NT female would be the Samaritan woman at the well who went from sinner to saved to evangelist in the space of a single conversation. Talk about the transforming power of Jesus. Finally, John the Baptist. He’s one of the coolest guys in the Bible, but also Jesus said, “...there has not risen a man greater than John the Baptist” and I want to see for myself why.

Note: Neil serves in our BotanyKids ministry, leading the Jungle team that teaches Year 5 and 6 children, and does a fantastic job.

34

Roly and Gail RuncimanText by Max Carr.

WOULD YOU PLEASE TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND?GAIL: I am an “Auckland Girl” who really loved Highland and Ballet dancing and at some (undisclosed) level I won some gold medals in these disciplines. I have one brother and we lived together in Ellerslie. I attended the Ellerslie Bible Chapel and rose to be both a Sunday School and Rally leader (like Girls Brigade). I love cats.

ROLY: Well, my claim to fame was as a chess player. I once beat an opponent in just three moves. She was no ‘sluggard’ at the game - I caught her off guard. I have one sister and we were born and bred in Whakatane and Dad moved us to Auckland so we could receive a ‘big-city’ education.

WHAT WERE YOUR ‘STRENGTH’ SUBJECTS AT SCHOOL?GAIL: Mine was bookkeeping and I topped the subject through all my high school years.

ROLY: Mine was maths and physics. I was told by one of my teachers that I would never be any good in either of these subjects so that was the very incentive I needed to tackle these subjects I came to love. I ended up lecturing in these two disciplines at the Auckland Technical Institute.

TELL US HOW YOU BOTH MET AND WAS IT ‘LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT’? I saw Roly at High School and after a while I realised he may well be a Christian. He wore a Scripture Union

badge and attended ‘Crusader’ events. We went on an ABC (Auckland Bible Class) picnic to Motutapu Island and Roly started to show an interest in me by the end of that day. It was a mutual attraction and there were some ‘rocky patches’ as Roly wanted to be a missionary and I didn’t want anything to do with that. We courted for 5 years before we tied the knot.

AND WHEN WERE YOU MARRIED?We married on 15 November 1969 at the Ellerslie Bible Chapel and shifted out to live in Pakuranga. We built a new home, but when we arrived home from our honeymoon it wasn’t quite ready and it galled me (Roly) that we had to pay a month’s rent before being able to move. It continues to rankle with me even to this day!!

TELL US IN 10 WORDS OR LESS ABOUT YOUR WORKING LIFE.GAIL: I had a frustrating but nonetheless satisfying working life but am so glad to be retired.

ROLY: I loved being right on the edge of the new technology in both radio and electronics, particularly Satellite Technology. It was a very interesting field of work.

HOW MANY CHILDREN HAVE YOU AND WHERE ARE THEY TODAY?We have two children. There is Neil, married to Julie and they have three boys, and live in Karapiro. Neil owns a swimming pool manufacturing business. Then there is Karen, and she

is married to Daryl. They also have two children - one of each and they live out at Bombay Hills. Karen is an occupational therapist and Daryl an aircraft engineer.

TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOUR HOBBIES...GAIL: Well I love my jigsaws and my garden. Not necessarily in that order.

ROLY: My interests lie in Ham (not the meat) radio and philately (stamp collecting). I don’t think it would be too boastful to say I am a ‘world expert’ on one particular stamp.

WHAT WOULD BE YOUR FAVOURITE ‘AT-HOME’ MEAL?We are both agreed on this one. Roast dinners and summer BBQ’s!

WHICH BIBLE CHARACTER (APART FROM JESUS) WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO MEET AND CHAT WITH TODAY?GAIL: I’ve thought about this and I really don’t know. You’ve eliminated Jesus and I’m stumped.

ROLY: I’d like to meet with Thomas because his need for proof mirrors my approach to life too, and then I’d also like to chat with Peter because his impetuosity is infectious. Like me he often engages his tongue before his brain.

WHAT WOULD BE YOUR FAVOURITE HYMN OR GOSPEL SONG(S)?GAIL: “Up from the grave he arose…” and “Amazing Grace…”

ROLY: “Count your blessings…”

WH

O’S

TH

AT

?

ne of the songs I remember singing as a kid in Sunday School was called “My God Is So Big.” It was a song with a simple melody and equally simple lyrics that celebrated the greatness and power of our God:

MY GOD IS SO BIGSO STRONG AND SO MIGHTY

THERE’S NOTHING MY GOD CANNOT DO

THE MOUNTAINS ARE HISTHE RIVERS ARE HIS

THE WHOLE WORLD IS UNDER HIS SMILE

(By the way, I have heard through the years that different people in different churches sung slightly different words, so don’t come and correct my lyric selection).

Over this last year I have actually found myself humming this simple tune a few different times as I have prepared some of the sermons from Isaiah. It’s funny how a simple Sunday School tune can still stay with you decades later, and how the simple yet profound theology of that song still holds true.

For me, this concept of the greatness of God has been one of the underlying themes of our Majesty series through Isaiah. Again and again, I have found myself being reminded by the inspired words of this ancient prophet that our God is all-powerful and fully sovereign. There has been this recurring challenge through this year to trust Him, to follow Him, to wait on him, and I have been incredibly encouraged by multiple conversations with many of you about how the Lord has tested and stretched your faith in different ways this year.

As we head into the Christmas season, however, this theme from Isaiah takes on even more poignancy. My view of God this year has been enlarged; I have been reminded just how majestic and awesome and holy Yahweh is. And yet now we are coming to that season of the year when we contemplate this majestic God humbling himself to become one of us, becoming human and entering our world through the womb of a teenage virgin in the back blocks of our planet.

The more we understand just how big and wonderful and mighty our God is, the more wonderful and mind-boggling the message of Christmas becomes. This great and awesome God loves us so much, that he laid aside the glory of heaven to become one of us, to live among us, to share the frustrations of our lives, and to die for our sins and brokenness.

As we celebrate the Christmas season this year, and especially the 200th anniversary of the preaching of this message in Aotearoa, may we grasp even more both the greatness of our God, and the enormity of what happened in Bethlehem centuries ago.

“All this took place to fulfil what the Lord has said through the prophet: ‘The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel’ - which means ‘God with us’.” (Matt. 1:23).

O

MY GOD IS SO BIG

3535

Text by Brad Carr.

PA

ST

OR

’S C

OL

UM

N

36

grab a comfy seat, turn the volume up, pull the family together, grab some popcorn, it’s... Review Time

Movie | MALEFICENT Reviewed by Melissa Guyan

For those of you who love the story of Sleeping Beauty, this is a must see. Told from the perspective of Maleficent - the “evil” witch who cursed Aurora when she was born, this movie gives a very unique twist on the fairytale.

After screening it, we then watched it with our 7-year old, Jake, and he absolutely loved it. The story is similar to Chronicles of Narnia, in terms of battle sequences with flying creatures, awesome tree soldiers and magical fairies fighting it out with knights of the realm. The story has its heart-breaking moments of betrayal, but is a really good example of how someone who is thought to be bad, is actually quite good and someone who is considered to be a hero, is actually quite bad.

I loved the twist they put on the concept of true love. The story is peppered with humour and has some fantastic special effects. Angelina Jolie, who I personally love, does an amazing job of recapturing the Maleficent portrayed in the original Disney’s Sleeping Beauty, and Elle Fanning is a delight as the bright and sunny Aurora.

This movie may be scary for small children - there is a fire breathing dragon and some magical elements that may frighten the younger ones, but parents would need to judge that for themselves. I would personally suggest 7+ years.

RE

VIE

WS

37

DISCLAIMER: These reviews contain personal opinions of the reviewers and do not necessarily reflect the views of BotanyLife Community Church. For more specific information on movies and music, check out www.pluggedin.com.

RE

VIE

WSMovie | MOM’S NIGHT OUT Reviewed by Melissa Guyan

Mothers - this one’s for you. I was sceptical going into this movie, thinking it would be one of those slightly painful comedies with a few cringe-worthy scenes that left me rolling my eyes or wrinkling my nose at the lameness of the humour.

I was wrong. This movie was GREAT!

Yes - it is a comedy. Yes - it gets messy and you do cringe at the situations these people get themselves into, but underlying all of that is this amazing message and these characters that all mothers can relate to... and maybe fathers too. (Pete wasn’t around when I watched it, so I can’t give you a male’s point of view.) I actually had tears in my eyes as the movie came to an end, because these film makers/script writers... they totally nailed it. They captured all the emotions

and stress brought on by parenthood and basically made me feel completely understood. It was so refreshing.

I highly recommend this movie. It’s an excellent example of how life can feel like it’s beating us, but in actuality God has given us the strength to overcome. We don’t have to love every minute of this journey ... and that’s okay.

Full of great characters, a funny script and several laugh out loud moments; this is a real feel-good movie and a great pick for girl’s movie night.

38

MA

RR

IAG

E / P

AR

EN

TIN

G

hristmas looks different for different people. For some there will be family … sometimes too much

family. Some must cope with parents (two or more sets!) who will be hurt if you don’t celebrate with them. For others there will be no family - perhaps children are spending this holiday with the divorced mate and you face the prospect of an empty house. Perhaps you are single - and you’re dealing with loneliness.

Too many people or too few. Enough money but few to spend it on. Not enough money for even the basics. A calendar with every square crammed with activities or a calendar glaringly empty. Whatever our reality, how can we truly savour the coming days and not merely survive them?

Here are 3 simple ideas to help.

Firstly, have a financial plan. Work out ahead of time what your budget will be this Christmas and then get creative to see how far your money can go. Make a list of whom you wish to buy for and then get the kids involved - they are wonderfully imaginative and come up with amazing ideas. One year our kids designed home made vouchers to be redeemed throughout the year … lawns mown; fish and chips at mission bay; a car wash. The best gifts aren’t the most expensive; the best are the ones when there’s been thought put into it.

Secondly, make a food plan. Talk to the family to see what specialties they would like for Christmas and then start shopping now. When you spread it over a few weeks it’s not quite so costly. Bake early and then freeze cookies and slices so that you have them on hand. Keep food simple but special. Remember that it’s all about the people we’re with and the One who we’re celebrating, not the most impressively decorated house or the finest food.

Thirdly, have an activity plan. Prioritize. Sit down, alone or with your family, and decide what’s truly important. Think about how you would like to spend your time. I heard one lady say that this year she wanted to put ‘giving’ activities into her pocket advent calendar for the kids to pull out. Notes that focused on giving rather than getting. For example one note may read, “Spend the morning baking cookies”, the next day’s note may say “Take some of the baking to a neighbour”, another note may read “Do a random act of kindness for your sibling”.

My husband loves us to do something creatively special on Christmas Day so we’ve often performed items to the extended family such as a modernized version of the Christmas story, a variety of TV ads with a Christmas theme, or carols by candlelight.

I think that the key to embracing Christmas rather than merely surviving it is to be pro-active. Spend time in prayer and thought now, alone and with the family, and decide ahead of time how you will celebrate the greatest birthday in history.

Text by Nikki Bray.

Surviving Christmas

C Andy and Nikki Bray are foundation members of BotanyLife, being part of the original leadership team that started the church in 2004. Together the Bray’s lead Familylife, a ministry

which is dedicated to showing couples God’s plan for marriage and family. Through one day seminars

and inspiring weekend conferences, Familylife presents biblical, proven

principles to help people stay happily committed and continually growing

for a lifetime of oneness.

39

WH

AT

’S O

N G

UID

E

What’s on at Botany...

Thursday 4th December

Carols at Botany

Sunday 14th December

Jesus’ Birthday Party

Sunday 21st December

Christmas Family Service

Sunday 21st December

Christmas on Ice

Wednesday 24th December

Christmas Eve Candlelight Service

Thursday 25th December

Christmas Day

Sunday 11th January

Summer series begins

Sunday 28th December -

Sunday 4th January

No church services

Sunday 7th December

200 years of the Gospel

Sunday 7th December

BotanyKids Christmas Parties

Sunday 1st February

Vision Sunday 2015

Sunday 8th February

New series begins