Gateway Magazine, July 2011, Issue 07

JULY 2011ISSUE 07

DISCOVER I CONNECT I GATHER I GO

03 - from the desk of the barry’s04 - iSOW05 - connected, the peart’s in canada06 - a thin place08 - after a thin place09 - july / august calendar11 - the wilkinson-gee’s in india12 - go mission13 - our kitchen14 - eat simply so others can simply eat15 - interns16 - 10 questions with...17 - op shop best buys

EDITORIAL

COVER PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEPHEN HART

Welcome to the July issue of the Gateway magazine. It has come to that point in the year where this little mag might best be read rugged up next to an open fire while enjoying a cup of something warm. With the chill setting in and the evenings being rather long, we hope that within these pages you find encouragement and stories that warm your heart, along with a few details that you might need to know about what’s happening in the life of our church.

You may have noticed that we no longer print a weekly bulletin. This has caused a few people to ask about where to find the ‘nuts and bolts’ of events and activities that are happening. And believe me there is a lot happening around the city as people are embracing what it is to journey in faith with others, share their homes, embark on God given dreams, and be people who are becoming a force of love in our streets, homes, schools, and work places. In the centre of this monthly Gateway magazine you’ll find a calendar with a fair bit of information about key dates, so feel free to pull this out and stick it on your fridge if that’s what works for you.

More and more we are keeping our website up-to-date with information that will help each of us know what’s happening and letting us in on the important details. Relevant ‘connect group’ information is there, the latest Gaties (kids) and Crave events are highlighted letting us all know what’s going on, and of course the latest podcasts and events are easy to find. For some, moving to a monthly publication has meant there is less paperwork collecting in the bottom of the old handbag, but for others it has raised the question, ‘how do I find out what’s happening?’

Having a magazine has allowed us to tell stories and communicate the heart of some of the events that are happening among us. We have been able to highlight folks we support as missionaries in foreign countries, give each of us a glimpse of local initiatives that have impacted our neighbours, and speak to current issues that are impacting our community of faith. Our aim is to do our best to point people in the right direction to find out what they need to know, and usually the info is there if you’re looking for it (if not let us know so we can remedy it). So if you want to keep up to date check out our site, gaze upon the noticeboards at the back of the auditorium, and read your way through these pages.

Enjoy the read!!

Donald u

donald goodhall

YOU’LL FIND IT HERE

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In the middle of July Karen and I are taking four weeks away to take a holiday. I can hear you asking, “And I should be interested in that fact for what reason?” Or perhaps a comment, “Hmm, lucky to be some!”

Let me tell you a little more.

FROM THE DESK OF DON AND KAREN

a message from the barry’s

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About ten years ago I met Chris Jones at the Jack Hayford School of Pastoral Nurture in Los Angeles. When I heard that he was Welsh I walked over to him and said that I was a Kiwi. I let that sink in and then followed it up with another comment to the effect that Bob Deans did score that try in 1905 despite what the incompetent referee ruled. [“Let the reader understand,” I think may be an appropriately Biblical comment here] He looked me up and down and quipped, “I can’t argue with that, given your age, you were obviously there!” We immediately became firm friends. Since that time we have grown in our appreciation and friendship with Chris, Hope and their family. Imagine our delight when they informed us several years ago that they felt the Lord was leading them to move to New Zealand. Those plans have firmed up and the Jones family is coming to New Zealand in July to ‘spy out the land’ and see where they feel the Lord is leading them. They needed a place to use as a base to do their explorations so it seemed like a good scheme to do a house swap. The day they fly in, Karen and I fly out. I’m telling you all this for several reasons.

Firstly, just to keep you in touch with our movements. We would so appreciate your prayers for our break. We intend to rest – no ministry planned!! We also intend to take some time to go to the ffald-y-brenin prayer retreat in West Wales that some of you may have read about in the book, ‘The Grace Outpouring.’ Please pray that it would be a time of refreshing and encounter for us both.

Secondly Chris and Hope and their family will be at Gateway during their stay, and Chris will be ministering in our gatherings for several weeks. Please make them feel welcome – don’t rib him too much about the rugby – that’s my job!! Actually I try to cut him some slack over the rugby. I was going to phone him last night, but delayed it after our under 20’s All Black team beat their Welsh equivalents by 92-0. I thought that constituted great restraint and not a little Christian grace on my part – very proud of myself. (Then had to repent for that!! Man this Christian life is tough!! I really do need a holiday.)

Finally, please pray for our staff and leadership team who will carry the load while we are ‘swanning off ’ to the other side of the globe (ash cloud allowing and God willing!) Life can be stressful and challenging at the best of times and these guys carry a significant load under normal circumstances – with us away it just ‘ramps up’ their responsibilities.

Thank you so much for your support, love and encouragement. It means so much to us.

God’s blessings,

Don and Karen. u

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In the July school holidays we are privileged to be hosting the International School of Worship (iSOW), a three-day event that aims to develop worship in the lives of children and young people. This is the third time Gateway has played host to iSOW, and having witnessed what takes place over the few days that the delegates have together, we anticipate another fabulous event and are really excited about what is going to transpire.

iSOW has been described as a ‘Spirit led program designed to take children, youth and their worship leaders into the presence of God through praise and worship, and encounter Jesus in a real and personal way’. Over the three days the children have times of teaching on worship, training on how to lead worship, learning how to write songs, and beautiful times of praise. All this is done in a fun way that captivates the hearts of the children and their leaders alike.

I love how these three inspiring days impact the young people that attend. As one of the children testified, “iSOW has brought me closer to God, has helped me to discover my talent, and has helped me not be so self-conscious of myself.”

Brendon and Cathie Clancy, founders of Overflow Kids International, are the people behind this very cool initiative. They have worked extensively in Australia, and also over twenty other nations, with some of the world’s largest children’s organisations. They are celebrated singers, musicians, songwriters, and television personalities, and having had them here before I must add that they are genuinely lovely people! Their great passion is to be ‘a voice to children, and a voice for children’, and they have an extraordinary ability to reach into the hearts and lives of children, capturing the imagination and leading them to genuine encounter with Jesus.

Along with the other leaders that have attended iSOW, we have been inspired by their ability to connect with the children, to teach from the Word of God and bring encouragement to the kids. There is something so powerful that happens when Cathie sings prophetically over the children. Our kids here at Gateway have just loved the Clancy’s and the special times in which they have encountered God in powerful ways as they give themselves to worship and waiting in His presence.

iSOW is open to children and young people from all over the country, for those aged 8 to 14 years. Children and youth ministry leaders are also invited, and there are sessions specifically to help them in their role of leading those they care for in genuine heartfelt worship. This wonderful opportunity is not just for the gifted singers and musicians but for all young people who have a heart for worship and desire to get closer to their God.

All friends and family members of the children attending iSOW are invited to attend a free ‘family night’ on the Thursday evening. This is a wonderful celebration and an opportunity for the children to showcase what they have learnt over the three days. You may like to consider coming along and being a part of it as it’d be great to have our place buzzing with people excited about our young people growing and developing in their passion for Jesus.

It is a real privilege to have Brendon and Cathie come back to be with Gateway and have them invest in this important part of our church life. We so desire for all us to be growing and developing in a life of responsive praise and worship to God, and to have their expertise, experience, and passion is fantastic. I cannot think of a more precious time or worthwhile way for our children to spend their holidays.

Checkout the iSOW promo video on the Gaties page of the Gateway website. u

ISOWby karen steward

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For the past ten months Jono and I have had the amazing privilege to live, work and study in Vancouver in the beautiful British Columbia in Canada. Rather than giving you a travel journal of all the things we have seen, done and learnt (almost as bad as a slideshow), I will instead give you a glimpse into a typical day in our life over here.

6.30 am Wake up. Cuppa tea in bed (thanks Jono).7.00 am Get up, eat breakfast, check Facebook, emails, twitter and NZ news sites.7.30 am Go for a run (not every day and never with any enthusiasm). 8.00 am Shower, get ready for day.8.30 am Quiet time (not so quiet because they’re building a stadium across the road).9.00 am Catch bus to College (listen to latest Gateway podcast).10.00 am Arrive at College, take books back to library, print off an assignment, check Facebook and email.11.00 am Chapel. Turn cell phone off. 12.00 pm Lunch with community group.1.00 pm Grab a coffee before class.1.15 pm Class. Open laptop. Download notes from moodle. 2.00 pm Still in class. Skype chat my friend next to me ask if she knows what the Lecturer is talking about.2.15 pm Google the word ‘nominalism.’ It seems important to today’s lecture. Still have no idea what it means.2.45 pm Wikipedia ‘John Locke’ for some more background info.3.00 pm End of class. Quick debrief with friends to see if they can make sense of the lecture for me. 3.15 pm Tutorial. Smaller group, so harder to check Facebook. Conversation is good though so I’m locked in. 4.15 pm End of class. Text Jono.4.30 pm Catch bus. Hoping for a seat. Don’t want to stand for an hour. Was going to listen to another podcast but have had too much information today so decide to people watch. Interesting. 5.30 pm Home. Check Facebook, email, twitter and news sites. NZ is finally awake. Listen to a NZ news update on newstalkzb website live stream. 6.00 pm Cook dinner. Follow recipe I googled. 6.30 pm Jono home. Yay. 8.00 pm Skype our parents. 9.30 pm Watch an episode of Modern Family online. 10.30 pm Last check of Facebook, emails, twitter and news. Turn off computer. Bed.

You will notice that technology and social media in particular play a huge role in our everyday life. I’ve always been into technology and social media. I have a somewhat addictive personality and I’m quite a nosy person so I love Facebook. In the last few years social media has played a huge role in our life and this has only grown living overseas and wanting to stay connected to home. But I have been musing recently on the question of how I as a Christian should interact with social media. What role should it play in my life? How should I engage with it? How much time is too much time?

Ten years ago I was finishing high school and the internet was only just becoming a part of everyday life. Today I now almost speak an entirely new language that includes words like ‘tweet’

and ‘procrastifacing’. Our kids might not be able to read chapter books but they can navigate technology like it is an extension of their own bodies.

Whatever our thoughts or feelings towards technology and social media it seems like it is here to stay. I have witnessed various reactions from Christians in their approach to social media ranging from a narcissistic engagement where people’s whole lives are played out on Facebook to, at the other end of the scale, an absolute refusal to engage with it as though the very thing itself is the devil.

I was challenged recently in a lecture at my College to think of social media as being another type of culture. It has its own customs, unwritten rules and language. To a foreigner it can seem strange and even a little frightening. The advantage of seeing social media as another type of culture is that we don’t write it off as intrinsically dark. As a type of culture we can view it as having the potential to be both good and bad. We need to be literate in speaking the language of social media so that we can be a light in it. So that we can speak ‘good’ into it. If we, as Christians, don’t get involved it will be a vacuum filled by something other than us. Something that isn’t light. Social media in a way can be seen as a mission field that needs Christians to be Christians in it. We need to be actively engaging with the culture.

But just in case you’re worried, I don’t think this means we all need to be rushing off to create twitter accounts (I may have, but it’s not for everyone). Technology, and the social media that has come with it, has pitfalls that we need to be aware of. Technology is 24/7 and we, in our use of it, have been fooled into thinking that we too are 24/7, but we are not. We need rest. Again one of the things I have been challenged about in my time at Canada is to rest from technology, to build a Sabbath into my life, to remind myself that I am not 24/7. One of the Lecturers I most admire here takes a break from communication technology from sun down on Friday to sun down on Saturday every week. Perhaps this Sabbath practice is a good place to start.

Technology has also made us scanners of information rather than deep readers. In our attempts to collect copious amounts of information we lose the ability to read deeply, to sit quietly, to focus on one thing or one verse. But we need to be bi-lingual. We need to speak the language of social media while at the same time learning to be deep readers who soak in the Word.

So how should we engage? For me the answer to this question has been ‘thoughtful engagement’. I want to think about how I engage. How am I bringing light to this other culture? I want to be part of the conversation. I am constantly surprised (and slightly amazed) at how open people are on social media sites. It seems that people are longing for a place to be vulnerable and ironically they play their private lives out in a very public space. I want to be a person who can speak hope and life into the openness and vulnerability of my friends whether it is via social media or in face-to-face communication. I also want to engage appropriately. This means that I think about what I write in my status updates, what I write on my friend’s walls and what photos I upload. I want to be open and authentic, but that doesn’t mean I am completely transparent about every little detail of my life. I want to be a gracious influence on the social media I participate in.

Social media should be a complement to real life community rather than a competitor against it. For us, being overseas, technology has helped us stay connected. But even a video chat on skype cannot replace the hug of a niece or a roast dinner with the family. We are looking forward to coming home! u

CONNECTED SOME MUSINGS ON TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIAL MEDIA

written by jo peart

a thin place

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Last month we set aside a week to seek and hear from God; prayer and worship became our focus as we set our hearts to create a ‘thin place’ in both our individual and corporate life. According to Celtic Christian tradition, a ‘thin place’ is any

place where the wall between this material world and the realm of the divine becomes so thin that we can experience a glimpse of the glory, majesty and love of God.

Our creative team set up prayer stations to facilitate opportunities for us to encounter the Holy Spirit and create a place where Heaven and earth could meet, and our musicians set a platform for us to express extravagant praise and worship, preparing the way for His presence to be manifest among us.

The reflective stations in the prayer room created an atmosphere where the Spirit was able to whisper into our hearts as we spent time in reflection, laying aside our own agendas and allowing Him to recalibrate and readjust our lives and refocusing on the passion that burns within His heart, for us, our community, our country and our world.

We were given visual images to remind us of the injustices within our world, stirring us to pray for the oppressed and to cry out for freedom for those who have no hope without the sovereign intervention of God. We were reminded of New Zealand’s Christian heritage, that we as a people belong to Him and His faithfulness toward us will continue through the generations [Ps100].

The truth about God and His promise keeping faithfulness was expressed creatively, and it gave hope to those who have become disheartened by the wait. We were encouraged to find space for God, making room for Him to meet with us in the business of our daily lives.

We were challenged to look at life with the fresh perspective of the eyes of a child, with simple faith and trust and where we have become wearied by our life journey to stop, allowing Him to mend our sails and fill them again with the wind of the Spirit bringing refreshment and renewed hope.

‘A Thin Place was indeed a God time, but the question now is, ‘where to from here? What will we do with what we saw, received and heard?’

Our prayer is what happened during our week of intentional, deliberate, and focused spirituality will springboard us into a new place of intimate prayer and extravagant worship, both corporately and individually, and the things that captured our hearts will continue to resonate in us while a fresh flame of passion for Jesus and for His kingdom life to be manifested in our midst will be ignited. This is a choice we make. We can hold on to what we gained and cry out for more or we can forget the encounters and quiet whispers of the Spirit and return to life pre ‘A Thin Place’. What will it be?

We encourage you to continue on from that week, allowing Him to stir your heart in prayer and worship, softening the dry places, restoring that which has been broken and fractured by life and circumstance and receiving a fresh revelation of who He is and His all consuming love for us and for our world.

Let’s believe together that as we pursue Him Gateway will increasingly become a ‘thin place’, a place where Heaven and earth meet and where the glory of the Lord is manifest in His love and in supernatural wonders and miracles. u

A THIN PLACEwritten by sylvia dalton

COMING UP AT GATEWAYPull it out, stick it on your fridge, these are the dates you need to keep in mind for July / August. As always, any new events will be posted on the Gateway website, www.gatewaychurch.org.nz, as well as on our Facebook page. Keep an eye on both!

JULY

MORNING GATHERING I 10 am

EVENING GATHERING I 6.30 pm

MORNING GATHERING I 10.00 am


MORNING GATHERING I 10.00 am


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

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



SOAKING IN HIS PRESENCE I held in the Shiloh Room, 2nd floor, from 7.30 onwards.

CRAVE CONNECT I Not sure where your connect group meets? Contact your leader or Matt at the Gateway office.

CRAVE CONVERGE I 7.00 pm - 9.00 pm, meet on the third floor here in the Gateway building.

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FRIDAY MORNING PRAYER I 6.15 am in the Prayer Room, followed by breakfastMAINLY MUSIC I 10.00 am in the dining room, $3 per family.

VENTURE I 7.00 pm, on the top floor, check the gateway website for more details.


FRIDAY MORNING PRAYER I 6.15 am in the Prayer Room, followed by breakfastMAINLY MUSIC I 10.00 am in the dining room, $3 per family

MORNING GATHERING I 10.00 amEVENING GATHERING I 6.30 pm

PURSUE I 7.00 pm - 9.00 pm, meet on the top floor

CELEBRATION SUNDAY I Children upstairs from the start of the service. Bring a plate of food to share.

MAINLY MUSIC I 10.00 am in the dining room, $3 per family.


OLD TESTAMENT SURVEY I 7.30 pm - 9.00 pm

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MAINLY MUSIC I 10.00 am in the dining room, $3 per family.VENTURE I 7.00 pm, on the top floor, check the gateway website for more details.

GO MISSION I meets 6.30 pm in the gate, check the web for more details.

HOLIDAY PROGRAMME I available upstairs from the start of the break.

HOLIDAY PROGRAMME I available upstairs from the start of the break.

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF WORSHIP I Worship training for kids, more information on registrations etc will be available soon.

INTERCESSORS GROUP I Meets 7.30 pm in the prayer room, access via the dining room




AUGUST

MORNING GATHERING I 10 amEVENING GATHERING I 6.30 pm



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

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SOAKING IN HIS PRESENCE I held in the Shiloh Room, 2nd floor, from 7.30 onwards.FRIDAY MORNING PRAYER I 6.15 am in the Prayer Room, followed by breakfastMAINLY MUSIC I 10.00 am in the dining room, $3 per family


PURSUE I 7.00 pm - 9.00 pm, meet on the top floor



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


GO MISSION I meets 6.30 pm in the gate, check the web for more details.

WOMEN’S BREAKFAST I more details to come.


CRAVE CAMP I more details to come.

MT

W CRAVE CONNECT I Not sure where your connect group meets? Contact your leader or Matt at the Gateway office.






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We left Hamilton in February 2010 and came to live on campus at Faith Outreach mission, in the east coast state of Orissa, India. Faith Outreach is both a Christian boarding school home to 700 children, plus an orphanage of approximately 40 children. We have spent an orientation period of sixteen months at Faith Outreach where our objective was to ‘live and learn’. This gave us a good start in learning culture, language, school systems, developing relationships as well as researching and networking for our business.

Our company CIC (Continuous Improvement Consultants) is a philanthropic company that facilitates and offers opportunities to children, individuals, groups and businesses for up-skilling, training and resourcing. The aim is to equip and empower people to reach their higher potential practically and spiritually. As most of our work will not be invoiced, our vision is that people and businesses interested in this work will partner with us by donating to CIC, enabling us to be their hands in India.

While living at Faith Outreach we have initiated and operated a ‘Play and Learn’ class with their youngest orphans (aged 3-5yrs). We set up a room with a variety of resources and trained their teachers and children’s leaders in the child-centered learning philosophy of Play and Learn. This style of teaching is radically different to the standard rote learning that is predominant in the Indian schools. We were interested to see how Play and Learn would be received. The result has been positive; the Principal has incorporated the Play and Learn class to officially become part of the school. She requests that we maintain relationship through monthly consultation and has also requested that we train more of their teachers in this method.

It is exciting for us to see the Play and Learn philosophy of teaching being welcomed because it is such a wonderful way to bring out the gifts, strengths and personalities in children.

Their faces light up as they are allowed to explore and play, as opposed to sitting and reciting for hours. They come alive and thrive in the colorful environment and learning is accelerated. The interesting dynamics when introducing this method of teaching here is that often the teachers themselves have never had such an opportunity for hands-on textile learning and hence for the first month the teachers are filling in the gaps of their own childhood; learning how to use scissors for the first time and monopolising the art materials.

We are now leaving our friends at Faith Outreach and relocating home to the next town, Sambalpur. There we are registering our business (a process that takes years) as a Society under the name Hope Community. This allows us to operate and conduct training in the style of workshops that may include leadership training, teacher training, working in teams, change management, production consulting, business management, English teaching, parenting courses and dressmaking. It allows us to do ‘social working’ in a variety of forms and community development.

We plan to buy land and construct a purpose-built child care facility which will include an orphanage, early childhood centre (Play and Learn rooms), children’s home, and eventually a school and community college. It will include a teacher-training course and begin offering other vocational skills courses for families. The college will seek to provide an environment where children can develop their strengths and gifts. We acknowledge that ‘it takes a community to raise a child’ and recognise that by providing a community approach to college life it can make a more holistic effect on a child’s development as a valued member of that community.

Hope Community Trust is a Christian organisation that respects the local culture and municipalities. It seeks to present an attitude of servanthood to its local community. We believe in being ‘alongsiders’ in communities. We value people! u

For more checkout ciciindia.blogspot.com

INDIAwritten by daniel wilkinson-gee

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You may have looked at the missions board at the back of church or possibly perused the ‘go’ page of our website and seen that we have people serving all over the world in all manner of missions. We are very keen to see people follow their God given dreams to serve the nations, spreading the love of Jesus to all cultures on earth. So let me introduce ‘Go Mission’, a monthly gathering that has been created to stir in us a passion to go and make a difference in our world, to rekindle this desire in others, and to cultivate a culture of missions within us as Gateway.

Go Mission wants to provide an outlet for people who have a heart for the nations, and for Kingdom service abroad. If you feel the call of missions is on your heart then this is a great place to rub shoulders with others who may have similar interests. Alternatively, if you feel God has called you to be a sender or supporter of missionaries then Go Missions is the perfect place to engage. Supporting missionaries is best when not just about giving money - it also involves praying, sharing stories, and active communication. We want this initiative to be a home for the goers and senders.

Our heart is to create a missions community within Gateway, and great community happens around a meal shared. At Go Mission gatherings we will have dinner together - based on a typical meal of the country in focus for that month. India was our focus for June and those who came got to enjoy an amazing Indian dinner with three different curries to choose from. On these evenings we will also hear from people who are ‘on the ground’ working in the region we’re focusing on, and they will share their experiences of lifestyle, challenges, cultural issues, mission trials and joys, and what steps led them to be in this place serving. Of course there will usually be plenty of time for interaction, with Q and A from the floor, and much discussion.

Go Mission is proactive. Our core idea is that we want to be people who are not just here to listen to missionaries and the stories about the work they are doing, we also want to pray for them too (Colossians 1:9-14) supporting them as best we can. Our guest speaker will provide prayer points about the country of focus, the people, the work being done and anything else they deem relevant, and we split into small groups and have a time of prayer. This time together is important as it reminds us that what we hear during these ‘Go Mission’ nights are not simply interesting stories, but stories of what God is doing on earth and the impact it is having on people everywhere. We share in this work as we pray.

You can check out the Gateway website or Go Mission Facebook for more info on the next ‘Go Mission’ evening happening in August. We’d love to have you there. u

How to Go to GO: First Friday of the month - 3rd floor Gateway, 6.15pm.

To do dinner with us: put your name down on the sign up sheet at the info desk or email [email protected]. (Dinner koha $5.00)

written by aaron haworth

GO MISSION

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A little over ten years ago some passionate Gateway folk decided to give of their time every Wednesday evening to provide a meal to the hungry of Hamilton. It has been something that has continued to this day, and has been a blessing to many over the years. Most weeks around two hundred people head on around to the dining hall and enjoy a hot meal, good company, and a warm friendly environment where they are accepted and welcomed.

Our kitchen has seen thousands of meals prepared during this time, and of late it has strained under the weight of its responsibility of delivering quality, healthy food. Although we added a walk in chiller not too long ago, the cupboards were starting to disintegrate, the work-flow was far from ideal, and all in all it was time for a refit.

The ‘Wednesday Night Meal’ is something that we believe is an important part of our church life. It provides for those in need while also providing an opportunity for people to put their faith in action, living out Jesus’ words about serving the poor. We believe it is important to have the right tools to do the job, and we see refitting our kitchen as an investment into this area of ministry. Significant money has been spent over the past few weeks making it happen and we now have a

kitchen that is cleaner, safer, and ready to keep serving up the meals in the weeks, months, and years ahead.

For all those folk who volunteer in the kitchen it may take a while to find everything that has been moved in the renovation, but things make a lot more sense down there now. The drawers now slide nicely, many cupboards have been transformed into more practical drawers, minimising the dark cupboard space that use to gather ‘things’, and the flooring has been replaced.

As much as this is an investment into the ‘Wednesday Night Meal’ it is also an investment into many other ministries that happen as a part of Gateway Church life. It’s actually amazing how many things are happening in our building on any given day of the week, and many of these involve catering. Our kitchen gets a lot of use, things like mainly music, prayer breakfasts, fundraising dinners such as ‘Eat Simply So That Others Can Simply Eat’, are happening with regularity.

We wanted to take this opportunity to let you know that we had invested in this capital expenditure and also let you know that the meals are still happening and are an essential part of Gateway’s life. On that note, there is still a great need for donations of food to make this meal happen. With the price of food on the rise we are seeing more and more people coming along each Wednesday, all the while the cost of providing for everyone is growing.

Thanks for the continued support both financially and prayerfully, and also thanks for the hours so many put in to serve people in Christ’s name. We hope the money spent will make the kitchen a more practical space, one that continues to facilitate the passion to let the love of Jesus be known with every plate of food served. u

written by shannon richmond

OUR KITCHEN

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EAT SIMPLY SO OTHERS CAN SIMPLY EATwritten by jake mclean

Over one hundred people shared a typically simple Indian meal of rice and dhal on a Saturday night in May. Each person paid $25 to eat a meal that cost less than $2 per person to provide. They chose to do this knowing that the full cost of their ticket would be given to the Sewa Ashram in India.

The Sewa Ashram (see www.sewa-ashram.org) is a Christian rehabilitation centre set up to provide a second chance for some of Delhi’s destitute population, the poorest of the poor. The money raised by each ticket sold will be used to feed one patient at the ashram three meals a day for a full month. Three meals a day, that with the help of medical treatment is enough to restore a ‘skin and bone’ patient picked up from Delhi’s streets into a healthy man again, providing someone a second chance at life.

‘Eat Simply So Others Can Simply Eat’ was put on by a number of us from Gateway who are stoked to have been able to spend time living and serving at the Ashram. The Ashram is an amazing place, somewhere that will always be close to all of our hearts. A community of nobodies, worthless lives, the scum of the earth, and yet some of the most amazing personalities you could hope to meet.

The transformation you see there in such a short space of time is incredible! We saw so many sick, lifeless, half dead patients get carried in to that place and within only six months we’d seen them transformed into laughing, talking, healthy individuals who were not only living but actually serving other half dead patients that were arriving. Seeing that transformation makes anything worthwhile, it even made eating rice and dhal every day almost manageable.

It’s so easy to get overwhelmed with the number of people that need help. So easy to feel helpless and it can stop you from doing anything, but when you go there, it’s the difference you can make in an individuals life that makes it so worthwhile. For that one person you pick up and see become healthy, giving them a second chance at life, it is priceless!

We’d like to say a big thanks to everyone who supported the meal. From your generosity we were able to raise $3685, money that will make a huge difference in the lives of so many hurting and broken folk. The cost of the ticket wouldn’t have bought much here in Hamilton, a few loaves of bread, the daily coffee fix for a week, a couple of average bottles of wine, yet this money is now able to feed the people of the Ashram for a whole month!

We not only wanted to raise money for a worthy cause but also were keen to raise awareness of how easy it is for us to make a difference in the world. We hope that through this meal we were able to empower people with the knowledge that their choices matter and that we can all make a difference in our world through how we use the resources entrusted us. u

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INTERNS 2011written by deon swartz

The first day of interns reminded me of my first day in a new job; knowing that you are about to embark on a journey, but not knowing what is waiting ahead. We spent the first few weeks sharing some of our stories, becoming vulnerable as we began to get to know each other and the heart of our leaders. This set the stage for our intern journey.

As an intern, all the previous perceptions of what I was taught and believed about ‘doing’ church have been challenged. I grew up having been taught that the church was a place where we congregate weekly, a place where things happens once a week, but I now see each person functioning as a living stone fitted together to make up the church or spiritual temple (1Peter 2:5) who is in fact the body of Christ. Sunday gatherings are a time in which we come to recharge and refill for the next part of our journey.

Part of being an intern is heading down to Putaruru to serve in a small church. This happens a couple of times a year, and it was our turn this past Mother’s Day. The team pulled together to lead the morning gathering in praise and worship, some shared testimonies, we came around the table and broke bread together, we prayed for people, and taught the Word.

For some this Sunday morning meant we had to remove the dust and cobwebs from our flute case, others got into drinking honey-water to get the voice lubricated and sounding good, and for the non-intern family members it meant a pretty early start to the day as they were dragged out of bed to be a part of what we were doing down there. It also happened that in preparation for our trip south, pots and pans were used as practice drums, and many hours were spent preaching to

ourselves in the mirror. As a team we invoked the presence of God and saw his hand at work, it was a great time as the interns teamed togather and blessed that church.

As part of the body of Christ we all have different God given strengths, giftings, and anointings on our lives that bring change in the lives of others. I have found that as part of being an intern is to function in your calling and help others to activate the gifting and calling on their lives. I am reminded of a sermon that I heard years ago titled “Sons and Daughters in the house”. It encouraged us as children in the Father’s house to be about our Father’s business (John 15:13). As sons and daughters we have a responsibility to value the things that our heavenly Father values and be good stewards, rejoicing as we see people’s lives being touched and changed. We are called to be mobile churches being ready in and out of season to speak life, to reach out, and to be ‘Jesus’ to people until they are ready to meet him themselves.

As an intern i have the privilege of functioning in a pastoral capacity in a team of really great people. This allows me to speak into people’s lives and journey with them, which is such an awesome opportunity. Being involved in ministry at this level exposes some vulnerable areas in our lives, and often these are the moments in which God steps in and mends our brokenness, moments where we are being made whole. I have realised through being an intern there are four things that i should be able to be known by: one - I Value People, two - . I am Authentic, three - I walk with Integrity, and four - I am Vulnerable. These happen to be our Gateways values and I’m increasingly understanding how each of them is intrinsic in how I live my life.

Being an intern has been a great adventure so far. The others that I get to hangout with every week are such valuable souls, there is a lot of love between us, and I feel that we are all richer for the experience. u

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10 questions with. . . andrew curry

1. Where are you at this moment?In Jess’ office, somewhere on planet earth.

2. What do you like about being your current ageBeing able to see the past and learn from it. I’m beginning to realise now that the things I have been through mean I can help others, I’ve learned things that can only be gained by life experience.

3. What’s the latest book you’ve read?Bridge over my sorrows by Christina Noble, I loved it, she’s an Irish woman who had a dream that led her to Vietnam to work with orphans, now she has a foundation that looks after 40,00 children.

4. What is your favourite album? Either Cutlass worship albums or Petra ‘This is War’.

5. You can have 3 people to dinner dead or living, bar Jesus - who do you invite?The apostle John because he was best mates with Jesus. Derek Prince because of his teaching and his heart for the lost the broken and the orphaned. And Job because I wrote a song based on some of the book of Job a couple of years ago.

6. What’s one thing you remember your mother teaching you?Be good to others so that they’ll be good to you.

7. Where do you go to get quiet?Sometimes I’ll drive somewhere, sometimes it’s the silence of the wee small hours of the morning.

8. What is one thing you could talk about for hours? (because you are so passionate about it)I want to inspire people to use their skills to bless the third world. I want to go to the third world, not as an answer to their problems but as an encourager.

9. How do you know Jesus is real?He came into my life in 1988 when I had gone from listening to the Sex Pistols and all manner of other music and I was sitting in my friend’s garage listening to Petra knowing that there was something different about his family. It has been a bumpy ride but God has always brought me back and there are so many things about my life that I can’t explain

10. What is one thing you think people don’t know about you?Andrew is actually my middle name, my first name is Martin. I was named after my father’s mother whose maiden name was Martin. u

GATEWAY PODCASTSDid you know you can download and listen to our Sunday messages via podcast?Itís simple and easy, so if youíve missed part of a series and want to catch up, this is a great way to stay up to date.Find us on iTunes under Gateway Christian Centre or download from the Gateway website.

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1. Which one’s Cliff - by Cliff RichardMy Mum is very much into Cliff, and certainly he is due some credit (king of cheesy feel-good pop?). It would be interesting to read this alongside a more recent autobiography to see if his self-concept has changed at all over the years. I think I may have spotted a more recent one among the exhaustive archival literature collection on the op shop shelves.

2. Sailing and Boating - Ladybird bookThis book has loads of easy to use diagrams explaining the best ways to tack into the wind and what-not (I don’t remember any other boating terminology to insert here). I did actually go to Sea Scouts when I was younger though, so can personally recommend the sailing experience.

3. The Mouse, The Monster & Me, Assertiveness for young peopleI think assertiveness is a good skill for young people. Although perhaps not when my son is asserting his will to put dolly upside down in the potty. But what does assertiveness have to do with mice and monsters? Wouldn’t you like to find out? Yes? Better snap it up before someone else does.

4. Looking Beautiful - all you need to know from head to toe.Don’t buy this for your wife, girlfriend or daughter. Actually perhaps don’t buy this at all if you are a male. Essential for glamour tips and/or dress-up parties.5. Rolf goes Bush - by Rolf HarrisMy son Bertie actually selected this one. I wasn’t going to argue its merits with him. Rolf goes walkabout and meets some aboriginies. The quintessential Australian experience or just a long walk? You decide (with your cash).

6. Toys and Games for a rainy dayThere’s been a lot of rain lately. And with toy/game titles like Bubble pipes, Lollyphone and Monkey Island you’re sure to be in for a treat. u

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chosen by david tiplady

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Gateway Magazine, July 2011, Issue 07

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Transcript of Gateway Magazine, July 2011, Issue 07