Prayer and Praise  – November 2009

Ministry

Praise

Thanks be to the Lord for  continuing to establish us here in the ministry in New Zealand and the great people he has placed around us.
For the completion of the Wednesday night studies through the book of Nehemiah at CC Rotorua.
For God continuing  hand upon the ladies studies that Gwyn is helping out with at CC rotorua  and CC Hamilton.

Prayer

That the Lord would bring more students to CCBI, especially from the Pacific Rim.
That the Lord would provide for the practical needs of finance for the startup needs of the school.
Practical areas of need are two computers, Books for the library  and a vehicle to help with moving students, as we look to have weekend outreaches serving at some of the Calvary chapels here in New Zealand.
For the continuing ministry with the worship team and ladies studies here in CC Rotorua and in CC Hamilton.
For staff to help with admin and the various needs here at the school.
For Jake and Tecla, as they submit their application to NZ Immigration for a one year ministry visa, that this would be granted as the Lord wills.
For Mark as he travels extensively to cast the vision of the school and encourage the brethren, sharing at many of the Calvary chapels in New Zealand over the next month.
For Great vision, Great Perseverance, Great Courage and Great faith.   and GREAT FRUIT!!!!
For an Inheritence for Messiah in many nations – Psalm 2:8

Family

Praise

Thanks be to the Lord that we are still here and still walking.
For the Lord’s goodness and encouragement in placing great people around us.
For the Lord’s continuing provision for us.

Prayer

For wisdom regarding finances, and God’s continuing provision as we move into the Christmas Season and start thinking about university for Jordan
For our Mums back in England that they would be upheld by grace and that God would bless their health with us being so far away.

For Becky and Jordan as they finish the school year here in New Zealand and they face the transition to a new year and for Becky the transition to Rotorua Lakes High School (…and a blue uniform!!!)
For Gwyn as see seeks the Lord as to where to place her efforts and gifts in serving, that the Lord would guide her clearly.
For Jordan as he learns to drive
For Becky as she learns to stand for Christ in the world of High School.
A funny one (as in different !!!) I want to support the worship team here and so I am learning bass guitar, so if anyone has  bass guitar they would like to donate then I could really do with one, just if you have one lying around that you don’t need. Thanks – Mark!!!

Thank you for all your prayers and love, truly we wouldn’t be here without your faithful service to the Lord in prayer and giving, in all the ways that you do give.
We cannot express enough our thankfulness for your heart to serve the Lord.
Mark & Gwyn

Seasons, seasons, seasons

The difficulty of pioneering a work is exactly that, it is pioneering – breaking ground that often has never been broken before.
It is not with out reason  and significance that the scriptures use the illustration of the farmer to give us understanding of the nature and practicalities of ministry.
I have been sorely challenged by this since our arrival in New Zealand, to pioneer this work of CCBI. (In King James speak, my spirit has been sorely vexed!!!).

Here is what I am learning – (wish it was learned, but there ya go, just a work in progress).
One of the great dangers of pioneering is you give up halfway… you stop halfway with what God has for you and wants to do through you!
2 Kings 13:14-19 is an interesting story of Elisha being angry with a man who only went half way!!
And one of the dangers of being halfway, is that it is just the time when you are most likely to stop and turn back.
The Farmer has to be about the work, faithfully day in day out, in the expectation that there will be fruit, even though he does not see fruit until the next season.
He cannot let “Today ” ruin him  – he must carry on even when “Today” is hard, because their is a season of fruitbearing.
The farmer waits, not just for something to happen , but with an expectation of fruit, it is waiting in the same way as the watchman, he is waiting not for something but for the inevitable arrival of the morning , the consistent and inevitable arrival of the morning.
This farmer also has a Father, One who knows how to give good gifts to his children. So each week on a Tuesday evening, in our cave,  we have begun to gather to pray and to ask, because the farmer has a Father, who is good

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?
Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent?
If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!
NKJV- Matthew 7:7-11

So many things seem to have happened in our lives since our last update some 7 weeks ago.
Jordan was auditioning for a part in the Phantom of the Opera, now he is more of a budding Roger Federer
Becky was teenager in spirit only, now that is a reality
I was about to teach at Calvary Wellington and then attend the Pastors get together at Kapiti coast, just north of Wellington

Family News

This has been and interesting month for Jordan. He now has his learners permit allowing him to learn how to drive a car, here in New Zealand, he has already been out in the car. I am not sure who is more concerned Jordan or us!

Jordan entered the Junior Singles and Double competition at the Rotorua Tennis club and to his credit came second in the singles , losing in the final 6-2 6-2 and then proceeded to win the Doubles competition with a friend from the tennis club. – Very cool indeed.

Becky has also passed a significant landmark notably she attained her 13th Birthday, officially became teenager, facebook and all !! In less than  month see will finish at Mokoia Intermediate and head for High school at Rotorua Lakes High School, when the new School year begins in February (I know it weird- February , New School year , Christmas in summer!)

Ministry News

The NZ Pastors get together  at Waikanai , Kapiti Coast.

This was truly an encouraging time, we studied through the book of Philippians together  and I had the privilege of sharing Chapter 4. A common theme seemed to emerge in our messages and our experience together,  as we all appear to be “going through the mincer “as one brother put it. A season of learning to be content and persevering. It was blessed time encouraging though most of us seems to be straining under the weight and enormity of the task.

CCBI

CCBI has its first two students, both New Zealanders, who are looking forward to starting the semester in February 2010. We have several other folk interested, so we will see. Certainly two students will not sustain the school, our hope and prayers are that we will have in the region  of 10- 15 students. So please keep that in prayer.

We have student accommodation, which will be at Lakes ranch, some 15 – 20 minutes from the centre of Rotorua, complete with tennis courts Thermal Hot Pools, Horses and lakes everywhere.  http://www.lakesranch.org.nz

We have recently been able to run an advertisement on The Challenge weekly New Zealand’s  and the southern hemisphere’s biggest Christian Newspaper, and it looks like we will have some radio adverts on Calvary Chapel Radio in New Zealand.

I have begun a season of travelling throughout New Zealand in order to share the vision of the school and to encourage the body. I recently spoke at the small Calvary Fellowship in Manakau, South Auckland.
December 6th    - I will be sharing at Calvary Chapel Christchurch
December 13th    - I will be sharing at the Street Church in Wellington
January 10th     - I will be sharing at Calvary Chapel Wellington
I would value your prayers as we seek to share about the Vison for CCBI here in New Zealand.

Church Ministry

Here in Rotorua , this week I will finish teaching our studies in the book of Nehemiah.