Our church was planted in a land of plenty, but also a land of little. We have both rich and poor in our neighbourhood, but the call for us has always been to welcome everyone, no matter what race, gender, or socioeconomic status. Many people have come to Connect for a time of refuge, belonging and healing. I love the welcoming, inclusive arms of our people.

So can I encourage you to share words of encouragement that God gives you for other people. We are often unaware in the natural of what others are going through. Don’t second-guess promptings you receive from the Lord to visit someone or share prophetic insight. You may just be that angel-in-disguise for a needy soul.

We inherently know where and when we are being selfish and greedy. It could be with our time, our money, our plans, or putting pleasure before what God is asking us to do. What is God saying to you today? If Christ gave up His life to follow the will of the Father, what will you give up to follow your Lord? Carrying the cross of Christ is not easy but the Kingdom rewards are huge.

The Church in Jerusalem was poverty stricken. So, Paul wrote to the churches scattered elsewhere requesting that they not only provide for their own congregation, but also give generously for this need.

Lent involves repentance for sin, recognising the suffering Christ made for us, and setting time aside to pray and read the Bible. The whole purpose of “Lent” is for Christians to grow spiritually by spending devotional time with God.

It’s been a crazy ride this past month, and not one I wish to repeat. Thank you to everyone for your prayers, visits, calls, care, and meals. It meant a lot. … I learnt many things in my pain journey. One was, “If you don’t rest God has ways of enforcing it!” …

Some of us will have had a good hunk of rest and relaxation and feel inspired for 2024. Others of us are still hanging out for a break.

So, how are we all doing?

How are you feeling at the start of this New Year? Are you feeling excited and ready to go? Or are you feeling flat and a little discouraged? May I encourage you with these promptings:

I love the humility with which the incarnation took place and what God tries to teach us through that. Christ born in a cave and placed in an animal drinking trough contrasts the pomp and ceremony demanded by the Roman leaders of the day.

Throughout December we will be looking at various Bible stories about this miraculous event which ushered in God’s free gift of, forgiveness for sin, salvation, and eternal life, to all who believe.

The theme of this Christmas event is ‘see the star’ with the message of bringing hope to the nation. The event is organized by the Manurewa Council and Manurewa churches of all denominations. Actors will play the main characters of the Christmas story. They will be walking around interacting with the community and up on stage interacting with the MC.

I recently visited Visionwest, which is a Trust Community Ministry out of Glen Eden Baptist Church. Their vision is to lift people out of poverty by providing food and social housing. They say, “Almost 40% of NZ households experience food insecurity.”

When I look at everything I must do between now and Christmas it feels pretty overwhelming. Know the feeling? Feeling overwhelmed can also cause us to be unproductive – our bodies get sick, and our minds become cluttered and anxious. So, what can we do to avoid “End-of-year burnout?”

On the weekend I walked past a shop in the Northwest mall which was full of Christmas decorations. My heart skipped a beat. “No, it can’t be! I’ve got so much to do before then – church celebrations, Christmas functions, year-end reports, 2024 planning, presents.” So much to do in such a small space of time. Know the feeling?