Keeping Up With Life in NZ
A great weekend with Impact enjoying being a part of this vibrant community. Kristen and I got to do a last hurrah with Ryan and Angele, introducing the cessioncommunity to our partner church. We basically took over the service with Ryan, Kristen and myself joining with Dave (drums), Bailey (vox) and Tom (percussion) from the 2005 Student Missions team to form the nucleus of a worship band. Katie Sullivan, soon-to-be cession intern joined us in helping to tell the story of cessioncommunity and the partnership we have with Impact. It seemed to go well. It was a real highlight that Katie's parents and grandparents were able to be there.
I preached from 2 Corinthians 3 - us being a letter sent by Christ. It was an interesting experience having to preach 3 services with the same message. Each time different. Not at all boring, but high energy required!
Sunday evening it was off to Mars Hill. Rob Bell was in fine form - check out the Mars Hill website for the download. Faithfully, I persisted with my plan to introduce Rob Bell and Mars Hill to the riches of the cessioncommunity. It was my goal to create an initial opportunity to connect our 2 churches and to enrich Mars Hill with our innovative approach to worship in a post-Christendom culture, to create fresh impetus to Nooma using the cession-patented Abraham and Isaac approach to retelling OT classics and to offer a unique experience in visiting cessioncommunity here in Auckland, New Zealand. I had set up this opportunity via email and had Rob's instructions to meet him after service to set up a time. So, feeling like a groupie I followed my instructions, shook the great man's hand and introduced myself as "the pastor from NZ who emailed him." He seemed to recognise me was effusive and polite, but unfortunately too busy to meet this week. I then found myself on the end of a highly efficient deflection programme which culminated in being handed off to one of their pastors and offered a tour the next day. However, I've already been to Disneyland so I didn't bother.
Today was lunch with Ken de Peal, pastor at Allendale Wesleyan, and a chat with Dave Drury, connections pastor at SLWC and author extraordinaire. Fortunately, both had time to meet with me...
Its now countdown to our return. I am looking forward to being home but also sad to be leaving our home away from home once again. A wonderful family and great friends make this a place I am truly privileged to have as home. But a year at cession beckons - significant challenges that hold within them great opportunities for growth. May it be so.
Jonesbrushoff
I preached from 2 Corinthians 3 - us being a letter sent by Christ. It was an interesting experience having to preach 3 services with the same message. Each time different. Not at all boring, but high energy required!
Sunday evening it was off to Mars Hill. Rob Bell was in fine form - check out the Mars Hill website for the download. Faithfully, I persisted with my plan to introduce Rob Bell and Mars Hill to the riches of the cessioncommunity. It was my goal to create an initial opportunity to connect our 2 churches and to enrich Mars Hill with our innovative approach to worship in a post-Christendom culture, to create fresh impetus to Nooma using the cession-patented Abraham and Isaac approach to retelling OT classics and to offer a unique experience in visiting cessioncommunity here in Auckland, New Zealand. I had set up this opportunity via email and had Rob's instructions to meet him after service to set up a time. So, feeling like a groupie I followed my instructions, shook the great man's hand and introduced myself as "the pastor from NZ who emailed him." He seemed to recognise me was effusive and polite, but unfortunately too busy to meet this week. I then found myself on the end of a highly efficient deflection programme which culminated in being handed off to one of their pastors and offered a tour the next day. However, I've already been to Disneyland so I didn't bother.
Today was lunch with Ken de Peal, pastor at Allendale Wesleyan, and a chat with Dave Drury, connections pastor at SLWC and author extraordinaire. Fortunately, both had time to meet with me...
Its now countdown to our return. I am looking forward to being home but also sad to be leaving our home away from home once again. A wonderful family and great friends make this a place I am truly privileged to have as home. But a year at cession beckons - significant challenges that hold within them great opportunities for growth. May it be so.
Jonesbrushoff
6 Responses to “For Whom the Bell Tolls”
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Looks like I might have to give Rob a hiding then.
He's kinda skinny ;)
So are you saying I should be able to take him?
And I will still read Velvet Elvis on the flight home - I have 10 copies with me!
I feel so justified in my feelings towards Mr. Bell...
I still think Rob is the man. I have no idea what he's like personally, but more people need to grasp what he teaches. I've been listening to a bunch of Mars Hill's sermons from their website and I'm truly impressed.
I heard about the books!... and maybe being able to get cheap stuff through Zondervan?