This past week I have been talking to everyone who cares to listen, about being on the move.  As a Church we are physically moving our Sunday services (on a 6-week trial basis) down to the  TSB Hub.  This is a significant step, however it’s only a small glimpse into the moving and shaking that God is doing right now among us.

There really are a lot of things moving at this time.  Over the past few weeks I have seen movement: in attitudes; in willingness to participate; in accepting Christian living; in opportunities; in friendships and relationships.

The truth is that God is moving in this place and the challenge for us is how we respond to it.  Are we going to go with what God is doing? Or are we going to stick our feet in the mud and hinder the Kingdom work that He is busy with in, around and through us?

We need to be prayerful!  Friends—we need to pray!

This weeks prayer and self denial focus is on prayer, and it’s significance for us and the world.  As we pray, we partner with God as He moves.  As we pray, we come alongside others who need to see God move in their lives.  As we pray, we see the resources of heaven poured out into the hearts and lives of the people God is at work in.  As we pray God deals with us too.

Movement is a funny thing...sometimes it gets you to a destination, other times it just feels like it causes nausiation!  But the kind of move of God that we desire to see, “5% Kingdom impact by 2020”, is a wonderful target for our progress as a community of faith.  Yes, there will be gut wrenching times, but God is here and he is on the move. 

Will we join Him? 

Olya shared with us the other week about how God is already speaking to us through this years Prayer and Self Denial. Over three Sundays, without any prior knowledge or planning, three things happened:

1. I preached on Acts 16 (as part of our Acts series);

2. the next week Pastor Mark Trewavas came and shared about their journey to Thailand to work amongst the Isaan people

3. the next week Olya was introducing this years Prayer and Self Denial and what was on the introduction page? Acts 16 AND a project with the Isaan people in Thailand! Wow!!

I really want to encourage every one of us to engage in this years appeal with open ears, arms and hearts. Listen for what God is saying to you, to your family, and to us as a church family. Use the weekly handouts as a prompter to prayer and engagement, remember that 7-8am on Tuesdays we'll be praying down here at the church prayer room...and please try to make it along to each of the next three Sunday mornings as we explore together what God is saying to us.

The theme for the 2012 Prayer and Self Denial campaign is Are You Ready? Are you ready to Reach?

Are you ready to Redeem?

Are you ready to Restore?

Over the three weeks we will be looking at Paul and Silas' mission journey in Acts 16.

The receptacle this year is an integral part of tranzsend’s reaching, redeeming and restoring. Made in the Kalasin province of Thailand by the Isaan people, it is part of a project bringing economic help to a poor region, and providing opportunities for the local churches to reach out to the majority Buddhist population. There will be one large ‘family’ container for each church, as well as a small container for each family.

I can't wait to hear what God is saying to us during this years Prayer and Self Denial appeal!

Arohanui,
Pastor David Auty