I have so many great memories of camps growing up. From Easter camps to youth camps; school camps to horse camps...but the best memories of all are from church camps, and in particular one that I attended with my family when I was about six years old. So why does this one church camp stand out for me? On reflection I think there are a number of reasons that church camps are so great. Here are a few: 

1. You can go with your family. 

For that camp when I was six it was me, mum, dad, my brother Charlie and my sister Rachael together at camp. It is a wonderful thing to be able to be together in a context that is outside regular routines. There's a sense of safety for children, knowing that mum and dad are close by, while at the same time have a degree of adventure with opportunities to explore life in a differ-ent context with different people. There are times of both independence and interdependence mixed together. Camps with the family give us a chance to bond in a unique way that can't al-ways happen at home or on family holidays because it is done in a context with others around. 

2. The church really comes together and feels like a family. 

I remember as a six year old taking a three year girls hand and leading her around the scavenger hunt. I particularly remember the joy that this gave: to me, to that girl, and to her parents (and the pride my parents felt that their son was happy to forfeit the chance of winning to give anoth-er kid a fun time). There is something wonderful about these kinds of encounters that really makes a difference to our lives. I am still friends with that girl! Despite being different ages, we developed a good friendship as we grew up together in the church - and camp jump started that friendship. Yes, it's great spending time in home groups and over coffee on a Sunday morning, but when it comes to getting to know people, there is no substitute for simply spending time together - camps give us the space for that to happen. So if you don't have the opportunity to take your own family then we'll all be family for you! 

3. The interaction between people from different ages and stages is wonderful! 

Children talking with adults that aren't their parents. Older people spending time with young families. Single people laughing and playing games with married couples - you name it, church camp has it. As a six year old I remember a teenager showing me his keyboard at camp and let-ting me play music on it. I also remember listening to the wisdom of an old Biblical scholar in the church. How may environments in our modern world allow for teenagers, adults, kids and the elderly to spend quality time together? 

...and there is so much more I could say. Let me finish with this: COME TO CAMP - YOU WON'T REGRET IT! I'm sure it will enrich your life and it will certainly be a blessing to us all as we seek the unity that our Lord Jesus prayed for. See you there! 

Blessings, Pastor David Auty 

Occasionally a colleague will ask a question like this: "If you weren't the Pastor at your church would you attend it?"  It's an interesting question because it challenges the reason why we do what we do. However, there is also something very sad about the question. For starters, it assumes that church is something that you attend - that long held myth that somehow faith can be boxed into a religious meeting. Worse than that (IMHO), it can reinforce the devilishly clever lie that somehow we can "consume" religion in a similar way to how we consume McDonald's Hamburgers! 

What does it really mean to be church? If WE ARE THE CHURCH, then how do we overcome consumerism and "compete" with the offerings of the world. Well, I think the answer is simple: we don't! Yes it is important for us to try and relate to people; yes, it is important that we have some degree of "attractiveness" that allows people to think "I would love to be part of that". But ultimate-ly we are not called to be attractive, we are called to be faithful - we are called to fulfill our purpose (honour | build | connect). Can we achieve these things if we separate ourselves from our communi-ty of faith? Can we do this if we neglect to fellowship with one another? 

You see fellowship is important. Meeting together "as is our custom" is more than something to do on a Sunday morning: it is the gathering of the saints; it is the coming together of the body of Christ; it is the bride seeking to be found by the groom "without spot or blemish". 

So here's my answer to that question at the start "If you weren't the Pastor at your church would you attend it? - YES I would. Not because we have the most compelling teaching or most wonderful wor-ship music; not because my kids are well catered for; not because of the great vision and direction of the church (although all these things are important!). I say YES because fellowship is important. I say YES because when we gather together we ARE the church! 

"Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his prom-ise. Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not ne-glect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near." Hebrews 10:23-25 

Blessings
Pastor David Auty 

Almost without fail, at this time of year, fireworks become a part of my life... and I have noticed a distinct increase in large fireworks displays in this 20th Century.  Rugby World Cup, A&P Showgrounds, Millenium celebrations - all very spectacular!  However, I can't help but think that the small boxes of fireworks with the family in the back yard are the best kind of all. I guess that comes from my childhood where I remember us all gathering around and Dad letting off the little box of rockets, and us kids having sparkler sword fights late into the night.  

I reckon there are a couple of things about backyard fireworks that can encourage us today:

1. It's intimate and interactive.
Everyone can play some part and we all laugh together when the bottle accidentally tips over and the rocket whizzes around and hits dad on the backside. It's a bit like that for us as a church. There is something great about being able to know one another and to share in fellowship and friendship as we seek to be "living faith from the inside out" - even when things don't go exactly as planned.

2. We all have a backyard.
One thing I like to do is invite neighbours around when we let off fireworks - I got that from my childhood too! Putting that into our church context: it's nice that we can gather together as a church and share fellowship and friendship in faith, but it's also great that we don't just have one meeting place - we all have a metaphorical back yard. We all have the opportunity to engage with and get to know our neighbours. In the end this can be one of the best and most natural ways for us to share our faith - through hospitality and just sharing life with the people around us.

I hope you enjoy the fireworks this year!

Blessings,
Pastor David Auty

What do you think of when you see a rainbow? I think that they are one of the most beautiful things in the world. They're beautiful for a bunch of reasons too:
- the full spectrum of colour that they show off
- their wonderful elliptical curve
- the way they can offset a landscape vista.
- their ability to cut in and out of clouds
- that they often come in pairs
- the pot of gold at the end (has anyone found that yet?)

But the most stunning thing about rainbows for me is the dynamic nature of their existence. No two rainbows are alike...but even more amazingly, no two people can see the very same rainbow. This happens because of the way that light refracts through a raindrop making everyone, even two people standing side-by-side, see something slightly different.

It occurs to me that sometimes having a relationship with God can be a little bit like seeing a rainbow. Sometimes our spiritual lives can feel like nothing more than rain - overcast and gloomy! Then, out of no-where it seems, we catch a glimpse of a rainbow and it is wonderful. We see the hope and glory of God that fills our hearts with joy. At these times it can be hard to understand why everyone else can't see exactly what we see, why everyone else doesn't experience God in the same way that we have. The encouraging thing is that we can all see the rainbow, but some of us experience it in different ways.

God is not trying to hide from us, but he does come to us in different ways. He does engage with us in a dynamic and personal way that not everyone will understand. Let's take encouragement from the rainbow...no wonder God used this as a picture of hope and promise to Noah all those years ago.  Find your way to see the rainbow and keep pointing it out to others even if they can't see exactly what you can see.

Pastor David Auty

The weather has really turned over the past week or so hasn't it? If you didn't know it was winter before you certainly do now! When my family and I first moved to Hawera we found it really cold down here...come to think of it I remember sitting in my first office in Rotorua after moving from Auckland and thinking that Rotorua was the coldest place in the world too - maybe it's got something to do with moving?

With the cold weather here and the sniffles and coughs that so often accompany it, often we can find ourselves getting a little down about life and faith. For many people it can be a tough time, and for some a time of depression. How do we handle that as a community of faith?  How do we come alongside and support people in tough times? How do we get through them ourselves? What does it mean for our church involvement and attendance at Church events and services?

None of these questions are particularly easy to answer, but what I do know is that God is happy for us to ask them.  Through the comfort of the Holy Spirit, and the "hands and feet" of his people, God is reaching out to you no matter how you feel at this time. In the arms of God is the safest and best possible place that you can be!

We can be a community where it's OK to be struggling, a people who are willing to come alongside and support one another through tough times. We need to be because that's what Jesus would do. Have a blessed week!

Arohanui,
Pastor David Auty

Last Sunday was a great time of fellowship as we sought to hear from God together during our Church meeting. The next step is to get the “Vision strategy team” (David Auty, Howard Wilkinson, Yvonne Evans, Herbert Denton and Olya Bartlett) to get together and have a look at all the info we gathered. This group will meet, discuss, and produce a paper for us to consider as we head towards our Vision Banquet in September.  

One of the great things about the meeting was the sense that we heard a consistent message from God. Although there were many ideas and thoughts on how to specifically achieve it, the over-riding (and quite obvious) thoughts revolved around RELATIONSHIPS...and both of the final
groupings came up with similar priority on relationship. In a way this should not be at all surprising to us. One of the key things that we as Christians believe about God is that he is a relational God. He seeks relationship with us and wants us to have good relationships with others—both in the church and outside of it.

Please continue to pray that, as we clarify our vision and start to form more and more strategy, we will continue to be in step with God and his plans for us as a church.  Thank you so much to everyone who contributed through the process and let’s continue to move forward together.

Grace and Peace,
Pastor David Auty