Time with a Kiwi

I was blessed in a special way last week. Hamish Taylor was in town and we met for breakfast and dinner, to find out what God had been doing in our lives. Hamish is part of South Pacific Christian Fellowship, and leads a church planting team in Christchurch, New Zealand. I visited their work last year, as they were in preparation for the launch of a new church in that city, and we (KACC) committed to their financial support for this endeavor. I was impressed with the team of three couples (Hamish is Kiwi, the rest are from the States) and their vision and plan for a new congregation.

Their first service was held in February of this year and currently they are consistently averaging 50-60, with a number of baptisms and outreach contacts growing. This is more significant than it may sound, as New Zealand is far more secular than the US in its religious thinking. Hamish told me that probably only 5%+ of the country's population attends church on a given weekend. Suicide rates are high, as are substance abuse numbers. Christianity has lost much of its relevance through the years, and there needs to be a rethinking and recasting of the vision of and for God's people and work in this island nation.

This is probably why the team chose to name their work "Rechurch," to signify that theirs was to be a new and fresh way to see the hand of God in their lives. And it's working! People, young families especially, are being drawn to this concept. They are discovering relationships and views that are different than what they had imagined, or had seen in the past. Rechurch is impacting lives for Christ and is growing.

Hamish and I enjoyed several hours of fellowship that morning and evening, and I was refreshed by our time together (as I hope he was). He's home now, back with family and team. Back with his church and mission. Back to what moves him. And to what is moving his people. Please keep him and the team in prayer as they continue to move forward. Pray for open doors, for receptive hearts, for favor with people around them. Pray for ongoing financial support, for protection against the schemes of the evil one, for strength in the battle. Pray for this small but influential nation and for its collective heart to open again to the Lord. You can learn more about Rechurch and the team at http://www.rechurch.co.nz/.

PS- Hamish left just prior to the earthquake that hit Christchurch last week. He wrote and told me that they are all OK, but there is much to do in response to this disaster.