Birthdays have a funny way of making you look in two directions at once. You look back at photos, memories, moments you forgot you’d forgotten. And you look forward, wondering what the next season might hold.
Last week, as I was preparing for our Birthday Service, I ended up flicking through some photos from our very first Sunday in 2015. We were small, chaotic and full of optimism. Ten years on, the hairlines have changed, the kids have grown, and somehow Adele still looks exactly the same.
But the thing that hasn’t changed is why we’re here as a church.
We are here because the people of Wellington desperately need Jesus.
On Sunday we saw in Matthew 9 that when Jesus looked out at the crowds, he “had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” That same compassion, that gut-wrenching, move-toward-people love, is the reason our church exists at all. Jesus saw people in need and went toward them.
And that’s the part I’ve been reflecting on this birthday:
Do we still feel that compassion toward those who are lost in our city?
Wellington is an amazing city, but it’s also a city full of people carrying real burdens - anxiety, loneliness, transience, restlessness and spiritual hunger. The needs aren’t always loud, but they’re everywhere. And Jesus sees every one of them. More than that, he loves every one of them.
Our birthday reminded me that the most important thing we bring to this city isn’t our events, our structures, or even our sermons. It’s our willingness to share the heart of Jesus - his compassion, his hope and his good news.
And that’s why, coming out of our celebration, I want to offer our church family a challenge going forward. Will you Pray, Plant and Partner with us as we seek to reach the lost in Wellington?
Pray – because we depend on the Lord of the harvest to do what only he can do.
Plant – because loving people takes time, and Wellington needs Christians who put down roots rather than treating this place as a transit lounge.
Partner – because the work of the gospel grows when we give ourselves - our time, our gifts, our generosity — to the good of others.
Ten years in, I’m profoundly grateful for what God has done among us. But I’m even more excited about what he will do next, as we keep moving toward this city with the compassion of Jesus.
So what could the next 10 years look like as we continue to seek the lost in this place? Can you commit to Wellington and City on a Hill for the next decade by praying boldly, planting deeply and partnering generously?
Grace and peace,
Andrew