A quick eNews before we head to church camp tomorrow!
Please be praying for a safe and fun time away as we grow in community and in maturity as followers of Jesus together. Please also be praying for Jay Behan (the Bishop of the Church of Confessing Anglicans) who will be speaking for us on the Book of Judges.
In Psalm 133 David reflects on the joy and blessing it is when God's people dwell together in unity. He says this,
How good and pleasant it is
when God’s people live together in unity!
It is like precious oil poured on the head,
running down on the beard,
running down on Aaron’s beard,
down on the collar of his robe.
It is as if the dew of Hermon
were falling on Mount Zion.
For there the Lord bestows his blessing,
even life forevermore.
The images he uses might seem strange to us but they're pictures of abundant blessing.
It's like someone's head being anointed but not just with a little oil, it's like a whole bottle full so the oil drips down the beard and onto the robe. It's like all the dew that falls on Mount Hermon, the highest mountain in Israel at 2,814m, all coming to rest on Mount Zion, a mere hill of a few hundred metres in Jerusalem.
When God's people live together in unity we experience the rich blessings that come from being reconciled to God in Christ and united to one another in the Spirit.
So it is no wonder that things like church camp produce so much growth in our community, in our unity and in our maturity as we sit under God's word together. They say you cram 6 months of community building into one weekend when you head away to church camp!
One of our major goals of church camp is to help grow our church community as Morning and Night Church come together, get to know one another and work out how they might serve and bless each other as we all mature in Christ. Come along praying and expecting God to do great things amongst us this weekend!
Here are some final details for camp and also for church this weekend:
What to bring:
All bedding including pillows / sheets / warm blankets or sleeping bag / towel (only mattresses provided unless you've been told otherwise)
Named drink bottle - especially for each child.
Toiletries including soap / toothbrush / toothpaste
Good shoes for outdoor activities
Wet weather gear
Warm clothes
Bible
Boardgames / sports equipment for free time
Morning/Afternoon tea to share (see below)
Arrival: Aim to get to camp at 10am when registrations open. We will be starting promptly at 11am all together in the main hall. The address is 58 Weggery Drive, Waikanae Beach.
Baking: The morning tea provided by the camp site is pretty minimal so if you have time to bake or bring something to supplement, that would be greatly appreciated!
Church on Sunday: Please make the effort to join us at El Rancho for Morning Church. There is no 10am Morning Church or 6pm Night Church this weekend. We really would love to have as many as possible come along. We have two morning talk sessions - 9am and 11am as well as an afternoon seminar.
Any questions, please be in touch with Andy.
Grace and Peace
Andrew