If you've been at Morning Church this year you will have notice that things have grown quite considerably. We began the year with an average attendance each Sunday of about 120. Recently it has been nudging almost 200 people gathering each week to hear God's word, pray, praise and share in community together. […]
This Sunday we celebrate City on a Hill's birthday! We're going to give God thanks for all he has done amongst us over these past eight years.
One of the things that I am most thankful to God is the number of people who were there right at the beginning who are still with us today. A quick look in the database tells me that there are 29 people who were at our first service on 8th November 2015 who are still with us at City on a Hill eight years later. […]
With a Football World Cup behind us, another Rugby World Cup upon us and a Cricket World Cup ahead of us, what ought the followers of Jesus think about sport and it's place in the Christian life?
Our world is currently wracked by many horrors. There is the ongoing war in Ukraine, the expanding conflict in the Middle East, the seemingly endless other hostilities around the globe that don't seem to make it onto our news. That is to say nothing of the issues of poverty, injustice and looming environmental catastrophes.
Is sport a frivolous distraction and waste from what is really important? […]
This week I've been turning my attention to 2024 as I have been working on the budget and the preaching programme for the year.
This process inevitably raises for us what are our most significant priorities. Although we worship the sovereign Lord who rules the universe and has all time in his hand... we don't have infinite resources! We need to make decisions on how to best use the time and resources the Lord has entrusted to us. […]
When we come to God's word we come with a whole lot of baggage!
Some of that baggage will be our experience of life. The joys and sorrows, the achievements and regrets, the encouragements and discouragements of life all come with us as we read God's word.
We also some to God's word with the baggage of our culture. Whether that be kiwi culture which values individualism in a warm and stand-offish kind of way. Or maybe another culture that places more emphasis on honour and shame, or is more communal, or confrontational.
We also come with our own hearts filled with hopes, dreams and fears. We bring our vision of 'the good life' or our deepest longings or even our greatest fears and insecurities. […]
