Seabrook Avenue
Church of the Nazarene

June
Newsletter

From the Pastor's Desk

Heart Check

If you are over 40 your heart has already beaten more than 1.5 billion times.  When it stops it's too late to make any changes to life.  So we work hard now to control what we consume and what consumes us...

And then there is our spiritual heart which is just as vital.  It too has worked billions of times with thoughts, affections and choices. 

It is in the heart we determine how we will speak, behave and respond.  That's what Proverbs 22 tells us.   We  decide to trust the Lord, to be gracious in victory and defeat,  to be patient, tolerant, proud or bitter.

Here's a health check..

WEIGHT..   do  you  carry unnecessary cares and anxieties?
PULSE.. is there a steady rhythm of praise, prayer and thankfulness in your life?
BLOOD PRESSURE ..  is our trust greater than our worries?
DIET.. is life nourished by the daily hand of God?

This Month on the Avenue

Alpha Course is well under way but like the inner city Link Bus Service, you can get on at any point.  It's not too late to join us. We meet Sundays at 6 pm.   Alpha is a great place to ask and answer questions.

YOUTH CAMP
Youth Camp is currently under way.  Camp Director Dean Peni welcomes day trippers at anytime through out the camp.  Details are available at the information table.

MISSION TO TONGA
The Australian team members arrive in Auckland from Brisbane Monday June 28th at 5.30 pm.  We will host the team for one night and so require comfortable beds in friendly homes for these 10 people.  They will enjoy a fabulous meal at the church on the night of arrival where the team will meet for their first full briefing.

Thank you to those who have been behind this team in prayer and financial support.  We are moving through the $1000 mark but still have a good distance to go.

Paul Thomson and Charles Schwenke from New Lynn Church join the team.  We look forward to their reports.

The Ministry Centre to the Disabled is to be brought to completion by these workers.  We hope to post good photographs on the church web site and notice board as soon as they are available.  We need help to transport the team from Auckland Airport to the New Lynn Church, Monday, June 28th at 5.30 pm.  Can you help?

PRAYER GROUP
Every Monday at 7 pm we meet for prayer.  This is a valued and vital time as we seek the heart of God for the church family, friends and our community.

KIDS KLUB:  Fridays at 7 pm
This term the children are studying the life of William Carey and how he found God is a powerful way, left home and faced the challenge of being a missionary.

You can see some of the Kids Klubbers hand work on the information table.  These books have been made to send as gifts to the children Paul and Charles will meet in Tonga.

PASTORS  & WIVES RETREAT
Glenn and Collean will be at the annual retreat in Rotorua, June 18th to  20th.

UP DATE ON MIKE
The start of skin grafts on Mikes legs and feet are delayed until there is good granulation of the areas, and his dressings are usually done under general anaesthetic in theatre, this is done about twice a week.   After the grafts take, a lengthy period of rehabilitation is planned.

NEWS FROM SUSIE AND LEWIS IN BANGLADESH
Neville and Joyce Bartle  returned from Bangladesh this week and have brought a great report from Susie and Lewis.  Of course they send their warmest greetings. They are working very hard in an extremely hot and uncomfortable monsoon season.  Their work with leaders and pastors is a steady and demanding task as they seek more and more effective ways of training.  Their son William is constantly on the move and has started to discover the miracle of talking.

TRAVELLERS THIS MONTH
Joyce Armitage will be in Brisbane visiting family.
Collean and Jessica Stott will also be in Brisbane for 10 days.
Kristjana Thomson will step foot out of New Zealand for the first time and onto the dry dusty Australian continent.
Paul Thomson and Charles Schwenke will visit Tonga,
The rest of us will stay home by the fire.

FOOD PANTRY
Thank you for the donations to this ministry.  Non perishable food items can be delivered to the church at any time.  These food parcels are distributed when people in need contact the church.

JOB WELL DONE
Every year as winter approaches our church property is smothered under a ton of leaves.  When wet these leaves present a real hazard. Along with lawn care and leaf raking there is a lot involved in keeping the property looking good.  Over the past months Nelson and Samuel have spent a large part of every Saturday mowing and raking.  We really appreciate their help!