Slow down at last. We dropped Stuart and Amanda Blount, our UK Elim representatives, at their hotel by the airport last night, and Conference is now over. It is quiet around the office this week with a number of the staff taking a well earned break. It was a fantastic week with Rob Ketterling stepping in as our key-note speaker on a week’s notice. Rob spoke so well and fitted in and related to our churches. Dan Lian was our Now Generation speaker. I caught the night sessions and they really pumped. Dan preached an amazing message on love on his first night.
It was my last conference as National Leader and on the National Leadership Team. Mike Griffiths is now National Leader and Boyd was voted onto the team. Congratulations guys. I can now focus on our church and its related activities. A couple of years ago as Elders we set our BHAGS (Big Hairy Audacious Goals). Now is not the time to retire or rest; I want to be part of seeing these fulfilled.

Awesome to see NZ beat Australia in the semi-finals of the World Cup. We were given seats in the other semi-final between Wales and France by our college construction company; Arrow Construction. We also managed to get seats for Stuart and Amanda, although the Welsh loss put a damper on the occasion.

Marilyn and I have been blessed to spend the week in one of the most beautiful parts of the world. After spending the weekend with Andrew and Lynley in Christchurch we headed up to Hanmer Springs Sunday afternoon until Tuesday, and then flew down to Queenstown for our National Leader’s meeting.
Andrew is now Pastor of our Elim Burnside church. Burnside is one of our oldest Elim churches in New Zealand, and is now made up of a good age mix of folk with many young families. Andrew and Lynley have settled well, brought a lovely home and are building a great vision in the church. It was good to catch up with Les and Isobel Covic who attend the church. They are living legends in Elim having pioneered churches and Les was our National Leader in 1971-2.

My last National Leadership meeting was difficult. The guys on the team have become great friends and have contributed so much into my life and been a real encouragement in our leading the church. I have been on the NLT for twenty one years and National Leader for eleven. I will miss the meetings; we always had lots of laughs along with the more serious side of church governance, but I know Elim is in good hands as we encourage our young Pastors to rise up and take responsibility.

I've been in Christchurch this week, firstly for a National Leadership Meeting and then yesterday we had a Regional gathering of the Pastors and spouses from Christchurch, top of the South Island and the West Coast. It was good to catch up with Andrew and Lynley who have gone out from us to lead the church in Burnside, and Richard who along with Maria went from East to Nelson. Maria wasn't with Richard as she was not well. They are expecting their third child; another girl I think Richard said. Congratulations.

Both couples are doing an awesome job. I feel really proud of them when I hear the others speaking so highly of what they are doing.

Christchurch is a mess after the earthquake. So much of the inner city is to be torn down, but added to that are thousands of damaged houses and then the roads are up and down and need lots of work. Look at the photo of the road by Clinton and Jan's house.  We have been able to put $120,000.00 into the three churches from our Elim family to assist them in the recovery.

I tabled at the National Leadership Team my letter of resignation from the role of National Leader and as a member of the leadership team to take effect at this year’s conference. It is time to pass the baton to the next generation, and I also feel we have some huge years ahead of us in Elim Christian Centre. My passion has always been to serve in the local church.

The BNZ bank have approved the finance to do the first stage of the college in Golflands.

I managed to get out on Monday for a bit of fishing. It was a beautiful day but we only got eight. The highlight was a pod of about 50 dolphins swimming around the boat.  I think the season has come to an end. It’s time to pack the boat up for winter.