For our Volunteer Appreciation Night we booked the Auckland Zoo. We had nine hundred replies from our people and around eight hundred and fifty came out for a fantastic night. The weather was kind, the band fitted perfectly with the evening, and a good night was had by all. Rachel Briscoe and her team of staff worked so hard to bless our volunteers.

Our big push now is our Christmas in a Box appeal. Each year we are able to bless families who for many reasons have had a tough year. We have two size boxes; a $130.00 for a couple or small family and a $230.00 box for larger families. Members donate money for a whole or part box, and some of our members with businesses sponsor a number of boxes. Christmas is about Christ and giving. Forms are at the church.

Shane Birmingham our Ministry Training College Principal has just returned from Los Angeles where he is working with Kings College, (which is part of the Church on the Way), about MTC being able to offer their Degree Programme. Progress towards this is going well with the American accrediting agency approving MTC. Hopefully we will start offering this course later next year.

Marilyn, Mike and I had a great night with our Alpha team at an Alpha NZ dinner last night. This is an incredible ministry world-wide. Daniel Lee has been a key driver in our own church and over 500 have attended Alpha in the church over the past six years. Daniel is now helping for a season in Alpha Singapore and is part of an exciting opportunity to take Alpha Marriage into China with the support of the Beijing Government. They are concerned at the high divorce rate in China. Jonathan and Lynne Hesp who have recently been appointed to lead Alpha in NZ have moved to Auckland and attend our East congregation.

We have a new series starting this week called Forgotten Virtues. In the latest North/South magazine there is an article about the huge demand by parents for special character schools like ours. Parents want their children to be taught in an environment where biblical values are taught and lived. We are going to look at some of these values over the next five Sundays.

On Saturday night we celebrate our volunteers. We have hundreds of members who sacrificially give their time every week to serve in the church. They are awesome and as staff we want to let them know how special they are by giving them a great night out. This year all of our campuses will join together including a couple of bus-loads from the North. Pray the weather is nice as we are outdoors.

Tonight we farewell two of our Elders as Jon Gundy and Phil Gaze come off the team, and we welcome onto the team Shane Suili. Shane and his wife Kuini are part of our South congregation. Jon and Bridget are off to the Netherlands for an extended time with Jon’s work Mainfreight. We wish you guys God’s blessing as you travel. What a great adventure.

Another friend passed away since I last wrote. One of my neighbours in Mangakino went suddenly with a stroke. Adrian was a tough Dutchman but was a great neighbour. He kept an eye on our place. Over the years we had some great discussions on the church and faith and he often talked about the man upstairs. I don’t know where he stood with the Lord when he left but he asked for the life support to be stopped so he could go home. I trust in his final moments he made his peace with God. Adrian was the same age as me. It is a reminder to make each day count for the Lord. The family asked if I would take the funeral.

We had our National Leadership Meeting in Wellington last week. Once a year we are joined by our wives for this and have some social time together. This year the boys went to watch the Phoenix play and lose their first home game. The girls and Bob and Clinton went to the Ballet to watch the Nutcracker. We have a few big changes coming up. It is my intention that this be my last term as National Leader so some things are being put into place for when my term is up. Part of this planning is to bring Mike and Liz up from Dunedin to Auckland next year.

Tonight is Volunteer Appreciation Night in the East. Last Friday we honoured them in the City with a Polynesian night. Where would our churches be without the amazing team of people that make it happen all week, every week? I am just in awe of the hours many contribute without any reward apart from knowing they are serving the Saviour they love.