St Barnabas focus

In this Issue:

Understanding the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit unmasked

Taking Action

Maybe Later...

Upcoming Events

What's Up

Recent Events

Looking Back

Directions

Where do we go from here?

Money Talk

The First Quarter Results

Two Months of Sundays

June / July Services

I n the Gospel of John, Chapter 15 and verse 26 Jesus says this:

When the Counsellor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father,

the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me.

I want to look briefly by way of introduction at three questions about the Holy Spirit. Number one, who is he? Jesus says here, `He will testify about me.' The Holy Spirit is a person, not an `it'. When we read about the Holy Spirit, he has all the characteristics of personhood. He thinks, he guides people, he speaks, he can be saddened by things that we do. He is sent by Jesus, `Whom I will send to you from the Father'. So the whole Trinity is involved: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

He is the Spirit of Jesus Christ. He's sometimes described as the Spirit of Jesus. If you like, he's Jesus' other self. When

Jesus ascended — in theological terms now — Jesus is at the right hand of the Father. But he's present here today by his Spirit.

In the book of Revelation, Chapter 3 and verse 20 we read of Jesus standing at the door and knocking and, if anyone opens the door, he will come in. He comes in by his Spirit. He's a person.

Mother Teresa once said that the greatest disease in the world is not starvation; it's loneliness. It's the loneliness that so many people experience of living in God's world without a relationship with their Creator. And when we experience that relationship, we know that from that moment onwards we're never alone.

So that's the first question: who is he? He's a person. Secondly, what is he like? Jesus says he's `the Spirit of truth'. Jesus said, `I am the truth'. And the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth. He's also described here

The Holy Spirit unmasked Gaining an understanding of who the Holy Spirit is, and who He is not, is critical in order to experience His presence and power. The Holy Spirit is not a feeling or an emotion. Although His presence can stir up emotions within you, He actually is the third person of the Trinity. At a recent conference Nicky Gumbel spoke about one of the most misunderstood and misinterpreted subjects in the Christian faith.

THE MAGAZINE OF ST BARNABAS ANGLICAN CHURCH STOKE

JUNE-JULY 2011

as the Counsellor. The Greek word there parakletos is a very difficult word to translate. It's sometimes translated Coun-sellor, sometimes advocate, like the person who defends you in court. Sometimes it's comforter, in the old English sense of that word, bringing strength. Sometimes the encourager, sometimes the helper. J.B. Phillips translates it as `someone to stand by you'.

Ronald Knox translates it as `he who is to befriend you'. Literally, it means `one called alongside'. It's like when a ship was in trouble on the Mediterranean Sea, a big ship would come alongside and lead the small ship to the safety of the harbour. And the Holy Spirit is the one who comes alongside us, to lead us to a place of safety.

There was an account in The Independent newspaper of this guy called Alan Ander-son. Alan Anderson is a 24-year-old guy and he was flying in a light aircraft, when the pilot died of a heart attack. So this guy, who had absolutely no flying experience, was left on his own in this light aircraft. He managed to send out a May-day call, and a man called Robert Legg, who was a flying instructor, responded to the May-day call and caught up with Mr Anderson's aircraft 2,000 feet above Penarth, near Cardiff. And it so happened that there was an amateur radio

enthusiast who was listening in to the con-versation between Alan Anderson — this 24-year-old with no flying experience, trying to get to safety — and the flying instructor, who came alongside. And this is how their conversation went:

`I can see you', says Anderson. Legg: ‘Okay. Just listen to my instructions. Take the throttle, and pull it slightly, until the RPM drops down to about 2,300.' Anderson: `Well, which is the throttle?' Legg: ` There should be a black lever in the centre of the panel. That's fine, let the aeroplane fly itself.' Anderson: `I wish it would!' Legg: `Read the airspeed.' Anderson: `The airspeeds 105!' Legg: `Look, I'm on your right-hand side, just relax.'

Anderson: `We're going down, are we?' Legg: `We are shortly, yes. Bank gently to the right. We're aiming for the wide tarmac airstrip to the right of the red and white lights. Can you see it?' Anderson: `Affirmative.' Legg: `Reduce the power slightly now. What is your air speed?' Anderson: `A hundred.' Legg: `Pull back very gently on the control column. Close the throttle. Just hold it there. Pull gently back and hold it there. Hold it, hold it, hold it. Hold the control column back. Relax. Okay, on the rudder pedals. Press the top of the rudder pedals. You'll find the brakes. Press both rudder pedals together, you'll find the brakes.' Anderson: `I can't find the brakes!' Legg: `Don't worry. The emergency vehicles are coming up behind you. Just sit in the aircraft. Leave the engine rumbling, turn the key to off and take them out. The engine should then stop. Has the engine stopped?' Anderson: `The key's out. Just stopping now. Thank God!' Legg: `You're welcome! All in a day's work.' He'd guided him to a near perfect landing. And the Holy Spirit is the one who comes alongside, to guide us, to be with us, to befriend us.

I remember one time in my life when I was going through a whole lot of things — I had so many worries, so many anxieties. And I went to see a wise counsellor. And I spent about a half an hour with this man, and I remember the feeling as I came out of his house. I still had the same problems, but I felt so differently about them. Because someone had drawn alongside to advise and to counsel. And the Holy Spirit is the one who draws alongside us. So, that's what he's like.

Thirdly, what will he do? Jesus says this: `He will testify about me'. In John 16, verse 14, he says, `He will bring glory to me'. The Spirit of truth points to the one who is the truth — Jesus Christ.

Pentecost is about the Holy Spirit. It is also about Jesus, because the Holy Spirit will point us to Jesus. It is also about the Father,because the Holy Spirit is sent by the Father. So the whole Trinity is in-volved.

The Holy Spirit will draw alongside you and take you a step closer to Christ. Jesus says about the Holy Spirit: `When the Counsellor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me'.

The Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth points to the one

who is the truth — Jesus Christ.

What’s up?

T he cost of procrastination in our service to God can be significant. For us, procrastination isn’t

measured in dollars; it is measured in ministries never started, people with needs going unmet, and those who are spiritually lost never hearing the gospel.

The Bible says, “Remember, it’s a sin to know what you ought to do and then not to do it.” (James 4:17 NLT) When God calls you to do something, but you don’t do it, it’s not just a bad strategy or a missed blessing. It is sin.

If God has called you to do something and you are not doing it, do it now. Not next month, next week, or even tomorrow – do it right now. Proverbs 21:1 says, ‘Don’t brag about tomorrow, since you don’t know what the day will bring’. (NLT) None of us is guaranteed a tomorrow. You may not have the opportunity to do what God has called you to do tomorrow. You could be saying you’ll do it someday. That someday is today! One of these days is none of these days. Do it today. Start right now!

I talk to guys who say they’re planning to do something in ministry. I always want to ask, “When are you going to pull

the trigger?” They've been taking aim for years; yet, they never seem to get around to pulling the trigger.

Don’t be like that. You need to pull the trigger. These three words could change your life forever: Do it Now!

Spend a few minutes Right Now and write down one thing you know God wants you to do. Whatever it is, write it down and then put that note in a place where you can’t miss it - like on your bathroom mirror or on the refrigerator.

But don’t just write it down. Don’t just read it on your refrigerator. Do it - now! Every time you catch yourself saying you’ll do it later, it should be a warning light that says you’re procrastinating. There's no better time than now. This is the moment of truth. There's got to be a time in your life when you stop intending and start acting. Stop making excuses.

NASA says that getting the rocket off the launch pad requires the most amount of energy. Once the rocket is in orbit, it takes a lot less energy to keep moving forward. That’s why you need to get started now. The initial thrust of doing it now will start you moving forward.

Procrastination has a high cost. It costs us in cash, in stress and in mistakes as we rush to complete things at the last minute. Rick Warren offers some advice on how to ‘do it now!’

Maybe later…

Looking back… St Barnabas Church was alive with events in April and May. Here are snapshots from the Men’s Breakfast, The Quiz Night, The New Zealand Guitar Quartet, and Palm Sunday.

Men’s Breakfast

Palm Sunday

NZ Guitar Quartet

The Quiz Night

The Vision Team have met over the past few months and have drawn up some key strategies for us as a Church to work through. There are two key areas of focus that have emerged out of this process.

T he first key area of focus has been organisational issues, with several management concerns highlighted. The vision team have taken into account the recent survey

responses and most of the matters raised have been resolved or are in the process of being addressed. The Church magazine, welcoming teams, and the use of technology are areas that we have made good progress in.

The Organisation chart (over) illustrates the areas that the team identified as being important to focus on. God is at the centre with all the components enclosed in prayer. This is essentially an inward focus that is foundational to our mission.

The second key area of focus is the overall vision and mission for the parish. We identify ourselves as Anglicans attending St Barnabas and ‘doing’ or ’being’ a church. What do we really stand for and what is our mission?

The team have defined our vision statement as Loving God, His People, His World. This vision statement underpins our position statement ‘Where New Hope is Born’

We have agreed on five key areas where we can be intentionally missonal. These are illustrated in the Mission chart that identifies Marriage, Parenting, House 44, Rest Homes and creating opportunities to share our faith (Evangelism). Again we

see God at the centre with all the mission elements enclosed in prayer. All of these aspects are outward facing towards our community.

Marriages

Our primary focus is on strengthening marriages through The Marriage Course. Currently we provide for 7-8 couples, 3 times per year. Our aim is to increase the throughput to 40 couples per year.

We intend to extend our influence in the community and continue to build into marriages by organising, as part of the promotion of the course, speakers to talk about marriage in a Sunday Service. This provides a purpose and a focus for inviting people to our Church.

We could also promote The Alpha Course and other courses such as 21st Century Marriage or 21st Century Parenting courses as part of the ongoing programme of courses for couples and families.

Other marriage related ideas/suggestions included:

▪ Setting up a prayer chain for Marriage Course participants

▪ Provide childcare for parents on the course

▪ Develop a babysitting list for families

▪ Organise a Restaurant – night out for couples

▪ Refresher courses e.g. 21st Century marriage / other?

▪ Follow-up / warrant of fitness – meal and speaker

▪ Survey past participants to identify ongoing needs

Where do we go from here?

▪ Be clear about what the Church believes

about marriage

▪ Renewing vows

▪ Invite outside speakers: Ian Grant /

David Riddell etc

▪ Compile pack for the end of the course,

include other course information

▪ Interviews – couples from the Church,

invite others to feed- back on the course

▪ Build the Marriage Course hosting team

Parenting

St Barnabas has provided parenting sup-port to the community through courses such as Toolbox and 21st Century Parenting. Activities based programmes such as Melody Makers have been run from time to time. Our facilities are used by a number of community organisations including Barnardos, Nelson Multiple Birth Group and others providing support for parents and children.

At present we have no team in place to run parenting courses and or activities.

Toolbox was run in the daytime, which suited mothers but it was difficult to involve fathers in parenting training.

Ideas/suggestions included:

▪ Setting up a prayer chain for parenting

course participants

▪ Provide childcare for parents on the

course

▪ Develop a babysitting list for families

▪ Organise a Restaurant – night out for

couples

▪ Follow-up events with meal and speaker

▪ Survey past participants to identify on

going needs and investigate other

courses to meet those needs

▪ Be clear about what the Church believes

about parenting and the support we can offer including Baptism, Crèche , Sunday School and Youth activities

▪ Invite outside speakers: Ian Grant ,

Family First etc.

▪ Build the Parenting team

▪ Encourage older church people to

become involved

▪ Run a Saturday morning play

programme for children to give parents a break.

▪ Mums and coffee

▪ Father son/ child day

▪ Tap into what others are doing well and

work alongside or partner with other community groups

Seniors

The Stoke community has a large older population which is reflected in the St Barnabas Church Community.

Members of the congregation minister to Rest Home residents through the year, as well as providing home communion to those unable to attend Church.

The Wednesday 10am service is attended by predominantly older parishioners.

Current Church activities provided for older women include the Association of Anglican Women (AAW), The St Barnabas Ladies Guild and the monthly Thursday Ladies Coffee and Chat.

Ideas/suggestions included:

▪ Promoting Foyer at 4 concerts to Rest

Homes and working with them to provide transport

▪ Consider how Seniors could be involved

helping in Parenting and Youth activities

▪ Organise a Seniors’ Lunch once per

month, possibly with a speaker

▪ Develop Senior home groups

▪ Encourage parishioners to ‘adopt’ a

Grandchild / Granny / Granddad

▪ Support Seniors through prayer chains

▪ Visits to people’s homes – give

assistance when needed.

▪ Put on events aimed specifically for

seniors.

▪ Provide gardening and home help

▪ Build the Pastoral Care Team

▪ Tap into what others are doing well and

work alongside or partner with other community groups

▪ Investigate potential senior men’s

activities

▪ Train volunteers through the Anglican

Centre

House44

House44 is a community house providing support and assistance to the residents of South East Stoke.

St Barnabas supports House44 through gifts to their food bank, making available our facilities for their programmes as well as supporting them through our Church/Community Youth Worker, Jonathan Wasley.

Ideas/suggestions included:

▪ School holiday programme help

▪ Present what the needs are and how we

could help

▪ Offer to have a service, house group or

course at House 44

▪ Mentoring youth and parents

▪ Activity based Men’s group

▪ Opportunity for St Barnabas Youth to

help with Thursday and Saturday night programmes

▪ Develop the St Barnabas Youth with

Sunday am and maybe once/month evening event open to all.

▪ Potential for youth connecting with

Seniors

Evangelism

St Barnabas is blessed with a prominent site in the heart of Stoke.

Some of our activities are well attended by the community at large—The Fair, Carols on the Lawn and the Foyer @4 Concerts. We have been successful in hosting Christian events such as New Wine Conferences and Synod.

We have a long tradition of helping and supporting each other in the Parish.

Our Church functions in three distinct areas:

▪ Small Groups – Meet 5-10 at a time

for prayer, fellowship and Bible study

▪ Church Services– Meeting together to

worship, have Communion and hear the Word

▪ Provide Services at Rest Homes.

We need to strengthen our presence and become more visible in the Stoke community.

Ideas/suggestions included:

▪ Promote and run Alpha courses in

homes around the community

▪ Promote Home Groups

▪ Developing relationships at work,

family, and with friends

▪ Share our stories of how and when we

have had meaningful dialogue with someone about salvation

▪ Intercessions – pray for a neighbour

▪ Cafe style church, making the gospel

accessible to un-churched people

▪ Activities such as fishing trips, men’s

breakfasts, quiz nights, meeting at a Pub or Café

▪ Regularly hold a ‘hands and feet’

practical Sunday where we take on a community task

▪ Small groups pray on site at

Parishioners workplaces

▪ Hold a Church service on the front lawn.

The Challenge

These mission opportunities can only be met by us working together. We are hopeful that all of us will find a place where we are happy to be involved.

Our vision statement is ‘Loving God, His People, His World’. This vision

statement underpins our position

statement ‘Where New Hope

is Born’.

St Barnabas Financial Report for the three Months to 31 March 2011

TTT he year is already well underway with the shortest day just around the corner. Reflecting on the events thus far for 2011 is just mind numbing with these including

Christchurch’s and Japan’s earthquakes, Japan’s Tsunami, Middle East upheavals and now the tornados in the United States. One can only be thankful for the safety and choices that we continue to enjoy.

The first quarter’s financial report for 2011 pale into insignificance in comparison with the more recent events, however finances are nevertheless important for St Barnabas’s health and mission. Money in itself is not an end…. as you can’t eat it, keep your car running on it or shelter under it. It’s what money does that’s important, by way of supporting and fuelling the “Great Commission” under the umbrella of St Barnabas.

Giving / IncomeGiving / IncomeGiving / Income

While general offerings were considerably below budget, -$6,900 or -28%, this shortfall has thus far been offset by special

offerings being ahead of budget by $7,700. Special offerings essentially cover Philip’s stipend.

Total income is slightly down on budget for the first three months of this financial year by $2,000 or 3%.

What is likely to prove challenging later in the year is that many support the special offering through a lump sum and this has been made at the beginning of the year. Accordingly to achieve budget with the likely reduction in special offerings, general offerings will need to be increased.

Expenditure / OutgoingsExpenditure / OutgoingsExpenditure / Outgoings

In a more positive vein parish expenditure remains within or under budget in all areas. Collectively expenses are $5,600 or 9.6% below budget with general running and property expenses being the main contributors.

The deferring of budgeted property expenditure is common place, however, it should not be relied on over the longer term.

The Bottom LineThe Bottom LineThe Bottom Line

At the end of the first quarter the churches budget reported a favourable result against budget. However to maintain this posi-tion throughout the year general giving will need to increase to offset the likely reduction in special offerings as the year progresses.

The financial statements for the month of April support this need with the combined general and special offerings being be-low budget by some $3,300 or 29%.

Doug Johns Parish Finance Committee

Two

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St Barnabas Office

9.00am - 3.30pm Monday to Friday Phone 547 5631 Fax 547 0592

email: office.stbarnabas@xtra.co.nz St Barnabas Anglican Church 523 Main Road Stoke Nelson 7011

8.30am Morning Worship Preacher: Philip Greenwood Theme: The Holy Spirit within you Text: Acts 2: 1-4 9.45am 945 Communion Preacher: Philip Greenwood Theme: The Holy Spirit within you Text: Acts 2: 1-4

8.30am Morning Worship Preacher: Philip Greenwood Theme: God’s Spirit with us Text: Proverbs 29:18 9.45am 945 Preacher: Philip Greenwood Theme: God’s Spirit with us Text: Proverbs 29:18

8.30am Morning Worship Preacher: Bishop Richard Theme: To be advised Text: To be advised 9.45am 945 Communion Preacher: Bishop Richard Theme: To be advised Text: To be advised

5 June

12 June

19 June

8.30am Morning Worship Preacher: Eric Sears Theme: The story of Zacchaeus Text: Luke 19: 1-10 9.45am 945 Preacher: Eric Sears Theme: The story of Zacchaeus Text: Luke 19: 1-10

26 June

8.30am Morning Worship Preacher: Philip Greenwood Theme: The Prodigal Son Text: Luke 15: 11-32 9.45am 945 Communion Preacher: Philip Greenwood Theme: The Prodigal Son Text: Luke 15: 11-32

3 July

8.30am Morning Worship Preacher: Edrick Corban-Banks Theme: To be advised Text: To be advised 9.45am Family Communion Preacher: Edrick Corban-Banks Theme: To be advised Text: To be advised

10 July

8.30am Morning Worship Preacher: Charles Worsley Theme: In the beginning Text: Genesis 9.45am Family Communion Preacher: Philip Greenwood Theme: In the beginning Text: Genesis

17 July

8.30am Morning Worship Preacher: Edrick Corban-Banks Theme: Promises, Promises Text: Genesis 12: 1-3 9.45am Family Communion Preacher: Edrick Corban-Banks Theme: Promises, Promises Text: Genesis 12: 1-3

24 July

8.30am Morning Worship Preacher: Edrick Corban-Banks Theme: Intended for Good Text: Genesis 50: 28 9.45am Family Communion Preacher: Edrick Corban-Banks Theme: Intended for Good Text: Genesis 50: 28

31 July