|
|
Eruption On Pacific Rim
Pete Henare (New Zealand) updates us on developments on the Pacific Rim. This represents a vast area (known for its volcanoes) but we are establishing little pockets of fire in some of the countries believing that they will grow and spread.
In early April, leading couples from all the Newfrontiers churches throughout the Pacific gathered in Sydney for our first ever Newfrontiers Pacific Rim conference. Couples flew in from Cambodia (10-hour flight away), Japan (9 hours), the Philippines (8 hours), and New Zealand (31/2 hours) – the flight times giving a glimpse of just how vast that region is. A few who are about to plant into Auckland even flew in from the UK. We were met by a very hardworking Sydney church who hosted us so wonderfully on our first and last nights.
The conference itself was held at a beautiful seaside resort a couple of hours north of Sydney. What an amazing gift that conference was! Most of the church plants have been battling away in quite remote places and so to gather here and to seek God together as a unified group was huge for us. Peter and Susan Brooks led us with their wonderful mix of humour, vision and faith; and having Steve and Ruth Brading from the UK, and Evan and Tracy Rogers from South Africa serving us so selflessly meant we had some very precious times in God’s presence.
Loving partnership
This was the first time we had all gathered together and yet we felt linked in heart right from the first session. This was a major feature of the conference – a God-given love for one another and sense of partnership in a great enterprise. Every time we gathered we spent time praying for each church plant and as we prayed it was difficult not to feel moved by the excitement and the challenges of each place: for Tom & Julie Eaton to see Japanese converts in Nagoya; for Steve and Midge Smith to see a clear New Testament church established in Phnom Penh; for Eden and Fé Singson to see seven churches in Manila by 2007; for Craig and Sue Cosijn to see a strong core established in Brisbane; for Simon Finch and Steve Tipa and their wives to see a church planted into Auckland at the end of the year; for more blessing on Sydney, Christchurch and Wellington!
The in-between sessions were spent chatting over meal tables, walking along the beach and even enjoying an afternoon boat cruise, and there was a lot of laughter, sharing stories and deepening friendships.
A lasting memory of the conference will be the sense of privilege we all felt in being part of such a gathering of real pioneers and of being involved at the start of what is a whole new venture in this part of the world. The countries we have planted into represent many millions of people, with the huge nations of Indonesia, Thailand and China also sitting on the doorstep. More church planters Lord! |
|
|
Previous issues
Articles and features from previous issues of Newfrontiers Magazine are available from the magazine archive. To search the archive click here »
Printed copies
Printed copies of the latest magazine issue are available from your local Newfrontiers church or by subscribing.
Email: magazine@newfrontierstogether.org for more info. |
|
|
|