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Mission and Money

“Money often costs too much,"  a profound little statement that is pertinent to missions. Missionaries from western countries like New Zealand are often vastly wealthier than the people that we go to. For example, in 2017 New Zealanders earned on average $50,000 a year,3 while in 2018 the minimum wage in Myanmar would give $1,177 a year.4 Having recently returned from Myanmar, we know from experience how difficult it is for a family to live in NZ on $50,000pa – it’s tough, and we don�...

Learn To Do Right; Seek Justice

God’s heart breaks for the displaced, disadvantaged, marginalised and exploited in this world. In the Bible these groups of people are described as ‘fatherless’, ‘widows’, ‘the poor’, ‘the foreigner’, ‘the afflicted’ and ‘victims’. While that’s not an exhaustive list, it certainly paints for us a picture of what concerns God, of the spread of those who matter to Him, of people who are unable to help themselves. Images and reports of many people fitting these categorie...

Dear Heavenly Father

Dear heavenly father…Unfairness is surrounding me. I said I wanted justice, I remember saying oceans of it. I want mercy and rivers flowing full of it. This morning I woke crippled in thought, More of you and less of me. But that means sacrifice. How can I sacrifice, in a society full of false humility, vulnerability and accountability? What does it mean to be a Christian?Who am I? Do I continue pretending like what you did for me is common news? Th...

Two Deaths

Above Image: The full moon as we gathered for a sunrise service this morning Death and suffering are part of every day here, raising questions about justice, worth, inequality and power. I’ve noticed a lot of parallels to the world of the gospels, where Jesus spoke to many of those questions. I’ve been thinking a lot recently about the least of these, and two deaths on Thursday beautifully reminded me of his love and care for those who escape the world’s attention. After a night on call I ...

Partnering With Purpose

Back in 2017 Mr Jiju Ninan and Miss Phyllis Treasure, better known as Mummy, visited New Zealand. As a part of that visit they met with me to talk about the possibility of offering online courses throughout India. They have a wonderful Bible college there in Kerala called Rehoboth Theological Institute (RTI), of which Jiju is the registrar. The college has many people from all over India, and beyond, contacting them wanting to study the Bible online. These people are unable to leave their locati...

A Global Movement

For many years, I have been challenged by part of a verse in 1 Thessalonians 1. Verse 5 says: “you know how we lived among you for your sake.” I have often wondered what that looks like in the missions context. What does it mean for us to ‘live among them for their sake’? It continues to challenge me. Of course, as we continue reading in the book we get a number of insights into what it is actually saying. Let me identify a few aspects of this: The Gospel message was shared and it produc...

The Changing Face Of Missions

When we think of cross-cultural, overseas missions we may have in our minds that mission has been done in the same way since Jesus gave the Great Commission in Matt 28:16-20. But this is not the case. As the church has grown, mission has been carried out in different ways over the last 2000 years. The way we have done mission has been shaped by what is known as the Modern Missionary Movement. This movement began in the late 1700s, and its most well- known leader was William Carey. At this time m...

Headspace - Block 2

A full-on work-experience! The team have just started working six days a week, nine and half hours a day in a local kiwifruit packhouse. Relief comes at the weekly team nights: where they meet, have a meal and hang-out times. During this time there are also opportunities to connect with co-workers and build relationships. Prayer Points: This time is monotonous and “character building”, often the hardest time of year for gappers. Pray for patience, endurance and opportunities to shine Go...

As far as the eye can see, it’s just water...

We have just received the following update from one of our sister organisations, Bright Hope World, about the scale of the disaster in Mozambique. The report, written by Patrick, a local Pastor,  highlights just how great the need is. Rescue workers in Mozambique are racing against time to save hundreds of people clinging onto roofs and trees around the devastated city of Beira. These efforts come days after a powerful cyclone triggered flash floods, submerging entire villages and wiping ou...

How could I not return?

Dean Yeoman (DPG pg 10) has returned to SA in response to an invitation to help with recovery after Cyclone Idai. He penned a few words before his departure. It is obvious that Cyclone Idai is unfolding to be a huge disaster. Our Mercy Air helicopter was amongst the first responders as soon as this started developing and when I saw some of the first images of the devastation, I felt almost guilty that life should be so good here in New Zealand, when thousands of folks in Moz were huddled togethe...

Cyclone Idai, Mozambique

No doubt you have seen on mainstream media the vast area of land under water in Mozambique. The situation there is unbelievably dire. Thousands have lost their lives; infrastructure is gone; crops are ruined. Will you help? Through GC Aid we have an opportunity to make a real impact. Dean Yeoman (DPG pg 10), a helicopter pilot & engineer with Mercy Air, has been flying medical teams into remote parts of Southern Mozambique since 2012. He knows the challenges of the country really well. Although ...

Disaster in West Papua

Heavy rain and flash flooding has hit the communities of West Papua and a huge mudslide has taken the lives of at least 58 people so far, and many more are missing, possibly buried beneath a sea of mud. There are reports of children been swept away from their parents as the flash flood roared through the area. A local Church leader is advising that four of their churches have been buried beneath the mud and that one of their Pastors is missing and thought to be buried in his church building. Lif...

Healing Christchurch

The tragedy of the events in Christchurch on Friday provides opportunities for Christians to lament with, and to support folk in the Muslim community across the country. Please continue to pray into the situation, that the love of Jesus will be very evident and that God’s Spirit will be at work in mighty ways. On a practical level, GC Aid is making an immediate advance to Friends of Friends Fellowship to enable them to fly additional personnel to Christchurch and to enable them to assist Musli...

IN SYMPATHY

Please pray for the family of Sylvia Wright. Sylvia passed away in the early hours of Monday 11 March. She will be remembered as a loved mission partner who served her Lord for a great length of time in India. If anyone would like a copy of her memoirs – A Nurse on a Mission – Please contact her sister, Winsome - missos4him@gmail.com....

How The Local Church Goes Global

Here is a book worth reading and giving to your Leadership and Missions team. Its just 120 pages of A5 text yet packs a punch with foundational stuff! Review Missions - How the Local Church Goes Global; Andy Johnson (Crossway, Illinois: 2017) The book begins with a foreword by David Platt, President of the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, emphasising the practical nature of this book for local churches and pastors and concludes, “I wish every pastor and leader of...

Headspace - Block 1

We’ve had a great start to 2019. We’ve kicked off the year with a team of 16 that includes eleven gappers, two interns, our leaders Walter and Tracy Annear and Youth Director, Charlie Shadbolt.  Block One: Foundations Dates: 4th March - 31st March Block Description: Getting to know one another and learning to live in community together. The gapper’s studies focus on deepening their understanding of the Bible and the missional heart of God. We have material based around emotional ...

Celebrating 10 Years of Logos Hope

OM Ships have this week celebrated 10 years since the Logos Hope entered into ministry. You might like to take a minute watch this brief You Tube clip, and give thanks for all that God has done through the ship ministry, and pray for Chile where the ship is currently visiting.WATCH THE 10 YEARS OF LOGOS HOPE VIDEO...

In Sympathy

Please pray for Wendy, Lauren, Ashlee and Andrew McCabe. On Saturday night, Ian, their husband and father, died suddenly in New Delhi. It is assumed that he died of a heart attack while in transit at Delhi Airport between flights. Pray that God will be their comfort and strength in their sadness and grief. Wendy and Lauren were both here in New Zealand for Lauren to start university, while the younger two children, Ashlee and Andrew, were in India. Wendy and Lauren have flown back to India. Ian�...

Growing People Through Mission

Recently I encountered a new Pakistani Christian in Malaysia who came to Christ through a discipling process that intentionally shared the good news of Jesus. He had left Pakistan and his religious roots to pursue women and beer in Bangkok but had found Christ in Kuala Lumpur through relationships developed in this small church.This young man is committing himself to a life of mission and desires to go back to his country of birth to plant churches. I found this so encouraging and wondered what ...

A Time To Celebrate

GC3 has a long history of association with many mission partners. During the past 118 years, support has been provided to many Kiwis who have given the best years of their lives to present the ‘Good News of Jesus’ in cross-cultural settings around the globe. Responding to the call of God on their hearts, the ingenuity these people have contributed in tandem with the Holy Spirit has meant their ministry has had significant impact for building God’s kingdom here on earth.  One remarkabl...

What Kind Of Leader Do We Need Today In Church?

One thing is clear. There is a serious leadership meltdown in the Church today. All across the Christendom continuum, the cry for the need for visionary leaders with integrity is being echoed. For years we have been training leaders who only know how to maintain the status quo. They may answer a few questions but do not know how to ask intelligent questions and cannot think outside the box. It is evident that we don’t have leaders who can think for themselves and come up with new ways of doing...

Made For More

What is the story we tell ourselves and each other about who we are? Storytelling plays a noble and historic role in our lives and in society. Stories give us a narrative to guide and instruct us. They are crucial to our knowing who we are; they provide a sense of identity.  The Apostle Paul wrote a letter to Ephesus which is filled with the story about believers and followers of Jesus. In Ephesians chapter two he writes “8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t tak...

From The Office

Christmas Office HoursThe last open day at the office will be 21st December. We will reopen on 22nd January. We would like to take this time to wish you all a happy Christmas remembering the reason for the season. Internet BankingWe encourage you to use internet banking when giving gifts to mission parnters and ministries. However, often we have insufficient detail appear on our statement for us to know who the gift is for or who it is from. When sending funds to us electronically, please e...

How Did I Get here?

This article is based on an interview with Katie, a social worker with a passion for justice. Tell us about the work you’re doing with Partners in Thailand and Burma. Currently I’m settling into my role at Partners and figuring out what it is going to look like. At the moment, a lot of my time will be spent compiling a mental health curriculum for fourth year medic students working in Burma. So far this has included pulling together resources, making connections with people in Chiang Mai, an...

How Did I Get Here?

Interview by Melanie Crosbie | GC3 Youth Director AssistantThis article is based on an interview with Katie, a social worker with a passion for justice. Katie grew up in Te Awakairangi (Lower Hutt) with her parents, three younger sisters and their Yorkshire Terrier. In 2011 she was a gapper with Headspace and went on from there to study social work, where she was privileged with the experience of a four-month placement in Thailand. Now a registered social worker with experience in mental health,...