gateway magazine, may 2011, issue 05

MAY 2011ISSUE 05

DISCOVER I CONNECT I GATHER I GO

YOU’LL FIND IT HERE

02 - from the desk of karen03 - the counterbalance to loss05 - the sunday’s of easter07 - may / june calendar09 - wellness day10 - latest listen, latest read...11 - gaties kids camp12 - mainly music13 - gateway op-shop best buys14 - 10 questions with...

EDITORIAL

COVER PHOTOGRAPHY BY LIBBY HIGSON

In recent times I have heard many encouraging stories of what God is doing among us, and of what is transpiring in lives and hearts as we journey our faith together. It appears to be an exciting time for us as a church, with many people really putting faith into action, people meeting others needs, and transformation taking place as each of us in our brokenness learn to live out the future hope that is in Christ Jesus.

Once again it is our desire that through these pages you will be informed, stirred, and encouraged as you read of what people are doing, who we are becoming, and the impact that God is having among us. We are stoked to be bringing you another magazine full of stories that capture snippets of the life in our church and point to the evidence that Jesus makes Himself known through people just like you and me.

There is a whole lot of stuff going on, so if you want to know what’s happening then check out gatewaychurch.org.nz and keep up to date. Don’t forget to pull out the centerfold and stick it on your fridge as it has some key dates you might not want to forget. We hope this is an encouragement to you.

Enjoy the read

Donald & The Creative Team.

donald goodhall

I’ve been reading the Book of Ezra and it reminded me again that we are in a battle. We have heard this many times, but I sometimes wonder if we forget it and often put some of the times of hardship that we go through down to ‘normal’ circumstances.

In Ezra’s day, the returned exiles to Jerusalem were trying to rebuild the temple. The Persian king that was over them had given permission for them to rebuild. As they began to build they came up against opposition from their enemies. The enemy wasn’t pleased that they were released from captivity and were back in the land, but even less pleased that they were rebuilding the temple and the city walls. While he was unable to stop them coming back to the land, he did everything he could to hinder and disrupt the rebuilding process.

As I read the story again I was reminded that in some respects this is our story. We have, like the Israelites, been saved and released from captivity and have been given permission by our King to rebuild our lives. Yet it seems so hard at times.

One of the key reasons for the difficulties we face in the rebuilding project is that we have an enemy who seeks to hinder us at every turn. In Ezra’s time the enemies used many different tactics to frustrate the Israelites. They tried to get among them in an attempt to infiltrate their ranks.

Our enemy does the same to us by seeking to get us to compromise on some of our beliefs and behaviour, thereby slowing or stopping the rebuilding of our ‘temple’, our physical bodies that are temples of the Holy Spirit. He will discourage us, accuse us, mock us, lie to us and tell us we are ‘unworthy.’

In Ezra’s time the opponents of the rebuilding project wrote to the present king [not the same one who had allowed the Jews to return] and said that Jerusalem, ‘that rebellious city,’ was being rebuilt and that it would betray him and his interests in that part of his dominion.

The king checked his records and found that indeed, they had been a rebellious city in times past. He immediately had the building programme stopped. What the king initially failed to do was to check the up-to-date records. He was then informed these records had been amended and a recheck determined that was so. A previous king had decreed the release from captivity and had been given permission to return and rebuild. Not only that, [this is the part I really like] the king had determined that they could have all the materials they needed to rebuild – timber, stone, finances and even vessels from his treasury that had belonged to the former temple. The king returned to them all that had been taken from them.

The grace of God is so evident in our lives. He has released us, called us to rebuild and given us the necessary resources of His grace and the power of the Holy Spirit to do so. Our enemy will try and hinder us, but God is greater and if you read the end of this story you will see the temple and the city walls are rebuilt.

The message is clear – we win! D

FROM THE DESK OF KAREN...WE WIN

a message from karen barry

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THE COUNTERBALANCE TO LOSSfrom elizabeth cunnane

On the 14th December 2010, just over a month after my 26th birthday I was admitted to Auckland City Hospital, even though I was the healthiest and fittest I’d probably been in the last six years. It felt strange to be sitting on the narrow hard bed in a room with three very sick people whose needs and care were entirely in the hands of medical staff. I felt awkward and a bit too bright, rather too healthy, rather too alive and mobile to be there. However, there was a touch of nervousness and apprehension in me at the same time, in 24hrs I would be in need of the same care. The following morning I was going into surgery to donate one of my kidneys, not to anyone I knew, but simply to someone whose own kidneys were terminally failing and who was deemed to be the most compatible with my blood and tissue. I would be next to this stranger in the operating theatre, and my left kidney would be removed and transplanted directly into their body. As long as that surgery was successful, that person could go off kidney dialysis and be free from the terminal illness. And as long as my surgery was successful, I could expect to be back to relatively normal health in six-to-eight weeks, and would live fine with just my right kidney from then on.

It seemed then, and still seems now, a very simple and

logical equation. Not necessarily easy, but certainly a very clear-cut way to actively make some kind of difference and, for the benefits it offers, it seems to have such comparatively little personal costs to me. It has been an intense but truly amazing process to be involved in, and one in which God’s hand has been so very evident all the way along.

In the six years it has taken to get to this point, I’ve often been reminded of the story Don Barry tells of the little boy and the starfish. There are hundreds and hundreds of starfish washed up on a beach and a little boy is walking along picking them up and throwing them back into the sea, one by one. A man sees this and asked the boy why he’s doing it as it’s a waste of time because there’s far too many to make a difference. The boy picks up a starfish and throws it into the sea, and says ‘Well, it made a difference to that one’.

If there were anything further added to that story, I think it would be that the little boy somehow recognised that it was as important for him to be doing something, as it was for the starfish. God could’ve created a bigger wave that would wash over all the starfish and draw them back out to sea, but the boy would’ve missed out on his own sense of purpose, usefulness, and sense of change by choosing to act in the face of distress. God might hold back the wave of help, in order that His blessings, when they are revealed, be felt on both sides of the equation.

The altruistic donation was something I’d wanted to do for several years, and while I’d approached Auckland Hospital about it in early 2006, it took until 2010 for me to get through all the medical and psychiatric assessments, and to satisfy the medical staff that I was old enough and sure enough of myself to know what I was committing to. People often ask what the initial motivation to do something like this was, and while that’s hard to pin-point, I will say that my own father’s sudden death in 2004 was a catalyst to moving my thoughts from passive speculation to actively doing something. I recall standing at his bedside in ICU the day he died, and thinking that if there was anything I could do to change the situation, I would do it. No hesitation, no qualms, no matter what it was, if I could do anything to change our circumstances I would do it in a heartbeat. In a congregation the size of Gateway’s I’ve no doubt that there are hundreds of people who’ve experienced that same sense of utter helplessness, whether it’s at the death of a family member, another loved one, or some other unalterable loss. I don’t think it’s not for lack of faith that one feels that almost unbreathable helplessness, but it could be paralysing if God’s big-ness weren’t there when it occurs.

It wasn’t right at that moment in the hospital but some time later that I realised I could in fact be that change. Obviously it wouldn’t change my own father’s death, but I could be that change factor that might be able to ease things a little in someone else’s time of helplessness. I didn’t need to know their name, and they didn’t need to know mine. But in case that has too much of a bizarrely saintly sound to it, I was also aware that God was doing something profound in my own life though the donation, and that it was perhaps His way of mending and healing me, as well as that other person. It wasn’t simply my dad’s death; but other losses over the subsequent years that had, at various times, brought me to my knees. I came to

understand that the counterbalance to loss, was not to gain, but to give. Through that giving, God returns tenfold. His ways are truly holy in the sense that they are so much more extensive, complex, so much more ‘other’ and more remarkable than our own. I often felt very frustrated by the delays in the donation process during those years, as they felt unnecessary and I had a sense of just wanting to ‘get the show on the road’. But I can see now exactly why it took as long as it did. God’s timing really is perfect. As the song goes - ‘...in the nick of time, God’s perfect time...’

The weeks directly following the surgery were intense physically, spiritually, emotionally and psychologically. Even if you’ve been preparing yourself for several years, and even with God’s peace in knowing it was the right decision to be held as a reassuring backstop, it still comes as quite a shock in all those areas. But the prayers of Gateway members and so many others close to me made an immeasurable difference. There was a word that clung to me during that time, and it was ‘mangled’. My body and thoughts felt mangled. From my neck to my thighs didn’t feel like my own body, it was shocked and bruised and swollen. I had no real certainty that I would be restored to my former health, and emotionally and spiritually I felt perhaps even more exposed, raw and vulnerable than before. I recall texting Jan Carr about two weeks after the surgery with some of these things, and simply asking for more prayer. And while I didn’t get a reply via phone straight away, the change those prayers made in the next hour or so were amazing. Though I felt incredibly weak, I’d been told by doctors to try and walk a little if I could. With my mum’s help I did, and when we returned from the walk I just felt my body was - and this is the best way I can think of to describe it - ‘returned to me’. No choir of angels singing or golden light, but the word ‘mangled’ wasn’t hanging around any more.

And if God’s nearness wasn’t evident enough through that, the true enormity of His blessing was shown when I received an anonymous thank-you letter about a month later. The nature of an altruistic donation means that the recipient and the donor stay completely anonymous to each other, with only the success (or not) of the respective surgeries being reported to each party. If further contact is made, it must be done only via written means through the Transplant Unit who vet it first before passing it on. So it was staggering to read the words of the man who had received my kidney, to learn that he was a father of three young children, that he’d been on dialysis for six years, and that God was his stronghold during that time too. The fact alone that he’s a father, and so those kids now have a greater chance of growing up with their dad around was overwhelming. Because of my own dad’s death, that perhaps has an especially deep resonance. And for every year I’d been working through my side of the process, this man had been on dialysis and was praying for change. Though neither of us understood why we weren’t respectively helped more immediately during that time, it makes a little more sense now. This way, it had a far greater effect on both the starfish and the one returning it home. D

THE SUNDAY’S OF EASTERwords by donald goodhall

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A day of celebration marks the beginning of the Easter season as we join on Easter Sunday to worship our risen King. This season continues for the following seven Sunday’s culminating in the celebration of Pentecost. Each Sunday has a focus that draws our attention to being the church that Jesus intended.

The Easter season is a time for us, the church, to recapture the essence of what it means to be the ‘community of the resurrection’. It is a time to go against the culture of the age; overrun by consumerism it proclaims the individual as centre. Instead we are to allow a fresh wind to blow upon our baptism into Christ. We have died to sin and been raised to new life in Jesus, and in these weeks we are reminded of our part in the outworking of His intent for creation and creatures.

As talked about in the last issue, on Easter Sunday we celebrate the triumph over death, Christ is risen, sin and death have been defeated, all things will be made new. This truth launches us into a pursuit of resurrection spirituality as we learn to live out the ramifications of that glorious day.

CHURCH – the second Sunday

The church is the community of God’s people that is defined by the Easter event, therefore the second Sunday of Easter turns its attention to the church. As Israel forgot its origins, so the church too has often failed to remember such, and has wandered through times of forgetfulness. Easter is a time to call the church back to its roots, back to its original identity, a people who would be a sign and a witness to the message that Jesus has overcome the powers of evil. We are to embody the resurrection.

WORSHIP – the third Sunday

Worship is God initiated. As we ‘do the story of God’ in worship, we experience and are reminded of His approach to us, and as a result we are drawn to Him. Our role is to do the work of remembrance and hope. The Greek word from which we derive the word ‘liturgy’ means ‘the work of the people’, it is our role in worship to anticipate His coming again, the total destruction of evil, and the reign of God’s shalom over the entire created world. In our enacting and proclaiming the story of God in worship we are transformed, changed as resurrection hope is formed in us.

THE GOOD SHEPHERD – the fourth Sunday

On this day our attention is turned to Jesus as our leader. He models to us servant leadership, leadership that never drives us, but rather leads us out of His commitment, goodness, and love. We also are to consider our role in following the leadership of Christ. We like sheep are to hear His voice, know His touch, and follow His direction.

MINISTRY IN THE CHURCH – the fifth Sunday

The church, each one of us, is called to be a part of God’s redemptive purpose. Ministry is not just for an elect few, we are to be the ‘presence of the resurrection’, His continued presence in the world.

THE SPIRIT – the sixth Sunday

During the forty days following Christ’s resurrection He taught His disciples about the coming of the Holy Spirit and His ministry. On this Sunday we focus our attention on the Paraclete, our comforter and advocate. The Spirit empowers to live out resurrection life.

THE PRAYER OF JESUS – the seventh Sunday

The Gospel of John chapter 17 records the prayer of Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane the night of His betrayal. Jesus prays that His glory would continue in us. We are to be a light to the world shining out the glory of God as we love each other and are united as the church.

PENTECOST – the eighth Sunday

We’ll look at this in the next issue.

Perhaps you may like to explore some of these themes as you journey your faith over the next couple of months. This could mean reading passages of the Bible that relate to the ‘Sunday focus’ and letting those words inform the way you live for the following week. D

Sign up by Thursday May 26th

MAY

MORNING GATHERING I 10 amEVENING GATHERING I 6.30 pm



MEET YOUR GATEWAY NEIGHBOUR I share lunch with your Gateway neighbours, more details will follow.

HEALING ROOMS I 7.30 pm - 9 pm, in the nursery, for more info email [email protected]

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PURSUE I 7pm - 9pm, meet on the top floor

CRAVE CONVERGE I 7pm - 9pm, meet on the third floor here in the Gateway building.

OLD TESTAMENT SURVEY I note date changes, 7:30pm – 9:00pm, $15 each ($20 married couple), register as soon as possible at the info desk, online, or ring the church office.

FRIDAY MORNING PRAYER I 6.15 am in the Prayer Room, followed by breakfast



SOAKING IN HIS PRESENCE I held in the Shiloh Room, 2nd floor, from 7.30 onwards.

MORNING GATHERING I 10 am

EVENING GATHERING I 6.30 pm

CRAVE CONNECT I Not sure where your connect group meets? Contact your leader or Matt at the Gateway office.



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HOLIDAY PROGRAMME I 4-7 year olds are upstairs after the break in the Elim Room and 8-12 year olds are upstairs after the break in the Gate.

GO CAMBODIA MEETING I straight after the evening gathering in the lounge


NEW AT GATEWAY I An opportunity to hear from staff and meet others new to Gateway, runs for 6 weeks, sign up at the info. desk or via the office during the week.

40ISH AND FURTHER ON I Potluck dinner, 6.30 pm at 56 Forest Lake Rd

PURSUE CAMP I 6th - 8th, Waihi, for more info visit the website or email [email protected]

PURSUE CAMP I Last day for registrations! Sign up at the info. desk, Cost is $90 for the weekend and includes food and accommodation.

LEADERSHIP CONVERSATIONS I 13th - 14th, for more details visit the website.

MAINLY MUSIC I Starts again for the term this morning, 10 am in the dining room, $3 per family.

INDIAN DINNER I eat simply so others can simply eat, $25, sign up by the 26th of May.

LAST MEAL I Wednesday night meals are on hold while the kitchen is renovated

LEADERSHIP CONVERSATIONS I 13th - 14th, for more details visit the website.

VENTURE I 7 pm, on the top floor, check the gateway website for more details.



JUNE




HEALING ROOMS I 7.30 pm - 9 pm, in the nursery, for more info email [email protected]

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FRIDAY MORNING PRAYER I 6.15 am in the Prayer Room, followed by breakfastWOMEN’S BREAKFAST I More details to come.


OLD TESTAMENT SURVEY I 7.30 pm - 9.00 pm


OLD TESTAMENT SURVEY I 7.30 pm - 9.00 pm24/7 PRAYER STARTS I More details to come.

STREETWORKS CLOTHES SWAP I more details to come.

MEN’S BREAKFAST I 7.45 am at Gateway, sign up at the info desk, more details to come


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GENERATIONS I Womens event for all ages, more details to come.

VENTURE I 7 pm, on the top floor, check the gateway website for more details.

MEALS RESUME I Wednesday night meals are back on!

PURSUE I 7pm - 9pm, meet on the top floor


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WELLNESS DAYwritten by ruth michels

On Saturday March 19th ninety four women gathered for a day together. We explored a variety of topics including relational, emotional, physical, financial and vocational wellness. The sessions were informative but not prescriptive as we encouraged everyone to listen for what God was saying to them, so that each of us could take charge of the things we are responsible for, and let go of the many things for which we are not.

During our day together we heard from speakers who shared some of their stories, their wisdom and insights. They were inspiring ‘carriers of hope’ that really encouraged us all. We had a couple of discussion panels that were fun and lively while being serious when necessary. Laughter spilled out of these sessions, one on sexual intimacy wellness and the other on ‘being alone and well’ where stories of singleness, widowhood, and divorce were shared.

Claire Ruffell’s story inspired her group. She is a very dynamic ‘hope carrier’ and this was evident in the words she shared on living in the paradox of sickness in wellness. Kim gave a warm hearted talk on ‘wellness in the different stages of life she has experienced’. As a student, a nurse, a mother, and a woman on the mission field, her roles and responsibilities have changed and grown over the years, and through this time she has maintained her wellness, with her heart clearly focused on Christ.

We all long for restoration and maintenance of shalom - wellness that Jesus has given us. A reflective space beautifully set up by Jane Martindale gave us the opportunity to

ponder, both as individuals and as part of a community of women, the theme of our time together.

Lunch was hosted upstairs on the top floor of Gateway. We had to do a friendly jostle, as numbers were higher than expected, however there was food a-plenty and being faithful to the theme of the day it was fresh and healthy! Brilliant helpers had greeted, shopped, set up, prepared, trudged up numerous flights of stairs, cleaned, carried and smiled-they were fantastic.

Wellness may become an ongoing theme as we consider 1 Corinthians 3:16 “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?“ To fully display that beauty God has planted in each of us we must consider honouring God in and with our bodies – respecting what He has created. As promise carriers we are all so different, so uniquely and beautifully made. It is our promise and our hope that we will have wellness in us, with others and with God so to last the distance we need to consider our wellness and be very intentional about the choices we make.

Ruth and Erin want to offer opportunities for connection to the women of Gateway (and beyond) through various events during the year, please check the calendar in this magazine and the website for details.

It is so easy to be isolated in today´s world. It is our prayer that each woman has the courage to push against the lie that she doesn’t belong, take the risk to be known and become who she is, displaying the beauty of God that no one else can. Come along join us, let us encourage you, and you can offer encouragement to others, your story will carry hope for others. D

LATEST LISTEN, LATEST READINTIMACY WITH THE ALMIGHTY BY CHARLES SWINDOLLThis small book is not new but its message is forever relevant. It challenges the busyness of our lives and invites us to slow down and rediscover what is really important. ‘We must learn anew to think deeply, to worship meaningfully, to meditate unhurriedly’. It encourages us to jump off life’s treadmill, pursue our relationship with the One who is Life and learn to hear His voice in the secret place. If you desire more depth in your relationship with God this forty-five minute read may well help. Sylvia, Pastoral Care

MUSIC AND DESIGNDesignspongeonline.com is a website / blog that is full to the brim with ideas. They find talented artists, beautiful interiors, and they do an awesome post called ‘living in’. My favourite part is the DIY section, because it’s all DIY I know I can recreate and actually do what they’ve done (with or without the help of my Dad and his power tools).I need music playing while I work, silence is distracting and sometimes I need to drown out Donald’s sweet droning from next door. Favourites at the moment are James Blake and Frightened Rabbit.Jessie, Creative

NATIONAL ANTHEMDid you know there are several more verses to our national anthem than the ones we all churned out at our school assemblies? Verses containing powerful words that cry out to God for his blessing, protection and guidance for our beautiful country, words that invite us to praise him and love others.I love this quote from Cindy Ruakere’s website, “In the context of our faith and intercession, the anthem stands as a bold declaration of intent, a sincere prayer for this country to forever remain God’s own.” Cindy sings a beautiful version of our amazing anthem. Definitely worth a listen! www.cindyruakere.com Kylie, Pastoral Care

WINDOWS OF THE SOUL, KEN GIREWindows of the soul is the work of ken Gire, an author who is a superb wordsmith. It is the way in which the book is crafted that impacts me everytime I read it. The added bonus is the content itself that focuses us to look at the myriad of ways that God can encounter us in our everyday ‘ordinary’ lives. You can’t help but come away from reading it with your eyes opened wider, your ears keener and your heart softened to His voice.Shannon, Finance and Interns

DEVOTIONAL CLASSICS, BY RICHARD FOSTER & JAMES SMITH This book has been such a source of inspiration to me. The pages are filled with the writings of some of our faith’s great thinkers, from St. Augustine and Gregory of Nyssa who lived only a few hundred years after Christ, through to last centuries Henri Nouwen and Thomas Merton. The book consists of short excerpts from the influential books these folk have written, and have been put together in a manner that causes the reader to prayerfully consider the theme of their writings. It can be explored as a daily devotional or read in a more casual fashion, either way, it is bound to inspire as this rich history of our faith is brought into your life. Donald, Creative

THE BOOK THAT TRANSFORMS NATIONS, BY LOREN CUNNINGHAMRecently I read a book called ‘The Book that transforms nations”, by Loren Cunningham. Loren is the founder of YWAM and has the unique privilege of being one of a very few people on this earth who have been to every nation that exists. In this book, he goes through the power of biblical living, and how this has the power not just to change us but our nation as well. He gives examples of how biblical living has shaped various nations, or alternatively how the abandonment of biblical living has caused their ‘fall from grace’.If you’re a bit like me and you suffer through reading your bible, this book will help renew your passion for reading the word of God with excitement. 4 Stars (ha!)Alice, Young Adult

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For twenty years we have been taking Kids Church away on camp, and over the years God has been incredibly faithful, pouring out His blessing upon us and encountering the children in powerful ways.

While we loaded gear into the van ready for another action packed weekend at Finlay Park the weather looked like it was going to be pretty wet. However this didn’t dampen our expectation of what Jesus was going to do among us. Our anticipation had grown as kids prayed in the lead up to camp, some receiving some pretty amazing ‘impressions’ concerning our impending time together.

Here’s what a couple of children saw as they prayed,

“The camp was in a bubble, an angel was beside it holding a sword”.

“It was dark in the chapel, God breathes into it. It is suddenly glowing with happiness and light, He breaths a second time and everyone starts crying and being touched by the Holy Spirit.”

We were not disappointed! Celebrating our 20th camp we had a ball. So many crazy fun activities, a lot of laughs and God showed up in a big way. Many of the children were deeply impacted by some amazing times of worship, incredibly relevant words spoken, and beautiful reverent

times of ministry as the Holy Spirit moved among us. I believe what transpired will ‘mark’ many of them for the things of God in the years to come.

One camper shared with me,

“The first night I felt God come near to me but I pushed Him away. The next morning I wrote on a footprint, “God hasn’t seen me for a while and He wants me to come home.”

That night I let go of everything and came back to him. God came to me and told me that I was beautiful…that He had a plan for me and nothing was able to stop Him from following out His plan. God called me when I was eight but I wanted my own dreams and to follow my own heart.

I accepted again His call for my life to spread God’s word (mission). It was a great feeling; it was like starting a fresh brand new page of my life. All the pain and unforgiveness for all the things that happened in my life were gone!”

The feedback from our kids , leaders and parents was super encouraging. It’s always a buzz to hear stories back from camp so I thought I’d share with you a few of their ‘comments.’

“When I was in chapel I really felt like God was there watching us, filtering our thoughts and filling us with love.”

“I was so moved when I saw tears rolling down their cheeks as children, who I knew had experienced such deep pain, were being gently healed by the comforting Presence of God. How good is our God!”

“Gaties camp is like no other experience. People often miss the children in church cause they’re always upstairs, but I tell you spend a weekend at Gaties Camp and you’ll see just how amazing our Gateway kids are! The passion in their worship, their love for serving God and their genuine nature is just awesome. I loved my time out at camp and I am so ready for more!”

“My favorite part of camp was the waterslide…it is very steep! When you hit the bottom you do a backwards flip. It was so fun you should go next time!!”

“Thank you for the amazing camping weekend! My boys went to camp excited and came home even more! It was so exciting hearing from them of how God touched them and others! They told us of the wonderful messages that they got during the Chapel and of how God moved and spoke to them and so many other kids! How cool!!! What an exciting thing for our kids to be part of.”

It says it all really!

I love that following an afternoon of water slide shenanigans we can have a precious time where our attention is drawn heavenward and we meet with Christ in a way that impacts us significantly. There is nothing that I love more than when our children meet with the living Jesus as He comes close to us, leading us nearer to His heart and capturing ours again.

A huge thank you to all those who so generously gave of their time, talents and finances so that all our children could enjoy such a wonderful time of healing, empowering and celebration in the Presence of God. D

GATIES KIDS CAMPwritten by karen steward

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What’s more fun than singing, dancing, banging drums and shaking shakers if you’re a kid? ...not much, well welcome to the world of Mainly Music.Each Friday the Mainly Music team welcomes up to 30 children and their caregivers to the Gateway dining hall where they settle in for half-an-hour of singing to some toe tapping, heart warming songs. Children have the chance to dance with different props, bang a rhythm on a drum, experiment with other instruments and work together to use the parachute or even lie back and watch bubbles float by. Even the littlest babies are included by caregivers swaying them to the music and tapping rhythms on their bodies. It is a precious time for caregivers to spend with their little ones in the midst of what can be a busy week.This year, the team has decided to incorporate a new learning opportunity introducing a different characteristic each month such as joy, forgiveness, thankfulness etc. Songs are planned to include these themes as well as a brief Bible story being read. As many of the mainly music children are not necessarily from Christian families, it is such a privilege to be able to introduce qualities of God to them. We hope these simple introductions to Godly character as well as a knowledge of God’s love will develop into lives rich with passion and dedication to Christ.After all the singing and dancing wraps up, all the little feet scurry to the morning tea room where they enjoy a delicious morning tea and time to chatter with their friends. Caregivers also get the chance to devour treats baked by the fabulous volunteers and catch up with friends both old and new. After morning tea the children then

move back into the main area where a great array of toys are set up for them to enjoy. During this time children are given the opportunity to interact with children of a similar age, develop their social skills and learn through play. Many friends are made and much fun is had.We have had amazing feedback from those involved in mainly music with comments such as they love ‘making new friends, interacting with their children, the introduction of Christian values, and time out of the house’. Feedback also suggested that they felt valued by simple things such as a smile and a warm hello, by team members looking out for their children and having a meal bought to them when they had a new baby. The programme is able to function because of a committed team of volunteers from Gateway who do the song planning, setting up, baking, making of name tags and packing down. They also give gifts to help celebrate children’s special milestones such as birthdays and graduating to school. We are thankful to have such a great group of people and the support of Gateway.If after reading about mainly music, your passion for young hearts has been stirred, please contact us through the Gateway office. We always need a few extra hands to help pick up tumbling babies, cleaning up the drool and make nametags for our precious little people. If you’re curious about the mainly music organisation as a whole, visit their website www.mainlymusic.co.nz.Many blessings,

Heather Downing and the mainly music team. D

When: Friday mornings at 10:00am-11:15amWhere: Gateway Dining HallCost: $3 per family per weekOur yearly schedule matches that of the school calendar.

MAINLY MUSICwritten by heather downing

1. Gateway Books has the sweetest collection. Novels, picture books, best sellers and if you are a new comer to Gateway or to church in general and don’t yet own a bible, pop over to the shop and they can sort you out. Might even find a sweet vintage one like this.

2. This frame is so awesome. Its become very ‘hip’ and ‘cool’ to have vintage frames as wall decorations. No cheaper and easier way to find mean stuff for you home, flat or room than at an opshop.

3. No fancier way to have some friends over to catch up than to have high tea, and tea is never high until you have a proper teapot and Gingernut biscuits.

4. New Zealand Idol, the thrilling show that it was, produced two great musicians who both released CD’s and then seemed to have disappeared (maybe they are working on their new CD’s). If you’re not into Ben Lummis or Michael Murphy there are plenty of other CD’s to choose from.

5. Although summer is over and we are heading into the colder months, it would be a good idea to purchase these for next summer so you can sit on the beach in style.

6. I am aware that these are child sized but I want a pair like this. Roll up to church in style wearing opshop dungarees! D

GATEWAY OPSHOP BEST BUYSchosen by james wotton

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10 questions with. . . christine grant

1. Where are you at this moment?At the dining table.

2. What do you like about being your current ageInteracting with my children/young adults and watching them interact together

3. What’s the latest book you’ve read?Like a Mighty Wind by Cliff Dudley- it’s about Mel Tari and the Indonesian revival in the 1960’s

4. What is your favourite album? I don’t have one. Everyone else rules the stereo.

5. You can have 3 people to dinner dead or living, bar Jesus - who do you invite?Linley, Lisa, Francie and Carolyn – it’s been too long.

6. What’s one thing you remember your mother teaching you?Sewing. I haven’t done so well for my girls though.

7. Where do you go to get quiet? To be with God, often while I am doing housework I clean and sing or think on things and pray. Otherwise the bedroom.

8. What is one thing you could talk about for hours? (because you are so passionate about it)I don’t talk that much...

9. How do you know Jesus is real?His presence sometimes, conversations, His smile, conscience, awesome creation, His faithfulness. He always comes through even when we can’t see how things can work out. Financially is a good example. God always supplies our needs one way or another. He’s actually amazingly creative in the way He supplies.

10. What is one thing you think people don’t know about you? I like decorating cakes. D

GATEWAY CHURCH950 VICTORIA ST, HAMILTON, NEW ZEALANDWWW.GATEWAYCHURCH.ORG.NZ(07) 839 1284

gateway magazine, may 2011, issue 05

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