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MISSIONS INTERLINK BULLETIN
AnUpdate on Mission To, From and In New Zealand
Feel free to share with others in whole or in part - Staff, Board, Chair as appropriate. Tell us if you would like us to send directly - your decision!
September 2007.
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CONTENTS
1. Missionary Enrichment Retreat
2. Prayer Links
3. MI AGM November 12th
4. Holidays “R” Us
5. Spam Law Confuses
6. Gap Programmes and Internships
7. Of People and Agencies
8. Gospel Recordings Network Launch MP3 Player
9. Survey Responses Appreciated
10. Tax Rebates for Overseas Work
11. Furnished Housing Available in Auckland
12. Dates Ahead
13. Parachutes Appeal
1. MISSIONARY ENRICHMENT RETREAT
Last Chance for the retreat planned for October 23-28th. Please let us know ASAP if you have people who could benefit from this excellent program. Kindly check if you have people who will be home then and let them know of this event – you might even have to be quite directive!
We have brochures explaining the purpose and arrangements and can email this to you to send on to others. The over 300 now who have attended these retreats have all benefited immensely whether they returned overseas or settled here. It is a safe place where they can reflect on their experiences, share with others of a like mind and be renewed for the next phase of service. Some agencies and or churches sponsor their people’s attendance.
Final registration date is 2nd October but we need to know ASAP re possible numbers.
2. PRAYER LINKS
Our committed group of intercessors are currently being guided through the 30 Days of Prayer for Muslims but we need to have fresh information for them as this concludes on Oct 11th. Following the lunar month doesn’t always fit our calendar so this next edition of Prayer Links will need to cover November- January 2008. Can you get your requests to us by October 15th? Remember make it long lived, strategic and big picture. Please avoid acronyms and persons not known to this wider group of pray-ers.
3. MI AGM, MONDAY 12TH NOVEMBER.
Here is advance warning that we will be holding the Annual General Meeting of Missions Interlink (NZ) on Monday 12th November 2007 ( a day earlier than previously indicated). Venue will be Carey Park in Henderson, so it is back to the west again after the eastern venue last year. Start time will be 11am with morning refreshments available from 10.30. Cost for refreshments and lunch which will follow the meeting will be $20.00. We look forward to seeing you there – non members are also welcome.
4. HOLIDAYS “R” US
The long awaited, and now completed, list of holiday places available to volunteer workers serving overseas is ready to be shared on request. Denise and Jim Bensemann of Nelson have put a lot of effort into this matter, floating the idea with Elizabeth & Mark Greening who publish the book “Holiday Homes and Baches”, annually. These good folk then contacted the thousands of private owners and hundreds responded saying they would welcome ‘our sort of people’, often at reduced rates and sometimes on a donation basis.
We have received therefore a 63 page listing of homes and baches scattered throughout the North & South Islands available to people serving overseas. They can also take family and friends with them but the key is the booking must be made by the overseas volunteers (either from overseas or when back here in NZ)
We say thank you to both the Bensemanns and the Greenings for making this possible and trust many people will be able to take advantage of these wonderful possibilities for deserved ‘time out’ while home.
Here are some key factors to note:
· We ask that everyone is careful to leave places in good clean & tidy condition otherwise it might spoil the availability of its use for others.
· Also remember that it is only for those who are in full time voluntary service abroad and a phrase like that should be used when making the booking.
· The Greenings note: You can look up our website www.holidayhomes.co.nz and do a search on the reference number if you need more information about the properties. I guess if you are emailing them or phoning - you will need to remind them that you got their details from us and they may need reminding of the email that was sent out.
A note now to agency leaders.
We have written the above so that you can send it on to your people. We can send to you – at your request - the current list but we do not advise sending all 63 pages to technologically challenged places!!
You may need to select by location, size, time and cost to suit people in restricted situations but we will need to leave that with you.. We also know of a handful of possibilities not listed herein. And yes we have asked the question “Are these available for NZ based fulltime volunteers?” The answer is a qualified yes, more a “maybe “– but don’t expect the same level of reduction where people need income. There are some examples of folk doing it for the service – one I noted was using the earnings to donate to our industry anyway - so by all means go ahead and enquire about the possibility , but do be careful.
5. SPAM LAW CONFUSES
You may have noticed a lot of extra emails since the Unsolicited Electronic Messages Act 2007 came into effect on September 5th. The Act refers to SPAM as ‘unsolicited commercial electronic messages’ and the Dep’t of Internal Affairs has produced a 6 page explanation about it. You can go to www.antispam.govt.nz for more information about SPAM and the Act. Meantime they have provided this SPAM CHECKLIST
1. Is your message electronic
2. Is your message commercial
3. Is your message unsolicited
The message is only SPAM if it fits all three of these criteria.
Well you ask, what have we got to worry about? – probably not a lot but it would be wise to be careful. If you are uncertain about your situation get legal advice.
You may have noticed messages reaching you carry a working “Unsubscribe” facility to let people OPT OUT. A word of advice, NEVER, NEVER make it an OPT IN option!
In a Dominion Post article by Tom Pullar-Strecker of 27/09/07, Keith Norris of the Marketing Association notes: ”Human inertia will mean that if they take the ‘opt in’ route they will lose half the people they are communicating with”. It is too difficult to get them on your list to lose them as easily as that! In future we probably need to keep a record of how and when people asked to be on our mailing lists and to give people that opportunity to opt out. Norris suggests a phrase like this,” We have been communicating with you for some time and we want to make sure you are comfortable with this and if you are not to hit the “unsubscribe “ button.”………..or some such.
In the meantime the email levels are up, not down, and Internal Affairs who have only a very small team working on compliance likely have bigger fish to fry.
Incidentally the Dominion Post article notes that “72% of SPAM is now sent from computers owned by innocent individuals whose PC’s have been infected with ‘botnets’ making perpetrators hard to identify….emails that appear to come from legitimate organisations ask recipients to confirm login details. These websites infect their PC’s with the Storm Trojan which turns their PC’s into a vehicle sending SPAM”.
6. GAP PROGRAMS AND INTERNSHIPS
Thank you to all those who responded to our request to let us know if you have a GAP year programme – a year out between high school and university normally. In time we will put this info onto our website.
We also heard back from several of you noting that you had an Internship Program – for some it is an Internship in a GAP year for others its more a guided learning experience mixing the academic with the practical. We will add this to the website also.
7. OF PEOPLE AND AGENCIES
WEC are holding their annual conference Sept 23-27th and then retiring leaders Maurice and Ruth Charman have a daughter’s wedding to celebrate. The conference has a number of elections to key posts and our prayers for the Lords choice would be appreciated………………Paul Cooper has been elected as Chairman for the NZCMS Board and we know his experience in Pakistan will be valuable in the task…………SIM have announced the 100 year celebration of Bolivian Indian Mission that became the Andes Evangelical Mission before merging with SIM. George and Mary Allen who founded BIM came from Southland/Otago region where the centennial celebration service will be held November 11th………………….Tracey Hunt who was involved for 7 years from the beginnings of International Student Ministries in Palmerston North, goes with ISM’s blessing to new endeavours locally. She is to be replaced by Jing Xiu who graduated from Otago last year and joined ISM in November 2006 . ISM also announces the appointment of John Wallis to the National Operations Manager role. John and wife Reena are long term affiliates of ISM folk and will return from 3 years in the UK early in 2008- farewell and welcome………………The Common Life Missions Conference sponsored by the Anglican Mission Board is to be a celebration of mission in the 3-Tikanga Church. To be held October 2-5th, 2007 and hosted by Rev Robert Kereopa, the program looks full and fascinating with partners from across the globe participating. Pray with them for an excellent time……………………….OM are celebrating their 50th Anniversary .It was in 1957 that young George Verwer went to Mexico during his summer break. A praying woman had given him a Gospel of John and on reading that and attending a Billy Graham crusade he came to faith and immediately began seeking ways to share his faith with others. Mexico in the summer break was just the beginning to what has become a world-wide ministry. Peter Hansen was the first Kiwi to join OM in 1971 and OM was incorporated here in 1986. Congratulations to George Booth and his team who hope to host a visit from MV Doulos between April-June 2008. They will require the participation of Kiwi friends to make this possible and if you would like to assist contact OM at info@nz.om.org……………….speaking of ships of mercy, Africa Mercy, the new flagship of Mercy Ships has now been launched while OM’s Logos Hope is in a final outfitting phase…………………55 folk attended the Interviewing Skills Workshop which we have had excellent reports of. Thanks to BCNZ / SOGM for meeting this evident need……..Tranzsend have informed us of a change of location to 473 Great South Rd, Penrose , Auckland, their postal address is now PO Box 12149, Penrose, Auckland 1642, tele 09 526 8444, fax 09 526 8445
8. GLOBAL RECORDINGS NETWORK LAUNCH MP 3 PLAYER
It’s a rugged hand wind machine that takes advantage of latest technology but responds to distinctly low tech settings! Ray Mackaway, GRN’s senior research and development engineer, has been working on this since 2002. As he looked at the rapidly changing electronic market it became clear that a low cost hand wind digital player could be a reality. He put together an international team in Sydney and got to work considering power generation and storage, usability, size, weight, strength, how to load and store audio programs, control software(firmware!) etc. It has to keep in mind this was NOT for the tech savvy west but for use in remote locations with oral societies where private listening devices may be inappropriate. It has been a long ‘gestation’ period and the ‘delivery pains’ are about to begin.
I recently read an extensive testimony by a Wycliffe couple of how helpful GRN’s equipment and materials have been to them in seeing a break through in their language group. Now with this tool available with high volume, high quality audio, flexible, inexhaustible power supply (wind 5 mins, listen for 20 – batteries can also receive solar charge or even mains) the majority world who live in oral societies can hear Gods word better than ever before. The player is expected to sell for around $A100/US$80 and field testing is about to begin with general release in 2008. Contact them at www.globalrecordings.net/au or phone 61-2-9899 -2211
GRN are to be congratulated for this practical achievement.
9. SURVEY RESPONSES APPRECIATED
Thanks to the Agencies who send people overseas for your responses to the recent request for your annual statistics. If you still haven’t responded we encourage your participation. We did send a form for you to fill out, and can send a repeat if you need that – just ask.
10. TAX REBATES FOR OVERSEAS WORK
Sadly we haven’t received any responses to recent letters but I thought this quote taken from Bible Societies Word at Work issue 175 is worth repeating:
“Any donation to Bible Society mission in NZ is eligible for a tax rebate. But donations for Bible mission overseas do not attract a tax rebate and they cannot be claimed.
This law, which has been in existence for some decades, applies to all Christian organisations that support overseas mission where the principal purpose is the promotion or advancement of the Christian faith. This will include churches that support overseas mission.
Tax rebates for overseas causes- Christian or secular- are limited to organisations specifically listed in Section KC5(1) of the Income Tax Act 2004. For organisations to be included in that list the outcome of their work must be strictly humanitarian and not, in any way, to advance a religious (for Bible mission, read Christian)cause .
We believe this law is unfair and discriminatory and we are lobbying for its change.
Please pray for such a change.”
That last point is our best resort at this time so lets join our prayers with Bible Society supporters for meaningful change.
11. FURNISHED HOUSE AVAILABLE IN AUCKLAND
The 4 bedroomed house is located at 12 Royal Viking Way, Lynfield. The house is fully furnished. Details are available from david_foris@sil.org
There is an attached single bedroom “granny flat” which is occupied by a mature Philippino couple, members of the Catholic Church, with a marriage counselling ministry. The tenants would be responsible for the utilities, lawn and general minor maintenance; any major maintenance (e.g. repair to washing machine, etc.) we will reimburse upon receiving notice of expenditure.
As a fully-furnished house we would really like $450 per week. However, we are open to discussion. If the tenants are members of a Mission organisation we won’t require a deposit.
Kevin and Mary Salisbury are our “agents” for signing a tenancy agreement. They can be contacted at: 09-630 7205; email salisburys@clear.net.nz or m.c.salisbury@massey.ac.nz
12. DATES AHEAD
MER October 23-28 – Lake Taupo Christian Camp
MI AGM November 12th – Carey Park- Henderson
Kairos Course 18-21 January 2008, City Church Tauranga
R & R 21-24th January 2008 , TBC - BCNZ/ SOGM
5th Vision Christian Leaders Congress – 3-6th March 2008 – El Rancho, Waikanae
13. PARACHUTES APPEAL
Working together by some agencies could have wider appeal than previously to music loving youth at Parachute ’08. Here is a different appeal for help to prepare and produce the joint initiative:
Parachute 2008
It is exciting to see discussions seeded at parachute 2007 take form and now grow into a full-fledged project that will see around 20 organisations combining together to give 2008 parachute punters a cross-cultural experience to remember.
Under the banner ‘destination world’, global focused organisations will unite to arouse curiosity and educate through a multi-sensory, interactive experience.
Application forms for young adults and tertiary students to apply to be part of coordinating this awesome event will be out soon. With applicants having the opportunity to focus on developing an experience appropriate to the part of the world they have a passion for, from the beating drums of Africa to the spices of the Orient. There will be a prayer room at the heart of the tent and an Underground church fully equipped with an inbuilt prison.
There is still opportunity for you to get on board as volunteer and/or sponsor. We pray this will be the first of many joint initiatives focused on raising awareness in NZ of what God desires to do among people from every nation, tribe and tongue.
To find out more, or to get involved, contact one of the ‘destination world’ coordinating team:
Johannes Balzer, Darren Birch, Murray Dillner, Tania English or Eric Oosterbrook.
In closing Helen and I are still on the job and expect to stay until the fresh appointment is made. An advertisement regarding the position has been widely circulated and a professional recruitment agency is coordinating the search.
May God’s blessing be on you all,
Sincerely,
Gordon
Gordon Stanley
Director
Missions Interlink (NZ)
PO Box 143, Paparoa, 0543
Ph/Fax 64 (0) 9 431 7027
email: info@missions.org.nz
missions.interlink@maxnet.co.nz
Web: www.missions.org.nz
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