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Missions Interlink Bulletin
Missions – from, in and to – New Zealand
January 2009
Notices
Prayer Links
Missions Gatherings
Missionary Enrichment Retreats
Stewardship & MI’s Bulk Purchasing
Resources
Worth Keeping – Mission Retention
Destination World 09
Thank you for Faithful Service
Introducing the Newest MI Council Member
Notices
Prayer Links
If your agency would like to contribute your prayer requests/praise reports for the next edition of Prayer Links, then please send them to info@missions.org.nz before Friday 6th February. Entries should be around 150 words and should be ministry focused.
Missions Prayer / Fellowship Gatherings
Balmoral (Auckland): Johannes Balzer - johannes@interserve.org.nz
Christchurch: Max Palmer - max@lr.org.nz
Manukau City: Wayne Freeman - wayne_freeman@wycliffe.org
North Shore: Richard Hemmingsen – richardh@sga.org.nz or Phil Richardson – phil.richardson@ihug.co.nz
Penrose (Auckland): Graeme Lee - admin@edc.org.nz
Tauranga: James Muir - james-muir.aonz@clear.net.nz
Missionary Enrichment Retreats (MERs)
MERs are biannual retreats designed especially for the missionary (recently returned and those who are on leave). They provide opportunities for missionaries to reflect on their experience, evaluate how they have coped, and equip themselves for the future in a safe place away from pressure and with people who understand. Professionally qualified and mission-experienced facilitators will be running these retreats.
2009 MERs will be held at Lake Taupo Christian Camp on the following dates:
May retreat: 3rd – 8th May
October retreat: 27th Oct – 1st Nov
For more information/registration and a brochure for 2009 (available soon), please contact the MI office. Our last retreat reached full capacity so register now to avoid disappointment!
Stewardship
Are you a good steward? These are tough economic times. Millions around the world are hurting, even though many in New Zealand may not be feeling it - yet?
I’m not a big spender, but there’s hardly a month that goes by that I don’t find an occasion to use one or more of the MI Bulk Purchasing Discounts – and I typically save around 25 to 35% - sometimes more, sometimes less. For example I recently bought some lumber and fittings at Bunnings Hardware. (Yes, it was for personal use, but we’re encouraged to use the MI Bulk Purchasing for personal use, as long as we pay back the ministry that’s charging it.) Bunnings rang it up and it came to $179. I showed them the MI account number for Bunnings and they re-entered the info. This time it came to only $134 – saving $45.
What does that have to do with good stewardship? Many of the MI members are not using this Bulk Purchasing Discount program. The reality is, when you use it, you win, your ministry wins, MI wins and the company you purchase from wins (because this way you’re not going to one of their competitors).
I was a member of MI for years and didn’t use this feature – because I didn’t know about it. That’s not why I joined Missions Interlink, so I didn’t pay any attention to it. Now that I’ve discovered the substantial savings available to ALL MI members, I want to bring this to your attention. Let’s be good stewards. Good stewards know that it’s really not our money, it’s God’s. So this Bulk Purchasing Discount can help you be a good steward of God’s money.
How many of these places – or their competitors - do you do business with:
CalTex (petrol)
Beaurepaires or Firestone/Bridgestone (Tyres…)
Bunnings Benchmark (Hardware, Garden…)
OfficeMax (Office Supplies)
Century Yuasa (Batteries)
Husqvarna (Tools etc.)
Resene Paints
Plumbing World
J A Russell (Electrical Supplies)
And various other GSB discount suppliers
plus
Dick Smith (Electronic Supplies, TV’s, Computers…)
NZ Postage Stamps and more
Why not take advantage of the savings? Contact the MI office or Ted Crawford - Ted & Elsie (Tedz-Cars) tedz_cars@maxnet.co.nz - for more info.
Resources
Worth Keeping
Global Perspectives on Best Practice in Missionary Retention
Worth Keeping is more than worth just reading. I urge church and missional leaders to reflect on the research and absorb the principles contained in this important volume. I am convinced if we put into practice its recommendations we will see more effective missionaries who feel valued as servants of the living God. Worth Keeping should be required reading for all mission leaders and local church mission teams. Geoff Tunnicliffe,
International Director, World Evangelical Alliance, Canada
Author: Rob Hay, Valerie Lim, Detlef Blöcher, Jaap Ketelaar and Sarah Hay
Publisher: William Carey Library and World Evangelical Alliance, 2007
Binding: Paperback, 422 Pages - ISBN 13: 9780878085156 - List Price: $24.99
Available from Missions Interlink (NZ)
Pray for Destination World Parachute 09
Prayer is what recalibrates us with God’s heart. In the busy-ness of activity, ask that all people involved in Destination World will remember this truth. As people give of their time, skills and passions – pray that God’s mission heart will be implanted in the hearts of many Parachute goers.
Destination World 2009:
- Building on last year, Destination World 2009 will focus on three key global issues: Children in Crisis - Creation Care - Displaced People.
- Along with a briefing area (Aotearoa*) and a response area (Follow up) there will be five main areas in the marquee. * Aotearoa will also look backwards at the history of mission to NZ.
- There are exciting church partnerships in formation and a large website development in process – praise God for new partnerships.
For more information on Destination World 09, please see the pdf attachment.
* Aotearoa will also look backwards at the history of mission to NZ.
Thank You!
Many thanks to those who have served Missions Interlink faithfully over this past year. Some of the MI Council that have moved on last year include:
Gordon & Helen Stanley (MI/SIM), Warren Payne (OMF), Tony Andrews & Barbara Walker (NZCMS), Rick Velvin (MAF) and Murray Dillner (MECO).
Each of you have played a very significant role and we honour you for your faithful service!
Thanks again for your faithful service to the NZ missions community.
Another NEW MI Council Member
New General Secretary for NZCMS
In last month’s MI Bulletin we introduced five new MI Council members. We held off on this one, the new director of New Zealand’s oldest mission agency, because he had not yet arrived in New Zealand.
The Rev Steve Maina has now been appointed as the new General Secretary of NZCMS and will take up his new position on 1 February, 2009, subject to immigration formalities being completed.
Steve (37) is currently General Secretary of Church Army Africa, an indigenous mission agency based in Nairobi, Kenya. Church Army Africa has trained and deployed over 500 evangelists and missionaries in Eastern and Central African countries.
An ordained Anglican minister from All Saints Diocese, Nairobi, Steve holds a BA, and an M.Div from the Nairobi Evangelical Graduate School of Theology. He is also a part-time lecturer, a founder board member and chair of ‘Christians for a Just Society’, an advocacy ministry, and is a trainer of church, business and political leaders throughout Africa in holistic discipleship.
A gifted speaker and teacher, Steve has participated in international conferences and forums in a number of countries, and was the keynote speaker at the 2006 NZCMS Conferences in Christchurch and Auckland. Steve is married to Mary, a counselling psychologist, and they have two children, Rinna (8) and Tanielle (5).
Welcome Steve - and family
Praying God’s blessings for you, your family, and your ministry throughout 2009!
David B. Hall, Director
Missions Interlink
PO Box 59 049, Mangere Bridge, Manukau 2151
www.missions.org.nz
New Zealand's Mission Networks
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in the Missions Interlink Bulletin or at any of the events listed, do not necessarily express the views of MI or any of its members or affiliates.
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