Kia ora, All Saints

This week, I have started reading a book called The God Story, which tells the overarching story of God through the Bible. 

The reason I tell you this is that I was powerfully struck by the way that in the beginning of God's big story, Adam and Eve and their children, following the fall, grew further and further from Eden. It is not until we get to Abram that God calls him to walk away from everything in his meagre everyday life and follow him, not only follow him but begin to walk West! For the first time in scripture, God's people are walking back towards him. 

Abram is stripped down of all the things he has relied on and puts his trust in the Lord, he trys to make a deal with God to speed up his promise to him, he tries to take matters into his own hands to see Gods Promise, it isn't until Abram truly puts all he is into the Lord until he desires the presence of the Lord before the promise comes. 

I was h3/humbly struck by the things in my life that I'm holding onto that keep me from truly being in the presence of God. What are the deals I try to make with the Lord to speed up his plans? What are the things I try to manufacture in my own life to try and speed up the plans of the Lord? 

Be in my presence! This was what resounded so clearly! Let all the 'Idols' go! Let all the deals go! Let all the trying too hard go! and come to me. I delight in you, says the Lord. I love you, says the Lord. I want to spend time with you, says the Lord. 

Presence before Promise. 

As we continue to walk our way through Easter together, let us continue to unpack how we can live into the Joy of the Lord through the power of the resurrection, amongst the dichotomy of other feelings in life. 

Check out our weekly news to keep up with all that is going on here at All Saints. 

A reminder that we have 9 am Central Gatherings and House Churches meeting this Sunday. 

Much love, 

Kia ora All Saints

This week, I (Guy) had the privilege of attending the installation for Andy and Emily at their new parish in Motueka on Thursday evening. 

A few things stood out to me while I was there, particularly the way All Saints played a role in their lives, the support for sending them out to lead elsewhere, and the impact that has had on the wider province, us and them.

I think the thing that really stood out for me was during the service following the reading from 1 Kings 17 about the Widow and the jars, that no matter how small and insignificant to us, what we are bringing and offering to the Lord to use, because he will use it! Are we making room for the Lord to pour out his abundant generosity in our community? And let us not forget who the transformer and multiplier is, the Lord! 

Stepping on a plane back to All Saints, I challenge us all this Easter and this next season here at All Saints to read through this story and ponder, what in our house do we have to offer? Are we making room? And are we relying on the Lord, or are we trying too hard to do it ourselves? 

Our reading last week was a clear mandate from the Lord: receive the Holy Spirit and go! As he has been sent, he is sending us. 

Come, Holy Spirit. 

Just a reminder that our Central Gatherings are in the centre this week. Both 9 am and 10:30 am. We are continuing on in our Easter season as we look towards what hope and Joy look like amongst and alongside all the other things in life. 

Pray for our Tamariki (Children) as they go back to school this coming week for term two. 

Much love, 

Kia ora All Saints,
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This letter is my first and sadly, also my last. I wanted to take this opportunity to say what a privilege it has been to serve in the communications role here at All Saints. Over the past three years, I have enjoyed sharing the stories of all the amazing things happening in this place, both weekly and seasonally, with the wider Hataitai and Kilbirnie community.
 
As Guy mentioned at the AGM in late March, my role as Communications Coordinator comes to an end today. While that brings a sense of sadness to leave this role, it also comes with a lot of gratitude. As the role has grown and shifted over my time, I have been blessed with many skills I can now take with me. It has also been amazing meeting all the incredible people who have walked through the doors of All Saints, from month old babies to those who have reached the impressive heights of triple digits. Being part of a community that spans generations has been a real highlight of this role.
 
Reflecting on recent weeks, I found them particularly full and heavy, marked by Easter, a family loss, and the end of this role.
 
In the midst of all of that, on the evening of Maundy Thursday, as I read part of the Easter story from a children’s Bible before bedtime to an amazing kid we were looking after, I found myself thinking about the question, What’s next? Jesus has just died. What is Mary and the disciples doing now? 
 
The Bible does not tell us much about the days between the cross and the resurrection. The women stay close, watching where Jesus is laid. The disciples hide behind locked doors, full of fear and uncertainty. There was no plan or sense of victory, only grief, confusion, and waiting.
 
This question stayed with me, as I reflected on my own experience of loss, particularly when I lost my mum a couple of years ago. When life seemed to pause and felt it had no clear direction, the only question was how to move forward.
 
Easter, for me this year, hasn’t only been about the joy of resurrection on Sunday. It has also been about remembering that God meets us in the waiting, in the grief, and in the unanswered questions. God’s work may often be unseen and unfelt. He is always present, even in those in‑between spaces.
 
While my role here is coming to an end, my time at All Saints is not. I’ll still be here on Sundays, worshipping alongside you. I am grateful for this community, and for the time I have been able to serve it. Thank you for welcoming me, supporting me, and allowing me to be part of this place.