Pastor’s Message

A question to ponder

Happy new week, everyone!

As the youth leaders have been thinking through what to teach this term and next term, we had the idea to teach the “I AMs” of Jesus. The men’s homegroup have just finished a study on this, and by all accounts, it was a powerful time of revelation and “glowing” in the Lord. Here are the seven I AMs.

 “I am the Bread of Life” (John 6:35, 48, 51).
Jesus sustains spiritual life, just as bread sustains physical life.

 “I am the Light of the World” (John 8:12; 9:5).
Jesus brings truth and guidance, shining into spiritual darkness.

 “I am the Door (Gate) of the Sheep” (John 10:7, 9).

Jesus is the way into God’s family and provides safety and salvation.

“I am the Good Shepherd” (John 10:11, 14).
Jesus cares for, protects, and lays down His life for His people.

“I am the Resurrection and the Life” (John 11:25)
Jesus has power over death and offers eternal life.

 “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life” (John 14:6)
Jesus is the only way to the Father, the embodiment of truth, and the source of real life.

“I am the True Vine” (John 15:1, 5).

Jesus is the source of spiritual health; believers must remain connected to Him to bear fruit.

But as we have dug further, we have discovered that most of our young people do not really understand who Jesus is. To most, he is a good person. 

If I were to ask you today, 'Who is Jesus?', what would you say?

So we thought that before the I AMs, it is probably better to ask a more basic, even rudimentary question.

Who is Jesus, and why do we believe in him?

In 1st Peter 3:15, Peter says this:

In essence, if we do not know who Jesus is, then we cannot provide a reason for our faith. 

For the next few weeks, even before we start talking about the I AMs, we are going to be investigating Jesus at youth group. Who is he? What did he say? Why was he killed? Why is the resurrection the basis of our faith? How can we believe in Jesus? But I have a sense that many of us would be in the same boat as the youth group. We probably know who Jesus is, but we do not have full confidence in our belief in him. So how do we gain that?

So who would you say Jesus is, and how does that help you defend your faith? 

Have a Jesus-filled week.

Martin

Community

Future series at HCC

The second part of Daniel is not an easy part of scripture. It is riddled with imagery and numbers that are both confusing and astounding. It is difficult to understand, and even when you have understood it, you feel inadequate. Yet it is scripture, so we cannot just skip it. I hope it continues to give you life as we go through it. We have two Sundays left in Daniel.

This last week, Tim did a very good job of breaking down Daniel 9 and 10. Two seemingly different chapters, but both leading to the very important message of Jesus being the messiah. While we may get bogged down with the details of the prophecy, and the years that it will take to happen, and all the views that exist regarding the future and how it will unfold, the main message is that Jesus wins, and we can have hope in that. We find Jesus in the Old Testament, in Daniel, and we find Jesus in the New Testament as well. Tim talked about three aspects of this text.

Prayer (Daniel 9:1-9)

Promise (Daniel 9:20-27)

Presence (Daniel 10:1-21)

 The summary was very well done. 

This week, we will go back a chapter. We are back to ch. 7 part 2, where Daniel sees the vision of the ‘son of man’. And who is this Son of Man? You guessed it, Jesus! As you can tell, most of our newsletter this week focuses on Jesus, and this Sunday, we get to witness Jesus, not as we know him in the gospels, but as he is portrayed in Daniel and Revelation. Same Jesus, but very different portrayals of him.

The next Sunday is Baptism Sunday, followed by Father's Day, and then the last week of the Daniel Series. Here are the next two series coming up…

Community

Youth and kids

This Sunday, we get to hear from the children regarding what they are learning. As I always say, thank you very much to all the parents and volunteers who spend so much time and effort putting together our children's programme, preparing for the lessons, and teaching on Sunday mornings. We are very grateful for all you do, and the children do not know it yet, but they are very grateful as well.

Church Sundays

Baptism Sunday

This is the last Sunday to sign up for baptism. If you have been pondering and are still not sure, please speak to Mato or one of the Elders about it. For those getting baptised, we have material ready for you, which will be sent to your email, and we are meeting on Sunday 31st Aug at 9 am to pray together and talk through the baptism logistics.

Community

HCC is part of the CCCNZ movement of independent churches, and the Regional Summit is an annual highlight. Hosted this year by Rutland Street Church on 13th September, it’s for all of us!

It’s a time to connect with others across the network and hear what God is doing across the region. Last year, several people from our group attended, and the experience was both refreshing and encouraging. Please come along for this one-day conference.

More details and rego at www.cccnz.nz/regional-summit

Community

E4 Camp

Since we are now in the second part of the year, here is something for you to think about regarding the summer.

New Zealand has the unique privilege of starting the year in summer. Which means we can start the year with rest, a very biblical concept. In the Jewish law, also known as the Torah, the day started in the evening. When a Jew was reading Genesis 1:2. “And there was evening, and there was morning”; the implication was that the day started with rest in the evening and then work. Extrapolating it further, the year starts with rest, and what better “kiwi” way than a Summer Family Camp in Hanmer? Here are the details…

E4 Summer Camp 15-18 January 2026

Where: Hanmer Springs

Why: Start the year inspired by God

HCC: We are using this camp as our church camp

Who: All ages. There will be kids, youth and adults activities

Great speakers and excellent study stream topics while the children are looked after as they learn.

There are early bird prices and very attractive family prices. Also, the sooner you commit, the sooner you can lock in your accommodation.

For more information see Richard Howe, or check out their Facebook page for more information.

Giving to HCC

Halswell Community Church

Account Number: 06-0601-0867216-00

Reference: Tithe/offering

Particulars: Your Name