HCC news: Life's important questions

Halswell Community Church
November 12, 2025

Pastor’s Message

Hello everyone!

It is lovely to be back home after a beautiful time in Nepal. I feel honoured to have been able to attend because it was a truly significant event. Thank you to everyone who made this trip possible by helping with the responsibilities and making sure nothing fell between the cracks. I have been trying to find words to express my time away, and I came up with the words “grounding” and “privilege”.

Nepal was “grounding” because it was a time to go back to basics, which we many times neglect as pastors. The old Sunday school song, “Read your bible, pray every day,” still holds true. This procedure is the basis of our relationship with God. My time in Nepal consisted of doing this often as well as reframing our identity in Christ. Who are we when all our job titles, achievements and accomplishments are stripped away from us? How authentic are we in our walk with the Lord, but also with those around us, and of course, how do we create authentic community? These were very basic but important questions to ask ourselves. I have the opportunity to sit with pastors doing amazing things in Asia and beyond and listen to impactful stories of how they are reaching the world for Jesus with boldness.

The time was also a “privilege” because I was in the room with pastors from India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Tanzania, Myanmar, Pakistan and even Bhutan. This was the first time I had met someone from Bhutan. Most of us, if we are honest, have a view of the various countries of the world. Most of it is formed by the mainstream media or the history based on specific events. It is not until you sit with someone from a different country that you get to see their country through their eyes. The situation was the same for me. I had a front-row seat listening to experiences of Christianity in these countries and how God is working in these countries. I had the privilege to lead a group of high-capacity leaders from different countries, and that in itself was eye-opening.

This was also a time to refresh as we get into the last stretch of the year. There are a lot of exciting things happening. Read along and find out.

Have a grounding week,

Mato.

Church Sundays

On the pulpit this week…

I would like to thank Zack, Phil and Tim for stepping up and speaking while I was away. I really appreciate them for their hard work. We are in the middle of our Blueprint series as we continue to study Acts. This week, we are talking about “The Mission”. What are the most important questions to ask in this life?

1. Question of ORIGIN: Where did I come from? Parents, lineage, birth situation …

2. Question of IDENTITY: Who am I? What defines me most: My looks, faith, academics, social circle, career, financial status

3. Question of POTENTIAL: What can I do? Where do I excel? What can I accomplish? Gifts, talents, abilities & capabilities, strengths

4. Question of PURPOSE: Why am I here? Why was I born – would the world be any different without me?

5. Question of DESTINY: Where am I going? After life here, what's next, and what happens when I die?

The mission of the Church is to help you answer the most important question in life!

Join us this week as we look at Acts 16.