Pastor’s Message

Times of reflection

Happy new month, everyone!

We are in the coldest month of the year, at least from my experience. Occasionally, I catch myself scrolling through the photos on my phone trying to find something specific. This week, I was on the hunt for a particular day, and as I scrolled, the last six months came into view through photos.

Photos are ideal because they freeze moments and keep recollections. I decided to do it slower and look through the last six months, with emphasis on “mundane moments” and also the significant times. It was as if I was transported back to the past and moments hidden in the hustle of life.  I encourage you to do this exercise as we start this month. Whichever device you store your photos in, take some time to go through them from the last six months and thank God for being with you and bringing you to this point.

The circumstances will differ. For some, it was a fulfilling time, while for others it has been a difficult season. For some it has been a time for sowing and planning for the future, while others have reaped and are settling in for the next season of 2025. Wherever you sit on the scale, thank God for being with you every step of the way.

According to Daniel, whom we have been studying the last few weeks, 

He is the God of the Hebrews (the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and Daniel).

• He is the God who sends a Saviour (Who sent His Angel).

• He is the God of great power (Delivers His servants).

• He is the God worthy of trust (We can trust in Him).

• He is the God worthy of full surrender (Calls us to surrender ourselves fully).

• He is the God who demands exclusive allegiance (That we should not serve nor worship any god except God HIM).

So, as we enjoy the school holidays, plan for the next season of the year, get our priorities right, interact with family, friends and neighbours and generally live life, I hope we can remember to slow down enough to acknowledge how far God has brought you over the year.

We have an exciting new section in our newsletter as well, called the prayer corner – Through the Roof. I am hoping that this moves from just being in the newsletter to being a practice we embody at HCC. Read on to find out.

Have a reflective week.

Mato

Church Sundays

Bishop Oscar

Thank you, everyone, for welcoming Bishop Oscar. It was both encouraging and challenging sharing the word with him, and I definitely appreciated him and his wife joining us and honouring our request to speak to us, both on Saturday and Sunday.

Church Sundays

Youth and kids

Children’s church continues to run through the holidays. Our amazing helpers, Lizzie and Kirstie, will be leading us, so please come along. Parents and youth are welcome to join in. This week, we will run an interactive reading session with the children again before they go out. In preparation, please read Daniel 3. I cannot wait to see what our amazing service planners have in store for us.

Youth group is on break during the holidays. This gives our youth leaders a chance to pause and refresh for the next term. We have had a variety of young people come to youth group over the last few weeks, and we would like to continue accommodating them and encouraging them to come along. Please pray for us as we work through the logistics of running our Thursday night youth group.

Community

Midwinter fest: Can you help?

Our midwinter Christmas dinner and quiz night are coming up on Saturday, July 26th. Don't forget the change of venue to Beckenham Baptist Church.

If you would like to cook something for the midwinter dinner, please talk to Margaret, and she will give you some clarity on what to do. This is so we don't end up with 18 salads! The travesty!!

Don’t forget to add your name to the list if you would like to attend the dinner and quiz.

Community

Through the Roof

We have decided to include this section in our newsletter to write out prayers both for individuals and specific areas we are praying for. "Through the Roof" was inspired by the story of the paralysed man in Luke 5 and Matthew 9. 

These men learnt that Jesus was in town, and they committed themselves to bringing their friend to Him by doing “whatever it took”.

This is what prayer does. It brings us to the feet of Jesus. When we cannot do it for ourselves, those around us carry us. This is what we want to do more of. Pray for the services in advance, and anoint one another after the service for specific prayer requests. Continue to pray throughout the week.

From next week, we will concentrate on specific areas for prayer.

Community

Follow us on the socials

If you didn’t know, we have a Facebook and Instagram page you can follow for all things HCC.

If you cannot make a Sunday service you can watch live on our Facebook page (or you can rewatch, like last week’s Bishop Oscar’s talk).

Community

Upcoming dates

Giving to HCC

If you would like to give to Halswell Community Church, here are our banking details. We appreciate it.

Halswell Community Church

Account Number: 06-0601-0867216-00

Reference: Tithe/offering

Particulars: Your Name