MESSAGE FROM THE PASTOR
An awkward topic?

Happy new week, everyone!

I have always felt awkward talking about money. Why? That is a question I have had to ask myself over and over again. I may not have the complete answer, but I can provide two reasons.

1. I have seen how much money-led/ money-hungry church leaders have destroyed institutions and relationships when they have put money at the centre of their lives. This also happens in the corporate world, but I am not focused in that arena. I do not have data, but I am sure that if we trace some believers' deepest wounds and reservations regarding church, finances were/are at the centre of it.

2. There is always a mysticism about how God provides. Both for our individual needs and for our church community. I sometimes choose to sit in that place of uncertainty and mysticism and total dependence on God. I want that to be my first instinct, i.e., talk to God before you talk to the people about God or even how/what to give.

As I have had conversations regarding giving at HCC, I hear a wide range of views, from “We should talk more about giving and be more deliberate in asking people to give” to “Why do you even talk about money at all? God will provide, right?

So where do you find the balance? In scripture, of course.

Have you heard the statement, “Jesus talked about money more than anything else in the gospels”? That is inaccurate. However, Jesus did talk about money frequently, with nearly 15% of his teachings and 16 out of his 38 parables directly addressing the topic. The only subject he spoke about more than money was the Kingdom of God.

Usually, we seek to discover where Jesus talks about money but not, and this is critical, how money is talked about. There is a big difference between teaching on the topic of finances and using financial terms to illustrate a completely different topic. A cursory reading of Jesus’ teachings will confirm he used financial terms to illustrate a completely different topic often.

All this to say that we have now migrated banks. Before we used an SBS account, but the bank is no longer offering services for charities. Which means there is a new bank account number for you to give in into. As you change your bank account number, would you consider adjusting your giving and giving a bit more?

Have a generous week, everyone.

Mato.

GIVING

If you would like to contribute to HCC

Here are the new details.

You can make a donation to:

Halswell Community Church

Account: 06-0601-0867216-00

Ref: Tithes/offering

Particulars: Your Name

CHURCH SUNDAYS

The foundations of Daniel

I am very excited about this Sunday. We start our new series on Daniel. Resilient. Faith for exiles. Why the name? Because Daniel tells the story of a few Jewish exiles who had to be resilient in a foreign land over a long period of time, and their resilience was a foundation for how the rest of the Jewish exiles were to behave. Because of their resilient trust in God, they influenced a whole nation into worshipping their God, a deity that many did not even understand.

This week, we are going to be looking at the foundations of Daniel and his three friends. What had happened before that cemented their belief in God, and why did they stick to God even in very different and mostly difficult circumstances? What foundations made them stand out?

So join us as we start this very profound journey through the Daniel text.

COMMUNITY

Equipping young leaders

This past weekend, Sinead, Zack and some of our emerging leaders attended the first training. This is an event aimed at equipping young leaders who have been identified as having leadership potential and are willing to lead in the future. It encourages the attendees to be “Christ-centred leaders” and challenges them to explore their God-given leadership ability even in high school and be an example in a space that offers challenges.

The rest of the youth activities continue this week as well. Youth group, The Cashmere Project and the Halswell Connections programme.

COMMUNITY

Some of the feedback…

As we have been listening and engaging with the feedback from the conversations on the way forward at HCC, children’s ministry has features strongly. An example of some feedback is:

We really value the feedback we have been receiving and we are working on getting the children’s ministry even more ingrained into the church service. Please keep the feedback coming.

CHURCH SUNDAYS

Pentecost Sunday

This Sunday is also Pentecost Sunday. We remember the day Jesus fulfilled his promise to send us a helper, the Holy Spirit. We will be celebrating communion together.

CHURCH SUNDAYS

Plate up and AGM

Our AGM is coming up next Sunday, 15th June. We will have it just after the services. Please bring a plate to share on the day and stick around after the service. It will be a shorter service and the AGM will not last long either.

COMMUNITY

A special visitor to HCC

On the last week of June, we have the bishop from Nairobi Chapel visiting us. For those who are unfamiliar with the Nairobi Chapel, this is the church I was in before moving to NZ, and Bishop Oscar ordained me as Reverend. He is very good value. Here is a bio on him and a photo of him pouring the most amount of oil on me.

Bishop Dr Oscar Muriu is a visionary leader and seasoned church planter whose bold faith and strategic leadership have catalysed a global movement.

At just 29, he revitalised Nairobi church into what is now Nairobi Chapel—a vibrant, multiplying network of over 250 churches across Kenya, Africa, the US, Europe, Australia, and Aotearoa New Zealand.

Passionate about raising up the next generation, Bishop Oscar pioneered the Kinara Leadership Programme, through which hundreds of young leaders have been discipled and commissioned into ministry. His model, sending one leader with a team to spark growth, has proved transformative, rooted in deep discipleship, character formation, and a commitment to generational leadership. A champion of multiplying leaders, churches, and kingdom impact, Bishop Oscar embodies a global vision grounded in local mission.

His ministry offers timely inspiration for those called to lead and plant in today’s dynamic landscape. Bishop Oscar Muriu is the leader of a movement of multicultural, economically and ethnically diverse churches around the world.

Hear Bishop Oscar speak on:

Leadership development

Church Planting, and

Church Growth and Multiplication