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Archive for March, 2010

Volunteering makes you cooler!

Tuesday, March 30th, 2010

And I hear it helps kit out your spot in heaven (just what I heard, no biblical grounding???) so come volunteer with us next week at a Recreate Youth camp, we just need a couple more people who are keen to come from Tuesday to Friday and hang out with some of the coolest young people you’ve ever met. All expenses covered, fun activities including sand duning, abseiling, kayaking, a medieval banquet and all in all a great 4 day break with amazing people.

Interested?? Contact Rob Byrne

027615521
or recreate.rob@gmail.com

Do it!

zero to fives.

Tuesday, March 30th, 2010

The other day my four year old daughter came home from The Hive treasuring in her hands a plastic cup covered in brightly coloured cellophane, which had a little candle inside. “Light this Mum when we go to bed and I will tell you what Jesus says”…it was a ‘stained glass’ prayer candle for remembering Bible verses taught in The Hive…

It constantly amazes me the kind of things that capture kid’s imaginations. Every night the candle has to be lit, and every night you can hear sheer delight in her voice as she gets to speak, and then blow out the candle in front of her captive audience.

What happens on Sundays in the children’s rooms significantly impacts kids lives, and those of their families and friends. And we urgently need your help as the children’s rooms are growing!

Volunteers in the 0-5 age group wanted.
See Sacha Donovan or email the Edge office and let us know you want to help.

Thanks. Sacha d.

Grow your own, together

Monday, March 29th, 2010

This is part of my vege garden, taken a month ago. Unfortunately it doesn’t look this good at the moment, but let’s just pretend it does for the sake of this post. At this point you may be wondering why my vege garden gets special mention on the Edge Kingsland blog. Well, here are a few profound spiritual reasons why I love gardening and think you should too:

When I garden, I’m reminded of God as Creator. Of his power, but also his gentle care. I feel like I’m partnering with him, co-creating and nurturing his world.

I find I’m more in touch with the seasons, the natural flow of life. It helps me recognise and accept the seasons in my own life.

Henri Nouwen writes that “the whole of nature is a sacrament pointing to a reality far beyond itself.” A sacrament is something sacred that reveals God’s grace to us. Familiar sacraments to us are the Eucharist and baptism. The idea of creation as sacrament is that we can witness something of God in what he has made.

Spiritual musings aside…

I love the process of learning to grow my own food. I love getting my hands dirty and seeing what I can create and produce (and eat). It’s fun. What’s even better is getting around other people who are just as nerdy about gardening as me and sharing ideas (and food).

Every now and then, those of us who are interested in gardening are planning to meet at someone’s house for a cuppa, a chat, and to have a nosey at their garden. Maybe even go on some other field trips. Would you be keen for this? Perhaps you are an expert already – we need your wisdom! Perhaps you are a total beginner – we can help you! So, come and talk to me sometime.

Missions

Friday, March 26th, 2010

As we approach Easter, we reflect on the cross, the gift of salvation that Jesus gave and the wonder of his resurrection. The weeks following this coming easter paralleled the time that Jesus appeared to the disciples for forty days before he ascended to sit at the right hand of God. Consider the conversations that took place as Jesus appeared after raising from the dead to his disciples.

A key conversation that comes to mind is that of The Great Commission.
Jesus’ last words before he ascended went something like this… “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to all the ends of the earth.”

To all the ends of the earth huh? We as believers here in New Zealand (the ends of the earth) are already blessed beyond measure because of the generations before us who responded to this call to go and be sent by God. I long to see a reawakening of The Great Commission and a greater response to this call in my heart and the hearts of those around me.

I can significantly recall moments of power when the Holy Spirit came upon me, during the times when I responded to this invitation to be sent into the ends of the earth. Moments I may have never experienced in the comforts of Aotearoa. These moments have shaped my perspectives in how I do life and help me determine what is important which still influence me to this day.

Follow the Edge Kingsland blog, as over the next forty-ish days we are going to reengage with Jesus again in conversation around The Great Commission. We will also be posting snippets and sharing them on Sundays of these moments that people have experienced who have been apart of an overseas mission. These are purposed to capture your imagination in what it might look like for you to respond to this call to go and be Jesus’s witness in another nation. If it does we invite you to a discussion in how we may outwork this together.

Discussion 1: Sunday May 2nd 1pm, Upstairs room, Crucial Traders, Kingsland

Nicola

Wise builders go to School!!

Thursday, March 25th, 2010

Jesus said that to be like a wise builder (as opposed to a foolish one) we must hear his words and put them into practice…but if you’re anything like me, sometimes interpreting how the Bible applies directly to our lives is harder to do than one might think! How do we take something written so long ago in a different time and place and apply it now?

If you want help to navigate these sorts of questions, head along to School this Saturday morning (10-12) and hear from Nigel Dixon as he gives us some insight in interpreting and applying the Bible appropriately.

What’s this? School on the weekend?

Wednesday, March 24th, 2010

This Saturday our four week ‘School’ series on the Bible finishes up, with the final class to be taken by Nigel Dixon.
School will be in session from 10am-midday in the Edge cafe.

Nigel is a brilliant teacher, and one of the real treasures of the LinkNZ network.
He will be taking us on a journey into the Scriptures, to learn how we can uncover the meaning in what has been written, and how to apply that in our own lives. There will be plenty of time to ask him questions, and so it should be a lot of fun.

If you are interested in attending then please let the Edge offices know so that we can plan accordingly. Rumour has it that coffee and fresh baking will also be on offer…

Look forward to seeing you there!

At Home in the Bible – Son of Man

Wednesday, March 24th, 2010

Growing up, I always wondered why Jesus is referred to as ‘the Son of Man’. What the heck is that all about? Not only is this a name for Jesus in the gospels, but it is the second most common title for him other than ‘Jesus’ itself. Interestingly, it is something he actually calls himself, and the only time we find it on the lips of others is when they are quoting Jesus’ own words back to him (John 12:34). So what is it all about? And why did he like it so much?

At face value, one who is a son of man is simply a human. Modern translations like the TNIV translate the phrase ‘son of man’ in Psalm 8 as ‘mere mortals’. But Jesus isn’t just a son of man, he is the Son of Man…so is there a difference?

In Daniel 7, Daniel records a vision, and part of that vision is “one like a son of man” approaching God (who he calls the ‘Ancient of Days’). And Daniel writes that this ‘son of man’…“was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed” (Dan 7:14). This son of man was humanity’s representative before God…

In Daniel’s vision it is clearly ‘a’ son of man…so why does Jesus call himself ‘the’ Son of Man? He is in fact pointing to this vision and saying, ‘Hey guys…I’m it! I am not only a human…I’m that one!’ Jesus claimed to be the human who would approach God the Father on our behalf…the one with all authority, glory and power whom all the nations of the earth would worship. And yet he also taught his disciples that “the Son of Man must suffer many things…and that he must be killed and after three days rise again”. How remarkable that this man, this Son of Man, who had all authority and glory and power, would suffer and die so that he could be our representative before God…

So whenever you read “the Son of Man”, pause a moment and reflect on Jesus…the Son of Man who is still approaching God the Father on our behalf!

here’s my 2.0

Thursday, March 18th, 2010

hey team,

so it’s been a while, but finally our little ol’ album’s available on the interweb.

we’re on iTunes. just search for Edge Kingsland in your iTunes store, or head here:

http://itunes.apple.com/nz/album/coda/id361817176?i=361817779&ign-mpt=uo%3D6

if you’re not into iTunes, you can also get it for download here:

http://cdbaby.com/cd/EdgeKingsland

(CD Baby is in US$)

otherwise, we’ve still got plenty of physical albums in stock.

all the info is here:

http://heresmyhome.co.nz

go tell the people the good news.

What Would Jesus Download?

and thanks for listening.

City Lights- Kowhai Intermediate

Monday, March 15th, 2010

Lights around the city of Auckland.

Sunday, March 14th, 2010

We talk a lot about Community. It’s one of the Church’s favourite words! And we do it well, but it’s incomplete if it doesn’t include genuine relational involvement with those who live and work around our family home.

City Lights is one of those wonderful opportunities to engage with the community
around us, and do it together. It might involve a paint brush, a broom, spade and a lawnmower, but if it’s a job done that makes someone elses life easier, then it’s got to be a good thing.

Someone old and famous said, ‘Preach the Gospel, and if you have to, use words’.

Great gospel weekend Edge.

Check out the photos above…