Monthly Archives: February 2012

The three NZCMS Haerenga interns for 2012! Sam Tovey, Ollie Alexander and Kathryn Kennerley will join two Church Army interns in Auckland next week to begin the first phase of their 10 month mission internship.
The Haerenga Mission Internship is designed to develop young people in Christ and train them in God’s mission. Each part of the internship is designed to challenge and grow participants as they discover God’s work both here in New Zealand and overseas. Interns will spend four months in Auckland on a discipleship and Biblical training course (in conjunction with Laidlaw College) before heading to Fiji in June to put their learning into practice. So, who are Sam, Ollie and Kathryn? Click here to find out more…

Was early mission to New Zealand a triumph of the gospel or a tragic legacy for modern NZ missionaries to be ashamed of?

Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from Keith Newman, the author of ‘Bible and Treaty’ as he brings a fresh and well researched perspective on the role of early missionaries in New Zealand.

When: Saturday 24th March, 7.30pm
Where: St Augustine’s, Cashmere (5 Cracroft Tce)

If you’re an avid NZCMS supporter here’s something just for you…

The NZCMS 119th Annual General Meeting will begin at 5.30pm and will be followed by a shared meal (6.30pm), then the above meeting (7.30pm).

Agenda for the AGM is as follows:
•    Welcome and Opening Prayer
•    Greetings and Apologies
•    Minutes of the 118th Annual General Meeting
•    Annual Report
•    Income and Expenditure Report
•    Appointment of Auditor
•    Appointment of Honorary Life Members
•    Closing Prayer

Hope International School in Cambodia has a number of positions available for the start of the new Asian school year in August.

Phnom Penh Campus
3 X Elementary/Primary Teachers
1 X High School History Teacher
1 X High School Geography Teacher
1 X High School English Teacher
1 X Middle School English Teacher
1 X Chemistry and/or Physics Teacher
1 X Librarian
1 X PA to the Director
1 X Human Resource Manager
1 X Home School Support Consultant

Siem Reap Campus
1 X Elementary/Primary Teacher  – Siem Reap

All the details for these jobs are on both www.hopeschool-cambodia.org as well as http://missionteach.com.

We’re pleased to introduce you to the lovely Anne Allen, our new Office and Finance Manager. Anne will be joining the NZCMS staff team next week, and is excited to use her admin and organisational prowess to serve the NZCMS family.

Anne has a wealth of experience in admin and has worked for St Saviour’s Church (Sydenham/Beckenham Christchurch), Hillview Christian School and most recently, a luxury day spa. Anne is a looking forward to melding her love for all things admin with her passion for all things mission. She’s always loved to travel and enjoys meeting people from different cultures. Please pray for Anne as she settles in and for the office staff as they learn to work together as a team.

A Middle East Concern report calls for Christians around the world to pray for the church in Iran. This request for prayer follows further pressure on officially registered churches and house churches within the nation. A Tehran-based church leader has recently been arrested.  Several other churches in the area, along with their pastors and members, have come under pressure from authorities to stop services. Please pray for those who have been arrested and detained, that they would know the peace and presence of the Lord Jesus and be released soon. Please pray for provision for those who have lost jobs and vital income because of their faith in Jesus. Pray for all officials involved to love mercy, act justly, learn about Jesus and choose to follow him.

For more information check out: www.meconcern.org

Encounter Vanuatu is coming up…and fast! NZCMS is sending a youth Encounter Team over to this beautiful country in April (11^th – 22^nd) and we’re looking for one more leader (i.e. already a youth group leader in their home church) and two more team members (aged 16-18).

Encounter trips are unique mission experiences which allow members to explore what it means to participate in cross cultural ministry. Team members get the chance to move out of their comfort zone and work alongside experienced missionaries to learn more about their everyday lives. All the info can be found here on our website or by contacting Anna Tovey for more details.

Sorry! We accidentally mixed up the locations of a few notices in last week’s Interchange. The NZCMS Christchurch meeting on the 18^th of February will be held at St Silas’, Redwood. The NZCMS Support group meeting (Christchurch) on the 2^nd of March will be held at St Christopher’s, Avonhead. Sorry for any confusion this mix up caused.

NZCMS Mission Partners Féy and Murray Cotter returned to serve in Albania at the beginning of 2011. Their ministry involves working alongside a local pastor in Lushnje, a city of about 65,000 people. Féy gives us a glimpse of how the church is reaching out to those in need in their community.   

“The church in Lushnje has been involved in outreach to the local neighbourhood for a number of years now in many different ways, including Bible studies and various outreach ministries. For the past few years a group from the UK has been coming to Lushnje a couple of times a year to run a week of morning programmes for special needs children and young adults. This aims to meet the needs of a marginalised group in the community, and to demonstrate the love of Jesus in action.

“It’s taken a few years for the ministry to develop, but with Murray’s support and encouragement, a number of church members have picked up on this ministry and together they are running a weekly ‘Special Needs’ programme. Not only is this good for the children/young adults, but it also provides the families with a support network with others who are in similar situations. One of the families from the nearby village of Saver now attends church regularly and is bringing neighbours along. A solo mum from the group has also become part of the church, and she has been able to join a weekly women’s meeting. Please pray for us and the team at Lushnje as we seek to disciple these families.”

Short, sharp, snippets of news to keep you updated.

• Pray for NZCMS Mission Partners Iri and Kate Mato as they leave New Zealand this week. They’ll be spending a week in Cairo with Bishop Mouneer before moving on to their placement in Gambella, Ethiopia.
• Returned NZCMS Mission Partner Robyn Appleby is now settled in at St John’s College in Auckland, where she’ll spend the next year studying.
• Returned gap year student Jennie Ozumba would value your prayers as she settles in to life in Auckland after spending 2011 in Nairobi, Kenya, as a communications intern at International Justice Mission. Please pay for Jennie as she explores ways to continue her education and experience in the human rights and justice field.
• NZCMS National Director Steve Maina is in Pakistan this week on a pastoral visit. Give thanks for the opportunity to catch up with partners in this area of the world.