Kia ora koutou whanau

As we continue our journey of seeking to understand what ‘blessed are

the poor’ means, we saw last Sunday that Jesus’ sermon (from Luke 6

and Matthew 5) that we call the Beatitudes reveals God’s true reality,

and at the same time confronts today’s values that don’t align with this.

We saw how the poor, the marginalised ‘get this.’ I think the words of

Graham Cooke that I read this morning from his book ‘Radical

Perceptions’ are relevant in this process of transformation:

“We are in the process of learning how to put off our old nature and put

on the new nature of Jesus. The old nature is a product of our

environment, upbringing, contact with a worldly system of values and

our learned behaviours. We take on board negative experiences and

traumatic occasions and treat them as though they are the truth about

us for all time. The old self, until it is replaced in our experience, carries

some weight in our personality, it supplies the head-noise, the

background tape that runs on a loop incessantly in our thinking. When

situations arise that are difficult for us, the button gets pressed and the

old messages about ourselves get played.

The new nature is a product of Heaven. It is the way that God thinks

about us in Christ. He has nothing but approval for us because that’s

why He put us into Christ in the first place. So that we could always be

accepted in the Beloved (Eph 1:6). The Lord has a way of thinking about

us that builds us up, empowers us to grow, and causes us to be

constantly renewed in the Spirit.”

The new nature is a product of Heaven! YES, that’s who we are, sons

and daughters of an outrageously generous and loving God - His image

bearers, His heart, hands, feet in the earth today. Walking in humility,

meekness, poverty of spirit, which is the true measure of the victorious

saint!

Be blessed and continue to be a blessing!

Arohanui

Donald

Issue 10 2016 (Published Fortnightly)

Sunday Services:

THIS SUNDAY 29 May

10am—Northcity

Donald and special guests.

Luke 6-Blessed are the poor.

6pm—Northcity

Chelsea from World Vision

NEXT SUNDAY 05 June

10am—Northcity

Chris Parsons

6pm—Northcity

No service

1

General Notices 2-3

Other Organisation Notices 3

Connect Groups 4

Rosters 4

IN THIS ISSUE

Coming Up:

06 June

Queen’s Birthday

12 June

Guest speaker-Chris Clarke at

both morning and night

services

19June

New to Northcity lunch

03 July

Book Club

18 September

Render

2

Render 2016

After the success of last year's Render event and the buy in we received, we excited to be doing it again this year. For those who weren't here, Render is an interactive, creative arts event where we, as whanau, express and explore our faith through the creative arts.

This year Render will be on the afternoon of Sunday Sept 18, so lock it in your diaries so you don't double book yourselves, whether you will be submitting something or coming to experience God through the contributions of others. We will be getting together over the next few weeks to plan for this year's event, so keep your eyes and ears open for details to emerge of the theme and parameters for this year's event and get ready to get creative!

The Great Sort Out!

A MASSIVE thank you to everybody who helped on Saturday at The Great Sort Out. Karla said they managed to get

through 3 days worth of sorting in 2.5 hours!

Don’t forget to pop down to the new Make Me New store at 356 Main North Rd.

As part of being a people of hospitality, the night service team would like to have baking at night services but they need help! If you have baking skills and could offer to bake something semi-regularly, or even as a once off, please contact Kim at kimberlea.brown@gmail.com

Mmmm baking Guest speaker– Chris Clarke

On Sunday the 12th of June at both

morning and night services, we have

a wonderful and inspiring guest

speaker coming to share

testimonies from his journey with

World Vision.

Chris Clarke is the current CEO of

World Vision and has been passionately working for them since

2010. Come and hear stories from around the world and hear

how we can all be a part of changing the world.

Chch airport marathon

The Christchurch Airport Marathon is on Sunday the 5th, Queens

birthday weekend. Have a look at the attached PDF if you are

worried about crossing the route on your way to church or other

activities as there will be some road closures.

Entertainment books for Zion Studios

Don’t

forget,

books are

now

available in

the main

office!

Delicious hot food

and baking, Prepared

and sold Bootcamp

Café this Sunday

EFTPOS available

Fundraising for Syrian

refugees

3

Book Club with Donald Join us on Sunday the 3rd of July at 6pm at

Northcity to discuss The Insect and the

Buffalo. Read the book at your own pace and

then come together to chat about what hit

you the most. And of course have a cup of

tea and some baking too.

Don’t forget to grab your copy of the book

for only $12 from the church office or at

Sunday services.

We are also after a new Book Club name! If you have an idea, let us

know!

#Kidsmatter Quiz and Charity Auction

Get your team booked in now! For the 25th of June!

It will be a great night of fun, facts and laughter, all while sup-

porting an amazing cause.

Cost $15 per head. Maximum 6 per table. To secure your table please email: kidsmatter@northcity.co.nz with team name, number of people, contact details and the date and method you have paid for the tickets (e.g. internet banking, EFTPOS at Northcity Church). For online direct bank payments please pay to bank account 02 0816 0113227 00, enter 'Kids Matter' in the Particulars field and your team's name in the reference field.

Notices for the Newsletter We are happy to included notices for our Northcity

whanau and local community organisations in this

fortnightly newsletter.

Please send your requests via email by 10:00am each

second Wednesday (or earlier in the week if possible)

to welcome@northcity.co.nz.

We will endeavor to include your notice as written, but

may, on occasion need to edit it to fit in the space

4

Jesus had a small group of people (disciples) that he

taught regularly - not just on Sunday. Sunday worship

gatherings are not all that Northcity is about. We

have a number of small groups called Connect

Groups which are one of the major ways we express

what it is to be the whanau of God. Northcity Church is the people and not a

building; connecting with each other so we can better connect with God is an

important part of who we are.

Currently, our Connect Groups are held:

Wednesday 10:00am Northcity Café (women) Janice Scott

Wednesday 7.30pm Russley (mixed adults) Kathryn Wilson

Wednesday 7:30pm Redwood (mixed adults) James & Kathy Duncan

Wednesday 7:30pm Casebrook (mixed adults) Rod & Lisa Cameron

Wednesday 7:30pm Bishopdale (mixed adults) Craig and Kahla Brooks

Wednesday 7:30pm Harewood (young adults) Esther & Nathan Schwartfeger

Wednesday 7:30pm Redwood (young adults) Hamish and Jo Read

Thursday 7:30pm Northwood (mixed adults) Jeremy & Charleen Chan

Youth Groups: Friday 7-9pm weekly Frontline (high school age) Rachael Prior Friday 7-9pm fortnightly Bootcamp (intermediate age) Craig & Kahla Brooks (Generally held at Northcity church. Regular weekly cost = $2 per person, may be additional event costs)

Highway Church: Thursday 7:00pm Meeting weekly for prayer, worship & discipleship at the home

of Dominic and Emma Chilvers in Rangiora

Connect Groups

Thank you!

to all who give generously to

Northcity.

Please note that in order for us

to provide a tax receipt which

allows you to claim back a third

of all you give us, we need to

record your offerings using our

tithe record system. You are

allocated a number to identify

your giving, which removes the

need to record your name.

Please ensure that you supply

this number with any payment

made. If you have not been

assigned a tithe number or

can't remember it please

contact Barb in the Northcity

office or check with the

EFTPOS operator on Sunday

mornings.

Tithe envelopes can be found

by the EFTPOS machine in the

auditorium. Northcity’s bank

account number for online or

automatic bank payments is

02 0816 0113227 000

Service 29 May 5 June 12 June 19 June

10am Duty

Group Duncan Camerons Chan Schwartfeger

10am Welcome Raewyn and Wynton Bell Kathryn Wilson and Blair Ashdowne

Kathryn Wilson and Blair Ashdowne

Jono and Shannon Scott

10am Host

Manager Nigel Wilson Mike Gilligan Mike Gilligan Rod Cameron

10am EFTPOS Edwin Edmonds Barb Watson Barb Watson Barb Watson

10am Lunch Bootcamp Northgate 0 Zion

10am Barista Zane and Michael Sara Tim Toby and Toby

10am Crèche Blair & Emily Ashdowne; Ashley Freeman

Blair & Emily Ashdowne; Gabrielle Gibb-Faumuina

Dave & Claire Thompson; Anastasia Wilson

Dave & Claire Thompson;

10am Spark Charlotte McAuley's team Aaron's team Aaron's team Aaron's team

10am Boot Camp Heather & Sarah Peter & Isaac Peter & Isaac Peter & Isaac

6pm Welcome &

Kitchen Caleb & Harriet Scott TBA TBA TBA

Sunday Service Rosters

Thank you to those who volunteer for our service rosters each week, you are a vital part of our ability to

function as we feel called to do. We would love to speak to anyone else who feels at any time that they

may like to help in a rostered area. Please approach Andy or Barb in the first instance.

We’d love to help you find a group that you can connect with. For more info

please contact Andy Dickson on 375-0850 or email welcome@northcity.co.nz