Looking Ahead in 2020

I'm excited as I look to the year ahead at East Taieri Church.  I have written down a few of the things that I expect to be highlights.

Discipleship & Leadership Development

·         Growing resilient disciples who can thrive in post-Christian NZ.  Using insights from World Vision and Barna Group research published in “Faith For Exiles” by David Kinnaman.

·         We will honour the work of Christians in all fields (not just in “church ministry).

·         New Courses in the ET School of Ministry: Kingdom of God; What’s the Story? (faith sharing); …  We are also interested in combining resources with other churches running ministry/discipleship courses.

·         ET Leadership Summit: Fresh, actionable, inspiring leadership training from world class speakers on DVD.   29^th Feb 2020.

·         Our Ministry Conference 12-14th May will have RZIM's successor to Ravi Zacharias - Michael Ramsden speaking.  Our theme is: Tough Questions in Ministry Today - Standing for God and for truth and grace in a post-Christian world.  This is a huge opportunity to raise confidence in the gospel in NZ today.  Christians from all around the South Island will be attending.

Worship

·         Experiment with a new pattern of worship at 10am called “Mosaic” connecting with people’s different learning styles and ways of experiencing Jesus.

Evangelism

·         Alpha will again give us opportunity to see friends and family come to faith.  Dinner is Sunday July 26^th.

·         Training people in sharing their faith in a natural way (What’s the Story?)

·         Christmas Eve will be an event to invite our community to hear the good news of the Saviour’s birth.

·         We will develop practical 1x1=1000 ideas such as printing 1000 bibles to be given away by ET people .

Staff and Leadership

·         We look forward to our new youth worker, Larissa Pearce, starting in January.  She will be working 30hrs/wk.

·         We will recruit our new associate pastor!

·         SHFT will seek a second youth worker and an intern.

·         If we can’t afford a children and families worker, we will direct other leadership resources to this crucial area.

·         Recruit two new elders.

Mission Facilities

·         The mission facilities group will bring a recommendation for the first step with new buildings arising from our concept plan. 

·         We will formulate a funding plan for this project.

Mission with our Community

·         Community on the Coast – getting involved in what God is doing on the coast.  Meeting neighbours, meeting together, Kai on the Coast shared meal.

·         We will have wider reaching impact in combating loneliness through partnerships with Neighbourhood Support and others.

·         We will grow our work with Taieri College.

Global Missions

·         We will continue to actively support God’s work through Malawi, Egypt and Thailand and through World Vision and TEARFund.

·         We will support Erica Aarsen as she prepares to leave as a missionary with SIM to South Sudan.