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In the next few blog posts, we will hear from some members of our church family. Enjoy a brief background and details about each person, along with hearing how the four week imposed lockdown due to COVID-19 has affected them personally. Our hope is to draw encouragement and strength from each other as we point towards Jesus. "For God chose to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour out his anger on us. Christ died for us so that, whether we are dead or alive when he returns, we can live with him forever. So encourage each other and build each other up, just as your are already doing." -1 Thessalonians 5:9-11  Judith and her husband David.  David and Judith with their 3 kids in 1974 on the mission field. Hello, my name is Judith Stewart, wife, mother of three, and Grandma to twelve!
On leaving school I trained and worked as a Legal Secretary. Six years later, in preparation for living and working overseas with my husband and family, I became a Registered Maternity Nurse. My association with this church goes back 60 years when I first came as a young adult visiting David’s family who were founding members of the Taupo Gospel Chapel. On our return from overseas we attended for two years from 1987 to 1989, and more recently, have attended the rebranded Church@109 from December 2015 until now. COVID-19 is a strange phenomenon that has affected us deeply. It creates the necessity for isolation and separation, distance from familiar places and processes, and disconnection from those we know and love. For me, however, it is creating a unique closeness. I have hung out more than usual with my family who are spread far and wide, from throughout NZ, to Chile, to Australia. We have stayed in touch with the use of the wonderful online facilities we have available in 2020. I have had opportunities to see their faces and join in the many and varied things they are doing in lockdown. I have also attended church with them and have had the joy of seeing grandchildren online, hearing them singing and playing in the worship segments. Please don’t misunderstand me. I do not in any way minimise the devastating effects of this worldwide pandemic on society as a whole, and my heart goes out to every person, family, those in business, the list doesn’t end, where loss and suffering is resulting in physical, mental and financial hardship. But God IS the creator and sustainer of the universe. The words of a familiar song remind us...” He’s got the whole world in His hands”. He really, truly does! Isolation and resulting hardship is not a new concept for me. Most of my formative years were spent on a farm at the foot of the Kaimais, just outside Matamata, and with siblings much older and younger than me. Spending time by myself and playing alone, was normal. There was a polio epidemic when I was 6 years old, with schools closed from November to Easter. The hardship of the Depression in the mid 1940s after World War II is still etched in my memory – the scarcity we experienced made tangible by the food rationing tickets in the little blue tin high up on the mantelpiece above the coal range. This was good preparation for occasions later in my adult life when called to live in some of the most remote, primitive and isolated places in the world. There was no contact with the outside world, at times for up to 12 months or more. Shopping was once a year, if at all, and sometimes it was subsistence living with just what could be found locally: there were no shops or roads, medical facilities or hospitals, technology wasn’t a thing, and the snail mail was a long time coming, sometimes months, sometimes opened along the way, sometimes not received at all. How did I cope? Where do you turn, when all the props are gone, when all the familiar and normal things are taken away? For me it was by learning to look to the one and only constant that I knew and had committed my life to... and that was God. Clinging to promise after promise that He would watch over, protect and sustain me, no matter what my circumstances or situation, as difficulty after difficulty unfolded..... aloneness, foreign languages, sickness, fears for safety, where the next meal would come from, distancing from our children, too many goodbyes, and much more. As it all flooded over me, He showed me, day by day, year upon year, that He is faithful, trustworthy and has promised to be alongside me when everything else is stripped away. Slowly I understood more about trusting God in everything, and realised that the things that I considered important and necessary for survival, weren’t really that important. Finding strength in the simple things, the things that stay the same... the surety of the sunrise we read about in Lamentations 3:22-23. “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning, great is His faithfulness”; the wonder of a sunset; a rainbow; the majesty of the mountains; and lately, the exquisite flowers blooming in the garden outside my window; the trees changing colour and losing their leaves because it is autumn; the birds enjoying the unusual quiet of our street; the thrill of the ‘ding’ on my phone telling me a son, a daughter, a friend is thinking of me; the delight of an acquaintance becoming a friend as they send a message of hope and love. These things that stay the same and the blessings God gives us reflect His character and show Him to be good and faithful, a kind God who keeps His promises. This means that even when things go bad and I fear isolation, financial hardship and even death, I can trust that God will keep His promises and the biggest promise to me is that because of Jesus He is with me, even in death. COVID-19 in 2020 brings different challenges for different people. There are many things to help us face these challenges - the numerous facets of technology with improved communication, online shopping, the blessing of the love of family and special friends, but most important of all, the opportunity to be drawn closer to the One who is the same yesterday, today and forever (Heb 13.8). I trust you too can find comfort and strength in this same God.
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In the next few blog posts, we will hear from some members of our church family. Enjoy a brief background and details about each person, along with hearing how the four week imposed lockdown due to COVID-19 has affected them personally. Our hope is to draw encouragement and strength from each other as we point towards Jesus. "For God chose to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour out his anger on us. Christ died for us so that, whether we are dead or alive when he returns, we can live with him forever. So encourage each other and build each other up, just as your are already doing." -1 Thessalonians 5:9-11  Anna Whiteford out for a bike ride with husband Vaughn and daughters Zoe and Lara. My family and I moved from a farm in South Auckland to Taupo at the end of January this year and started at Church@109 at the same time. We have always loved Taupo, and that coupled with the lifestyle and affordability made it the best option when we were ready to buy our first home. My husband Vaughan is a mechanic and I am a stay at home mum with our two girls Zoe, 4, and Lara, 3. We haven't been here long but felt settled quickly largely due to the kindness and support from church members. Throughout the lock-down people have been checking in on us - we really appreciate it!
I don't think the lock-down has affected me as much as it has others. As a stay at home mum I'm used to spending days with the kids. But initially I was fearful of the virus and feeling uneasy about the daily changes happening - future plans were cancelled, we weren't able to see extended family and our finances were affected. Change can feel tough but it's been an opportunity to practice trusting God. There are positive changes that have come from the lock-down too. I've really enjoyed having more quality family time and getting out for walks & bike rides together. The slower pace of life has given us a chance to evaluate what really matters and what we can live without (- online shopping!!). Also, God has been speaking to me about my attitude during this time. While there is a lot I can't control, I can work on my attitude towards it all. Part of this has been limiting the news articles and social media posts I read. Philippians 4:8 (NIV) is a good guide... "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things." In the next few blog posts, we will hear from some members of our church family. Enjoy a brief background and details about each person, along with hearing how the four week imposed lockdown due to COVID-19 has affected them personally. Our hope is to draw encouragement and strength from each other as we point towards Jesus. "For God chose to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour out his anger on us. Christ died for us so that, whether we are dead or alive when he returns, we can live with him forever. So encourage each other and build each other up, just as your are already doing." -1 Thessalonians 5:9-11  Tamati is an excellent guitar player and musician. In addition to sharing his gifts at church, he often performs live at venues in town. Hi, my name is Tamati Cassidy. I shifted back here to Taupo (late October 2017) after living here in February 2006 – May 2014 and working as a full time and relief Primary School teacher. Currently I am working part time as a translator of Te Reo Māori for a mission mobile phone app and series of Bible comics. I spent 2014 to 2017 back in my home town of Mount Roskill in Auckland relief teaching and helping my brother to care for my mum.
I have been a volunteer at many things including hockey coaching, umpiring and umpire management, Children’s Holiday Camps, Easter Camps Music team leadership and Maori Wardens to name some of the things which I enjoy most. In all of my time in Taupo, I have been a member of the Church@109 family and have involved myself there with teaching the children 10 years +, along with teaching the church, playing music with the worship team, and earlier before 2017, serving as a worship leader. On two occasions I served on short term mission trips to Nairobi in Kenya and Prince Rupert in Canada. The pandemic and lockdown has taught me that God still operates and is in the know about what is happening. I have had more time to be still and to listen to good church sermons online. Also, in my daily work, I am translating and studying the life of Jesus and what He endured while He was on the earth. It has given me hope and comfort. I also appreciate my church family even more now. On the flip side this whole episode has been hard in terms of not having face to face contact with many and restricting my movement. Jesus warned of times like this and he encouraged his disciples to "Fear Not." It reminds me of Psalm 23 where the Psalmist (possibly David says) “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil, you are with me.” We are so excited to celebrate the ten year anniversary of our beloved pastor and family for our very first blog post! Let’s draw near to Andrew and his wife Laura and 5 lovely kids, Olivia, Bri, Grace, Micah, and Jade. First, let’s rewind to November 2009...
Andrew had finished 3 years of Bible college pastoral training in Adelaide, Australia. He and Laura had been married for 11 years and at this point had four kids ages 8, 7, 5, and 2. They had been renovating their home in Australia in addition to keeping up with their growing family and finishing studies. With Andrew’s history of being a builder, fixing up homes and reselling them has been a common occurrence in their lives. Andrew and Laura are both originally from Upper Hutt, Wellington and were convinced they wanted to find a job back in their home country of New Zealand. There weren’t many pastoral jobs being advertised in New Zealand, but they had been trusting God and continuing to search. Andrew heard from a friend that a church in Taupo was looking. He followed up and found out the church was called Church@109 and in early December of 2009 he flew to Taupo for an interview. Andrew was warmly welcomed by the congregation of 109, which was around 70 people at that time. He remembers the people were kind and complementary and there was a strong eldership. The early church mission emphasised showing grace and kindness to each other. He felt and received grace while he was there. He drove around town and saw all the IronMan flags and was excited about the potential of living in this beautiful town where he had gone on holiday in his younger days. During that interview weekend, he preached his first sermon at 109 and it was on Psalm 121. I lift up my eyes to the hills-- where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip-- he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD watches over you-- the LORD is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD will keep you from all harm-- he will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. He left excited about the job in Taupo at the church with the funny roof. Andrew shared his excitement with Laura and family back in Australia, and they finished up work on their house in preparation for a future sale and feeling hopeful about the job. A couple months later he found out he received the job and the Hiltons excitedly moved to Taupo. Andrew and Laura realized while doing this interview what a step of faith it was for the church to hire him full time at that point. He thought he might start out at part time, but the church wanted him full time and trusted God they could support him in that role. They arrived around Easter of 2010 and loved the church and the people right from the start. Pete and Margaret Barry helped them find a place to live and became “local grandparents” to the kids. Laura remembers the first Sunday people were so excited to have them; Ann McGregor hugged her and had tears of relief in her eyes that the Hiltons had come. What a joy the last ten years have been for everyone involved. Andrew and Laura have both enjoyed the depth of relationship at church that has formed through the years. They can find their best friends there. In those last 10 years, many new people have become a part of the church family, there are currently about 180 people that attend. That building with the funny roof has been renovated on the inside and on the grounds outside. Kids have grown up and learned more about God through many Kids Under Construction classes, and so many have drawn closer to the Lord and discovered Him for the first time through God’s grace at Church@109. The church family @109 has been blessed by the Biblical, humble teaching and leadership of Andrew. Laura started out playing in the background of the worship team on guitar and for the last five years or so has taken a leadership role on that team. She now shares her wisdom and honesty with us up front while leading us in powerful worship. The three older girls share their musical talent up front or serve in the back with the worship team. Micah and Jade, their younger two children, bring joy and fun to their Kids Under Construction classes and can be seen helping out in a variety of ways. As Andrew and Laura look to the future of 109, they prayerfully hope to better fulfill the mission to share Christ with the world and specifically with the people in Taupo. They hope to see an increase in pastoral care, and to support more missions. They look forward to building more relationships as the church continues to grow. Thank you Lord for 10 wonderful years with the Hilton family, may there be many more to come. |
Church@109Our hope with this blog is that we can hear from different voices in our church. May we chose to draw near to God and be inspired by each other. Archives
October 2022
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