Sept 1st 2011
Ten days ago I stood with Dale and her family at the crematorium to say our farewell to her dad and to pronounce the final committal, ‘I now commit you Allan Stuart Roberts , a great husband,father,grandfather and friend ,into the hands of God, dust to dust,ashes to ashes in a sure and certain hope of the resurrection’. A committal that I, as a church leader, have done many times. A committal that always stops me in my steps and makes me reflect.
Prior to that it had been a busy few days, sitting around a open casket, seeing friends, tears , laughter, sharing memories and silences together. All this followed up by conducting a large farewell service, peoples’ goodbyes, the committal at the crematorium and then the cold reality of walking back into the crowded world with all its agendas , plans and conversation.
As I stood over the coffin and said my final goodbyes I was aware of the ‘earthy’ faith that Allan had carried and left to us all. His days were started with a bible reading and prayer, a simple act of dependence on his God. Life was then full of work, sport, choir, children and grandchildren, gardening, work around the church or for some needy person and of course the garage with his wood turning lathes and equipment that would buzz away with radio sport fighting to be heard in the background.
You could easily walk past Allan in life and miss the significance a life well lived for his God,family and friends. A life that believed,doubted,won and lost- a life that expected the best but at times accepted the worst, a life that was as comfortable with his hands dirty with dust or with his voice lifted in song.
Church was never missed, and not to be too loud or emotional. It was a cornerstone in his life and gave his many activities a natural spirituality , a kind of essence that joined and covered all of life and its demands in a real and natural way. It was the kind of faith that Eugene Peterson calls the ‘thisness’ and ‘hereness’ of faith, one that is lived out in the here and now. A life well lived. A life of faith A life lived not in the abstract and general but a faith that you could see and touch and own.
As I looked around the crowded room I realised it was full of people from a variety of sports clubs, business people, charities he worked for, friends and a group from his church. A company of people that came to celebrate and reflect upon the life of a reserved and thoughtful man, a man who had affected more people than any of us had ever realised. A life I am grateful to have been so challenged by. A life in which the sacred and secular lived at peace and rest with each other. A life that invites me to learn from.
LinkNZ events:
Signs of Life Festival starts tonight- will be amazing and a real tribute to Edge for 12 yrs of passionate pursuit of God .Go the great people in Edge that are part of this event.
Barney and Janette Coombs with us throughout NZ from 22 Sept till 3 October. Don’t miss the Equips – Gen2Gen in your area as they really will be special times. They have served Dale and I and the churches here in NZ for over 30yrs and have been a very special gift to us as a network over the years.
National church offering: Its been great to see most churches have already taken up offerings with the rest doing so by this Sunday. It really is so encouraging to see the generosity and buy in from the LinkNZ churches again at this time.
Leaders needed: There are now several churches in the LinkNZ network that are working through senior leadership transitions and are asking me and the apostolic team to help in that process by suggesting possible people from within LinkNZ churches that may be able to step up and fill these spaces. Please contact me if you have possible people that could take up the call and challenge to lead.
Thanks: The txt messages,flowers,food and care you have shown us a family at this time-love this family of churches.
World cup:Go the ABs -please!
Blessings from our place
Fraser and Dale
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July 27th
Hi good people
I have found a love and longing for Aotearoa NZ ,over 2011, as never before-to see her alive and free in all that God has dreamed and destined in His heart for her.
Reading ‘the Bible and Treaty’ by Keith Newman and listening to speakers at our Equip weekends, and reading and praying over this theme, has convinced me that this is not just a fleeting fad or subject for me but a deep stirring of the Spirit to uncover riches still hidden in our land, culture and my journey as a leader.
I was reading William Williams [ a new pioneer hero for me – an early missionary who paid a massive cost to missionally live out the gospel in our land] who was writing back to England in the 1830s and he wrote ‘ A great work has been accomplished in which the hand of the Lord has been signally manifest. It has not been through the labour of your missionaries ; for the word has only been preached by native teachers. We had literally stood still to see the salvation of God’.
Another wrote ‘ As chiefs and tohunga [priest or skilled leader] alike made their commitment christianity grew in credibility and mana along the East Coast’.
In 1833 a Maori convert ,on receiving the Maori New Testament said’ Our hearts are sick for the word of God; we desire it more than axes, hatchets or blankets.’
Something in the journey of this land excites, encourages and inspires me to believe for nothing less in our days in this nation – now such a multi cultured mix of people.
I encourage all to read this book and also Keith Newman’s book on ‘Ratana the prophet’ which gives us insight into the prophetic seeds that help define us as a nation and church.
I’m looking forward to having Barney and Janette Coombs with us in NZ from Sept 20th – Oct 3rd. We are shaping the Equip series under the tag of ‘Gen2Gen ‘ and will be looking at a variety of people inputting into this from both young and older generations. Based out of Psalm 145: 4′ One generation commends your works to the next’. Its great to have fathers and mothers who have paved the way for so many of us to inherit what we now enjoy . I still remember the early times of Barney’s visits over 30 yrs ago when the church was still in turmoil over issues like raising hands, speaking in tongues and how they helped to break us as churches into greater freedom and life. Legends that have a great place in our lives.See dates and information on our web page www.linknz.org.nz
We take up our national LinkNZ offering up this weekend [ or soon] so looking forward to seeing the kindness and generosity of God’s people at work. Such a great people up and down this land.
Situations vacant: We now have 4 LinkNZ churches that are looking into transitioning senior leaders in the next season . We hope to be able to call up leaders from within the LinkNZ network ,who have been trained through CVT ,or are leaders waiting for further challenges. Let us know if you have people willing, able and gifted to consider such challenges. Exciting times.
Signs of Life – 1-3 Sept is Edge Kingslands Prophetic and Worship Festival. Book early as all indications are that it will be booked out. See Edge site for details
Church Planting Day: It was great to have 10 people along to a discussion Graeme Brock and I had here in the northern region with possible church planters. it was a really encouraging time to tell the stories and ask questions about future possibilities of church plants. We must do it again soon.
Central Elders/ Leaders/ Trustees day was held in June where a full room of leaders from the LinkNZ central region turned up to be inspired, taught and encouraged in their roles as elders and trustees. A superb job was done by Geoff and the central team. The room had a really good buzz to it.
Let me finish on this observation. I have recently sat in on several conferences, run by friends, who asked me to attend and enjoy their specific networks. It always amazes me how different we as networks are and yet actually how close we are in our passion to see God have His place in our land. From smoke and flashing lights to casual and informal the church is such a wonderful taonga [ treasured possession] that in all her interesting quirks and ways is set apart to be such good news into this land of ours. I am so honored to be part of His hope for this nation.
Blessings
Fraser and Dale Hardy
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June 1st
Hi team ,
Im just about to have a normal week. You know, one of those weeks where you are able to look at your diary and realise its going to be alright. No travel, no extra meetings, no emergency events to fill in on! Yep just a wonderful and liberating ‘normal’. A chance to ring leaders, read a backlog of material, prepare a new series Im working on and and write a blog.I like normal.
So hope you are having a ‘normal’ week and glad for its place in your world.
Our new Equip series on ‘The Gospel Story in Aotearoa’ has started in Christchurch with a great outcome . People loved the inspiration, challenge and hope the time gave them. The team were brilliant so look forward to them in the central and northern regions.
I have been recently reading with our CVT students ‘The Bible and Treaty’ by Keith Newman and really enjoying it. All leaders MUST be engaged in books such as these in order to give us a factual and inspiring backdrop to the gospel message in this nation’s journey.
I again enjoyed reading of captain Cook’s journey ‘down under’, using notes and charts from the Spanish adventurer de Quiros, who had broadly named the territory the ‘Southern land of the Holy Ghost’ .
May the reality of the ongoing workings of the Spirit in Aotearoa inspire us all as we lead in this land.
Go well
Dale and I cheer you on
Fraser and Dale
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‘ I enclose a clip sent to me of the new testament coming to a new culture’.I was moved by it so have a look and tell me what you thought .-Fraser
What Does It Look Like to Receive the New Testament for the First Time? – Justin Taylor
http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justintaylor/2011/03/03/what-does-it-look-like-to-receive-the-new-testament-for-the-first-time/ <http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justintaylor/2011/03/03/what-does-it-look-like-to-receive-the-new-testament-for-the-first-time/>
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May 5th
Hi good people,
If you haven’t already heard CVT week was so, so good . As they say ‘it went off’!
Not only were we full with new students from all around NZ but the vibe present was so good.Donald’s leadership gave such a place for the apostolic team and others to speak into the week .
Good Spirit life, some sovereign God encounters and the connections made of our next generation leaders was very special.
Thanks again to all the senior leaders who came, supported us and ongoingly mentor their students over the year. It gives us great confidence for the future.
Its impossible to say what was a ‘tipping point ’ in the week as each session added, challenged, stretched and instructed so amazingly. The pastoral ,prophetic, teaching and missional strands all came together to present a compelling and challenging call for students to rise up into.
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March 4th
Hi friends,
I am presently at Northcity serving food to people and talking to some of the people who have come in from the community for comfort and help. Although this specific area has not been badly hit this time the overshadowing scope of the earthquakes impact and ongoing ramifications is so severe and real.
I drove around with Donald and Janice last night to see some of the badly impacted areas and the enormity of what has happened is severe. We stopped at a home in the badly affected Brighton area where a neighbor came out and gladly received prayer as she was in such shock over the situation with no power, use of toilet, oven etc.
I have just been speaking to a business guy who has no choice but to quit his income source now and look for new possibilities. He loves the Lord and is part of the church here yet is impacted by the consequences of the two earthquakes.
An Indian guy who has no connection with church has been here cooking sausages and helping .He just spoke to Donald and was amazed at this amazing church, so friendly who are helping this community. He like many who don’t know the Lord are also such generous and caring people wanting to share in the needs around them. Kindness and love is not just the churches domain but locked into the hearts of humanity.
It appears to be the culminative affect of the two quakes that could make this so challenging.
None of the homes affected from the last quake have as yet been able to be fixed as the city is still waiting for the first aftershocks to stop .This is going to be a long and slow process .
I can see the church in Christchurch positioned for some remarkable days ahead as they continue to serve and care for their communities which will find massive challenges facing them in the days ahead.
Thanks to all who have given, prayed , sent teams and generally kept in touch with the church here. It has been encouraging that even the Salt and Light based churches in England have sent thousands of dollars while the churches in USA and Canada are also taking up offerings to help.
The church is such a beautiful and generous people in this season.
My love to you all
Blessings from Christchurch
Fraser
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Mar 1st
Christchurch:
Its been hard to believe the scale of the tragedy our friends in Christchurch are facing at the moment. The scenes from TV can only reveal some of the aftermath of such an event but for those who are walking through this their lives will for ever be marked in some ways by these days.
The reports from Donald and Janice there are starting to reveal a level of brokenness that is hard to believe. The present reality they face is very real.
In the midst of this they are ready and already working with the many other churches to be healing and hope .
The church in NZ is so amazing and already we are hearing of so many ways in which she is opening her doors, cleaning the streets, feeding the needy, giving accommodation to people and generally being good news where needed.
We are trusting that what we can only see naturally as a real disaster will open hearts, lives and communities both in Christchurch and NZ to the grace and provision of our God.
‘when my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the rock that is higher than I’
May our our Jesus be seen to be present in unprecedented ways as we pray, give and believe for all our friends in Christchurch.
Our love and prayers are very real and with you today,
Fraser
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Feb 20 2011
Hi good people, Tena Koutou,
The Leadership Summit was so good with the mix of worship, prophetic input, good people , kiwi quizzes’ and free time making it ‘us’.
The sound of our land, what’s indigenous and home grown to us as Kiwi leaders was the key theme .It was refreshing and captured so much of what has been building in our journey as a network.
We were challenged to dig up the wells again in this land instead of borrowing from the ‘flood of imported goods’ we so easily turn to as leaders. The great things God does in other nations are an easy borrow but not always the right thing for lasting spiritual breakthrough in Aotearoa – NZ.
Here’s some thoughts Greg Burson shared regarding being indigenous, home grown Kiwi churches:
- Whanau- family, generosity,inclusive,open table.
- Mystic- prophetic roots, soul of creation.
- Next generation-NZ is a young nation, keep church thinking young.
- Explorers- pioneers, inventors, risk takers.
- Theologians- cultural exegetic is important
- Artists- ancient/ future
Knowing who we are brings our message alive- each place will be different. Being ab-original allows us to explore and attempt new things.
The story of God at work in NZ is exciting, challenging and ours. Celebrate it and build this into the fabric of who we are as a network.
Lovin the journey,
Nau mai haere mai tatou,
Fraser and Dale Hardy.
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Jan 26th 2011
Hi,
They say it takes two weeks after a holiday before an employee is back in the crease and ready to fully participate in work effectively !
I’ve just about had two weeks back since my holiday in New Plymouth where surf, cafes, great parks and fine weather made it a hard place to leave. It may take more than 2 weeks to re enter this cruel world called work!
What a great land we live in – such a treasure.
The buzz and expectation around numbers of leaders and churches over 2011 was very encouraging with the same ongoing work of the Spirit being evident again.
I have been recently looking at Paul’s apostolic journey which was accompanied by remarkable power and spread of the gospel . However in nearly every situation it was partnered by pressures, opposition and challenges.
This scenario remains true today, for within every advancement we are seeing, in our churches, the ongoing pressures and challenges faced will be part of the future enlargement we are expectant of.
Great leaders, teams and churches arise in such seasons . This I believe is such a time.
It’s great to see Edge Kingsland will be playing at Parachute along with several other bands from Edge .I’ve been loving listening to Avalanche City lately so looking for some great sounds coming out of Edge in 2011.
Christchurch continues to see large numbers attending for renewal based meetings with significant miracles and interest around it.
The smaller towns such as Waitara report conversions of people in good numbers happening over 2010.
I was recently at the Tribe in Masterton and again people were in good and expectant space.
I look forward to our national leaders summit in Cambridge and expect great times together. May the church in Aotearoa come alive in 2011.
Great days
Fraser Hardy
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