SPREAD • issue three

1

spreadissue three * oct/nov 2012

32

I am delighted that this edition of SPREAD is all about pastoral care.

I have read these pages and have been utterly struck by the quality and diversity of all the pastoral care team have on offer, ranging from responding to pastoral emergencies through to prayer, wonderful Monday training evenings through to geographical care pods!

Caring for people from the youngest to the oldest lies at the heart of our vision and is one of the prime ways that we can make a very real difference in the city.

Whilst, of course, all of us as congregation members have a responsibility to care for one another, I would like to take this opportunity to thank our pastoral staff: Phil Halstead, Sally Shanks and Jo Batts. Phil, you do an outstanding job of heading up this area for us so very ably assisted by Sally and now also Jo. Thank you.

I would also like to thank the volunteer members of our pastoral care team and prayer line, who are on hand to support those of us who have to face difficult and challenging issues. Be encouraged – you are making a real difference.

So, read and enjoy these pages and, if you find yourself needing support as we all do from time to time, I urge you to contact the pastoral care team at St Paul’s.

mike, the vicar

mike’s spielwelcome

“ to the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world.” – DR. SEuSS

5

theology bites

“he answered, ‘love the lord your god with all

your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and

with all your mind’; and, ‘love your neighbour as yourself.’”

- luke 10:27

4

the importance of pastoral careREM accurately sings, “Everybody hurts sometime.” Disappointment, loss, loneliness, pain, betrayal, grief, illness, shattered dreams, the search for innocence and significance, not reaching our goals, not having any goals, not experiencing God… the list is seemingly endless… everybody hurts sometimes.

Given this reality, given this pain, it’s not hard to see that everyone needs support sometimes, too.

But how should we – as Christians, as humans, as members of St Paul’s – care? Well, looking to Jesus is always a good place to start. Jesus was and is into caring. He embodied care. He taught about care, as demonstrated in parables such as the Good Samaritan (Lk. 10: 25-37), the Lost Sheep (Lk. 15: 1-7), and the Prodigal Son (Lk. 15: 11-31). Jesus also balanced perfectly a number of key care-related concepts like compassion, presence, truth and justice.

To be an effective caregiver it’s also helpful to become a student of pastoral theology, which focuses on comprehending accurately and responding appropriately to the suffering in people’s lives. This kind of theologising needs to take place within the context of God, Scripture, relationality and love.

Pastoral care is the application of pastoral theology. It has been defined in many helpful ways. For instance, Clebsch and Jaekle famously state that “Pastoral care consists of helping acts... directed toward the healing, sustaining, guiding and reconciling of troubled persons.” And Culbertson defines pastoral care as “an instrument of God’s grace which addresses people’s needs to be fully human as God created them.” He adds that “the church is the place for the meaning of that gift to emerge and be appropriated.”

Such definitions demonstrate that there are numerous ways to care. This issue of SPREAD outlines some of the ways that we try to assist people inside and outside of our community at St Paul’s. Clearly, there are myriads of other ways that people at St Paul’s care that aren’t captured here. If you would like to receive some care at any stage, especially as we all hurt sometimes, please email [email protected]. If you would like to join a care-related team, please also get in touch. Everybody can help sometimes, too.

dr. phil halstead

“I often think I’ve got the best job in the world. Here at St Paul’s, I get to work with Sally & Jo, alongside the fabulous staff team, and amidst the wonderful worshippers who gather with us. In my other job, I lecture at Carey Baptist College in the areas of Christian Inner Healing, Pastoral Counselling, Pastoral Care, Applied Theology and Culture. I love how pastoral practice informs theory and theory informs pastoral practice. I also love witnessing Jesus moving in people’s lives and how this is such a regular occurrence at St Paul’s (and Carey). I am truly blessed to be married to Angelika and we are the very proud parents of Aimee. While swimming, jogging, good coffee and reading are all passions of mine, the goal that really motivates me these days is to see everyone in this great church community being palpably loved and cared for.” phil halstead

“A love of people and all things relational has led me to Pastoral Care at St Paul’s where I am thrilled to be working alongside the fabulous Phil and Sally, plus a super passionate team of volunteers. When I am not at St Paul’s, I am studying towards a Counselling Degree at Laidlaw College and juggling the chaos that is life with three amazing primary-school-aged kids. My husband, Logan, and I have been fortunate to see the St Paul’s vision unfold over the last eight years – what a privilege! My happy place is rain on the roof with a good book, coffee and cheese (but not together), bookshops, libraries, beautiful stationery, photography, running (on a good day), Lego and anything hanging out with family and friends! I love the slightly organic sense in which Pastoral Care is taking shape at St Paul’s; recognising that we all like to do relationships in a very unique way but we all share the desire for love and acceptance.” jo batts

“I initially became involved in pastoral ‘things’ at St Paul’s a few years ago while devising and presenting the IDENTITY programme with Rachel Bruns. We had both experienced God’s loving restoration in our lives and wanted to provide a space and some material to help people grow in relational and emotional wholeness. A few courageous souls came along for the ride and helped us with their input and feedback. This ‘healing journey’ had started for me some years ago when Living Waters was first introduced into NZ by Wayne Bowman and it was also at Living Waters that I first met the wonderful Philip and Angelika Halstead. From there, I spent some years working in pastoral care and establishing a counselling centre at LIFE Church. It has been such a joy to work alongside Phil and Jo, seeing the

development of a framework of care for St Paul’s gradually taking shape. Perhaps the most fun aspect for me – apart from eating liquorice at every event hosted by Phil – is the way we get to leave room for the working of the Spirit in and through people rather than trying to control every outcome. It feels

risky at times, but right!” sally shanks

who cares?

“Being part of the pastoral care team has been a real encouragement to me personally. Seeing the significant difference God can make in a person’s life through a simple gift of prayer and support is amazing. It is so encouraging and comforting to know that there are so many people within the church ready to give care and help where ever a need arises. A real demonstration of what it means to be a community of believers.” helen

the pastoral care team is made up of three staff members and an amazing team of caregivers from within the congregation. they respond to a wide variety of care-related requests that are sent out to them as a group. there is zero expectation for the team members to respond, but if and when an opportunity stands out for them they can. an amazing range of opportunities arise, as the team members’ stories adjacent will testify...

care: team care: team

hello i’m phil

hello i’m

jo

from members of the pastoral care team... “It’s been an honour to connect with people in their homes and sometimes their hospital wards, seeing God in many lights, and in all of it, there is giving and receiving. Providing dinner to a very tired new parents, I left feeling fulfilled in being able to help. Keeping company with a beautiful one-week-old baby recovering in intensive care, I received a sense of how much God loves and watches over us. Offering comfort and prayer to someone who didn’t have a particular faith, I was humbled to receive her request to stay with her as she watched over her dying husband. Bringing soup for someone recovering from chemo and invited to stay to have some, l left with new friends, and even prayer for myself! Choosing to contribute to someone’s financial need, I felt it was a good investment. Prayer with an ailing person too weak to come to church, we left with her encouragement and a bit of sunshine to her day. And I too have received pastoral care. It was so nice to be blessed with the kindness and supportive prayer of others. There is always an opportunity for others to bless us – we just have to ask.” jane

“I met up with a lady who was struggling with depression. I was put in touch with her via the pastoral care team. We emailed a couple of times then met up one day for a long walk (and talk). We then cooked lunch together at her place. We only met up in person that one time, but I followed up with a text and email afterwards inviting her to meet up again if she liked. … My impressions of that experience were mainly positive and I would probably put my hand up again for similar things if they took my fancy. It was an easy thing to do to meet someone in their need in a small way that didn’t cost me anything but a few hours of my time. It was also a good experience for me too since I got to meet a new person and have a couple of hours of new conversation.” anon

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hello i’m sally

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how we care

for further info on any of the above areas, please email [email protected]. we would love to hear from you :)

at st paul’s, we’re committed to caring for one another. we try to help each other in all kinds of ways to become all that god created us to be both individually and collectively.

This kind of care has many different faces at St Paul’s. Clearly, the majority of care is offered by a large number of extraordinary people in the church who generously, selflessly and freely care for myriads of persons from both within and beyond the immediate church community. Nearly all of this kind of care is organic in the sense that it emerges out of these people’s great hearts; most of it also happens under the radar. The caring that the church Pastoral Care team helps to facilitate also has a number of different shades. Examples include:

pastoral counselling Within the parameters of our

part-time roles, we are available to provide pastoral counselling and prayer to people associated with St Paul’s.

pastoral needs There’s a great volunteer

pastoral care team in the church who regularly respond to a raft of different pastoral needs. If you need some help (e.g. you’re sick and you’d like a small group of people to come and pray for you; you’d like someone to mentor you; and/or you’re in need of some practical help or food), please do get in touch.

financial crisis If you find yourself in a bit of a

pickle, the church can sometimes offer financial support to individuals/families via the Church Fellowship Fund. If you’d like to contribute to this fund (we are often short of funds) and help people in this vital way, or if you need financial help, please let us know.

pastoral emergencies In the case of pastoral

emergencies you are invited to email [email protected] and/or ring the emergency phone (022 651 3756); we will do our utmost to respond appropriately.

pastoral care evenings We run bi-monthly Pastoral

Care Evenings on a range of important topics that are designed to encourage and educate anyone who is interested. This year, we’ve looked at depression, budgeting, sexuality and relationships and breaking generational curses. Some specialist courses we have run include forgiveness and identity.

angelfood Angelfood responds to people

in need (those experiencing sudden or difficult change due to loss of a loved one, shifting house, birth of a baby, illness etc.) by cooking and delivering meals to them and their families. Angelfood is ‘love you can eat’.

care

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angel food

care: stories

pam & graham say “It has been good to meet up with other St Paul’s families who often live within walking distance of us. We recently made contact with some people referred to us in our Pt Chevalier geographical care pod. Through visiting this family, we were able (with their permission) to pass on a prayer need for their baby girl for inclusion in the St Paul’s Prayer Line (read more on page 15). Their baby girl was experiencing a difficult health issue and had to go into hospital for tests. We so enjoyed spending time with this friendly couple and meeting their delightful children. It proved to be a great opportunity to enjoy one another’s company and see if there were any ways that we – or others in the Pastoral Team – could be of assistance to this family. We feel the setting up of these ‘care pods’ does fulfill a definite need to enhance a greater sense of belonging and being cared for in the St Paul’s Body of Christ.”

geographical care

The various SHEER events at St Paul’s are the result of amazing teamwork and are headed up by the inspirational (and fairly busy) Lou Grant. Louise’s recent facebook post reads “Been to Samoa, L.A., London, Sydney, Melbourne this month, yay to Friday night on the sofa!”

The most recent SHEER event was called ‘SPARK’ and very much reflected Lou’s heart to “see women released into their calling and set free from the things that hold them back from living a full and exciting life with God.”

Sally Shanks spoke on the formation of our identity as women in light of some of the historical and cultural ‘messages’ to which we may have been exposed. One fantastic aspect of SPARK was the generous offering of personal prophectic ministry from Mark Tiplady and Brendon Blade during the prayer time. This was a huge encouragement, and we want to thank these two men who were kind, patient, and undaunted by the very long queue...

james says “Valiant Man (VM) has been immensely helpful for men understanding and changing behaviours around sexual integrity. We’ve found many guys on Valiant Man have the same challenges and experiences; confidentially talking and resolving these, guided by the excellent DVD program from Dr. Allan Meyer, can result in higher sexual integrity. This is how men become Valiant Men.”

logan says “Earlier this year, St Paul’s kicked off its first ‘Man 2 Man’ (M2M) program. 20 guys made a commitment to meet every week for 10 weeks in a forum of honesty and accountability to talk about ‘man stuff’. New friendships were formed and we all walked away challenged by what is to be a whole and healthy man in our current times. Allan Meyer, who wrote Valiant Man, presented (via DVD) topics men just can’t ignore. We tackled our family backgrounds, our predispositions to conflict, anger, expression of emotion, our sexuality, emotional intimacy in marriage and more. I think it’s fair to say we all identified new perspectives on these areas, some strategies to move forward, and the comfort that we are not the only ones in the church with plenty to work on!”

pastoralcare@ stpauls.org.nz

www.stpauls.org.nz

“then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? and when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? and when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ and the king will answer them, ‘truly, i say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.” matthew 25:37-40

our fledgling and growing city-wide network aims to offer care to everyone who attends st paul’s in a local, palpable & non-pressured fashion, and to reduce and ultimately remove all cases of st paul’s members feeling isolated or overlooked.

the blokes the ladies

angelfood is a community project launched by st paul’s, aligned with our church vision of creating, relating and restoring by loving god, each other and our world. the strapline of angelfood is ‘love you can eat’ – bringing practical love and help into people’s homes by way of a meal.

dino & lucy say “Having Angelfood at a very difficult time in our lives made a HuGE difference and was an enormous help. Thank you so much to everyone who cooked for us, we felt very loved every time another delicious meal arrived. Please don’t underestimate the difference you are making through serving others in this way. Thank you!”

jill says “A big thanks to all the angels who cooked and delivered meals to me at a time when I really needed that vital support. I really appreciate the time, expense, energy and kindness you have shown to me amidst your busy lives. Many blessings to you all...”

[email protected]

www.stpauls.org.nz [email protected]

www.stpauls.org.nz

“a new commandment i give to you, that you love one another: just as i have loved you, you also are to

love one another. by this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love

for one another.” john 13:34-35

care: stories

[email protected]

www.stpauls.org.nz » relating » community

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“I wanted to write and tell you how much I loved the Sy Roger’s talk, possibly one of the best talks I’ve heard in recent times.

There was a really good turnout, maybe 200 people or so, and Sy had us all gripped for the entire 90 minutes he spoke, which is no mean feat. His particular insight into how God redeemed his gay/cross-dressing lifestyle was so genuine and truthful; it’s a message that we all need to hear discussed and it’s such a massive topic for my generation.

But the messages beyond sexuality were just as powerful, especially Sy’s insight into why God doesn’t just fix and heal everything when we become Christians. That change isn’t God’s focus, but rather the result of us growing deeper with Him. Sy also explained how the neural pathways in the brain work and how they determine why we react the way we do.

He explained that God will heal our broken spirits, but it’s our responsibility to begin the process of rewiring our brains with new truths.

Sy’s message was incredibly empowering.”

let’s talk about sex

let’s talk about depression

care: sexuality

by tim

by phil

13

We had a highly informative pastoral care evening on depression at St Paul’s earlier this year. Baron Collocott spoke of his long and difficult journey through depression, and the remarkable breakthroughs and lessons he experienced along the way. Shirley Collocott, his wife, spoke of her experience of accompanying Baron throughout this time. And Dr. Patte Randal taught from her outstanding, research-proven and highly accessible re-covery model related to people experiencing psychosis and other extreme states.

Sadly, not only is depression common to many of us, often we attempt to hide it and struggle on alone at the very time when we most need the support of others. Statistics show that one in six Kiwis will experience major depression at some point in their lives and one in seven under-24-year-olds will experience a depressive episode. Could you be one of the vast numbers of individuals within our own congregation struggling with depression today? You are not alone.

symptoms of depression While it is normal to feel sad or miserable at times, it is important to be aware of some of the common symptoms of depression. They include no longer enjoying things that used to give pleasure; feeling sad, blue and empty most of the time; feeling worthless; being prone to self-blame; sleeping a lot less/more than usual; experiencing unexpected changes in weight or appetite; lacking energy; having difficulty concentrating or experiencing a sense of hopelessness.

the bi-monthly pastoral care evenings are open to everyone and are designed to encourage and educate people on a variety of care relevant themes. this year, for instance, we’ve focused on sexuality and relationships, depression, budgeting and breaking generational curses. if you would like more info, please email [email protected]

care: depression

If you think you may be depressed or someone you know is struggling with depression, there is a lot of help available. Please consider the following options:

• Email [email protected] or [email protected] for help.• Seek out some Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) counselling, which can

frequently be accessed via talking with a GP (and is often government funded). • Visit www.depression.org.nz or call the depression helpline 0800 111 757.• Consult professionals (e.g. Community Mental Health 0800 800 717).• Read Matthew Johnstone’s wonderful booklet, I Had a Black Dog. • Adopt a holistic approach to recovery including moving from vicious cycles

that fuel depression (e.g. an unhelpful thought can create an unhelpful feeling that in turn provokes us to choose/act inappropriately) to victorious cycles that help liberate from depression (e.g. dwell on positive thoughts that create helpful feelings and good choices).

• Connect into community.

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pr ay

that’s why we prayprayer is the way in which we develop our friendship with god, know his will and lift up our needs and desires. corporately as a church, we are keen to thank god for what he is doing amongst us and together seek to discern his leading for the future.

There are lots of ways you can be involved in the prayer life of St Paul’s. Whether it is individual, team or corporate prayer, there’s a number of ways to love, serve and grow through prayer and, of course, it is one of the most essential, life-giving things we love to do as followers of Jesus. Here are some of the ways we pray:

prayer

exploring prayer workshops

Every second month we facilitate the ‘Exploring Prayer Workshops’ in which different aspects of prayer are taught and space is created for every attendee to receive unrushed prayer.

church prayer line A prayer request and praise

report email is sent out every week to church attendees who are committed to praying for prayer line requests. If you’d like to take hold of this fantastic opportunity and receive some prayer or to join the team of people who pray, please do get hold of us.

activateActivate give people prophetic

encouragement from God and pray for healing for those who need it on the streets of Auckland fortnightly on a Friday night. Read more on page 18.

baby prayer groupThis prayer group is for women

who are struggling to conceive or are facing fertility issues. They get together every 3 or so months to pray together and encourage and support women on this difficult and isolating journey.

SPPRAY SPPRAY is the official church-

wide weekly prayer meeting that prays for our city and the corporate needs of St Paul’s. Read more on page 19.

theophostic prayer Regular training/practice is

offered in TPM, enabling us to trace the origin of the lies we believe, face the pain and replace the lies with truth.

birds of pray Small groups of 4-5 women meet

together weekly to share their stories and pray for each other. More on page 19.

for further info on any of the above areas, please email [email protected]. we would love to hear from you :)

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amanda says “As new arrivals to St Paul’s, a couple of years ago, we felt drawn to the Exploring Prayer evenings and found a brilliant space where we could connect to God in relationship with others. Although I was not looking for this, each time I went God would speak to me through other people and their prayers – always dynamic and insightful and sometimes amazingly so.

The first week, the others in my husband’s group all had hugely encouraging thoughts for me; they asked him to pass these on to me even though I wasn’t in the group and they didn’t know me!

Another time, someone from the workshop approached me during worship at a Sunday service describing a highly unusual image she had received for me – one God had previously given which she could not have known and which powerfully spoke to me.

Praying together is how Christian community works – we connect with God and each other and engage with our issues and the stuff of our lives in a more honest and meaningful way.

The Exploring Prayer evenings are a place where that happens, where we expand our understanding of prayer, and share insight and support in our life of faith.”

sally says “On these Monday evenings in the church, we have set out to create a safe and nurturing space where we can grow in our understanding and practice of prayer. Evenings start with a few nibbles, ranging from the distinctly healthy to the slightly eccentric (Dr. Phil has a penchant for liquorice). We follow with a short teaching on some aspect of the huge and mysterious subject of prayer. Some of the many and varied topics have included Angelika Halstead sharing on meditation, Brendon Blade on the prophetic, Nikki Sullivan on praying in tongues, Jennie Milne on hearing the voice of God and Dr. Phil on the art of listening prayer.

But our ever-growing Exploring Prayer crew would all agree that the best part of the night is the prayer itself.

We break into pairs and small groups; find a corner of our lovely old building; share our prayer needs with one another... and pray! The hard thing is always finishing on time!”

exploring prayer evenings

bev says “There is one thing I am convinced of and that is that prayer is a part of our hearts and of God’s heart. The prayer line at St Paul’s is composed of wonderful people from all walks of life, who are bound by a love of people and the certainty of God’s compassion and promises to us all. A person’s confidence and privacy is never invaded, which makes the prayer line very non-intrusive and safe; yet, at the same time, it has often been my experience (and I am sure others on the team would agree) that God will alert you to pray for a request in a very particular way. These last years, many have asked the team to pray and many times we have been astounded at God’s grace and goodness. People have received answers to prayer and in some cases miracles in ways we could never have imagined. Yet I sense that we and the wider family of St Paul’s have only just begun to receive all that the Master has for us. There is so much more to come.”

At a typical gathering, the group of women focus on each member in turn; the person shares what’s going on for them, and the group then listens to God and prays for that person. Trust develops over time as the group becomes a closer and more tight-knit community – it becomes a safe place to take risks in praying out loud, in listening to God, and sharing what you think He may be saying.

[email protected]

www.stpauls.org.nz » growing » prayer

the exploring prayer evenings are designed to help people connect with god in a safe and nurturing environment. the evenings involve a mix of teaching on different aspects of prayer and praying in small groups where we can practice what we’ve been learning.

church prayer line

www.stpauls.org.nz » growing » caring » prayer line

each week, church prayer requests are emailed to over 100 church members on the prayer line. it’s a wonderful way to gain prayer support in times of need and/or to share praise reports with those who pray. if you’d like to take hold of this fantastic opportunity and receive some prayer or to join the team of people who pray, please email us.

birds of pray

[email protected]


“hear me when i

call, o god of my

righteousness! you

have relieved me in my

distress; have mercy

on me, and hear my

prayer.” psalm 4:1

‘birds of pray’ is a concept of prayer involving a small group of women who get together to pray for each other.

team prayer

[email protected]


As we learn to work together, listen to each other and pool what we think God might be saying, we end up praying effectively and growing in our ability to hear from God. If you are interested in some practical pointers to help your team (e.g. small group, Core, Birds of Pray), then grab a copy of the booklet ‘team prayer’ at church or download it from the ‘Birds of Pray’ page on the website.

prayer: storiesprayer: stories

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andrea says “I have found TPM a huge help in many areas of my life. I have found it very useful in dealing with old wounds, but it is also an invaluable day to day tool in dealing with things as they pop up before they become a big problem.” ann-marie says “A core principle of TPM is found in Romans 12:2, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Since being a teenager, I have struggled with a painful issue in my relationship with my mother and had many counselling and prayer ministry sessions to try to deal with the hurt and anger I was holding. During a TPM session, Jesus was able to speak directly to me in a way that has enabled me to see her situation and behaviour through completely different eyes – a change in paradigm! This has brought a change in understanding – a renewing of my mind – and I have a much more peaceful and loving relationship with her now.” karen says “I don’t know about you, but over the years I’ve become more aware of how out of proportion, dare I say, even irrational, some of my emotional responses are to some situations. What I’ve learned to do through TPM is to ask God to show me the lies that my over-reaction is based in. Anger is quite often in the mix, usually with good reason in its beginnings, but kept mostly because of a lie. This leads to a conversation with the Lord about the lie that anger masks, and how willing I am to release that anger to him.… Jesus called the devil the ‘Father of lies’ and the way kids misinterpret situations and internalise lies about their identity is an effective strategy the devil collaborates with. Jesus also says he comes that we might know the truth and that the truth will set us free.”

prayer: stories

carly says “Baby Prayer Group has certainly impacted our lives! I initially went along after Wayne and I’d lost two babies through miscarriages. I dreaded going through the same heart wrenching experience again, and thank God, our prayers were answered. I conceived within a month of being prayed for, and went full term to hold our darling boy Ivan (which means ‘God is gracious’)! It was incredible that the other two women being prayed for that same night also conceived within a month and went full-term after their own fertility struggles. We conceived our second babe just months before finding out that Wayne had a cancer that would affect us being able to have children in the future. Six weeks after Wayne was given the all clear, our baby Marni arrived (Marni means ‘Rejoice!’) – she was another answer to prayer, with miraculous timing.

I urge anyone struggling with fertility to go along to a Baby Prayer Night – you will be embraced and ministered to by faith-filled women whose prayers God is answering!”

nicki says “I have been attending the baby prayer nights for the past 2.5 years. When I first attended, I had been trying for a baby for more than 5 years. Every 3 months at the prayer night, I was encouraged and prayed for and also had the opportunity to pray for others – what a blessing this group is! To know that you are not alone on this isolated journey is very welcome. I can boldy say that there have been times when I was so full of sadness I didn’t want to go, but often during those times, I received such hope from the Lord through this group. I now have a wonderful little girl called Isabelle (meaning ‘pledged to God’) which we were blessed with via IVF. I feel so honoured to be able to continue attending the baby prayer nights to encourage and bless others on their journey too, and because my journey is not over either. Thanks be to God and may He bless this group – I wouldn’t be the same without them.”

baby prayer our prayer group is for women who are struggling to conceive or are facing fertility issues. we get together every 3 or so months to pray and encourage/support one another on our journeys. god is faithful and, by his grace, over 40 women have overcome medical odds, recurrent miscarriage, unexplained infertility and more...

theophostic prayer

prayer: stories

if you’ve come across the concept of tracing lies, facing pain, and replacing the lies with truth, then you’re on the way to understanding how theophostic prayer ministry (tpm) works. it’s been described as a 3-way conversation where a facilitator helps you to hear god’s holy spirit speak as you pray together.

c.s. lewis talked of a ‘split between our head and heart’, describing the way many of us westerners have learned how to live. the power of tpm is in how it encourages us to reconnect with our life story, meet god there and to invite him to replace the destructive lies we are believing of ourselves or others with his healing truth. our hearts and minds are then renewed with that truth and we find freedom.

theo

phos

tic@

stpa

uls.

org.

nz

activate [email protected]

www.stpauls.org.nz » growing » prayer sppray [email protected]


the more people we can mobilise to pray for the church, the better. st paul’s pray (sppray) meets each thursday morning at 6.45am-8.00am in the church, to pray for our city and the corporate needs of st paul’s. you’re right – it is early and we’re up at sparrows fart, but armed with a strong coffee and a warm welcome, you will love every minute of our very special time together.everyone is welcome, late-sleepers included!

[email protected]


if you want to see god’s kindness expressed through giving people prophetic encouragement (i.e. listening to god and sharing what we hear or see) and healing those who need it on the streets of auckland then come to activate. training is given on the night and you’ll be amazed and encouraged to see how the holy spirit will work with you to touch people. fortnightly on friday nights.

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diary for october

Sunday ServicesCome to Life 3 9am · 11am 3:30pm · 6:30pm

Children’s Choir Practice 10am · AUT Room WF513

Sunday ServicesCome to Life 4 9am · 11am 3:30pm · 6:30pm


Core Deeper 5:30pm-7:30pm

Sunday ServicesPastoral Care 1 9am · 11am 3:30pm · 6:30pm

Dedications


Space 10am · Crypt

Labour Day Space 10am · Crypt

St Paul’s Theological Centre Opening 7:30pm · Church

Marriage Preparation7:30pm · Crypt


Intl Students Lunch12pm-2pm · Church

Life Course Banquet7pm-9pm · Crypt


Life Course 7:30pm · Crypt



SPPRAY 6:45am

Mainly Music 10am · Crypt

SPPRAY 6:45am


State of the Nation 7:30pm · Crypt

Bunker 7-9pm

Bunker 7-9pm

Activate 7:30pm · Grey Lynn CC

Life Course W/E away

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31

28

29

30

sun Sunday ServicesCome to Life 2 9am · 11am 3:30pm · 6:30pm

mon Exploring Prayer7:30pm · Crypt

tue Theology at St PaulsGenesis 1-11 7pm · Church

Ministry at St PaulsPastoral Care 7pm · Church

Worship Central 7pm · Church

Theology at St PaulsGenesis 1-11 7pm · Church

Ministry at St PaulsPastoral Care 7pm · Church

Worship Central 7pm · Church

wed Intl Students Lunch12pm-2pm · Church


thu SPPRAY 6:45am

SPPRAY 6:45am

fri Activate 7:30pm · Grey Lynn CC

sat School holidays end6

10

11

12

13

7

8

9

4

5

3

1

2

2322








Space 10am · Crypt

Space 10am · Crypt

Space 10am · Crypt






Baby Prayer Night 7:30pm · Sanctuary




SPPRAY 6:45am


SPPRAY 6:45am


SPPRAY 6:45am


Bunker 7-9pm

Bunker 7-9pm


Bunker 7-9pm

Life Course Weekend Away

14

15

16

17

11

12

13

21

22

23

24

18

19

20

28

29

30

25

26

27

sun Sunday ServicesPastoral Care 2 9am · 11am 3:30pm · 6:30pm



mon Space 10am · Crypt

tue Marriage Preparation7:30pm · Crypt

wed Intl Students Lunch12pm-2pm · Church


thu SPPRAY 6:45am


SPPRAY 6:45am


fri Bunker 7-9pm

Bunker 7-9pm


sat La Premiere Danse 7pm · Church3

7

8

9

10

4

5

6

diary for november

1

2

24

postal address PO Box 6349 Wellesley St Auckland 1141church address 28 Symonds St Grafton Auckland 1010office address Level 2, 25 Symonds St, Grafton Auckland 1010 (opposite the church)telephone 09 373 3268fax 09 369 1262email [email protected] website www.stpauls.org.nzpastoral care emergency line 022 651 3756

SPREAD • issue three

Documents

pastoral care team

pastoral staff

pastoral emergencies

student of pastoral

members of st pauls

geographical care pods

importance of pastoral

context of god