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GBC Connections Magazine Term 1 2021

22/3/2021

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Checkout GBC's latest news by clicking on the image.

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GBC Connections Magazine Term 4 2020

10/12/2020

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In our last GBC Connections Magazine, we wrote a lengthy report of many of the good things that have been happening in our midst during this unique year so I won’t focus on looking back this time.  I want to focus on looking forward.

Where is God leading us in 2021?  What challenges lie in store for us?  How will we thrive?  I heard, very recently, a claim that the veil between   Heaven   and   Earth   is   getting   very thin...meaning that God’s presence and power is being seen more often in the daily lives of those who are seeking it. It means that our country’s decline into moral darkness is being matched by the increased activity in God’s Kingdom of Light, resulting in healings, prophetic messages, uniting of Christian Churches in city-wide events, a growing hunger for more of God, a commitment to pray and humble ourselves before God, and people being brought to the end of themselves in preparation for reaching out to God. It means that God is on the move in a fresh movement of His Spirit like NZ experienced in the 80’s and the 60’s, but this time it is going to be Global. It means more change…not just business as usual as we move into 2021.

That is the first challenge we will face as we move into the New Year. Many of us prefer the familiar to the uncertainty that comes with change. But allow me to encourage you to focus on our guide rather than on the uncertainty. Because the Spirit of Jesus, our guide, is courageous, capable and compassionate. He will not lead us anywhere that the Grace of God cannot keep us. If I was asked to go on an expedition with Gideon Geerling, I would be happy to go. Not because I feel overly capable in myself but because I know that Gideon has the character and capability to lead me through the challenges and to bring me safely home. And, as good as Gideon is, the Holy Spirit is even better :). Another challenge we will face is increasing opposition from those around us who don’t share our trust in God. Many in our society strive to be in control of all areas of their life.  The very idea of yielding control to an invisible God who would challenge their sovereignty over their own life is confronting to them. Even some within the Church who are focused on finding their security and pleasure in this life will resist the call to break camp and follow Jesus into uncharted territory.

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GBC Connections Magazine Term 3 2020

22/8/2020

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Checkout GBC's annual report by clicking on the imagine.

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GBC Sermon Series - Kingdom of God

16/5/2020

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GBC Sermon Series - Kingdom Economics

14/4/2020

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Open Letter

23/3/2020

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Please know that in these uncertain times your welfare is our greatest concern.

After our Prime Ministers announcement today we need to revise our plans for our church meetings and other meetings.
The good news is that there should be no more changes for the next 30 days or so. This will enable us to get used to a new normal. :)

For the next month at least we are unable to meet together face to face in Home groups or at GBC. We are proposing to ensure everyone remains connected and supported in the following ways:
Current Life Group leaders will be asked to be in regular contact with all members of their group, helping to arrange practical assistance where that is needed.
Additional leaders will be confirmed to be in regular contact with all others who are not currently associated with a Life Group. No-one will be left behind.
All leaders and their groups will be confirmed within the next 48 hours.

Additionally we are proposing to continue most of our “Interest” group meetings such as Youth, oasis?, Wednesday morning prayer etc using zoom meeting technology. This does not require any cost or technical ability on the part of the recipients. That will be sorted out by the GBC leadership team. Details of how this will work will be forwarded to all of the leaders of such groups.

We will keep you regularly updated by email, phone or our website of any new information.
Please do not hesitate to call your group leader (soon to be revealed) or Mark or Wendy if you have any questions or concerns.

Please remember that God is the same yesterday, today and forever. He is not intimidated by COVID19 and He is using this current situation to build His church and grow His Kingdom.

Together in His service.

GBC Leadership Team.

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GBC Sermon Series - Spiritual Disciplines

15/3/2020

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GBC Connections Magazine Term 1 2020

20/2/2020

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Thriving Together

What does it take to be a thriving faith community?
In the early days, Christianity grew in the Roman Empire at a rate of 40 percent a decade, growing from around 1,000 (0.0017 percent of the population) in A.D. 40 to nearly 34 million (56.5 percent of the population) in A.D. 350.1
The 2018 census tells us that in NZ, 38.6% are Christian and 48.6% hold no religion.1 The meaning behind these numbers is complex but certainly we would do well to learn from the early Christian communities’ experiences. The bible has a lot to teach us about being a thriving faith community. There are 47 ‘one another’ commands given to followers of Jesus,1 the most repeated one by far is ‘love one another’. Not only is ‘love one another’ good for us as a faith community, but our love for one another is what will make us stand out in the world as followers of Jesus (John 13:34-35).

How do you think we’re doing?
We want to encourage you to keep taking the next step toward activating the ‘one anothers’ in our GBC family. What’s one small thing you can do this week that fulfils a ‘one another’? What’s one bigger commitment you can make this year?
We’ve introduced Connections Corner to our weekly newsletter. This is designed to be a tool we can use to improve our ‘one anothering’. ‘One anothering’ does mean knowing and interacting with one another. Some of us find it tough to strike up a conversation with someone we don’t know or even harder to talk with someone we’ve been attending church with for years, but struggle to remember their name. Here’s a small thing you can do to improve our ‘one anothering’: check out the question in the Connections Corner of the newsletter and use it to start and conversation with someone you don’t usually speak to at church.
In a church family the size of GBC, most of our ‘one anothering’ happens in smaller groups: ministry teams, life groups, interest groups. If you’re not in a life group of one kind or another, you’re missing out on a lot of the ‘one anothering’ we can offer each other. So, here’s a bigger commitment you can make this year to improve our ‘one anothering’: join a life group! It will change your life.
Whatever steps you take, big or small, keep moving, increasing your ‘one anothering’ and showing the world His love for them through our love for others. Blessings as you continue to walk with Jesus in 2020, loving His fellow followers at GBC and the people in your wider community.

Wendy Geerling

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GBC Youth Term 1 2020

20/2/2020

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GBC Connections Magazine Term 4 2019

14/11/2019

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Ask ‘Why?’
Humans are unique in creation in seeking meaning. God has created us with an innate desire to explain things. Children are an excellent example of this feature of human nature. Ask any mother of a 4 year old girl who has to answer an average 390 questions each day! Yet, most of us grow less curious as we grow older.
We live in a society with roots in Christianity. For the most part, there’s been synergy between our culture’s values and those of Christianity. But the gap between Christian values and society’s values is widening. There have been shifts in the fundamental beliefs and worldview of society at large which have resulted in an increasing divergence between values of Christianity and society.
In the past we have not had need to be highly critical of social values. But as these values diverge, the onus is on us to critique our culture, to implement that God-given human inquisitiveness and ask, ‘why?’
It’s said that you need to ask ‘why?’ five times to get to the root cause of a problem. It turns out the same principle applies to finding the root cause of a behaviour. If we start with a behaviour we’ve observed and repeatedly ask ‘why?’ we will discover the value behind the behaviour, the belief behind the value, and the worldview behind the belief. Everything we do is informed by our worldview, even when we don’t consciously realise it.
There are values and beliefs behind every behaviour. It is axiomatic that people with changed attitudes change their own behaviour. When people understand why they’re doing something they are much better at regulating their own behaviour. So, if we want to see change, or even if we want to take a relationship to the next level, let’s start with asking ‘why?’ and listen to the answer.
You may find common ground you can build on. You may be able to point out inconsistencies in the beliefs and behaviours of others. You may even change your mind!
Be creative in how you ask ‘why?’ Sometimes it doesn’t even take a question. If you reflect back what you’ve heard, i.e. “So you think it’s good that…?” you will likely get a response that effectively answers the question ‘why?’
What other ways can you think of to ask ‘why?’ without asking ‘why?’
It’s good to practise on yourself, too. The more you understand your own behaviours, values and beliefs, the more consistent you will be in applying them and the more confident you will be in explaining them to others.
Let’s equip ourselves to be confident Christians, sure of our beliefs and able to engage the world, by using our God-given inquisitive nature and ask ‘why?’

Wendy Geerling

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GBC Connections Magazine Term 1 2021

GBC Connections Magazine Term 4 2020

GBC Connections Magazine Term 3 2020

GBC Sermon Series - Kingdom of God

GBC Sermon Series - Kingdom Economics

Open Letter

GBC Sermon Series - Spiritual Disciplines

GBC Connections Magazine Term 1 2020

Thriving Together

GBC Youth Term 1 2020

GBC Connections Magazine Term 4 2019

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