Seen and not heard?

Shane has been with us now for three weeks, and his Discovering your Design programme is going to revolutionise the way we introduce people to our community.

Recently, in the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, and Spiritual Language seminar, he made some really relevant comments about women speaking in the church, taken from 1 Corinthians 14. It really stresses the importance of taking biblical passages in context, and checking Hebraic sources.

Essentially, women are absolutely able to speak in churches. In the context of this passage (1 Corinthians 14), the word for woman is WIFE, and is talking about how wives should not humiliate their husbands in public places like churches by disagreeing with the point they are making, or prophetic words they are bringing. Instead, it would be more appropriate to voice their doubts at home.

To the right is a podcast copy of some of the points Shane Willard was making if you'd like to hear for yourself. Click on "Reson8rs update - Spiritual Language" to hear part of his excellent message. Thanks to Shane for making this available.

Assimilation and other Star Trek references...

For those Reson8rs who are now further abroad, Pastor Shane Willard is back with us for most of April, and is taking us through the process of "Assimilation" (Click here for what I first though assimilation was - my bad, and once again showing my geek status...). Assimilation is the name which Shane calls getting people discipled and connected right from the first time they enter our Church. It's about giving people every opportunity to be connected and needed. And, to me, it seems it will also encourage people to do life together.

The sessions we have had so far in the "Discovering your design" programme have just been phenomenal (and we are only up to session one!). As well as that, from what some of the other guys have been saying, the messages he has brought particularly on sunday mornings would be well worth getting the cd for. email office@christiancentre.org.nz to get a copy sent to you (because Bron is a legend :) )

Also, on Shane's website, he has now posted several messages which are available for free download, including the excellent "Bowl or Birthright" message that we talked about for quite some time after last year. You can get them here.

I'm hoping that I'll be able to ask Shane for an interview, which I'll podcast if it all goes well, but at this stage he has around 150 interviews to conduct in the next three weeks as part of the assimilation process so it might be an understatement to say he's a busy man!

It is awesome that we have access to someone with such a phenomenal teaching gift, and just goes to show what a brilliant place we are a part of.

Ray

PS Baby photos are coming soon! Sorry Lynda in particular, but also anyone else who has been hanging out to see asher!