RESONATE RED FROGS ROADIE TO DUNNERS!!

So its the season for Road tripping!!
So next weekend we are heading to Dunedin to meet up with the
Southlife Crew and Andy Gourley, founder of Red Frogs. If you are looking at coming on our Schoolies mission in November then you seriously need to consider trying to make it this weekend!

Details are a bit sketchy at the moment but we will let you guys know what we do and update you as we find out more:)
Heres what we know though:

We are leaving ICC either Friday night after Vibe or early Saturday morning (depending on what time everything starts on Sat morning.)

The awesome Stacey Shaw is going to source some cool as billets for us to stay with so we have some sweet accommodation. It might only be a couch so bring you sleeping bag!

Andy is speaking on the Saturday at Southlife and then we are going to help out the Red Frogs Crew at some OUSA events on Sat night. We are going to stay Sat night and go to Southlife for the AM service as Andy is preaching. We will be back in Invers in time for our 6pm service with Nick and Karen Klinkenberg - you don't want to miss this!!

Cost:

Travel is $15. You will need to bring some money to cover meals for the weekend. As for the sessions with Andy we are unsure but will let you know as soon as we do:)

Any more info just get in touch with Shan:)

As with Revo Tour Roadie we need definite replies as to whether going or not in order to secure beds and seats in the van. A maybe on facebook will be counted as a no!

Resonate Mystery HUB

Tuesday night is Resonate HUB. (Whats HUB you ask? The third Tuesday of every month all the Resonate connects get together and hang out:) ) This time is our mystery HUB! Its going to be a crazy fun night - Resonate style!!

So a couple of things you need to know:

We are meeting at church at 7pm on Tuesday night. You need to bring $5 and make sure you don't eat tea before you come:) This will be a great night to bring your mates to as well!!

See you there!!

Winter Blast

Summer was a blast and winter is all set to be too!! Join us for our Resonate Winter Blast - 2 days in the amazing Queenstown filled with snow, God, coffee, mates and hanging out!!


Important Info

Dates 13-14 August 2011 (its a Sat/Sun)
Location Lakeland Park, Kelvin Heights Queenstown
Cost $60 (includes transport, accommodation etc)

What to Bring: We are staying in the GORGEOUS chalets at Lakeland but you still need to bring a sleeping bag, pillow and stuff to keep you warm.
Clothes (always a good start!), Bible, pen & paper, water bottle, toiletries, money for lunch on Sunday, coffee and snacks during travel & anything else that you may think you need:) Leave behind the drugs & alcohol. Also bring pizza toppings for our Pizza Fest on Sat night!!

Leaving Invercargill Christian Centre nine AM on the Sat (meeting at 8.30AM)
Returning Sun night (time dependent on coffee stops -but in time for the evening service)

Quick lowdown on events:
Sat - Leave for QTown where a meriad of fun and chilling out ensues
Sat Evening - Pizza making fest (bring pizza toppings!!) Resonate bonding, God time and craziness!!
Sun- Hang out in Qtown - go out for lunch (bring money for this!!) more fun and chilling!!
Travel home with plenty of coffee


Registrations and payment need to be into the Church office by Thursday 11 August. See Shan more for more info to register. Email to shannon@christiancentre.org.nz

Its gonna be a BLAST!!

Pearls & Sundae Lovin'

We are relaunching Resonate Girls connect on a new night at Jess's sweet new pad and its gona be awesome! If you are between the ages of 18-30 years in Invercargill and are looking for an amazing young adults ministry then you should check us out! Resonate Girls is an awesome place to come and meet other like-minded crazy cats who are on fire for God and discovering what it means to walk out their journey as the incredible and beautiful woman God has created them to be!

Pearls and Summer lovin' is going to be a fun night of ice-cream madness and girlie goodness, so bring along your friends and some ice-cream toppings! We have the gorgeous Carol Chin Poy sharing some pearls of wisdom - she has an incredible testimony and has a heart to see women empowered and embracing who God created them to be. She runs the Eve-olution Womens Ministry at the Invercargill Christian Centre and is not to be missed!!

For more info about Pearls & Sundae Lovin' or Resonate Girls feel free to email me @ shannon@christiancentre.org.nz

SIT Orientation Week!!

Summer Blast

Heres what I'm doing this summer - how about you?

Resonate Roadie - the pics

ROAD TRIP!!!!! We had a wicked time on our Resonate Roadie to Timaru the other weekend. There's nothing quite like jumping in a van with a whole bunch of randoms (ok so I knew everyone but really they are quite random!!) and enduring some of the crazy carnage that is involved with long distance travel. Being the only girl in the van also made thinkgs "interesting" - enough said. Seriously though we had a great time- it was awesome to catch up with the guys from Dunners, Timaru and Chch and Ps Leon Rakete from Equippers South was off the hook! Plus we were relly wel looked after by the guys from Timaru with the meanest suppers! If you didn't come with us then you really missed out!

But because I like to reminisce, and to help those of you reading on the interweb feel a bit of the Road Trip love heres some pics:)

Enjoy!

Keith in the van - the trip to Timaru was highly entertaining, but they say - what happens in the van stays in the van!

Simons mad as photography skills - watch out Andris Apse!!

Jairus in the van

We played some crazy games - it takes great concentration to cover yourself in sellotape!!
Haha Si!

Simon and his balloons - once they were taped on he had to race around the church twice. Very funny to watch!!

Sam & the awesome crew from Dunedin leading worship

Worship went off!!

Me and Lyds before driving back to our respective homes.

A very attractive (and single!!) Lydia (right) from Dunners and Shelom from Chch.

The morning after - these guys had all slept in the church (well if you can call it sleep!!) More like chaos and carnage!!

Hearing Gods Voice

The voice of God is that secret voice unheard by any other ear,

which our own ear, opened by the Spirit of God recognizes with joy.

Charles Spurgeon

One of the things that I often have people ask me is how do I know if God is speaking to me? How do we know God’s voice?

Good question!

Hearing Gods voice is one of the things that I was so unsure of – what if it’s not God its just me? What if I get it wrong? How do I know its Him?

To be honest I don’t think there’s an easy one-stop-shop easy answer, but it all comes down to relationship. As I have grown closer to God and developed my relationship with Him I have come to learn how He speaks to me. Each of us are created uniquely so it makes sense that the way God speaks to us may be different to the away he speaks to someone else.

"My sheep listen to my voice;

I know them, and they follow me."

-- John 10:27

God knows the best way to speak to me. I am a visual person – images and pictures speak to me far greater than reading the Bible or listening to a preacher. But for others, reading the Bible can really speak to them. Neither are more right than the other – they are both just as valid.

When our kids were born, even as babies they recognized mine and Rays voices. They'd spent the whole time in the womb listening to us talk to them. They knew who we were and it would comfort them. When they were upset we could settle them just by our voice because they knew it was us.

As we get to know God more we learn to recognize His voice. I realize this sounds all too simplistic but its true.

There are many different ways in which God can speak to us. I would love it if God would just use massive sky-writing or a big booming voice from heaven like he did when Jesus was baptized but unfortunately it never seems to happen!! I know people who God speaks to them through impressions, a whisper, feelings, numbers - I even have one friend who God uses Physics equations! How crazy is that?

Benny Johnson from Bethel Church said recently at Manifest Presence Conference in Auckland that "God's not English, but English is one of the ways He can speak to us. God's not Russian but Russian is one of the ways He can speak to us." The same applies to pictures, numbers, feelings, impressions etc. They are all just a tool that God can use to communicate with us.

How awesome it is to know that God can to speak to us in a way that works for us - regardless of language!

I want to encourage you, as you spend time developing your relationship with God - it will become easier to recognise His voice. Take some time and chill with Him today.

Shan

O week 2010

Hey guys,

If you are new here (in Southland or on the blog), click to find out what we're all about! We've got some exciting activities planned for SIT OWeek 2010 in Southland. Hopefully you saw us around @ the SIT Market Day and grabbed some info that obviously led you to here!

On Tuesday we'll be on campus providing a free barbie ( the sausage kind not the doll) during the chilled music festivities and generally hanging out being cool.!

This week we have some awesome things happening in the life of Resonate - Tuesday connect is up and running, 7.30pm at Shan and Rays. If you are aged between 18-25ish and are looking for a place to connect with other Jesus freaks then we're the place to be!

Wednesay night Resonate Girls kicks off for the year with a coffee and dessert night at the Invercargill Christian Centre. This is going to be an awesome chance to hang out with some really cool chicks, as well as have a great munch on YUMMY food. Resonate girls runs fortnightly on a Wednesday nite so come along this week to find what we're all about!

PLus on top all that we have amazing guests Ps Clark and Ann Taylor from Brisbane speaking this weekend at the Christian Centre. These guys are legendary and are definately worth coming along to hear. Service times are Fri 7pm, Sat 7pm and Sunday 10am and 6pm - all at the Christian Centre Leet St Campus.

Anywho hope you have a fantastic and blessed 2010 and we here at Resonate look forward to catching up and hanging with you!!

Shan

Branded Take Over

Branded was an absolutely phenomenal weekend just held at Southlife Church, Dunedin. For those of you who have never been or heard of it, Branded is the Acts Churches NZ South Island youth conference.

One of the things that came through strongly was a new focus towards young adults, 18-30 year olds, recognising that often we find they enter into this stage of life only to become old and boring. Hope no one is offended by that!!!

But really its true and its one of the frustrating things I have seen happen continuously over the past 7 years I have done Resonate. People are all excited and passionate about making a difference for God and living a life of significance but only until they graduate. Once that happens its time for them to "grow up, get a haircut and get a real job." Their new focus finding a spouse, getting a good job, and having babies. Don't get me wrong, these are all good things (and I have them too), but suddenly they are too old for being involved in youth or jumping up and down a little. I don't know about you but I think that sucks!!! I so don't want to live a boring life where I do what society says I should be doing at this stage of my life.

In fact I want to be living a passionate life, be significant for God in reaching a generation and be able to look back at the end of my life and have no regrets, no "what if " moments.

We often look at youth and talk about how alcohol, drugs and sex are such a distraction for them, pulling them away from their Purpose in God, but in realilty the white picket fence can be just as distracting for us young adults.

My challenge to you is to don't become so focused about the things this world says are important that you forget about the call and purpose God has placed within you.

Something to consider

Well so it's been a little while since I have posted - sorry for being so slack!!

Life for the average Reson8r has been pretty busy, and I have been no exception. Between work, study, family and church it's difficult at times to take a few moments for myself let alone jump on the computer and write about how busy we are!! But it has got me thinking.

How often do we actually take the times to appreciate the little things? Sounds cliched I know but in all honesty I find that sometimes I get so busy doing the work for God that I forget to actually spend time with God. Which is crazy because when you love someone and are in relationship with them then you should actually want to spend time with them.

Imagine being best friends with somebody but you don't actually talk to them, hang out them or even answer the phone each time they call you.

In fact you ignore them completely - except maybe when your world falls apart and then you need a shoulder to cry on. But you still consider yourselves to be best friends and believe you have an amazing, understanding, loving relationship because you just happen to do things on behalf of that person.

Lets be honest , real relationships don't actally work that way. But yet how often are we like that with God?

We spend so much time doing stuff in His name, and for the church, but in essence we are so far removed from God it's not funny. We don't hang out with Him, we don't talk to Him unless we want something and we certainly don't listen when He has something to say. Would we even recognise His voice at the other end of the line if he called?

There is a saying my old youth leader used to have - "If the devil can't make you bad he'll make you busy." Often we allow our busyness get in the way of whats really important - RELATIONSHIP.

I don't know about you but when it comes my turn to go hang with Jesus in eternity I want to know that I am going to be hanging with my best friend, not a random accquaintance. I don't want to get so hung up on serving Him that I forget to know Him.

What about you? Do your priorities lie in the doing of Jesus or your relationship with Him?

Revival Pics

OK guys so as promised here are a few shots from when we had Roy and Melanie Fields here the other week. It was a phenomenal time of worship and God really switched something in the Spirit. It was like taking a 60 watt light bulb and then shoving 2000 volts of electricity through it to see what would happen - things will never be the same again!!!!

SUNDAY MORNING SERVICE

Singers Band in Worship
Worship led by Roy Fields. You can't really see but Church

was PACKED out.

Pastor Ian (with Dayle in background) deep in worship

SUNDAY EVENING SERVICE

Love this shot!!!! Resonator Lulu and members of the ministry team during the evening service.

Southern River pastor Danny Steel (centre) responding to a call for healing while Melanie Fields (right) prays.

Melanie Fields praying for people during an altar call.

Associate pastor Grant hanging with his kids after the evening service. (It was 11.5pm and they just got their second wind!!)

Revival Weekend

Wow what an amazing weekend we just had with the amazing Roy andMelanie Fields. If you ever doubted Revival was in the air then those doubts should be well and truely gone now!!!

For those of you who aren't aware, Roy and Melanie led the worship at the Lakeland Outpouring and are a phenomenal couple who carry an incredible passion to see God move in miraculous ways transforming lives and seeing Revival break out across the globe. These are just a couple of pics from the weekend and we will have testimonies and stuff coming soone:)

Shan

Let us feed u!!!!!

Hey Guys,

Yep its here again! The Resonate $2 Student feed. If you haven't worked it out by now it gonna be a regular occurance - like real regular, like every 2 weeks, fornightly or bi-monthly (however you want to look at it!)

So get involved!! Tell your class mates, your workmates, your neighbour, your nana, WHOEVER!! Bring them along and enjoy our scrumptious, yummy (and may I add healthy - who would a thought it was possible to taste good and not make you rot?)

Just make sure you let us know you are coming - we would hate for you to miss out!!

Mmm, coffee...

Hope you enjoyed your coffee today... if you've found yourself here, you might be wondering who we are. If you need the short and skinny... we're a group of committed 18-20something Christians from Invercargill Christian Centre who are just wanting to serve our local student and young worker community. Here's some of the stuff we've got coming up:

This is going to be a great chance to connect and kit out your flat. Also we've got the $2 feed coming up tomorrow night:We've got a rocking Friday Service to follow. If you are currently looking for a new church home while you are down here in the south, check us out!

Finally for all the gamers in the house, we're running an XBox Lan on Saturday Night @ Hawthorndale Christian Centre. It's from 5-10, and it's at 32 Freeview Avenue. Click here for more info (video).

Anyways, if you are new... welcome to the Ends of the Earth!

XBox Game Night - 21 February

Be good to me Richard and Shannon, or I'll post the outtakes!!!

Mission Accomplished?

Hey guys,

Well, I dont know if my mission is ´accomplished´ but its over anyway, which is a fully unreal thought... What a week... Ive packed up, said my goodbyes, and today left Abancay on a bus to begin my 3week journey home.

I'm in Cusco, and as of today I am no longer a missionary, but just a lowly tourist for the next few weeks. My eyes hurt from crying like a baby, and Im just in a funny sorta headspace, closing that chapter of my life. I feel like I need to sit down (for like a year) and think through everything thats happened! I really need your prayers over the next few weeks, with all the travel, and Im already exhausted before I even begin..!

This is such an amazing country, with beautiful people, and is a hard place to leave. Praise God that here I am, 6 months later, still alive and well. He has been my strength and my shield and I give Him the glory.

Will keep in touch on my travels, and look forward to seeing you all oh sooo sooon!
love Lynda xoxo

Reson8rs Podcast: Christianity as a Counterculture

Hey,

As promised, here is a podcast of the Christianity as a Counterculture message which I preached @ a youth service late last month. It's a little raw, but hopefully you get the overall idea. Any feedback greatly appreciated (how else am I going to get better?). Anyhow, here it is...


powered by ODEO

Subscribe to the semi-regular, mildly worthwhile, Reson8rs podcast :)

blogs4god is awesome!

Hey reson8rs,

The recent Christianity as a counterculture post has just been listed as a popular post on the blogs4god website. In their own words they are:

a semi-definitive aggregation of of Christians who blog. This 'democritized' user-based ranking system differs from a 'Yahoo-like' hierarchical system in that submitted posts are then voted on by other blogs4God registrants. It is the hope that this free, 'digg-like' service will provide the Christian blogging community with a showcase of the best content that can be heard above the white noise generated by the blogosphere on the whole.

It's exciting because it means that some of the stuff here may actually be worth reading and sharing :). Anyway, if you're looking for quality Christian content, and a useful networking tool, go and check blogs4god out, and join. While you are there, add me as a friend, and if you dig what's being written, then vote so we can keep gaining exposure.

Reson8rs @ the ends of the earth, changing the world around them...

Christianity as a counterculture?

Hey guys,
So just doing something different... here's a copy of the notes I used for a talk I did at church recently.

It may be useful for life groups, school groups, youth groups, or just to have a bit of a yarn with anyone you want... If nothing else, maybe it may make you think about what you believe.

Will podcast the mp3 when it becomes available, and hopefully you'll get a better idea of where I was going.



Counterculture

2 minutes – Brainstorm - What is Normal Teenage culture?

What defines us as a culture?

What influences us?

From Wikipedia:

In sociology, counterculture is a term used to describe a cultural group whose values and norms are at odds with those of the social mainstream, the cultural equivalent of political opposition.

Today, counterculture is used to describe moving in a theological or material direction that is not the accepted norm in society; this is most easily seen in its manifestation in the media. However, it can be strange to see the co-option of counterculture movements as they quickly become the spearhead of commercial pop campaigns; once taboo ideas (men wearing a woman's color - pink, for example) can become popular trends.

Examples of counterculture:
Hippies
Rock n' Roll
Punk
Alternative
Emo!
and many others...

In all these movements, the counterculture became so popular it directly affected mainstream culture.

We sometimes think of Christians as the “square” mainstream people. If you think about it, this is NOT THE CASE.

Christianity directly opposes many of today’s cultural values and beliefs.
Examples of this?

Jesus was not a mainstream leader. He spent his entire ministry shaking the current mainstream beliefs of the Pharisees and society.
e.g. performed miracles on the Sabbath. Called the spiritual leaders of the time a pit of vipers and so on…

AS Christians, we are NOT mainstream.
What does this mean to you?
We live to different standards. What is acceptable in the world may not be acceptable in our eyes. In many ways we, shouldn’t fit in…

We need to add some new phrases to our vocabulary.
Why?
I don’t agree with this because…
I believe that…

We need to start standing up for what we believe in…

We shouldn’t be afraid to be different. God has already marked us so. We do not need to conform. In fact, in order to be going for God, we have a completely different mindset:

2 Corinthians 5:17 If anyone is in Christ, they are a new creation. The old has gone, the new has come!– What this means is that those who become Christians become new persons. They are not the same anymore, for the old life is gone. A new life has begun.

This means we are called to be in the world, acting as Christ, not of the world.

We have an opportunity to stand apart.
We have an opportunity to create a positive counterculture which opposes the things in mainstream culture which may be morally or spiritually wrong.

Challenge: Think about how as a Christian, you are different to mainstream culture. What ways are you able to be an example of Christianity as a counterculture?

...
Hope this is useful to someone. If so, great! Let me know...

Ray