July 2015 Newsletter
 

Jill Shaw IN New Zealand

Intentional · Incarnational · Intercultural · In Community  · In the World · Influential
Jill…
 

serves with Shore Community Church in Auckland
 
connects with the local community through incarnational ministry
 
is a chaplain at Massey University
 
supports refugees in resettlement & oversees Refuge House
 
consults in discipleship, diversity management and inter-cultural communications
 
Jill mentors present and future ministry leaders on a few continents.
 
Partnering with our ministry in NZ right now is mutually beneficial for American churches as we share our lessons learned in a postChristian context. The US Church is possibly 15-25 years behind NZ on the postChristian continuum.
 
POST•CHRISTIAN: variations of a context in which there’s a disconnect between society and a once-strong Church. Disengagement from a previous Christian norm.  True of much of Europe, nearly all of Australia & New Zealand, and now, most of USA.
 
Partnering with this ministry will reframe how you do ministry in your local context because many of the stories are substantially universal and the resources and strategies transferable. 

NEWS

Change is part of life.  In an effort to stay local while serving globally, and to keep all of your donations flowing into my specific ministry and not on running an organization, I am shifting my affiliation from South Pacific Christian Fellowship to The Ark Christian Ministries.

South Pacific Christian Fellowship is reorganizing their administration processes to cater to new recruits. Because I have a forwarding agent and systems that have served us well for 30 years, I’ve chosen to shift affiliation to The Ark. This changes nothing about what we do in New Zealand. Ministry in NZ stays the same: US administration and care for me as a Kingdom worker comes under a different umbrella.  This has been a process of more than two years, and relationships with the good people of SPCF and the new church planting teams are strong and friendly.

The Ark is the new name for Rainbow Christian Camp with which I’ve had a relationship for 40 years as a camper, faculty member and missionary. The Ark is intentional about evangelism, discipleship, and missions which is a terrific match for us. In this new venture as a sending agency they have a handful of missionaries affiliated and will include more as opportunities arise.
 
Feel free to call me if you have any questions about any of this. We believe strongly in transparency and trust. All checks will need to be made out to The Ark Christian Ministries and sent via Cheryl and the Louisville PO Box as before.  Any questions about that can be asked of Cheryl on (317) 385-9822.
 
I am seeking new supporting partners as we had a shortfall in last year’s income. Some churches have been struggling financially and had to decrease or stop support. Some individuals too have had altered circumstances. Costs continue to go up, so I’m making a concerted effort to contact new potential partners. Let me know if you know of individuals or churches who might partner with us, and please pray for the conversations I’m having now.
“We proclaim Him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.  To this end I labor, struggling with all His energy, which so powerfully works in me.” Colossians 1:28-29
Illustration/Rod Emmerson
Religious Affiliation Fades
“New Zealand is one of only three countries in the world where the non-religious are soon expected to outnumber the religious, according to new research.  New Zealand will join France and the Netherlands as having the religiously unaffiliated – referring to atheists, agnostics and those who do not identify with a religion – as the majority group.”
 
How to speak well in this social and cultural context? That’s my daily challenge.  New Zealand Herald
Shore Community Christian Church – Massey University Chaplaincy
networking for church planting & growth – discipleship
life groups – refugees & refuge house
serving in the community – teaching 
retreats & spiritual formation creating conversations – mentoring
 
… all in a postChristian country where most people have no idea of the gardens of Eden or Gethsemane, or of the existence of Genesis or James, and where recent statistics show faith and religious practice are highest among the poor and uneducated, leading social commentators to say, “That’s because we know better.”  postChristian ministry deals with a different kind of poverty than what photos can show.
Prayer Requests
Please pray for development of quality elders to lead Shore Community Christian Church into a faithful future.
Pray for continuity of quality staff, especially in the Youth and Small Groups areas, so Reuben can focus on initiatives and growing the church. We don’t want the senior minister to be an administrator or manager, but to pray, study, preach, pastor, disciple & be in conversation with seekers ….

Please pray earnestly for additional ministry supporters; individuals coming into partnership at $50-$200/month or a few churches at $350-$800/month, and a few significant onne time contributions towards buying a ministry house.

$12,000 USD for a van to facilitate soup for surfers and $175,000 USD for down payment on a house.

I’ve started a fund for a new computer and will welcome donations from those who prefer to give towards specific needs rather than the general ministry.  Click the DONATE link and below and specify NEW COMPUTER in the additional comments section of the donation page.

Pray for Saralee Riggs, my friend and forwarding agent’s mom, who has pancreatic cancer. She and Richard are also financial partners for the ministry.

Pray for the formation of the new church planting teams, that God will prompt into action those who can survive and thrive in this challenging ministry in NZ.

Thanks,
Jill
Jill's Web Page
Jill’s Web Page
Email
Email
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DONATE
Blog
Blog
Ministry Facebook
Ministry Facebook
Jill is now affliated with The Ark Christian Ministries in Converse, IN.
 

If you would like to DONATE and financially partner with Jill’s ministry in New Zealand please consider the online donation link above or send checks payable to The Ark Christian Ministries to:
P.O. Box 43581, Louisville, KY  40253
 

~ If you ever have any questions about ministry, expenditures, the contents of the newsletters, financial reporting, please contact us. Our books are open. There’s a paper trail of receipts for every expense, so we can explain our decisions to you, our partners in this outreach. Accountability and confidence is important.
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