We visited my old Brethren church yesterday which is now called Orewa Community Church. I attended the youth group here as a teenager and a few people remembered me. I have been away overseas for 30 years so I thought it would be just POLITE to return and say hi, and thanks.
Good Bible teaching, as always. I much prefer a good old Bible study over a motivational talk with quaint illustrations and tedious stories. I like to bring my Bible into a church and get to actually use it. Which I did. The worship was a little too quasi-Hillsong for my liking – think Willow Creek on a budget – but the people seemed to enjoy it. Great missions focus and we hooked up with a few missos over tea.
We had lunch afterwards at the invitation of Phil Tait who is connected with SIM, the Langham Partnership and who recently wrote on the state of the Brethren churches in New Zealand. 38,000 Kiwis are Brethren, apparently, which is not a lot but they make a big splash overseas.
Thanks to Murray and Linda Barclay of Puhoi for the wonderful mutton and venison sausages that fed a big crowd.
always good to reconnect with your roots