RAISING THE BAR ON LEADERSHIP
Winter has established its self and finally the temperatures are falling. Now we wish we had two water tanks with all the rain that’s falling over our house.
Since I wrote last time, we have finally been able to complete the Northern Presbyterian CLC. We held the last four days at Camp Morley with 16 of the original 20 attending. I was thrilled that after the couple of course postponements, we retained so many. The four that didn’t attend all had good excuses. There was a wonderful family feel as we completed the management material then spent three days looking at who each one was as a person in Christ not as a minister. They got stuck in and consequently got much out of it. One of the team said, “overall- awesome course 10/10.” And Tokerau stated that “it will improve my family relationhships, clarify vision, goals and plans. [It will be] very helpful in how I can work better with leaders and members in my parish.”
Late Wednesday afternoon May 4, I got a call from Possum Bourne Hospital that my Mum was not doing well. I left the course to go be with her. Most of the family visited or zoomed in to see her on the Thursday. Sadly she was unresponsive. The week before when my son Tim came on zoom, she called out to Yvonne and I that she had got a wave from Tim. It was the last thing she said. Early Friday morning Mum passed away. Her stuggle against fear of falling and declining health was over. 95 is a very good innings. Because she loved Jesus, she is now with Him enjoying her reward.
The following week, I had the privilege of taking her funeral. I spoke like I did for my Dad about her legacy. Hers was one of uncompromising love for her family, Faithfulness in all she did for us and a Christ like servanthood that put others needs way before hers. I am eternally grateful to the Lord for the parents He gave us as a family. Now an era is over and its up to me and my brothers and our spouses to build on the legacy and leave a legacy worth gold for our children and grandchildren.
I continue with others to get ready for the Caleb Leadership Course in Blenheim in late July. We continue to try to get people to sign up for the course. Currently we have 12 people signed up and two who would like help in developing their leadership but I unable to come to the course.
Along with some of my training team I continue to complete the rewrite of aspects of the leadership course. Consequently, I have to rewrite parts of the participants manual. I decided that I needed to rewrite all the participants manual. I need it to be in a different format when it is printed so that I can change it more easily, and also look to putting it on Google Drive so participants can download it. It’s proving to be a larger job than I thought and seems like a high mountain to climb. I would appreciate your prayers to enable me to stay relaxed about it to get the work done and not get my neck sore.
Work with the itaa committees continues . LMC for pastors was on course 4 beginning in September with a week camp . However, the denomination we’re working with are not so sure about costs and therefore we have to wait and see when the course might begin. We still hope for September but it will be more likely early next year. I continue to work on the ITA Board of Directors as the vice chairman looking at the ways we will develop the online courses. committee are amazing men of faith and I am delighted to be working with them. The other ITA committee is working toward a version of the LMC course adapting it for pastors within the CMA denomination in Canada. We are hoping that the first week of the course which is a live-in week, will be ready by September.
Other than working through my Mum’s death, the family is doing quite well. Tim has completed his degree and his graduation service is this coming Friday. He has got a job straight away with Fisher and Paykel health. It will be a very good start for him as they want to work with him helping him gain experience in his field quickly.
Yvonne is now leading worship once a month at Connect Church. She puts many many, hours into her preparation. I’m very proud of her and think she does really well especially since it a very long time since she led worship.
Jeremy completes his MBA studies this week and hopes to graduate in July this year. He has done remarkably well and we are proud of both our sons.
Rachel has nearly completed her third novel Witcher editor is very thrilled with. With two children and all that entails finding space to write has been difficult but she has overcome that to produce a very good novel.
Our grandchildren are all doing well, Caleb is 4 years old, his sister Ada is 2 and, and Kayla is 2 ½. The wonderful news is that Sakura who’s pregnant again with the baby due beginning of December.
With the funding that Hannah has I left over for this year we are planning on taking her South to see her sister and also get some time to explore Milford sound and Queenstown. We are waiting to find out whether we have approval for this. Please pray that we will get this to happen as it will be very good for Hannah not to say it won’t be good for us either.
Your prayers and support are extremely important to us and our ability to do the work the Lord has called us too. We never take you for granted and give thanks to the Lord for you. May He give you answers to your prayers and give you His blessing and love.
Every blessing
Rex, Yvonne, Rachel, Jonny, Caleb &Ada, Jeremy, Sakura & Kayla, Tim & Aimee & Hannah.