Ashburton
Pastor David Jensen
We continue to be both blessed and challenged as a church through inspiring messages from our pastor. Through drama, puppetry, song and testimony, our children from Life to de Max took part in a recent morning service. We have received permission from our local Council to hold an open air monthly service in the central town square on a Saturday morning, which we are calling Church with no Walls. Incorporating both testimony and song, we hope and pray in anticipation and faith that this will be an effective church outreach in the proclaiming of God’s word to our community.

Darfield
Senior Pastor Jim Patrick
We have had a busy six months of church life, with the main activities being post-earthquake contributions in various communities (there has been an overwhelming need), and working through the search for a new senior pastor. After months of prayer, discussion, and explorations, we have called Paul and Angela Cossey, and they accepted. Jim and Lois Patrick retire in November after 40 years of ministry – to them we express our greatest thanks for their spiritual leadership and Christian teaching during these last seven years. Other events in the life of our church included a farewell to Alan and Bev Brown (who accepted a call to pastor in Hokitika), hearing about various missions activities, a church family forum in June to evaluate the needs of our church in light of calling a new pastor, a retreat for women and a father-and-son outdoor extravaganza. We praise God for His grace and mercy, and seek Him for his presence in the coming months.

Oxford Terrace
Rev Chris Chamberlain
Operation Exodus now helps people who have to leave the red zone in the earthquake-stricken areas of Christchurch shift. Food parcels have been warmly welcomed. Monthly morning tea for Christchurch East School staff is well appreciated. Martin Sutherland gave a lecture that exposed scandal, argument, fun, courage and God’s provision. On August 14 we had the pleasure of Scott Cadman, our minister from 1997-2007, and his family visit. He preached that morning, was followed by a shared lunch. A spring outing for women living alone was enjoyed by 17 members. George Wieland preached in a Sunday morning service, reimaging church in new circumstances using the book of Acts as a resource. Operation Christmas Child has started with the distribution of shoeboxes filled with small gifts for children who are victims of war and natural disasters.

Alexandra
Pastor Derek Pyle
Sunday morning services are near capacity. Sunday school, young people and creche have their own programme during the latter part of the service. Cafe Service on Sunday evening is an informal time with a lot of discussion. Four home groups meet during the week and a group, Movies Matter, that views a DVD one week and discusses it the next. Tuesday lunch is Prayer and Share time. Mainly music is on Thursday and, this year, we have been pleased to have an expanded team leading so as to share the workload. The worship team has introduced some of the mainly music songs to our morning services and the congregation is enjoying them. A team make a monthly visit to the two rest homes. Our leader, Jeannie Barker, always has an interesting theme that often involves in the team dressing up – the rest home folk are pleased to see us, particularly as we have three men on the team. Youth section has a new leader, Greg Dowling, a chef from Australia. He is using his skills to great effect with the young ones. Alpha and Alpha marriage courses have been run by Blair Wells.

Invercargill Central
We celebrated 10 years since the opening of our Community Centre with a thank offering. We are very grateful to God and the generosity of his people, who have enabled us to pay off the loans on the Centre. Guest speakers have included Mike Dodge, Lyn Campbell, Randal Scott, Merrilyn Withers and Excel School of Performing Arts. We’ve continued our morning series of messages from Ephesians and spent some weeks looking at the theme of relationships. Preparation and fundraising is underway for two cross-cultural mission trips planned for 2012/2013.

South Dunedin
Pastor Bruce Geddes
We are receiving good teaching from Luke’s gospel. Well attended a church meeting and luncheon with an opportunity to comment on various aspects of the church programme. One of our younger members, Cathy Anderson, brought the message “Storing treasures on earth.” In a special meeting with CFFD, 100 in attendance celebrated 30 years of the movement. Guests included Di and Hugh Willis from Auckland. Operation Christmas Child is well supported. Girls’ Brigade trooping of the colours girls took part in a morning service. Further outreach programmes are a matter of prayer. Our food bank is in constant use and much appreciated by the recipients. Kids’ church grew plants as a fundraiser for Prayer and Self Denial Appeal.