Fairfield
Pastor Geoff Follas
At the moment, Fairfield Baptist Church looks like a bomb has hit it. Most of the demolition of part of the main building has been done and the builders are about to start the rebuild. Only the walls are left standing. The pitch of the roof will be lower and the new seating will face the opposite direction. There will be a mothers’ room with soundproof glass looking into the church. The main entrance and foyer will be between the hall and church building. There has been a shuffle around with the different churches who use our facilities and our service is being held in the main hall. We hope to use the new church building next February.

Hamilton Central
Senior Pastor Derek Allan
A group of children went to International School of Worship during the July holidays. Central’s Got Talent was a fun social night arranged by youth pastor Nathan Cunliffe and the Youth 180 group at the end of September. Our Women 4 Life enjoyed a visit from Te Whanau Putahi; they made poi and learned how to use them in dance. Seventeen men went to Promise Keepers in October. Watching the All Blacks games on the big screen at church was an opportunity for outreach among colleagues locals, tying in to our current Stepping Up theme for church life – getting closer to God, closer to each other, and closer to the lost and needy.

Hamilton South
Ham South has rebooted its Sunday evening services with four different services run over the month. The first evening of each month is celebrated with a meal together followed by a communion reflection. The second has been Couch Night – short interviews, testimonies and devotions. The third is a time of celebrating God through the youth, who bring an event in drama or music. And the fourth Sunday evening we open God’s Word for an in-depth look at what he is saying in Colossians. Our camp will be at Raglan this year. We say goodbye to our Carey student pastor, Simon Alexander, who has spent a year with us. We are blessed to have had him and his wife, Louise, and wish them both well.

Havelock North
Pastor Kerry Brewerton
Missions Expo 2011 was an exciting time as we liaised with Rachel Murray (Mission World) and tranzsend staff to organise “sound-byte seminars” and displays of overseas mission opportunities on September 3. Peter Mihaere shared in our Sunday morning service. The movie Soul Surfer, the true story of a shark attack victim, played at a Nite Church. A ladies’ night incorporated the Baptist Women’s Day of Prayer service and a message on kindness by Julie Belding, president of the Baptist Women’s Union of the South West Pacific, was well supported by Bay Baptist women. A Youth Alpha course has commenced and a Light Party was organised. Coinciding with the quarter finals of the Rugby World Cup, a sports forum featured interviews with three men from our church who have been involved as players and coaches of representative sports teams.