Media Releases 2006
Unleashed 2006 Reviews>>Nick Willis - the inside track - Promise Keepers Men Of Action June 2007
Fathers at Christmas - DayStar Magazine, December 2006
Giving Mission A Go - DayStar Magazine
Good Dads Can Lift Child's Potential - Challenge Weekly 28.8.06
Thousands Flock to Unleash Male Potential in Church - Challenge Weekly 16.10.06 (pdf)
Is Jesus more like Mother Teresa or William Wallace - Challenge Weekly 19.6.06
Training for Life - The Bull Allen Story - PK Men of Action, May 2006
Keeping a Promise Led to a Lifetime of Change - Empowered, Winter 2006
Brothers Standing Together - NZ Baptist, June 2006
Nick Willis - the inside track
You don’t get to the top of any sports code now without a heap of grit and determination, as well raw talent. The life of a top athlete is demanding and tough. Once more New Zealand is a real contender in the 1500 track with Nick Willis after a long drought since John Walker. Once more we have a star to make the 1500 interesting.
Nick Willis captured the world’s attention after taking gold in the 1500m at the 2006 Commonwealth Games. But was it a one-hit wonder? Well, in 2005 Nick was the National Collegiate Athletic Association indoor champion for the mile... he also ran a 3:32.17 race for the 1500m in Paris last year and broke the national record. He was also second in the prestigious Fifth Avenue Mile. And Nick is not just a miler or 1500m specialist as he has also clocked 1:45.54 for the 800m. That means Nick is running at approximately 27.5km an hour in an 800m event. That’s outrageously quick. Now he is aiming for bigger things and the 2008 Olympic Games is beckoning. Read more>>
Christmas should be a time to celebrate the birth of Jesus, enjoy family gatherings and kick back and relax in the sun. As men, how do we make the most of the season while avoiding stress, overspending and conflict?
As Christmas rapidly approaches, consider these aspects to being a great FATHER and pass your planned activities through the following grid:
F ocus
Christmas allows us to focus on the important things of life and not be driven simply by the urgent things. Focus on communicating with your wife and creating romantic opportunities. The bond between husband and wife is an important model for your family. For most of the year members of your family will have been at school or working. Christmas should be an opportunity for fun and celebration. Don’t let the busyness or expense of Christmas damage your relationships, but rather work together as a team. There may have been things said or done during the year which require reconciliation and forgiveness. This is an ideal opportunity to deal with those issues.
A ct
Although recharging your batteries is important, so is action. Don’t just blob in front of the TV. Rest and relaxation should be highlighted with some activities that create memories and family traditions. A common experience held by some strong families is camping trips. Experiencing weather disasters and danger when camping can create memories for life and bring us closer together in a common bond.
T ime
Spend time with your children. Do activities with them that are appropriate to their age. Take turns doing something chosen by each family member so that they know their opinions and desires are valued. One parent/one child times are also incredibly special. As you do this, watch out for teaching moments. These are opportunities to instill life values and skills in your children.
H ear
Listen to what God is saying to you; spend time with Him. You are then able to pass this wisdom on to your wife and children. Just as we expect God will listen to us, we should in turn also listen to our wives and children.
E ncourage
The word ‘encourage’ means to give courage. It is important as a father to give strength, courage and boldness to your children. Take the opportunity to affirm your children. We often feel the need to discipline our children; the challenge is to give them courage. Help the kids sharpen their skills or venture out into new areas. Ensure we model and demonstrate what it means to be a godly father.
R eflect
Thank God for what He has done in your family in 2006. As the New Year approaches, it is a time for new beginnings. Together with your wife, reflect on those things that need to happen in 2007. In particular, what vision do you have for your family in 2007? Plant this vision in your family by explaining it to them and encouraging them to fulfil it.
FATHERS are a crucial influence in the wellbeing of families. Whether our family is complicated or uncomplicated, blended or intact, when we have time together over Christmas, we want to grasp whatever opportunities we have to build relationships and create good memories. Dads need to lead the family in honouring Jesus in creative as well as traditional ways at Christmas.
Article by Paul and John Subritzky
Giving Mission A Go
Julie Belding talks to a missionary policeman
Bevan Herangi is an Auckland cop who enjoys his job. "I love the adventure," he says, "especially when you have to go into a situation where you're not sure what’s going on, and when you might encounter someone with a knife or a gun." He admits that "a few rough and tumbles" are all part of it. At the moment he's doing the booze buses for the traffic alcohol team, but he gets a buzz from the riskier stuff, including the high speed pursuits. Not that policing is one long adrenalin rush. "There's a lot of paper work and it can also put pressure on your family," Herangi says. "People burn out. The shift work can be hard. But you make it work for yourself, and the stuff you do offsets it. Sometimes I have to pinch myself to believe what I'm doing."
The adventure begins
Herangi has been a Christian for about fifteen years. Before joining the police two years ago he worked for five years with Open Doors which involved trips to various countries where Christians are persecuted. "I used to be in surf lifesaving," he said. "Probably that's where this whole risk and adventure thing started. I had a friend who used to speak to me about Christ -- which I didn't take too kindly to at the time. In the end he persuaded me to go with him to a church where Jules Riding was playing the blues. I couldn't believe Christians played the blues! He gave a great gospel message that I connected with, and I've never looked back."
These days, when off duty, Herangi directs Encounter Global, the missions arm of Christian Encounter Church. This involves organising and leading short term mission trips (each averaging 3-4 weeks) to a dozen countries in the developing world.
This year he's led a couple of mission trips to Ethiopia and Kenya. Other short term mission destinations have included Mozambique, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Fiji, China, Philippines, Singapore, Indonesia, Colombia. Some trips are ministry focused, where the team might speak in churches or at conferences. Others might be outreach trips with a youth or a Bible teaching emphasis. Still others are undertaken for practical projects like building houses or orphanages or working in the slums. Each team member pays his or her own way. "It's the opportunity of a lifetime for a young person," says Herangi. "That's why we do it."
Missionary constable
Herangi agrees policing and mission work might be considered an unusual combination. "One minute you're out preaching in the backblocks of Africa about the love of God and the next minute you're scrapping with gang members!"
As a policeman he sees the worst side of human nature, but he's learned to cope with that, just as he copes with the occasional incidents of human carnage.
"You do see some horrendous stuff. But you learn to deal with it," he says matter-of-factly. "And you learn pretty quickly, because when you come out of Police College you're thrown in the deep end and you have to make decisions instantly. Sometimes that means getting a bit roughed up."
He says P is an epidemic in Auckland. "Most people wouldn't see it, but in the police you do. Millions of dollars are being dealt around. All the gangs are involved and many families are being destroyed. Obviously as a Christian you have a different outlook on life. And you realise there's a spiritual aspect to why people are stuck in the situation they are in."
Do the survival skills he learned at Police College serve him in good stead on the mission field? "If anything it's the other way round," he says. "I think mission prepared me for the cops! I was in mission with Open Doors a lot longer than I've been in police work. In Open Doors I was going to dangerous countries, and I've always enjoyed adventure."
He says his experience in the police force has given him a realistic perspective of life and of human nature generally. "You know everything's not rosy. In mission it prevents me from putting any gloss on a situation."
But what good is a short-term mission trip? Could three weeks really make much of a difference? "It's about encouraging, serving and giving," Herangi explains. "You go out to help people in some area of need, and you experience an amazing blessing from God just through this connection with the people. It gives your spiritual life a real burst. God has given you specific gifts to minister with and he wants them used in the world. When you do, that's when the Kingdom expands."
What qualities does a person need to be an effective missionary?
"They need to have a mature outlook on things, to be full of the Holy Spirit, and to be comfortable in harsh places," he says. "They need durability and perseverance, and they need a servant heart." Herangi will be speaking at the Promise Keepers conferences this year and encouraging the men in his audience to give mission a go. "Guys have an innate desire for adventure." he says. "They just need motivating to do it. I think it would be great for all men to go on a mission trip once in their lives, to see God use them in an amazing way."
Bevan Herangi is married to Marissa and they have two children, Ethan (3) and Danielle (2) who have already accompanied their father on a mission trip to Fiji.
GOOD DADS CAN LIFT CHILD'S POTENTIAL - Challenge Weekly 28.8.06
At Promise Keepers Events around the nation, fathers are considering ways to unleash the full potential in their children.
National Director of Promise Keepers, Paul Subritzky, says fathers have the significant role of releasing godly vision to their children.
“Many children and teenagers don’t have a vision for their future because our culture tells them to ‘do it now’ but children need to be encouraged to consider that they have a great destiny and enormous potential.
“At Promise Keepers this year we are encouraging dads to sow vision into their children. We believe that fathers are uniquely placed to unleash their children’s full potential so they can achieve what they were created for.”
Statistics show that children whose fathers are involved in their lives do better at school, suffer fewer mental health problems and are less likely to get involved in crime. (Oxford University 2002)
Paul, who is a father of four young adults, explains that children are constantly watching their parents.
“We are called to give direction to our children. A lot of this direction is non-verbal. At other times opportunities to provide advice occur while participating in everyday activities. I’ve had many an in-depth conversation with my sons while I’ve been driving them somewhere. Discussing issues while you are both focusing on the task of driving is less threatening because you both have your eyes on the road and there is an opportunity to think about your response.”
Dinnertime can also be a great chance to discuss dreams for the future and the path needed to get there. Studies show that teenagers who eat dinner with their parents five or more times a week were less likely to take drugs, be depressed or in trouble with the law. Instead, they were more likely to be doing well in school and surrounded by a supportive circle of friends. (Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Centre 1997)
Kiwi kids echoed this pattern in a National Secondary School Youth Health Survey. It found that students who had strong positive relationships with their parents achieved better at school and had happier relationships with others. (Auckland University 2001)
Nurturing father-daughter relationships has seen some churches come up with creative programmes. One such church is Harvest Christian Church, Papakura, who held a “Princess and the Pea” evening for dads and their daughters.
Throughout the evening they played a number of games and the girls got to paint their dads’ toenails. The dads then painted their daughters’ fingernails!
Not to be outdone, the dads and sons evening, called “Muscle to Muscle”, was set up like a sports café, complete with basketball, pool and table tennis.
The church leaders explain they held the events because the world we live in today is so busy that many children do not get to spend as much time as they would like with their fathers.
The evenings were such a success that the church is planning to make them an annual event.
Boys will seek out adult role models, and one who sees the result of bad role modelling is Chief Youth Court Judge, Andrew Beecroft, who deals with serious youth offenders.
“Fourteen, 15 and 16-year-old boys seek out role models like ‘heat seeking missiles’. It’s either the leader of the Mongrel Mob, a sports coach or it’s dad.”
Promise Keepers acknowledges that there are many fathers who are wonderful dads. They are faithfully providing for their children and doing their best to show love.
One father who is making American headlines by demonstrating his love for his son is Dick Hoyt.
Together with his son Rick, who has cerebral palsy, they compete in marathon races and triathlons.
When Dick runs, Rick is in a wheelchair that Dick is pushing. When Dick cycles, Rick is in the seat from his wheelchair, attached to the front of the bike. When Dick swims, Rick is in a boat being pulled by Dick.
Although Rick can’t walk or talk he can use a modified computer. When asked about his dad, Rick typed:
“Dad is one of my role models. Once he sets out to do something, Dad sticks to it, whatever it is, until it is done. For example once we decided to really get into triathlons, dad worked out up to five hours a day, five times a week, even when he was working.”
Today Dick does motivational speaking and many people have been inspired by their story.
NHL hockey great, Bobby Orr, says: “This is more than a story of a father's love, though it certainly speaks to all fathers, this one included. It's also a story of courage, the kind any of us could be called upon to demonstrate in our own lives.”
Promise Keepers says a way to develop character in children is to help them conquer problems.
Paul says, “In the book Rich Dad, Poor Dad, one dad says, ‘We can’t do that’ while the other says, ‘How can we do it?’
“We can all be great dads who encourage vision and help our children achieve their full potential.”
Article by Candice Osborne
IS JESUS MORE LIKE MOTHER TERESA OR WILLIAM WALLACE?
This is the question asked by John Eldredge in Wild at Heart, his popular book for men. Eldredge suggests that the answer depends on what you need from Jesus right now. If you’re a leper, an outcast, a pariah of society whom no-one will touch, then you’d probably want Jesus to be like the saintly nun who ministered in the streets of Calcutta. However, if you’re more concerned with how we tackle the moral challenges of society and advance the values of the kingdom of God, then he suggests we need Jesus to be more like the liberator of Scotland, made famous by Mel Gibson in the movie Braveheart.
At the heart of this question is how the church ministers to men. One organisation that has successfully turned the spotlight on men’s issues in the church is Promise Keepers. Recently appointed National Co-ordinator for Ministry with Men Coaching, Dean Comerford, says that “if surveyed, many Christians would say that Jesus is more like Mother Teresa, but the reality is that we need Him to be both. We need Him to be compassionate and merciful, as well as courageous and wild. We need Him to be like a kind and caring mother, as well as a brave and strong father. And the good news is that He is”.
Mr Comerford also points out that while God’s character and nature clearly encompasses both feminine and masculine qualities, the church has often championed one side of the equation over the other. “The difficulty with this”, he suggests, “is that it has a tendency to rob men of their purpose and destroy their potential for good.”
In his book, Eldredge explains how Genesis teaches that God made us in His image – male and female He made them (Gen 1:27). There is something about masculinity that reflects the image of God that femininity can’t and also something about femininity that reveals God’s character in ways that masculinity can’t. Mr Comerford says, “The truth is we’re different and while ministering to women is equally important, it will often look poles apart from the way we minister to men. Somehow, if we are to attract men back to church, we have got to find a ‘blokier’ way of being salt and light”.
After 12 years of running large Events for Men in the nation, Promise Keepers is sharpening its focus on ministry with men at a local church level. National Director of Promise Keepers, Paul Subritzky, says, “Appointing Dean is a huge leap of faith for us financially, but we are convinced that if men are to be reached in ever-increasing numbers, we have got to do all we can to support the churches that are working on the coal face. We’re still strongly focused on large Events, but we’re upping the support we can offer to churches who want to prosper in their men’s ministries.”
Developing Ministry with Men Coaching is Promise Keepers’ commitment to this area of need. Mr Comerford says, “Much like a sports coach comes alongside a team and supports and encourages them, our role is to come alongside a church and give them the resources and tools they need to do a great job”.
Mr Comerford cites the 2001 New Zealand Church Life Survey, which shows that in New Zealand churches, 61% of members are female, while only 39% are male. He adds, “Churches need to intentionally minister to men if they are to grow in a healthy way. Promise Keepers Coaching is all about helping churches work out how to do that and then support them as they make it happen”.
When asked to name some of the things that may have led to this decline in male church membership, Mr Comerford refers to a recent book by author David Murrow, entitled Why Men Hate Going To Church. “Murrow suggests there are a number of things churches do which could alienate men. Things such as singing too many songs that express romantic love to Jesus, asking men to hold hands in services, or gearing studies up with too much reading or talking – things some men don’t excel in.”
Perhaps the most crippling thing”, he suggests, “is that we have convinced many Christian men that their highest goal in life is to be a ‘really nice guy’.”
Mr Comerford insists that “most men recognise the need to be tender when the occasion calls for it, but their default setting is perhaps a little bit rougher around the edges. And most men aren’t convinced that being ‘nice’ is what they were designed for”.
Men are called to be seekers of truth, not seekers of peace at any price. Men have been created in the image of the One who made grizzly bears and crocodiles, not just Bambi and butterflies. To become truly alive, men often need to do something that involves a bit of risk and danger – and not just play it safe”. Mr Comerford points to the push by government in recent years to regulate the risk out of everything. “Ask most men what they think of Occupational Safety & Health and you’ll get a negative response. Sadly, many churches have allowed the risk of following Jesus to become diluted and as a result, men are opting out.”
Mr Comerford sums up the opportunities that churches have to intentionally minister to men by saying, “My suspicion is that if we start making church a bit more masculine, we’ll win big time. Not only will we start winning more men to Christ, but we’ll also win whole families”.
Furthermore, we’ll keep boys involved in church. At the point in life when they want to cut off the apron strings that have sustained them through childhood, nothing says ‘cut me’ as much as an overly feminine church that threatens their emerging masculinity.”
He also adds, “The church that creates a male-friendly environment will also have more resources at its disposal, as men willingly allow a portion of their whole earnings to be given to mission, rather than just from Mum’s housekeeping budget”.
When asked how we get from where we are today to a church that is more attractive to men, Mr Comerford and Mr Subritzky agree: “It’s probably not that difficult, but will take commitment from all involved.” They’re eager to add that help is available. “Promise Keepers is ready to actively coach any church that is serious about reaching and discipling more men. We’re serious about seeing a growing grassroots movement of men and are committed to the success of the local church.”
Any church wanting to know more is invited to come to the next series of Promise Keepers Coaching meetings, or you are welcome to email or call Promise Keepers on 0800 PROMISE (0800 77 66 47).
Article by Dean Comerford
TRAINING FOR LIFE - The Bull Allen Story
Former All Black Bull Allen had lived for rugby since the age of five. He trained day and night for rugby, he ate for rugby, he promoted rugby, and on the rare occasion when he was at home, he thought about rugby.
If life was a set of old-fashioned scales, Bull (Mark) Allen would have tipped them off balance. This is because when Bull puts his mind to something he goes all out. Like his dream at age 20 to become an All Black. He took it upon himself to train up to three times a day – including in the off-season. Six years later when he had achieved his goal he continued training outside of the required sessions because he wanted to be the best.
He says: “I was ‘dedicated’. OK, I admit that training three times a day – swimming, running and doing weights – was probably out of balance but when I get it into my head that I want to achieve something I push pretty hard.”
Bull had tunnel-vision and struggled to bring balance to his life. Aside from training, Bull worked a regular job, had a family and played 110 games for Taranaki rugby, which included captaining the team for a number of years.
When rugby went professional in 1996 he spent three years as captain of the Hurricanes and all that time he was playing in the All Blacks. Time for his family was scarce because when he wasn’t training or playing rugby his contract required him to do promotional work.
Then in 1998, during a Super 12 game, Bull received a serious back injury. As a loose-head prop there is a lot of pressure on this part of the body so when he was diagnosed with a prolapsed disc in his back, reality struck. “I came to a crossroads. My life was in crisis and my marriage was in crisis. I hardly knew my son because I was never home.”
Bull says this injury was followed by some tough questions: “Do I want to be married? Do I want to be a father to my children? Should I try to continue playing rugby? But something had to give. I decided I didn’t want to be consumed by rugby any more. I didn’t want to be away all the time. I decided I wanted to save my marriage and get to know my children. So I retired from rugby.”
Nevertheless saving his marriage and family life was a slow process.
“In life, I was all geared up for the physical – that was easy, but when I went home to my marriage I had all this emotional stuff to deal with including, at that stage, two young children. Basically I wasn’t equipped for life.
“I suppose you could say that rugby was my religion. When it came to rugby I was Johnny-on-the-spot-early but when it came to home life I got there when it suited me. I was very selfish. I thought if everything was right with Bull Allen the world was all right. I would excuse my behaviour by saying, ‘I’m away earning money and I’m a rugby player with a profile’ – so I thought I could get away with anything I wanted.”
Bull’s wife, Geralyn, had been a Christian for 10 years and slowly her prayers and the Holy Spirit began to touch Bull’s life. One day he was talking with another parent at his children’s school. Something about this man seemed different and Bull found he could relate to him. It turned out this man was a pastor and had been praying and fasting for Bull. Shortly afterwards Bull and his family went to this pastor’s church and loved it. “I’ve been going ever since and never looked back,” says Bull.
However, he still had drinking issues to sort out because promotional opportunities continued, as did the sessions with his old rugby mates.
Growing up in a rural town, rugby and grog went hand in hand. Initially Bull played rugby to drink because there was nothing else to do. “It enabled me to avoid making hard decisions. I lived in a ‘grey sea of compromise’.”
It wasn’t until his wife told Bull she didn’t want him coming home drunk that the penny dropped.
“I thought – how selfish am I? I now have three young children but I’m still living a separate life with my rugby mates. I thought, ‘Right, that’s it! I’m going to cut back.’ So over time I weaned myself completely off drinking and I don’t miss it. I can now do promotional work without even being tempted to drink. “God has been magnificent and patient with me sorting this out and now it’s not an issue in my life.”
With God’s grace, Bull has finally struck the balance between work commitments and family life.
“Since becoming a Christian I can see how selfish and self-motivated I was. My life was all out of balance. Rugby was my religion and I was consumed by it,” says Bull. “Now that I’ve found God and read the Bible, I have tools to improve my marriage. Therefore, instead of jogging in my family life, I’m sprinting in it. With God we haven’t got time to walk in our relationship, we have to sprint in it and make it happen. That is what it is like with my family life. I thought I loved them before but I didn’t realise what love was. Every day my love for God and my family grows and grows. The best thing is sitting here knowing that life is pretty good but I also know it is going to get so much better.”
In the last few months Bull has really leaped ahead in his spiritual journey. He is in a men’s prayer group at his church and participates in other men’s group activities. “As men we tend to hang in the shallow pool and don’t open up. Now, through the prayer group, I’m learning to be hard on the outside and soft on the inside. We say where we are at and talk about our tough times. Then we pray through the issues and support each other. It is brilliant!”
“That’s what I love now about having God in my life. Before I swam in the ‘grey sea of compromise’ now there’s black and white, right and wrong. Life makes sense.”
Article by Candice Osborne
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KEEPING A PROMISE LED TO A LIFETIME OF CHANGE
Real men in the real world with a real God with real answers
Rob Simpson’s life has been transformed and his workmates know it.
Many of Rob’s colleagues have quietly watched as he has turned his back on lying, stealing, drinking and drugs.
Today he tries to be real with his workmates and build relationships with them, so when he talks about the change Jesus Christ has brought to his life, people know he is genuine.
Rob says his workmates are guided more by what they see in him than what he says. This opens up doors to speak into their lives.
“Sometimes they come to me with issues. One of the guys - his grandson and his brother passed away and he has been told that if he doesn’t stop smoking he may die. He asked me what I thought about death and I said, ‘Do you know that good people don’t go to heaven?’ Then I went through a tract I had in my truck and shared the gospel with him.
“The guys know that if they come with me in the truck, I’m going to tell them the great things God has done in my life,” he says with a cheeky grin and begins to tell his story.
In 1993 the Eden AOG church had just been planted and the leaders were out door-knocking inviting people to church. When the first leader, Malcolm, got to Rob’s house he had to call in backup because Rob was a hard nut to crack. When Pastor Geoff Wiklund arrived they talked, and while Rob said he wasn’t going to church, they could take his kids – as long as they left him alone.
“Then my six-year-old daughter kept asking me to come to church so I’d make excuses or lie. Her persistence paid off and in early 1994 I went along. I knew I wasn’t a good father so I thought I’d fulfil her request by going along once and that would be the end of her asking me.
“So I went to the first service and I thought - wow, I’d never seen anything like this before. People were lifting up their hands and it looked like they were enjoying themselves. As soon as the service ended I ran out, literally. Then my daughter asked me to go to church again so I did and kept going along.
“A couple of Sundays later I remember being in church when the conviction of the Holy Spirit fell upon me. I went on my knees and started crying. The Holy Spirit made very real to me what sin is and all the things I had done wrong. I repented and asked Jesus Christ to take away my sin and come into my life.
“I know now that God used my daughter to tear down that wall of pride I had around my heart.”
Later on that year, Rob attended his first Promise Keepers Event and was “blown away” by the life-changing messages, the awesome singing and the presence of God.
“Promise Keepers has an emphasis on family and I knew I needed help in that area so I was keen to learn the tools to having a better family life.
“The first 10 years of my marriage was rough. I’ve been kicked out more times than a football. But that was mostly my fault.
“When Jesus came into my life He showed me that I need to let the selfishness go and not live that life anymore because it is the life of death.
“Promise Keepers has helped me realise that I need to be responsible for my relationship with my wife and my children.
“Our family life has changed because we live by different values, including the value of forgiveness. When something goes wrong in our family we forgive and love each other.”
Rob peppered our interview with little stories of how his actions witness to his workmates. Here’s one that demonstrates the character of forgiveness: “One day I was driving down the motorway and a man cut me off. I had two young guys with me and their reaction was to chase the guy and then go beat him up, but I thought - no I’m not going to do that because God has changed my life.
“Another time I went through a red traffic light and the police officer gave me a ticket. While I could feel anger rising up in me, I made a choice not to get angry. I accepted it and acknowledged that the officer was just doing his job. The guys who were with me saw how I handled it and that was an example to them. Actions can enforce or betray what you say.
“I believe God is calling me to be the light in my workplace. As Christians we should bring the Kingdom of God with us wherever we go.”
Biography
Name: Rob Simpson
Occupation: Drainlayer in Auckland City
Wife: Diane
Years Married: 25
Children: 4, aged 14 to 29
Church: Eden AOG
Article by Candice Osborne
BROTHERS STANDING TOGETHER
“If one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honoured, all the members rejoice with it.” 1 Corinthians 12:26
There is a group of men from Hillsborough, Auckland who exemplify this scripture. Through good times and bad, the men who meet in Gordon Richards’ home stand together and support one another.
This Promise Keepers men’s small group formed nine years ago. It has the spiritual covering of Hillsborough Baptist, even though the 13 men in the group come from eight different churches.
Over time people have come and gone but even those new to the group are integrated quickly.
Gordon says when people come into the group they have a sense of security and that they are able to share whatever is on their mind. “Just last week there was a guy new to our group and during the sharing time he was really honest with us. Later I expressed to him my surprise at his frankness with us. He replied: ‘I could tell that you guys care.’”
Strong friendships have been developed as a result of men coming through deep waters and rising up in trying circumstances. “A particular situation arose when a brother, new to the group, arrived noticeably upset. He told us his wife had just had an MRI scan and there was a growth on her brain. This news resulted in that meeting being entirely focused on praying and supporting our brother. We were able to praise God within a week when the tumour was found to be benign.”
Making the commitment to attend the Friday morning meetings, which start at 6.20am and finish at 7.45am, is tough work. Presently the group varies in attendance between five and 13 men – of course Gordon is always there, as the guys meet in his home.
The group started as a result of another men’s group growing so large it had to expand. Three of the original four are still in the group today.
In recent weeks the guys have been taking turns to share and lead the group. “It has been good to see the men ministering to each other’s needs. Now they are taking what they learn in the group into their homes and out onto the community. One of the guys has a new-found boldness and recently offered to pray for a stranger he was talking to on the street,” says Gordon.
Aside from the Friday morning prayer and discussion time, they occasionally have breakfast together. They also hold social events where their wives are included.
“Having been involved in the group from the beginning, one could take things for granted. However, I am in a better place [than I was nine years ago] because the regular meeting of the group keeps me consistent and disciplined in my walk with the Lord. “Holiness, integrity and honesty are things that the men and I are committed to keeping. The regularity of our meeting and decision to keep each other accountable, mixed with prayer and God’s faithfulness, all help to make me a better Christian.”
The men have found great blessing through worshipping God in song. “A while ago, during our time of worship, God touched one of the men to the extent that he is a changed man,” remarks Gordon.
The group also has an outward focus as they are committed to financially supporting Tear Fund’s Micro Enterprise project in Indonesia. They also write to Members of Parliament when they are concerned about social and moral issues in society.
Their influence has spread across the Tasman too. One man who used to be in the group, but has since moved to Australia, remains on the group’s email list and is in regular contact.
“He has so dearly missed the group that he has recently founded a Promise Keepers men’s small group over there too,” says Gordon. “He is also involved in re-establishing the Promise Keepers organisation in Australia and served in the choir at their last Event.”
Gordon recommends blokes become involved in a Promise Keepers men’s small groups because of the benefits in relating to a group of guys who are pursuing God and committed to supporting each other. “The relationships built up in the group and the individual growth of the guys has personally been a blessing to me. I’ve witnessed God moving powerfully and transforming people in our group,” concludes Gordon.
Article by Candice Osborne