Europe, travel, leadership thoughts...

We are back from Brisbane Australia. It was a great time with a number of churches there and we were also able to catch up with various leaders and renew a few friendships...an excellent time.

This weekend we are in Pukekohe Church with Craig & Jean Clements. Then on Monday 2nd Nov we are off to Christchurch for our Vision Churches get together! (VCI South). There will be about 20 leaders there from the South but also a few from the North Island. It is going to be a blast! Both Karen & I are really looking forward to it, actually there is nothing quite like getting with friends doing ministry together!

Then we are in Rolleston Church with Scott & Giovana Tones.

We are home again on the 9th Nov.
Fielding Church on the 13th - 19th Nov.
Vision Church Palmerston North 20th - 23rd Nov.
Vision Church Kaikohe 27th - 30th Nov.

Again we do really value your prayer support. Thanks...

As many of you know Europe is a go now! We are aiming to leave after Easter 2010 which is early April. There is much to do. Please read previous blogs for details. Also for those in the Waikato area we have a meeting in our home on the 11th November at 7:30pm. We will answer questions and of course discuss in detail more about the dream of Euro-Vision! Please email me if your thinking of coming; nick@apo.org.nz

Here's a thought: "How come people who love Jesus lost Him!" Luke 2:41ff... Mary & Joseph lost Jesus for 3 days!!! How does this happen? I remember this happened to us, we lost our middle boy when he was 4 for about 5Min's in the middle of a strange city. When we realised, that he wasn't with us I rushed back to the last shop & there he was swinging around the lamp-post oblivious that we had gone without him! Phew!!! But Joe & Mary lost GOD for 3 days!!! How does one loose GOD? Easy I suppose in that family, friendly environment.

I believe in this day that it's easy to loose Jesus! Oh we love Him, serve Him and work for Him...but with all that we can still loose Jesus!! We can so easily loose the vitality of our relationship with Him. In Busyness we can loose Him; Not being focused we can loose Him; Being distracted we can loose Him! Joesph & Mary - us loosing our middle boy for 5Min's was a matter of distraction, not focused, simply busy! Busy with good things I might add. Do we love Jesus - Yes. Do we serve Him and are we committed to Him - absolutely. But we can still loose Him! Christianity is ALL about a daily vibrant relationship with Him, emotionally & spiritually!!

Keep undistracted towards HIM...even in the busy times...

Thanks for your prayer...

I am writing this in Brisbane Australia. It’s been a great week connecting with many friends from the past. Being with Nick & Lynne Watson and their team at Bayside has been great. We are at River City Church this weekend with Peter & Joy Constantine.

Our grandson Elijah (Josh & Amberley’s son) has had major heart surgery at Starship Akd this week. It was planned surgery…I’m pleased to report all is well, the Surgeon is very happy. So thanks for your prayers. Elijah will be there for another week or so.

Thanks for all the support and prayer since I posted the last Blog with our decision that we are going to Western Europe. We are at this stage aiming to live in Holland, probably Amsterdam. I believe the best thing one can do to touch the mess in society is the Gospel. It is the power of God for Salvation, and the planting of new Churches is still the best long term method under Heaven!

We are aiming to go after Easter 2010. (April). Please continue to pray for us as there is much to do…visas, language learning, finances to raise, house to rent, people to meet, many decisions to make etc. For those who live in the Waikato, we are having a meeting in our home on the 11th Nov. at 7:30pm – 67 Barrington Drive. Hamilton just to catch up & chat about the future.. But if you’re interested in Europe & feel God stirring you to help us plant churches, then simply email me. I would love to hear from you. Email nick@apo.org.nz and we will catch up somewhere. I really believe this is one of the most needy mission fields in the world right now & is still open to the Gospel. So, we must go!

I have been inspired and committed myself to writing another book! This time it’s about healing, but written in a day-by-day devotional style that will encourage people to persevere in taking hold of God’s healing power for their lives. I’ve already written 8 days worth!!! I’m aiming for at least a month or maybe two. Most meetings I speak in I find myself declaring God’s healing power in people’s lives. Often I want to give people scriptures so they are able to continue to believe for their healing. So I believe the best way for me to do this is in a short day by day devotional form. I’m excited and believe it’s a God thing…so here we go.

On 31st Oct/ 1st Nov. we are in Pukekohe with Craig & Jean Clements, then fly down to Christchurch for VCI South…I am soooo looking forward to seeing the folk down South, some North Islanders are coming too. So it will be a fun & supernatural time!

Until next time…remember that God is able!

Special Announcement...(had a problem with posting blog earlier).

We have made a decision - it's taken 20 years!!! We are definitely GOing to Western Europe! It's all on... We will leave just after Easter, April 2010. This has been a dream for 20 years... we've prayed, discussed, researched, talked to our peers & others. It has been peculating & marinating over many years and now it's the season to GO. It was 20 years ago in a meeting I received Ps 2:8 "Ask of me & I will give the Nations as your inheritance..." I knew instantly where this was to take place and what to do: this was for Western Europe, & the task was to plant churches! It is important to note we are not planting a church, we are planting churches...from the beginning! I absolutely believe there is no missiological principle more important than the planting of new churches.

I do believe this is what we were created for, in fact I have a strong feeling that all the previous ministry experience is preparation for this to take place. So here we GO! We will aim at this stage to live in Amsterdam, Holland.

So the huge thing for us is if you could pray. As you can imagine there is a large amount to do in preparation; for instance, prayer & financial support, contacting people in NZ, Aussy & Europe who I know have been keen to join with us in some way. Supernatural leading to the right people & places in Europe.

Did you know that everyday 7000 people leave the church in Europe! The European population is less than 2% Christian. In fact many countries have less than 1% who claim to be evangelical Christians. Maybe you have heard of the 10/40 window. Now mission leaders are also talking about the 40/70 window. This includes Europe!! I believe Western Europe is the new mission field of the 21st century!!

Please feel free to email me nick@apo.org.nz or phone me +64 21 483 777

Thanks for your prayer...Eph. 3:20-21 is indeed my life scripture, It's going to be exciting to see what God will do. We are believing this next season will mean in a word; HARVEST...1000's of lives changed & discipled for Christ!!!
Until next time! Nick & Karen

Special Announcement

We have a made a decision!!! It's been 20 years in God's waiting room, perculating, marinating. But first let me let you know where are over the next few weeks!

• 10th-12th October at Vision Church Tokoroa, with Lional & Rebbkah Smith.


• 15th - 27th October in Brisbane with Nick & Lynn Watson for the 1st weekend & Peter & Joy Constantine on the 2nd weekend.


• Pukekohe Community Church with Craig & Jean Clements on the 31st Oct & 1st November.


• 2nd - 4th V.C.I. South. Vision Churches Pastors & Leaders get together, in Christchurch.


• 5th - 9th Nov. we are with Scott & Giovana Tones in Rolleston. Plus we will meet with the other VCI Churches in Christchurch.


• 13th - 20th Nov. Fielding with John & Jenny Sefton.


• 21st - 23rd Nov. Vision Church Palmerston North with Dale & Rachael Meecham.


• Then midweek with Te Awamutu leaders,


• 27th - 30th Nov. Kaikohe with Mike & Raewyn Tohu & Whangarei with Paul & Sharon Buick.

Hi from Stradbroke Island!!! I am over here helping to run a seminar - just being the "go for this and go for that!!!" - as well as bike riding, walking, sunshine, swimming (havent been game enough yet!) wallabies and lots of birds!!! So relaxing & such interesting people...

It is great to do something VERY different once in a while. Hope you are all well & enjoying the freshness of NZ! Blessings, Karen.