How imortant is the customer? How important is the visitor?

How important is the visitor in your church? 
If you are in business, how important is your customer?


Look at what Mahatma Gandhi says: "A customer is the most important visitor on our premises. He is not dependant on us, we are dependant on him. He is not an interuption in our work, he is the purpose of it. He is not an outsider to our business, He is part of it. We are not doing him a favour by serving him, he is doing us a favour by giving us an opportunity to do".    


Healthy churches have at least 5-8 people for every 100 people in service attendance. 


So some questions are: 
How do you treat and how much value do you place on your visitors? 
How can you increase your visitor flow? 
How can you make your visitors FEEL welcome? 

Church Planting: Journalling:

I have blogged about the need for Church planting and the value of Journaling.

I encourage you to read these past posts as they are for me critical for ministry...in fact I have a conviction that all missions dollars needs to leveraged to Church Planting. In fact I believe that this IS Biblical MISSION!

Journaling has really helped me to stop the wanderings in my mind and to pull my thoughts through my fingers to the page. It undoubtedly clears the thinking and unclutters revelation and insights from unhealthy thinking.

Hello from Amsterdam.

Hello from Holland!
We have actually been in Holland for only 20 days! After the first 10 we went to Brussels to speak at the Belgian Apostolic Covention. This went exceedingly well and we were blessed to have some Eastsiders present! Then we were off to the UK to connect with leaders from Next Level International, who are focussed on church planting in Europe. This was an encouraging time and we met some leaders who have had significant impact in a number of european countries. Then came Berlin - it was great to be with Jurgen & Miriam Eisen. Church was inspiring and their vision night at Dunkin Donuts was excellent! God is at work in Berlin!
Then we were back to Amsterdam...

We have been told it is summer - but alas it has not been very warm since we got here. BUT today was lovely! Sunshine does the heart & mind SO much good (especially if you are australian by birth). This has been an eventful week! We have moved into our house in Amsterdam north; we have bought a bike for Karen & a kind neighbour loaned one to Nick. So we are mobile, which is great. The bike paths are really fantastic. You can go all over Holland and not have to be on the main road.

We have been setting up house - which has taken quite some time. I never knew buying a bed could be so time consuming! We have been to the bank (a number of times); have successfully acquired a social security number, (which by the way took days) for Nick and have now been able to sort out his phone plan. Unfortunately until you have that number there are lots of "impossibles" in the way. Setting up house in a different country, with a different language is QUITE an experience... but it is all part of the journey. You can do anything (and put up with almost anything) if God gives you a dream!

We have had the pleasure of getting to know some of our neighbours a bit - all of whom live just a few meters away! They have helped us with washing, shopping, fixing bikes & blowing up airbeds!!! There is more than one way to get to know people...

We have had our first NZ visitor this week - Nic Rosser from Vision Church Eastside has been with us. It has been great to have her -she has helped us carry things to & fro and explored some more of Amsterdam with us.

There is a lot of colour around Holland at the moment - as you might be aware - the World Cup Football is on! Orange flags are everywhere. In fact in some shops EVERYTHING is ORANGE!

We have visited a couple of churches in the city; it has been great to meet up with their Pastors and hear their stories and their views on churches in Holland. We are still gaining a picture and are asking God for wisdom for the next step. Every day we are here, we walk down a new street, hear new words & meet new people.

Travel - Nick & Karen - Europe

We are staying with rellies in Driebergen, near Utrecht, till Wed. 19th May. During this time we have been connecting with people face to face who we have only previously met through email. Plus, we are trying to get our social security numbers! This has been quite a process. We can't open bank accounts or get a cell phone till we get this number. It's a big brother country with huge red tape!! We have an appointment with the appropriate authorities early next month, I will get that number at this meeting (I believe). Karen will have to wait...that's another story.

On wed 19th - 23rd May we go to Brussels where we speak at the Apostolic Churches Conference, for French speaking Churches. It is Pentecost weekend - Yeah...I have great expectations!!

23rd May - 28th May = Next Level International leaders meeting in Birmingham. This will be a fantastic time to connect with other leaders wanting to impact Europe.

29th May - 2nd June = Ministering in Jurgen's Church, Berlin. It will be great to be with him and see this City.

2nd June - 6th July = In our own house in Amsterdam, which will be great having our own space for a period of time. We think living out of suitcases is overrated!!!

The Adventure is REALLY Happening!

Schedule for Feb/March 2010

4-15 Feb N & K in Christchurch & Westport
15-20 Hamilton - Packing Up
21 Feb Owen & Raewyn Frethy's church Auckland
26 Feb-8Mar Nick in Dunedin & Christchurch
4 - 8 March K in Christchurch
6-7 March Family Wkend in Christchurch
12 March Move out of house & handover to tenants
14 March Eastside all services
15-17 March VCI Retreat in Taupo
21 March Northend Church TeAwamutu
22 March Nick's Bday!
25-27 ? Orama to visit Josh & Amberley
28th Vision church Tokoroa with Lionel & Becks
2nd April ? Shout Conference
3rd April Nick at Missions Conf in Auckland
4th April Prayed out Eastside 10am
6th April Leave Auckland 7pm to LA...
N & K in NZ 8th July – 5 August for Inspire Conf/Elijah is 2!
28 July-3rd Aug Christchurch
Nick in NZ 15 September – 4 October for National ACTS Conf.

2010, Europe, Church Planting, Why Journal!!!

Karen here:
Wow - can you believe it is 2010... how many times will we have to write that before it seems real! I have suddenly become aware that we are going to Holland THIS YEAR!
Oh my - it's not really future anymore! We are now officially on countdown of 13 weeks and 4 days.... (from today that is), 11 weeks left in our house! (actually only 7 as we are away for 4...) YO!!!

We are blessed to have a family to rent our house - so that is one box fully ticked. We also have the first tickets booked and paid for! ( 6 April - 8 July) We also have a home-away-from-home to call our base when we are back from overseas... isn't that cool.

I am reminded that Proverbs says "Do not worry about tomorrow .. today's troubles are enough for themselves!" - so we will take each day & week at a time. Packing for giving away, storing for 2 years and taking with us... Doesn't that sound like fun. Any packing tips are hugely appreciated!

We trust that 2010 will be a great year for you - and we both know that "great" has many many variances & outcomes - but one thing we are sure of, is that God is GREAT and with Him we are in a very good place.

Nick's turn...
Our priorities this year when we arrive in Europe, (Amsterdam), besides finding an apartment to rent, and all that is required in settling into a new country; are:
1. Find & disciple (mentor,coach) church planting leaders. Leaders if 1000's, 100's, 50's & 10's.
2. Create a beach-head by planting the first churches.

We are still waiting to see if Karen has a Dutch passport. (I have received mine).

We always appreciate your prayer regarding this huge venture. We are prayed for and sent out from our home church, Eastside Hamilton on the 4th April.

Yesterday I changed Journals & thought about this journalling thing...
-Disappointments are able to be de-cluttered.
-Untruths are brought out into the light.
-Truths are uncovered.
-Sadness is captured & held long enough to ask the appropriate questions.
-Gladness is celebrated.
-Difficulties are able to be spoken about freely & easily.
-It gives council.
-Dreams are nurtured.
-Questions are answered.
-Revelation is recorded.
-It brings self awareness.
-it uncovers heartache, & brings healing.
-perspectives are clarified.
-messages from God are saved.

Sooo why wouldn't you begin Journalling! Believe me if I can do it, anyone can...

This year, may you know HIS Favour, Grace & fruitfulness in 2ten...& may God keep you close to His heart & His purposes - we look forward to catching up in the near future - hopefully in person - if not, email and phone are wonderful too.

Nick & Karen...

travel nick & Karen; plus a leadership thought...and Europe!

It has been excellent & a privilege speaking & ministering in various NZ & Aussie churches over the past year. We are having a welcome break from not having to be away & travelling as much, but still busy preparing for Christmas & the first part of next year & of course Europe. We are leaving NZ on the 6th of April 2010. It will be all go till then. There are two priorities:
1. Find & disciple, (mentor, coach), church planting leaders;
2. Create a beach-head by planting the first churches.
Also there are many things that need to be done before we leave, language learning, packing & more packing, raising finance, renting our home; BUT the most important is please pray for God connections with people to work with us, (here & in Europe). Please pray for divine intervention & interruptions; supernatural connections, events & leadings. We are so expectant for this to happen & we need to see this happen! We are believing & praying for signs, wonders & miracles. We want people to see, feel, know & hear HIM speak to them!

A highlight was to be at the ATC (www.visioncollege.co.nz) staff Christmas lunch 4th Dec...It was very inspiring & exciting...WHY? For the training centre celebrated 25 years of operating!!! Peter Dobbs was able to speak about the passion for Kingdom work. Peter began the Training centre with Phil Underwood. Phil (a previous Pastor of Eastside) was able to speak to us on the phone from Philadelphia, where he Pastors a Church. It was powerful as they spoke about simply seeing a need and doing something about it, believing God to change lives! ATC Training began with one staff member 25 years ago, & now has approx 140 staff including contractors. Thousands of lives have been influenced & impacted. What a great testimony!

In my last blog I wrote about 2 things I have needed to say to my self over the last two & a half decades, here they are:
1. If you are the leader do everyone a favour & simply lead.
2. Grow up.
HERE are the other two:
3. Leadership can be cruel. Sometime no matter what a leader does it's going to upset somebody & the leader has to bear the brunt of it. Often Karen & I will say or think, "but it's unfair". But we need to remind ourselves - "Life is unfair...I have to get over it!" Tough ay...yip leadership isn't for the fainthearted. Give yourself time, a day or two really helps, & you will get over it. Journal in the good times so that in the difficult times the habit has been established...it will help. keep doing the basics of discipleship. Remember Christ is in us, we are called to live a supernatural life. It also helps to remember Jesus said to forgive 70x7 times...that's supernatural!! As a leader learn quickly to forgive & keep your heart light!
4. I cannot let my past determine my future. For stagnation, cynicism & discouragement will reign if I as a leader let the past determine my future. It will hinder you & worse it will hinder others from flourishing around you!

Anyway that's my thoughts...Have a great Christmas & may 2010 be an enlarging one & full of God's presence! Our love...Nick & Karen.