Travel. Europe. Leadership thought.

We are off to Vision Church Kaikohe with Mike & Raewyn Tohu this weekend. Then I go to NLT (National leadership Team meeting) in Christchurch. Karen comes back to Hamilton.
On the 5th Dec. Karen & I are involved in Naomi's Moores & Dricus wedding. Which will be a fantastic time.
The 6th & 7th Dec I am in Inglewood with Kevin & Penny Dixon then onto New Plymouth for an evening meeting On Monday evening is a leadership night.
On the 13th Dec we are in Auckland with Russell & Marie McGuiness.
Inbetween times we are praparing to rent our home, catch up with family & friends & prepare going to Europe around April the 6th, 2010. Plus I am about half way to finishing another book on devotions on healing...I am so enjoying writting.
We will spend Christmas around the Waikato, then we begin travelling again on the 10th of January 2010. Its a privaledge, alot of fun & exciting being involved in His purposes.

Here is the latest re Europe. I just recieved my Dutch passport in the post...a miracle!! We will aim at this stage to live in Amsterdam as I know the City & have relatives there. Also there is no Acts Churches (Apostolic) in Holland & lastly most people are fluent in English.
How will we do this: I want to work with people who don't know what they can't do! The 2 priorities are; 1. To plant churches and establish a beachhead. 2. We need to disciple, train, mentor & coach leaders. That's why we will plant churches most nights of the week. We are expecting the supernatural; signs, wonders & miracles...I am expecting to have words of knowledge - revelation of which streets to walk in, homes to go to, people to meet...also Miracles of healing etc. I do not want to plant A church, we want to plant churchES! So we need to have a reproducible system immediately! It will take faith, and the supernatural power of God! I absolutely believe after 20 years of prayer & the leading of God; I cannot see how it cannot happen!!!!! It is important to recognize that it is Western Europe that we have a vision for! Please pray for leadership connections & finances to be released for this dream.

It really is very exciting and momentum is gathering in our Spirit!

The other day I was musing on things I have had to say to myself as a Pastor / leader of a church: (actually I believe they are the same for bussiness). Please allow me to provoke you, Here are a few...
1. If your the leader do everyone a favour including yourself & please lead. I had to relize God has put me in the role, so back yourself, commit yourself to that role & go for it. Three time God said to Joshua (Josh 1) "Be strong & of good courage...be strong & couragous...be strong & of good courage!"
2. Grow up! I've had to say that to myself...It sounds a little harsh, it's certainly not meant to. I know the pain of this as I've had to grow up & be the big person! In other words I've had to think release, ask forgiveness often, restore, love as though I've never been hurt. Often I've simply had to get over myself, & stop making excuses!
Hummm, who says leadership is easy & without it's struggles!

Anyway there's a few thoughts...until next time...thanks for your prayers...

travel nick & Karen; plus a leadership thought!!

Leadership always looks great from a distance and often we simply see the tip of the iceberg. But there is a huge amount of substance underneath. The underneath as I would call it has words like; endurance, perserverance, pain, exercising faith, praise, making tough decisions - some of them emotionally taxing, communicating & receiving from God daily, reading the Word daily, praying & fasting, exercising spiritual disciplines regularly!

We sometimes think there is a quick fix to this leadership journey, but there simply isn't!!

No wonder Jesus calls it labouring or work!! Matt 9:37-38. There are no short cuts. I've discovered many times we want leadership to be exercised under IDEAL conditions, whatever they are!!! In fact leadership comes to the fore when there are tough decisions to be made, resources are low or all one can see is darkness. Leadership needs to act and in faith begins to call the darkness night and light begins to dawn into the situation. Often there is not the ideal situation but there is the right time for leadership to act. That's the ART!! Many times I see people not act because they are waiting for the ideal conditions or they believe it will solve itself, or they are waiting for some conference, seminar or teaching, or they want it to be instantly solved by some magical act of?????

Leaders, it's always the right time to act,(whether it be prayer, fasting, talking with peers, waiting on God, etc etc) many times we don't have the ideal climate, welcome to the real world!!! Leaders create the right climate so that faith movement takes place...and light begins to dawn so that people see the way ahead! Amen!

Keep doing the stuff that people don't see, no matter what season you are in: Prayer, listening to God, imagining, dreaming, envisioning, prayer, fasting, prayer, imagining, listening, prayer, reading His Word, meditating, praising, giving thanks, thinking, praying, praising, worshipping, singing, confessing...

Anyway that's my thoughts for the week: Look below for where we are over the next few months!! Please pray for us...thanks.

• 13th September...we are with Mike & Sue Hayes at Mount Maunganui.
• The following week 19th - 26th Sept, we are in Queenstown with my brothers family from Christchurch. This is the first time we have ever been able to go away together. We are really looking forward to great times together in this fantastic part of the world.
• 27th Sept. we are at Eastside for a baby dedication, little Zara McConnell. A great family & very dear friends.
• 28th Sept - 1st Oct Acts ministries conference. This is always an excellent time of input, blessing & ministry to hundreds of people from around NZ & overseas. Actually we will have some friends here from Australia.
• Then we go to Whangarei & Kaikohe, 2nd - 7th. October with Paul & Sharon Buick & Mike & Raewyn Tohu - It's always a fantastic time in the north.
• It looks like Karen is going to Aussy on the 5th Oct. to help run a seminar with a friend & see family. I will join her in Brisbane on the 15th Oct thru till 27th. We will be with Nick & Lynn Watson's church.
• 10th - 12th Oct I am at Toko-vagus!!! Tokoroa! It's aways great to be with friends Lionel & Rebekah Smith.
• Then I'm off to Brisbane.
• 1st Novemeber we are in Pukekohe, with friends Craig & Jean Clements.
• 2nd - 4th November is VCI South, Vision Churches leaders are gathering in Christchurch. This will be a fantastic time...they always are. If you are in the South & want to come please email me & we will send you the details! Most should have them now, but if you haven't call me. 5th - 9th Oct we stay on to be with Scott & Giovana Tones, in Rolleston!!! Museums, food & Fun.
• 13th - 23rd it's Fielding with John & Jenny Sefton, then Palmerston North with Dale & Rachael Meecham. This will be an excellent time!!!
• Then the end of the month 27th - 30th Oct Whangarei & Kaikohe...

Thanks for praying...we do appreciate it. I'll be back soon for more updates. We have some very huge decisions to make in the next few weeks - I would appreciate your prayers...Thanks.

Palmerston North / Taupo / Whangarei / Kaikohe

It was great catching up with the team at Vision Church Palmerston North. Dale & Rachael are doing a fantastic job. We were able to speak in the first evening service. A couple of people recommitted themselves to God. It is great to see the church steadily progressing & growing.

The following weekend (19th - 22nd June) we drove to Vision Church Whangarei & Kaikohe. We live in such a picture - postcard country...beautiful. It was the first time Karen & I have been with Paul & Sharon Buick. They began the church 2 years ago. They are an example of hard work + faith = a church planted. They have a very committed & top leadership team. We spoke at their evening service, again God moved & miracles happened.

The morning service was in Kaikohe with Michael & Raewyn Tohu. It was the rebanding of Vision Church Kaikohe! What a fantastic morning. The place was full, recommittments & healings. The whole congregation stayed for lunch and was fed a full meal...amazing!!! They spend weeks beforehand replacing the ceiling & other areas, replacing doors & painting the whole building!!! It's a great building with nearly 2 acres of land...well done Kaikohe!! Michael & Raewyn are legends...watch this space!!!

The buicks and the Tohus are strategizing to plant in many other areas! I felt a very strong conviction to that as they joined together a very powerful synergy would take place & the North would relize a ongoing & sustainable harvest. Very exciting. Again watch this space...

We go back to Taupo this weekend. It's Neville Kings ordination service at 4pm Saturday 27th June. Then Back to South City Church Hamilton with Barry & Pam Sanders.

Our aim is to partner with churches, Pastors & leadership teams to see their church shift & move forward. Also everytime we speak we are believing for salvations, recommittments & signs, wonders & miracles. Please pray for us... Walking in Eph. 3:20-21 is fun and challenging!! Moving in the Spirit is an exciting adventure with God.

INSPIRE Conference 23rd - 26th July is all happening!! Big enough to Inspire, small enough to connect with God & others. For DVD & details Click onto; www.eastside.apo.org.nz Inspire Conference.