To our church whānau,
Nick and Sarah here. Well, it’s officially been 12 weeks since we arrived to Aoetearoa, the ‘Land of the Long White Cloud’ on a one way ticket. People often ask us, “How’s it been?!” Truth is, it’s been a whirlwind, but a BEAUTIFUL one!
We have had the privilege of meeting so many new and incredible people. Sundays are full of hugs and conversations (they are easily our favourite day of the week!). We could talk about Sundays all day! The worship has been Spirit filled, the preaching focused on Jesus and every conversation really does epitomise the words above the door of the church ‘Welcome Home!’
It really has been special and we hope you feel the same way. But what’s also been fun is running into so many people as we walk around Mount Maunganui, up the Mount (not nearly enough), and through the streets of this beautiful community. If and when you ever see us, PLEASE come say hi or at least wave, we love seeing you all!
We wanted to send an update and put out some dates so you could mark them in your calendar as we head into the Christmas season. This Sunday in particular is one not to miss - Sunday morning we will be announcing the outcome of the ‘Prepare the Soil Offering’ that we took up a few weeks ago. Firstly, THANK YOU to every individual and family that was able to give. We don’t take your generosity and faithfulness lightly. Can’t wait to share the news with you. If you haven’t had the chance to give and would like to, there's still time!
You can give with Pushpay or online to the bank account 02-0466-0418724-000 (Use the reference ‘Prepare the Soil Offering’.)
THEN, on Sunday night we are having our annual ‘Teamsgiving’ celebration where we will be celebrating each and every volunteer who have helped in any capacity over the year. We would love to celebrate you and your family, and dinners on us - we have a spit roast, pizzas, and other yummy delicious food options (including GF / DF / V)!
We are so excited about moving into December and January. Check the calendar above for an overview, or dive into the detail below.
God bless, Nick and Sarah
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There's a bunch of things coming up in the life of our community so make sure you check them out below. You can also see what is happening at www.curatechurch.com/calendar.
GIFT OF GROCERIES
3rd November - 10th December
(Packing & Deliveries - 9th & 10th December)
Join with us as we practically love on individuals & whanau who are facing difficult circumstances this Christmas! We know Christmas can be a hard time for lots of people in our community, so Gift of Groceries is our way of supporting others in a very practical way.
Pick up your empty bag and shopping list from the Gift of Groceries Christmas Tree in the foyer of Curate Church on Sundays, or if you would like to shop for the contents of the bag first, you can grab the shopping list from here. Then return your bags to Curate before the 5th December.
You can find out all about this amazing initiative and sign up to serve with packing and deliveries at curatechurch.com/giftofgroceries.
TEAMSGIVING
From 4.30pm, this Sunday 24th November
If you serve on the Curate Team, we want to say thank you for everything you’ve sown into this community in 2024 . ♥️ We're sharing a meal together and then around 6pm there will be a movie on for the School Kids and we’ll worship, hand out some well-deserved awards, and share stories that'll bring us even closer. Let's fill our plates and make some memories as we honour the heart and soul of our church community. If you haven’t let us know you’re coming yet, please do!
THE SEND
10am - 8pm, this Saturday 23rd November
THE SEND is a call to action to see every believer activated into their missional calling. Join thousands of other believers in Mystery Creek, Hamilton for an amazing day of speakers and worship, believing for Jesus to transform our nation, and find your part to play. All the information can be found here and a special promo price of $5 tickets can be found here.
ADVENT & CHRISTMAS SEASON
ADVENT READINGS
This December we’d love you to join us as we read an Advent devotional together. We’re going to be reading through a little book of daily readings called ‘The Dawning of Indestructible Joy’ by John Piper. You can buy this book online, or you can download the PDF for free to your phone or digital device. From John Piper -
“What Peter really means, and what I mean, by being “awakened” or “stirred up” is to feel some measure of the joy God intends for Christmas to bring. “Behold, I bring you good news of great joy” (Luke 2:10). Not small joy. Not modest joy. But “great joy.” If we don’t feel this when we ponder the incarnation of the Son of God, we need “awakening.” We need to be “stirred up.”
This December we also have a month of Sundays, and each one of them is going to be awesome as we gather together!
LAUNCH OF CHRISTMAS
(WEAR YOUR CHRISTMAS COLOURS!)
9am & 11am, Sunday 1st December
We’re kicking off the start of this new season with a celebration of all things Christmas! The decorations and lights will be up, the carols will be playing, and we’d love you to come dressed in your best Christmas outfit - Christmas sweaters, Santa hats and tinsel! This is such a special time of year and we’re looking forward to celebrating and sharing about the birth of Jesus our saviour.
ADVENT SERVICES
9am & 11am, Sunday 8th December
Special services where we light the Advent candles and prepare our hearts in anticipation to celebrate the arrival of Jesus this Christmas.
ANOINTING GATHERINGS
WORSHIP NIGHT WITH WATER BAPTISMS
9am & 11am • 6pm, Sunday 8th December
We’re having special anointing gatherings in the morning where we are going to pray for every single person and if you would like, anoint you with oil, a practice deeply rooted in Biblical tradition.
In the evening at 6pm come back for a time of worship and water baptisms. If you want to know more about water baptism you can find out more on the website, or connect with one of our pastors.You’re not going to want to miss out on the AM or the 6pm gatherings!
CHRISTMAS FAMILY FUN DAY
9am & 11am, Sunday 22nd December
Our last gathering of the year will be loads of fun - there’s always something special about this gathering! And this year we’ll be pulling out the bouncy castles, popcorn, candy floss and other fun things for the kids too!
SUMMER SABBATH RESET
23rd December - 18th January
Our Summer Sabbath Reset is a time where we mix up and edit how we Sabbath together for three Sundays over the Summer Holiday break. A period set aside to rest, delight in God and be fully present with family and friends, resetting, reenergizing and refreshing as we prepare to relaunch our Sunday gatherings for 2025. Let’s continue to Sabbath together on Sundays by gathering organically in homes, at the beach, parks, lakes or wherever you might find joy & delight.
PICNIC AT FERGUSON PARK
From 6pm, Wednesday 8th January
Come along and catch up with people from church. Bring a ball to kick around, and some food to eat. Ferguson Park - Matua, Tauranga
PICNIC AT THE BEACH
From 11am, Sunday 12th January
Come along and catch up with people from church. Bring your boogie board and sun tent, along with some food to eat. Meet on the beach by Tay Street, Mount Maunganui.
YOUTH CAMP AT FINLAY PARK
17th - 19th January
Youth Camp is always an epic time for our youth to make connections and fall in love with Jesus even more. All the details are on the Youth Summer Camp webpage. Camp is $195 each and youth need to be signed up and have paid for camp to be able to go. If finance is a problem, please get in touch and we can help you out. This is the best summer fun time, hanging out at Lake Karapiro and encountering God.
FIRST GATHERINGS BACK FOR 2025
9am & 11am, Sunday 19th January
We’re already looking forward to our first gathering together at Newton Street in the new year! Hooray!
