At the Market

We took the opportunity today to visit one of Christchurch's many open-air markets. This one in particular specializes in fresh, organic foods, and is open every Friday afternoon. With the local schools closed for a two-week term break, it was a popular place to be (in spite of the chilly winter weather)...

Nate snacking on a "Kransky" (a type of Bratwurst)


stacked display tables


Lane watching the birds from her pram


colorful crates

We thoroughly enjoyed chatting with the vendors while we tasted coffee & cupcakes, and purchased some carrots (no, the alliteration was not lost on us). A convivial time was had by all.

What's in a Name?

What's in a name? These famous words of Shakespeare have been especially poignant for us lately, as we have been discussing and choosing a name for the church plant. From brainstorming to ranking to getting feedback from some Kiwis, we have been busy with this exciting but weighty task.

After much debate and even more prayer, we have decided upon the name that will be the main identity of not only our church plant, but also what we hope to accomplish here in Christchurch, and New Zealand as a whole. So, without further ado, the winner is...

RECHURCH

What we like about it:

• It's noticeably different, yet sounds kind of familiar.
• It encourages people to ask questions, or to investigate what it's about.
• It can grow with us.
• It has limitless possibilities for application (rediscover, reconnect, regift, regroup, etc...)

Most of all, we believe that this name encapsulates what we desire to accomplish with this church plant - we want to bring the people of New Zealand back to church. We want them to try it again. We want them to rediscover the faith and tradition that 90% of New Zealanders have abandoned.

Searching for a Venue

Currently, one of our most important tasks is searching for a church venue. We've viewed office spaces, schools, theaters, community centers, warehouses, and more. The pressure to find the "perfect location" can be overwhelming, as can the long list of needs we want the space to meet. One of our top priorities is to find a location that already has "pull" on the community - in other words, an area that people already go to regularly for shopping, family time, or just hanging out. A venue that is well-known by community members is much more likely to provoke feelings of curiosity and familiarity.

Please pray hard for our staff as we seek the perfect venue for RECHURCH. Monthly preview services begin this September!

Happy Birthday, Laney!!

What a special day it was yesterday. We celebrated Lane’s first birthday with our friends and teammates, and we had a wonderful time! Lane got to open lots of goodies - books, shapes, toys, blocks, and even a new dress.

We all had lasagna for dinner and some yummy cupcakes. Lane got a special creation - an all natural, no sugar, no salt cupcake that I adapted from a recipe online. I know, it sounds terrible, but let’s face it - she’s used to food without flavor.

After the kids went to bed, the grownups watched Madagascar 2 and played Taboo. It was a special day made even more special because we were surrounded by people who love Lane.

Nate Finishes the Christchurch Marathon

May 31st was the day we'd been training for since January. That day I (nate) joined two fellow staff members, Joe and Amy Flammer, in the Christchurch marathon. We laced up our running shoes and clothed ourselves in three layers of running shorts, pants, and shirts as the forecast called for a "white Queen's birthday" (an annual New Zealand holiday honoring the Queen of England). Just before the gun fired, hail started raining down on the 8,000 runners as cheers went up from the crowd. As we ran along the Avon river in Christchurch city the weather turned from hail to rain to sleet to sunny and warm and then to snow and wind. I must have put my gloves and ear coverings on and off about 20 times during the 4.5 hour run.

I had a lot of fun meeting interesting people from Christchurch and chatting along the way. I ran for about 15kms with an Italian runner. After the 27 km mark he left me in his dust as my legs began to cramp uncontrollably from the cold winds. From that point on I had to stop a lot to stretch my legs and wait for the muscles to relax. Three people stopped to help me along the way. I must have looked like I was in a lot of pain! One older gentleman even pulled his truck over and rubbed some "tiger balm" on my muscles and gave me some stretching tips, which really seemed to help for a while. I wasn't sure if my legs were going to allow me to finish, but I was determined. I finished with an official gun-time of 04:29:40 in my first ever marathon.

Afterwards I vowed to never run again, but since I'm now in charge of a running club for the church as a form of outreach and marketing, I'll be back on the streets of Christchurch very soon. By the way, my mates Amy and Joe finished in that order a few minutes ahead of me! Here's to running for Christ in Christchurch. Over and out.

We Made it to Christchurch!

We've been in Christchurch now for 3 weeks looking for a house to rent and settling into the community.  We'll finally be in our on home on 25 May!  We can't wait!  We bunked down in a motel for a week, but since then we've been staying with friends.  Whit and I have joined the Queen Elizabeth II Sport and Leisure complex which is less than 3 kilometers from our house!  This will be a great place to meet people, a task that is at the top of all of our to do lists these days.  I've already been to the QEII several times running on the treadmills as I prepare for my first full marathon in Christchurch on 31 May!  Yikes!

WHO WE ARE NOW

As of the first of May when all of the families on our team arrived in Christchurch, the New Zealand Church Plant Team no longer existed.  We have now morphed into two new groups: the launch team (a group that we hope to increase to 40 members by launch day next February) and the church plant staff.  We're excited to continue to update you as our launch team begins to grow.  Our first monthly preview service is just four months away!

Meet the Launch Team (formerly the NZ church plant team)

Joe and Amy Flammer / Hamish and Molly Taylor (son Liam) / Nate and Whitney Hutchison (daughter Lane)

Meet the Staff

Amy: youth and family / Joe: outreach / Hamish: Lead Pastor / Nate: Worship and Creative Arts

Saying Goodbye (again)

Our time in the United States is quickly coming to an end and we're back to a far too familiar task...packing.  We fly out of Columbus, OH Tuesday afternoon and land in Christchurch, New Zealand on Thursday afternoon (NZT).  

Our teammates are already on the ground searching for their new homes, so we'll have some friendly faces waiting for us there as we say goodbye for a long time to friendly faces here.  Goodbyes are always hard (especially when taking a cute baby girl from her grandparents), but that harsh reality is softened by the knowledge that we are leaving our homeland for the highest of callings - to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ to people who need Him desperately (as we all do).  

Please be in prayer for us as we deal with physical and emotional stress over the next few weeks.  We'll be searching for a home to move into as soon as possible before we begin planting the seeds for our new church in Christchurch, New Zealand.  Stay tuned!

Frantic Furlough Turns to Family Free Time

First of all, please excuse the alliteration in the title.  Secondly, I've heard from other missionaries that their time back home on furlough could get a bit hectic.  Travel between speaking engagements, supporter updates, and fundraising adds up quickly.  I know of one former missionary who, back in the day, spent a whole year on furlough visiting over 50 supporting churches!  

One of the best and most important parts of furlough, however, is time spent with family which can be easily neglected due to a full schedule.  So, while we were planning our furlough schedule before we left New Zealand, Whitney and I set aside plenty of time to spend with family.  This was especially important for our families to get to meet and then spend some quality time with Laney (let's be honest - she is number one on their lists)!  Here are a few of our favorite pictures from family time:

Hello Old Friends

The past 6 weeks of furlough have rushed by.  Today I'm taking a deep breath, resting, and reflecting on the whirlwind tour we've just been through.  It's been so great to see old friends and make new ones.  This inspires me to share some lyrics from an old Rich Mullins song (may he rest in peace).

Hello Old Friends

And so we meet again after all these many years

Did we sow the seeds we're reaping now that the harvest calls us here

It seems that love blooms out of season

And much joy can blossom from many tears

After leading worship and updating our friends at Bedford Acres Christian Church this weekend, next up is spending time with family before heading back to New Zealand to get started on the church plant.

No News Is Good News!

Our time in the states so far has been jam-packed with visits to churches, friends, and family and with fund-raising meetings for the launch of our church in New Zealand.  So, blog-posts have taken a backseat to face-to-face updates.  I'm sure you understand.  We're in Kentucky this week and Indy next week.  We hope to see you soon!