Christchurch & Tauranga: Helpful Contacts & Possible Leads

Our trip into Auckland for the City Lights service day proved to be a blessing in more than one way.  I happened to be placed on a team building a deck with a couple who provided valuable information.  I know this a long post, but make sure you get to the last bit - it's the best.

Ben Henson and Rachel Scott are a young couple - 25ish.  Getting married in 5 weeks.  She grew up in Tauranga.  They went to Canterbury University in Christchurch and then moved back to Tauranga to live and work for 2.5 years.  8 months ago they moved to Auckland for good engineering jobs and now they attend St. Pauls downtown.  Good people.  Theologically sound from what I could tell as were the churches they've attended.  Here are the notes I took from them:

CHRISTCHURCH

-Churches there are well organized and networked

-They gave the impression that there are a lot of healthy churches in town

-Attended Riccarton Community Church (same as Joe & Amy's contact from the hub)

-On Elizabeth Street

-Dave Lawson - Pastor (knows both of them - especially Rachel)

-Family focused church

-Good student ministry

-Sound, Bible-based theology

-Bretheren background

MT. MONGANUI (suburb of Tauranga)

-Rachel's parents attend Mosaic Church.

-Attendance: 200-400

-Progressive, creative, doing well at reaching community

-Christian church

-Seemed to be in line theologically from our conversation

-Teach from the Word

TAURANGA

-They said, "one of the fastest growing cities in New Zealand today"

-Many young couples and families moving in

-I asked about the oldsters there.  They said you would be hard-pressed to find many oldsters there today.  It used to be a place where oldsters retired, not so much anymore.

-Bigtime beach community - beautiful - which is attracting young families

-They said they want to move back to settle there eventually

-Growing up she attended Greerton Bible Chapel.

-Not much info other than she said it was a healthy church back then

-Ben & Rachel were members at BETHLEHEM BAPTIST recently

-Attendance: 1000+

-Two solid Bible teaching preachers on staff

-Bible is central to all teaching

-Again theology sounded solid - worth looking into

-Pastor: Craig Vernall, wife Michala (he is marrying them and did their marriage counseling).  They said he is a good man and has good men in leadership there.

-The church is starting to get "flack" from community for being "too big" and seemingly corporate.

-Many people drive long distances to get to Bethlehem Baptist, but aren't well connected because of the distance.

-Because of this they are looking to assist in and plant solid Bible-based churches in the surrounding areas and provide core groups of people who live in those communities and commute there for church.

-They lack the leaders/teams who will go and establish these church plants.

-They're not looking to do satellite campuses, but rather self-contained new churches.

I will contact Ben to get specific contact info for upcoming survey projects.  Good stuff, eh?!