First, a bit of news... We have updated our web site! Although for some of our readers, web sites are not the most central part of your lives (!), they serve an increasingly important way in which we can contact people and they can contact us!

The new web address is ... www.ccorpington.org

This is the same as before, but with '.org', rather than '.info' at the end. On the web site, we can carry calendars of church and church centre activities, an on-going dialogue on church and Christian matters through a 'blog' (short for web log) People will be able to get to know us as a church and tour the facilities (virtually!) This all helps people to feel that Christ Church is a place where they will find a welcome. Any of your friends and families should be able to search for us on the web and find us much easier too. Do let other neighbours and friends have this address if they use the internet regularly.

Last edition of New Winepress, I read that I was away visiting my family! Thanks to Freda for stepping in to the 'jottings' seat. Our family had a wonderful and memorable time. We saw so many wonderful sites as we travelled to China, Australia, North and South Islands- New Zealand, back to Australia and then on to Hong Kong! Each Sunday we managed to visit a church and although we were not always in time to join a congregation in worship, it was lovely to receive their hospitality and pray for friends at home. One particularly wonderful church was in the town of Rotarua in North Island New Zealand. Rotarua is the place where there are all the hot springs and bubbling mud pools. (It is an amazing site to see steam coming up from all sorts of places- even gutters and soak-aways!) Although much of our stay in Rotarua was affected by rain (it's their winter of course!) we had a dry morning to wander around. My sister-in-law took us to the church in Rotarua which had Maori ministers from its earliest beginnings. It was designed in the style of a Maori meeting house and had amazing carvings throughout. The graves of the past ministers were in tombs above ground rather than below ground because of the seismic activity and the hot water. One of the most amazing things about the church was its location. It was built right upon the edge of the lake.

Within the church were many things that drew you to pray and thank God. But, for me the most amazing was this window. I'm sorry that you won't be able to see it in all its glory.

When you sat upon the pews in the side chapel, you looked out upon the lake and through a clear glass window. Etched upon it was Jesus (dressed and portrayed with Maori features) As you look at him from your seated position, it is as if he is walking across Lake Rotarua towards you! As Christians and tourists looked at this window that Sunday, I knew that they couldn't help be moved by the image. For me, it encapsulated great church design. It included the beauty of the creation and surroundings; it portrayed Jesus in a way that people (Maori people) could understand. It pointed to Christ's power and authority over all things. It invited us 'get out of our boat and meet him on the water' (See Matthew 14. 22- 36 for the meaning behind the window.)

This Maori church was a powerful witness in many ways. The work of conversion to Christianity was fraught with challenges. How do you honour what is good and strong in Maori culture and reject that which is evil. (After battle, Maori's would eat their victims in order to take on their power- or 'manna'. These were not a gentle warrior race!) This is where the church building in Rotarua was so impressive! It did honour that which was good and strong in Maori culture, yet it pointed the way to Jesus and honoured Him above all things! How can we as a church community get the balance right in our day? How can we honour and value the things of our society that are to be valued, and yet stand against cultural norms that are not from God? One thing that I am certain of, it is a stand that people must take in community rather than in isolation! People of all ethnicity and background are invited to join with Jesus. There is no sin (not even cannibalism) that cannot be forgiven (if repented of) and clensed. That must have been an amazing message to hear when Christians first brought a message of transforming love to New Zealand. It is still an amazing message to hear today.

One simple bit of church design is nearly completed in the entrance to the church centre. When I looked around other churches and halls prior to our development project, I noticed that 'founding' stone plagues with Bible verses didn't often get read after a while. So, I determined that the entrance hall would have a message of hope for our community that would have life and movement built into it. On a large piece of frosted glass are the words of Jesus "The water I give will become a spring welling up to eternal life" (John 4. 14) Behind it is lighting and a simple water feature to convey the truth of that message. Jesus is saying: all who are thirsty are invited to come. You are welcome too.

Yours, in his service
Jay Colwill