SPEAKER_03: Welcome to an audio teaching from Windsor Park Baptist Church in Auckland, New Zealand.
SPEAKER_03: If you would like to look at the message notes or see some questions for reflection that take their lead from today's teaching, head to our website windsapark.org.nz and head to the online tab where you'll see services and series and you can download different resources from there.
SPEAKER_03: Thanks for joining us and we hope you're encouraged by today's teaching.
SPEAKER_03: When Aidan preached last week from Luke chapter 17, we were 22 weeks into our series called King and Kingdom Come, as we take a close look at the big themes we see through the Gospel of Luke.
SPEAKER_03: We started that series back on the 21st of September 2025.
SPEAKER_03: And by working through it in four blocks over 18 months, we're deliberately not rushing it.
SPEAKER_03: Because the big themes in this gospel take a little bit of time to sink in.
SPEAKER_03: One of the big themes that we've seen, particularly in recent weeks, is that the kingdom of God or seeing the world through a God lens becomes visible the more we notice people that others perhaps overlook.
SPEAKER_03: We've continually seen that the focus of Jesus' stories and his parables are those that often don't make the headlines.
SPEAKER_03: From the teenage Mary in the birth narrative to shepherds and tax collectors and servants and ten men with leprosy through to the only person named in all of Jesus' parables, Lazarus, a beggar covered in sores who lay at the gates of an unnamed super rich man.
SPEAKER_03: We continually see Jesus focusing in on those who need to find hope in a world where hope is hard to find.
SPEAKER_03: That hope is the kingdom of God.
SPEAKER_03: A kingdom like no other that Jesus says has moved into our neighborhood.
SPEAKER_03: And when Jesus said the kingdom of God is among us, he wasn't describing a future reality waiting for heaven.
SPEAKER_03: He was describing a present reality that begins wherever God's people embody God's character in God's world.
SPEAKER_03: To those of us who are on the lifelong journey of knowing Jesus, becoming like Jesus, and doing what Jesus did, the challenge is how do we live out the values of the kingdom of God?
SPEAKER_03: And how do we do that as the body of Christ?
SPEAKER_03: Or how do we do that as the church?
SPEAKER_03: Well, today we want to celebrate one way that we do that.
SPEAKER_03: Here at Windsor, one way that we've developed in recent years to build on the foundations of those who have gone before us as we morph and evolve as a local expression of the body of Christ.
SPEAKER_03: What we've seen throughout the story of our church reflects the words of Luke, that the kingdom of God becomes visible when ordinary people notice, love, and serve the people Jesus notices, the people that Jesus names and draws near to.
SPEAKER_03: And we recognize that this has always been part of the story of our church.
SPEAKER_03: For context, back in the middle of the 2010s, we were thinking and praying about how we might more reflect the kingdom of God in our local community.
SPEAKER_03: How might we develop some of our existing ministries and grow others that focus on the needs that we saw around us at that time?
SPEAKER_03: And I believe it's continually the role of the church to do this.
SPEAKER_03: And Windsor's history is one of doing exactly that.
SPEAKER_03: That's our knitting.
SPEAKER_03: We do that around here, we do that on Wahiki Island, we do that wherever God leads us.
SPEAKER_03: As a result of that pondering, in 2018, we formed the Windsor Park Life Care Trust, which became the fourth piece of the Windsor Park group, sitting alongside and part of Windsor Park Baptist Church, the Equip Trust, the Windsor Park Hove Limited, all of which together make a missionally minded local church that seeks to build stronger communities by putting our faith into action.
SPEAKER_03: Our vision seeks to implement what Luke is encouraging followers of Christ to live.
SPEAKER_03: Throughout the Gospels, Jesus repeatedly teaches that kingdom people notice, love, and serve people who are vulnerable, isolated, struggling, or unseen.
SPEAKER_03: And life care is essentially one of our practical expressions of that same kingdom vision.
SPEAKER_03: Seeing people, holding people up, and helping them to flourish as best as we're able.
SPEAKER_03: Many of you have been on that journey with us since we birthed life care in 2018.
SPEAKER_03: And now, eight years later, we're continuing to do what we've always done.
SPEAKER_03: Following the lead of the Spirit to develop ministries, be involved in ministry activities, review ministry progress, adapt ministry activities, and be constantly seeking the new dreams and visions that the Holy Spirit gives us in the middle of everything that we do.
SPEAKER_03: Of course, we know that this year has been the most challenging year in the life of life care for a reason that none of us envisaged.
SPEAKER_03: Sarah Clark became embedded in the development of life care when she joined the team in February 2019 as part of our CAP debt center at that time.
SPEAKER_03: Sarah joined the team because inherently she believed in the value of the kingdom at work in the world and she wanted to be closer to the action.
SPEAKER_03: A few years after that, she became the very competent manager of the trust, becoming an integral part of our senior leadership team here at Windsor, leading one of the key quadrants of the Windsor Park group.
SPEAKER_03: Most of you all know that Sarah tragically passed away in an accident here on the North Shore on Wednesday, the 11th of March.
SPEAKER_03: A day that will forever be etched into the lives of all of us here at Windsor, particularly those of us who have the privilege of serving on the staff team.
SPEAKER_03: Five months later, we still grieve.
SPEAKER_03: We miss her around the office, and our hearts still go out to Cam and Hannah and Max, her family, and Sarah's very wide group of friends.
SPEAKER_03: To be honest, we're only slowly moving forwards, adjusting to something we'd still rather not have experienced.
SPEAKER_03: But at the same time, we remain deeply grateful for what Sarah worked towards.
SPEAKER_03: Sarah understood that life care wasn't simply a collection of programs, but that it was about people.
SPEAKER_03: It was about seeing people who felt unseen and reminding them that they mattered to God.
SPEAKER_03: This was Sarah's gift.
SPEAKER_03: She saw people because she knew they were people worth seeing.
SPEAKER_03: And she was passionate about seeing that remained a core focus of what life care is about.
SPEAKER_03: In response to Sarah's passing, I'm deeply grateful for the work of the Life Care Board, our staff team, our elders, and in fact the whole body here at Windsor.
SPEAKER_03: And what has been a very difficult time to navigate, we've come together in a way that shows that the world at its worst shows that the church can be at its best.
SPEAKER_03: With the legacy of those who have gone before, let's hear from some of those who continue to steward the work and the ministries of life care.
SPEAKER_03: People who are constantly asking themselves the question Who is Jesus asking us to notice?
SPEAKER_03: Let's hear firstly from Gail Van Hoefen.
SPEAKER_00: Hi, I'm Gail, and I have the privilege of leading the family care ministry under the Windsor Park Life Care Trust.
SPEAKER_00: Every family has a story, and sadly, increasingly, that story includes separation or divorce.
SPEAKER_00: It's a painful journey that no one plans for, and yet it's the one that many people in our community are walking.
SPEAKER_00: In New Zealand in 2025 alone, 5,715 children under 17 experience this.
SPEAKER_00: In family care, we intentionally walk alongside these families.
SPEAKER_00: Many of them are in a very vulnerable space.
SPEAKER_00: Separation is recognized as one of life's most significant and stressful events, not only for adults but especially for children.
SPEAKER_00: We now know that significant childhood adversity can have lasting effects well into adulthood.
SPEAKER_00: Yet we also know something incredibly hopeful that early support, caring relationships and practical tools can make a lifelong difference.
SPEAKER_00: People often ask me why I choose to work in such a space.
SPEAKER_00: My answer is simple, because I don't just see heartbreak.
SPEAKER_00: I get to witness hope.
SPEAKER_00: I get to see healing begin, confidence grow, and families discover that this difficult chapter doesn't have to define the rest of their story.
SPEAKER_00: That's why I love what I do.
SPEAKER_00: Through our Power Up program, we come alongside children as they learn healthy ways to understand their emotions, build resilience, and discover that they are deeply loved by God and never alone.
SPEAKER_00: We also support parents because when parents are supported, the whole family unit is strengthened.
SPEAKER_00: Through our Free Family Law Clinic, people receive practical guidance to help them navigate what often feels overwhelming.
SPEAKER_00: Our Refresh evenings create a welcoming space for mums, parenting alone, a place of friendship, encouragement, good food, and practical support.
SPEAKER_00: Sometimes that support may look like advocating for them at winds, attending medical appointments, court dates, behaviour management meetings at school, or simply standing beside a mum while she watches her child receive an award so she doesn't have to celebrate alone.
SPEAKER_00: Recently, Windsor Park Baptists celebrated their 75th anniversary.
SPEAKER_00: That day, I happened to sit down beside a woman who had previously attended Refresh, albeit many years ago.
SPEAKER_00: As part of the celebrations, we were asked to turn to the person sitting next to us and share something significant that had happened over the years at this church.
SPEAKER_00: Unexpectedly, she turned to me and said to me that her significant moment had been being part of Refresh during one of the hardest seasons of her life.
SPEAKER_00: It was so encouraging to me and reminded me that we never fully know the impact of walking alongside someone for a season.
SPEAKER_00: One of the many highlights of my job is being involved in our power-up graduation evening, watching a child's coach read a letter describing strengths, courage, and potential, all that they see in their body.
SPEAKER_00: It's so incredibly moving.
SPEAKER_00: You can just see the confidence beginning to replace fear and the hope replacing uncertainty.
SPEAKER_00: Over the past years, we have walked alongside a couple of hundred children and families in Power Up, Refresh and the Family Law Clinic.
SPEAKER_00: To every one of you who has cooked a meal, coached a child, prayed for a family, welcomed someone through the door, or supported this ministry financially, thank you.
SPEAKER_00: You are part of the team building stronger communities by putting your faith into action.
SPEAKER_00: As you journey with us, each child who discovers hope, every parent who finds strength, and every family who begins to heal is part of your ministry too.
SPEAKER_00: What an awesome privilege we have to serve together in this way, just for this moment in time.
SPEAKER_03: For Gail, the kingdom of God is visible when a child or someone who is doing it a little bit tougher than others discovers they are not defined by their circumstances.
SPEAKER_03: Well, let's hear now from Marina Young.
SPEAKER_01: Kiora, I'm Marina, the service manager for Haven Pregnancy Support.
SPEAKER_01: At Haven, we provide a free, non-judgmental and compassionate space for women, men, and families navigating the journey of unintended or unsupported pregnancies, baby loss, and post-abortion healing.
SPEAKER_01: We understand that these experiences can be incredibly challenging and we are here to offer support every step of the way.
SPEAKER_01: We align with the Ministry of Health's first Thousand Days initiative, recognizing the importance of supporting mothers and babies from conception through to first two years.
SPEAKER_01: This time is vital for nutrition, health, and development, and it significantly impacts lifelong outcomes.
SPEAKER_01: Having someone to walk alongside in this journey, providing emotional and practical support can truly change lives.
SPEAKER_01: We want everyone to know that they are not alone, that they matter, and their experiences are valid.
SPEAKER_01: Our Haven aunties are a group of compassionate volunteers with their own lived experiences and professional backgrounds who journey alongside mums and do home visits to support mothers during and after their pregnancies.
SPEAKER_01: An important part of our practical support is Shah's Place, led by Amazing Nikki.
SPEAKER_01: This service offers high-quality new and gently used baby clothes and gear, such as bassinets, prayers, cots, bedding.
SPEAKER_01: We are deeply grateful for the generous donations we receive, including the beautiful handmade items that warm our hearts.
SPEAKER_01: We can give out from one to three bundles a week to families.
SPEAKER_01: We also network with several other organizations who do amazing work and provide them with gear when needed.
SPEAKER_01: It's a privilege to witness the joy and relief on the faces of mothers and families as they receive these cherished items.
SPEAKER_01: Their appreciation often comes in the form of tears and heartfelt thanks, which remind us of the importance of our work.
SPEAKER_01: Each person comes to us with their own unique story, often facing daunting challenges, some escaping situations, domestic violence, others struggling with addiction or isolation, some no fano support, some are immigrants, and some are simply trying to navigate financial hardship.
SPEAKER_01: Life can be incredibly tough, but being able to offer a thread of hope is transformative and encouraging for family.
SPEAKER_01: It fills our hearts with warmth to watch a mother flourish and embrace her role with newfound strength and confidence.
SPEAKER_01: This is why we do what we do and makes it so manifold.
SPEAKER_01: Together we can make a difference one family at a time.
SPEAKER_01: The need is great, and we are always looking for more haven aunties to fill the gap of much needed support for these families.
SPEAKER_01: We often serve as an extra layer of wraparound support and work alongside other agencies that may be involved.
SPEAKER_01: I love what I do because I have my own story of an unintended pregnancy.
SPEAKER_01: And if something like Haven was available then, my life and mental well-being would have looked a lot different in a positive way.
SPEAKER_01: We need to walk gently in people's lives as everyone has a story of what has brought to them this place in time.
SPEAKER_01: Time is a precious thing, and giving someone time and allowing them to be heard helps them feel valued and that they matter.
SPEAKER_01: Some situations are heartbreaking, but being able to unpack their fears, bring hope, and then see a sparkle return through their eyes fills my cup with joy and purpose.
SPEAKER_03: For Marina, the kingdom of God is visible when the vulnerable people encounter compassion without judgment.
SPEAKER_03: And finally, let's hear from Caleb Finlesen.
SPEAKER_02: We are all about being local.
SPEAKER_02: We focus on sending youth workers into Orangi Toto College and Murray's Bay Intermediate.
SPEAKER_02: Our mission is to see young people thrive.
SPEAKER_02: In a world where life is demanding for our young people, the pressures are higher than ever.
SPEAKER_02: Both the real world and in the online space, there is pressure coming from everywhere.
SPEAKER_02: Bullying, studies, mental health, and all aspects of mental well-being and the like.
SPEAKER_02: Our youth workers are offering a presence-based approach, incarnational.
SPEAKER_02: This focuses on being in person, not just the outcome of a program, but we as youth workers use a different aspect.
SPEAKER_02: We use programs as tools, but we are there to be consistent as a presence for these young people in an inconsistent world.
SPEAKER_02: What does this look like for us on a day-to-day?
SPEAKER_02: It's one-on-one mentoring, it's group work, it's coaching, it's connecting.
SPEAKER_02: The five things that we focus on is supporting students, building positive relationships, leadership development, encouraging school spirit, and integrating into out-of-school activities.
SPEAKER_02: Why do I love what we do?
SPEAKER_02: It's because I know that we are planting seeds that we may never sit in the shade of.
SPEAKER_02: We are investing into the lives of young people who feel lost, who feel down and out, and we are the soul and light, the hands and feet of Jesus.
SPEAKER_02: We are putting our faith into action as we encounter and help these young people thrive.
SPEAKER_02: One of the stories that I love to share is a young person a few years ago facing some really traumatic events in their life.
SPEAKER_02: We were able to pick them up.
SPEAKER_02: Our youth workers identified the need, got them into the counselor, got them alongside, and were able to be in a space where they could be the handholder, not problem solver, as we like to talk about it.
SPEAKER_02: The whole point of what we do is to journey alongside them.
SPEAKER_02: And that's what this youth worker got to do.
SPEAKER_02: They were able to stand with them, to help identify what the needs were, to get them into those places of support that they needed.
SPEAKER_02: And now, as years have gone by, that young person is thriving.
SPEAKER_02: And what a privilege that it has been for us to go along that journey with that young person to help them navigate the tough systems, to give them the confidence to be able to seek the support that they needed and that they required.
SPEAKER_02: This is just one of many stories where we have seen a young person down and out in need of support, and yet we as youth workers have been able to pick that up, to come alongside, and to help to see them thrive.
SPEAKER_02: This is why we do what we do, to be the hands and feet of Jesus, to put our faith into action and to build our community around us.
SPEAKER_03: For Caleb, the kingdom of God is visible when young people discover they are known, valued, and that they're not alone.
SPEAKER_03: On top of these ministries, we're in the process of adjusting the operating model of the Windsor Park Christian Counseling Center as we introduce new counselors to continue the ministry of accredited and professional counseling for people who need some more intentional help to get through the life challenges that they're facing.
SPEAKER_03: I'm super grateful to Pastor Holly Walton, who has assumed oversight for the Counseling Center, and we're continuing to see it thrive.
SPEAKER_03: For our counseling ministry, the kingdom of God is visible when people find a safe place to bring their pain and discover that they don't have to carry it alone.
SPEAKER_03: So, what does this look like year to year?
SPEAKER_03: What does this look like as far as our impact statistics?
SPEAKER_03: Our statistics are impressive numbers.
SPEAKER_03: They're on the screen right now.
SPEAKER_03: But more importantly, every one of those numbers represents individual people and families who, in one way or another, have encountered something of the kingdom of God breaking into their lives.
SPEAKER_03: We celebrate each life.
SPEAKER_03: From all the things that make up life care and everything else that's part of the Windsor Park group, I think it's fair to say that the gospel is not merely something we believe, it's something we seek to embody.
SPEAKER_03: Jesus repeatedly teaches that kingdom people notice, love, and serve people who are vulnerable, isolated, struggling, or unseen.
SPEAKER_03: Life care is one way that Windsor seeks to make that calling visible.
SPEAKER_03: Of course, you know that I'm not just going to finish with saying good job to the life care.
SPEAKER_03: Team.
SPEAKER_03: Anytime we talk about who God has enabled us to become, we always talk about how you can become part of that.
SPEAKER_03: There are four ways, three of which you can probably guess, and one that you might not guess, but will apply to some of you.
SPEAKER_03: Here are four pathways through which you could be involved.
SPEAKER_03: Firstly, you could notice.
SPEAKER_03: This is the one we might not think of, but it's perhaps the most important way for some of us to be involved.
SPEAKER_03: Because before there's a program, there's a person who's noticed.
SPEAKER_03: Every ministry you've heard about today began with somebody noticing something.
SPEAKER_03: Someone noticed families under pressure.
SPEAKER_03: Someone noticed young people needing support.
SPEAKER_03: Someone noticed people struggling with unexpected pregnancies.
SPEAKER_03: Someone noticed people carrying burdens they couldn't carry alone.
SPEAKER_03: Our history as a church is one of noticing needs and having the courage to step up and find a way to help.
SPEAKER_03: So what are you noticing?
SPEAKER_03: Who is God bringing across your path?
SPEAKER_03: What ideas do you have?
SPEAKER_03: What dreams and visions has God placed in your mind?
SPEAKER_03: What might God be inviting you to notice and respond to physically or digitally?
SPEAKER_03: It's be creative about where God leads us.
SPEAKER_03: Second, you can pray.
SPEAKER_03: Everyone can pray, and it's the foundation of all that we do.
SPEAKER_03: Maybe you could join the email database and commit to praying for the team and all of those people who are encountered in the ministries of life care.
SPEAKER_03: Thirdly, you could give.
SPEAKER_03: As always, Kingdom Ministry requires the investment of resources.
SPEAKER_03: Lifecare stands with and beside who we are as a church, but requires a team of committed financial backers to help it function.
SPEAKER_03: Thanks to those of you who do that.
SPEAKER_03: But maybe you could join the team regularly or one-off at whatever level God might be putting on your heart.
SPEAKER_03: Or fourth, you could serve.
SPEAKER_03: Lifecare needs people who can walk alongside others.
SPEAKER_03: Every Monday at the moment, we have a team of 11 coaches helping an individual child through Power Up.
SPEAKER_03: That's awesome.
SPEAKER_03: But we always need more from coaching of children to becoming a haven auntie to perhaps helping with social media.
SPEAKER_03: There's always the opportunity for involvement no matter where you are.
SPEAKER_03: To talk about the Windsor Life Care Trust, it doesn't interrupt our series on the Gospel of Luke.
SPEAKER_03: Today is about acknowledging that people in this faith community take the imperative of being active participants in the kingdom of God seriously, even when it's deeply challenging to do so.
SPEAKER_03: Windsor Park has always and hopefully will always seek to live out the kingdom ethic Luke has been teaching all along.
SPEAKER_03: Might we continually think less about the organization, but think more about how our discipleship and stewardship drives us to put our faith into action?
SPEAKER_03: This is the kind of kingdom Jesus describes, and that is why life care exists.
SPEAKER_03: Not simply to run programs, but to make the love of Christ visible.
SPEAKER_03: Every time a lonely person finds friendship, every time a family finds hope, every time a young person discovers they matter, every time someone receives practical love in a difficult season, we see the kingdom of God among us.
SPEAKER_03: The very thing Jesus taught us to pray.
SPEAKER_03: Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
SPEAKER_03: The kingdom of God is among us.
SPEAKER_03: If you'd like to talk more about how you can be involved in the activities of life care, if there are ideas germinating in your heart or in your head around how we can notice people, how we can help them, how we can support them, how we can introduce them to the love of Christ, we would love to hear from you.
SPEAKER_03: Just drop us an email, info at windsorpark.org.nz or get in touch with us on any of the ways that you can do that.
SPEAKER_03: You'll find them on our website.
SPEAKER_03: We would love to chat more wherever you are.
SPEAKER_03: The body of Christ mobilized across our nation, across our world, to bring his kingdom.
SPEAKER_03: Amen.
SPEAKER_03: Thank you for joining our audio teaching today.
SPEAKER_03: If there are ways that we can continue to support you or help you in your journey, please reach out to us.
SPEAKER_03: Head to our website, windsapark.org.nz, and you'll find various ways to contact us.
SPEAKER_03: God bless.