The past few weeks have been one of the busier seasons of the year, but we will save the April events and news for our next letter several weeks from now.
On March 7, HBC hosted its first 3 on 3 basketball tournament outreach. When the event was scheduled three weeks prior, we had expectation for several teams, maybe twelve players, who would attend and hear the gospel preached before competing. Our advertising consisted of one teen in our church who plays on the local team and $30 in social media ads. Seventy players participated with over 130 attending the event (including volunteers). Most of the teens were from the local college (high school), or nearby schools. Six boys responded in the invitation, and one accepted Christ afterwards!
One of the men we gave a praise report about last month has continued to grow: volunteering to set up the church, getting off work on Sundays, and getting baptised. New Christian growth always provokes the church to “love and to good works.”
Some families have started hosting a regular lunch after the services to allow more time for fellowship. For one month now, fellowship time after both morning and evening services has continued for 1-1.5 hours. Through this opportunity, one young man was confronted by a member about his salvation. He left that night and accepted Christ that night in his home! Another member recommended FBC in Hamilton to his workmate. That workmate (Buddhist) and her husband (Sikh) have been attending weekly. The husband got saved at the end of March after a visit from Pastor Jono. These past few weeks have been littered with testimonies from our church family of witnessing, inviting and praying for lost souls. We pray for revival in our town and our country, would you do the same?
Continuing through the month, on March 18, Ellie Jay Szwarga was born a healthy 7lb 12oz! We praise the Lord for his provision and protection throughout the pregnancy and birth. Thank you for praying. Alyse and baby continue to have good health coming up on the one month mark.
Later in March we had the opportunity to have Pastor and Mrs. Rigney in our prayer meeting, from Arizona. They were instrumental in helping several churches start here in NZ, specifically GIBC, with whom we spent two years. My brother Kevin and his family visited from Indiana for several weeks as well. Part vacation, part ministry (preaching the April teen camp) their visit came at a welcome time, bringing advice and encouragement only family can provide.
Since January, Pastor Dan Fraser (GIBC, Tauranga) and I have been praying and sketching out a ministry training course that would accommodate the need for training the men who have been called into service over the past six months. We recently released the idea to some of the pastors within our fellowship and requested prayer for the program. We will continue to take steps to see it become a reality within the next year, unless God closes the door. We ask for your prayers, that if this is a tool God wants to use to train the men who He’s calling, that doors would continue to open and that we would have wisdom in formulating the details of this program.
Thank you for praying and sacrificing for the gospel’s sake,
Josh, Alyse, Bentlee, Raelynn and Ellie Szwarga
