MBC Kids Update 2 July
Hi families
I Hope you are enjoying your weekend .
Tomorrow as a church we are doing a special a Matariki service. The kids program will be operating like normal with kids going straight out into their space. For the adults the service will start with a special welcome including a Karanga ( call to worship ). At the end of the service we will be serving fry bread as part of the morning tea.
If you missed my email last week around Matariki - I have added it to this week.
Because Matriki becoming such a significant point of reference for us a nation, we as a church can also use this as a time of reflection for God's work in our lives and making Christ known through our bi-cultural journey.
Our tamariki will have also have been learning about Matariki and in some learning environments might be taught about its connection to ngā atua, Māori deities (Māori gods) and that for some celebrating matariki is a way to honour them or seek their guidance. Just because some people believe there are other gods doesn’t mean that we have to. It also doesn’t mean we can’t use this time of reflection at Matariki to reflect on what God has done and is doing in our lives. Not all Māori believe in these deities. In fact the Māori chiefs and Tribes who became Jesus followers were instrumental in bringing peace to our land and still are today, but that’s a history lesson for another time.
Like many things, there are different views that we need to respect. Respecting someone doesn’t mean we have to agree with them.
Talking about Matariki can also provide an awesome opportunity for you as a parent to again explain that there are many different faiths in the world. Us at MBC know the one and only God. Like many cultures the stars were given names by people a long time ago to help them make sense of the world e.g. Why the sun moves across the sky. We know God created the world and the stars.,
Throughout the ages, the stars showed people when it was time to plant, when to harvest, the best time to catch eels, muttonbirds, where to steer the waka and when to go out in the waka.
Today Matariki is remembered as Māori New Year. Matariki is a time to gather with whānau (family), hoa (friends), and hāpori (community) to reflect on the past, celebrate the present, and plan for the future.
For us as Jesus followers we can use this as a time to thank God for all He has given us – knowing we too can face the coming seasons with confidence that He will provide us with what we need. We can thank God for His care for our family over the generations – and give Him thanks for the ones we love who care for us.
But more than all of this, we can come together at Matariki be grateful for Gods greatest gift Jesus.
That through His life, death and resurrection ( defeating death and coming back to life ) We can not only have eternal life with Him, but have Him as a special friend here and now.
And while the Matariki stars are only strongly visible for a short time every year –our God is not only visible – He is available to us every day.
This Sunday we will be officially farewelling the Claxtons as they start their new adventure down in Taupo. Because we are farewelling their whole family - it would be cool for all the kids to be in for the first part of the service so we can all be a part of it. After the farewell the kids will then return to Upstreet for a movie as it is a long weekend in which we provide an opportunity for our leaders to have a rest.
If you can’t make it our Sunday morning gatherings - just to let you let you know content for our kids is still available online to hep you at home. The website has reverted back to normal settings so to find the Mac kids page you just need to go mbcfamily.org/mbckidsathome. We are doing the last week of June this Sunday.
If your kids are sick our have symptoms please keep them at home and kids over the age of 8 are encouraged to wear a mask. To keep our kids extra safe for all adults serving in our children’s ministries it is a requirement.
Dave