new signs at Palmerston ...

It has been great to see the old signs come down and the new emerge today at the Palmerston Campus ...

We are looking forward to the ushering in of 2011 but also beyond with what God is doing with the coming together of the two campuses. A sign does not change anything but unity does and that's what Hope City Church stands for. One God. One Heart. One Hope. 'providing Hope & Purpose for living'

with Hope!

Pastor Don

keep eye out for new signs and new website

Keep an eye out for the new signage...

We have changed the name of the church at Palmerston with the Business Affairs section with Northern Territory Government and will have the new signage on the Palmerston Campus Church to replace the old signs and will also change the front sign at the Malak Campus Church.

As more work continues at the Malak Campus we will be getting the Hope City Church sign also across the roof of the Malak Campus with lights shining on it at night ... so people won't just hear about Hope but will be able to see it ...

WE are moving ahead ...

Within the next few weeks we also hope to have our new website available for use, which will be easier to keep up to date, have podcasts on it, video and user friendly information about who we are, what we are about and where we are going as Hope City Church Malak/Palmerston

Pastor Don ...

THANK YOU ...

Stepping into ‘the merge’ of the two churches had some challenges and as we drew closer to voting for it in March, 2010. The process of getting there certainly was not something that I myself could have undertaken without the support of Nathan Trethewey who at the time of the merge was my Associate Pastor and the Hope City Church Malak, Worship Pastor.

For personal health reasons and after lengthy discussion Nathan decided that his time in each of those roles had come to an end. Consequently a few months ago now, Nathan stepped down from each of those roles. It was something not taken lightly by Nathan and Angela and ourselves as Hope City Church leadership.

Both Nathan and Angela, along with their children Caleb and Eliana are a loved and valued family and we love that they call Hope City Church their family also.

Nathan has a call upon his life I believe as a Psalmist and writes and plays beautiful God inspired worship songs. Songs that I sincerely believe will minister to many people around the world, and bring a colour to the world of people whom have no colour in their lives. There comes a time and there will be a season for this. I say with no doubt in my mind whatsoever, watch this space (as in the Nathan space).

I am grateful and thankful to Nathan for the support he leant me in a tough year, which was 2009. However, in hindsight I see it as a year and a season of labour pains for what we now are seeing the birth and subsequent growth of something 'new' that God is doing in Darwin with Hope City Church.

Again to Nathan (and Angela) THANK YOU!!

Always Hope,
Pastor Kieran

WALK THE WALL 2010

Hope City Church supports “International China Concern” (ICC) in a variety of ways. We assist financially a volunteer family (the Lynams) who work for ICC, Pastors Don & Kieran will be visiting in person shortly & for the last 3 years we have “Walked the Wall”...


Each year in September (this year it is Saturday 25th), ICC organises a walk-a-thon called Walk the Wall. The walk is 10km long and participants from all over the world put their walking shoes on, raising money for the many abandoned and disabled children in China.

Walk the Wall raises the necessary funds to provide full-time care for hundreds of children and adults with disabilities. Funds raised allow ICC to hire and train more therapists and workers. It also enables ICC to work with an ever-increasing number of families who have children with disabilities, providing the supports necessary to prevent abandonment.


Will you walk too or sponsor someone who is?

Log onto www.walkthewall.org

Hope City Youth Camp - Living as a Champion

this is gonna be good ...

Hope City Church Youth Camp
Friday 17th - Sunday 19th September @ Bachelor Outdoor Education Unit

GUEST SPEAKER - Cam Bennett who will also be hanging around and preaching at ther Sunday Evening Service at Palmo Campus. 5pm ...

Register today at Hope City Reception Palmerston or contact Ps. Kieran at office.

Hope City a Cell Church - getting CONNECTED

Connect groups are small groups that operate on cell church principles and are led by people who identify with the vision of Hope City Church. The purpose of our Connect Groups is to strategically and relationally see our city impacted for Christ!

We see a network of small groups spread across the suburbs of Darwin and the Palmerston region that are committed to …embracing people, building His kingdom and influencing our communities.

The goal of Connect Groups is to connect people into an established and embracing community of people to ensure that they have every opportunity to grow in their relationship with God and His Church.

What should I expect from CONNECTgroups?
• to meet with people weekly in a safe, inviting environment
• to be encouraged in your Christian journey
• to build authentic relationships
• a great place to bring your friends and family
• to be known to a small group of people, not be lost in the crowd
• that it may take a few times to find the right group for you as different groups appeal to different people

Advisory Board - Hope City Church

The Hope City Church Advisory Board is made up of three members from each campus. These people are people identified as being influential and engaged in church life. The role of the Advisory Board members is to provide feedback to the Church Board related to the overall health and function of Hope City Church, especially during the merge transition.

The Advisory Board would be able to highlight and communicate issues to the board that they feel are important and need to be addressed.

The Advisory Board would also be instrumental in disseminating information from the board to the members of the church.

The Advisory Board meet every three months with the Church Board.

The role of Advisory Board members would be predominantly one of consultation and feedback. This role is to be representative of the general congregation and responsible to the Hope City Board.

The Advisory Board Members have been invited to be members by Pastor Don Dawson and they have each accepted the invitation.

Hope City Church Advisory Board in alphabetical order is ..

Jerrifus DARE
Glynnis FEW
Kathleen FLENTJE
Paul HARLEY
Peter STEWART
Lesley WARFE

Hope City Church Board members as voted in on March 14, 2010 are:

Don Dawson
Kieran Ryan
Keith Ainge
Tracy Lilley
Deborah Ryan

Malak Campus PAINTING and TREE REMOVAL

In the next few days (we hope) or maybe over the next couple of weeks the Malak Campus will get a face lift on the outside of the building.

Firstly from the street you will be able to see the church. We are cleaning up a lot of the trees from the front of the building. 2 reasons. One is that there are a few that are termite ridden and need to be chopped down for safety issues. Second reason is that we want to be able to open up the aspect of the church so it can be seen from the street.

The church building will also be painted as it is looking tired. It was painted over 6 years ago and the Territory weather conditions have taken their toll on it. The colour will be similar to the colourbond panels that that are on both the front and the rear of the building.

The pics to come soon will be the BEFORE pics and in a few weeks we hope to post the AFTER pics ...

Always HOPE!

Miracle Offering August 1, 2010

MIRACLE OFFERING!
A thought for this week about the miracle offering....


The Miracle Offering is something we will be doing every year around the same time ...


Its about IMPACTING our NOW, and INVESTING in our FUTURE!

The Miracle Offering is an offering - it goes beyond what we tithe, give each week.

One of the ways we can impact our NOW is to be a part of the merge and the change that is taking place around our campuses... especially our Malak campus. Already things have been mended, painted, re-furbished, and we look forward to making this campus look and be the best it can be! So that when you, your family and your friends walk through those doors they will know that our God is an excellent God!


We also want to INVEST into our futures! we believe that we are a generational Church, and want to set up the next generation (our children and their children) to reach and impact the City of Darwin in strength - Making Jesus famous!

SO are you ready for a MIRACLE?
What part will you play in IMPACTING our now, and investing in our future?
Go ahead BE THE CHANGE!

Missions

Overseas Missions is well and truly n the Hope City radar ... Recently we had Paul Bowyer and Kim Johnson here in Darwin and share at both campuses what they are doing in Laos.

We also support the House of Grace orphanage in Thailand and the Lynam family with the phenomenal work they are doing through International China Concern. (see www.chinaconcern.org)

I have tried to post the latest news letter from Glen and Susanna on here but have had no success. I will be endeavouring to get that online in some capacity. For now if anyone would like to see and read this please flick me an e-mail at kieran@hopecity.org.au

Myself and Pastor Don are looking at heading across to each of the mission fields we support as Hope City Church in Asia this November. This is with a view to lift the profile of what these guys are doing.


Further updates and newsletters to come from Paul and Kim ...
why not also become friends on facebook with them - the world is a smaller place now.

Glen and Susanna Lynam are also on facebook ... invite them to be a friend and you can get to see, hear, and sense their hearts for what God is doing across the globe.

Always Hope!
Kieran

POWERHOUSE - this friday night ...

When? This Friday night for 45 minutes ... 45 minutes!! Be part of Powerhouse Prayer meeting ... 7pm - 7.45 pm

Where? It will be held at 'THE SHED' at Palmerston Campus.

Why? Prayer is important - Jesus withdrew from the pressures of life to pray.

What? this will be a prayer time where the gifts of the Spirit will be flowing ... come expectant!

more feedback ...

Big! Scary! Challenging! These are words that come to mind when I consider what we as a church are doing, changing the comfortable, safe way we have always done things. Guess what? God is not put off by what we consider big, scary and challenging, he works through those things to produce men and women who will be willing to take on the next thing he sends their way. I am enjoying the training that is being made available, the ministry and the fellowship, I can see there is great potential and God can take us somewhere we have never been before.

Di Jackson

ENCOUNTER

Our next Consolidation Pathway starts on Sunday June 20 [BOTH CAMPUSES @ 11:15AM] with the first four lessons that make up Pre-Encounter, followed by our Encounter on July 17 and then Post Encounter starting on July 18.

The dates have been advertised in the InTouch each week also ...

WE encourage those who have not engaged in this pathway to ‘please consider’! Be mindful that numbers WILL BE LIMITED for this Encounter.

It is important that people position themselves early to ensure a place! For more information please see our wonderful Peter Stewart [peterstewart@trcorporation.com/0419877218].

THE STAND - with Guest Speaker

this weekend - Sunday Night 6.30pm THE STAND (Youth and Young Adults)

Palmerston Campus

Guest Speaker - Cam Bennett - Queensland State YOUTH ALIVE director.

http://www.youthaliveqld.com/

Office at Malak Campus

The office at Malak Campus will be getting refurbished. There is no set time now as we are doing as explained some work on the auditorium. Malak will become the 'HUB' as Don says, I got the word 'Mothership' before the actual merge took place. But eventually all staff for Hope City Church will be working primarily from Malak.

Until then I(Kieran) am working out of the Palmerston Campus. I am however available to meet with anyone in at Malak on wednesdays or at other times if contacted. For any of those times(weds included) it would be a prearranged time. I prefer to meet at the other office (Jamamcia Blue - so I can have a Chai Latte) when possible.

If you have any enquiries please phone the church - Malak phones are diverted so either number is fine to call.

8927 3790 or 8932 3280.

Always Hope,
Kieran

Feedback ...

‘When we came to church directly after the merge, there was a moment when we panicked in face of all the sudden changes and thought, 'Have we made the wrong or right choice?'
However, there was something so peaceful and safe about returning to church this week just gone. It was like a huge sigh of relief came over us as we worshipped and listened to the word from Pastor Don at our Malak campus. It felt like we were home again.’

Jerrifus and Kelly DARE



It's great to be united with a church in Palmerston. To me, it really is the unification of love & hope for our city; and of a desire to see men, women & children saved for the glory of God. I believe we will continue to knit together & we will see the huge difference that God makes in Darwin & Palmerston.

Mary Beames


"I joined Hope City from the minute I arrived in Darwin, I feel at home there and love the place. Merging together with the Palmerston Campus just makes a great Church even better. Everything from new friends, new connect groups, more services and more preachers - and I love having a whole range of preaching, different styles, different people - all with a heart to bring the us the Word. Great stuff!"

Erana Gray


I was asked not long after I shifted to Palmerston why I didn't now got to Palm City Church being it was closer to home. My answer was Christian Family Centre (now Hope City Church Malak) was my home, had been since first arriving in Darwin. I didn't think I was ready for any other major change in my life. With the merge I am able to be part of Hope City Palmerston without loosing my first home, Hope City Malak. I am amazed and awed at the way Don has allowed all his congregation to become leaders in the church and that we are being given this opportunity to step up into the plans God has for us. God says "Do not remember the former things behold I WILL do a new thing" God has said so it will happen. Isaiah 46:11 God has purposed this He WILL bring it to pass.
Mary De Loryn

Seasons - Dry Season where are you?

Just a few days ago I wrote on my facebook status ... Dry Season? .. Where are you?

Dry season is something I personally look forward to every year ... and it should be or normally would be here by now. Seasons ...

Ecclesiastes 3 talks about seasons

A Time for Everything
1 There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:
2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,

3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,

4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,

5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,

7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,

8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.


I personally am loving the season that we as a church are in at the moment - growth, stretching, anticipation for what lies ahead, and people sensing their is more, much more.

Hope City Church is in a process season. But like Dry Season in Darwin - which is not here yet ... there comes build up, the rain, the knock down rains and the build down .... Seasons.

God is really doing something in our hearts first and foremost - for me I have to admit some of it has been like the knock down rains ... knocking some areas in my life down which needed to be knocked down. Flip and then comes the burn off .. yikes!

But I tell you what - for some strange reason I like the season - because I know the Dry is coming - the season that I love. And I know the season for myself and also the church is also coming - but it is a season of harvest.

Over just the past 4 weeks there have been around 40 decisions for Christ ... and that has been across both campuses ...

Salvations are great - but I believe too that the season we are also in is one of making Disciples - because it is the disciples that Christ builds the Church with ...

The 'merge' as we have called it is a real blessing ... for Don and Priscilla to impart into Deb and my life has been invaluable. We are loving it. We love our connect group, we love that people are stepping up to the plate and we are not gap filling, we love working in team, and we love that we know our backs are covered by our Senior Pastors (your Senior Pastors).

I cannot speak on behalf of the people that I have seen Don and Cilla speak life into at Malak just in these first few months of the merge, that is those peoples call. But as a Pastor myself I can speak of the fruit I have seen in those lives, and the joy I am seeing those people walk in. That warms my heart.

I see a season coming that will be as enjoyable as Dry Season in Darwin is for me ... it will always mean work still, and hard work. But there is something about working in a team, with a team, and with a secure Pastor who lets each of the team play their part that makes that work fun, fresh and fruitful.

11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.

I read that verse 11 from that same chapter in Ecclesiastes and get excited - that descriobes how I see HOPE! I may not fathom it - it does not mean I cannot see it though .... love this stuff!!

Until next time,
Always Hope!
Kieran

Love & Pearls of Wisdom

p.s ....

just one other thing about our staff meeting today and it was sentence that I walked away with that I thought - wow - if we were known for that, and that only ... how great and fantastic would our church be, because it would 'be' the church and not just a mob that 'do' church

this was the sentence uttered by our Senior Pastor

"I just want our church, Hope City Church to be known for its Love and Wisdom .... "

A couple of things on SOUND

At todays staff meeting one of the things we spoke about at length was the quality of sound over both the campuses on the weekend.

It is something we are looking into ... the sound gear is really important with what we do on weekends and as much as part of the communication process as anything else. So just wanting to keep you in the loop.

Happy for feedback - already had some but like to hear your input!

Mainly Music - www.mainlymusic.org.au

Mainly Music is a fantastic outreach ministry that is just snowballing. Every second wednesday families from both campuses (with little ones) join together and have an absolute ball. The children all participate as do the parents with the focus on the kids and music. Check out www.mainlymusic.org.au

The Stand - Youth & Young Adults

BRING YOUR FRIENDS >>>>>>
more info to come ... but for now lock in June 6 as we have a Gun Speaker and a good mate of mine - Cameron Bennett from YOUTH ALIVE at 'the Stand' plus the Palmerston Campus evening service from 5pm ... (THe STAND in the SHED after 5pm service)

BLOG hits facebook

The purpose of this BLOG is to inform and help communicate some changes, the transition, and things about the 2 Campuses at Hope City Church Darwin/Palmerston.
It is for the people who are Hope City Church ... and for anyone else I guess who wants to have a sticky beak.

Anyway - if you see my profile on facebook you will notice that this entry is posted on my wall.

Always Hope,
Kieran

New Paint ...

This weekend in church at Malak Campus you will notice some cosmetic changes. You will notice the new paint at the ends of the auditorium.

Over the next few weeks we hope to have the outside of the building painted also ... as you would have seen the paint from 6 years ago is quite faded. It will be a neutral colour and blend in well with the colourbond.

The building was painted about 6 years ago - and just like they have to change the shop fronts and their interior design in shopping centres it is also important for us to do the same. The church needs a bit of face lift ... "if a barn needs paintng, paint it!"

Connect Groups

Connect Groups are the life blood of Hope City Church - it is where pastoral care happens!

Currently there are a couple of groups still operating that were from the Malak Campus. They will continue, but we are having the leaders of these groups trained and mentored first through the pre- Encounter, Encounter and post-Encounter pathways. Great feedback is already coming from this process and we look forward to hearing more testimonies.

The main training for connect group leaders though is the School of Leaders which is the training we all need to go through. School of Leaders takes place after you go through the Encounter pathway ... and for 28 leaders from the Malak Campus there is only 7 weeks left of that. Congratulations for sticking with the process. Whether you have been a Christain for 40 years or 4 months you are are leader - whether or not you yourself see that - the fact is YOU ARE! But all leaders need growth, training and mentoring ... and this provides that.

Pastor Don and Priscilla will be running an open Connect group at our place (Kieran and Debs) on tuesday nights ...

this is from 7-8 pm

The PURPOSE is so Deb and I and those that attend can learn, capture and then impart the d.n.a and vision of our Senior Pastors to others and to also help build the culture that they instil so that we may all be on the same page.

One Vision is required. One God. One Heart. One Hope

more than one vision creates (di)-vision .... so the pathways of leadership and discipleship are important ...

I see peoples lives being genuinely touched as we all grow in this - and I see salvations happening through connect groups before unchurched friends even enter a church service. It is about relationship, not religion. Connection to God not conversion. Transformation, not conformation.

I see that our tag line which is 'providing hope and purpose for living' can and will be a reality

Always Hope ...

Hope on Mitchell

Quite a few people have been asking about Hope on Mitchell ... our service that we did in the cinemas on Mitchell Street throughout 2009. (see http://www.gatewayofhope.blogspot.com/)

We have put that on hold for now and are looking at other avenues to get into and do ministry on Mitchell Street. The target audience is not going to be reached at 10am on a Sunday morning ... the reality is they will be in bed probably with a headache from a late night. Been there done that myself some years ago ... and the last place I would go to in those days would have been a church.

So we are having another look at this idea and wanting to re-invent it to be honest. The cinema service was effective in that it opened the eyes of the church goer to something different and got us out of the 4 walls of the church - however Hope on Mitchell is not purposed for the church goer ... quite the opposite actually.

Getting onto the streets at night when the pubs and clubs are open and just being a shoulder for someone to spew on (I mean lean on) is just a practical way. Again we are looking at how, when and what training etc may be required for that.

Anyway, please keep asking the question about Hope on Mitchell ... another way may be to get a coffee shop or something that has a permanent presence on Mitchell Street, so that we are able to touch lives and not just talk about it.

'people remember the touch more than they ever remember the talk ...'

anyway until next time,

Always Hope!

Crossing Over - purpose of this blog!

(from left to right Kieran Ryan, Deb Ryan, Keith Ainge, Priscilla Dawson, Don Dawson)


On March 14, 2010 Hope City Church, Malak merged with Palm City Church, Palmerston... it became a two campus church.


Together we are HOPE CITY CHURCH (Malak Campus & Palmerston Campus)


Pastor Don and Priscilla Dawson are our Senior Pastors.

Myself (Kieran Ryan) and my wife Deb work alongside Don and Priscilla with a fantastic team.

The purpose of this blog http://www.themergehcc.blogspot.com/ is to keep communication of what is happening with the merge and the transition process in front of you - the people of Hope City Church.

It has been a few weeks now since the merge and a few changes have happened in the Malak Campus building that are both cosmetic (with the stage) and structural things (ceiling) that need to be fixed for safety reasons. The ceiling is being looked at as I write this ...

Our website is also being looked at but for now it is http://www.hopecity.org.au/ This is another means of communication but we are also looking at re-inventing the website to make it much more effective, more contemporary and much more useful to both the church but also people that are visiting Darwin and looking for us.

There is more to come ... keep checking it out a we hope to post some stuff about our monday nights and what the music team is doing

There's Always Hope!