(an excerpt from a brochure from Takanini Church of Christ)
You have reached the Newsletter of Jeff and Penny Vann, missionaries with Advent Christian General Conference, currently serving in New Zealand as pastors-at-large with the Advent Christian Conference of New Zealand (ACCONZ).
We have just now finished our first full month of ministry here in New Zealand. We are grateful to God for sending us here, even though we miss our friends and family in the U.S.A. and the Philippines.
We are also grateful to all those people in New Zealand who are helping us get settled.
Our friend and fellow pastor David Burge continues to struggle with Leukemia, and is in and out of the hospital for treatments and tests often. Please continue to pray for his recovery.
You can follow his progress at this site: http://davidburge.wordpress.com/
It has been good to get back in a routine of preaching regularly. Jeff just finished his series on the most important commands of scripture, which he has entitled, “The Foundations.” He has also preached a funeral, and a Good Friday service on the seven sayings of Christ on the cross, and an Easter Sunday message entitled “Easter Joy.”
Eventually the text of all of these messages will be available on Jeff’s sermon blog. But he’s reorganizing it at the moment, so stay tuned.
Penny has been busy too. In addition to officiating at communion (which we do at every regular service), she and Jeff are team-teaching a weekly course on “Understanding Your Bible.” The course is designed to take students through the process of learning what a Bible text says, and then teaching or preaching its message.
The class is open to all: children, adults from the church, and even the odd pastor. This session included three odd pastors.
Please Pray:
1)Our adjustment to the culture and cost of living here.
2)The Takanini church as they adjust to two Americans on their pastoral team.
3)David Burge’s recovery.
jeffersonvann 