Posted by Braden
About Me
- New Generation
- New Zealand
- New Generation is the youth ministry of the Assemblies Of God in New Zealand. Braden and Andrea Matson are the facilitators and are working with Youth Pastors around the country to equip young people to reach a nation.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Fijian Ethnic Youth Camp
I had the privilege recently of sharing with the Youth Leaders at the Fijian Ethnic Youth Camp. There are some great young men and women involved in the Fijian Churches who are passionate about God. I am looking forward to seeing what God is going to do in ther lives. Well done to Lolo and her team.
Monday, August 18, 2008
Summit
We just had an amazing time at Summit in Rotorua. Pastor Thomas Hansen was incredibly insightful in what he shared. A real highlight for me was the dinner on Friday night on the Lakeland Queen. A whole lot of people shared in a open and vulnerable way about the season they were going through. It stresses the need for our constant support of each other as Youth Pastors and Leaders.
Summit emphasised again the strength that we have as a movement.
Amos took a whole lot of photos for us so as soon as I get them I will put them up.
Posted by Braden
Summit emphasised again the strength that we have as a movement.
Amos took a whole lot of photos for us so as soon as I get them I will put them up.
Posted by Braden
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Youth Of The Nation V
We had another fantastic youth conference in Wanganui a few weeks back. Youth ministries from Palmerston North, Marton, Hamilton, Porirua, Wainuiomata, Hawera, Levin, Napier, New Plymouth and every denomination you can name almost converged on Wanganui for Youth Of The Nation V.
YOTN V was held at Wanganui's Central Baptist Church from Wednesday 16th - Saturday 19th July 2008. This event is put on by the Wanganui Christian Youth Workers, a collective of youth workers from different denominations with the common goal of encouraging and empowering their young people to pursue Jesus Christ with a zeal that will impact their generation. It is exciting to see ministers from different church and denominational backgrounds come together and put on event, each bring different perspectives and flavours as they minister.
YOTNV brought to region a line up of great speakers. Ps Ben Houston accompanied by worship director Dean Ussher of Hillsong Northern Beaches were our international guests this year. Ps Ben communicated the amazing life that we live when we honour God with our lives. Joining him this year were Dave Wells, lecturer at BCNZ and director of Zeal Youth Centre in Auckland. Dave presented the scriptures as the whole story of Christ, very insightful. Ps Sam Bayly (The Meadows Church, Paraparaumu) spoke about decision's we make as young people and presented the gospel simply with fantastic results.
Left to Right: Dave Wiggins, Dean Ussher, Ps Braden Matson, Ps Sam Bayly,
Ps Ben Hoyle, Dave Wells, Ps Daniel Paikea & Ps Ben Houston
Among the other speakers were Ps Braden Matson (New Generation NZ Director), Ps Daniel Paikea (Teen Challenge NZ Director), Beki Hayward (Soul Survivor NZ, Wellington), Dave Wiggins (Clean Comedy Comedian, Auckland), Ps Ben Hoyle (YOTN Director), Ps Iliesa Tamaniyaga, Ps Andrew Stanbrook-Mason, Lorne Campbell, Ps Rob Thompson & Ps Neville Bartley (Speaker at YOTN IV).
YOTN V was a great success. 64 known commitments to Christ, electives on 12 various areas of equiping young people to live fruitful lives & a great time had by all.
Other guests included Tauranga rockers Outta Exile, Gisbourne rappers Zero-T and Palmerston North DJ Tom Watts. Something for everyone, with the highlight for many being Dave Wiggins' stand up comedy performance.
Dave Wiggins
YOTN Worship Leader Caleb Kingi with Dean Ussher
There's a stack more info and photos on the website www.yotn.net.nz
Information will be released on next years dates for YOTN6 very soon.
Posted by Ben Hoyle
YOTN V was held at Wanganui's Central Baptist Church from Wednesday 16th - Saturday 19th July 2008. This event is put on by the Wanganui Christian Youth Workers, a collective of youth workers from different denominations with the common goal of encouraging and empowering their young people to pursue Jesus Christ with a zeal that will impact their generation. It is exciting to see ministers from different church and denominational backgrounds come together and put on event, each bring different perspectives and flavours as they minister.YOTNV brought to region a line up of great speakers. Ps Ben Houston accompanied by worship director Dean Ussher of Hillsong Northern Beaches were our international guests this year. Ps Ben communicated the amazing life that we live when we honour God with our lives. Joining him this year were Dave Wells, lecturer at BCNZ and director of Zeal Youth Centre in Auckland. Dave presented the scriptures as the whole story of Christ, very insightful. Ps Sam Bayly (The Meadows Church, Paraparaumu) spoke about decision's we make as young people and presented the gospel simply with fantastic results.
Left to Right: Dave Wiggins, Dean Ussher, Ps Braden Matson, Ps Sam Bayly,Ps Ben Hoyle, Dave Wells, Ps Daniel Paikea & Ps Ben Houston
Among the other speakers were Ps Braden Matson (New Generation NZ Director), Ps Daniel Paikea (Teen Challenge NZ Director), Beki Hayward (Soul Survivor NZ, Wellington), Dave Wiggins (Clean Comedy Comedian, Auckland), Ps Ben Hoyle (YOTN Director), Ps Iliesa Tamaniyaga, Ps Andrew Stanbrook-Mason, Lorne Campbell, Ps Rob Thompson & Ps Neville Bartley (Speaker at YOTN IV).
YOTN V was a great success. 64 known commitments to Christ, electives on 12 various areas of equiping young people to live fruitful lives & a great time had by all.
Other guests included Tauranga rockers Outta Exile, Gisbourne rappers Zero-T and Palmerston North DJ Tom Watts. Something for everyone, with the highlight for many being Dave Wiggins' stand up comedy performance.
Dave Wiggins 
YOTN Worship Leader Caleb Kingi with Dean UssherThere's a stack more info and photos on the website www.yotn.net.nz
Information will be released on next years dates for YOTN6 very soon.
Posted by Ben Hoyle
Monday, June 23, 2008
The Butterfly Effect
The butterfly effect is a the theory that small variations of the initial condition of a system may produce large variations in the long term behavior of that system. For example, a ball placed at the crest of a hill might roll into any of several valleys depending on slight differences in initial position.
The term "butterfly effect" was coined by Edward Lorenz who refferred to the idea that a butterfly's wings might create tiny changes in the atmosphere that may ultimately alter the path of a tornado or delay, accelerate or even prevent the occurrence of a tornado in a certain location. The flapping wing represents a small change in the initial condition of the system, which causes a chain of events leading to large-scale alterations of events. Had the butterfly not flapped its wings, the trajectory of the system might have been vastly different.
In arguably the earliest illustration of the butterfly effect in a story on film, an angel in 'It's a Wonderful Life' (1946) shows George Bailey how rewriting history so that George was never born would detrimentally affect the lives of everyone in his hometown. In a subtle butterfly effect, snow is falling in one version of reality but not the other.
The 1998 British movie 'Sliding Doors' runs two parallel stories of the same woman, Helen (Gwyneth Paltrow). In one universe, Helen manages to catch a London Underground train home on time, and in the other she misses it. This small event influenced her life dramatically. In many cases, minor and seemingly inconsequential actions in the past are extrapolated over time and can have radical effects on the present time of the main characters.
The second episode in the "Back to the Future" trilogy also vividly illustrates the cascading and broad effects of what seemed a minor change in the course of events: because the loathsome Biff Tannen accidentally gets his hands on a record book from 2015, he is able to grow rich and corrupt Marty Mcfly's home town. When McFly returns to 1985, he finds it utterly degraded from what had used to be.
The lesson for us from the butterfly effect is that small events can trigger significant consequences. A small act can disturb the status quo and bring significant change.
If we make minor adjustments to our everday living, there can be signifcant effects further down the track. What can you do today to that could have a major effect later on?
It's our daily decisions that determines our destiny, and potentially the destiny of others as well.
Posted by Braden Matson
The term "butterfly effect" was coined by Edward Lorenz who refferred to the idea that a butterfly's wings might create tiny changes in the atmosphere that may ultimately alter the path of a tornado or delay, accelerate or even prevent the occurrence of a tornado in a certain location. The flapping wing represents a small change in the initial condition of the system, which causes a chain of events leading to large-scale alterations of events. Had the butterfly not flapped its wings, the trajectory of the system might have been vastly different.
In arguably the earliest illustration of the butterfly effect in a story on film, an angel in 'It's a Wonderful Life' (1946) shows George Bailey how rewriting history so that George was never born would detrimentally affect the lives of everyone in his hometown. In a subtle butterfly effect, snow is falling in one version of reality but not the other.
The 1998 British movie 'Sliding Doors' runs two parallel stories of the same woman, Helen (Gwyneth Paltrow). In one universe, Helen manages to catch a London Underground train home on time, and in the other she misses it. This small event influenced her life dramatically. In many cases, minor and seemingly inconsequential actions in the past are extrapolated over time and can have radical effects on the present time of the main characters.
The second episode in the "Back to the Future" trilogy also vividly illustrates the cascading and broad effects of what seemed a minor change in the course of events: because the loathsome Biff Tannen accidentally gets his hands on a record book from 2015, he is able to grow rich and corrupt Marty Mcfly's home town. When McFly returns to 1985, he finds it utterly degraded from what had used to be.
The lesson for us from the butterfly effect is that small events can trigger significant consequences. A small act can disturb the status quo and bring significant change.
If we make minor adjustments to our everday living, there can be signifcant effects further down the track. What can you do today to that could have a major effect later on?
It's our daily decisions that determines our destiny, and potentially the destiny of others as well.
Posted by Braden Matson
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Trust, Hope, Love
1 Corinthians 13:13 (The Message)
Trust steadily in God,
Hope unswervingly,
Love extravagantly.
Trust steadily in God,
Hope unswervingly,
Love extravagantly.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Backbiting
From Mark Batterson
Way too much sideways energy in the kingdom!
I think there are basically two kinds of people. People who are doing things and people who aren't doing things but they need something to do so they take potshots at people who are doing things.
There. I said it.
Come on, folks. Let's be about the Father's business.
In the words of Michelangelo: criticize by creating!
Can I be brutally honest?
The psychological tendency to try to feel better about ourselves by pointing out what's wrong with someone else is immaturity at its worst. And no where is it more prevalent than the church.
Posted by Braden Matson
Way too much sideways energy in the kingdom!
I think there are basically two kinds of people. People who are doing things and people who aren't doing things but they need something to do so they take potshots at people who are doing things.
There. I said it.
Come on, folks. Let's be about the Father's business.
In the words of Michelangelo: criticize by creating!
Can I be brutally honest?
The psychological tendency to try to feel better about ourselves by pointing out what's wrong with someone else is immaturity at its worst. And no where is it more prevalent than the church.
Posted by Braden Matson
Friday, June 13, 2008
Self-Control Part 4
How to exercise Self Control:
1. Have an open life.Sin, like bacteria, multiplies in dark places.
It is good to be accountable to trustworthy people for those areas of your life where you tend to stray. Be accountable.
2. Flee from temptation. God’s word is plain about this.
1 Corinthians 6:18
"Flee from sexual immorality. Run for your life!”
Yes, sometimes self-control requires physically leaving the scene of temptation, or avoiding such spots to begin with.
Our moral freedom, like other mental powers, is strengthened by exercise. The practice of yielding to impulse results in enfeebling self-control.
3. Flee angerSometimes self control requires shutting a heated moment down, in order to return to the topic later with a plan. We need to treat other people as something of value. Such self-control helps find resolution without harming the other person, whom God loves.
4. Build up your own spirit.If your Bible is only for Sundays or for a quick rushed “have to do this” kind of look into the Book; then you are starving yourself spiritually. Malnourished people can never be strong and resilient and exercise self-control.
Psalm 119:11 “I have treasured your word in my Heart, so that I may not sin against you.”
If the Bible is not powerfully in your life, don’t expect the fruit of the Spirit to thrive in you.We also build our spirit and strengthen our self-control by speaking in tongues.
5. Serve
As we surrender our will and serve we start to practice self-control.
The Bible says that self control is a “fruit of the Spirit,” that is, a result of surrendering our character and behaviour to God’s Spirit to influence us. As we submit to Holy Spirit He empowers us to exercise self-control.
1. Have an open life.Sin, like bacteria, multiplies in dark places.
It is good to be accountable to trustworthy people for those areas of your life where you tend to stray. Be accountable.
2. Flee from temptation. God’s word is plain about this.
1 Corinthians 6:18
"Flee from sexual immorality. Run for your life!”
Yes, sometimes self-control requires physically leaving the scene of temptation, or avoiding such spots to begin with.
Our moral freedom, like other mental powers, is strengthened by exercise. The practice of yielding to impulse results in enfeebling self-control.
3. Flee angerSometimes self control requires shutting a heated moment down, in order to return to the topic later with a plan. We need to treat other people as something of value. Such self-control helps find resolution without harming the other person, whom God loves.
4. Build up your own spirit.If your Bible is only for Sundays or for a quick rushed “have to do this” kind of look into the Book; then you are starving yourself spiritually. Malnourished people can never be strong and resilient and exercise self-control.
Psalm 119:11 “I have treasured your word in my Heart, so that I may not sin against you.”
If the Bible is not powerfully in your life, don’t expect the fruit of the Spirit to thrive in you.We also build our spirit and strengthen our self-control by speaking in tongues.
5. Serve
As we surrender our will and serve we start to practice self-control.
The Bible says that self control is a “fruit of the Spirit,” that is, a result of surrendering our character and behaviour to God’s Spirit to influence us. As we submit to Holy Spirit He empowers us to exercise self-control.
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