This Sunday AM we will have the opportunity to celebrate a “parent/child” dedication as part of our morning service. Though we will be doing this for one child this Sunday, it provides a wonderful opportunity for all parents to reflect on their responsibility before the Lord in their parenting. This element in our service will look something like the following:… Read more →
Joe Fleener
Lover of Christ & His Gospel, Husband to Mandy, Father to three wonderful children, & Servant to the Local Church. Joe earned a Master of Divinity degree from Calvary Baptist Theological Seminary in 2003, completed his Masters of Theology courses in 2005 and moved to New Zealand with his family in 2006. Joe has served as a Bible College lecturer and “lay preacher” (churches, camps, conferences, etc.) in the US and New Zealand. In addition, Joe has taught courses for Bible Colleges in South Africa, Romania, Ukraine, and Australia. Since August 2014, he has been privileged to serve as Pastor of Rolleston Baptist Church.
An Invitation to Our “Official Opening Service”
Although we have been meeting now for two months, we have scheduled the 23rd of November as our “Official Opening Service”. We would love to have you join us for this special occasion. This is especially true if you are local to Rolleston and curious about a new church, but also if you are an out of town friend of… Read more →
A Constituted Church
In God’s kindness we formally “constituted” as a church this past Sunday (02 November 2014). What, on earth, does it mean to “constitute” as a church? If you grab your concordance or your electronic, searchable Bible you will search in vain to find the term “constitute” in your New Testament! To constitute as a church is not a Biblical mandate.… Read more →
Church Planting with a Hymnal
It will be no surprise to anyone who knows me, I love hymns. I can’t sing in tune and I can’t read music, but I love the rich historical truths communicated in great hymns and I love the historical connection hymns make for us with Christians of the past. (I know, in some circles this is now cool. I’m not… Read more →
Rolleston Baptist Church, Church Planting – Our Story Thus Far – October 2014
I have posted a few other times this year in relation to the Lord directing us to join with a group of folks in Rolleston for the purpose of establishing a new church. Church Planting in Rolleston, New Zealand – Our Next Phase in Seeking to Follow the Call of the Gospel Upon Our Lives Rolleston Baptist Church – Online… Read more →
Why Rolleston Baptist Church?
Over the last several years the Lord has laid it on the hearts of a number of folks living in Rolleston who meet in area Christchurch churches, to establish a local church in their own community. In the providence of God, these families have come together and, led by Grace Baptist Church of Christchurch, have called a pastor. They anticipate… Read more →
Why I don’t find the term Evangelical by itself terribly helpful
In recent years I have seen a bit of a trend for Christians to simply refer to themselves as Evangelical. Personally, I don’t find this terribly helpful and as I have ventured toward the adventure of what is called church planting, I have reflected on this a bit more lately. In mentioning reasons why I don’t find it helpful, I… Read more →
My last Sunday PM service at Howick Baptist Church
I joined the pastoral staff at Howick Baptist Church in December, 2010. At that time they were not having Sunday evening services, so we decided to start them the beginning of 2011. It’s been just over three years but this Sunday will be my last PM service at Howick. Partly due to my family moving to Rolleston, New Zealand for… Read more →
Rolleston Baptist Church – online
Thanks to some friends Rolleston Baptist Church now has an online presence. For now this is simply a “Coming Soon” page with a brief introduction and a place where anyone can submit their email address to be included on our update email list. In the coming months more will be added to this site. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rollestonbaptist It’s 2014: how can… Read more →
Church Planting in Rolleston, New Zealand – Our Next Phase in Seeking to Follow the Call of the Gospel Upon Our Lives
Mandy & I were married, 8 January 2000, just over 14 years ago. We had no idea even how to begin to imagine what that Lord was going to do in our lives and with us in the future. We should have been clued in a bit though… In an odd and kind of funny way the Lord has seemed… Read more →