In his first newsletter as Archbishop of Wellington, Martin highlighted the significance of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. This is the driving force behind building a strong Christian community and spreading the Good News, he said.

"If I am not in love with Jesus Christ, I won't be motivated to build the Christian community or be a proclaimer of the Good News to others.

"If I am to fall in love, then I need to know Jesus and share in his life and allow the Holy Spirit to set me on fire," maintains Martin.

To foster this love, he emphasised the need to develop a profound understanding of Jesus' life and to allow the Holy Spirit to ignite one's spiritual journey.

Recognising that this process can be challenging and even unsettling, Martin encouraged the faithful in the Archdiocese to step out of their comfort zones in pursuit of a deeper connection with Jesus.

"I urge us all to become proficient in prayer and dedicate daily time to communicate with God, not limiting it to an hour on Sundays alone," the Archbishop remarked.

He emphasised the importance of nourishing one's spiritual life through regular participation in the sacraments, particularly the Eucharist and the gift of Reconciliation.

Additionally, he is encouraging people to engage with spiritual literature, articles and podcasts to enrich their souls and minds He particularly stressed the significance of this mission for those in leadership roles within the Church,

He went so far as to say by reflecting spiritually in these ways will motivate leaders to contribute to building a vibrant community and become effective evangelisers.

"I hope that, as leaders within the Church, we can strive to facilitate growth in our faith and deepen our relationship with God," the Archbishop said.

He called for a collective effort to support one another in this journey of faith, highlighting the responsibility of those in authority to promote the teachings and beliefs of the Church.

As the archdiocese moves forward, the archbishop called members to action.

Expressing his awareness of the often-unseen efforts of numerous individuals working within the Church community, the archbishop invited everyone to take a moment to acknowledge and appreciate these valuable contributions.

He described them as living witnesses to faith, exemplifying true belief through their actions.

Faithfulness to the Church's teachings, he stressed, is essential for Catholic institutions to uphold their name and for individuals to genuinely give witness to their faith through ministry, leadership and active participation.

"It isn't my personal opinion that actually decides things, it is what the Church believes and teaches, and this is actually a protection for us.

"In our highly individualistic society, the Church does hold universal truths that are not dependent on the whims of the age. It can be a challenge for us to live and proclaim this, but that doesn't stop the truth of it.

"In this light, each of us, especially those who are in positions of authority or have a responsibility for an area of Church life, have to keep asking ourselves are we teaching and living what the Church believes?

"A Catholic institution, if it is going to bear that name, needs to be faithful to what that means."

On Saturday, at 11 am, Archbishop Martin will be installed as the eighth Catholic archbishop of Wellington at St Teresa's Pro-Cathedral, Karori.

Source

• Supplied: Archdiocese of Wellington

Despite the lockdowns aimed at preventing the often deadly virus's spread, "the doors for the church have never been more open", Pastor Greg Laurie says.

His first online service when the lockdown started was watched by 250,000 people.

Since then, attendance has continued to grow, Laurie says.

Millennials' participation in Laurie's online services has been particularly noticeable, with a 235 per cent increase in attendance since the first Sunday of the lockdown.

By last Sunday, over a million people watched Laurie's online Sunday service.

"These are people literally from all around the world, from every age and background, who are missing church. So, to the best of our ability, we are bringing church to them," he says.

The "most surprising thing" about the online congregation is those coming to faith, he says.

As an example, he says at the close of every sermon, he's been offering an opportunity for people to pray and ask Jesus to come into their lives.

Over 31,000 people have responded to that invitation since the lockdown started.

"For decades, the church has been trying, seemingly in vain, to reach America's youngest generations—millennials and Generation Z—with the Gospel.

"All the while, we've seen headline after headline and poll after poll reminding us that church attendance has been falling, and rapidly.

"Enter a global pandemic. Could it be that simply by responding as best and as quickly as we could to something no one saw coming, we've unwittingly stumbled into part of God's answer to a generational riddle?"

While a virtual church could never replace physical church, Laurie says God might be using online technology to reach millions of young people in a way that they are "very comfortable with".

"Maybe it's a new piece to an ever-evolving puzzle: how to say something old to a new audience.

"Just as Paul wrote letters, as Gutenberg used the printing press and as Billy Graham used film and television, the church is called to engage the un-churched and under-churched, using whatever useful tools we have at our disposal.

"Don't misunderstand me. Nothing takes the place of the local church and gathering and worshipping in person.

I am also alarmed by some of the overreach on the part of some government authorities who are not letting Christians gather even for a drive-in service on Easter morning."

Laurie says although he's looking forward to preaching to congregations in church buildings when they reopen, "we are seeing something take place that look an awful lot to me like a spiritual awakening."

• Source Christian Today
• Image: The Gospel Herald