Happy Christmas Kairos!

It's Christmas time and everyone at Kairos is looking forward to celebrating together!

Over the last few weeks we have been collecting money and clothes for our annual Christmas Food Box Project. We cannot help everyone in need in Timisoara but we hope to help a few families celebrate this Christmas by providing a box of food and a bag of clothes. This year we were especially blessed to collect enough money and clothes to provide for ten families all from within the Kairos family. As a church it is our desire to have a culture of generosity and love for those in need that goes beyond sympathy and becomes sacrifice and action. The Bible teaches us to look after those in our world who have physical needs so that his love and grace can be seen in us. We may not have much but God honours those who give cheerfully from the little they have.

Last week we were privileged to deliver the boxes to the families in time for them to make their Christmas preparations. Our experiences last year taught us that many of the families we were delivering to would also have needy neighbours so this year we came prepared with little gift bags for the kids which were a big success.

Christmas is such a happy time for the church and Kairos is looking forward to celebrating the birth of Jesus together as a family. We will be singing Christmas carols for our friends and neighbours on Christmas Eve and then, after a day of sleeping, eating and spending time with our families we will meet together at 6pm on Christmas day for a time of worship and thanks to God. A celebration is only really a celebration when you have friends and family to celebrate with so come and join us for some festive fun this Christmas.

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"I want to be like Jesus...."

  

For the last six weeks we, at Kairos, have been embarking on a series of teachings entitled “I want to be like Jesus.....”. Wanting to be like Jesus is something Christians have been singing and talking about for centuries now. How many times have we prayed “Jesus forgive me for being me, make me more like you”. It seems like a good prayer, very spiritual and holy sounding but we need to know what we mean by it if we actually want to see the answer to this prayer in our lives. What is it about Jesus that we want to be more like? Do we want to be more Jewish? Be a better storyteller? Walk around Palestine more?

When you've been around Christian teachings for a long time certain concepts become so familiar they become meaningless. They lose their impact and we begin to take them for granted. "Of course God became fully human and lived on the earth for 33 years at some random time in history! Why not?" How is it that we are not completely bowled over by the fact that God was once a baby!! A baby!! With nappies and tears and giggles and feeding in the middle of the night! It's astounding! It's revolutionary! Sometimes I think the problem with the Christian message is that we've heard it too many times! We first hear the story of baby Jesus when we are nothing but babies ourselves and so it becomes part of life, the Christmas Story. Whether we believe it or not we rarely stop to think about the craziness of such a story, the meaning behind it. We don't question what it says about God that He should act in this way, or ask how this affects our perception of Him.

And so we embrace the concept of being like Jesus. “Of course I want to be like Jesus...... why wouldn't I...... he was a good guy right?”. And we pray “Lord make me more like you”! But the thing is God has already done all the "making" He's ever going to when it come to us. He formed us in the womb, we are made in His image...... the rest is up to us! He will help us by his Spirit to be all that we can be if we ask Him, but we're the ones who get to decide what kind of person we will be, He will not force us. We choose whether we will be loving and kind and generous or self-centred and fearful; do we want His nature to be our nature? Ok so this choice never turns out to be as straightforward as it sounds but if we truly want to follow God, to be more like Jesus, we have to know what he was like and seek to be like that in our own lives. We have to realise who we are, who he is, and decide to make changes. Yes, God will help us as we strive to develop certain aspects of our character, but we have to know what we are aiming towards if we are going to do our part. It's meaningless to simply ask God to make us more like Him without thinking about what He is actually like, and truly comprehending what it is about Him that we want to see more of in our own lives.

It's been an interesting journey so far. In fact, what's been so special about this series is that each week we have heard from a different speaker sharing their own personal perspective on what it is about Jesus that inspires them to want to be more like Him. We are all different, God made us that way, and He's not interested in transforming us all into Jesus drones. He wants each of us to discover Him for ourselves. To see in Jesus something that inspires us to be the very best version of ourselves that we can be, and, in seeking His help to become more like Him, bringing more of His Kingdom to earth.

So...... what is it? What is it about Jesus that inspires you? If there was one way in which you personally could be more like Him what would it be? Think about it. And if you can't come up with an answer, read the gospels again, take a fresh look at who Jesus was. And if you still can't come up with an answer then join us at Kairos on Sunday mornings at 10am and find out what's so special about this Jesus character that makes everyone want to be like Him so much :-)!

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La Multi Ani Kairos

On Sunday Kairos celebrated it's first birthday!! Congratulations to us!!! And much Thankfulness and Praise to God!!!

The first year has been exciting and fun and scary and challenging and tiring and exhilarating. I guess you could say it's been a bit of a roller-coaster. New projects (even Kingdom projects) are never plain sailing. The journey is never smooth and flat.

Thank God!!!

Because smooth and flat, however appealing it might seem when your struggling up a hill, is, quite frankly, boring. It's dull. It's easy and predictable, but it's dull. Roller-coasters however....... now your talking!

There is nothing dull about being on a roller-coaster: it's thrilling, exhilarating and scary; it makes you want to scream and demand to get off; to curse the person who persuaded you to get on for their terrible advice; to squeeze the hand of the poor soul sitting next to you so tight your not sure they'll want to be your friend any more; it might even make you feel a little ill........ but despite all this you cannot deny that it's just plain fun!!

I love roller-coaster's. I love to stand in the queue whipping myself into a frenzy watching the drops and loops, I love to feel the trembly panicky feeling you get as you strap yourself in, I love to embrace the fear as we climb the first ascent and then scream at the top of my lungs as we plunge down the other side. I love it, because on a roller-coaster I'm never really scared. It may seem to my senses like I am risking my life but in my head I know I am safe. I am strapped to my seat in a train that is fastened securely to the tracks. We are whizzing and whirling but I am safe and secure.

The first year of Kairos has been like a roller-coaster. With highs and lows; successes and disappointments; thrills and spills. But overall it has been overwhelmingly fun.......because despite our fears and apprehensions deep down we know that we are safe and secure. Strapped to our seats on a train held by the one who persuaded us to get on this ride in the first place, following the tracks that He has laid out for us, squeezing the hands of those journeying alongside us. I am so grateful to God for all He has done through Kairos this year and I am even more grateful for the opportunity to ride this roller-coaster with such a great bunch of people. Now we're looking forward to year number 2 – please keep your arms and legs in the vehicle at all times – here we go... Happy Birthday Kairos!!!! 

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The start of a new chapter...

Sunday the 18^th of September marked the beginning of a new chapter for Kairos. Since our launch on the 10^th of October 2010 we have been meeting on a Saturday evening; providing an exciting alternative to the usual Saturday night shenanigans. Last weekend was our very first Sunday morning church service. It is a new chapter in our story. Another milestone on our journey. Another benchmark in our life as a church.

Life is full of significant moments. Some more obvious than others. Sometimes if we want to develop and grow we have to be prepared to take risks and make changes. It might mean stepping out of our comfort zones and maybe saying farewell to some really good routines and habits. Change doesn't mean the old was bad it's just part of the journey.

My computer has our photo library as the screensaver so everytime we leave it alone for a while all sorts of random pictures from times past come flashing up before us. Happy pictures. Memories of good times from the past. Sometimes I feel a little pang of regret for that moment captured on film. It was a wonderful moment, but its gone, never to be experienced again. I can't have it back. Life is a collection of moments- no matter how good the moment we had or even the moment we have, it won't last forever. But all is not lost....we have thousands of new moments ahead of us. The challenge is to enjoy each moment while we are in it; to embrace changes with joy and expectation- grateful for the new avenues of pleasure the future will bring us.

Kairos is looking forward to this new chapter. We believe we are on the brink of something exciting. Our church is growing and developing. Individuals are being stretched and challenged and boldly taking opportunities to serve God in a new way. We have had lots of happy moments worshipping and fellowshipping together on a Saturday night....... and we have many happy Sunday morning moments ahead of us!

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Sunshine, BBQ's and Building Relationships...

Many people think attending church is simply the fulfilment of their duty to God. They believe God requires them to attend church once a week, or at least on special feast days, and so they go and do their duty and expect nothing from the experience, except that hopefully they will have kept God on side, ie, pacified his anger/ earned his favour.

The Bible, however, paints a very different picture of church. Church is about community. It's about life, love, encouragement, help, sympathy, joy, worship and restoration. The Bible describes the church as a body (1 Corinthians 12 v12-31). This image reveals to us that attending church is not about your individual duty to God, but about the way you relate to others. If you are a part of a body then you have both a responsibility, to use your strengths to benefit the rest of the body, and an entitlement, to rely on the strengths of others in your areas of weakness.

Being a part of a church gives us a perfect opportunity to fulfil the two commandments that Jesus stated were the most important, the ones which sum up and fulfil the whole of God's law: Love God and Love others (Mark 12 v29-31). When we come to church we should come, not just out of duty and obligation, but out of a desire to be a part of God's community. To help and be helped, to love and be loved, to encourage and be encouraged.

With this in mind it is important to get to know the people in our church. We are not just worshipping God in the same room as each other. We are actually serving God together when we help one another and when we combine our strengths to be more effective at helping others and bringing them into the knowledge of God. Sometimes we worry that we are only being spiritual when we are engaged in overtly spiritual activities like praying or listening to Bible teaching but God created the whole of life and is involved in every aspect of it that we invite Him into. There is great value in spending time together with people, encouraging one another and bringing joy and wisdom into each others lives. Make the most of BBQ's and times of relaxation and friendship, and recognise their spiritual value in helping us to be the most effective body we can be.

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Membership & Baptism

In February, we launched the first of our ‘Discipleship courses’. We began with around 15 people meeting every two weeks to work through a course teaching the basics of following Jesus, from Salvation, through to water baptism and then onto living a Holy life while serving Him. Sava chose the ‘Saddleback’ discipleship course which had been translated into Romanian, making it possible for everyone to understand the principles needed to bring us closer to being ‘disciples’ of Jesus.

During the course, we were able to discuss Church Membership and six people came forward to be our first Kairos members. We celebrated with a presentation night, on which each of the new members committed to the vision and values of Kairos and received a personal certificate of membership! We were also more than thrilled when three people decided to follow Jesus through the Waters of baptism. Pastor Cusman Cionca of Metanoia Church kindly offered us the use of his church and baptismal facilities and so it was with incredible joy that Sava and I witnessed the beginning of our ‘Kairos family’ being birthed. We believe this is just the beginning of great things taking place in this wonderful city of Timisoara. For those who have believed in us…..we are so thankful to you for having faith in Sava and I….it’s been an interesting time….of excitement, challenge and growth!!

                                                                                                                            Wendy Tomin

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Breakfast with Wendy

Wendy Tomin has been working in Christian Ministry for most of her life and has a wealth of experience to share. Wendy knows that life has it's highs and lows, struggles and victories, part of her ministry is to use her own experiences to help and encourage other women as they navigate their way through life....."my heart’s desire is to impart some of the things I have learned through living my life in a Christian family, involved totally in church, as well as the many mistakes I have made."

The breakfasts, lovingly prepared in the style of an English Tea Party, are held the last Saturday of every month at the Kairos office. All ladies are welcome to come and be a part of a varied group, from all ages and backgrounds, who want to know more about living life with Jesus.

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Sava and Wendy Tomin

Sava and Wendy Tomin are the founders and co-leaders of Kairos Christian Centre. They believe God has given them a vision and anointing for this time, right now, in Timisoara Romania. They bring passion, enthusiasm, wisdom and a wealth of experience to the vision God has given them for Kairos. Their hearts desire is to see this generation come into a realization of God and His love for them:

"KAIROS exists to be relevant as we lead our generation to God and connect people to a growing community of followers of Christ.  We exist to lead our generation to God. Relevance Everything we do is intentionally designed to communicate to our 21st century generation the following message:    1.Every man and woman, regardless of who they are, is actively loved by God     2.God is permanently present in his/her life and has a precise purpose for it regardless of how improbable this may seem.     3.God wants to know us and have a relationship with us."                                                                                            Kairos Statement

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The KAIROS Moment

KAIROS describes a time when conditions are right for the accomplishment of a crucial action: the opportune and decisive moment.

Even though the Greek meanings are complex and culturally dependent, Kairos (καιρός) refers to the right time, opportune time or seasonable time. It cannot be measured. It is the perfect time, the qualitative time, the perfect moment, the “now.” Kairos brings transcending value to kronos time. 

Kairos is the right moment of opportunity which requires proactivity to achieve success. 

Kairos moments can catapult a person into the very essence of life, which often comes with great consequences. Yet, it is there, in kairos moments, where we live the great drama of life. Maybe it is in those times when we feel most alive, most in touch with our eternal purpose. Make no doubt about it, these moments are not just discerned, they must be seized.

Tempus Occasio! Seize the kairos moment!

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Spring

Spring is such a wonderful time of year. The sun starts to come out for one thing, and as everybody knows, especially after a long winter, the sun makes everything better. It's always such a joy to see the sun. To feel it's warmth on your back and bask in the beauty it miraculously bestows upon everything it touches. No matter how dark and cold winter has been, Spring always fills you with hope, enthusiasm and excitement.

Kairos has had a great winter! It may have been cold and snowy in Timisoara but Kairos has been blossoming quietly away, despite the cold. At Christmas we successfully embarked on an exciting food box project, raising funds for, creating, and personally delivering 10 boxes full of everyday staples and special Christmas goodies to families who are struggling financially in our city. We were also able to bless these families with clothes and toys thanks to the generous donations of both local and international supporters of Kairos.

Since then we have officially welcomed several new people as members of Kairos following their completion of a membership course. We have had our first baptism service, where we celebrated with 3 friends who made a public commitment to follow Jesus through the waters of Baptism. And we have had our first Communion Service. The really great thing about being at the beginning of something is that everything is new and precious. Everything is momentous. Everything is special.

Sometimes when we're at the beginning of something we spend our whole time being impatient for the next stage. We have the vision in our hearts and we can't wait to see it fulfilled. We plant seeds in the garden and we are twitching to see flowers and vegetables. We give birth to our children and we can't wait to see them walk, talk, play, grow up and go to school. We embark on a new course and we're already making plans for the next. But, if only we could see it, the beginning is the best time, Spring is the most joyful and exciting time of year. We shouldn't rush it or wish it away! Summer will come in it's own time. And it will bring it's own joys and difficulties.

Kairos is still blossoming and basking in Spring-like glory. We have done so much and yet everything is still new. We have achieved so much and yet everything is still bursting with potential. We are overwhelmed by what God has done and yet we are full of enthusiasm and excitement for what He is still going to do!!!!!

Let's trust in the Lord with all our hearts, stop relying on our own understanding, submit all our ways to God and trust that HE WILL direct our paths.........Proverbs 3:5-6

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