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about


I spend my days doing stuff for Soul Survivor NZ and my church "Blueprint" in Wellington NZ. I am perplexed, amazed, in awe of, and spend a lot of time thinking about this revolutionary called Jesus and what it means to follow Him.

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Pitching Tents

Sunday, April 15, 2007 by Sam

Ive being sitting on this one for a while, and I'm picking most of you would have seen this. But it just is so brilliant that a moment like this was caught on video that just in case you haven't, here it is. Ive had a number of these moments myself. In the last week (which has contained nine talks!!!) Ive managed to say "I wet my bed" instead of wept in my bed, "the message virgin" instead of the Message Version, and had a meeting destroyed by a bird (the animal not a girl) that flew around the heads of a bunch of kids... But Ive got nothing on this guy. You have to turn it up loud to really hear it.




Email from the actual guy which if found here, but Ive pasted it below.

Hi there,
Wow…I never knew that I’d be famous for my theology on“TENTS and how to PITCH them”!! If you ever need a speaker for your camps or retreats, my specialties are subjects that most people “feel uncomfortable with”…I’m the kind of guy that just speaks what really“needs to be heard”…I really get to the “heart of the matter”…”what everybody’s thinking’ but nobody will say”!! HEHEHE
My name is Blake and I am a High School Pastor at an awesome church in Parker, Colorado, even though they don’t claim me anymore. I recently sent out an email about a sermon I was preaching and I explained that I was going through a series called, “Ignite”, which was a series from Fellowship Church in Grapevine, TX. However, the way that I tackled the account of Lot was probably a little different slant than the way that Ed Young preached it!!!! In fact, he didn’t hold a candle to the way that I “undressed that passage”…I threw him under the table!! (I’Im sure he’ll read this, so let me say this publicly…”I did a much better job of preaching your sermon than you could ever dream!!!)
So, in case you didn’t get the first audio clip that circled the globe over night, then you’ll need a little explaining. I was doing a quick recap of the series and I was explaining to my students that bad company corrupts good character and that we shouldn’t “pitch our tents” to close to evil. Let me warn you though, that my version of the Bible might not read quite like yours. Dude, you try and say it out loud…it’s hard to say, alright…so get off me!!! It’s amazing how switching around one letter like an “N” can change the entire phrase!!! The look on my face after I said it is absolutely priceless. Push pause after I “let it fly” and look at the horror in my eyes…my left eye actually crosses…funny stuff!!!!!!!
So, since there have been hundreds of requests for the video, here it is!!! Now, while I’ve got you here, I just want to thank you for all your emails confirming the fact that I’m an idiot!! I’m going down in ablaze of glory on this one…I’ll forever be known as the pinching ____guy!! I’m trying to embrace this new identity, but to be honest I’m not real sure I’m diggin’ it! What’s become of me…my parents,grandparents, my children, and my poor wife will have to carry this legacy for years to come. They had such incredible dreams for my life…they wanted me to be a well-polished and dignified–”Prince of all Preachers”…well, maybe I did become that in my own way…I don’t know!! All I know to say is…”Thank God for His GRACE!!!” After talking with God about this whole thing, He let me know that when it happened… all of heaven fell to their side, they started beating the ground, with tears streaming down their face, and Lot was running around pinching himself, and all the heavenly hosts roared with laughter…just like you did!!!!
God’s favorite character,
Blake Bergstrom High School Pastor Southeast Christian Church


Not only that... the dude then gets pranked... check out the vid here

What a legend.

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Easter Camp goodness

Tuesday, April 10, 2007 by Sam

I had a blast over the weekend in Rotorua for the Presbyterian Easter camp. Cranked out the talks, hung with the crew from the Bay of Plenty, clocked up 1400kms in the car, hung with my mates Rob and Sam from Karori. It was probably the best easter camp I have being to, with sweet games, great leaders, lots of fun times, a great band, good small groups, and crazy wild kids... and hot pools. Some photos of the weekend.
Rob all tuckered out. I forgot to tell Sam and Rob about the small detail that they would be involved in small groups and duties... hehehe, that meant a 6:30 start every morning. Poor Rob thought it was going to be a holiday.

This is how Sam spent nearly every moment on the car trip... theme seems to be developing here.
And thats me enjoying a big group hug from some of the crew there... and by the look on my face, enjoying it a bit too much
Apologies for the 7 times the last post appeared. I think it was because I was sending it from my phone in very limited reception.

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Best Question I have being asked in a long time

Thursday, October 05, 2006 by Sam

I was speaking at Live camp in the weekend, and got asked a question that I thought captured something incredibly beautiful. It was having a chat to a young guy called Thomas on Saturday afternoon, and he asked me "What songs make you dance?" It floored me. I get so caught up with silly thoughts and questions that really dont matter that much, and yet this question nails it... "What songs make you dance, what brings you joy, what brings a smile to your face, what stokes you out?" You could ask that in any culture, to any age, and it would get a response. And so this young kid, who because of his mental condition, age and social skills is probably at the bottom of the rung for many, becomes the catalyst for a great kingdom moment by asking the wonderful question, "What songs make you dance?" So, post a comment letting me know what songs make you dance... for me, depressingly or wonderfully its anything by Bon Jovi, Queen, Supergroove, the B52s, shesh, what an old fart...

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Two Worlds and Beautiful Riversdale

Monday, September 25, 2006 by Sam


Had a great weekend helping out at The Rock youth group camp, it was awesome soaking up some sun, getting some waves, worshiping and getting up to mishchief with the crew from the Rock. There was some great times with the biggest bonfire in the world, and the always exciting fireball soccer. I spoke at the camp, and then drove to palmy and spoke at All Saints church on Sunday night.
Had some good yarns with my mate Dan that will make there way into the blog later this week if I have some time.

Jonny and his wife Bex run the youth group at The Rock, and they are absolute legends. Bex has written some brilliant short poems and reflections which have yet to see the light of day. She has given me permission to use one of her reflections on this blog.
I read this, and had that sense of being convicted, rebuked, encouraged, slapped, I just felt a holy sense of being gutted all in one. It is a constant tension to reconcile the beauty and luxury of our existence, with our friends and brothers and sisters in the rest of the world. I hope we get angry, I hope we hurt, I hope we are grieved as we read what she is written. I was. The following is (C) 2006 Rebecca Gilling, and is used by permission. If you would like to use it, or read some more of her stuff, please email her at rebecca@therock.co.nz

"Its just two different worlds"

Its safer for us if we see it as two. If its two, then there are two sets of rules. One for us and one for you. And it helps that we get to make them.

If its two worlds, then we never really have to meet. We can visit yours. Maybe we can stay for a while. We can even bring you some good things. Good for me, good for you.

If its two, then we still get to feel good about being generous. We can still smile and pat ourselves on the back for being a blessing to others. We never have to move beyond generosity to concern ourselves with things like justice, or injustice.

If we are living in one world, and you are living in another, then our lives are mutually exclusive. The way I live mine does not effect the way you must live yours. Your poverty is not related to my wealth. Ending poverty does not mean ending wealth.

If its two worlds, then we never have to think about what God sees when He looks at us next door to you. I dont have to imagine you standing naked with bulging eyes and swollen stomach, parentless, and ravaged by AIDS as I add another room to my house, another investment to my portfolio. Because its just two different worlds.

And when I come face to face with the fact that there are 13million others exactly like you on one continent alone, I am reading a statistic. I am not coming face to face with you. Because if I did, I would have to hold you, feed you, clothe you, love you......I would have to change. I would have to care more about you than my portfolio.

If its two, then we can both enjoy a God who comforts the disturbed. We never have to encounter the kind of God that might be interested in disturbing the comfortable

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