Son gets Dad's blessing for church role

By Anna Bowden
It might be common for a father to pass his business on to his son - but when church is your business it's not as simple as signing over the paperwork.
Alan Hood will tomorrow take over as senior pastor for Otumoetai's City Church Tauranga, 23 years after his father, James, first took the lead of the congregation.
James Hood, 64, is taking up a new role supporting, training and counselling pastors from various Bay churches as well as continuing as an internal adviser at City Church.
He is "thrilled" his son is following in his footsteps.
The appointment of Alan to the senior pastor role was not planned, but has been a natural transition stemming back to when the family arrived in Tauranga when Alan was just 15.
After more than two decades at the church, James says a major highlight of his work has been the growth of the youth church community - a generation he is excited about.
A year after James arrived in Tauranga, 1984, City Church opened the Shalom Kindergarten premises which is joined onto the church buildings.
Youth programmes have also been developed with schools in the Otumoetai area and through annual events like Kids go Wild, where families are encouraged to join in a carnival atmosphere.
Now the pair estimate half the congregation is under 30, a change they say is due to efforts invested in youth programmes and mentoring.
"This generation is a community-based generation," Alan says, "they want to be involved in something that is making a difference".
James agrees and says young people are looking for spiritual guidance - he mentions common drug and alcohol use as signs of this. "I think the breakdown of family life is the other big problem. Sadly, I feel so many are growing up without positive family relationships.
"Often because mum or dad is missing. So the family aspect of our church meets a big need in many people's lives."
But, he says, the "remarkable" stories members of the congregation share and ask for guidance with, are the things that matter.
"A church is people, not buildings," James says.
And Alan promptly finishes the sentence for him, "we want to wear it out, not rust it out from no use".