Baptist Magazine v134 n1

Baptist Churches of New Zealand

baptistmag.org.nz

Parihaka reflections More than just a toy story

'New' leaders in the New Zealand Baptist movement

Seeing what God is DO-ing

WHAT GOD HAS BUILT † BANZAID–NEW ZEALAND BAPTISTS TRANSFORMING THE WORLD

| F e b r u a r y / M a r c h 2 0 1 8 | v. 1 3 4 n o . 1 |

ONLINE

LET ANYONE W I T H E A R S

Recently added JUDGEMENT DAY Iosis celebrates transformation

~ FAY NANAI

listen!

~Matthew 11:15

EDITOR Linda Grigg linda@baptistmag.org.nz

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The NZ Baptist Magazine is the magazine of the Baptist Churches of New Zealand and the New Zealand Baptist Missionary Society.

Distributed through local Baptist churches in New Zealand and dependent on their contributions.

ISSN 1176-8711.

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WINNER OF 2017 ARPA AWARD FOR BEST DESIGN MAGAZINE

“Listen”— take notice, be alert, heed

CONTENT 04 08 11

A word from the editor The theme for our first edition of 2018 is ‘Listen’.

This flowed out of last year’s Hui, whose theme was ‘Ka tuu, ka rongo, ki te whakapono­—stand and listen with conviction’. Whether it is discerning God’s leading or simply having a chat over a cuppa with our neighbours, the challenge for us all is to be prepared to do some deep listening.

Conversation can’t be one-sided, of course, and some of you have let me know that you miss the chance to have your say through Letters to the Editor.

Did you know most of the main articles are uploaded to the magazine website and have the option for readers to comment online? This won’t suit everyone of course, and articles are currently uploaded a couple of months after publication (for the benefit of print subscribers), but there is that opportunity if you wish to take it.

Talking of subscribers, you may have noticed that the price of the Baptist has increased slightly. A rise in paper costs has contributed to this. Having said that, we continue to choose the print and paper options we believe deliver the best overall value and quality.

Remember you can contact me if you have any questions, comments or suggestions about the magazine. I’m all ears!

Blessings to you.

~Linda Grigg

14 16 19 31 33

FEATURE

What God has built

NEIGHBOURHOOD & JUSTICE INITIATIVES

More than just a toy story

YOUTH

Seeing what God is DO-ing

CULTURE

Parihaka reflections

LEADERSHIP

'New' leaders in the New Zealand Baptist movement

OUR STORIES

DIRECTORY

GLOBAL MISSION

Banzaid–New Zealand Baptists Transforming the World Stories Small bites Opportunities to serve

Baptist / F E A T U R E

What God has

Built A little of God’s kingdom on earth

Lisa Woolley, CEO of VisionWest Community Trust, was a keynote speaker at Hui 2017. VisionWest had its beginnings in Glen Eden Baptist Church. Today it is one of the largest not-for-profit community trusts in New Zealand, but it still holds tightly to its faith-based roots and its connection to the church. We asked Lisa to tell us what VisionWest has been up to in the last year, their plans for the future, and what she believes is behind the trust’s continued growth.

T

he last 12 months have seen exciting developments for VisionWest, with greater opportunities to connect and support the local community, especially in the area of homelessness.

Out of this flows stories of transformation in people’s lives, such as that of Leanne and Sione. After living for three years without secure housing

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for them and their six young children, they were housed through VisionWest last year. Leanne said that having a house means, “having a stable environment for the girls where I know I can try and prevent them from being sick, and not moving around or being constantly worried about where we are going to stay next week.”

Housing First VisionWest is part of the Housing First collective, which brings together several organisations to work collaboratively in making safe, secure tenancies a reality for Auckland whānau who have been experiencing homelessness.

The Housing First model works along the lines VisionWest already had in practice. It provides whānau with a support navigator who walks alongside them as they work through other challenges they are experiencing, as well as assisting them to obtain and maintain a tenancy.

Issues of poverty are also tackled as the Housing First tenant is able to access income-related rent, paying no more than 25% of their income on rent.

“Providing someone to come alongside and support whānau in their journey is key to seeing growth and positive change in individuals and families. Transformation comes when whānau are housed in safe, healthy and affordable housing, as they then have the capacity to start to tackle other challenges they are facing,” says Lisa.

Emergency housing Another new development for VisionWest is being part of the first, purpose-built, emergency housing facility in Otahuhu, Auckland. This project

Kaupapa Māori Engaging effectively with Māori and honouring the Treaty of Waitangi through working to a kaupapa Māori framework was another key area of focus for VisionWest last year. This journey led to the creation of a new position on the executive management team of a Head of Māori Service Development, which has been ably filled by Fred Astle. Fred has gathered together a Taumata Māori Leadership group whose guidance Lisa says has been invaluable as they work towards supporting whānau in a culturally embracing way.

Homecare The purchase of the final regional office of the Salvation Army HomeCare business took place in July 2017. This now places VisionWest as the fourth largest homecare provider in New Zealand.

VisionWest sees this as an opportunity not only to support older people, people with disabilities and the vulnerable to live in their own homes, but it is also an opportunity to offer employment and training to a large number of people in the community. Through the VisionWest Baptist HomeCare service, there are now offices in Hamilton, Rotorua and Tauranga in addition to Auckland, which may open up other opportunities to partner with groups and churches who are reaching out to support their community.

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VisionWest Community Trust

W H AT G O D H A S B U I LT H E R E I S THROUGH BEING ABLE TO HEAR THE VOICE OF GOD.

is a collaborative effort with other faith-based housing providers, the Salvation Army and Monte Cecilia Housing Trust, and is funded by the Government. VisionWest has also moved into providing support for Housing New Zealand tenants in both Auckland and Christchurch, working with these tenants to assist them to maintain their tenancy when this is at risk.

“Working collectively with other community organisations with shared values and understanding has been an incredibly enriching experience, as we seek to see a little of God’s kingdom here on earth, through showing aroha and compassion and walking with those in our community who are homeless and living in poverty,” says Lisa.

Baptist / F E A T U R E

Plans for 2018 In the coming year VisionWest's plans include the development and operation of a community free store for excess food (in addition to the current food bank services), out of school programmes for vulnerable young people, and furthering work with the Housing First model. VisionWest will also continue to provide its other regular services, such as budgeting advice, counselling, return-to-work support, social work, education (early childhood, youth, adult literacy and numeracy), housing and homecare.

Continued growth “We’ve never been about VisionWest or our growth. It’s about the needs of the people we walk alongside in the community,” says Lisa. “’Together we can do more,’ has been our catchcry as we know that we cannot do this work alone. Funders, businesses who provide employment for our course participants,

donors of food, bedding, furniture and curtains, and landlords who rent their homes to our whānau—these partnerships are vital for the continued growth of VisionWest as well as meeting the day-to-day needs.

“Part of ensuring we can continue to meet those needs and provide ongoing quality support for whānau is our regular review and evaluation of service delivery and effectiveness.

This also provides data that is used for advocacy with government and non‑government agencies.

“It is interesting when you listen and discern what God is calling you to do that the window of opportunity will be there. I can think of so many times I’ve been in meetings where God has stirred my heart and the Holy Spirit has whispered to me and it is the birth of something. It’s that listening and discerning. I believe what God has built here is through being able to hear the voice of God. It’s got God’s breath on it.”

Story: Lisa Woolley Lisa is CEO of VisionWest Community Trust and President of the New Zealand Council for Christian Social Services. She has a Masters in Social Practice. Lisa and husband Mark have been members of Glen Eden Baptist Church for more than 35 years.

To find out more about VisionWest, visit their Facebook page or website visionwest.org.nz.

TRANSFORM18 SPARKING A MOVEMENT Kākano Whakahoutanga

14 & 15 March 2018 - Auckland

Transform18 is a conference focused on empowering the local church to see community TRANSFORM18 transformation social change initiatives.

SPARKING through A MOVEMENT Kākano Whakahoutanga

Drawing from the Glen Eden Baptist story, Transform18 will share the lessons and insights that helped a local church with a passion to care for the most vulnerable and those on the margins, grow a community organisation that reaches over 20,000 individuals and whānau each year.

The conference will bring together national and local voices of community change including Bishop Justin Duckworth, Lisa Woolley, Major Campbell Roberts and Gary Grut, and also provide the practical knowledge and experience for churches wanting to build or grow community trusts for the transformation of their communities.

In memory of the $1 that started VisionWest, the cost of this conference will be $1 per delegate. Donations will be taken up across the two days to cover conference costs.

For more information go to: www.visionwest.org.nz

Brought to you by

Producing profound change

A

lmost 20 Baptist trusts provide some form of social housing or emergency accommodation in New Zealand. CORT Community Housing, whose roots lie in Ponsonby Baptist Church, is one of these.

CORT has moved from small beginnings and precarious finances to a place as one of New Zealand’s larger social housing providers. Its early decision to purchase rather than lease its properties has put it in good stead.

However its initial approach to house buying was somewhat unconventional, as demonstrated by its first purchase in 1987. Inspired by cooperative housing in Melbourne and hearing of a Housing Corporation Urban Renewal scheme that offered 100% finance at low interest, Pastor Mike Riddell of Ponsonby Baptist Church put in a bid for a house and applied for a loan. Needing to formalise his initiative, CORT was formed in August 1987. The trust then promptly gave retrospective approval to purchase the house! Over time, and after some knife-edge fiscal moments, the guidance of a prudent treasurer helped CORT balance good intentions with financial reality.

In 1988 CORT purchased and renovated a decaying villa in Picton Street, Ponsonby, returning the building to its 19th century elegance. The house became a symbol of the dignity CORT aims to offer its tenants. It also marked the beginning of CORT’s specialisation in the field of mental health, when the trust received a Department of Social Welfare grant towards a rehabilitation programme for former patients of Carrington Hospital. The Picton Street property became a base for tenants’ meetings and a springboard for integration into the wider community.

Today CORT’s flats are scattered across the Auckland region, rather than being clustered in Ponsonby and surrounding suburbs. CORT’s staff and a couple of tenants are developing a pattern of chat cafés to bring tenants together, stimulate their feedback about the trust, and link tenants to each other and to their community. A tenants’ newsletter keeps them updated too.

With 152 units of its own and 80 properties it manages for private owners, CORT currently provides homes for more than 300 people on low incomes. The plan is to build 100 new homes a year for the next three years or until funding runs out. But growth is not the only goal.

CORT aims to be a model of the way in which small groups can have an edge, setting a high standard in their care of tenants and in the design of new apartments. In 2017 the Australasian Housing Institute gave CORT CEO Peter Jeffries its Award for Excellence in Social Housing. It was a fitting climax to CORT’s 30th year and acknowledgement of Peter’s long service to CORT in several roles.

CORT’s vision is clear: to be a voice for vulnerable people and to produce affordable housing for people who have to rent in a city that is among the most unaffordable in the world. Its work rests on the founding belief that ‘the simple act of providing people with the dignity of adequate accommodation can produce profound changes’. * The above is adapted from CORT’s 30th anniversary booklet.

To read the full timeline and some stories from CORT’s 30-year history, go to http://bit.ly/2AKYufS or visit cort.org.nz.

To order a copy of the book ($15) email info@cort.org.nz.

v.134 no.1 † whitu 07

Baptist / N E I G H B O U R H O O D & J U S T I C E I N I T I A T I V E S

More than just a

toy story Meeting needs, building relationships

Franklin Community Toy Library has been serving the Pukekohe, South Auckland, community for more than 20 years. Toy Librarian Amanda Bailey shares how this neighbourhood initiative provides plenty of opportunities for listening—to people and to God.

L

ike most toy libraries, the one tucked behind Franklin Baptist Church in their former prayer room has a simple operational structure. Families have a choice of being ‘active’ or ‘non-active’ members.

The former is cheaper and entails helping out in the library for one session each term. All member families benefit from the wide assortment of toys suitable for children from birth to early primary age.

In the case of Franklin Community Toy Library (FCTL), that’s around 900 toys, all documented in a database down to individual parts.

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When people go through hard things, they share and I can pray for them.

Meeting needs When the cost of membership could be the equivalent of one good quality toy alone, the advantages of belonging to a library become clear, especially when children don’t always take a fancy to what their parents think they will.

“Sometimes you buy a toy for a child that they really don’t like and then you are stuck with it,” says Amanda, who has been FTCL’s librarian since 2015.

“Here, if they don’t like it, you just swap it for a different one. Parents are often surprised what their child does like out of their selection of toys. It gives them the option of being able to pick things they would not normally have chosen at a toy shop or thought about before.”

Building relationships FCTL has almost 90 members and 114 children on their books. Most of the members are community families. The library is an important way of connecting them with the church. One approach is through encouraging people to attend church events like the annual Pumpkin Party or Flourish women’s events. The other, more effective, way is through building relationships.

“It’s a bit like being a hairdresser,” says Amanda. “People tell you things and then you pick up from where you left off two weeks ago. Sometimes I forget what people have had going on because there are so many people that come through. You just say, ‘How has your week been?’ and that usually starts it off. When people go through hard things, they share and I can pray for them.

“If someone has had a real hard week and they come in here crying, just giving a hug or a cup of tea, and getting them to sit down and having a chat is really good. The other members that help me are a really good support as well. It’s not just about me.”

Two years on, Amanda says she now has enough of a relationship with several of the regulars that she has been able to invite them to church services.

“Just listening to what God is saying, and timing, is important. There are lots of people that come to the toy library, but God will give me a bit of a heart for one or two that I feel he really wants me to pursue more than just the connection at the library. So, I will give them a ring, or we’ll have a coffee, or try and do something outside of that time, to really cement that relationship.

Then I am able to speak from the position of a friend who loves Jesus and wants to see Jesus in their lives.”

God’s perfect timing Sometimes that prompting from God takes a fair amount of courage to follow through on. Amanda recounts one such case.* “There was a particular lady that came in over a series of months.

She was clear she was an atheist, even though she had had a Christian background. I knew God was stirring my heart for her, to build a relationship with her. One night she was on duty with me as an active member and I knew God wanted me to give her this verse.

JUST LISTENING TO W H AT G O D I S S AY I N G , A N D TIMING, IS I M P O R TA N T.

“She had brought her daughter along that night. I thought, ‘Oh man, I’m probably not going to get the right chance.’ Her husband came to pick her up. My heart was beating but I knew, no, I need to share this word with her. I blurted out, ‘I just need to share something with you God’s been speaking to me about.’ And she was like, ‘Oh yeah, what’s that?’

I had a Word for Today and in it was a picture that looked so much like her.

So, every time I opened my Word for Today, God was prompting me to pray for her. On that picture were the steps on how to become a Christian.

“I asked, ‘Does this picture look like you?’ She replied, ‘Oh yeah, it kind of looks like me.’ I said, ‘I believe God wants you to have this book in a minute, but I have this verse for you.’ Now this lady is dyslexic so she asked me to read it out. It was in Deuteronomy 30:19 about choosing life or death, blessing or cursing—making a choice for life, pretty much. She asked me to read it again. Then she said, ‘I can’t believe that. Two weeks ago I tried to commit suicide. And you’re telling me that God’s wanting me to choose life?’ I said, ‘Yeah. God has told me this is for you.’

“She was really touched. I got to pray for her as well. That was kind of the turning point for her. She decided to do Alpha and is getting baptised soon.

“That’s what I pray for more of— those times when God is showing me.

He doesn’t show me for everybody, but those times where God’s timing is perfect. That was the right time to share that, and imagine if I hadn’t...

Sometimes we need to get over ourselves and just do it!”

Story: Amanda Bailey, with Linda Grigg Amanda is a former school teacher, Christian camp holiday programmes organiser, and YWAM-er. She and husband Daniel have four children. The family attends Franklin Baptist Church. *The woman mentioned in Amanda’s story gave Amanda permission to share her testimony. We have chosen not to publish her name.

v.134 no.1 † iwa 09

Ruby says

ia Le a ti v d e es r

Baptist / N E I G H B O U R H O O D & J U S T I C E I N I T I A T I V E S

m e a it l T e In a R ub on y D u n c a n , N ati u s ti c J & N eig h b o u rh o o d

Listening

To our neighbours

N

eighbourhoods are changing their shape, and never has it been more important for us to be moving beyond our assumptions of who lives next door and what they might need and want. As neighbourhoods become more diverse, and as families change the traditional shape of working father and stay-at-home mother, and as ‘work’ becomes flexible or non-existent, we must take more time to pay attention to who is my neighbour and what do they want and need. We must be listening.

For as long as there have been gospel communities living within neighbourhoods, we have asked ourselves how we can best respond to the needs of our local community, as Christ would have us do. So often we have run ahead and assumed what our neighbours needed. Often we did this based on our perception of what their deficits and problems were, and not on what they would most want us to do and be.

We have a greater understanding these days that God has a desire for everyone to live in a place where they feel connected, supported and understood. A place where each person and group can flourish and become all they were created to be.

The beginning point for this to happen must be our capacity to listen to our neighbours, to understand who they are and their deepest longings and daily struggles.

For this we must be great listeners. Activities that bring us into contact with our neighbourhood in fun and natural

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ways (rather than activities based on people’s problems) are a great way to create a context for this listening. When people are relaxed and there is an environment being built of trust and honesty, then we will truly hear what people have to say.

For many years models like the toy library have been a great way of doing this listening. I love this story, which highlights how this has happened at Franklin. These days, churches are experimenting with new ways of doing this.

One of the activities I’ve been excited about is the veggie hubs. Just like the toy library they are based on creating a place where people come for something that is an everyday need, and find a place where they can also hang out, maybe have a coffee with others and make new friends, and where churches can be listening and finding out more about their neighbours.

The people hanging around at home during the day are no longer just mothers and the elderly. We have stay-at-home dads, people working flexible hours, more unemployed youth, and young parents.

What I also love about these models is that they create places where our neighbours can also be volunteers.

Everyone loves to be helpful, and those outside our churches may have the most time on their hands! Instead of wringing volunteer hours out of our attendees, our neighbours may love to get involved themselves in making things happen.

In this context, as we work side by side, we can really get to know each other. Listening goes to another level. 

Baptist / Y O U T H

Seeing what God is

DO-ing

Serving and praying together

Seven teams of Baptist young people and leaders went on a DO Team mission to Fiji in 2017.

This year another six teams are planned. Baptist Youth Ministries (BYM) National Project Manager Heather Ameye‑Bevers explains what happens on a DO Team and how it impacts those who participate.

IF

you thought the purpose of DO Teams was for young people to do ‘good works’ for Fijian communities and maybe experience some bonus R ‘n’ R in a tropical resort, well you’d be wrong. Apart from a cultural acclimatisation boot camp on arrival in Nandi and a brief wind-down at the end, teams are dispersed into mainly rural settings well away from the usual holiday hot spots. And, importantly, the DO in the name is not about doing as much as it is about discipleship overseas.

“The focus is no longer on running programmes but on being in the villages and seeing what God is already doing, and looking to serve in response to their known needs,” says Heather. “Occasionally a building project is undertaken but that is in response to a request and comes out of an already established relationship with a team that has gone on a DO Team trip for several years running.”

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Baptist / Y O U T H

Lots of youth pastors say it is the most impactful experience for their youth.

The other common misunderstanding is that DO Teams are exclusively for teens and young adults. While it is recommended that a young person is at least in Year 11 (15+ years old), there is no upper age limit. In fact, BYM encourages churches to make teams as intergenerational as possible so that different generations are serving together and praying for each other. That is why BYM suggests churches advertise DO Teams to a wider audience than just their youth groups.

Church teams have been as small as three and as large as 22 in the past, although eight to 11 members is considered a good size. But several teams travel at the same time, meaning there could be 70 or 100 people on one trip.

Fortunately, BYM handles all the travel arrangements, food, Fijian guides, and the all-important boot camps.

This means churches don’t have to do much work beyond vision-casting to their church leadership, elders and congregation, plus potentially some fundraising to get people on their way. Each church team will also need to appoint a key leader, along with other leaders in support.

What happens on a DO Team trip?

Team members undertake an orientation programme prior to departure, and have a debriefing on return.

Fiji‑based Pastor Eddy Molia organises the boot camps, which take place on the weekend of arrival. These include introductions to the Fijian team members, prayer walks, cultural education, language practice, and tips on how to share personal faith and engage strangers in spiritual discussions.

During their stay in the villages, teams are billeted in pairs with local families. While the itinerary is planned, participants are urged to ‘go with the flow’ since completely structured schedules are complex to plan in a different cultural environment. However, teams typically engage in activities such as school outreach visits, street witnessing, sports events, children’s programmes, manual labour, church services, and the daily life of the host villages.

The impact on DO Team members “Village life is simple,” says Heather. “People share with others no matter how little they have, and families may stop several times a day to pray. Common personal challenges DO Team members face when immersed into this environment are their materialism, the way they view hospitality, and how much time they give to relationships and prayer. Lots of youth pastors say it is the most impactful experience for their youth—even more impactful than Easter Camp.”

Here are the comments of two Baptist youth pastors who went with their church teams to Fiji last year.

We took a DO Team of 15 young people and five leaders.

Our aim was to experience God at work in the Fijian culture and to join him in this work, as well as taking time away from all the distractions of our everyday lives to hear his voice more clearly. We spent our time in the small village of Nasomo and were absolutely blown away by the generosity and friendliness of the Fijian people who immediately embraced us as family. The highlights were the people, worship with the church, a 3am prayer meeting on a mountain overlooking the village, and so many opportunities to share our faith and grow in confidence. The hardest part of the entire trip was saying goodbye to our new Fijian families, and we are looking forward to taking our next team over!

— Stephen McQuarrie, Youth Pastor, Rangiora Baptist Church.

When we sat on the beach at the end of the trip to debrief we were stunned! So many prayers were answered. Each person on our team had individual testimonies to share back at church in New Zealand of how God challenged and changed them, how their fears were taken away and their faith blown open.

We fell in love with our village; there were great connections with the host families, and in two weeks we had no conflicts.

Our awareness of our prayer life has changed. One of the guys was

struggling with believing in God and as he prayed for children and villagers his heart and faith shifted.

He pushed through his fears and met God, even getting baptised in the river in our village with another team member too. A life-changing trip for us all!

To find out more, contact heather@bym.org.nz or phone 021 615 717. Vanuatu is a future possibility if people are interested, and church teams can also connect into NZBMS Glimpse trips.

— J eff Jones, Youth Pastor, Northpoint Baptist Church.

Do you want to experience this for yourself and your church? The next Fiji trip will be held during the two weeks of the July 2018 school holidays.

EACH PERSON ON OUR TEAM HAD INDIVIDUAL TESTIMONIES TO SHARE B A C K AT C H U R C H I N N E W Z E A L A N D.

Story: Heather Ameye-Bevers BYM’s National Project Manager Heather Ameye-Bevers has led four mission trips to Vanuatu, and one each to Samoa and Fiji.

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Baptist / C U L T U R E

Parihaka reflections Junie Jumig

A vision for our country

As part of Hui 2017, delegates watched the documentary film Tatarakihi—Children of Parihaka and were then invited to Parihaka by Te Ātiawa iwi. Here are personal reflections of the experience from three members of our Baptist family.

A

lthough I knew about Parihaka, I hadn’t yet been really moved by it. But something happened to me as we processed onto the papa kāinga (village). I think it was as I began recognising the buildings from the movie we watched that morning; it was as if God were saying that this was to be a very, very special place for me, and maybe for us all.

As the kōrero unfolded I went on a journey. First my heart wept, “What an injustice!” Next it mourned, “What a tragedy!” But finally it sung, “What an inspiration!” I realised that Parihaka is not just about the past; it’s about the future.

It’s not just a place; it’s an idea. It’s a vision for radical peacemaking with its values of non-violence, equality, collectivity, unity in diversity, goodwill and self-sufficiency.

Parihaka could provide a vision for our country if we let it.

The burning whakaaro (thought) in my heart as we left was this: what could the Baptist movement do together to support this vision, and to partner in a prophetic voice to the motu (country/island)? And with that, what possibilities are there to be an encouragement to faith in Jesus Christ

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at Parihaka? Through service and partnership come love and respect, and through love and respect come opportunities for growth for all.

In my view the story of Parihaka contains our nation’s greatest inspiration, greater than splitting the atom, winning the rugby, and even greater than ‘knocking off’ Everest.

And who is it that carries this greatest of honours? Te iwi Māori. Ko tēnei te mihi ki a koutou e te iwi taketake.

Story: John Catmur Pastor, Māngere Baptist Church.

Ka nuku nuku. Ka neke neke.

There is a shifting; there is a moving.

TE

Ātiawa are the people. Taranaki the mountain, resolute in the background, listening and watching our every move.

The karanga of Parihaka welcomed us. Four hundred-odd members of the Baptist church community of Aotearoa gathered at the gateway of the marae. One in body but disparate in our thoughts about the experience awaiting us. Responding to the call we moved forward together into Parihaka.

Ngātiwhatua, Te Rarawa and Tainui are my people and Tokatoka, Karioi my mountains. As I stood to call back to Parihaka, my tūpuna stood beside me. Their presence and the significance of the occasion overwhelmed me and I wept.

Parihaka calls. Welcome! Welcome! People of the faith!

Ka nuku nuku. Ka neke neke. There is a shifting; there is a moving. So started my experience of Parihaka as a Māori and as a Christian. An experience of empathy and of hope.

My tūpuna Ngātiwhātua, my tūpuna Te Rarawa and Tainui, all experienced land confiscations, a banished language, resource subjugation, and generational brokenness. All resisted colonial oppression. Only Te Whiti o Rongomai and Tohu Kākahi led a Māori movement of non‑violent resistance inspired by Christian scriptures, from 1879 to 1881—before Mahatma Gandhi in 1906. Who knew we had our own Gandhi?

At Parihaka I saw and heard of the many injustices, while walking the remnants of land alongside fellow believers.

I observed those around me, predominantly Pākeha representing most Baptist churches in Aotearoa, intently listening and asking questions. I studied the faces of our hosts, the children and kuia of Parihaka, intently eager to share. Herein lay the foundation for the hope I was feeling.

My hope is that the church reflects on the voices of Parihaka.

My hope is that the church be the voice of the hitherto voiceless. My hope is that the church called to love, loves.

Taranaki the mountain, listening and watching our every move. Ka nuku nuku. Ka neke neke.

IT

was an honour and privilege to visit Parihaka as part of the Hui last year. One of the first things I want to acknowledge and honour is the strong and warm community that the people of Parihaka have. When we arrived at Parihaka they welcomed us in and invited us all to be a part of their story. That moment I felt so welcomed and connected into their community.

I also developed a sense of belonging to their land.

Another thing I would like to acknowledge is the way the people of Parihaka opened their story to us. This was an overwhelming and moving experience. Even though they had lost many of their loved ones in the past and seen their homes, buildings and land violated, they shared their story with us. We went up their hills, saw the marae and graves, and stood outside an old building where the people of Parihaka had tried to negotiate with the New Zealand Government.

One thing that spoke to me especially was Parihaka’s alternative approach to violence. They tried to resolve their conflict through negotiation and peaceful resistance.

We can learn from this. Even though we may have different languages, and are different in background and culture, we are all the family of God. Therefore we need to help each other and stand in solidarity with communities like this, who are asking for justice in relation to their claims regarding their land, language and the retention of cultural practices.

Overall, the story of Parihaka is an important part of our own New Zealand history, and we can draw encouragement from their example in our own efforts to bring about justice and reconciliation in Aotearoa New Zealand today.

Story: Roi Nu Maran Pastoral Leadership graduate, Carey Baptist College.

Story: Lorraine Taogaga

THE STORY OF PARIHAK A IS A N I M P O R TA N T PART OF OUR OWN N E W Z E A L A N D H I S T O R Y.

Adjunct lecturer, Te Ao Māori, Carey Baptist College.

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Baptist / L E A D E R S H I P

‘New’ leaders

in the New Zealand Baptist movement Among the New Zealand Baptist movement’s new leaders with national roles are Josie Te Kahu (President), John Tucker (Principal, Carey Baptist College) and Brian Krum (National Team Leader, Baptist Youth Ministries). You may know them already because they are already experienced Baptist leaders. But if you have not met them before, let us introduce them.

Josie Te Kahu He uri ahau ō Ngā Puhi, Ngāti Paoa, Ngāi Tahu.

T

ell us a bit about your leadership background Currently, I sit amongst an awesome roopū on the National Strategic Team for Manatū Iriiri Māori.

I am also the chairperson for TANCS (Te Aroha Noa Community Services).

Both roles require an understanding of Te Ao Māori, cultural competency, and a commitment to a bicultural journey between tangata whenua (people of the land) and tangata tiriti (all other nations).

My husband Rewai and I have previously served as associate pastors in a large urban multicultural church. We are also ‘Marriage for Life’ presenters for the New Zealand Defence Force with ‘Military Life’.

I served with Rewai at Te Whare Amorangi as his PA, I have been a life group development leader, and currently consult to our leadership team at Palmerston North Central Baptist, regarding mission to Māori, and mission in our local context.

What will be the focus of your year as president?

I hope 2018 will consist of lots of cups of tea (and coffee) and korero. I think my strengths lend themselves to

helping pastors and leadership teams understand how to be missional in the context of Aotearoa—to Māori and to other indigenous people and other nations. How to connect meaningfully, and what that might mean in their local context, and their church.

I don’t profess to have all the answers, and I don’t wish to be prescriptive either. I think conversations can achieve much as we talk, listen to each other, and listen to what the Spirit might be saying about your local context.

What is your personal faith story?

I am a third generation Christian.

By the time I came into this world, my parents were part of a church plant in Turangi, my birthplace. I met Jesus at an early age and reaffirmed my faith as a young adult. Before I met Rewai, I had already fulfilled the roles of church secretary, children’s ministry

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leader, and youth leader. Rewai said to me early in our relationship, “Is serving the Lord going to be a problem?”

Before I answered, I silently said in my head, ‘Hallelujah and thank you Jesus!’ He and I have always served together—in church ministry, Māori leadership development and then in the military. Our strengths are complementary to one another and we’ve enjoyed every minute of our ministry together. We continue to serve the Lord as he calls us.

Tell us a bit about your family I have been married to Rewai for 22 years now. Our two sons Manaakinui (21) and Caleb (20) have just completed their first year at Carey.

Joshua (11) is home-schooled and Rewai has just completed his Masters.

We’ve been very intentional about loving and serving God as a family.

We love and serve an awesome God.

John Tucker

H

ow can you see God’s hand leading you to this role?

It has been overwhelmingly through the members of his body that Jesus has led me into this role. After Charles Hewlett resigned, I found myself in a number of conversations where colleagues and pastors within our movement were encouraging me to apply for the position. I didn’t apply, mainly because I loved my role as an academic and a teacher. But the conversations continued, and eventually it felt like Jesus was saying to me, “John, do you believe what you teach? Do you believe that I speak through the members of my body? Then listen to what I’m saying through these people.”

preaching, meeting pastors and doing lots of listening. Other priorities include: exploring alternative income streams, developing our distance programme, and revising important aspects of our curriculum, such as ministry internships.

What will you focus on in the first 12 months?

Carey has an incredible culture, rooted in a rich love for Jesus, the Bible, the gospel, the church and mission. In my first year as principal, I want to take steps to preserve and deepen those values. I also want to spend a fair bit of time getting out among our churches,

What is your personal faith story?

I met Jesus first through my parents, Brian and Audrey Tucker. They were missionaries with APCM (now Pioneers) in Papua New Guinea. It was very clear to me, as I grew up, that my parents loved Jesus. They talked about him, prayed to him, lived for him. I saw Jesus in them,

and in the members of our church family at Mt Albert Baptist. When I was 14 I heard a visiting evangelist preach the gospel, and responded.

I was baptised into the body of Christ soon afterwards.

Tell us a bit about your family I’m married to Lorraine. We met as young adults at Mt Albert Baptist.

Lorraine works part-time as an administrator at Carey. We have three children: Emma (15), Sophie (13), and Daniel (10). We’re members of Windsor Park Baptist Church, and part of an all-age life group with five other families, which we absolutely love!

Brian Krum

H

ow can you see God’s hand leading you to this role?

While I was young, adults in the church tapped me on the shoulder and offered me opportunities to lead and serve, uncovering my call to be a youth pastor. As a youth pastor I learned to serve more like a missionary to teens in their world, with their language and culture. My time as a lecturer at Carey Baptist College confirmed that my role in

v.134 no.1 † tekau mā whitu 17

Baptist / L E A D E R S H I P

God’s mission was to both teach and train others, as well as preach and reach those who do not yet know Jesus. I also completed my Doctor of Ministry in Missional Leadership, supervised Carey’s Youth Pastor Leadership programme, and served as an RML for two years. I think God led me to this role to put those pieces together, grow in my own leadership capacity, and help others point teens to Jesus with God’s passionate, risky, life-giving mission and gospel.

What will you focus on in the first 12 months?

Definitely building from the strong ministry of BYM and the national consultants team! My primary role

is to design, deliver and resource a national strategic plan throughout Aotearoa. This first year includes developing missional innovation networks, providing gospel-shaped discipleship training, supporting senior pastors to empower leadership development, and gathering a nationwide team of youth ministry leaders to write, publish, video and upload online youth ministry training and resources.

What is your personal faith story?

I'm a BIG fan of church holiday programmes! My parents would drop me off as a seven-year-old at the local Baptist church. I loved the games, laughs and Bible stories. Apparently,

I would come home and re-tell those stories to my parents. They say this is how they learned about Jesus. I asked my non-Christian parents to help me pray and give my life to Jesus. They did what they thought that meant, and decided to give their lives to Jesus too!

Tell us a bit about your family As you can see from the photo, Rachel and I are newly married. We have known each other for over 20 years, and I thank God for her daily. God continually amazes me by how he overprovides and cares for me through her and our family. Together we have five teenaged daughters. Please pray for the safety of any guy that thinks he can ask any of them out on a date!

Welcome Josie, John and Brian to your new roles!

graduation 20 1 8

come & celebrate with us!

SAT

24 MAR

3pm Manukau City Baptist Church 9 Lambie Drive Manukau RSVP: events@carey.ac.nz

0800 773 776

carey.ac.nz

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Our stories Church in Action Lungs heaving, saturated with perspiration, and spattered with mud; it is not the way you would usually expect to find yourself at the end of a Sunday morning Baptist service. But that’s how many of the folk at Glenfield Baptist Church have found themselves as they have participated in community service activities each quarter for the past 18 months.

Following a brief time of worship and prayer, our senior pastor is fond of saying, “Remember, today you are the sermon,” as the little groups become the Church in Action among the community. Clearing overgrown sections, picking up rubbish, painting, planting native shrubs, and trimming hedges have been some of the outdoor activities undertaken. Back at home base, those who are not physically able to take on the rough stuff have joined in preparing gift boxes and food parcels, writing notes in greeting cards, and of course praying.

Not all of the congregation has taken part: getting your hands dirty doesn’t fit everyone’s idea of Sunday worship. It’s different, messy, and even a bit dangerous. Those of us who have taken part did so with some trepidation initially, especially when it came to doorknocking associated with the foodbank drive.

The pairs or threesomes nervously approached the first door not knowing what sort of reception to expect—perhaps an angry dog or an even angrier householder. “No, not interested,“ was often the loud, first-sight response. But on hearing a brief explanation of the blessing that a can of beans or suchlike would bring to a neighbourhood family in need, a rapid change of heart often resulted and the joy of giving was entered into. For those of us on the doorknocking teams, it was a blessing to be connecting with our neighbours as well as making a difference.

How do we know of these folk in need in our North Shore community? Mainly it is through word of mouth and referrals to our Christians Against Poverty budgeting centre. They might be a neighbour, a workmate, an elderly person, a solo parent, a person with special needs, or a new immigrant. All are glad to receive the love of Jesus through our hands. ‘You are the sermon’ doesn’t necessarily mean that we preach as we work.

Rather, through our labours, we connect, fill up the water jars, and bring them to Jesus for him to turn into wine.

Story: Grant Pollock, Growth Group Leader, Glenfield Baptist Church

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Baptist / O U R S T O R I E S

A Prayer Shop For one week in November 2017, Paeroa had a ‘prayer shop’. All the local churches took part, with Paeroa Baptist Church leading it. It was the third year the initiative had been run.

The shop was open from 10am to 4pm each day, with teams of four people praying in three-hour shifts. They simply prayed for a blessing; there was no counselling, no guilt, no evangelism—just karakia.

Last year 48 people were praying, and 28 people were prayed for. Many were church people but many others would never go into a church.

“How can you buy a prayer?” was the reaction from one unchurched person to the prayer shop. When it was explained that it was free prayer, in a shop, on the main street, for anyone, for one week, the teenager said, “What a lovely idea.”

The shop was advertised in the local paper and there were posters on a pavement sandwich board and in the shop window. The posters were in English and te reo Māori, and a number of people read them with obvious fascination, especially those in te reo.

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“Rick Warren suggested blessing your community by humbling yourself, praying, seeking God and repenting, so I took the idea of a month of prayer doing just that to the prayer leader Lyn Ross,” says Paeroa Baptist Pastor Alan George (shown left in photo, with Pastor Shane Mitchell of Paeroa Elim Community Church).

“They made a prayer calendar by asking 30 community groups what they do and what they would like prayer for.

Lyn suggested a shop for the prayer. God has provided a location each year for that one week.”

Alan says that prayers for God to ‘bless the land’ of Paeroa are answered every year as they see more people involved, greater networking through the calendar contact, more answers to the calendar prayers, more pray-ers, greater enthusiasm for prayer, and increased connection between churches. The local mayor also told him that the Hauraki District had above average GDP for 2017!

One un-churched person who came in gave some help to the church later. They summed up the prayer shop’s goal when they said, “I’m giving you this help because you prayed for me at a very significant time in my life.”

Oxford Terrace re-build On Christmas Eve 2017, Oxford Terrace Baptist Church (OTBC) held its first worship services in their new facilities.

The build took about 13 months, after three years’ work on the design with architect Dr Andrew Barrie of Auckland.

Insurance money, fundraising and a mortgage have financed it.

After the earthquakes of 2010-2011, which destroyed numerous heritage church buildings in central Christchurch and caused mayhem across the region, the church was faced with plenty of challenges. What was the purpose of Oxford Terrace? What was God doing in the centre of Christchurch that OTBC might join in on? As the city recovered, what might be different to before? Slowly, some ideas started to rise to the surface. Maybe the church could rebuild, in a style that the architect eventually described as a ‘modern-day-monastery’. This was his reaction to the brief, which asked for a versatile facility where people “work, worship and live, all on the same patch.”

The new build is different to the old imposing 1881 building, but has managed to retain some items from the past. Salvaged earthquake-scarred columns from the old

building stand at the entrance, giving a sense of walking ‘through history’. The pipe organ has been restored and enhanced with digital additions, making it one of the best of its kind in the country. The baptismal area will include an artistic reflection on Hebrews 12:1, linking the ‘cloud of witnesses’ with the whakapapa of the church.

Office space has been included, leased to like-minded charitable organisations. Stage two will commence mid‑2018—a development of up to 15 apartments, with mixed uses in mind.

A special dawn blessing of the new buildings was led by Manatū Iriiri Māori in late November 2017. A full weekend of opening events is planned for 23-25 February 2018, seven years and a day since the major earthquake of 22 February 2011.

Senior Pastor Chris Chamberlain says, “It’s taken seven years to rebuild. It’s not all been fun but many people in the church, when asked, end up saying that God is good and that we have learnt a lot about being ‘the church’ in this local context, especially when there are no buildings.

It’s been good for us.”

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5)USE FIGURED DIMENSIONS ONLY, DO NOT SCALE FROM DRAWING.

Baptist / O U R S T O R I E S

EXISTING ROOF

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ATEA

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CAREY BAPTIST COLLEGE

Te Whare Oranga 1

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CAREY BAPTIST COLLEGE

NEW MARAE SECTION

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As part of its bicultural journey, Carey Baptist College has plans for a new centre for Māori learning, to be called Te Whare Oranga.1 It will be a multipurpose space with a key function being that of a marae and whare nui.2 We also expect that it will incorporate a combined office for the Kaihautū of Manatū Iriiri Māori3 and the Kaiārahi-Rangahau Māori of Carey Baptist College. In effect, it will be a new kind of meeting and teaching space for Carey and the Baptist Union, and a marae for our Baptist movement. It is a rare opportunity to develop a place that will alter the way we relate, teach and learn together.

We have worked collaboratively with a Māori Christian architect4 to develop plans for Te Whare Oranga. We have also been working with a Māori Christian master carver on potential designs for the visual story that will grace the interior and exterior of Te Whare Oranga—the story of tāngata whenua and the coming of the gospel, of tāngata tiriti and the history of Baptists and our theological college. While we do have some funds allocated for this project, we do not have resources for the furnishings and carvings, which are a considerable part of the total cost (see end of article for details).

Some background about Carey’s bicultural journey.

In 2013 Carey set the strategic priority of developing a bicultural focus in our leadership training, for the benefit of all cultures. At the time, the college had no Māori staff and no Māori courses, and an influx of Māori students had highlighted how ill-equipped we were to train them to minister in their community contexts. These students, wanting to be equipped for leadership as Māori, for and to Māori, provided much of the initial motivation for change. We turned to these students and their whānau and to Manatū Iriiri Māori for guidance.

With their advice and consistent support, we began the bicultural journey.

Carey’s applied theology approach added further motivation for exploring biculturalism, bringing as it did a sharper focus

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on outworking the gospel in the local context. For example, examining the history of the gospel in Aotearoa highlighted the central role Christians played in the Treaty of Waitangi, causing us to seriously consider the implications for our contemporary Christian context. In particular, we asked what were our obligations to the treaty as Christians, as a Baptist movement and as a college? What then were our obligations to Māori generally and to our Māori students in particular?

Why is this journey important?

In attempting to answer these questions, we came to see the journey as an important expression of the Christian gospel in Aotearoa, for several reasons. Firstly, in light of our commitments under the treaty, we see this journey as a movement towards justice for Māori. Unfortunately in New Zealand, for more than 170 years, one of the partners has been unjustly treated, oppressed and not able to flourish.

Our biculturalism at Carey aims to redress the balance and allow Māori to flourish alongside all others at Carey.

Secondly, we see this journey as a witness to the reconciling power of the gospel of Christ, by which people of different cultures can learn, live and worship together without one culture assimilating the others.

Thirdly, we see this journey as a way to learn how to serve our Māori students and their communities better—for the benefit of all cultures. As we understand it, biculturalism benefits all people of every culture. It is a partnership between tāngata whenua (Māori, the people of the land) and tāngata tiriti (all other people who have a legitimate claim to be here because of the treaty). In Carey’s Te Ao Māori class,5 Alistair Reese described the partnership as being like a Christian marriage. In marriage, the partners love each other and work for the good of the other. As a result the whole family, and indeed the wider community, benefits. This is the type of biculturalism we seek at Carey.

Rather than biculturalism being seen as a destination, it is a journey, the goal of which is to travel well together.

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It is primarily about establishing, widening and deepening the relationships between tāngata whenua and tāngata tiriti at Carey.

Where are we at now in the journey?

In four years there have been many changes at Carey. We now have Māori on staff and as adjunct lecturers.

Te Ao Māori is a compulsory class and Te Reo Māori is also taught on campus.

We start each semester with a pōwhiri, and students and staff have learned a range of prayers and songs and can introduce themselves in te reo Māori.

In this environment, our Māori students have flourished. In 2017 we had the best academic results for Māori since we started keeping records. It is still early days and we’re encouraged but want to ensure we keep the momentum going.

How can the wider Baptist movement contribute?

We would value financial support

towards this project. Would you, for example, consider sponsoring a portion of the carver’s time to complete this work? It is highly-skilled, labour-intensive work that will take the best part of a year, and we need to ensure our Christian brother is compensated for his time and expertise. We are also looking for some very practical contributions to the Te Whare Oranga project. We would appreciate donations of old native timber planks for the interior design and native hardwood logs for the exterior carvings.

If you are able to donate native timber or contribute financially, please contact Carey Baptist College: Ph 09 525 4017 or email reception@carey.ac.nz.

Finally, we covet your prayers and ask that you would seek God on our behalf.

Please pray that God will lead and guide each step of this development and that in it, he would be constantly honoured and glorified.

Story: Dr Sandy Kerr (Ngāti Hauā, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāti Raukawa) Sandy is Kaiārahi-Rangahau Māori (Māori Research Guide) at Carey Baptist College.

1. Te Whare Oranga means the House of Wellbeing and Eternal Life. Oranga is the Māori name for the area where Carey is located. Oranga has multiple meanings including abundant life, holistic wellbeing, health.

2. Meeting places that together form the focal points of community engagement, operating by Māori philosophies and values.

3. Baptist Māori Ministries.

4. Hutana Design Ltd. 5. The class is open to anyone. In 2018 Te Ao Māori (Māori world view) will be taught on Monday afternoons and by distance.

0800 773 776

carey.ac.nz

study

Applied Theology for free* in 2018

Are you thinking of studying this year?

Immerse yourself in theological study at Carey and you could get your fees paid for in 2018.

Know God and his Word in a deeper and more personal way studying courses such as Introduction to the New Testament, Poverty, Transformation and the Gospel, Thinking Theologically and many more.

Contact us to discuss your options.

Apply by 9th February.

* Criteria applies. More information on the New Zealand Government’s Tertiary education fees free scheme can be found at www.feesfree.govt.nz

Baptist / O U R S T O R I E S

Celebrating MĀori Achievement Carey Baptist College students and staff had much to celebrate at the Māori Achievement Dinner, held in November 2017. The pass rate for Māori students was the best yet at 92%, with almost a quarter in the A grade range. Carey also had the first Māori student complete a thesis for the Master of Applied Theology, and he was the first to use a distinctively Māori methodology for his research.

E ngā tauira, ka mau te wehi!

The annual dinner was started in 2014 as a part of Carey’s bicultural journey and is a collaboration between Manatū Iriiri Māori and the college. The event celebrates the students and their success, but also acknowledges their achievements as belonging to the entire whānau. Whānau are encouraged to attend and they come in significant numbers.

A distinctive feature of Māori students at Carey in recent years has been the whānau groups who have chosen to train together. The college has had the privilege of training for leadership many of the Kaa-Morgan, Haurua, Sola and Te Kahu whānau, as well as those that come as individuals.

“Carey welcomes other whānau who might want to train together,” says Sandy Kerr, the college’s Kaiārahi-Rangahau Māori (Māori Research Guide).

“Māori achievement is encouraged by the staff, but whānau supporting each other through the trials and rigours of theological education is an ideal way to complete studies. We invite you to come and see what God might do if you and your whānau choose to train at Carey in 2018. Nau mai, haere mai ki Carey.”

Farewell to Daniel Palmer Daniel Palmer concluded as national administrator for the Baptist Churches of New Zealand at the end of January 2018, after more than five-and-a-half years in the role.

The job is a complex one, requiring the ability to keep pace with ever‑changing regulations affecting churches and charities, such as financial reporting and health and safety. Daniel was responsible for overseeing administrative and financial resources that assist the more than 240 Baptist churches and various entities around the country, and for representing the Baptist movement on a number of boards with different core business interests.

Daniel’s projects included reviewing and implementing new systems and processes within the National Centre, New Zealand Baptist Missionary Society and Carey Baptist College. He says highlights from his time as national administrator were the supporting of pastors

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and churches through the ever‑growing challenges of running a church organisation, and the building of stronger links with the Carey team. Other highlights include a series of nationwide health and safety workshops attended by more than 4000 treasurers and administrators, and the development of a new Baptist intranet that was launched just last month.

“I have enjoyed supporting our churches and will be sad to say goodbye to the people I have got to know over the years, both work colleagues and pastors,” says Daniel. “In my new role as executive director at Greenlane Christian Centre in Auckland, I will be leading and managing the organisational elements of the church.

I am looking forward to being involved with a local church at a grassroots level. However, I will miss not being involved in the Baptist movement, which I think has so much to offer as a union of churches.”

New Multicultural Ministry Consultant The Northern Baptist Association has appointed Lindsay Jones as their new regional multicultural ministries consultant.

Lindsay has previously served in four Baptist churches and as a consultant for Baptist Churches nationally.

He recently concluded six years as senior pastor at the Auckland Baptist Tabernacle, where the ethnic diversity of the inner city helped further equip him for ministry amongst migrant peoples.

“A new work of God’s grace is unfolding among the diaspora in Auckland city,” says Lindsay. “Migrant people are flooding into New Zealand as part of a worldwide movement of people groups, whether driven by conflict, persecution, education and language skills, or work opportunities. Such changes bring an openness to the gospel for many of them.”

The consultant role will have Lindsay working with the national Multicultural Inclusion Ministries team, including National Team Leader Steve Davis. He will be responsible primarily for mentoring and resourcing established ethnic

pastors and their churches within the Northern region.

He will also explore connections with the wave of new migrant pastors coming to New Zealand, and work alongside the recently established Carey Baptist College Migrant Church Leaders’ training initiative.

Lindsay says he hopes to help migrant pastors and communities integrate into the wider Baptist family and to life in New Zealand. He also wants to share the vision for the mission opportunity of the gospel, and to educate and equip existing churches to embrace the richness of being intercultural.

“When individuals and communities migrate, the excitement of new things soon translates into language and culture issues, economic sustainability, and the younger generation quickly becoming Kiwis. So, there will be no shortage of opportunities to provide support and advice!” says Lindsay.

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Baptist / O U R S T O R I E S

>

meet… Jana Branca

artist

Jana Branca and her family attend Northpoint Baptist Church.

This is her story.

Tell us about your formative years I grew up in the beautiful small town of Graskop, in Mpumalanga Province, South Africa. I spent most school holidays drawing and painting, and I decided as a teenager to pursue a career in art. In 2004 I went to Belgium as an exchange student. While there

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I travelled Europe extensively, developing an interest in the diversity and similarities of people and cultures.

I completed a fine arts degree at the University of Pretoria in 2008, and I taught adult art classes and worked as a full-time artist from my home studio before we migrated to New Zealand in 2016.

What prompted the move to New Zealand?

The main reason for migrating is that we believe this is what God prompted us to do. My husband Franco and I came to realise, very early on in our lives, that the best and safest place to be is in the centre of God’s will. This is our desire and pursuit as a family. We also wanted to give our two boys, aged five and three, a better future somewhere safe and where there were new work opportunities.

God placed New Zealand on our heart, so we didn’t look elsewhere. We applied for residency as my husband was on the skills shortage list. Being in the oil and gas industry, Franco was invited for a Skype interview for a chemical engineer position in New Plymouth. He accepted the job and we had roughly six weeks to mobilise.

Our big transition has unfolded before our eyes as an eloquent story written by God. It hasn’t been easy, but we, as well as our family and friends, have been so aware of God’s hand on our lives. Subsequently I have found out what a wonderful art community I have moved into. I am still in awe of how God has provided for us.

How long have you been at Northpoint Baptist?

October 2017 marked our first anniversary in New Zealand, New Plymouth and Northpoint.

We started ‘googling’ churches in New Plymouth as soon as we knew that we were moving, and lined up a couple of churches to visit once we got here. We arrived in New Plymouth on a Wednesday and walked through the doors of Northpoint that Sunday. The next Sunday we attended another church in town. On our way home, we both knew that our search had ended before really having begun. We returned to Northpoint the following Sunday, knowing that God had picked this family for us.

What is the overlap between your art and your faith?

I believe that Jesus is true and relevant today, tomorrow and forever. If I am convinced of this truth it should impact every area of my life, and my art is no different. I believe that biblical truths can be explored and addressed in a contemporary, relevant and fresh way. This is what I hope to achieve through my artwork.

In past works, I have enjoyed exploring the possibility of 'weaving' with paint as a metaphor for flesh, with reference to Psalm 139. My interest in the flesh, universally bound by time and always in a state of change, has continued to influence my work.

Currently, I am exploring my new chapter as a New Zealand resident by means of portraiture. I have become acutely aware that 'the flesh' is much like 'the character' in that it is in a constant state of change or development. How could one, therefore, be fully known by

another? Time past, situations worked through, and events lived in play a part in forming and changing us. Furthermore, our perceptions of one another are influenced by our own developing subjectivity. This further frustrates what I believe to be a basic human desire, that of 'being known’.

I believe that it is only God who can truly know us, and therefore our need to be known can only be fully met in him.

He is outside of time; he knows the beginning from the end and nothing can take him by surprise. Nothing is hidden from him, and he knows us even better than what we could know ourselves. My heart rests in this truth, and it has brought me much comfort.

This particular body of work shows portraiture in an unfinished and layered way. I’m trying to illustrate how we are all still a work in progress. In some of the paintings I have blocked out areas of the canvas and have carried on working. The blocked-out areas, in the shape of circles, offers the viewer a ‘porthole’ into a different time or different level of development. Bringing the concept of time into this body of work is intentional. By employing this ‘unfinished finish’ and the illustration of layers, I hope to make the viewer aware of our constraints in ‘knowing’ and ‘being known’.

What are your plans for the future?

When I was in South Africa I started giving art classes twice a week in our garage. The interest was overwhelming. I was amazed at how many adults experienced a sense of deep regret that they didn’t have the opportunity to develop or explore their artistic talents when younger. Others felt like they had entered a new season in their lives and wondered if they could be any good at painting or drawing. And some simply were looking for an engaging hobby that they could enjoy as a couple.

So, although it was never my intent to do it full-time—my heart truly lies in painting and producing my art—I loved having this contact point with the public. Some of my students remained with me for eight years and became dear friends. I have been able to pass on commission work to some of them, and I enjoy watching via social media as they continue to paint and grow.

We now live on a lifestyle block, which allows me to have a space to work in. I endearingly refer to this space as my ‘studio’, but it is really a shed. It has worked well for my personal production, with the exception of a freezing winter, but it is hardly a space in which to invite the public.

Our hope is to get it insulated and gibbed before winter this year. We are currently working on plans to improve the functioning of the space to cater for classes. I am not sure when this will materialise, but I would love to continue with what I started nine years ago. 

v.134 no.1 † rua tekau mā whitu 27

>

Baptist / O U R S T O R I E S

meet…

Marina Young

founder of Buttons Project

Marina Young and her husband attend Doubtless Bay Christian Centre.

This is her story.

How did Buttons Project come about?

In October 1986 I had an abortion, and my husband Peter was the father. If I knew back then what I would go through, I would have chosen life for my baby, and a life free from the consequences of health and relationship problems.

The abortion experience has never left me, and for years I wondered how to give other women like myself a safe place to grieve for, and commemorate, the babies lost. For there is no grave we can visit, no place to lay flowers, and no tangible way of remembering them.

Peter and I were able to come to a point where we grieved together, and found forgiveness and healing. This enabled us to move forward and Buttons Project was born in June 2008, to help others towards healing from abortion.

What does Buttons Project do?

The project enables the women who have been affected by abortion, and also the fathers, grandparents, sisters or brothers, to “do something when there is nothing you can do.”

They choose a button that is special and unique to them, representing a life lost, and send this to Buttons Project.

All the buttons are catalogued and are being sewn on giant wall hangings. The project has over 20,000 buttons, which will eventually be displayed in an appropriate place of remembrance, which will be a safe place to visit without judgement.

For some it is a way of simply remembering. For others it is a step on the journey of healing. Some buttons come with their story; some are in an unmarked envelope.

Why a button? It is easy to find and send, and can be unique, thus representing a personal loss. Buttons are long-lasting, and their purpose is to join or bring together, a symbol that we are not alone. And “a little button means a precious button lived.”

Buttons Project is part of a nationwide network of organisations that help people towards healing from abortion by providing counselling, post-abortion recovery programmes and support where needed. I also connect

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with those who support women facing an unplanned pregnancy, not only throughout the pregnancy but also afterwards.

With the support of my family and others, Buttons Project continues to gain momentum in New Zealand and internationally. Buttons Project was launched in Singapore in June 2017 and is going well. I love the opportunity to speak in churches, and to youth and community groups, to help bring awareness to the effects of an abortion and to open the door for healing.

How does this help people heal?

Often after an abortion there can be feelings of emptiness, loss, depression, anxiety and low self-worth and, for some, thoughts of suicide. Many women and men struggle alone with their pain and are just waiting for the right person to hear their story—someone who will not condemn them or minimise what has happened. When a story or secret is shared, it is not forgotten. It becomes something else—a memory of who we were—and allows us to start moving forward in hope, love and forgiveness.

I am deeply moved and humbled by the stories and comments I receive. I am not a counsellor but someone with lived experience and a passion to help others. I am also a trained mental health worker.

Recently, we published an A5 booklet, The Unforgotten Babies, which is about the inspiration behind Buttons Project, my abortion story, and the journey of healing. Peter also shares from his perspective, because fathers’ voices are often not heard. This is a great resource for all those that work in the community sector, churches, schools, and for those personally affected by abortion.

If you have been effected by abortion or have any questions about Buttons Project visit buttonsproject.org or email marina@buttonsproject.org.

In Memoriam

DAVID (RAWIRI) JOHN AMBLER: HUMBLE, PASSIONATE ADVOCATE 17 March 1967 – 11 November 2017

On a Saturday evening in November, at home with his whānau, Judge David Ambler’s journey with cancer ended as he entered eternity and stood kanohi ki te kanohi with the Christ he loved and served.

Raised in the Hokianga, educated at Wesley College and the University of Auckland, David became highly

regarded as a lawyer with a strong work ethic, advising and advocating for a range of Māori land trusts, boards and incorporations. He also represented claimants in a number of Waitangi Tribunal enquiries.

His strong sense of social justice, fluency in te reo Māori and astute legal mind eventually led to his appointment in 2006 as Judge of the Māori Land Court, Taitokerau. That same year he was appointed as the Presiding Officer in Te Rohe Pōtae Waitangi Tribunal Inquiry.

Tributes describe Judge Ambler as a passionate advocate for the law, tikanga and te iwi Māori. A softly-spoken, intelligent man with a remarkable legal mind, he presided over matters to do with Māori and their land with dignity, clarity and respect.

An active member of Rotorua Baptist Church, David’s appointment to the Taitokerau District required a move to Whangarei. He and his whānau became members of Whangarei Central Baptist Church.

David was a great encourager, supporting emerging leaders in his home church and community, and generously supporting the training of future Christian leaders in New Zealand. For the faith whānau at Whangarei Central, David’s

wisdom, discernment and spiritual maturity were a blessing: in recent pastoral search processes, at robust church meetings, and in assisting our congregation towards genuine bicultural faith engagement.

David was a speaker at the New Zealand Baptist Hui 2015. The Sutherland lecture he delivered is titled: ‘What can our colonial past teach the Baptist churches of today?’

A highly recommended read.

To many at Whangarei Central, the outpouring of tributes on Judge Ambler’s death came as a surprise. To us, he was simply David: keen witted, a dedicated kitchen hand and retro fan—especially of his 1979 Fiat 131R, aka “Fanta”.

Devoted to whānau, fishing and mountain biking, simplicity was at the heart of his faith: “Be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to anger”, was a powerful verse he lived by. David challenged others to think more deeply and to live well, especially his mates.

At his tangi, a kaumatua quoting Micah 6:8, acknowledged David's witness: “to do justice, to love mercy and to walk humbly with our God.” He followed Jesus and called others to live to establish God’s kingdom here on Earth, now.

Moe mai e hoa.

Obituary: Helen Brereton

Will you help to put Jesus in the hands of 1.4 million Kiwis at Easter 2018?

Have you noticed how Jesus’ name is hardly mentioned in public media at Easter anymore?

While the Christian message of hope is unchanging, the beliefs of our society are now continuously changing, and the messages of media feed them. In such a society, maintaining a visible presence is important because ‘out of sight’ equals ‘out of mind’.

To preserve an awareness of Jesus at Easter it is proposed that the Hope Project be run every year. This would bring esteem to the name of Jesus, and if we work together is very achievable.

In 2014-2016 the first three national media efforts saw many lives being dramatically changed, and churches and individuals helped to engage conversations.

Please participate in this very worthy effort now by going to: AllTogether.co.nz/donate

For more, please visit: AllTogether.co.nz/hopeproject

Baptist / O U R S T O R I E S

What’s on your mind?

A reflection Ka tuu, ka rongo, ki te whakapono—stand and listen with conviction.

At Hui 2017 we were reminded and challenged that some voices are not heard, or hardly heard, in our denomination. These are voices of the disenfranchised, the marginalised, the homeless, those whose land was confiscated, Māori, ethnic minorities, women, and those living in poverty here and overseas. Added to these voices is the cry of our whenua/land—a voice that is currently screaming out to be heard and a voice that I have hardly heard in our denomination.

This is what I heard and felt God say…

God’s heart breaks when voices are silenced.

A silenced voice is the silent scream of a child being aborted.

A life not being allowed to live and to thrive.

That is how much it breaks God’s heart when those who hold the power and control do not make space for those voices to be heard.

Reflection: Wendy Emsley, (Ngati Raukawa, Ngati Toa Rangatira) Wendy Emsley is chaplain at Taupō Hospital and is also chaplain for Taupō Police.

She was formerly the community pastor at Taupō Baptist Church.

I heard the call for (kenotic) hospitality, as in: Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself… (Philippians 2:5-7).

During the Hui we all heard the call to have cups of tea, lots of them.

Having a cuppa is a picture of hospitality.

The pouring and the emptying of the kettle, is a picture of kenotic hospitality.

And as we drink our cups of tea, remember that sometimes others might like to hold the kettle and pour the kapu tī for you.

2018 25-27 JUNE HUTT CITY BAPTIST

Wendy recommends Cheri van Schravendijk-Goodman’s ‘Kapu Tī 101’ in the publication ‘Te Reo o Te Repo (The Voice of the Wetland)’ bit.ly/2BcYB3Z. Although written in the context of engaging with tangata whenua about wetlands restoration, the resource is helpful for those wishing to learn more about the principles of a good kapu tī.

Equip Empower Engage

DOING MINISTRY IN A KIWI WAY

Key speakers:

TAK BHANA

(from Church Unlimited)

JAY RUKA (Lucas)

Directory > OPENING OF NEW FACILITIES

100 Years Ago FEBRUARY 23-25 2018 Gospel Perspective/lightstock.com

President’s New Year message Are we ready for the continuance of the war through 1918, or the end of the war should it come during 1918? It would be difficult to say which requires the greater preparedness.

Continuation would demand capacity to bear the stupendous strain now resting upon us, and the increased strain which every fresh month of fighting is sure to bring. Cessation would call for fitness to cope with the crowd of problems which is certain to press on the heels of peace…

The profiteers will have to account for the blood money which they have extracted from the people's veins. The Churches will not escape criticism. Life in camp demonstrates beyond all dispute, that our manhood, in overwhelming proportions, is not merely out of touch with the Churches, but is positively full of wrath and resentment against the Churches.

There are many reasons: but the pre-eminent one is the widely and deeply held belief that the Churches are not Christian, and are not representing Christ in the life of the community.

It is the conviction that they are splitting theological hairs, emphasising ecclesiastical differences, winking at and even indulging in economic sins, instead of setting up the kingdom of God. Every Padre in camp sees and hears enough to make his heart break, and the horror of it is that he cannot honestly say that the judgment of the men is seriously wrong. He knows, just as well as the men know, that our so-called Christian civilisation is un-Christian, and that many so-called Christians are not really trying to make it Christian. After the war it will either be made Christian or destroyed.

Seven years after the shaking...

Come and join us for all or part of the weekend as we pause, take a deep breath, laugh and cry together, and thank God for the opportunity to press on again with the new facilities.

FRIDAY 23 rd

7.00pm—Catch up, hang out, chat (live band) SATURDAY 24 th

10.00am—Children’s events, bouncy castle!

2.00pm—Official Opening Preacher: Dr John Tucker 7.00pm—Dinner After Dinner Speaker SUNDAY 25 th

10.30am—Worship Service (Building fund offering) 12.30pm—Lunch 2.30pm—Organ recital There is no charge for any of the events, but donations will be welcome!

PLEASE RSVP FOR THE EVENT(S) YOU WISH TO ATTEND: office@otbc.org.nz AND CHECK OUR WEBSITE FOR MORE DETAILS: otbc.org.nz

Baptist Magazine, January 1918 (abridged)

v.134 no.1 † toru tekau mā tahi 31

Directory NATIONAL ADMINISTRATOR

FUNERAL SERVICES

BAPTIST NATIONAL OFFICE PENROSE, AUCKLAND LET US HELP YOU THROUGH...

Dignity, sensitivity, and respect are the hallmarks of H Morris Funeral Services and we are proud to be able to provide funeral services to suit your needs and financial circumstances.

Our staff are available to you twentyfour hours a day to help put in place funeral plans, provide advice, and take care of all of the details to make the service meaningful and appropriate.

31 OCEAN VIEW ROAD, NORTHCOTE 09 489 5737 office@hmorris.co.nz hmorris.co.nz

GAY & CHRISTIAN

PONSONBY BAPTIST

Gay & Christian support & discussion group monthly meetings 027 279 4461 office@ponsonbybaptist.org.nz

The primary purpose of this full‑time position is to effectively manage the National Centre of the Baptist Churches of New Zealand and oversee the administrative and financial resources that will assist the denomination in growing healthy churches.

Major Areas of Responsibility: • To effectively manage the day to day operations of the Baptist National Centre • To provide sound leadership to the staff at the Baptist National Centre • To oversee all matters of denominational administration including:

SENIOR PASTOR

REACHING OUT TO HELP PEOPLE BECOME PASSIONATE FOLLOWERS OF JESUS

Newlands Baptist is a medium sized church in northern Wellington.

With a large percentage of committed people faithfully serving in many areas, our desire is to be a church passionate for God where our inward growth has an outward impact into our wider community.

- Appropriate management and use of all financial and investment resources held by the denomination

We are seeking a new Senior Pastor to lead us as a church into a new season: someone who is able to lead us in implementing our vision.

- Provision of financial, legal, property, tax, insurance, employment, and administrative advice to Assembly, Assembly Council, and churches as necessary

Our Senior Pastor will inspire and empower us to take up our call.

They will be an inspiring team leader as well as a team player.

- Officially represent the Baptist Churches of New Zealand on a number of councils, boards and committees as appropriate FOR QUESTIONS OR TO APPLY PLEASE CONTACT jill.hitchcock@baptist.org.nz

ponsonbybaptist.org.nz/gay-andchristian-information

32 toru tekau mā rua † v.134 no.1 baptistmag.org.nz

APPLICATIONS CLOSE FRIDAY, 23 FEBRUARY 2018

TO EXPRESS INTEREST IN THE SENIOR PASTOR ROLE AND SEEK FURTHER INFORMATION ABOUT OUR CHURCH, EMAIL: spsearchteam@gmail.com

CLOSING DATE FOR APPLICATIONS: 12TH FEBRUARY 2018

Glo bal Mis si on

Photo of the month Founded by English Baptist Missionaries (including William Carey) in 1818, Serampore College has a long association with New Zealand Baptists. This year the college is celebrating its bicentenary.

It is the oldest university in India to be in continuous operation and consists of two entities: the theological faculty and a separate college with faculties of arts, science, commerce.

TOG ETHER W E CA N RE A C H T H E W O RL D

v.134 no.1 † toru tekau mā toru 33

Baptist / G L O B A L M I S S I O N

A word from Rachel 2018—A NEW YEAR The New Zealand Baptist Missionary Society (NZBMS) comprises a broad range of activity including: community development, education, agriculture, pastoral and theological training, social work, business, biblical teaching and pastoral support. The breadth of this activity is something I highly appreciate but even more so is the fact that very little of this is done in isolation.

We recognise that we need others to add their expertise and experience to ours.

For this reason, in each of the geographical and ministry contexts where we serve, we strive to partner and work alongside others. This collaboration is particularly evident through the work of Banzaid, NZBMS’s aid and development department. In order to achieve collaborative project goals, Banzaid is currently working with Baptist Aid in Bangladesh, the Baptist Union of Papua New Guinea, Freeset and Marketplacers International Ltd in South Asia, Fiji Baptist Convention, and Nu’u Fou Baptist Church in Samoa. We celebrate these groups and so many more that we have the privilege of working with.

There is something rich about being able to work with likeminded people and organisations, and to fulfil together a God-given mandate and vision for the sake of his kingdom. Not only can we learn from each other in the process but we strengthen our ability to serve well in the opportunities we have in front of us.

Partnership is more than just large groups and organisations working together, however. Every time you pray for, give to, open your home, or share a moment, you get alongside someone that God has asked to serve. That’s real, significant, necessary and never to be undervalued.

2018 is a new year... I wonder what new opportunities to serve with others God might have in store for you? gā mihi nui, N Rachel Murray, General Director

Register Online

tranzsend.org.nz

Banzaid–

New Zealand Baptists Transforming the World Banzaid is the aid and development department of NZBMS. It was established to bring specialist knowledge of development issues into NZBMS’s programmes, and to access funding sources that support specific development activity. Our projects aim to partner and work alongside other NZBMS and Baptist work in each instance. So, what are we doing?

Supporting local communities In Bangladesh, we work with Baptist Aid—the aid organisation of the Bangladesh Baptist Church Fellowship (BBCF).

Baptist Aid has a programme in the villages of Chandpur (an area that has long been a focus for New Zealand Baptists).

This programme supports village churches to serve their local communities. The two key activities are a preschool programme and tutorial groups to support the children of poor families to achieve in the government education system.

One of the village women says: “My husband, my two elder sons and I were all illiterate. We had never read a book nor written anything. After joining the development group, I was helped with adult literacy. I became aware that the world is very big and there is much to learn. I enrolled my youngest son in the preschool group. After two years he entered the local government primary school. He still receives help with his homework from the Tutorial Programme. I am very happy with the progress he is making.” > Can your family, your home group, your church, support one of these preschool or tutorial groups? Visit our website to find out how.

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A fair price for coffee growers In Papua New Guinea, some years ago, New Zealand Baptists were a part of introducing coffee as a cash crop for highland village areas. Coffee is one of the major income earners for PNG, but unfortunately the country is divided by tribal fighting, family violence and political corruption. In this situation the Baptist Union of PNG (BUPNG) works hard at peace-making.

The Banzaid coffee project was established to support the peace agreements negotiated in the Baiyer Valley region.

2017 was election year in PNG. Election-related violence forced the suspension of all project activity. The BUPNG still sees this project as an important one for sustainable development in the area. In 2018, they will be working to restart the coffee trading. > Pray for the staff of the BUPNG as they continue to work for peace in the community.

Putting a fence at the top of the cliff Banzaid is partnering with Freeset in the Business Incubator programme. This is a ‘fence at the top of the cliff’ project targeting the Murshidabad district as a significant source area for the women trafficked into Kolkata.

Building on the Freeset model of business, which provides employment for women looking for freedom, the goal is employment for women at risk of being sent to the city for work because of the poverty of their families. The vision is four new freedom business units employing 250+ at‑risk women.

The first of the new units is up and running! The Freeset Fabrics weaving factory in Sherpur, in the western part of Murshidabad is building the looms, training the women and working on designs that will sell in the western markets.

Manufa was one of the first trainees. She tells her story in a video that can be seen on the Banzaid website. “Truly if I didn’t work here my family and me would all die of poverty.

Our lives have been full of trouble, but now it feels like the trouble is behind us.”

Manufa goes on to describe what she has been able to do for the family with the extra income. “My family loves and

The year ahead So, what is happening for Banzaid in 2018? Watch out for new opportunities in Fiji and in Samoa. In Fiji, we are looking at two partnerships, one with the Fiji Baptist Convention and the other involving a prison ministry and the setting up of an ex-prisoner rehabilitation programme.

In Samoa, we are talking with the Nu’u-Fou Baptist Church.

They have a successful preschool, and are starting a primary school this year. They are looking for trained teachers at both levels to work with them as they expand their facilities.

Banzaid will also work with them to find income generating opportunities for some of those in the local community who are struggling. > Any teacher able to volunteer for six months or a year in Samoa? Contact us!

respects me a lot because they know I am doing a good job.”

In a society where women are undervalued, she says that her father now values her as he would a son.

“Freedom Businesses” is a $2.5 million project over five years.

For every dollar you give us, the New Zealand Aid Programme gives us another two dollars. We are now halfway through the five years and we need your help to achieve the vision. > The freedom businesses also need you to be buying and promoting our products. Visit www.marketplacers.co.nz. to see and buy.

> Our annual report with updates on all our projects, can be found at the Banzaid website: www.banzaid.org.nz.

Story: Paul Thompson Paul is the Banzaid New Zealand Manager.

v.134 no.1 † toru tekau mā rima 35

Baptist / G L O B A L M I S S I O N

Demographics In this column we give details of the nations NZBMS are working in. Please use these as

STORIES

Stories of Treasure and Transformation

a prompt to pray for these places, our people and the communities they serve.

(For security reasons, we cannot name the nations).

One of the 20 most populous nations in the world, this SouthEast Asian nation is a favourite destination for tourists and many New Zealanders will have visited at some time.

We love sharing the different ways God

Economy: This nation’s economy has changed dramatically in the past 30 years. It is now considered an “emerging economy,” as industrialisation increases. Oil reserves have led to a booming oil-export trade and the promotion of tourism as an industry has brought new wealth to the nation. It has one of the largest GDPs in the world.

Despite this, almost half the population live in villages and rely on agriculture to earn a living.

is transforming the

Climate: Extremely seasonal, the weather is influenced by monsoon winds which bring a heavy rainfall and high temperatures—up to an uncomfortable and very humid 40OC during the hottest parts of the year.

we serve.

Religion: The nation’s religious make-up is: • 94.50% Buddhism • 4.29% Islam • 1.17% Christianity • 0.03% Hinduism • 0.01% Unaffiliated The small percentage of Christians means there are many areas where there are few, if any, followers of Jesus. Those who do choose to be Christians are often isolated and in need of encouragement and support. The Christian church is very small and in need of help to develop and grow. Many areas have no Christian church of any kind—these areas are home to around 38 million people. Of the churches that do exist throughout the nation, only about half have a full-time Christian worker of any sort.

The need: For our workers the initial challenges are language-learning and the oppressive heat. While the people are friendly and welcoming, deeper sharing with the national folk is not so easy. They are deeply religious and hold onto traditions and spiritualism, often out of fear and the risk of family rejection.

The need is for support for the national Christian church.

New Zealand Baptists are represented here by a number of people who are working with the national church to develop activity which will empower and develop local Christians.

Please join us in praying for them.

communities we are a part of. In this month’s edition of ‘Stories’, we feature three accounts of the lives of people in the places

Life-skills Over the last two weeks, I’ve had the opportunity to join with a local team in running weekly sessions at the local male youth detention centre. Each week they are able to spend about an hour with between 15 and 20 young men aged 14 to 18 years.

I was able to help the team create an eight-week programme to teach these young men life-skills, teamwork and emotional resilience, and to think about how they might be able to make good decisions in the future and to keep themselves safe.

The session also includes a short study and a time of singing. We are hoping that the connections made with these young men will be able to continue once they return home and that the management of the centre will continue to see the value of these sessions.

From Roanna in South East Asia

N Z B M S

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W O R L D

My hero Back in the Gateway, Murray, my colleague and fellow Gateway dweller, and I had a rather exciting evening a while ago. Going into the kitchen to put some dishes in the sink, I noticed something with a tail disappearing into our washing-up area.

My first thought was that it was one of our resident cats helping itself to the bananas on the table.

I turned on the light and was rather alarmed to find myself face to face with something other than a cat!

Shrieking in surprise, I slammed the door shut and stood outside with my back against it pondering my next move. My hope was that the creature would make a hasty exit via the open grill windows but how would I know? I decided reinforcements were needed.

Seeing Murray’s light still on, I shared my experience with him, and explained that I had decided it was only fair that I allow him to take the lead in this situation. Armed with a broom, he valiantly opened the door to see if the creature was still there and ascertain what it was. Yes, it was still there. It was a mongoose.

Shutting the main kitchen door, we (that’s Murray) opened the door to the other small veranda we have in the hope that the mongoose would choose to leave. I offered moral support by standing on a chair, hoping like crazy that mongeese don’t jump.

When the mongoose refused to exit, I did.

Watching through the slightly cracked-open door, I saw Murray chase our visitor's long tail across the kitchen and finally out to the veranda. He followed it with a torch and checked to ensure it was gone.

Yes, it had disappeared out a window, hopefully to be never seen again.

Murray suggested we keep all doors closed for the night. In the morning he would put up wire mesh to keep our new adversary out. I’m glad we did—evidence on the veranda the next morning showed that the mongoose had indeed returned for more titbits from the fruit bowl!

Since then, mesh has been installed and there have been no more mongoose appearances.

It turns out that mongeese can be vicious, and should not be cornered (oops—a bit late for that info!) and that they can also quite easily jump well higher than chair height. We are thankful that this one left without too much fuss—and I have a new hero!

Community The group we have been discipling is now reaching out into neighbouring communities—that’s exciting! Each member is sharing the good news, caring for the sick, as well as helping with literacy work... and they are so excited to see how the Father is using them.

One couple is working with the poor families at the local brickmaking shop. Another three women, together with Leonora, have begun making visits into the red-light area, which is one train stop from where we are situated.

Peter came across this community when he was “scouting out the land” on his bike. We weren’t sure if there would be an open door for us or not, but we decided to take the chance. We were so happy to be warmly welcomed into the area, and we are now building relationships with the women. Many come here as day workers to earn a meagre income to provide their children with food and an education. They have told us that no one visits them, and are amazed at the love that we have shown them. This has opened the way, so that they are asking to hear about our Father and how he led us to them.

Of course, they are also asking if we can provide them with alternative W h at p employment. We’d e r c e nt age of la n world g love to do this and u ag e s is the B NOT a so we are looking vailable ible in? to see how the Answe r on pa Father may lead us. ge 38

From Jo in South Asia R EAD M ORE

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TRIVIA

From Peter and Leonora in South Asia

about the work of Tranzsend at tranzsend.org.nz. v.134 no.1 † toru tekau mā whitu 37

Baptist / G L O B A L M I S S I O N

OUR NEXT SHORT-TERMER COULD BE YOU!

SMALL BITES

SUPPORT NEEDED Our overseas team members do an amazing job of transforming individual lives and the communities they live in. They also rely heavily on the financial support of donors to help fund their livelihoods and ministries as they serve overseas. This system of support is known as Team Support—each Tranzsend worker has team supporters who take an active and financial interest in their work.

As we look forward to the year ahead, please consider being a team supporter for one or more of our overseas team. Below are three families who have a proven record of overseas ministry who but need more financial support: 1. Andrew & Roanna, Noah, Miles, Theo. Serving in South East Asia. Working with the Woven Life Foundation, a not for profit organisation that seeks to empower local people to transform their lives and communities.

2. Peter & Leonora. Serving in South Asia. Offer heritage tours for individuals and groups, where participants are given the opportunity to explore, understand, and pray for the people of South Asia.

3. Kerry & Annie. Serving in South Asia. Working to offer freedom to women trapped in slavery, through business and particularly the establishment of Freeset.

These people need your support— email info@tranzsend.org.nz

CONGRATULATIONS Congratulations to Jo and Charlie who recently announced their engagement. Both Jo and Charlie work for Freeset in South Asia.

They will marry in New Zealand in the middle of the year before returning to work together with Tranzsend.

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Short-term workers play an important part in Tranzsend’s work throughout Asia. Short-termers bring much needed skills to support the work of our long-term staff and local partners. Sometimes, people choose to explore a sense of call to overseas missions through a short-term placement before making the decision to apply long-term.

Maybe YOU could be our next short-termer?

As a short-termer, you go through a rigorous application process, so that you, your church and Tranzsend can be certain this is God’s call on your life.

We offer advice with fundraising and finances, pastoral care, and prayer support; and you play a full role in our mission team as representatives of New Zealand Baptists overseas.

We have a number of short-term opportunities, for all sorts of skill-sets, available right now. Interested?

Contact andrew.page@tranzsend.org.nz.

SUPPORTING TRIPURA Each year BMF choose a work associated with NZBMS and work to raise money for it. This financial year the support is going to the work in Tripura.

NZBMS has been involved in Tripura for over 100 years. For many of those years the border was closed so foreigners were unable to visit. However, the spread of the gospel during this time was amazing.

Revivals occurred, and people were baptised in large numbers thanks to the courage and faith of Tripura Christians.

And so today, the work in this place continues. With NZBMS’s help, there is St Paul’s School and a number of the hostels which provide education for children from poorer families; there is a Theological College that trains national workers, and the national church continues to grow under the watchful eye of the Tripura Baptist Christian Union (TBCU).

The present leaders of the TBCU have great visions and plans for their future work. To help fulfil these they have requested financial help from Tranzsend. BMF have accepted the challenge to help support this amazing move of God.

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OPPORTUNITIES TO SERVE NZBMS, through Mission World, present the following opportunities to join in God’s mission with one of our other strategic mission partners.

• Trained volunteer primary teacher/s (Samoa) with Tranzsend. For a new primary school. The Nu’u Fou Baptist Church is extending their successful preschool programme.

6-12 months plus.

• Nurse (Arab World) with Interserve. To help upgrade the quality of nursing and to train new nurses. For a hospital focused on families for whom this is the only opportunity for affordable quality medical care.

• Community worker (Bolivia) with Pioneers. Working with urban children at risk and alongside existing churches to see children ministered to, young people discipled and trained for ministry.

• Dormitory Helper (Senegal) with WEC. At Bourofaye Christian School. Serving in the boys’ dormitories, including helping children with homework and supervising activities for them out of school hours.

• Literacy Specialists (globally) with Wycliffe. Literacy workers to teach people to read, develop reading schemes, produce literature and train others.

• Medical staff (South Asia) with SIM. To help a team to build relationships with the community in an area where there are very few qualified medics. Short or long term.

• Teachers (Cambodia) with OMF. For Hope International School—primary teachers particularly required for a school with over 20 nationalities represented.

• Motel Managers (Cairns, Australia) with MAF. Two fulltime positions at Tree Tops Lodge—providing motel-type accommodation for missionaries and Christian workers.

• General Manger (South Asia) with Tranzsend. To manage day to day operations—business manufactures steel products and services generators. Also developing bio-diesel plants with a goal to provide income for local fellowships.

For more information and to express an interest email info@missionworld.org.nz or phone 09 526 8446.

We’re on the look-out for: • • • • • •

General ManaGer for enGineerinG Business Teachers coMMuniTy DevelopMenT Workers MeDical specialisTs consTrucTion experTs finance exTraorDinaires

If you are interested and would like to explore these opportunities in South, East, and Southeast Asia, please contact Andrew Page, Tranzsend Team Leader on 09 526 8442 or andrew.page@tranzsend.org.nz

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