A tale of two Training Days
The kaupapa of Training Day has always been a gathering of the extended whānau, whilst upskilling and learning in the areas of ministry God is calling us into. And that kaupapa was strongly held to at our recent Training Day events, despite one of them being held online due to the week-long Level 2 lockdown.
Climate change mission planned for March
2021 is a momentous year for climate change policy in New Zealand. Later this year, our government will set the targets by which we hope to reduce our carbon emissions for the next 15 years. Right now, the Climate Change Commission is consulting on its first advice to Government on how Aotearoa can reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. This is our opportunity to have our say.
Submissions are open now - and remain open until the 14th of March. To help everyone to have their say, we will be launching another advocacy "mission," much like the Climate Mission we launched in 2019 that saw us make a huge 500 submissions on the then-draft Zero Carbon legislation.
New Wine Festival sets us up for the year
Our friends from New Wine put on another smashing festival this Wellington Anniversary Weekend, with over 1,000 people gathering to camp at Kāpiti College for fun, worship and teaching for all the family. New Wine Festival has been running for over 25 years and serves as our annual diocesan family camp, where hundreds of us gather to share life in the summer sun together for five years.
Synod 2020 to go online
As we find ourselves in uncertain times, the Diocesan Council has decided to move the upcoming Synod to a virtual platform. Synod was to be held in Kāpiti Parish on the 19th of September, but will now be held via Zoom online meeting on the same day.
“Dancers on a razor’s edge”: Vocational Deacons’ Ordination to proceed in October
This October, our movement will gather together (hopefully!) to tautoko / support the call of God on the lives of Paul and Hannah, two of our own who are called to be ordained as vocational Deacons. Our annual Vocational Deacons’ Ordination was to occur on Ascension Sunday in May, to mark the command to God’s people to spread the Good News into all the world, but was postponed due to our national lockdown. We now look forward to being together at the Cathedral on Sunday the 11th of October.
Diocesan events cancelled in response to Level 2 extension
Yesterday, the Prime Minister announced that the current Level 2 restrictions on mass gatherings will continue until at least Sunday the 6th of September. Ministry Leaders’ Family Camp is due to finish on that day, and would clearly breach the requirement to have no more than 100 people at an event. As a result, both Ministry Leaders’ Family Camp and the combined Top Up Training Event due to occur on the 5th of September are now cancelled.
Enough For All: How political parties will help New Zealanders to thrive
As Election Day nears, how might we use our voting privilege to love our neighbours? Are the policies and parties we support going to help or hinder those who are struggling to flourish? How might we, Christ's body, stand up for the last, the lost and the least in our democratic process?
