In 2021 our diocese will be welcoming Tama Bucknell as he takes over from the Paynters in overseeing AYM. Tama has shared a few thoughts on the path God has led him and his family on, and his hopes for this new role.

A key part of our journey has involved our family moving and learning to be part of the community in Central Hawkes Bay. This time has seen my wife and I teach in local schools, live and work at Camp David Adventure Centre, start a youth trust (Epic Ministries), grow our own family and Miriam become a school guidance counsellor. Over these twenty years our family has experienced the richness of community, the hard parts, the rewards, failures, success and the constant and gentle guidance of Jesus.

When we started the youth trust our heart was to create something that would integrate into the lives of young people in our community, invest into them and model good youth development strategies while also growing their experience and understanding of what it meant to be a Christian. We witnessed the power that God's story has in the community still today, his heart to transform lives, raise up young leaders and the provision to resource local ministry.

Over the last couple of years, we have felt the sense of our time ending in Central Hawkes Bay and began being open to where God might lead us. The opportunity to work with the AYM team is a new chapter for us in a movement that is also passionate about transformative communities in action. We are looking forward to learning more about these and meeting the people involved. It is a chance to share stories and grow together as we move in a way that reflects the rhythms of Jesus.

We are taking a short break as we prepare our family to move, and we look forward to the new journey ahead.

By Tama Bucknell

Please keep the Bucknell family in your prayers as they finish their ministry, rest and prepare to move into our diocese to pick up ministry here.