Friday 30 July 2021, marks World Day Against Human Trafficking. A global crime leaving no country untouched. As exploitation is often hidden, it is hard to know what to look for, and how to help. This is why working, and sharing information together, becomes so important.

Now that we’ve had confirmation about the closure of the Australian travel border, we are still going ahead with having Bree as our keynote speaker. She is pre-recording her sessions for us but we hope to have her live for Q&A.

As the Olympics in Tokyo are unfolding millions of people across the world are watching and cheering, commiserating, and embracing the glittering spectacle of sights and sounds, gasping in wonder at extreme human effort, as for a short time athletes come together to compete for their respective countries. Just for a moment time is forgotten as peoples of all cultures and countries draw a collective breath willing on ‘their’ person/s in the race for gold.

Dear whānau in Christ,

Many of you will have seen the article in this weekend’s news in which a person spoke of their experience of abuse from a member of our church who was subsequently ordained.

We want to affirm how grateful we are to the complainant in sharing their story, and indeed to all who share their experience, and are committed to learning as much as we can from it. Nobody should have such a story to tell.

We want to reduce the harmful impact we have on the environment and the Low Carbon Challenge one of the ways we can help make this happen. The challenge runs from Training Day on July 31st through to November, and during that time there will be tons of support to help you reach your goal.

Participating in the mission of God is all inclusive. We participate in the mission of God when we gather in our faith communities, and when we engage missionally in our local community. Between the training days, we are taking Rev. Bree Mills on a ‘roadshow’ to speak with Clergy, and with mission-hearted people.

Exciting news! Forty-two manuhiri (visitors) have been welcomed into Te Pā Pori, Wellington City Mission’s newest supported transitional housing facility.

With our whole church in Aotearoa-New Zealand and Polynesia we grieve the passing, last Friday, of Archbishop Fereimi Cama and continue to hold his family, and our Fijian brothers and sisters, as a whole, in our prayers.

When Strandz inherited the Connectible website from the Diocese of Dunedin in 2016 they were inspired to taken it even further. The Connectible (Connect+Bible) site provided resources that could be incorporated into a worship service that would make it more family friendly and holistic. The Strandz team created three years of lectionary-based material to Connectible but that wasn’t enough.

Early this year, more than 800 of us had our say on advice that would shape the country’s response to climate change for the next 15 years. The Climate Change Commission has now released its final advice and their amendments show they have taken public views on board.

On World Refugee Sunday (4th July in the Anglican calendar) we celebrate the contribution refugees make to our world and our responsibility to always welcome the stranger.

The people who get vaccines out to remote or difficult places are absolute superheroes. So our Café Church whānau decided to make a superhero cape.

But God has put the body together, giving greater honour to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honoured, every part rejoices with it. (1 Corinthians 12:24-26)

Just by virtue of where you live and the language you speak, what you know can be life changing for a refugee family. It doesn’t feel like you are doing much, but it makes a big difference. Anyone can do it! If you have ever been to the supermarket or caught a bus, you can help.

This week is National Volunteer Week. Volunteers are the lifeblood that makes our Movement what it is. Without you, we wouldn’t get very far!

We are excited to announce that the International Friendship Club at Victoria University has been nominated for the Health and Wellbeing Category in the Wellington Airport Regional Community Awards 2021.

The Lyall Bay Community Church decided to have their first ever Sunday morning service on Pentecost Sunday: a symbolic act to remember the powerful way the Spirit of God moved, and the many people who believed. Also as a reminder of where our hope lies – Christ is building the church and can move in radical ways.

COVID-19 put a pretty abrupt stop to short term, cross-cultural missions around the world. An opportunity for churches and other groups to come together, build community and relationships in a unique way and serve our God in a different environment.

The whānau at Milson Combined Church are fully behind the work that Milson School does in supporting kids and their families.