Over the past year we have been talking and thinking about property and its place in our mission. The final report from the property consultation is being taken to Synod this year. Here is a sneak preview...
A copy of the report is attached below, and we will be asking Synod reps to tell us what you think about two recommendations.
An excerpt follows from the Report's concluding remarks:
Church buildings and other property assets continue enrich our lives as faith communities, but also challenge us. We cannot avoid the need to have a robust framework to help this Diocese consider them carefully, but with also with eyes of faith that have our present and future mission in mind:
The Diocese of Dunedin, Faith Communities Reading The Bible – Tākina te Kupu, Praying – Inoia a Ihowā, Living out the life of Jesus Christ – Arumia a Ihu.
The strongest messages so far are around:
Community Connection, ensuring that we have (or can collaborate with others to have) accessible buildings that are available to meet the physical, social and spiritual needs of our wider communities and;
Mission Aligned Investment, being able to ensure that what we do have is able to meet the 5 marks of mission that are imbedded in the tikanga of the Anglican Church:
- To proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom;
- To teach, baptise and nurture new believers;
- To respond to human need by loving service;
- To seek to transform unjust structures of society, to challenge violence of every kind and to pursue peace and reconciliation;
- To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and re-new the life of the earth.
Specifically, Mission Aligned Investment also refers to the He waka eke noa – a waka we are on together: Fruitful Stewardship through Mission Aligned Investment document. This is prompting us to consider – from Synod to local Parishes/Churches to Diocesan Boards and Organisations - how we can release our resources to bring about transformational change in our communities.
There is the opportunity to have a further conversation about this at Synod, before looking at how some of these concepts might translate into a Strategic Property Plan as well as any motions/bills to be brought to Synod in 2022:
1. How do we feel about there being two main property criteria at the heart of our considerations: Community Connection and Mission Aligned Investment? Can these capture all that is important to us at this time?
2. What supports and infrastructure would we need to help make this happen? Can we afford it… or afford not to do this?