Creating a Christian Community of Learning in the Junior Secondary

At Te Kāinga, our mission is to cultivate a Christian community and provide leadership opportunities that empower our students to serve the Kingdom of God using their God given gifts and talents. Our Term One theme focused the students on their identity and sense of belonging. We specifically sculpted Lifelab devotions, events, and topics to facilitate this journey of self-reflection, encouraging students to explore their identity, whakapapa, and origins. Our aim is to develop a sense of Whānaungatanga and community, not just within their class and whānau, but also within our city.

Our year started with the Uncharted Day, where the students began their journey together by being thrust into challenges, games, and events. It gave the students and teachers a day to learn about themselves and each other. The competition was fierce, but congratulations to 10YZH for winning the coveted trophy! We learnt of the origins of our city on the Early Auckland trip and heard of the gracious gift given by Apihai Te Kawau that founded the city and the critical role faith and the church have had in the city’s development. In LifeLab, student small group leaders guided their peers through Bible studies. It has been wonderful to see a community of faith begin to grow within our classes.

Our theme for next term includes an outward focus. We look forward to what it has to offer!