This month we touch on a number of key recent issues, commemorations and events including the passing of Queen Elizabeth II.

Aaron Hendry, Youth Worker, rangatahi advocate and social justice commentator argues that the ‘tough on crime’ rhetoric fails because it continues to ignore the underlying issues that contribute to crime in the first place.

With an increase in ram raids – many committed by young people - and media focus on youth crime in general, Touchstone invited a frontline youth worker and a spokesperson from Family First to comment on the issue. The following articles come from two very different perspectives and understanding of family, community and faith.

On Saturday 17 September representatives from local government, Methodist Church of NZ, Wesley Community Action and other organisations came together to celebrate the start of a community housing project that will see 12 new houses available for social housing in Flaxmere, Hastings on land owned by the Methodist Church of NZ Hastings Samoan Parish.

On Sunday 28 August Glen Eden Methodist Church celebrated the contribution of two musicians with flowers and morning tea. Doreen Sunman shares the background on how the talented pair came to be close friends and blessed congregations and communities with their talents.

For many of us the news of the death of Queen Elizabeth II wasn’t a surprise, after all she was 96. Nevertheless it came as a shock.

Locating and identifying concepts in a particular context is very helpful in creating resources for ministry.

In two areas of public discourse these days it is quite acceptable to be both opinionated and ignorant: politics and religion.

Touchstone welcomes feedback from readers.

Many of us do not recall a time before Queen Elizabeth was monarch. One of our Archives volunteers, Enid Ellis, however, found that the death of Her Majesty brought some memories to the surface.

Rethinking our governance model so it honours Te Tiriti and promotes equity.

Our benefit rates are so low compared to the cost of living, that many of our tamariki are living in material hardship.

Breeze, Wild Apricot, Toucan Tech and Infoodle are examples of the names chosen by the developers of Church Management Systems or ChMS. This type of software is enjoying a revival as similar programmes have been around for about as long as programmers have been involved in churches. However, the current ChMS solutions are leveraging the commercial sector success of CMS solutions – Customer (or Client or Constituent) Management Systems

Sunday 28 August 2022 was a special day for the members of Hamilton East Methodist Parish; the day marked the end of English language services in the little Wesley Church on Heaphy Terrace. The occasion was full of joy and celebration.

At the beginning of July most of the UCANZ congregations went through the exercise of ‘changing partners’. Sounds like a dance, doesn’t it? However, it is not quite that, though in my way of thinking, it should be! I have always thought of myself as a dancer - not that I am a trained dancer but in the sense that I react to most music in that way. Music inspires me to move to its rhythm and beat.

One of the more knotty problems facing Christians is: does God get involved in our lives and, if so, in what ways?

A couple of months ago I went to a lecture by Professor Richard Egan from Otago University on the importance of spiritual care in healthcare. Apparently models of healthcare are moving away from a focus on the purely physical to become more holistic. There’s a greater recognition that wellbeing needs to include people’s physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs.

On the death of Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Charles automatically became the King of New Zealand under the law of succession.

Rik TeTau, the new GM for PNMSS, reports on changes at PNMSS as his team works to support the ever-changing – and increasing - needs of their community.

Te Reo Māori and Māori rights advocate, and founding member of Ngā Tamatoa, Hana Te Hemara (Te Atiawa, Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāi Tahu) was celebrated during Māori Language Week in Ngāmotu, New Plymouth.

This month Janice Auva’a-Walters reports on the Helen Kim Memorial Scholarship 2022 and we introduce Lautaliepaia- Arieta Aumua, better known as Talie.

Members of the Connexion join in prayer as we lead up to Conference 2022.

Hymnwriters Downunder – Methodists sing the praise of God in Aotearoa New Zealand a new book by retired Methodist minister Rev Dr Terry Wall, will be launched at the MCNZ Conference Wesley Historical Society AGM and dinner on Friday 18 November. Alan Upson previews the upcoming edition.

Rev David Bush recently travelled to Germany to attend a meeting of the steering committee for the WMC. He reports on the meeting and the ‘new normal’ experience of travelling internationally.

As a person who works in the area of children, youth and young adults, I have regularly heard of the reality of we being a declining, aging church and without the necessary skillsets or capacities to take the church into a future that ensures its survival. I acknowledge the challenges are real, and pressing. Many of our churches are struggling – financially, communally and spiritually – due to a number of different factors from within and from outside of the church walls.

Welcome to Kidz Korna

Christian World Service partner, the Tonga Community Development Trust, has established a new programme to assist families affected by the eruption of Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai in January.

Christian World Service is appealing for Pakistan after torrential monsoon rains flooded one third of the country. The government says 6.4 million people are in dire need of humanitarian assistance.

Understanding the history of Aotearoa requires tracing a whakapapa or lineage of state violence. The invasion of Parihaka in 1881 and the shooting of two Māori at Maungapōhatu in 1916 continue to reverberate through our history.

Looking for a comfortable read? Then don’t pick this book! Marilyn Garson, an experienced aid professional, worked in Cambodia and Afghanistan, and then in 2011 was invited to travel from her Hokianga Harbour home to Gaza.

In a 19th century communion roll from Crathie Church near Balmoral in Scotland, one of the names listed is given simply as “Victoria”, with her occupation noted as “Queen”. Beside the following dates are crosses marking her attendance at Communion.

Jabez Bunting Watkin was born in Tonga in 1837, grew up as a small child at Waikouaiti and was educated at the new Wesleyan school in Auckland. Afterwards he lived with his brother James in Wellington, then in Christchurch where for four years he was a local preacher. He moved to Australia and in 1863 entered the ministry within the Queensland Conference. In 1866 he went to Fiji and finally returned to Tonga where he spent the rest of his long ministry.

“Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity”. 1Timothy4:12

Rev Dr Ilaitia Sevati Tuwere was born on 8 March 1940 to Jese Ulacake and Ekari Balenamatau in the village of Bagata, Wailevu, Fiji. As is customary he was named after elders of his village; a father and a son who served as Catechists. He was the youngest of four siblings and was raised by his mother and his maternal uncles in her village of Vunivesi, Wailevu, Fiji.

Kuo lava lelei ‘a hono fakakakato mo hono ma’alali ‘ e Uike Lea Faka-Tonga pe ko e Tongan Language Week ‘i Aotearoa.