In terms of New Zealand “feel good” movies Red, White and Brass has been labelled as one of the best to hit our cinemas in recent times and its humble beginnings were driven by Methodists.

As communities throughout the North Island get stuck into cleaning-up after the devastation of recent floods and weather events, parishes, and individuals throughout the motu have been making special efforts and generous donations to help support disaster recovery.

On 28 February, whanau, friends and colleagues past and present gathered at the Connexional Office for a special farewell morning tea for Wendy Keir. Following 12 years of committed service, Wendy is retiring from her position as personal assistant to the General Secretary.

In early March long-standing archives volunteers Katherine Gillard and Jan Kotlowski retired. Archivists Katherine Doig and Jennie Hood organised a morning tea function in recognition of the enormous contribution Jan and Katherine have made to collections since they stepped in to help sort boxes stored at a Wairakei Road warehouse 10 years ago.

Peter Stead was born in Lawrence, Central Otago on 26 February 1923. One hundred years on friends and family came together in North Auckland to celebrate his birthday and his remarkable contribution to church, family and community.

Holy Week marks the high point in the Christian Year. At the end of our Lenten pilgrimage, we slow down to walk day by day in the footsteps of Jesus as he confronts the powers of sin, evil, and death.

Fawkes, the phoenix bird, features in the Harry Potter books. When Harry first meets Fawkes, disaster strikes: the bird dies and bursts into flames. However, Harry is reassured that this is normal and from the ashes emerges a phoenix chick – Fawkes reborn.

Readers respond to articles and issues of importance.

As communities ravaged by Cyclones Hale and Gabrielle and devastated by Turkey’s earthquakes battle to re-establish their lives, the question that haunts people of many faiths lingers on: Where was God in these disasters?

In normal times our homes are our sanctuaries, our places of refuge, places where we can hide from the storms of life. Places where we can and often do find healing and help. That’s how it often is, and that’s how it should be. But what about when it’s not – when our home comes crashing down around us, or is washed away in a flood, or is destroyed by a falling tree or a hurtling boulder the size of a car? What then, to whom shall we go, whither shall we flee?

Rev Mark Gibson in his article, Like the Waves we Rise High, Touchstone February 2023, reminds us that for our church to rise high above the detrimental impact of climate change, we must collaborate and make a collective effort to implement zero waste in our community.

Trudy Downes, MCNZ caretaker, gives readers an insight into the impact of the recent disasters from the perspective of her niece Hine, who lives in Napier and works in an essential national health service role. When they met recently, Hine shared how it was for her during and after Cyclone Gabrielle passed through. Hine’s concern is that many people’s mental well-being is under threat from experiencing so many ‘events’. Those people will need help, but do we have the mental health resources to respond? Everybody affected by the recent weather events has a story. This is part of Hine’s story.

If we pay attention to the glamorous commercial projection of Easter and the empty tomb events, often we are distracted by the usual denunciation of the good news of the resurrected Saviour.

I’ve now been working as chaplain at Tamahere Eventide Home and Village for over two years and every day is an opportunity to be surprised.

A couple of months in, and I am finding my way through the structure and processes of UCANZ and the ecumenical relationships between the partner churches.

On 27 February, a coalition of anti-poverty groups called for Government to wipe debt to the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) to lift the weight off families and whānau. The Methodist Alliance is one of the groups in the Fairer Futures coalition that produced the report on debt owed to MSD.

Pulling on a pair of rubber gloves and sorting through a week’s worth of rubbish isn’t everyone’s idea of a fun day at the office but kaimahi at Wesley Community Action have taken it in their stride, gamely tangling with their colleagues’ used teabags, empty food packets and discarded paper towels to help measure the organisation’s waste.

“Mā tini, mā mano ka rangatira a kapa haka, kapa haka flourishes through the efforts of many”. If we have learned anything in recent years it’s never to take for granted our capacity to gather together as Māori and celebrate our culture to declare, we are still here.

It is a privilege and honour to write this month’s contribution on behalf of the NZMWF Executive team. With Easter around the corner, I thought it was timely to write about Easter, and specifically about the WOMEN in the Easter story; Mary mother of Jesus, and Mary Magdalene.

The Methodist - Catholic Dialogue team met 13-14 March 2023 at St Paul's Methodist Church, Orakei parish for the first time since the Covid lockdown.

Aristotle… and very few beside, seem to have had a universal genius, an extraordinary capacity to excel in whatever they took in hand. John Wesley, Thoughts on Genius, November 8, 1787

On 11 and 12 February the Executive of the New Zealand Lay Preachers Association met in Dunedin to discuss the future of the association. The gathering resulted in a lengthy action plan and new ways to resource members.

A friend sent me some good advice I want to share. Always be aware of how seemingly “innocent” situations can be turned against us! Not all thieves are stupid, so we need to be extra vigilant with scammers.

When you read this, we will still be in the season of Lent, the time leading up to Easter Sunday. There are several things we celebrate during this time, and one of them is Passover.

As a young youth leader in my local church, I was sometimes given a massive amount of work to do for little reward. At the time I was studying full time, working two part-time jobs, being a youth and wordship leader, on the Sound and AV team and also having other life and social commitments. The pressures of needing to balance time and prioritise responsibilities was difficult to say the least.

Living through a natural disaster or conflict situation can cause lasting trauma. Psychosocial support can be as important as providing food and shelter to survivors. Community-led programmes backed by professional staff are part of the humanitarian response supported by Christian World Service.

Author: Anne Shave Publisher: Philip Garside Publishing Ltd, Wellington (2022) 243 pages.

Author: Nikki Erlick Publisher: Harper Collins, The Borough Press. 2022.

The film Empire of Light is intense.

The Rakena Whānau

The beginning of the New Zealand Methodist Mission in the Solomon Islands

Theme: I have heard the stories about your faith. Ua ou faalogo I tala o lou faatuatua.

Na nona matalia na turaga ena ulunivanua ni matalia MACIU 17:1 – 9 MACIU 17:2 A SA MATALIA NA YAGONA E MATADRATOU, A SA SERAU NA MATANA ME VAKA NA MATANISIGA, KA SA VULAVULA MAI NA NONA I SULU ME VAKA NA RARAMA.

Ongoongo meia Fatongia Ofa & Olivia Ofa mei Hastings mo e ngaahi ‘ata.