At a recent series of events throughout Aotearoa Peter Harris, shared words of wisdom with audiences eager to weave together their Christian values with the urgent call for environmental stewardship.

Our regular cartoon that seeks to find the funny side of faith.

In addition to mainly being the month of Lent, March this year, like many of the years before, is a vibrant month for cultural expression and community festivals, particularly for Pacific creatives and younger people, We congratulate and celebrate all our *Meko whānau who took part or helped support the success of all festivals this year.

Love language can be expressed in a myriad of ways. During my upbringing I eagerly anticipated the Holy Week, for in the Taitokerau, Northland, it marked the ceremonial tradition of our Hura Kohatu - a ceremonial unveiling of whānau memorial stones.

In a ground-breaking endeavour to unravel the intricate relationship between faith and wellbeing, a new research project is underway in New Zealand's Tongan community. Led by Dr Nāsili Vaka’uta, Principal of Trinity College, this project involves a dedicated team of researchers seeking to shed light on the impact of delusional religiosity on the health and wellbeing of Tongans living in New Zealand.

The buzz is growing among Methodist youth groups gearing up for Epworth Easter Camp 2024. This annual gathering, hosted by the Youth Activities Committee (YAK) and Waikato-Waiariki Unite, holds a special place in the hearts of many. Easter Camp is a time of high energy, fellowship, and spiritual growth, unfolding against the backdrop of the picturesque mighty Waikato River. We reflect on the rich Methodist heritage that underpins this cherished tradition.

Amidst the pressing challenges of climate change, the concept of one parish or one person making a difference can feel discouraging.

A limited-edition, exclusive range of Climate Justice Decade – Rekindle the Vā of Papatūānuku t-shirts have recently been released. At just $35 each, these affordable and unique t-shirts symbolise solidarity and support for a cause that affects us all.

For two years, the Western Bay of Plenty Parish has been sponsoring the Tauranga Moana Pride Festival. It is a partnership that is proving to be successful for the Rainbow community and for a parish that prides itself on practising a prophetic and loving vision for inclusion.

On April 10, Takapuna Methodist Church is launching a monthly current affairs discussion group on Zoom. The first three sessions include a commentator on the Israeli Hama war, a Rainbow Youth spokesperson and a former gang leader. An open invitation is extended to join the lively banter.

With the unexpected death of Efeso Collins on 21 Feb 2024, the New Zealand Parliament lost a Pasifika-affirming body, voice, and heart, from its membership. Collins was an academic and politician. He looked out for the interests of Pasifika and Māori communities and, when he joined the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand, for ecological wellbeing. A comment by the new co-leader of the Green Party, Chlöe Swarbrick, rings in my native ears: “We know as the late great Efeso Collins put it, that: ‘No one stands alone, no one succeeds alone, and no one suffers alone’.”

The Methodist Alliance gathered in Tāmaki Makaurau on 8 - 9 March, with housing as the focus of discussion. This was the first time the Alliance National Forum has had a single focus, and it provided an excellent opportunity to examine this critical issue in depth. There was a great deal of experience and expertise in the room and conversation over the two days was rich and productive.

“Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?”

I think it would be fair to say that wherever you look, or listen into, these days there is a surplus of change and transition in the air. We have it within our political life, our work life, our church organisational life, our personal life as I, who turns 70 within the next few weeks, know all too well, into another season of the life cycle.

I am confronted by the reality that most churches live with a poverty mindset. There never seems enough to go round. We are always looking for ways to make a little go farther. And for ways to spread the few dollars we have even thinner. Sometimes it is a matter of lifting our eyes and seeing what could be. And then risking ourselves in making an investment into it.

Creating an effective parish website requires careful planning, creativity and dedication to ensure it creates more value than it costs. Regardless of whether the objective is building community, reaching people outside of your immediate church community, improving communications, mitigating administrative overhead or all of the above, having a clear understanding of what you are trying to achieve, is the first step.

Dr Soana Muimuiheata signs off her emails with a footnote she wrote in 2002. “Only one life that will one day Past, Only what is done with Love will Last”. The phrase influences her daily work, faith and church life. Soana, a highly respected New Zealand Registered Dietitian and health consultant, has a lifelong association with the Methodist Church. Soana is a strong role model for her church and work community.

For most Christians, Easter is a holiday as we celebrate the resurrection of Christ, but for others it is ‘work as usual’. Easter Trading Rules may differ between districts. Although petrol stations, dairies, cafes, and restaurants can open on Good Friday and Easter Sunday, supermarkets and department stores cannot.

Welcome to this month’s Kidz Korna. I hope everyone has an enjoyable Easter. As well as enjoying eggs, hot cross buns and a holiday, it is important to remember how Jesus gave His life for us so that our sins could be forgiven.

On the morning of 8 March, a dozen pilgrims in Rangiora began the first Gaza Ceasefire Pilgrimage with prayer. They set out on a 41 kilometre walk to Otautahi Christchurch, demanding a ceasefire in Gaza, in solidarity with people ravaged by the war.

New Zealand agencies have written an Open Letter calling on the government to increase the Official Development Aid (ODA) spending in this year’s budget. Christian World Service welcomed the opportunity to support the letter, coordinated by the Council for International Development of which it is a member.

As we approach Easter, the movie The Convert resonates with Gospel themes of peace and reconciliation.

Author: Conrad L Kanagy Publisher: Fortress Press, Minneapolis 2023, 215 pages. Reviewer: John Thornley

Author: Jenny Pattrick Publisher: Penguin, 2022

In December last year the Connexional Office approved a request for funding to cover the employment of a specialist conservator on a contract basis for the remedial treatment, context-checking, and boxing of the approximately 35 linear metres of naked volumes transferred into the care of the Christchurch Methodist Archives from the former Auckland Methodist Archives when it closed several years ago. In January the work was completed.

For a couple of decades, at least, in the earlier years of the Wesleyan Mission in New Zealand, it was a fairly common practice to give a converted and baptised member of the tangata whenua a new and extra name.

Cakacaka 10: 34-43 (Act 10 : 34 – 43)