In 1965, the Church Building and Loan Fund (CB&L), at the request of Methodist District Education Council, gave permission for the purchase of 15 acres at Journeys End, North Canterbury for £500. Over a period of more than five decades the site has been improved and developed by a small and dedicated group of Methodists from the Canterbury District and other supporters who have spent countless voluntary hours dedicated to providing a special place for people of all religions and no religion to come and stay.

On Sunday 30 January, 2022 at the Oxford Union Church, parishioners past and present joined for a service and lunch to celebrate 50 years of worship. Maree Stevens reports on the celebration event.

Garth Nowland-Foreman, parish steward at Durham Street Methodist Church and his son Ben are highly valued members of the church community. Garth shares the background to a special Christmas story written and published by Ben and shared with the congregation.

In the middle of March we received advice from our printer that the cost of paper has increased significantly. From 1 April there will be a 30 percent increase in the cost of producing our publication. This considerable and unexpected price increase will likely be followed by an increase in the cost of distribution, as fuel price increases filter through to freight and courier service providers.

Conference 2021 seems a distant memory. Much has happened nationally and internationally since, and the picture of our likely future continues to emerge with significant uncertainty.

The word ‘vā’ in Tongan refers to an in-between space. It is a sacred space, the threshold, the border-line, the liminal space that no one has the right to cross or enter without negotiation. Peace is impossible to achieve when the vā is violated. This is almost true with all wars and conflicts that we have experienced in the world. Negotiation, guided by the principle of mutual respect and agreement, and consensus determines if and how the space can be crossed. If there is no agreement, then crossing over that liminal space is prohibited.

Although not a keen reader as a child – but making up for it as an adult – I did enjoy a good school story. There is a huge literature exploring life in English private schools, from Tom Brown’s Schooldays onwards. Very popular in my childhood was the series of humorous books by Anthony Buckeridge featuring a schoolboy called Jennings.

I’ve now been working as chaplain at Tamahere Eventide Home and Village for over a year and there is still lots to learn. The area of dementia care is one that I’ve found especially interesting and I’ve been helped by Wendy Mitchell’s remarkable memoir Somebody I Used to Know (2018).

The lectionary readings for April 2022 are full of rich themes, with Easter falling in the middle of the month. This means for preachers that we can explore the growing tensions in the last days of Jesus’ earthly life – the gospel readings share the anointing at Bethany and the Palm Sunday entry, the Last Supper, arrest and trial, with the crucifixion on Good Friday (15 April). Then, of course, there are the resurrection appearances to Mary Magdalene and to the disciples (with and without Thomas).

To the editor, The Russian Government’s invasion of Ukraine, with tragic consequences for the people of that country at the time of writing, tests the whole world’s conscience, including those of Christian conviction.

One of the enduring values of Anzac Day, to be commemorated later this month, is that it is rooted in a campaign defeat, not a victory. Another is that it honours those who died in this and other battles as individuals - sons and husbands, teachers and labourers, officers and other ranks - whose names are preserved on public monuments and rolls of honour in churches and schools. These two emphases help to keep the day as one of gratitude and remembrance, not of glorifying war.

Webinar: Tuesday 12 April 6pm.

Recently, like many others, I was hit by the Omicron Covid-19 virus and spent several days feeling unwell. Māori support agencies have been resourced to assist people like myself in isolation and on Day three I received a “care package” that included bacterial wipes, masks, toilet paper, three RATs and a small package that included rongoa Māori.

Many parishes no longer have a presbyter, and even parishes with a full-time ministry team are facing challenges in creating worship materials, as Covid impacts staffing levels and workloads. A number of parishes had been using online resources, including information available via MCNZ online portals.

Among other things, a global pandemic can change the way we communicate. The Covid pandemic is no exception.

The High Court quashed the Covid-19 mandate for police and defence force staff as unlawful. The mandate required defence force personnel, and police constables, recruits, and authorised officers to have two doses of vaccine or face termination. Less than 300 of the more than 31,000 staff affected by the mandate across the organisations remain unvaccinated and three of those unvaccinated staff sought a judicial review of the mandate.

After more than 30 years of working closely alongside whānau and hapori (communities) in the Wellington region, Wesley Community Action has learnt that with the right support, sustainable responses to complex issues can be driven by hapori themselves.

Every child has a right to a good start in life.

The poem Muka written by Trixie Te Arama Menzies personifies elements of the natural environment, the Pā harakeke (flax plant whānau) common in all parts of Aotearoa.

At the age of 18, Brian Chamberlin led his first worship service at Ararimu, South Auckland. The Bombay-Tuakau circuit was huge and there was just one minister to cover seven preaching places. Brian recalls spending hours preparing for his debut service. “There were five people in the congregation and it was all over in 20 minutes.” It may have been a low-key start but he has continued his lifelong association with church and ministry, in conjunction with a prestigious farming career. In 2020 Brian was awarded a long service certificate by the New Zealand Lay Preachers Association in recognition of 55 years of service in lay ministry.

As a peace researcher for over 40 years, it appals me that in 2022 we are trying to make sense of an outmoded 20th century invasion aimed at changing borders and seizing sovereignty. This war is the most blatant act of cross border aggression that I have seen since WW2 and a major contravention of the UN Charter.

1 Peter 1:3 “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”

This month we introduce National Executive member Suresa Tufuga, Vice President and Chaplain of the NZMWF Executive Team.

Maundy comes from the Latin word mandatum - the same root as the word mandate, but different in focus.

You may have come across the term "Cancel Culture" in recent times, either on socials, or in the news. Basically, it is an attempt to have a person's reputation, or their ability to benefit from it, be disregarded and no longer accepted within wider society.

When you read this it will almost be Easter. At present we are in the season of Lent; a time leading up to Easter.

In the first month of war, close to 4 million people have fled Ukraine and many more are displaced inside the country. ACT Alliance (Action by Churches Together) has launched an appeal to assist those in need of food, shelter and support.

Help the people of Ukraine with food, water and shelter

Methodist and Presbyterian women are focusing on promoting family wellbeing in the Pacific for this year’s Special Project. The women will be raising funds to assist families affected by the Covid pandemic, beginning with Fiji. Depending on the needs and the amount of money raised, they will assist in other Pacific nations as Covid spreads.

Bergman Island is a delightfully plotted meditation on movie-making. Director Mia Hansen-Løve creatively weaves reality and fantasy, probing the nature of imagination on the island of one of Europe’s finest filmmakers.

Author: Donald Eadie

Reviewer: John Meredith

“You must be mad to even think of going there!” was the main opinion expressed to the Presbyterian deaconess, Sister Annie Henry, when she and her colleague, Abigail Monfries, arrived to staff the newly opened school at Ruatāhuna in the heart of Te Urewera in 1917. Mere months had passed since the violent arrest of the Tūhoe prophet, Rua Kenana, in nearby Maungapōhatu. Two people, including one of Rua’s sons, had been killed in the incident and the whole district was on edge.

Harold Whitmore Williams (1876 – 1928) & his wife Ariadna Vladimirovna Tyrkova (1869 – 1962)

O upu ia na faailo ai le agaga o le faafetai ma le faamalo I le Atua ona o lona alofa ma lona faamaoni ao alo faiva le tamaitai loia ia Claudia Tuluvao Malaeolema Futi I ona faiva alofilima o nei tausaga e tele ua tuanai atu.

Na Lesoni Same 137: 4 Eda na seretaka vakacava na sere i Jiova, E na nodra vanua na kai tani?

The 2nd of Maji marks the beginning of Lent on Ash Wednesday.

Amelia Viena Moala, na’a ne tali koau fiemālie ki hono ‘Eiki Fakamo’ui ‘i he Tokonaki ‘aho 12 ‘o Ma’asi, 2022, hili ia ‘a hono lau ‘e he’ene fānau paea mo e makapuna ‘a e taha ‘o ‘ene ngaahi veesi manako mei he folofola.

Kaveinga ‘o e Māhina : ‘Ilo ‘Otua ‘o e Fetamaio’eiki’aki (Knowing God of Servanthood)

Fakamalo atu he ngaahi fatongia kotoa pe 'oku mou fuesia mei he ngaahi tuliki 'o Aotearoa 'oku mou faifatongia mei ai. Ko e fakahoko atu 'a e ngaahi ongoongo 'a e Vahefonua.

Kuo hoko ‘a e ngaahi tokoni fakaetamaki mei muli ni ko ha fakalotolahi ki he kakai ‘o Ha’apai na’e tukuvakā ‘i Tongatapu ke nau foki ki honau motu.