Over Matariki weekend Tauiwi Youth Conference 2022 was held at St John’s Methodist Church, Hamilton East. The first face-to-face Connexional Tauiwi youth training weekend since the pandemic began brought together 70 of our brightest and most enthusiastic leaders from across the breadth of our Haahi. The event provided a space for connecting, resourcing and shared inspiration.

When a volcanic eruption and tsunami in January devastated the small Island nation of Tonga, it destroyed homes, crops were damaged by the high level of ash and stones, and waterways became undrinkable. Members of the local Tongan Church congregation were concerned for their families back home.

From adversity comes determination and a desire to bring about change, no more so than for lifelong Methodist, Hilda Widdup, who celebrated her 100th birthday on 1 July at Wesleycare Christchurch.

On 6 June 2022, the final service was held at the Aotea Chapel Community in Auckland’s inner city after 172 years.

Rev Philomeno Kinera, Parish Superintendent at Aldersgate Centre, Durham Street Methodist Church, Christchurch, reflects on recent Pride events at Aldersgate and the role of church in ensuring that no one should feel isolated, marginalised and alone.

Conference 2022 is drawing near. It marks our bicentennial celebration as a Christian Church in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Ady Shannon spends 30 minutes with the General Secretary, discussing travel commitments, Conference planning and work priorities.

Readers share their news and views.

When the US Supreme Court reversed a previous ruling that women have a constitutional right to abortion, it reignited one of the hottest social, political, moral and religious issues of our time. And there’s scarcely any middle ground, for pregnancy presents women with a clear choice.

The Sheriff of Nottingham would be proud of how much tax we take from the poor to support the lifestyles of the rich. A series of three forums in Christchurch in June organised by EcuAction, an interfaith justice group, recognised that our tax system is seriously unfair and needs to change. Those on the lowest incomes pay much higher proportions of their income in tax than the wealthy and super-wealthy.

A Methodist Alliance working group is campaigning to increase benefit and abatement rates. Working with ActionStation’s Fairer Futures, they are lobbying MPs and raising public awareness of the inequality, deprivation and hardship that comes with living on a benefit.

My last article was on creating graphics for websites. Life and my personal Covid-19 bout have conspired to mean that this month’s article is on a closely related subject: web illustrations.

As the world’s borders open up, we are seeing the return of international travellers in and out of the Connexional Office. Recently Sheila Norris, Methodist Church of Great Britain Partnership Coordinator for Asia Pacific, spent five days visiting NZ as part of a regional networking trip that included Australia and Fiji.

A cooperative venture should (i) cooperate and (ii) venture.

I’m finally beginning to find my creative resting place within the new rhythm I have been seeking to establish this year, having intentionally moved from full-time to part-time ministry and relocating to my first ‘home’ in the South Island. Both movements are helping me establish a deeper sense of peace within and without in this latter and largely unexplored season of life and faith.

I wasn’t taking a church service on the Sunday in July when the Good Samaritan was the lectionary reading but I remember seeing a headline in the media that week about a particular Good Samaritan and what he had done to help another person. That headline got me wondering why the media uses that title and if there is any understanding of where it comes from.

Supreme Court Finds Right to Choose Abortion

Earlier this year Stuff ran a series that focused on how the way the world is built proves to be inaccessible for people with disabilities. All the obstacles to participation that were highlighted in the series need to be negotiated before people with disabilities can even begin to think about doing things that they enjoy or things that are essential to their wellbeing or just having a life.

In this reflection Glen Hauraki, Kaikarakia from the Taitokerau Rohe shares how he incorporates whakatau the welcoming ceremony in his workplace. As a Kaiarahi Site Manager Glen provides supported accommodation for tangata long-serving men released from prison. We see the grace of compassion, patience always present in this practice of whanaungatanga relationship building.

Sharlene Fnone Malaeimi is the UCANZ Link & Correspondence Secretary for NZMWF National Executive. She was a Bossey Scholarship Recipient in 2022. In this article she encourages other women to apply for the opportunity to enrich their lives with this scholarship.

Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini “I come not with my own strengths but bring with me the gifts, talents and strengths of my family, tribe and ancestors.”

The prayers below were composed by attendees at the Enabling Ministry Team Wananga.

Welcome to Kidz Korna and the cold winter weather. I grew up in England 🇬🇧 and always looked forward to making snowmen, ice skating and roasting chestnuts on the fire.

God's Dream

Rev Tony Franklin-Ross (MCNZ Mission & Ecumenical / World Methodist Council – Ecumenical Relationships) attended the 5th International Conference on Receptive Ecumenism in June 2022, hosted at the ecumenical centre of the Sigtuna Foundation in Sweden. Here he reports on the gathering.

Two prominent churches in the United States have recently condemned the oppressive treatment of Palestinians by the Israeli government. In July the US Presbyterian Church voted at its 225th General Assembly to declare Israel an “apartheid state” and designate a Nakba Remembrance Day within their calendars. In the same month The Episcopal Church voted at the 80th General Convention (GC80) to condemn Israel’s occupation and oppression of Palestinians and urge the United States to take action to oppose Israeli laws and practices that result in unequal rights for two peoples.

The 10am congregation of Wellington Methodist Parish had a fun evening putting their prayers into action at a special fundraising event.

Last month a group of Sri Lankan garment workers and their families met for the first Solidarity Kitchen.

Rev Dr Steve Taylor reviews the movie Whina.

Megan Blakie reviews a book by Nadia Bolz-Weber, published by Random House, USA, 2019.

Gary Clover reviews a book by George Bryant, published by DayStar Books in June 2022.

“It is with a full heart that I enter upon the Presidency of the Conference in this Centenary year of our New Zealand Church,” said Rev C H Laws at the opening of the Methodist Conference on 22 February 1922 in Auckland.

The Future of the Methodist Newspaper

O le AsoSa 26th Iuni 2022, sa fa’ataunu’uina ai le Lotu lona lua a le Itumalo Manukau. Ma sa tapenaina ma ta’ita’iina lava lenei sauniga e le susuga i le Konevina o Autalavou ma lona Ofisa, o Peresitene o Autalavou a le Itumalo.

Ia i le Atua poto le vi’iga e le aunoa, aua ua Ia faia mea sili ua tatou fiafia ai. Sal.126:3. E lua itu taua ua afua ai le agaga fa’afetai a’e i Ie Ali’i o le Itumalo o Manukau i lenei vaitau o le folauga:

With the lyrics and music of Psalm 137:4, Wasewase ko Viti kei Rotuma I Aotearoa is redefining its diaspora spiritual direction by asking, "How do we sing a cultural-spiritual song that is relevant, enriching, divine and indigenous to the way we worship and lotu in Aotearoa?"

Kuo lava ‘a hono fakatāpui ‘a e falelotu siasi Metotisi Tonga ‘i Oamaru. Ko e malanga mo e lotu fakatāpui ‘o e ‘apisiasi Oamaru Tongan Methodist Parish na’e fakahoko ‘e he Faifekau Sea ‘o e Vahefonua Tonga ‘o Aotearoa, Rev Kalolo Fihaki, ‘i he Tokonaki ‘aho 25 ‘o Siune, 2022. Na’e ‘i he katoanga ni foki mo Rev Finau Halaleva, ko e Faifekau Pule ‘o e Vāhenga Kosipeli, Christchurch, ka ko e faifekau ‘oku ne le’ole’o ‘a e potungāue ‘i Oamaru, pea mo hono hoa, Fekita Halaleva.

Ko e ngaahi tu’utu’uni eni ke fakakakato ‘e ha taha ‘oku teu folau ki Tonga, ke fakahoko ia kimu’a he taimi folau.

Ko e ongoongo fakafiefia ki he Siasi Metotisi ‘o Nu’usila mo e kakai kotoa ‘o e fonua ni ‘a hono faka’atā e kau’āfonua ‘a Tonga ‘i he ‘aho ‘uluaki ‘o ‘Aokosi.