News from the Bishop

Kia ora koutou katoa,

This week I’ve been spending time with the bishops at a meeting which has been hosted in Palmerston North. The Pakeha bishops met on Tuesday and shared thinking around how each Diocese is responding to the trends in the life of the Church. It was good to be able to share with the bishops our work on vision and strategy as an example of how we have been responding and thinking proactively to the future. It helps to reinforce living out the vision of “Faith giving life” when I have an opportunity to speak about our vision, and how bringing fulfilment of Oranga Ake o Te Iwi o Te Ao are both key drivers for our expression of being the church in Waiapu. Along with these two key concepts it’s also a good opportunity to speak about our values of Aroha, Hari and Rongo, and the five priorities of Discipleship, Vocation, Koru ministry, Whakapapa and Connection. Like anything, when you start to speak life into these words and make them your own they can be easily adapted and shared in conversation. I encourage you to think about how your ministry in parish life, chaplaincy or through social services is being shaped by these concepts, values and priorities.

Today we’ve held our meeting of Standing Committee by ZOOM and part of that included hearing from WASSTB and ACW about their focus for the year ahead through the presentation of their Statement of Intent. It was so encouraging to see the work that ACW management have been doing to take the five priorities of the Diocesan Vision and to align their four focus areas around those priorities. It really feels as though we are finding a new level of common purpose, vision, values and expression of priorities across the Diocese. Thanks be to God for the guidance and inspiration of the Holy Spirit that has brought us to this point and will continue to propel us forwards.

Tonight, I’m off to Taupō so that I can visit Kai Taima tomorrow morning and celebrate with them a belated acknowledgment of their first anniversary. Then it’s on to Rotorua for the special celebration and acknowledgement of the retirement of Pīhopa Ngarahu on Saturday.

I trust that your Lenten journey has been a fruitful time for reflecting on a journey of faith and I wish you all well as we enter with Jesus into Jerusalem with Palms waving high this Sunday. Have a blessed Palm Sunday celebration and I look forward to being around the Diocese next week with four Chrism Mass services, at the Cathedral, Wae-renga-a-hika, Otumoetai, and then Rotorua with Te Manawa o Te Wheke on Maundy Thursday evening as is their tradition.

Bless you all,

+Andrew