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Why are the policies of a church at national level, which seek to bring together people of different cultures and ethnicities as one people in Christ, so seldom reflected in local congregations and parishes? New Zealand Presbyterian minister Rev Dr Tokerau Joseph shares the insights gained from his doctoral research into this topic. While his study focussed on the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand (PCANZ), his findings are also relevant to other denominations with multi-cultural and multi-ethnic parishes and congregations.This exercise in practical theology examines the tension between two realities. On the one hand, there are the stated policies of the PCANZ that encourage its members to live out a diverse life together. On the other hand, there is the reality that PCANZ congregations reflect ethnic homogeneity rather than diversity. The author observes the extent to which the ethnic composition of congregations is influenced by people's theological understanding of the church and of their Christian identity, as opposed to tendencies affirming their ethnic/cultural identity. Tokerau Joseph challenges and encourages people in congregations to learn to live out more faithfully our ecclesiology of unity in diversity. This will involve re-evaluating our Christian identity, cross-cultural engagements, a pan-Pacific model of church, and the sacrament of Holy Communion. He hopes that this book will be thought-provoking and impactful for change in people's lives.Key topics discussed are:Ethnicity mattersAn ecclesiology of unity in diversityThe historical development of PCANZ ethnic componentsEthnic relations in congregations, and Rethinking our fellowshipThe book includes a full bibliography and references.

Do you feel overwhelmed by the external pressures of too much information, too many conflicting voices and too much media noise? You are not alone. These influences invade our personal space and erode our sense of inner peace and well-being. This book will help you discover your inner sacred self. The breathing exercises, poems, prayers and reflections offered by Ian Kilgour will re-connect you with the Divine Presence, the source of your life and all that is.

This book will help you face your own death with courage and faith. Some simple things can help ease your mind and bring peace to your heart. Much of the book is written in the first person singular to help you personalise your reflections. There are many prompts for you to write in a notebook or journal your reflections and memories of significant people, places and events in your life, and ideas for your funeral. Dip into the book where and when you want, pondering only one or two paragraphs at a time. It includes readings and meditations from a wide range of perspectives and faith traditions.

The Southland Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand was formed in 1860. It merged with four other presbyteries in the south of the South Island to form the Southern Presbytery in 2010. This book records the key people and events that took place during these 150 years. 34 parishes were established from Te Anau in the north to Oban on Stewart Island in the south. Churches arose to meet the needs of local communities. Lay people offered faithful service, supporting ordained ministers, who were appointed as the churches flourished and finances allowed. While membership of some churches grew, over time, many churches and parishes dwindled to the point they were no longer able to support paid clergy. Local churches, in both city and rural settings, often found it hard to amalgamate with neighbouring churches as they perceived they had little in common. The book records the many ways the leadership of Presbytery supported parishes to restructure and remain viable. The final 20 years of the life of Southland Presbytery has been researched and collated in this publication, recording the many challenges and changes that took place over that time.

At every stage of her rich and varied life, Marg Schrader has responded to God's call. Join her as she tells her remarkable story.Marg was born in Melbourne. She trained as a primary school teacher and taught at two schools in Melbourne. Her first call was to become a Methodist Deaconess. She was ordained in 1965. That year Marg also met and married Warren Schrader, a widower with seven children, and moved to Christchurch.Marg is a lifelong learner. She has taken opportunities to train whenever they arise. She has been co-director of the Wellington Marriage Guidance council, a spiritual director and a parish minister. Following Warren's death, Marg set up The Still Point community in Palmerston North. She shared responsibility for leading it with two catholic sisters. Marg became the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand. As Moderator, Marg's theme for the 1995 Assembly was One Bread, One Body. Her leadership was both strong and caring as the church discussed topics like embracing LGBT people in leadership roles and sexual abuse. This book includes Marg's reflections on how sexual abuse affects women's image of God, spiritual abuse, interpreting dreams, and her experiences of spiritual retreats. In recent years, Marg has been called to support interfaith ministry. She has explored Buddhist and other types of spirituality. And she has served as Pastoral Minister with local L'Arche communities in the Kapiti area. When asked about her life, Marg says, "The most important thing I have done is bring up eight children. They are all amazing, good citizens, excellent partners and parents of their children, and all in really worthwhile jobs. I am so very proud of them." Throughout her ministries and life, Marg has always been willing to change and try new directions. God's call has underpinned each step. Marg has blessed all who have met and worked with her by spreading God's love in ever-widening circles.¿ ¿ ¿Review by Garth Cant in Touchstone February 2024, page 15"This book deserves a diversity of readerships. It is personal; the story of the ever-unfolding life of one who has been a primary school teacher, and Methodist Deaconess in Australia; then wife, mother to eight children, minister, and Moderator of PCANZ. The author has packed love, excitement, compassion and adventure into her life.If you are Presbyterian, Methodist, or more widely ecumenical in New Zealand Marg's story will delight you. If you are local church or have given up on your local or national church, this book will resonate in all sorts of ways. If you have lived for eight or more decades, or engage with parents or grandparents in that cohort, you will be in for shared adventures and new insights.Parts move rapidly and are compulsive reading. For anyone who has been sexually or spiritually abused by a clergyman, church leader, or fellow Christian, chapters 11 and 13 explore the effects of sexual and spiritual abuse. If you are a minister, lay preacher or youth leader seeking to make church safe, inclusive, and wholesome, these chapters are essential reading.The book covers a range of topics from the nurturing and mutuality of Marg working with Sister Judith Ann O'Sullivan and Sister Yvonne Munro to create The Still Point retreat centre; to the multiple challenges and opportunities when the author was Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand in 1995 and 1996.Chapter titles include Moderator's Memories, Dreams and Dream Therapy.The theme "Ever-Widening Circles" takes us to where Marg is now. The book concludes with the author enjoying her life in Kapiti as it continues in new, quietly exciting, and convivial ways."

Worship leaders, this engaging collection of prayers will support your work of creating meaningful services that reflect the church year in our part of the world.Joy provides prayers for many different purposes: Gathering - Candle lighting - Thanksgiving - Intercession - Petition - Confession - Assurance - Illumination - Offering - Blessing - Commissioning. In Aotearoa New Zealand the church year begins in early summer, harvest comes during the fast of Lent, and we celebrate Easter not when life is emerging anew in a burst of spring flowering but when leaves are turning red and gold and falling to the ground. The prayers and poems in this collection have been arranged to reflect the cycle of the seasons as we experience them, and the church's feasts and fasts, and other commemorations, as they occur within those seasons. To lead a congregation in worship is both a great privilege and a great responsibility. Prayer is a vital part of public worship. Many of the prayers are responsive, giving congregation members an opportunity for more active involvement in the service. The poems for personal reflection are ideal for printing on the front cover of an order of service or within a church bulletin.Joy's hope is that this book will be a useful resource for worship leaders, providing just the right words when they need them, and that they, and others who happen to open these pages, may find within sparks of inspiration to ignite their own devotional creativity.

Lay preachers, clergy and worship leaders, are you looking for new prayers and liturgy to refresh your worship and engage your congregations? Do you want worship-tested liturgy that honours southern hemisphere seasons? Does your congregation enjoy responsive prayers? Then this extensive collection of new material by a longstanding New Zealand Lay Preacher is just what you need. Many types of liturgy are included: ¿ Opening / Gathering ¿ Candle lighting¿ Praise / Thanksgiving¿ Intercession¿ Confession¿ Illumination¿ Offering dedication¿ Blessing¿ Commissioning¿ MeditationThe 326 entries are divided into three parts:1. The Liturgical Year2. The Season of Creation3. Social ThemesTo help you easily find the best liturgy for your next service, the book includes a comprehensive Table of Contents and a full Scripture Index.Many of the entries are suitable for devotions at the start of church meetings. Readers will also find plenty of stimulating material to support their personal devotions.

The natural world is crying out for our loving attention. Does your church or community group want to get involved but don't know where to start? The contributors to this book explore the issues, share their personal visions, and offer practical ideas that your church or group can act on today. Awhi Mai Awhi Atu tells the stories of 30 women, living in Aotearoa New Zealand from many cultures, who are leading in environmental action. Through their experience a powerful story emerges of God at work in a rich diversity of ways. Awhi Mai Awhi Atu documents the emergence of a dynamic mission movement, and builds that movement with practical, creative ideas and resources. It includes: Vibrant stories of hope and creativity in the face of local and global problems81 action points which provide practical tools for churchesA wealth of prayer and poetry that connects heart and soulDiscussion of theology in ecological mission. Now, more than ever before, God is calling the church to care for God's creation.

What is life like for aid workers who gather from around the world to serve refugees who have fled their homes due to famine, political unrest, and disasters? Kiwi nurse-midwife, Barbara Walker - who spent 20 years working for international aid agencies - shares her dramatic, heart-rending, and inspiring stories of the situations she faced and the people she sought to help.From the Sakeo One Refugee Camp in Thailand, where she cared for those fleeing Pol Pot''s regime in Cambodia in a make-shift bamboo-framed field hospital, to her last placement in Mozambique that ended due to a death threat, Barbara''s Christian faith gave her strength and kept her focussed.We also learn of Barbara''s early life in New Zealand, and her later call to ordained ministry as a chaplain when she returned after serving overseas.Barbara hopes that her story will inspire and encourage all who read it to think outside the square and seek to make a difference in the world in which we all live. Post COVID-19, we all have a chance to move forward, working together to address the inequalities which she has seen around the world and here in her country of Aotearoa New Zealand. We cannot make changes alone, but by listening, sharing, building trust, and working in partnership, we can make a difference for all. It''s up to us all.