The Witness magazine - this is a test.

1. W I T N E S S
T H E
Te K i t e n g a - Te A m o r a n g i O W h a k a t ū
S U M M E R / A U T U M N 2 0 2 2 N E L S O N A N G L I C A N D I O C E S E
G A T H E R • G R O W • G O

2. 2
M U R C H I S O N

3. 3
Contents M Y J O U R N E Y T O WA R D
O R D I N AT I O N
Rev Alice Kinyua
D I S C I P L E S H I P
PAT H WAY
Rev Brad Wood
R E C O N C I L I AT I O N
Dr Rebecca Burgess
G R I E F
Jackie Simmons
T A K E M Y L I F E
Rosemary Francis
C H A R A C T E R S O F O U R
C A L E N D A R
Petra Oomen
G AT H E R I N G I N
Peter Wetherall
V I S I O N / M I S S I O N /
S T R AT E G Y
Bishop Steve Maina
‘ T H O S E A N N O Y I N G
P I O N E E R S ’
Rev Spanky Moore
E VA N G E L I S M F O R
N O R M A L P E O P L E
Nathan Hughes
A P P O I N T M E N T S A N D
C H A N G E S
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36
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4. 4
To see the Anglican Diocese of Nelson as a
growing all-age whānau of disciples on the
adventure of sharing Jesus Christ across
the Top of the South and to the world
We cultivate vibrant local communities
of faith to radiate the Good News of Jesus
Christ to the world around them
V I S I O N
M I S S I O N

5. 5
S T R A T E G Y
G A T
H
E
R
G
R
O
W
G
O
The tyranny of the urgent plagues
our culture, and we in the Church
are not immune. In fact, ministries
– which exist because we’re
passionate about loving God and
serving others – often get pulled
in so many directions that strategy
gets buried somewhere along
the way.
As we launch into 2022 it’s a good
time to pause to consider where we
are headed and how we’re going to
get there. By now, with New Year’s
Day well behind us, many of us will
be remembering that New Year’s
resolutions don’t really work. So
often we come up with surface-
level changes we want to make –
lose 10kgs, read every day, pray
more, spend more time with the kids
– without actually addressing the
deeper issues that have kept that
change out of reach. By February,
we’re discouraged.
Without vision, we all lose our way.
It’s why I wanted to take this time
to reflect on our vision, mission
and strategy. Vision is about the
Why. Mission is the What. Strategy
is the How.
It’s important to not just know what we
should do, but the Why behind it – the Why
motivates, the Why keeps us on track, the
Why brings a sharpness to what we actually
do. The What takes that broad vision and
frames the ways we’ll approach it. Only then
are we ready for strategy: How we’re to live
it out.
The previous page captures where we feel
God is leading us as a diocese. That’s the
vision we hope will undergird all we do.
(You’re welcome to cut it out and hang it
somewhere as a reminder.) But how are we
going to go about it? That’s where Strategy
comes in.
An article by Bishop Steve Maina

6. 6
Go
G A T H E R > G R O W
> G O
T H E L E A D E R S H I P
P A T H W A Y
You’ve no doubt heard me share our
Gather, Grow, Go strategy. It’s simple
and catchy – but be reassured, it’s much
more than just buzz words. I’m convinced
we’re at a crucial juncture in our Church’s
life. And I’m certain that where we put
our energy over the next five years will
Jesus told the Apostles to go, promising
that he’d remain with them as they
launched a Good News movement that
has over time continued to adapt in order
to faithfully represent him to the ends of
the earth. (See Matthew 28:16-20; Acts
1:1-11.)
Go is about having a clear Leadership
Pathway. It’s about identifying and
investing in people with the character,
competence, capacity and call of
leadership on their lives – whether
ordained or not – and releasing
resources to empower them. Our
We’re committed to:
• developing leaders who can help move the Church forward and see it grow
• empowering pioneering leaders to help expand God’s Kingdom in fresh and
compelling ways through the launching of new communities
determine our health – perhaps even our
existence – in the following decades.
Under God’s gracious guidance, we need
to urgently raise up a new generation of
missionaries, disciples and leaders. So,
in light of our Why and What, let’s recap
our How. In each case I’ll also offer a
few specific plans of how this is going to
happen. This time, we’ll start with Go.
Church must raise up leaders from all
generations who are activated to be
catalysts for change within the Church
and leaders of Kingdom transformation
within our neighbourhoods.
6

7. 7
T H E D I S C I P L E S H I P
P A T H W A Y
We’re committed to:
• continuing to produce high-calibre video resources that help equip individuals and
groups to understand and live out their callings
• making transformational Christian coaching increasingly accessible and training
people to deliver it
• promoting the best available disciple-making tools for small groups of different
ages, cultures and traditions
• encouraging every Anglican community of faith to have a workable plan for growing
disciples who grow disciples in their local community
Grow
Jesus transformed the lives of those first
apostles, who then went on, empowered
by the Holy Spirit, to grow the Church
by growing disciples who would grow
disciples. Paul’s prayer in Colossians
1:9-10 shows how growing, producing
• identifying, developing, and releasing ‘everyday people’ who are called to live
mission-shaped lifestyles in their neighbourhoods
• developing a ‘leadership ecosystem’ that will cultivate future leaders for the Church
‘good fruit’, and knowing God deeply
are all intertwined. God invites us to
grow in faithfulness and fruitfulness.
Sometimes the growth will be obvious,
but often it’s slow and gradual. The key is
to be intentional. It’s so easy to become
distracted by the daily grind and to forget
the gritty habits needed to continue
growing.
Grow is our Discipleship Pathway. It’s
about teaching, training and equipping
everyday disciples who are growing
deeper in their faith and in their
unique calling to express it within the
world. We want to see every Christian
supported and growing, and for disciple-
making to be foundational to everything
we do.
7

8. 8
T H E M I S S I O N
P A T H W A Y
We’re committed to:
• continuing to develop a network of pioneers who are actively seeking to create
faith communities among groups who are resistant to traditional models of church
• working to make evangelism something everyday believers feel encouraged and
equipped to participate in
• identifying, training, and empowering people with a heart for the last, the least, the
lonely and the lost
• ensuring that each Anglican community of faith is aware of its unique call to re-
contextualise the Gospel into their unique context
Gather
Jesus was always on the lookout for people he
could gather to receive healing, to hear truth and
to be drawn into God’s family.
Gather is our Mission Pathway. It’s about the
teaching, training and equipping of both
everyday disciples and pioneer leaders to gather
the ungathered in practical ways. Our Church
must remain a faithful vessel for God’s mission
to bless the world with the Good News of Jesus
across all spheres and stages of life.
This Witness is focused again on the theme of Gather. Why? Because gathering the
ungathered is something that Christians across the Western world seem to find
increasingly challenging, but without it there simply won’t be a Church here in the
future! It’s therefore a challenge we need to take seriously, not least because God IS at
work, gathering in ways and amongst peoples that were once inconceivable.
Gathering again

9. N A M E
A G E C O N TA C T
Colour for fun or enter our competition! What’s the prize? A $30
Manna Bookshop voucher! Anyone is eligible, from toddlers to
nonagenarians. Deadline March 31.
To enter, send your completed masterpiece by mail to: The Anglican Centre, PO Box 100, Nelson. Or scan and email it to: comms@nelsonanglican.nz

10. ‘ T H O S E A N N O Y I N G
P I O N E E R S ’
One of the podcasts I love the
most is called ‘How I Built This’.
It has almost nothing to do with
faith, and yet I find it one of the
most inspiring things when it
comes to thinking about living
out my Christian calling. How can
this be? The host interviews a
well-known founder, innovator or
entrepreneur behind some of the
world’s best known companies.
You hear how they got started out
in life, where they got their big
business idea from, how close
they came to total failure, and
hear about those key moments
when things finally fell into place
and they got their big break.
Billion dollar airbeds
One of my favourite episodes is
with Joe Gebbia, the founder of
the multi-billion dollar accom-
strangers would ever feel safe
staying in another stranger’s
house. ‘We just couldn’t wrap
our heads around air mattresses
on living room floors as the next
hotel room’, reflects one investor
who rejected the idea in those
early days.
In fact, when the idea had
grown into a small, struggling
company, they got so desperate
for money that they began selling
US election-themed cereals –
Obama O’s and Cap’n McCains –
which kept them afloat just long
enough to see things take off.
Nowadays the company is worth
around 75 billion dollars, and
over 800 million people have now
stayed a night at an Airbnb listing
– proving those early critics
dead wrong.
I love stories like these because
they remind me that the world
desperately needs innovators
and entrepreneurs who are willing
modation company AirBnB. In late
2007 Gebbia was unemployed,
struggling to meet rent and
looking for ways to earn extra
cash. He noticed that all the hotel
rooms in his city were booked
out for a big conference, and
saw an opportunity. He bought
a few airbeds and quickly put
up a website called ‘Air Bed
and Breakfast’. The idea was to
offer visitors a place to sleep
with breakfast in the morning.
The idea worked, and the first
Airbnb guests were three people
sleeping on his floor, paying $80
for the privilege.
He realised he was onto
something, but the young
upstart couldn’t get any funders
with deep pockets to invest in
the idea. No-one believed that
The world
desperately
needs
innovators and
entrepreneurs
who are willing
to challenge
the status quo
Spanky Moore | Pioneering Enabler
10

11. to challenge the status quo – and
that the Church is in desperate
need of them too! We live at a
time when there’s a real need for
community, hope and the Good
News. And yet for many people,
the Church and Christian faith
isn’t the default spiritual home
for these longings in the way it
perhaps used to be. Yes, we need
faithful communities, but we also
need pioneering leaders who are
conventional church life. They’re
the ones who feel energised by
Bishop Steve’s challenge for
our Diocese to release pioneers
to ‘gather the ungathered’ into
discipleship communities.
What’s better: The Centre or
the Edge?
How are we to hold together new
expressions of church with more
traditional models? I like to think
of the relationship between a
lake and a river. Without a river
bursting out and taking new
ground, a lake will stagnate and
die. But without a flourishing lake
giving of itself and maintaining a
healthy flow, the river will soon
dry up. The same goes for our
more established churches at
the centre of our communities,
and those more experimental
willing to try out some entirely
new ideas too.
A part of my role in the Nelson
Diocese as the Pioneer Ministry
Developer is to find, form, equip,
release and encourage these
spiritual pioneers, so they can
start new things and break new
ground. Pioneers are often people
who don’t mind taking risks for
the Kingdom, who are more
comfortable on the ‘edges’ of
Pioneers are
often people
who don’t
mind taking
risks for the
Kingdom,
who are more
comfortable on
the ‘edges’ of
conventional
church life
M Ā W H E R A N U I / G R E Y R I V E R , B R U N N E R
11

12. missional communities that seek
to flow wherever the land breaks
easiest.
One of the challenges our Church
faces is making sure those at
the ‘Centre’ of church life, and
those pioneers who are called
to the ‘Edge’ can find ways to
understand, respect and support
each other. Leaders who are
drawn to the edge often feel the
‘centre church’ is too slow moving
– resistant to new ideas and
scared of trying new things. The
Centres often feels like pioneers
are blow-hard mavericks with big
talk and big ideas, but who never
stick around long enough. But
a sign of maturity is when both
Centre and Edge realise they need
each other, that they just have
different God-given giftings and
callings within God’s Kingdom.
probably stirring something up
in them. So if you have a pioneer
in your context, please look past
the immaturity and annoyingness,
and with an open heart sincerely
ask God to show you what God
is wanting to do through your
annoying pioneer’.
I wonder if you identify a bit with
being a pioneer, feeling an inkling
that you might, perhaps be called
to try something new, to gather
the ungathered, to break new
ground, and to take a risk with
God for his Kingdom? If you are,
I’d love to hear from you! And
if that’s not you, but you know
someone who might be, I’d love
to hear about them!
Drop me an email:
pioneers@nelsonanglican.nz
Finding space for ‘those
annoying pioneers’
Paul Milson is a Pioneer leading
Waimea Parish on a missional
adventure. ‘For people who
are not pioneers, pioneers are
usually just really annoying,
with all their angst about what’s
not working well and wanting to
disrupt the status quo with what
pioneers would purport to be “a
new thing that God is wanting
to do”’, says Paul. But he has
some advice. ‘Yes, pioneers can
be annoying. And yes, God is
A sign of maturity
is when both
Centre and Edge
realise they need
each other

13. 13
now it springs forth,
do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness
and rivers in the desert.
Behold, I am doing
a new thing;
I S A I A H 4 3 : 1 9

14. A few months back a guy called
Daz Chettle came to Nelson
to lead some evangelistic work-
shops. As a part of the training,
Daz and his team headed down
to Richmond Mall. A 90-second
video clip that circulated online
shows Daz jumping up on a
chair, telling surprised food court
munchers that Jesus loves them,
and offering a quick rendition
of Amazing Grace before being
booted out by security.
I don’t tell this story to poo-poo
Daz. I tell the story because I
think Daz embodies what most
of us Christians think about
evangelism. See, my theory is
that not only do most of us look
at Daz’s courage and directness,
and think, ‘I could never do that’.
We take it one step further: ‘I’m
not like Daz. If Daz has the gift of
evangelism, I obviously don’t. I
think I’ll leave this faith-sharing
stuff to the “gifted” folk’.
Finding your style
Intervarsity in the States has a
very different take on evangelism
than the one I’ve explained. They
reckon that the New Testament
shows us at least nine different,
valid forms of evangelism. I’ve
done my best to explain the
types here.
Looking at all these different
styles it’s pretty easy to see
why faith-sharing can be such
a tricky business. What would
happen, though, if we spent less
time comparing, feeling guilty or
looking down our noses at other
people’s attempts, and instead
got comfortable with our own
style or styles?
The topic of evangelism often
makes us squirm. But it doesn’t
have to. 1 Peter 3:15 challenges
us to ‘Always be prepared to
give an answer to everyone who
asks you to give the reason for
the hope that you have’. Faith-
sharing isn’t an optional part
of being a Christian. What is
optional, though, are the ways
we give those answers. It’s good
news for me to know I don’t need
to be like Daz. And Daz would
probably be relieved he doesn’t
need to be like me!
E VA N G E L I S M F O R
N O R M A L P E O P L E
Nathan Hughes | Community Ministries Enabler
14

15. In Acts 2, Peter speaks to a
massive crowd on the day of
Pentecost. His talk has three
points: God sent the Messiah.
You killed him. You’re in big
trouble. And the response?
Three thousand people
become believers.
From other parts of the
Gospels, we’ve seen Peter’s
‘let’s call it a spade’ approach
before. Proclaimers (like Peter
and Daz) have a sense of
simplicity and urgency about
their communication style.
They remind us that God loves
us, that Jesus died for our sins,
and that people need to hear
this Good News.
Proclamation
After a strange and miraculous
encounter with Jesus (John
4), the Samaritan woman ran
back to her village and told the
people, ‘Come see a man who
knew all about the things I did,
who knows me inside and out’
(my paraphrase of verse 29).
John tells us that the people
came streaming from the
village to meet him.
The beauty of the invitation
style is that it’s so simple.
According to Dr Thom Rainer,
82% of unchurched people
are at least somewhat likely to
attend church if invited.
Invitational
15
In Acts 17, Paul is chatting with
the Athenian philosophers.
And when you talk with
philosophers, you talk ideas.
Paulusesreason,compliments,
quotes poetry and connects
with the Athenian worldview.
In short, he tries to explain the
life and work of Jesus to make
sense of his hearer’s culture
and context.
This is evangelism too!
And
those of us who, like Paul,
love debating and playing
with ideas need to realise
this also is an essential
evangelistic style.
Intellectual

16. In Acts 7, Stephen is put on
trial before the high council.
Instead of doing the Kiwi thing
of apologising and saying he
won’t do it again, he gets bold
and calls the people out for
their stubbornness.
This style can resemble the
ministry of the prophets of
the Old Testament, who often
called out both individuals,
leaders and nations. Prophetic
people see the world in pretty
clear terms. The main thing
for them is faithfulness to
Scripture. Things are either
right or wrong, and they’re not
too worried if their strongly
held convictions hurt your
feelings.
Prophetic
16
In Acts 9, we hear the story
of Tabitha, who lived in a city
called Joppa. Tabitha was
like the Mother Theresa of her
town. People were so upset
when she died that they went
and found Peter, who brought
her back to life!
It’s often been pointed out that
evangelism and social justice
are far better collaborators
than enemies. People like
Tabitha lend credibility to both
the church and the gospel
message.
Serving
John chapter 9 tells us a story
about a blind guy that Jesus
heals. Suddenly our formerly
blind friend finds himself
hauled before the Pharisees
and ensnared in a theological
brawl about whether or not it
should be legal to heal on the
Sabbath. The man’s response
is quite beautiful: ‘I know
nothing about that one way or
the other. But I know one thing
for sure: I was blind ... I now
see’ (v25).
The testimonial style is very
different to proclamation or
intellectual styles. This one
is for those of us who don’t
do theories, who don’t love
debating, who don’t want to get
in people’s faces. The ‘I don’t
know about all that other stuff.
This is what I know: I was lost,
now I’m found’ is a perfectly
appropriate evangelistic style.
T
estimonial

17. Think of how often Jesus could
have shared complicated
philosophical arguments
but instead shared stories.
Throughout the Gospels he
reaches for parables, drawn
from the nitty-gritty of real
life, to draw attention to
deep truths.
While the intellectuals love
ideas, and the prophetic
types focus on biblical truth,
storytellers love the narrative.
They are less worried about
the black and white and more
interested in metaphor and
analogy. Talk to an artist or
poet and they’ll tell you that
the medium is as important as
the message. Are we telling
our story with creativity? Is
it vibrant? Is it gritty? Does it
touch the hearer’s emotions?
Storytelling
In Luke 5, Jesus calls Matthew
to leave his tax booth and
follow him. The next thing we
know, Matthew is hosting a
party where he invites both
Jesus and his tax collector
mates. What a great idea!
This style is one for those of
us with the gift for hospitality.
Rosaria Butterfield has this
to say: ‘Hospitality is about
opening up your heart and
your home, just as you are, and
being willing to invite Jesus
into the conversation, not to
stop the conversation but to
deepen it’. Personally, I’m not
particularly gifted in this style.
But I’m working on it because
I reckon this – at least in
Aotearoa – is one of the most
powerful and relevant forms of
faith sharing we can engage in.
Interactive
On a regular afternoon visit
to the temple, Peter and John
are drawn to a disabled man
begging (Acts 3:1-11). To his
surprise, rather than sending
him away with some money, he
walks away...walking!
This is a very different style
again. Power encounter folks
are concerned most of all with
the work and leading of the Holy
Spirit. They remind us that God
is still at work today, healing
and redeeming. It doesn’t need
to be big and loud either – it
might be a quiet prayer for a
sick colleague, or responding
to a ‘Holy Spirit nudge’ to talk
to someone, or the sense to
bring up something specific in
a conversation.
Power
17

18. 18
Appointments & Changes
In November eight people were ordained as priests/
presbyters in the Nelson Cathedral, pictured above
left to right: Deolito Vistar Jr (St Christopher’s
Blenheim South), Marie-Jeanette van der Wal
(Picton), Stephen Gully (Hospital Chaplain), Alice
and Joseph Kinyua (St Stephens Tāhunanui), John
Phillips (Awatere Joint Venture), Gordon Taylor (All
Saints Nelson), Paul Milson (Brightwater).
On the next page, Alice shares her ordination story
to capture what a calling into ordained ministry can
be like.

19. 19
Deolito Vistar Jr began leading
the Blenheim South Parish in
September. His wife, Guan,
has initiated an exciting new
ministry called the Marlborough
Chinese Fellowship.
The first time someone told me
to join a church-based internship
programme, I laughed. That was
many moons ago. I had never
dreamt of working in the Church.
It didn’t even feature in my
nightmares! But the joke was on
me. Not long after, I decided to
try out the internship. I must say
that going to get an application
form from the very person I had
laughed at was very humbling.
Story for another day!
In a surprising twist of events,
the day I was due to start the
internship I also received a job
offer to go work for one of the
fastest growing banks in Kenya.
I was in a dilemma. The church
internship was a non-paying
volunteer position. The job at the
bank was going to come with a
good salary and other attractive
perks. I grew up in a family of
five kids and a solo dad, having
lost my mum at the age of seven.
Cash was always tight. I was fresh
out of uni and the idea of earning
money to help out at home was
the smart thing to do. The money
would have also helped me pay
for my master’s degree as at that
time I was hoping to pursue Public
Health Science.
So I did what any Christian would
do. I went to the Lord in prayer
asking for direction. I was hoping
for a sign to help me choose. But
I remember clear as day, the Lord
saying to me ‘Alice, whichever
way you go I will bless you’. The
scripture that came to mind was
Psalm 24:1 - ‘The earth is the
LORD’s, and everything in it. The
world and all its people belong
to him’ (NLT). To me this meant
that I could serve God and God’s
people anywhere. Whichever
career I got, it belonged to God.
I remember
the Lord
saying to
me, ‘Alice,
whichever way
you go I will
bless you’
M Y J O U R N E Y T O WA R D S
O R D I N AT I O N
Alice Kinyua | St Stephens Tāhunanui
Mari and Jon (along with Jake
and Rach) relocated from
Christchurch in October. Jon
is working in the diocese
office as Ministry Training and
Communications Coordinator.
Mari has become a youth
worker with Victory Church.

20. 20
After serving the Diocese as
Ministry Educator for 12 years,
Graham O’Brien became the
Dean of the Nelson Cathedral
in July.
was my husband!
But it wasn’t just the good team
that gave me confidence. I knew
that the Lord was with us. After
taking the vows, we were invited
to kneel down for the invocation
of the Holy Spirit. There is
something about kneeling down,
having someone lay hands on you
and hearing people around you
pray in ordinary words and also
in tongues. (Yes! Some Anglican
ministers pray in tongues!) That
part for me was the climax. I felt
an assurance of God’s presence.
This ministry is the Lord’s, not
mine. I wept as I surrendered my
life again to God. These ancient
words profoundly described my
tears: ‘You are my God. I can
neither add to your glory nor take
away from your power’.
A wife, a mother and a priest
in God’s Church: these are the
hats I wear every day. May I be
found faithfully using Scripture
as the tool of influence wherever
I go. I pray that together with my
husband, Kinyua, and the rest
of the team, we will continue to
faithfully share the word and the
love of God.
I was to use it as a pulpit for
sharing God’s word.
I chose the internship and went
ahead to pursue theological
training. My world of science
quickly faded away and I have
no regrets. 15 years later I still
enjoy serving among the Church.
I served for 10 years in Kenya
and later, when my husband and I
answered the call to move to New
Zealand, we served for five years
in a church in Whanganui.
Going through ordination was, for
me, an affirmation of this journey
that began as a young girl in
Kenya. At my ordination service
to the diaconate in August last
year, I was struck by the reminder
of what servanthood means.
The words, ‘Those responsible
for her training believe her to be
ready to be ordained deacon’
played in my mind over and
over. Those words humbled me.
They were echoed again at the
ceremony in November when the
representative from our parish
said that they believed I will serve
God well as a priest in the Church
of God. It is a declaration of trust.
I felt the weight of that trust.
One of the unique things about
my ordination was that I was part
of a team of eight going through
the process. We had two women
and about four different nation-
alities. I looked at each one of
them and I knew I was part of a
good team. After all, one of them
Watiri Maina was appointed
the vicar of Victory Church in
July after serving as part of the
interim leadership team.
John Phillips, along with his
wife Sara, have been leading
the community in Awatere
(Seddon) since October.

21. 21
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22. 22
W A I R A U VA L L E Y

23. D I S C I P L E S H I P PAT H WAY
Aotearoa is blessed to have many incredible
Christian leaders who have a deep desire to equip
the next generation. These leaders pass on skills
and tools through formats such as in-person
workshops, lectures, sermons and mentoring. Their
training sessions are truly a taonga of the Church
and have equipped thousands of disciples to live
out their call. But the challenge with these training
opportunities is that they often require travel, can
only be done at a specific time and cost to attend.
Seeds of an idea
In July 2020, after the first New Zealand lockdown,
a seed of a dream was planted. What would it look
like to take the knowledge, skills and tools shared
in these training sessions and package them into a
Brad Wood | Youth Enabler
23

24. digital form that could be accessed by anyone, at any
time, for free? So began the journey of Discipleship
Pathway. Over the following year, my team and I
invited a number of incredible ministry trainers to
have their skills recorded as digital classes, with
key elements broken into short videos. We’ve had
the privilege of creating some very special content
that will ensure, no matter where you are in New
Zealand, no matter the Traffic Light rating, no matter
what your church resources are, you and your team
can access high quality training. This is a resource
for all of God’s people.
We have started the journey of Discipleship
Pathway focusing on youth ministry skills and over
time we will release more classes which will provide
training for church leadership, children’s ministry
and forming disciples. We are at the very beginning
of this adventure and it’s been so great to see how
people have responded to it.
I am so thankful for the opportunity to manage this
project. To record and share these classes for free
is a huge blessing and I hope it will equip leaders
and disciples of Jesus throughout Aotearoa. There
have been so many amazing people giving their time
for this project and I want to give a special thanks
to our videographer and editor Petra Oomen. Her
creativity, skillset and hard work have been vital to
pulling off the Discipleship Pathway. I’d also like to
thank Bishop Steve, Graham O’Brien and Andrew
Burgess for their support and feedback throughout
the year. I am looking forward to what’s to come and
feel like this resource is a gift for the time we are
in. Because of the support, funding and input from
many different people, we now have a Kiwi training
resource that is contemporary, relevant, accessible,
high quality and free.
This is a resource for
all of God’s people
24
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25. D I S C I P L E S H I P P A T H W A Y
W W W . D I S C I P L E S H I P . N Z

26. 26
The gap between
discipleship
and
evangelism
needs to be reconciled

27. R E C O N C I L I AT I O N
If someone asked you to
summarise the gospel, what
would you say? What exactly is the
Good News? Of course, there are
many ways to talk about the Good
News of Jesus and it will often
depend on who we are talking to
as to what we might emphasise.
But I think, in the current climate
in Aotearoa New Zealand, and
even world-wide, there is a key
message right at the heart of
the gospel which is extremely
relatable. This message is about
reconciliation: ‘In Christ, God was
reconciling the world to himself’
(2 Corinthians 5:19).
The direction you’re heading
I asked my youth earlier in the
year: ‘What does reconciliation
mean? And what does it look
like in real life?’ The answers
came back: ‘Putting something
broken back together’ and
‘going on a journey in the right
In the story of the Bible these are
the key areas in which we need
reconciliation. The breakdown
in each of these areas is obvious
today. In fact, underlying them
all is the broken relationship with
God our Creator.
The role we play
2 Corinthians 5:17-18 says: ‘If
anyone is in Christ, they are a
new creation. The old has gone.
The new has come. All this is
from God who reconciled us to
himself through Christ and gave
us the ministry of reconciliation’.
What is so challenging to me in
this passage is the role we play
as Christians. Not only are we
reconciled, but we also have a
ministry or a service to offer the
word as reconcilers.
What does that mean? What does
a ministry of reconciliation look
like? One way to think about it is
living out and sharing the Good
News about how God deals with
direction’. I particularly liked the
grace contained in the second
comment. It’s not like we can do
this all at once...but we can head
in the right direction! Very often,
reconciliation is a process, and a
long one at that!
I also asked where they could see
evidence of brokenness. Being so
well taught ( ) they came up with
four areas. Genesis 3 notes all
these areas, and we observe the
spread of brokenness of all types
from Genesis 4-11.
Not only are
we reconciled,
but we
also have a
ministry or
a service to
offer the world
as reconcilers
Rebecca Burgess | Bishopdale College
• With God
Genesis 3:24
• With ourselves
Genesis 3:7
• With others
Genesis 3:16-17
• With creation
Genesis 3:18-19
27

28. our brokenness in each of these
four areas.
This ministry or service we have
in reconciling comes from the
place of our own reconciliation in
Christ. This is both encouraging
and challenging.
‘So, we are ambassadors for
Christ, since God is making his
appeal through us; we entreat you
on behalf of Christ, be reconciled
to God’ (2 Corinthians 5:20).
I invite you to reflect and pray:
In what ways could you serve
others by living out and sharing the
Good News about God’s power to
reconcile in all these areas?
Reconciliation is at the heart of
the gospel. The gap between our
own discipleship and evangelism
is smaller than you think! Let us be
reconciled to God and let us share
this ministry of reconciliation with
the world!
Where do I need to be reconciled to God?
In what ways could I trust God more? Is there anything in the way between us?
Where do I need to be reconciled to myself?
When/how do I dislike or reject myself?
Where do I need to be reconciled to others?
What relationships in my life could reflect the Kingdom of God more?
Where do I need to show care for creation more?
Am I taking seriously God’s calling on humanity to care for creation?
28

29. G R I E F
Grief has always been a part
of life. No one can escape the
grieving experience, for death
will surely touch each one of us.
The many wars through the years
have left painful gaps in families
as countries grieved the loss of
soldiers and support workers on
the battle fronts. Parents have
grieved the loss of an unborn,
an infant or a child. Many have
lost friends or colleagues and
all of us experience the loss of
parents and grandparents, aunts
and uncles.
own life three times. Following
Dad’s death, she was hospitalised
for a year.
My sister and I often speak of the
waywejusthadto‘getonwithlife’,
and we did. Counselling was not
mentioned, life just went on. We
rarely spoke of Dad in those early
days, especially around Mum,
as we didn’t want to upset her.
Basically, we buried, ignored, and
denied our grief. I did not know
how to acknowledge and process
my grief, which meant that there
were areas of deep emotional hurt
that tears didn’t seem to relieve.
It was only many years later that I
learned that grief is something to
be acknowledged, embraced and
worked through.
Learning to grieve
In November 2020 I had another
‘opportunity’ to deal with grief
when our beautiful daughter-in-
law of 29 years suddenly had a
seizure and collapsed from a brain
bleed. Friends and family around
the globe stormed the gates of
heaven pleading for a miracle of
healing, while doctors and nurses
fought to do everything to save
her. It was not to be. She moved to
heaven eight days later, leaving
a bereft husband and two young
adult children. This has been a
painful experience not only with
feeling our own loss of Sandy, but
also grieving for our son and our
grandchildren as they make their
own journey through grief.
In days past, grief was
acknowledged by a time of
bereavement, dark clothes,
closed curtains, time in quiet, as
those left behind acknowledged
and grieved their loss. They had
friends and family to offer words
of sympathy and kindness, but
grief counselling was largely
unknown.
When I was 18, my father died
suddenly at the age of 45. I had
left Nelson three months earlier
to work in Auckland, and I know
that many feelings overwhelmed
me and my younger sister at that
time as we processed (or not) this
great loss. Dad was the strength
of our family. He and Mum had
emigrated from England 13
years earlier, so we had no other
family support. My mother had
suffered from bipolar illness for
six years, and I would have been
so much more prepared if it was
her death being reported, as
she had already tried to take her
Grief is
something
to be
acknowledged,
embraced
and worked
through
Jackie Simmons | St Stephens Tāhunanui
29

30. This time we have handled things
differently. We have talked about
Sandy, reminisced with many
of our family, her family and her
friends, looked at wonderful
artwork she created and read
beautiful words that her friends
wrote about her. I have allowed
myself to feel the numbness,
acknowledge our loss, let the
tears fall, but most of all I have
remembered with joy the good
times we have enjoyed together.
We have so much to be thankful
for as we remember her. In fact,
gratitude has played a huge part
of this journey for me as I have
actively sought to thank God for
the many ways we saw his hand at
work before, during and after this
heartbreaking time.
We recognise the privilege we
have of praying for our loved ones
stand on the promise that ‘the
God of all comfort, who comforts
us in all our tribulation, [does so]
that we may be able to comfort
those who are in any trouble,
with the comfort with which we
ourselves are comforted by God’
(2 Corinthians 1:3-4).
People who have walked through
life experiences and handled
them well are equipped to bring
wisdom and comfort to others in
their time of need. Our sorrows
need not be wasted if we allow
God to bring his comfort and
healing to us, and then let him use
us to bring comfort to others.
If you are not sure how you can
help a person in their grief here
are a few dos and don’ts.
as they make their own journey
through grief, knowing that
God is the Faithful One who has
promised that ‘those who mourn
will be comforted’ (Matthew 5:4),
and that ‘He heals the broken-
hearted’ (Psalm 147:3).
As followers of Jesus we can take
great comfort in his Word. ‘We do
not grieve as those who have no
hope’, as the Apostle Paul wrote
in 1 Thessalonians 4:13. We have
the wonderful hope of eternal
life for our loved ones who die in
Christ, knowing that we will be
together again one day.
Comforting others
If we choose to face our grief
knowing that ‘God is able to
make all things work for good
to those who love God and are
called according to his purpose’
(Romans 8:28), we can also
We do not grieve as those who have no hope
Do Don’t
1 T H E S S A L O N I A N S 4 : 1 3
Take a pre-cooked meal or some home
baking
Ask if there is anything they need help with
(errands, transport, shopping etc.)
Offer a listening ear
Talk about the deceased, share a memory
or listen to theirs
Try to ‘cheer them up’ or ‘fix them’
Avoid them because you don’t know what
to say
Try to explain their loss – in other words,
don’t be a ‘Job’s comforter’
30

31. 31
This letter was written two months after the sudden death of Leah’s mother.

32. 32
T A K E M Y L I F E
The following is based on an
interview with Rex and Eileen
Guard who have faithfully served
the Blenheim community for
decades. Rex went to join the
cloud of witnesses in November
2021 before this article could be
published.
‘Take my life and let it be
consecrated Lord, to thee’
This is one of the grand old
hymns of our faith. It is a prayer in
which we are offering ourselves
completely to God and trusting
him to enable us to do his will,
in his way, and in his perfect
time. This is the prayer of one
caring couple who worshipped at
Nativity Church in Blenheim for
more than 70 years and who
continue planting seeds of the
gospel there.
Rex Guard would be 91 and
Eileen is in her eighties. They
were married at Nativity in 1950
and their three daughters were
christened there. While the girls
were young, both Rex and Eileen
taught Sunday School. Eileen
moved on to teaching teens in the
Bible Class, while Rex helped out
with baby-sitting the littlies.
When Eileen was asked for the
third time to join the church choir,
she did - and knows God is no
one’s debtor. At choir she met a
life-long friend and mentor, and
found a ministry in the church
choir that has kept her busy for
59 years. ‘When we say yes to
God’s call, he gives us much more
than we could ever imagine!’ she
explained.
‘Take my voice, and let me
sing ever, only for my King’
Eileen also took over the Junior
choir for a decade, during which
there was an anthem to learn
and sing every Sunday, and ten
different musical pageants to
present, one each Christmas.
When we
say yes to
God’s call,
he gives us
much more
than we
could ever
imagine!
Rosemary Francis | Nativity Church Blenheim

33. While raising her girls, Eileen
longed for fellowship and the
friendshipofotheryoungmothers.
She observed families bringing
babies for baptism, then falling
away from church as there was
no follow-up. When her children
were into school life, Eileen felt
a nudge from God, and with a
small group of praying women,
she asked Rev Mark Chamberlain
to give her the addresses of all
recently baptised infants. Boldly,
she went door-knocking to invite
mothers and infants to a weekly
morning tea. The praying women
had collected toys and baked for
the mothers.
Only five young mums turned
up for the first morning, but the
seed was sown and word spread.
Some mothers enjoyed a coffee
and chat, others went shopping
or had time to do other things
while Nativity’s ladies cared for
their toddlers. Rev Mark then
invited those mothers to share the
Scriptures. The Mums and Tots
outreach has continued to grow,
now numbering about 100 on any
one day, plus eight volunteers
caring for them.
‘Take my hands and let them
move at the impulse of thy love’
Rex served several years as
People’s Warden, and then as
Vicar’s Warden. During that time,
the Diocese decided to split
Nativity’s congregation in two. All
those living south of Muller Road
were included in the new stand-
alone congregation formed at St
Christopher’s Church, which took
over an existing building. Rex
recalls many hours of planning
with stalwarts of the organisation
of that division: Dr Bruce, Rev
David Pickering and Rev Gary
Darlington.
The latter two reverend gentlemen
also organised a Bishopdale
course of study in Blenheim,
and Eileen enjoyed both the
study and social interaction
over four years. They did
written assignments during the
week, and gathered together
for Saturday discussions. On
completion of the course, their
diplomas were presented by a
visiting archbishop from the UK.
‘Take my intellect and use
every gift as thou wilt choose’
After Rex’s time served as
Church Warden, he was a Synod
representative, and Eileen began
a Bible study group. The vicar
trained volunteer leaders for
similar groups and so began the
network of Care Cells which are
still so much part of Nativity’s
ministry. Eileen still enjoys the
warmth of a caring and sharing
cell group.
I asked Eileen what lessons she
and Rex have learned over their
lifetimes of service. Here is her
answer.
When God calls us to his service, he
will always provide what we need.
He enables us.
However much one might do in any
leadership role, know that there will
always be someone who can do it
better. Humility is required but we
also learn from our mistakes and
from others.
Prayer before making decisions is a
prerequisite!
Prayer while in any service is a
necessity.
Prayer for others we work with is a
privilege.
Know your own ‘use by date’ and
move on then.
As we pray ‘Lord, here I am, send
me’, God sometimes calls us to
service that is so challenging,
we know we can only obey in his
strength. We can’t say ‘no’.
‘Take my life, it is all thine, it
shall be no longer mine’
33

34. Tarore’s dad, chief Wiremu Ngākuku, was an evangelist, and Tarore herself
impressed crowds by reciting portions of the Gospels. She treasured her
own copy of the Gospel of Luke. Everywhere she went, it came too.
Tarore was only twelve when the war party attacked. Ngākuku found her
killed, laying in her tent. The book was gone. Contrary to cultural demand,
Ngākuku didn’t seek revenge for his daughter’s murder. ‘Do not rise up to
obtain satisfaction for her’, he said.
Tarore’s Gospel of Luke was in the hands of Paora Te Uita, the leader of the
attack. Eventually he had the book read and explained, and was radically
changed. Uita risked his life to make peace with Ngākuku. It’s said that
as the two approached each other, they shed tears and embraced. Māori
evangelists travelled across the country, Tarore’s book in hand, reaching
their own with the gospel of peace and a story of redemption.
T A R O R E 1824-1836 | October 19
C H A R A C T E R S F R O M
O U R C A L E N D A R
Petra Oomen | Communications team
In our treasured New Zealand Prayer Book, He
Karakia Mihinare o Aotearoa, we have our very own
calendar. It’s filled with what you’d expect: feasts,
holy days and the like - and saints’ days. Flicking
through the names, I realised that a good number
of them are from our own history. The development
of Christianity in our country was propelled by all
kinds of colourful characters, some of whom we
commemorate in the Calendar. These celebrations
are ‘a way for the Church today to participate’, says
the Prayer Book, ‘through memory and imagination,
in the work of the Holy Spirit in times past, and so be
strengthened in its own life and witness’.
Let’s take a look at some of the characters from
our history.
Try to imagine the stubborn streak that must have driven British-born Octavius.
Between the bitter political opposition he faced, his fervent encouragement
of Māori rights, his chronic illnesses that were thought to be terminal – not to
mention a few near-death river crossing experiences – his ministry wasn’t easy.
Despite all this, he was the first priest ordained in Aotearoa, became Bishop
of Wellington and eventually served as Primate of New Zealand. He travelled
across the country, sharing about Jesus, helping translate the Bible into te reo,
and fighting to protect the rights and culture of Māori in tumultuous times of
change. He even befriended great chief and warrior Te Rauparaha, convincing
him not to make a retaliatory attack on Wellington after the ‘Wairau Affray’.
O C T AV I U S H A D F I E L D 1814-1904 | December 11
34

35. Son of an Irishman and a Te Arawa chieftainess, Frederick Bennett’s formal
ministry began at Nelson’s very own All Saints, following an invitation from
Bishop Suter. At age fourteen his singing voice had caught the Bishop’s ear.
He studied theology and eventually became a deacon, then a priest. His work
in the Top of the South was far flung, from building a church in Motueka to
starting a school in Croisilles Harbour. Moving up north, Bennett became
renowned for his oratory prowess in both English and te reo. His heart was
for the Māori communities across the country, and he became involved in the
establishment of a Māori bishopric. Conflict on whether its bishop should be
Pākehā or Māori held back progress, but eventually Bennett was consecrated
‘Bishop of Aotearoa.’
F R E D E R I C K B E N N E T T 1871-1950 | May 23
Ruatara was at his lowest point, journeying to meet King George in England.
He suffered four years of abandonment, starvation and beatings in a series
of betrayals and mistreatment from ship to ship – and ultimately failed in
his quest. He stumbled into Samuel Marsden on the way to Sydney, who
nursed his body back to health, kindling a long-lasting friendship.
Ruatara became the senior chief of Te Puna and Rangihoua, and resolved
to help his people by sharing the skills and resources he’d gained from his
time abroad. His strange stories and wealth in tools and weapons were met
with equal parts respect and ridicule. He was also determined to protect
the first CMS missionaries - whom he invited to Aotearoa - taking risks to
ensure friendly relations between them and the people of the area.
At just 25, Suzanne Aubert abandoned France for the faraway shores of
New Zealand. Her six decades of dedicated work saw her as a missionary
among Māori, a carer for unwanted children and a social worker among
the urban poor. ‘I have come here for the Māoris’, she said to Bishop Croke
after being ordered to return to France. ‘I shall die in their midst. I will do
what I like’.
Her legacy was solidified when she founded The Daughters of Our Lady of
Compassion – an order that provided nursing services and opened homes
for the ill and handicapped. Her funeral in 1926 was said to be the largest
ever held for a woman in Aotearoa.
R UAT A R A
S U Z A N N E AU B E R T
1787-1815 | May 11
1835-1926 | October 1
35

36. In the centre of New York City the
geography is one of buildings.
The skyscrapers and office blocks
form their own canyons. Among
these canyons are the offices of
the Hispanic Society of America,
which promotes the appreciation
of Spanish culture and which
features a wonderful collection of
art by Spanish artists.
Most of these works, by renowned
artists such as Velázquez and
El Greco, are grand paintings of
kings and queens, countesses
and duchesses, whose jewellery
and costumes proclaim their
importance and status. But
alongside these, stored in sliding
wooden cabinets to protect them
from light, are a precious series
of small drawings by the artist
Francisco Goya, dating to about
1815.
One of these, a small brush
drawing entitled Regocijo (Joy),
depicts an elderly peasant couple
enjoying a dance, probably at
a wedding. In remarkably few
strokes Goya has shown the
twisting energy of their dance,
their celebration. We know they
are in a gathering but nothing else
is shown around them - their joy
and love is perfectly expressed
justinbeingtogether.Theirbodies
merge, unified in joy. Look at the
tenderness with which the couple
gaze at each other. This is a love
born of knowledge, knowledge
of each other, of shared trials and
hardships - shown in the rough
fabric of their clothing. Being
together is the cause of their joy.
The mercy and grace of our God
are most deeply expressed in
his desire to be with us. The very
history of salvation is the story
of God’s overwhelming desire to
gather people to himself.
After the separation caused by
sin, God first seeks to set a people
apart to himself, the Israelites. In
the book of the prophet Hosea this
desire for intimacy is expressed
as a betrothal. God speaks:
‘I will betroth you to me forever;
I will betroth you in justice
and righteousness; in love and
compassion’ (Hosea 2:19-20).
I can understand why God
would betroth himself in love
and compassion - we would
expect that of any bridegroom.
But why does he betroth
himself firstly in justice and
righteousness? Because justice
and righteousness can only be
served when Jesus pays the
penalty for the sins of the people
and enables the relationship with
God to be re-established. God’s
heartful longing for his people is
such that he is willing to sacrifice
his Son that Jesus may win his
Church, his sister, his bride to
himself (cf. Song of Songs 4:9).
Jesus, during his earthly ministry,
constantly draws people to
himself. He teaches people in
their spaces, the towns and
fields that surround them. He
reaches out his hands to touch
the untouchable, to heal the
leprous. He dines with the poor,
the downtrodden, the rejected.
He honours women, he calls little
children to himself. People are
amazed, not only by his miracles
and his teaching, but by his very
presence. He proclaims, not only
the manner of his death, but its
purpose: ‘But I, when I am lifted
up from the earth, will draw all
people to myself’ (John 12:32).
Jesus invites everyone, yes
everyone, to the great wedding
supper of himself and his bride.
G AT H E R I N G I N
Peter Wetherall | Holy Trinity
Māwhera
The mercy and
grace of our God
are most deeply
expressed in
his desire to be
with us
36

37. He desires every space at the
wedding to be filled (Luke
14:15-24). The unity, desired
in the Old Testament, is finally
brought to the wonderful reality
of a great multitude praising
God and rejoicing in heaven as
the wedding of the Lamb begins
(Revelation 19:6-9).
The fifth to last verse in the Bible,
Revelation 22:17 speaks of a
wonderful invitation:
‘The Spirit and the Bride say
“Come”, and let him who hears
say “Come”; whoever is thirsty, let
him come and whoever wishes let
him take the free gift of the water
of life’.
This is a threefold invitation: the
Spirit, the bride and those who
hear all say: ‘Come’.
Have we heard the message?
Then we are commanded to
speak. Who to? To those who
have not heard.
It is not too late. It is not too late
to speak, it is not too late to act,
it is not too late to save. Blessed
are they who are invited to the
wedding supper of the Lamb. Like
our old couple, they will dance
with joy!
Who will you invite?
37

38. 38
B R O O K W A I M Ā R A M A S A N C T U A R Y , N E L S O N

39. 39
R E M I N D E R
Each week we send an email newsletter called Kōrero. This has become a key
way for us to communicate across the diocese.
If you’re not already signed up, do so here:
nelsonanglicans.com/signup
We have invited these writers to share their experiences, ideas and opinions in the hope that readers will be inspired to engage
more with the things of God. These articles should not be quoted as the official view of the Diocese on any particular matter.
We’re deeply grateful to everyone who has contributed to this edition of
Witness: the writers, the photographers, those who offered time checking
and proofreading.
We’re also grateful to everyone who has been serving across the diocese over
the past year, faithfully and diligently continuing to do what God has called
you to in a time of instability and unpredictability. We particularly want to
celebrate those in leadership positions, who have spent over a year trying to
make very difficult decisions while still offering care and spiritual nourishment
for God’s people.
Last but not least, we want to thank each and every person across the diocese:
it’s been a difficult year for all of us, and we celebrate you for holding on and
seeking to be faithful despite the challenges you have felt. We pray that you
will know God’s smile throughout 2022 (Numbers 6:24-26).
Arohanui,
Claudia Wood, Jon Slack and Petra Oomen

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