ISSUE TWENTY-EIGHT – FEB/MAR 2014

Diocese of Christchurch

Fruitful Orange PipsWelcoming Children

Stepping Out in Faith in the Music Industry

Waging Debate

Living Below the Line

AnglicanINVITING / FORMING / SENDING / SERVINGanglicanlife.org.nz

He Oranga Mihinare

1AnglicanLife Issue 28

WORDS: +VICTORIA MATTHEWS PHOTO CREDIT: FIONA SUMMERFIELD

Young Leaders

As I travel about the Diocese of Christchurch, I have to say that many of our parish congregations are filled with people well into retirement age. These are wonderful folk and I am delighted, even over-joyed, that they are Anglican. Their contribution to the life of the church is outstanding. However many parishes lack a distinct congregation that has a much younger demographic. Some do, but not nearly enough. So I write at this time to again remind you of our Strategic Plan priority ‘Young Leaders’.

Let me be clear, at the Diocesan level there are excellent programmes. I rejoice in the nurture and growth offered by the Society of Salt and Light. I am encouraged by The Kiln, which focuses on young leadership development in both South Canterbury and Christchurch. Every one of our Anglican Schools has hundreds of young people in chapel services regularly. However, the real question is what is happening at the parish level? How is your parish growing young leaders for Jesus Christ? Is your parish encouraging a relationship with the living Lord amongst the younger members of the larger community? Listen to these verses from 2 Timothy:

Do not be ashamed, then, of the testimony of our Lord or of me his prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel, relying on

The Transitional Cathedral, Latimer Squarewww.christchurchcathedral.co.nz | admin@christchurchcathedral.co.nz | (03) 3660046

THE CATHEDRAL’S REGULAR SCHEDULE OF WEEKDAY SERVICES RESUMES IN FEBRUARY

‘FRIDAY 14 FEBRUARY AT 7.30PM: APPASSIONATA ~ A concert for Valentines’ Day with the Cathedral Choir, violinist Fiona Pears and UK Tenor Mark LeBrocq. tickets from ticketek

MARCH: exhibition of john badcock’s “stations of the Cross”

SEE THE CATHEDRAL WEB SITE FOR DETAILS OF ALL OUR SERVICES, CONCERTS & EVENTS

the power of God, who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace. This grace was given to us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Saviour Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel…..You then, my child, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus; and what you have heard from me through many witnesses entrust to faithful people who will be able to teach others as well. (2 Timothy 1.8-10; 2.1-2)

This Lent, many home groups will be studying the new book by Peter Carrell and Lynda Patterson on Discipleship in the Gospel of Matthew. A disciple is someone who knows Christ and wants others to know the Saviour too. Can you share your faith with someone who is young and perhaps does not know Christ? Ask your parish what more can be done locally to invite young people to faith in Christ.

Bishop’s Address

EDITORIAL

Contents ISSUE 28February/March 2014

BISHOP’S ADDRESS - Young Leaders 01

CURRENT EVENTS 02

PHOTO ESSAY - Living Below the Line 04

FEATURE: Welcoming Children 06

FEATURE: Fruitful Orange Pips 10

WORKPLACE: Waging Debate 14

DIALOGUE: Stepping Out in Faith in the Music Industry 16

LIFESTYLE 18

CLOSING ESSAY: Disagreeably 21

AnglicanLife is published bi-monthly by the Anglican Diocese of Christchurch.

Editor Fiona Summerfield

Contributing Writer Megan Blakie

Contributors +Victoria Matthews, Lyndon Rogers, Emma

Bevernage, Spanky Moore, Carolyn Robertson, Brian Carrell, Greta Yeoman, Rosie Staite, Peter Carrell, Brian Thomas, Marcus Thomas, Andrew

Spence, Louise Landess, Chris Grantham

Advertising Enquiries Ivan Hatherley – ihatherley@clear.net.nz

Editorial Enquiries Fiona@honestword.co.nz

Design – www.baylymoore.com

Printed by – Toltech Print

Sustainability – AnglicanLife is printed on recycled paper using vegetable-based inks.

Cover - Orange Pips was the nickname for those taught by Canon Orange, many of whom have been

influential in developing future generations of young leaders.

“The real question is what is happening at the

parish level?”

www.christchurchcathedral.co.nz | www.cardboardcathedral.org.nzCathedral Worship and Events | Details on our website

ChristChurch C a t h e d r a lTransitional

THE TRANSITIONAL CATHEDRAL

‘the history of christianity in ten objects’ series of sermons starts in october

the full weekly schedule of services has resumed

please see OUR web site for details and to download a copy of “cathedral Extra”

1AnglicanLife Issue 28

WORDS: +VICTORIA MATTHEWS PHOTO CREDIT: FIONA SUMMERFIELD

Young Leaders

As I travel about the Diocese of Christchurch, I have to say that many of our parish congregations are filled with people well into retirement age. These are wonderful folk and I am delighted, even over-joyed, that they are Anglican. Their contribution to the life of the church is outstanding. However many parishes lack a distinct congregation that has a much younger demographic. Some do, but not nearly enough. So I write at this time to again remind you of our Strategic Plan priority ‘Young Leaders’.

Let me be clear, at the Diocesan level there are excellent programmes. I rejoice in the nurture and growth offered by the Society of Salt and Light. I am encouraged by The Kiln, which focuses on young leadership development in both South Canterbury and Christchurch. Every one of our Anglican Schools has hundreds of young people in chapel services regularly. However, the real question is what is happening at the parish level? How is your parish growing young leaders for Jesus Christ? Is your parish encouraging a relationship with the living Lord amongst the younger members of the larger community? Listen to these verses from 2 Timothy:

Do not be ashamed, then, of the testimony of our Lord or of me his prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel, relying on

The Transitional Cathedral, Latimer Squarewww.christchurchcathedral.co.nz | admin@christchurchcathedral.co.nz | (03) 3660046

THE CATHEDRAL’S REGULAR SCHEDULE OF WEEKDAY SERVICES RESUMES IN FEBRUARY

‘FRIDAY 14 FEBRUARY AT 7.30PM: APPASSIONATA ~ A concert for Valentines’ Day with the Cathedral Choir, violinist Fiona Pears and UK Tenor Mark LeBrocq. tickets from ticketek

MARCH: exhibition of john badcock’s “stations of the Cross”

SEE THE CATHEDRAL WEB SITE FOR DETAILS OF ALL OUR SERVICES, CONCERTS & EVENTS

the power of God, who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace. This grace was given to us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Saviour Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel…..You then, my child, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus; and what you have heard from me through many witnesses entrust to faithful people who will be able to teach others as well. (2 Timothy 1.8-10; 2.1-2)

This Lent, many home groups will be studying the new book by Peter Carrell and Lynda Patterson on Discipleship in the Gospel of Matthew. A disciple is someone who knows Christ and wants others to know the Saviour too. Can you share your faith with someone who is young and perhaps does not know Christ? Ask your parish what more can be done locally to invite young people to faith in Christ.

Bishop’s Address

EDITORIAL

Contents ISSUE 28February/March 2014

BISHOP’S ADDRESS - Young Leaders 01

CURRENT EVENTS 02

PHOTO ESSAY - Living Below the Line 04

FEATURE: Welcoming Children 06

FEATURE: Fruitful Orange Pips 10

WORKPLACE: Waging Debate 14

DIALOGUE: Stepping Out in Faith in the Music Industry 16

LIFESTYLE 18

CLOSING ESSAY: Disagreeably 21

AnglicanLife is published bi-monthly by the Anglican Diocese of Christchurch.

Editor Fiona Summerfield

Contributing Writer Megan Blakie

Contributors +Victoria Matthews, Lyndon Rogers, Emma

Bevernage, Spanky Moore, Carolyn Robertson, Brian Carrell, Greta Yeoman, Rosie Staite, Peter Carrell, Brian Thomas, Marcus Thomas, Andrew

Spence, Louise Landess, Chris Grantham

Advertising Enquiries Ivan Hatherley – ihatherley@clear.net.nz

Editorial Enquiries Fiona@honestword.co.nz

Design – www.baylymoore.com

Printed by – Toltech Print

Sustainability – AnglicanLife is printed on recycled paper using vegetable-based inks.

Cover - Orange Pips was the nickname for those taught by Canon Orange, many of whom have been

influential in developing future generations of young leaders.

“The real question is what is happening at the

parish level?”

32 AnglicanLife Issue 28

LOCAL / NATIONAL / WORLD

Current eventsA Photographic Solution

WORDS: LYNDON ROGERS ILLUSTRATION: EMMA BEVERNAGE

Your house can really dampen your spirit some days. But what options does the law offer you, and thousands of other tenants, if your house is making your clothes, your carpet and your lungs damp too?Why do we say ‘thousands’ of tenants?

44% of New Zealand’s rental stock is in poor condition1.

One third of New Zealanders in rental accommodation feel their homes are damp or cold2.

Over 70% of children in poverty live in rental housing3.What does the law offer tenants who live in sub-standard housing?And how can you help?

Tenants can take their landlord to the Tenancy Tribunal when their house doesn’t meet minimal legal standards around cleanliness and disrepair. Tenants have a variety of options in the District Court as well.

But there is a brick wall that tenants keep running into in the Tribunal: they don’t have evidence from the start of their tenancy.

Here’s why that’s a problem: without evidence of what their property was like

at the start of their tenancy, tenants can’t show that it wasn’t them who caused damage to their house. If the tenant can’t show that it wasn’t them, then the landlord often doesn’t have to fix anything.

This means that the tenant’s lack of photo or video evidence means they keep living in a sub-standard home, and their landlord can avoid their responsibilities.

So just a few photos could really improve their health.Can you take photos?

Over 2014, the Anglican Social Justice Unit will launch RECORD your Rental. Imagine if any new tenant could go to their local Anglican church, a priest or parishioner photographs their new house with them, and they grab a coffee together afterwards. Help. Perhaps friendship. And a power imbalance corrected between

landlords and tenants. The Social Justice Unit will store the photos for the tenant to access again if they ever need to.

RECORD your Rental follows on from the Social Justice Unit’s 2013 report “Paper Walls: The law that is meant to keep rental housing healthy.” Paper Walls is the only comprehensive report on healthy housing law in New Zealand. It is written in plain language so that you, or anyone else, can read it easily. It even has pictures. Paper Walls is available online at www.paperwalls.org.

REFERENCES:

1. BRANZ, 2010

2. Productivity Commission

3. Perry, 2012

Worship for All Ages WORDS & PHOTO: ROSIE STAITE

Rosie Staite’s recently published book, “Tried and True Resources for All Age Worship”, sold half the print run in a month. It has gone from Kerikeri to Invercargill, and every city in between. Smaller places have seen its potential immediately. Why?

It has services and ideas, which have been effective to grow family worship in parishes. The ideas cover the church festivals, gospel themes and are liturgically structured using straight forward language. They can be adapted to suit any context.

The book was edited by Benjamin Brock-Smith from the Dunedin Diocese and the foreword was written by Julie Hintz, StraNdZ (Anglican Children and Families Ministry) Enabler.

The book is available from rosie_staite@xtra.co.nz and Epworth Books in Wellington.

There will also be an associated website, http://www.triedandtrue.org.nz, for downloading the appendices.

Positive emails have come from worship leaders and vicars, youth leaders and hospital chaplains.

SOME CHAPTER HEADINGS FROM THE BOOK...Are we trying to worship comfortably, or faithfully share the good news of Jesus?Jesus invited the children forward, blessed them, and challenged the adults present to think differently.Children need to be active, do concrete things, see and hear stories that stretch their understanding. Many adults learn better this way too. Really!It is not dumbing down theology. All Age services can be as theologically literate as any formal adult –centred service. They also change lives!Jesus met people where they were, and taught in language they could easily understand. There is a thin line between the holy and the ordinary.

“The tenant’s lack of photo or video evidence means they keep living in a sub-standard home,

and their landlord can avoid their responsibilities”

CURRENT EVENTS

The book arrived this morning – what a fantastic practical resource. – Vicar, auckland

Our young people love the Christmas play, and I’ve spent the morning using the worship ideas for our context. – Minister, tauranga

It really is a great resource for all people who are open to All-Age Worship. Relevant. Timely. It would especially be a helpful item for all new ordinands to have in their tool-box. – Priest, canterbury

I expected a good book, knowing you, but this is more than that. A heartfelt thank you for the detail and thought you have put into each subject so I can catch the way to get into the ideas. - Worship Leader, mid canterbury

Please send two more copies. Already had to give the first one away. – Methodist Leader

I am so pleased you have published some of your ideas. It is a great resource for ministers and leaders. – Kids Friendly Leaders, pcanz

Rosie Staite signing books for Neville and Indrea Alexander and Lynne Henderson at the Book Launch in Timaru

32 AnglicanLife Issue 28

LOCAL / NATIONAL / WORLD

Current eventsA Photographic Solution

WORDS: LYNDON ROGERS ILLUSTRATION: EMMA BEVERNAGE

Your house can really dampen your spirit some days. But what options does the law offer you, and thousands of other tenants, if your house is making your clothes, your carpet and your lungs damp too?Why do we say ‘thousands’ of tenants?

44% of New Zealand’s rental stock is in poor condition1.

One third of New Zealanders in rental accommodation feel their homes are damp or cold2.

Over 70% of children in poverty live in rental housing3.What does the law offer tenants who live in sub-standard housing?And how can you help?

Tenants can take their landlord to the Tenancy Tribunal when their house doesn’t meet minimal legal standards around cleanliness and disrepair. Tenants have a variety of options in the District Court as well.

But there is a brick wall that tenants keep running into in the Tribunal: they don’t have evidence from the start of their tenancy.

Here’s why that’s a problem: without evidence of what their property was like

at the start of their tenancy, tenants can’t show that it wasn’t them who caused damage to their house. If the tenant can’t show that it wasn’t them, then the landlord often doesn’t have to fix anything.

This means that the tenant’s lack of photo or video evidence means they keep living in a sub-standard home, and their landlord can avoid their responsibilities.

So just a few photos could really improve their health.Can you take photos?

Over 2014, the Anglican Social Justice Unit will launch RECORD your Rental. Imagine if any new tenant could go to their local Anglican church, a priest or parishioner photographs their new house with them, and they grab a coffee together afterwards. Help. Perhaps friendship. And a power imbalance corrected between

landlords and tenants. The Social Justice Unit will store the photos for the tenant to access again if they ever need to.

RECORD your Rental follows on from the Social Justice Unit’s 2013 report “Paper Walls: The law that is meant to keep rental housing healthy.” Paper Walls is the only comprehensive report on healthy housing law in New Zealand. It is written in plain language so that you, or anyone else, can read it easily. It even has pictures. Paper Walls is available online at www.paperwalls.org.

REFERENCES:

1. BRANZ, 2010

2. Productivity Commission

3. Perry, 2012

Worship for All Ages WORDS & PHOTO: ROSIE STAITE

Rosie Staite’s recently published book, “Tried and True Resources for All Age Worship”, sold half the print run in a month. It has gone from Kerikeri to Invercargill, and every city in between. Smaller places have seen its potential immediately. Why?

It has services and ideas, which have been effective to grow family worship in parishes. The ideas cover the church festivals, gospel themes and are liturgically structured using straight forward language. They can be adapted to suit any context.

The book was edited by Benjamin Brock-Smith from the Dunedin Diocese and the foreword was written by Julie Hintz, StraNdZ (Anglican Children and Families Ministry) Enabler.

The book is available from rosie_staite@xtra.co.nz and Epworth Books in Wellington.

There will also be an associated website, http://www.triedandtrue.org.nz, for downloading the appendices.

Positive emails have come from worship leaders and vicars, youth leaders and hospital chaplains.

SOME CHAPTER HEADINGS FROM THE BOOK...Are we trying to worship comfortably, or faithfully share the good news of Jesus?Jesus invited the children forward, blessed them, and challenged the adults present to think differently.Children need to be active, do concrete things, see and hear stories that stretch their understanding. Many adults learn better this way too. Really!It is not dumbing down theology. All Age services can be as theologically literate as any formal adult –centred service. They also change lives!Jesus met people where they were, and taught in language they could easily understand. There is a thin line between the holy and the ordinary.

“The tenant’s lack of photo or video evidence means they keep living in a sub-standard home,

and their landlord can avoid their responsibilities”

CURRENT EVENTS

The book arrived this morning – what a fantastic practical resource. – Vicar, auckland

Our young people love the Christmas play, and I’ve spent the morning using the worship ideas for our context. – Minister, tauranga

It really is a great resource for all people who are open to All-Age Worship. Relevant. Timely. It would especially be a helpful item for all new ordinands to have in their tool-box. – Priest, canterbury

I expected a good book, knowing you, but this is more than that. A heartfelt thank you for the detail and thought you have put into each subject so I can catch the way to get into the ideas. - Worship Leader, mid canterbury

Please send two more copies. Already had to give the first one away. – Methodist Leader

I am so pleased you have published some of your ideas. It is a great resource for ministers and leaders. – Kids Friendly Leaders, pcanz

Rosie Staite signing books for Neville and Indrea Alexander and Lynne Henderson at the Book Launch in Timaru

54 AnglicanLife Issue 28

Living Below the LineWORDS & PHOTOS: SPANKY MOORE

PHOTO ESSAY

During the last week of September last year, I lived on $2.25 a day as part of the Live Below the Line challenge. Why would I do such a horrible thing to myself? Well, along with hundreds of other people in New Zealand, people sponsored me and my church team to survive on what 1.4 billion of the world’s extremely poor face daily.

At 11.55pm, on the eve of the challenge, I found myself desperately ingesting anything I could get my hands on; chocolate bars, chips, mince on toast, peanut butter. But then my clock struck midnight and suddenly my diet changed to rice, oatmeal gruel, frozen vegetables and, for a special treat, a hard boiled egg.

By some cruel twist of timetabling over the week I found myself turning down two nosh up lunches. As my colleagues stuffed their faces with eggs benedict, I found myself buying a 2kg bag of Oats from Countdown and pushing down gruel instead. My relationship with Homebrand rolled oats became one of enduring love and hate.

Come the end of the week, and with over $5,000 of team donations raised by our St Christopher’s Avonhead young adults, I had a small taste of how demoralizing day-to-day living for so many extremely poor people must be. A KFC chicken tender isn’t waiting for them come midnight Friday, and the 5-day challenge never ends.

54 AnglicanLife Issue 28

Living Below the LineWORDS & PHOTOS: SPANKY MOORE

PHOTO ESSAY

During the last week of September last year, I lived on $2.25 a day as part of the Live Below the Line challenge. Why would I do such a horrible thing to myself? Well, along with hundreds of other people in New Zealand, people sponsored me and my church team to survive on what 1.4 billion of the world’s extremely poor face daily.

At 11.55pm, on the eve of the challenge, I found myself desperately ingesting anything I could get my hands on; chocolate bars, chips, mince on toast, peanut butter. But then my clock struck midnight and suddenly my diet changed to rice, oatmeal gruel, frozen vegetables and, for a special treat, a hard boiled egg.

By some cruel twist of timetabling over the week I found myself turning down two nosh up lunches. As my colleagues stuffed their faces with eggs benedict, I found myself buying a 2kg bag of Oats from Countdown and pushing down gruel instead. My relationship with Homebrand rolled oats became one of enduring love and hate.

Come the end of the week, and with over $5,000 of team donations raised by our St Christopher’s Avonhead young adults, I had a small taste of how demoralizing day-to-day living for so many extremely poor people must be. A KFC chicken tender isn’t waiting for them come midnight Friday, and the 5-day challenge never ends.

76 AnglicanLife Issue 28

Welcoming ChildrenIn what could have been a scene straight out of the gospels Pope Francis welcomes a child to his side while speaking at the Vatican to a crowd of 100,000 people. Meanwhile church officials do their best to coax him away, even offering him sweets.

WORDS: CAROLYN ROBERTSON PHOTOS: FIONA SUMMERFIELD & CATHOLIC ONLINE

FEATURE FEATURE

“Parents deserve to be served, mothers don’t

get that at home, they’re always serving everyone

else. So, at church we serve them.”

It’s an image that captured the world’s attention, with endless comparisons to Jesus, but is Pope Francis’ embrace simply a one off exception to the rule when it comes to children in church?

Reflecting on the place of children during services an American blogger reminisces: “Once when I was young my baby sister started crying in church, my father got up to step outside with her. Our Parish Priest, a giant of a man, with the most beautiful lilting Irish brogue, said, ‘bring me the child.’ Us kids all giggled as we watched him bounce her lightly and continue his sermon almost singing it to my sister. She soon fell asleep in his massive hands, and with a big smile he handed her back to my father.”

Not many priests would be bold enough to take on a screaming baby mid service but it is a timely challenge: are our churches doing enough to welcome children?

As the New Year begins again it is a time for many to reassess their various commitments. What will stay on the calendar and what, in 2014, will go. Sadly, for some families the weekly pilgrimage to church may well come under the microscope. Church-goer Jamie Bruesehoff captures the choice faced by many parents in a recent article featured in the Huffington Post. She notes:

“I watch you bounce and sway trying to keep the baby quiet, juggling the infant car seat and the diaper bag as you find a seat. I see you wince as your child cries. I see you anxiously pull things out of your bag of tricks to try to quiet them.

And I see you with your toddler and

your preschooler. I watch you cringe when your little girl asks an innocent question in a voice that might not be an inside voice let alone a church whisper. I hear the exasperation in your voice as you beg your child to just sit, to be quiet as you feel everyone’s eyes on you.

I know you’re wondering, is this worth it? Why do I bother?”

Unfortunately for numbers of families the answer has been that it isn’t worth it and they’ve stopped bothering. But, why now? Why are today’s families deciding it’s too hard when church has been operating in much the same way for hundred of years?

Simply put, society has changed and expectations around children’s behavior, discipline, and care have changed with it. Twenty years ago churches that wanted to cater for babies and toddlers might have provided a room with a few children’s toys and a cot. A roster of women would have ensured the baby was looked after. These days, people are a lot more careful about who takes care of their children. A new face every week will cause many children to be unsettled and even distressed. Not many parents want to sit in church while imagining their child howling in crèche.

Fifty years ago the old adage ‘children should be seen and not heard’ was still a guiding factor in setting expectations around toddler behavior. A quick rap over the knuckles for speaking out of turn in church may have been met with approving glances. Not so today. Children are judged more by developmental milestones and it is widely known preschoolers just aren’t supposed to sit still and be quiet for Isaac & Nathaniel at Cashmere New Life doing what preschoolers do best

Reprinted with permission of Catholic Online www.catholic.org

76 AnglicanLife Issue 28

Welcoming ChildrenIn what could have been a scene straight out of the gospels Pope Francis welcomes a child to his side while speaking at the Vatican to a crowd of 100,000 people. Meanwhile church officials do their best to coax him away, even offering him sweets.

WORDS: CAROLYN ROBERTSON PHOTOS: FIONA SUMMERFIELD & CATHOLIC ONLINE

FEATURE FEATURE

“Parents deserve to be served, mothers don’t

get that at home, they’re always serving everyone

else. So, at church we serve them.”

It’s an image that captured the world’s attention, with endless comparisons to Jesus, but is Pope Francis’ embrace simply a one off exception to the rule when it comes to children in church?

Reflecting on the place of children during services an American blogger reminisces: “Once when I was young my baby sister started crying in church, my father got up to step outside with her. Our Parish Priest, a giant of a man, with the most beautiful lilting Irish brogue, said, ‘bring me the child.’ Us kids all giggled as we watched him bounce her lightly and continue his sermon almost singing it to my sister. She soon fell asleep in his massive hands, and with a big smile he handed her back to my father.”

Not many priests would be bold enough to take on a screaming baby mid service but it is a timely challenge: are our churches doing enough to welcome children?

As the New Year begins again it is a time for many to reassess their various commitments. What will stay on the calendar and what, in 2014, will go. Sadly, for some families the weekly pilgrimage to church may well come under the microscope. Church-goer Jamie Bruesehoff captures the choice faced by many parents in a recent article featured in the Huffington Post. She notes:

“I watch you bounce and sway trying to keep the baby quiet, juggling the infant car seat and the diaper bag as you find a seat. I see you wince as your child cries. I see you anxiously pull things out of your bag of tricks to try to quiet them.

And I see you with your toddler and

your preschooler. I watch you cringe when your little girl asks an innocent question in a voice that might not be an inside voice let alone a church whisper. I hear the exasperation in your voice as you beg your child to just sit, to be quiet as you feel everyone’s eyes on you.

I know you’re wondering, is this worth it? Why do I bother?”

Unfortunately for numbers of families the answer has been that it isn’t worth it and they’ve stopped bothering. But, why now? Why are today’s families deciding it’s too hard when church has been operating in much the same way for hundred of years?

Simply put, society has changed and expectations around children’s behavior, discipline, and care have changed with it. Twenty years ago churches that wanted to cater for babies and toddlers might have provided a room with a few children’s toys and a cot. A roster of women would have ensured the baby was looked after. These days, people are a lot more careful about who takes care of their children. A new face every week will cause many children to be unsettled and even distressed. Not many parents want to sit in church while imagining their child howling in crèche.

Fifty years ago the old adage ‘children should be seen and not heard’ was still a guiding factor in setting expectations around toddler behavior. A quick rap over the knuckles for speaking out of turn in church may have been met with approving glances. Not so today. Children are judged more by developmental milestones and it is widely known preschoolers just aren’t supposed to sit still and be quiet for Isaac & Nathaniel at Cashmere New Life doing what preschoolers do best

Reprinted with permission of Catholic Online www.catholic.org

98 AnglicanLife Issue 28

FEATURE FEATURE

extended periods. Meanwhile, in the surrounding culture, allowances for very

young children are being made. At the movies you can attend a ‘Mums and Bubs’ session where no one will care if your baby cries. Restaurants have high chairs on hand for couples with preschoolers. Supermarkets have priority parking for people with babies, there are playgrounds inside malls, and there’s the option of using a shopping trolley disguised as a ride-on toy. People’s expectations are changing. Many institutions have recognised that

if you want the patronage of those with very young children you may need to specifically cater for them.

So, where does this leave churches? Campbell Forlong, a pastor in Hamilton, captures the dilemma. He says, “There’s a fine balance between creating a place where kids feel they belong and maintaining an atmosphere of reflection.” When kids run around in church, he states, it doesn’t faze him unless it’s during a critical part of the service, but he’s aware that it might be interrupting someone else’s moment of focus.

Annabel Howe, the children ministry leader at the Avonhead parish talks about ways they are extending their welcome. “One of the first things you need to acknowledge is that pre-schoolers come to church with parents, but for the parents church becomes all about trying to look after their children. We’re working on making church an encouraging experience for those parents.”

One of the first things the church has done is to start taking coffee, in child proof cups, to parents who are with their pre-schoolers in Avonhead’s purpose built baby friendly room. “And no instant coffee,” Annabel insists, “It has to be good coffee. Parents deserve to be served, mothers don’t get that at home, they’re always serving everyone else. So, at church we serve them.”

Annabel remembers her own experiences as a new mother at her previous church. “My husband and I would usually go straight to the baby friendly room. There were always cups of tea being made and someone who was interested in my baby. Often I was so tired I couldn’t focus on the sermon but it was great to be in a room with other parents who were all going through the same sorts of things. I was really motivated to go to church. It felt like there were all these people there who just wanted to help.”

Across town pastor Amy Page-Whiting talks about her congregation’s journey to becoming a child and family friendly church at Cashmere New Life. “It started out as a pretty selfish motivation. I was pregnant and I started thinking about what it would be like with children in church…. Kids won’t make it through a whole church service so realistically for most families with children under five there’s no point coming to church. Who wants to be stuck in a room, away from the service? You may as well go to a park.”

“Eventually we came to the conclusion that we would create a space where you could still see and feel a part of the service but where you didn’t have to worry if your kid wanted to ride a bike.”

So, that’s what the congregation did. At the back of their typical

traditional wooden church building they carved off a space for a new crèche, complete with huge windows between it and the rest of the church. The result was a large, forty square metres, purpose built family friendly space. There is a further designated toilet area, plus a door, which opens straight outside to a playground and another, which opens into the kitchen.

Amy recalls, “We lost 30 seats and we had to move the sound

system to do it. So, there was some resistance initially, people saw it as a massive amount of space and at that time we didn’t even have any young families!”

But it’s not just the space that has changed at the church. “It’s been great creating a physical space but we’ve also worked at creating a space in people’s hearts. Kids can be noisy so sometimes I’ll just remind the congregation to stay focused. ‘You can block out anything when you’re watching your favourite TV show… Let’s not get distracted here.’ That sort of thing. We’ve had to be willing to sacrifice serenity sometimes.”

When asked if it has paid off Amy shakes her head, “You just can’t measure it. When young families come into church for the first time and you say ‘you are welcome to have your children with you in the service, or you can leave them in crèche or stay with them there’ they can’t believe it. They’ve never seen it before.”

Almost a decade on the church is teeming with young families. With nearly twenty preschoolers present at church each Sunday the church has certainly overcome the typical barriers to young families attending church.

In the moment Pope Francis welcomed the child on stage, he captured the imaginations of church attenders everywhere. In that moment we were reminded that, just as Jesus said, children are important. Children matter and they especially matter to the church.

Carolyn Robertson is the Diocesan Children’s Ministry Developer

Ad

Amy Page-Whiting from Cashmere New Life, who have seen their congregation transformed to be bustling with young families

Large windows right across the back of Cashmere New Life church for a clear view & communion is brought to those in the child-friendly area

98 AnglicanLife Issue 28

FEATURE FEATURE

extended periods. Meanwhile, in the surrounding culture, allowances for very

young children are being made. At the movies you can attend a ‘Mums and Bubs’ session where no one will care if your baby cries. Restaurants have high chairs on hand for couples with preschoolers. Supermarkets have priority parking for people with babies, there are playgrounds inside malls, and there’s the option of using a shopping trolley disguised as a ride-on toy. People’s expectations are changing. Many institutions have recognised that

if you want the patronage of those with very young children you may need to specifically cater for them.

So, where does this leave churches? Campbell Forlong, a pastor in Hamilton, captures the dilemma. He says, “There’s a fine balance between creating a place where kids feel they belong and maintaining an atmosphere of reflection.” When kids run around in church, he states, it doesn’t faze him unless it’s during a critical part of the service, but he’s aware that it might be interrupting someone else’s moment of focus.

Annabel Howe, the children ministry leader at the Avonhead parish talks about ways they are extending their welcome. “One of the first things you need to acknowledge is that pre-schoolers come to church with parents, but for the parents church becomes all about trying to look after their children. We’re working on making church an encouraging experience for those parents.”

One of the first things the church has done is to start taking coffee, in child proof cups, to parents who are with their pre-schoolers in Avonhead’s purpose built baby friendly room. “And no instant coffee,” Annabel insists, “It has to be good coffee. Parents deserve to be served, mothers don’t get that at home, they’re always serving everyone else. So, at church we serve them.”

Annabel remembers her own experiences as a new mother at her previous church. “My husband and I would usually go straight to the baby friendly room. There were always cups of tea being made and someone who was interested in my baby. Often I was so tired I couldn’t focus on the sermon but it was great to be in a room with other parents who were all going through the same sorts of things. I was really motivated to go to church. It felt like there were all these people there who just wanted to help.”

Across town pastor Amy Page-Whiting talks about her congregation’s journey to becoming a child and family friendly church at Cashmere New Life. “It started out as a pretty selfish motivation. I was pregnant and I started thinking about what it would be like with children in church…. Kids won’t make it through a whole church service so realistically for most families with children under five there’s no point coming to church. Who wants to be stuck in a room, away from the service? You may as well go to a park.”

“Eventually we came to the conclusion that we would create a space where you could still see and feel a part of the service but where you didn’t have to worry if your kid wanted to ride a bike.”

So, that’s what the congregation did. At the back of their typical

traditional wooden church building they carved off a space for a new crèche, complete with huge windows between it and the rest of the church. The result was a large, forty square metres, purpose built family friendly space. There is a further designated toilet area, plus a door, which opens straight outside to a playground and another, which opens into the kitchen.

Amy recalls, “We lost 30 seats and we had to move the sound

system to do it. So, there was some resistance initially, people saw it as a massive amount of space and at that time we didn’t even have any young families!”

But it’s not just the space that has changed at the church. “It’s been great creating a physical space but we’ve also worked at creating a space in people’s hearts. Kids can be noisy so sometimes I’ll just remind the congregation to stay focused. ‘You can block out anything when you’re watching your favourite TV show… Let’s not get distracted here.’ That sort of thing. We’ve had to be willing to sacrifice serenity sometimes.”

When asked if it has paid off Amy shakes her head, “You just can’t measure it. When young families come into church for the first time and you say ‘you are welcome to have your children with you in the service, or you can leave them in crèche or stay with them there’ they can’t believe it. They’ve never seen it before.”

Almost a decade on the church is teeming with young families. With nearly twenty preschoolers present at church each Sunday the church has certainly overcome the typical barriers to young families attending church.

In the moment Pope Francis welcomed the child on stage, he captured the imaginations of church attenders everywhere. In that moment we were reminded that, just as Jesus said, children are important. Children matter and they especially matter to the church.

Carolyn Robertson is the Diocesan Children’s Ministry Developer

Ad

Amy Page-Whiting from Cashmere New Life, who have seen their congregation transformed to be bustling with young families

Large windows right across the back of Cashmere New Life church for a clear view & communion is brought to those in the child-friendly area

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1110 AnglicanLife Issue 28

Fruitful Orange PipsIt can be easy to forget those who have gone before, planting seeds for future harvests. One of the most influential parish ministries in the 150 year history of the Christchurch Diocese was that of a man who never held high office or was renowned for his charismatic personality. The man was Canon William Orange (or ‘Pekoe’ – after the English tea).

WORDS: BRIAN CARRELL PHOTOS: LATIMER FELLOWSHIP

FEATURE FEATURE

Photograph reproduced with permission from The Latimer Fellowship

“The experience of those present was like that shared by the two

disciples on their way to Emmaus”Canon OrangeOf slight stature, conservative and precise in dress and style akin to Hercule Poirot, softly spoken, and in many ways quite unworldly, William Orange was Vicar of Sumner 1930-45, then later Precentor at ChristChurch Cathedral. But over this time his preaching and teaching, complemented by his personal mentoring, led to dozens offering themselves for ordination, and many others for missionary service overseas.

At Sumner he built up a Sunday afternoon young men’s Bible Class of more than 40, some drawn locally from his parish, but most cycling out week by week from the City. The fare they came for was invariably plain and undecorated – an hour of Bible teaching, the systematic working through of one book of the Old or New Testament before moving on to another. This was followed by a prayer meeting and light meal before concluding with Evening Prayer where the sermon was also consistently Bible exposition. In time, those who regularly attended his Bible Class were referred to jocularly as ‘Orange Pips’. Many of these same Orange Pips were in turn to emulate their mentor’s style of ministry and produce similarly fruitful ministries.

There were few peculiarities in Pekoe’s style. He allowed the Scriptures to speak for themselves, but in such a way that held people in rapt attention absorbing his teaching. There were no histrionics, no ear-tingling oratory – just the opening up of the Scriptures with clarity to reveal the depth of their significance, then relating this in practical terms to the world of that day.

The experience of those present was like that shared by the two disciples on their way to Emmaus:

Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the Scriptures to us?

His students welcomed his insights into the way Christ and his salvation was foreshadowed throughout the Old Testament. Pekoe often reminded his students, ‘The New is in the Old concealed, the Old is in the New revealed.’ There were many ‘Orangeisms’, which those who sat at his feet still recall with appreciation. ‘Interpret any single passage of Scripture in the light of the teaching of Scripture as a whole. Therefore always read widely as well as closely.’ Pekoe also had delight in quoting the astute comment of Mark Twain: ‘It is not the things I cannot understand in the Bible which trouble me, but the things I can understand.’ One of the strengths of his appeal was his subtle sense of humour, selectively introduced to lighten his teaching and enliven his students.

The Orange PipsAmong the Sumner first generation Orange Pips were a number who in later decades would make their own mark in the Diocese or in the Church overseas. Max Wiggins would become a Bishop in Tanganyika (now part of Tanzania), Roger Thompson would have a fruitful ministry at St Martin’s (Spreydon), Harry Thomson would become the first full-time General Secretary of NZ CMS (Church Missionary Society) after a notable ministry at Woolston, Dick

Carson would serve many years in Pakistan before returning to parish ministry in Christchurch, and David Aiken likewise would distinguish himself as a missionary in Pakistan before a role as a Bible College teacher in Auckland. Peter Tovey would also serve his best days as a CMS missionary in the Sind, Harvey Teulon and Graham Lamont would become Vicars of parishes in the Diocese, Maurice Betteridge would teach at College House before parish ministry in Christchurch and Dunedin Dioceses and later becoming Principal of Ridley College, Melbourne.

Maurice Goodall was to have an outstanding ministry as Vicar of Shirley before roles as City Missioner, Dean and Bishop. Lester Pfankuch and Robert Glen would also be ordained. Others in that Sumner Bible Class would take secular paths, none-the-less making an impact in their various vocations, such as Edwin Judge who would become Professor of Ancient History at Macquarrie University in Australia.

Roger ThompsonAs Vicar of Spreydon (1946-60) Roger Thompson was the immediate successor to Canon Orange, following his mentor’s style and substance closely. His ministry also focussed on a Sunday afternoon 4 pm Bible Class for young men and now (note) women, once again followed by a light tea, prayer meeting and Evening Prayer. But an extra factor was built in – an after-service gathering at the Vicarage for a fellowship hour.

1110 AnglicanLife Issue 28

Fruitful Orange PipsIt can be easy to forget those who have gone before, planting seeds for future harvests. One of the most influential parish ministries in the 150 year history of the Christchurch Diocese was that of a man who never held high office or was renowned for his charismatic personality. The man was Canon William Orange (or ‘Pekoe’ – after the English tea).

WORDS: BRIAN CARRELL PHOTOS: LATIMER FELLOWSHIP

FEATURE FEATURE

Photograph reproduced with permission from The Latimer Fellowship

“The experience of those present was like that shared by the two

disciples on their way to Emmaus”Canon OrangeOf slight stature, conservative and precise in dress and style akin to Hercule Poirot, softly spoken, and in many ways quite unworldly, William Orange was Vicar of Sumner 1930-45, then later Precentor at ChristChurch Cathedral. But over this time his preaching and teaching, complemented by his personal mentoring, led to dozens offering themselves for ordination, and many others for missionary service overseas.

At Sumner he built up a Sunday afternoon young men’s Bible Class of more than 40, some drawn locally from his parish, but most cycling out week by week from the City. The fare they came for was invariably plain and undecorated – an hour of Bible teaching, the systematic working through of one book of the Old or New Testament before moving on to another. This was followed by a prayer meeting and light meal before concluding with Evening Prayer where the sermon was also consistently Bible exposition. In time, those who regularly attended his Bible Class were referred to jocularly as ‘Orange Pips’. Many of these same Orange Pips were in turn to emulate their mentor’s style of ministry and produce similarly fruitful ministries.

There were few peculiarities in Pekoe’s style. He allowed the Scriptures to speak for themselves, but in such a way that held people in rapt attention absorbing his teaching. There were no histrionics, no ear-tingling oratory – just the opening up of the Scriptures with clarity to reveal the depth of their significance, then relating this in practical terms to the world of that day.

The experience of those present was like that shared by the two disciples on their way to Emmaus:

Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the Scriptures to us?

His students welcomed his insights into the way Christ and his salvation was foreshadowed throughout the Old Testament. Pekoe often reminded his students, ‘The New is in the Old concealed, the Old is in the New revealed.’ There were many ‘Orangeisms’, which those who sat at his feet still recall with appreciation. ‘Interpret any single passage of Scripture in the light of the teaching of Scripture as a whole. Therefore always read widely as well as closely.’ Pekoe also had delight in quoting the astute comment of Mark Twain: ‘It is not the things I cannot understand in the Bible which trouble me, but the things I can understand.’ One of the strengths of his appeal was his subtle sense of humour, selectively introduced to lighten his teaching and enliven his students.

The Orange PipsAmong the Sumner first generation Orange Pips were a number who in later decades would make their own mark in the Diocese or in the Church overseas. Max Wiggins would become a Bishop in Tanganyika (now part of Tanzania), Roger Thompson would have a fruitful ministry at St Martin’s (Spreydon), Harry Thomson would become the first full-time General Secretary of NZ CMS (Church Missionary Society) after a notable ministry at Woolston, Dick

Carson would serve many years in Pakistan before returning to parish ministry in Christchurch, and David Aiken likewise would distinguish himself as a missionary in Pakistan before a role as a Bible College teacher in Auckland. Peter Tovey would also serve his best days as a CMS missionary in the Sind, Harvey Teulon and Graham Lamont would become Vicars of parishes in the Diocese, Maurice Betteridge would teach at College House before parish ministry in Christchurch and Dunedin Dioceses and later becoming Principal of Ridley College, Melbourne.

Maurice Goodall was to have an outstanding ministry as Vicar of Shirley before roles as City Missioner, Dean and Bishop. Lester Pfankuch and Robert Glen would also be ordained. Others in that Sumner Bible Class would take secular paths, none-the-less making an impact in their various vocations, such as Edwin Judge who would become Professor of Ancient History at Macquarrie University in Australia.

Roger ThompsonAs Vicar of Spreydon (1946-60) Roger Thompson was the immediate successor to Canon Orange, following his mentor’s style and substance closely. His ministry also focussed on a Sunday afternoon 4 pm Bible Class for young men and now (note) women, once again followed by a light tea, prayer meeting and Evening Prayer. But an extra factor was built in – an after-service gathering at the Vicarage for a fellowship hour.

1312 AnglicanLife Issue 28

FEATURE

Numbers steadily built up to a point where the old 75-seater church was regularly full at 4 pm each Sunday. The same sense of eager anticipation of each week’s study was as much a feature of this second generation Bible teaching ministry as it had been the mark of Canon Orange’s seed-sowing pattern at Sumner. And the fruit of this ministry was to be similar also.

Those fifteen years of ministry at Spreydon produced 38 members of the Sunday Bible Class, men and women, who went on to be ordained (three of whom later became bishops), and 35 who responded to the missionary call. At a reunion of former St Martin’s Bible Class members in 1992, 120 came from around New Zealand and overseas to recall the formative role of this Bible Class in their lives.

Harry ThomsonIn Woolston across the other side of the city through this same post-war period another Orange Pip was having a similarly fruitful ministry, following the same principles learned from Canon Orange, but with some different emphases and outcomes.

Harry Thomson’s passion was overseas missions, particularly CMS. It is not surprising therefore that his efforts in the end led not so much to vocations to ordained ministry in this country as to missionary service beyond our shores. For some years he combined a part-time CMS organising role with his responsibilities as Vicar of Woolston. Nor is it surprising that many of the missionaries sent or supported overseas during this decade were fellow Orange Pips (eg Max Wiggins, David Aiken, Lester Pfankuch, Peter Tovey, Dick Carson, Robert Glen). By 1961 it was evident that the CMS task needed full commitment and Harry Thomson left his parish role to become the first General Secretary.

Also from that time the fruits of the Orange Pip ministries of Harry Thomson, Roger Thompson and others now in parish ministry began revealing themselves in a growing number of second and even third generation Orange Pips discerning a call to missionary service. Most of these had also been significantly nurtured in faith and a vocation to some form of Christian service

through their involvement in a youth branch of CMS, the League of Youth - encouraged by Harry Thomson and supported ardently by other Orange Pips. A vibrant programme of monthly meetings, periodic weekend house parties and annual Easter Camps often featured first or second generation Orange Pips as speakers or Bible study leaders.

An Appreciation of Canon OrangeWilliam Orange had been brought to conscious faith as a lad of ten during a parish mission in Kaikoura. Some years later, in another parish mission, he experienced a turning point in life where he committed himself to the service of Christ. In his 1911 diary he wrote:

My great ambition is that love for Jesus may become the one absorbing passion of my life.

Ordained in 1919, he served a curacy at Sydenham followed by a locum at Fendalton before becoming Vicar of Waikari (1924-30). After his years at Sumner he was briefly based at Tyndale House, Cashmere, before becoming Precentor at the Cathedral as his last appointment. He died in 1966 and is buried in the Avonside Churchyard.

Dean Martin Sullivan in his book Watch How You Go, reviewing Orange’s ministry, made the claim that his ‘ability to inspire others to enter the ordained ministry was unparalleled in any other New Zealand churchman’. This did not always please the Anglican hierarchy! In 1934 Canon Parr, the Principal of College House, complained to Bishop West-Watson that four of the six new ordinands were “men put up by Orange”.

Pekoe himself was averse to labelling fellow clergy through a perception of their theological views. In his own words, ‘labels too easily become libels’.

Further reading: For an excellent and recently published detailed survey of this period see Stuart M Lange, A Rising Tide, Evangelical Christianity in New Zealand, 1930-65, Otago University Press, 2013.

Ad

1312 AnglicanLife Issue 28

FEATURE

Numbers steadily built up to a point where the old 75-seater church was regularly full at 4 pm each Sunday. The same sense of eager anticipation of each week’s study was as much a feature of this second generation Bible teaching ministry as it had been the mark of Canon Orange’s seed-sowing pattern at Sumner. And the fruit of this ministry was to be similar also.

Those fifteen years of ministry at Spreydon produced 38 members of the Sunday Bible Class, men and women, who went on to be ordained (three of whom later became bishops), and 35 who responded to the missionary call. At a reunion of former St Martin’s Bible Class members in 1992, 120 came from around New Zealand and overseas to recall the formative role of this Bible Class in their lives.

Harry ThomsonIn Woolston across the other side of the city through this same post-war period another Orange Pip was having a similarly fruitful ministry, following the same principles learned from Canon Orange, but with some different emphases and outcomes.

Harry Thomson’s passion was overseas missions, particularly CMS. It is not surprising therefore that his efforts in the end led not so much to vocations to ordained ministry in this country as to missionary service beyond our shores. For some years he combined a part-time CMS organising role with his responsibilities as Vicar of Woolston. Nor is it surprising that many of the missionaries sent or supported overseas during this decade were fellow Orange Pips (eg Max Wiggins, David Aiken, Lester Pfankuch, Peter Tovey, Dick Carson, Robert Glen). By 1961 it was evident that the CMS task needed full commitment and Harry Thomson left his parish role to become the first General Secretary.

Also from that time the fruits of the Orange Pip ministries of Harry Thomson, Roger Thompson and others now in parish ministry began revealing themselves in a growing number of second and even third generation Orange Pips discerning a call to missionary service. Most of these had also been significantly nurtured in faith and a vocation to some form of Christian service

through their involvement in a youth branch of CMS, the League of Youth - encouraged by Harry Thomson and supported ardently by other Orange Pips. A vibrant programme of monthly meetings, periodic weekend house parties and annual Easter Camps often featured first or second generation Orange Pips as speakers or Bible study leaders.

An Appreciation of Canon OrangeWilliam Orange had been brought to conscious faith as a lad of ten during a parish mission in Kaikoura. Some years later, in another parish mission, he experienced a turning point in life where he committed himself to the service of Christ. In his 1911 diary he wrote:

My great ambition is that love for Jesus may become the one absorbing passion of my life.

Ordained in 1919, he served a curacy at Sydenham followed by a locum at Fendalton before becoming Vicar of Waikari (1924-30). After his years at Sumner he was briefly based at Tyndale House, Cashmere, before becoming Precentor at the Cathedral as his last appointment. He died in 1966 and is buried in the Avonside Churchyard.

Dean Martin Sullivan in his book Watch How You Go, reviewing Orange’s ministry, made the claim that his ‘ability to inspire others to enter the ordained ministry was unparalleled in any other New Zealand churchman’. This did not always please the Anglican hierarchy! In 1934 Canon Parr, the Principal of College House, complained to Bishop West-Watson that four of the six new ordinands were “men put up by Orange”.

Pekoe himself was averse to labelling fellow clergy through a perception of their theological views. In his own words, ‘labels too easily become libels’.

Further reading: For an excellent and recently published detailed survey of this period see Stuart M Lange, A Rising Tide, Evangelical Christianity in New Zealand, 1930-65, Otago University Press, 2013.

Ad

www.andrewswift.harcourts.co.nz

14 AnglicanLife Issue 28

WORKPLACE WORKPLACE

Waging DebateThe Warehouse has started doing it, the Auckland Council wants to implement it, and more than 160 organisations and groups throughout New Zealand support it. What is it? The ‘living wage’.

WORDS: MEGAN BLAKIE PHOTO: ANDREW SPENCE

The Living Wage Movement is the Kiwi arm of an international initiative that is gaining credence in the United Kingdom and the States.

The local movement is calling for the Government and private employers to pay all employees and contractors a ‘living wage’: one that allows workers to meet their basic household needs and to participate in the life of their community. In New Zealand, the living wage figure has been calculated at $18.40 an hour and is based on the requirements of a typical ‘two adult, two child’ household.

“People need to be able to afford to live; I cannot think that a living wage gives you a huge amount for the fripperies and frolics of life,” says Linda Adams, a vestry rep at St Barnabas and St Thomas, which committed last July to paying the living wage to existing and future employees.

The decision affected the wage rate for one employee of the parish.

to Kiwisaver and childcare costs and includes tax credits and government subsidies,” he says.

Linda says she understands the financial arguments that employers might put forward against adopting the living wage, but believes society needs to think through the social and financial costs to families if they are unable to afford the necessities of life.

Churches, Maori and Pacific Island groups, and health and social service organisations are among the groups that are endorsing the Living Wage Movement.

The Christchurch Anglican Diocese is listed on the official website as supporting the movement, but no formal adoption of the living wage aims or pay rate has yet been made at Synod level (the Diocese governing body).

The Diocese has youth worker pay guidelines for use by parishes, which are recommendations and not mandatory.

The lowest tier of these is below the hourly living wage pay rate, but that is due for review and parishes have the discretion to implement a higher wage.

Andrew Spence, from St Timothy’s in Burnside, coordinates a team of five part-time youth workers, all of whom will be paid the living wage as of the beginning of this year.

His team comes under the umbrella of 24-7 YouthWork, an ecumenical organisation that links churches with intermediate and high schools. Established 16 years ago, the organisation has youth workers in all but one high school in Christchurch.

Most of Andrew’s team are employed 10 hours a week at Burnside High School, where they act as mentors and offer pastoral care to students. They then offer a further ten voluntary hours to running church-based youth activities.

The outcomes the team work towards are five-fold: building relationships within the school, supporting students, developing leadership, building school spirit and participation, and connecting students with their community.

“The longer time that youth workers are employed, the higher their pay rate,” Andrew explains. “Lots of our workers are in their first or second year and so they were below the living wage rate. We made the decision that we’d like to pay them the living wage.”

The Anglican parish of Burnside-Harewood contributes a quarter of the youth workers’ pay.

“The school and the church are in relationship. We as a church will pay 25% of the wage for a youth worker, the school pays 25%, and we seek 50% from other sources,” says Andrew.

The parish of Burnside-Harewood, also now pays the living wage rate to all its employees.

Linda says discussion at the July vestry meeting focussed on the financial impacts of the living wage rate and understanding how the wage rate was determined.

“There was a recognition that there would be an impact on the budget; there was no disagreement to the living wage as a concept,” she says.

Diocesan Social Justice Enabler and an advocate of the Living Wage movement, Jolyon White, says there’s some confusion about the aims of the movement. He’d like more parishes to understand the data and rationale for the suggested wage level.

“The Living Wage movement is not a minimum wage campaign,” says Jolyon.

He says the minimum wage is an arbitrary amount, while the living wage relates to the cost of living. The living wage figure is based on statistical data relating to food costs, rent figures, and expenditure figures for low decile households.

“It takes into account a contribution

“Society needs to think through the social and financial costs to families if they are unable to afford

the necessities of life.”

2013 24-7 Youth Worker Team to be paid living wage from 2014

15

14 AnglicanLife Issue 28

WORKPLACE WORKPLACE

Waging DebateThe Warehouse has started doing it, the Auckland Council wants to implement it, and more than 160 organisations and groups throughout New Zealand support it. What is it? The ‘living wage’.

WORDS: MEGAN BLAKIE PHOTO: ANDREW SPENCE

The Living Wage Movement is the Kiwi arm of an international initiative that is gaining credence in the United Kingdom and the States.

The local movement is calling for the Government and private employers to pay all employees and contractors a ‘living wage’: one that allows workers to meet their basic household needs and to participate in the life of their community. In New Zealand, the living wage figure has been calculated at $18.40 an hour and is based on the requirements of a typical ‘two adult, two child’ household.

“People need to be able to afford to live; I cannot think that a living wage gives you a huge amount for the fripperies and frolics of life,” says Linda Adams, a vestry rep at St Barnabas and St Thomas, which committed last July to paying the living wage to existing and future employees.

The decision affected the wage rate for one employee of the parish.

to Kiwisaver and childcare costs and includes tax credits and government subsidies,” he says.

Linda says she understands the financial arguments that employers might put forward against adopting the living wage, but believes society needs to think through the social and financial costs to families if they are unable to afford the necessities of life.

Churches, Maori and Pacific Island groups, and health and social service organisations are among the groups that are endorsing the Living Wage Movement.

The Christchurch Anglican Diocese is listed on the official website as supporting the movement, but no formal adoption of the living wage aims or pay rate has yet been made at Synod level (the Diocese governing body).

The Diocese has youth worker pay guidelines for use by parishes, which are recommendations and not mandatory.

The lowest tier of these is below the hourly living wage pay rate, but that is due for review and parishes have the discretion to implement a higher wage.

Andrew Spence, from St Timothy’s in Burnside, coordinates a team of five part-time youth workers, all of whom will be paid the living wage as of the beginning of this year.

His team comes under the umbrella of 24-7 YouthWork, an ecumenical organisation that links churches with intermediate and high schools. Established 16 years ago, the organisation has youth workers in all but one high school in Christchurch.

Most of Andrew’s team are employed 10 hours a week at Burnside High School, where they act as mentors and offer pastoral care to students. They then offer a further ten voluntary hours to running church-based youth activities.

The outcomes the team work towards are five-fold: building relationships within the school, supporting students, developing leadership, building school spirit and participation, and connecting students with their community.

“The longer time that youth workers are employed, the higher their pay rate,” Andrew explains. “Lots of our workers are in their first or second year and so they were below the living wage rate. We made the decision that we’d like to pay them the living wage.”

The Anglican parish of Burnside-Harewood contributes a quarter of the youth workers’ pay.

“The school and the church are in relationship. We as a church will pay 25% of the wage for a youth worker, the school pays 25%, and we seek 50% from other sources,” says Andrew.

The parish of Burnside-Harewood, also now pays the living wage rate to all its employees.

Linda says discussion at the July vestry meeting focussed on the financial impacts of the living wage rate and understanding how the wage rate was determined.

“There was a recognition that there would be an impact on the budget; there was no disagreement to the living wage as a concept,” she says.

Diocesan Social Justice Enabler and an advocate of the Living Wage movement, Jolyon White, says there’s some confusion about the aims of the movement. He’d like more parishes to understand the data and rationale for the suggested wage level.

“The Living Wage movement is not a minimum wage campaign,” says Jolyon.

He says the minimum wage is an arbitrary amount, while the living wage relates to the cost of living. The living wage figure is based on statistical data relating to food costs, rent figures, and expenditure figures for low decile households.

“It takes into account a contribution

“Society needs to think through the social and financial costs to families if they are unable to afford

the necessities of life.”

2013 24-7 Youth Worker Team to be paid living wage from 2014

15

16 AnglicanLife Issue 28

DIALOGUE

Stepping Out in Faith into the Music IndustryGreta Yeoman talks to Jaz Paterson about launching into music fulltime.

WORDS: GRETA YEOMAN PHOTO: JAZ PATERSON

17-year-old musician Jaz Paterson lives in the small town of Geraldine in South Canterbury. She “finished school and went straight into pursuing a music career in every way” she could. “This is the first year I’ve been doing music full-time and I really love it,” Jaz says. “I’ve been writing, recording, performing, entering competitions, putting videos on YouTube, and I’ve recently released an EP.”

Her debut EP ‘One Day’ is a beautiful collection of five songs. Find it for download on http://jazpatersonmusic.bandcamp.com for just $5. The response to the EP “has been pretty cool,” says Jaz. “I was pretty stoked to be able to release a physical CD for the first time, and a bunch of people have bought EPs. A bunch of little kids from my town think I’m famous, so I do autographs for them which I’ve found quite amusing.”

“Music has always been a big part of my life, and from quite a young age I’ve wanted to be a professional musician. I’ve played guitar, sung, and written songs since I was about 13, however it wasn’t really until mid-way through last year that I decided to get serious about making a career out of music.” Jaz also works part time at a preschool to support herself. “Music makes good money but it’s so unpredictable, you never know when you’re going to get gigs!”

Though she is enjoying pursuing music, taking a semi-finalist spot in the International Songwriting Competition amongst numerous other achievements, Jaz certainly sees how her faith affects her musical career. “My faith definitely affects the way I write my songs and portray myself through my music.” Although she wants to be “very honest and real with the music I write and produce,” she tries to “keep a high moral standard with my lyrics and image”. Trying to write hope-filled songs Jaz also comments that “a lot of music these days doesn’t have a lot of hope, and some encourages violence, abuse, drug use” and that

she doesn’t “think that there’s any need for that”, so tries to keep her songs “fairly positive”.

“For me, songwriting is almost a constant process,” says Jaz. “Every day I’m writing down pieces of lyrics or quickly recording melody ideas, so I really draw inspiration from the people and places around me. I write about relationships, my friends and family, about my own struggles, other people’s struggles, about God and about hope.”

She wrote the song Validation “at a time when I was feeling really insecure about myself, and the song is just about realizing that you need to look beyond yourself to feel validated as a person. You need to look to God and trust him, rather than hanging out for the approval and acceptance of other people.”

“I think there are definitely difficulties with being a Christian in the music industry. I’m a Christian, and I’m a musician, but I don’t necessarily write “Christian music”, I just write music, so that leaves me with one foot in both camps,” comments Jaz. “I think it can be difficult being a Christian in this industry because there is a ton of pressure to sexualize your music and your image, and also the stress of being a performer makes it even more tempting to give in to drugs and things that will mess up your body. Also something that’s hard is the fact that you can get so focussed on “making it” in the industry that you can neglect the important things like God, your family and friends.”

Though Jaz thinks the current trend in pop culture towards sexualized images in music and image as well as drug and binge drinking cultures is “not cool” she also comments that “I think what’s important for Christian musicians is not to be judgmental and live super prudish lives, but to write music with hope and purpose”. She thinks that Christian musicians “such as Britt Nicole, Lecrae and Toby Mac are doing a brilliant job at setting this kind of an example”.

That’s why I look to you for my validationThat’s why I search in your face and hold on every word

Because you’re my life raft in the middle of the seaI look to you but never to me

I will look to you for my validationValidation

17

16 AnglicanLife Issue 28

DIALOGUE

Stepping Out in Faith into the Music IndustryGreta Yeoman talks to Jaz Paterson about launching into music fulltime.

WORDS: GRETA YEOMAN PHOTO: JAZ PATERSON

17-year-old musician Jaz Paterson lives in the small town of Geraldine in South Canterbury. She “finished school and went straight into pursuing a music career in every way” she could. “This is the first year I’ve been doing music full-time and I really love it,” Jaz says. “I’ve been writing, recording, performing, entering competitions, putting videos on YouTube, and I’ve recently released an EP.”

Her debut EP ‘One Day’ is a beautiful collection of five songs. Find it for download on http://jazpatersonmusic.bandcamp.com for just $5. The response to the EP “has been pretty cool,” says Jaz. “I was pretty stoked to be able to release a physical CD for the first time, and a bunch of people have bought EPs. A bunch of little kids from my town think I’m famous, so I do autographs for them which I’ve found quite amusing.”

“Music has always been a big part of my life, and from quite a young age I’ve wanted to be a professional musician. I’ve played guitar, sung, and written songs since I was about 13, however it wasn’t really until mid-way through last year that I decided to get serious about making a career out of music.” Jaz also works part time at a preschool to support herself. “Music makes good money but it’s so unpredictable, you never know when you’re going to get gigs!”

Though she is enjoying pursuing music, taking a semi-finalist spot in the International Songwriting Competition amongst numerous other achievements, Jaz certainly sees how her faith affects her musical career. “My faith definitely affects the way I write my songs and portray myself through my music.” Although she wants to be “very honest and real with the music I write and produce,” she tries to “keep a high moral standard with my lyrics and image”. Trying to write hope-filled songs Jaz also comments that “a lot of music these days doesn’t have a lot of hope, and some encourages violence, abuse, drug use” and that

she doesn’t “think that there’s any need for that”, so tries to keep her songs “fairly positive”.

“For me, songwriting is almost a constant process,” says Jaz. “Every day I’m writing down pieces of lyrics or quickly recording melody ideas, so I really draw inspiration from the people and places around me. I write about relationships, my friends and family, about my own struggles, other people’s struggles, about God and about hope.”

She wrote the song Validation “at a time when I was feeling really insecure about myself, and the song is just about realizing that you need to look beyond yourself to feel validated as a person. You need to look to God and trust him, rather than hanging out for the approval and acceptance of other people.”

“I think there are definitely difficulties with being a Christian in the music industry. I’m a Christian, and I’m a musician, but I don’t necessarily write “Christian music”, I just write music, so that leaves me with one foot in both camps,” comments Jaz. “I think it can be difficult being a Christian in this industry because there is a ton of pressure to sexualize your music and your image, and also the stress of being a performer makes it even more tempting to give in to drugs and things that will mess up your body. Also something that’s hard is the fact that you can get so focussed on “making it” in the industry that you can neglect the important things like God, your family and friends.”

Though Jaz thinks the current trend in pop culture towards sexualized images in music and image as well as drug and binge drinking cultures is “not cool” she also comments that “I think what’s important for Christian musicians is not to be judgmental and live super prudish lives, but to write music with hope and purpose”. She thinks that Christian musicians “such as Britt Nicole, Lecrae and Toby Mac are doing a brilliant job at setting this kind of an example”.

That’s why I look to you for my validationThat’s why I search in your face and hold on every word

Because you’re my life raft in the middle of the seaI look to you but never to me

I will look to you for my validationValidation

17

1918 AnglicanLife Issue 28

Let’s keep talking...In 2013, the matter of same sex relationships was definitely a topical issue and, like it or not, is set to once again be a hot topic of discussion in coming months.

WORDS: LOUISE LANDESS PHOTO: VIERDRIE, STOCKXCHNG

As prompted by General Synod and the Ma Whea Commission, many of us spent time last year deliberately sharing, considering and discussing our opinions in a variety of different forums. Initially discussion focused on the issue of same sex marriage before inevitably broadening out to include same sex and other LBGT relationships in general.

In a formal sense, there was the Theology of Marriage conference (organised by Theology House) where clergy members from Nelson, Adelaide and Christchurch presented their perspectives in the form of academic papers. Later in the year the Society of Salt and Light organised a couple of interactive sessions where a panel of three speakers each gave a short presentation before the floor was opened up for a brief, but lively question and answer session and finally in November, St Timothy’s in Burnside held a discussion evening facilitated by Peter Carrell where people had the opportunity to discuss their responses to particular scenarios in small groups. All of these events were well attended.

In a less formal sense there was, (and continues to be), much online chatter with numerous Facebook threads and blogs

underway, both here and throughout NZ, as well as plenty of heated debate over tea trolleys and in home groups throughout the Diocese.

While all of these forums give us a chance to come together and share our views, very often it seems that these opportunities are dominated by theological heavyweights who seem to take pleasure in slogging away relentlessly at each other

in what feels like some sort of religious jousting competition, with people charging in from different sides aiming to land a hard-hitting point and triumphantly knock down the opposition with a flourish.

Although these discussions are thought-provoking, surely if we’re to ever reach any sort of accord, we could do with taking off the hermeneutical and exegetical gloves for a moment, put the Biblical tit for tat and theories aside, and

look at how our own opinions and beliefs impact on people’s lives at an everyday grassroots level.

Maybe as well as participating in the formal discussions (particularly as Bishop Victoria charged us at September’s Synod to ‘keep talking’) you could organise some smaller get-togethers within your local parish or as part of your home group activities and consider some practical questions such as:

• What would you say about the possibility of exclusion in certain aspects of church life when inviting a gay friend, relative or neighbour to church?

• If someone in a committed, loving same sex relationship was appointed to a position of leadership in your church, how, if at all, would this impact you personally, and why?

• What can you do this year to ensure that there are no ‘others’, no ‘us and them’ when we talk about the family of Christ, there is only ‘us’, one body?

I know...big questions right? But 2013 was the year the conversations got started, now let’s keep talking.

“Put the Biblical tit for tat and theories aside, and look

at how our own opinions and beliefs impact on

people’s lives at an everyday grassroots level.”

Discipleship is a bit trendy, if talk around the churches these days is anything to go by. But is discipleship a trend? Trends come and go, like fashion garments and crazes for skateboards and gold chains, surely being a disciple is not like that? Jesus, after all, seemed pretty serious whenever he talked about being a disciple. He didn’t say, ‘Follow me for a while – leave when the trend changes.’

Is it possible, however, that Christians have lost sight of what being a disciple means. Perhaps current talk about discipleship is not so much trendy as restorative. A way of being Christian is back in vogue. If so, how do we stay the course?

To that end, one resource for 2014 is Being Disciples: Through Lent with Matthew, a six part study series written by Peter Carrell (Director of Theology House)

and Lynda Patterson (Dean of ChristChurch Cathedral). The six studies are:The joy and terror of being called (Matthew 4:18-22) Disciples in crisis (Matthew 8:23-27) Disciples in Mission (Matthew 10:37-42) When the going gets tough (Matthew 11:28-30) Disciples in community (Matthew 18:10-22) Disciples in the making (Matthew 28:16-20)

This study booklet builds on a successful predecessor, co-written by the same authors, The Praying Life: Through Lent with Luke. A pre-publication sample of the new booklet can be seen at http://www.theologyhouse.ac.nz/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Discipleship-in-Matthew-2014-sample-version.pdf.

ORDER NOW –. $6 a copy from admin@theologyhouse.ac.nz (plus P&P).

Lent is Coming WORDS: PETER CARRELL IMAGE: MARCUS THOMAS

Being Disciples: Through Lent with MatthewBy Peter Carrell and Lynda Patterson, Theology House Publications 2014

Excerpt from Matthew 8:23-27 Study Two, Disciples in Crisis “There is a time in everyone’s experience when our lives get derailed. It may be unexpected bad news which makes the bottom drop out of your world: the letter from the hospital telling you to make an urgent appointment because those spells of dizziness aren’t what you think; it may be accompanying someone you love ……….It’s not enough to believe that Jesus can do something about life’s train wrecks. You have to trust that he is with you throughout them.”

LIFESTYLE LIFESTYLE

On the 17 December, Chris Church, Theology House’s Administrator since 2007, was farewelled and received a presentation by the Board of Theology House. Director, Peter Carrell spoke

warmly of Chris Church’s great work, always cheerful in her work and a welcoming presence for all visiting Theology House. Chris was especially thanked for always going the extra mile.

Peter Carrell, Director, left, Chris Church centre, Bishop Victoria, Chair of Board, right

Thanks for everything ChrisWORDS: PETER CARRELL PHOTO: BRIAN THOMAS

1918 AnglicanLife Issue 28

Let’s keep talking...In 2013, the matter of same sex relationships was definitely a topical issue and, like it or not, is set to once again be a hot topic of discussion in coming months.

WORDS: LOUISE LANDESS PHOTO: VIERDRIE, STOCKXCHNG

As prompted by General Synod and the Ma Whea Commission, many of us spent time last year deliberately sharing, considering and discussing our opinions in a variety of different forums. Initially discussion focused on the issue of same sex marriage before inevitably broadening out to include same sex and other LBGT relationships in general.

In a formal sense, there was the Theology of Marriage conference (organised by Theology House) where clergy members from Nelson, Adelaide and Christchurch presented their perspectives in the form of academic papers. Later in the year the Society of Salt and Light organised a couple of interactive sessions where a panel of three speakers each gave a short presentation before the floor was opened up for a brief, but lively question and answer session and finally in November, St Timothy’s in Burnside held a discussion evening facilitated by Peter Carrell where people had the opportunity to discuss their responses to particular scenarios in small groups. All of these events were well attended.

In a less formal sense there was, (and continues to be), much online chatter with numerous Facebook threads and blogs

underway, both here and throughout NZ, as well as plenty of heated debate over tea trolleys and in home groups throughout the Diocese.

While all of these forums give us a chance to come together and share our views, very often it seems that these opportunities are dominated by theological heavyweights who seem to take pleasure in slogging away relentlessly at each other

in what feels like some sort of religious jousting competition, with people charging in from different sides aiming to land a hard-hitting point and triumphantly knock down the opposition with a flourish.

Although these discussions are thought-provoking, surely if we’re to ever reach any sort of accord, we could do with taking off the hermeneutical and exegetical gloves for a moment, put the Biblical tit for tat and theories aside, and

look at how our own opinions and beliefs impact on people’s lives at an everyday grassroots level.

Maybe as well as participating in the formal discussions (particularly as Bishop Victoria charged us at September’s Synod to ‘keep talking’) you could organise some smaller get-togethers within your local parish or as part of your home group activities and consider some practical questions such as:

• What would you say about the possibility of exclusion in certain aspects of church life when inviting a gay friend, relative or neighbour to church?

• If someone in a committed, loving same sex relationship was appointed to a position of leadership in your church, how, if at all, would this impact you personally, and why?

• What can you do this year to ensure that there are no ‘others’, no ‘us and them’ when we talk about the family of Christ, there is only ‘us’, one body?

I know...big questions right? But 2013 was the year the conversations got started, now let’s keep talking.

“Put the Biblical tit for tat and theories aside, and look

at how our own opinions and beliefs impact on

people’s lives at an everyday grassroots level.”

Discipleship is a bit trendy, if talk around the churches these days is anything to go by. But is discipleship a trend? Trends come and go, like fashion garments and crazes for skateboards and gold chains, surely being a disciple is not like that? Jesus, after all, seemed pretty serious whenever he talked about being a disciple. He didn’t say, ‘Follow me for a while – leave when the trend changes.’

Is it possible, however, that Christians have lost sight of what being a disciple means. Perhaps current talk about discipleship is not so much trendy as restorative. A way of being Christian is back in vogue. If so, how do we stay the course?

To that end, one resource for 2014 is Being Disciples: Through Lent with Matthew, a six part study series written by Peter Carrell (Director of Theology House)

and Lynda Patterson (Dean of ChristChurch Cathedral). The six studies are:The joy and terror of being called (Matthew 4:18-22) Disciples in crisis (Matthew 8:23-27) Disciples in Mission (Matthew 10:37-42) When the going gets tough (Matthew 11:28-30) Disciples in community (Matthew 18:10-22) Disciples in the making (Matthew 28:16-20)

This study booklet builds on a successful predecessor, co-written by the same authors, The Praying Life: Through Lent with Luke. A pre-publication sample of the new booklet can be seen at http://www.theologyhouse.ac.nz/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Discipleship-in-Matthew-2014-sample-version.pdf.

ORDER NOW –. $6 a copy from admin@theologyhouse.ac.nz (plus P&P).

Lent is Coming WORDS: PETER CARRELL IMAGE: MARCUS THOMAS

Being Disciples: Through Lent with MatthewBy Peter Carrell and Lynda Patterson, Theology House Publications 2014

Excerpt from Matthew 8:23-27 Study Two, Disciples in Crisis “There is a time in everyone’s experience when our lives get derailed. It may be unexpected bad news which makes the bottom drop out of your world: the letter from the hospital telling you to make an urgent appointment because those spells of dizziness aren’t what you think; it may be accompanying someone you love ……….It’s not enough to believe that Jesus can do something about life’s train wrecks. You have to trust that he is with you throughout them.”

LIFESTYLE LIFESTYLE

On the 17 December, Chris Church, Theology House’s Administrator since 2007, was farewelled and received a presentation by the Board of Theology House. Director, Peter Carrell spoke

warmly of Chris Church’s great work, always cheerful in her work and a welcoming presence for all visiting Theology House. Chris was especially thanked for always going the extra mile.

Peter Carrell, Director, left, Chris Church centre, Bishop Victoria, Chair of Board, right

Thanks for everything ChrisWORDS: PETER CARRELL PHOTO: BRIAN THOMAS

21

CLOSING ESSAY

“Could you please repeat what you have just said? I don’t agree with a word you say….but I love the way you say it,” said Ralph the American in response to the content – and accent – of John the Scot at the board meeting of an international partnership. John delightfully repeated, Ralph vigorously disagreed. Good humour can be a useful tool when discussing divisive topics.

The first Christians had their debates, and used a variety of methods to deal with them. The Council of Jerusalem was one method. Another approach was to storm off and do your own thing, ‘unfriending’, as it were, the one you had fallen out with (with all due respect to Paul and Barnabas – who later kissed and made up, as it were, according to the Scriptures).

How do Christians today deal with divisive issues? Some people in church want to be told what to think. Some pastors/vicars and the odd self-appointed bishop want to tell them what to think. ‘God has set me in front of you as guardian of your soul,’ or something. ‘I know what is truth.’ Amazingly many intelligent articulate double-degreed parishioners swallow it.

Different Christians, different churches, have different ways of dealing with issues. In my Baptist days we had regular congregational meetings where we debated issues both banal and controversial Westminster-style. When Vera was asked why she opposed the establishment of a licensed facility in the neighbourhood, she responded querulously, ‘Because we always do.’ QED. Booze was not debatable.

My Anglican self is approaching two decades of experience. We have our vestry system, and though the word ‘governance’ occasionally slips from vicars’ mouths (one mouth per vicar) when referring to vestry, we are nevertheless effectively ruled by a benign dictatorship. Synod with its disproportional representation follows some sort of Westminster system for its debates. The

nature, quality and even the outcome of debate may be a reflection of participants’ ease with the system.

Back in the 70’s IVP, the reputable evangelical publishing house, produced a series “When Christians Disagree”. Books canvassed different approaches to then-current debates such as baptism, pacifism, creation/evolution, the role of women, (nothing, apparently, was needed on the role of men), signs wonders and healing, politics. What I liked about the series was the way that within each volume there were perspectives from both ‘sides’ of the particular debates. Throughout each volume there was backwards and forwards engagement by the two protagonists debating/responding to the various points. What was unique compared with so many ‘issue’ books of the day was that each ended with you having to decide your own perspectives. You’ve heard the issues, you’ve heard the debate, weigh it up, make up your own mind.

The older I get the greyer I become – not just on top, and I’m not just referring to the colour of my hair. I know what I know, I’m sure about what I’m sure about. Of all of that, there is a little less than when I was young enough to know everything. I’d be glad to hear your perspective.

Chris Grantham is director of Arrow Leadership NZ, a two-year leadership programme for Christian leaders aged 25-40. Chris, born and educated in Christchurch, is author of the bestselling ‘The Kiwi Bible’. He lives with his wife Jocelyn (of Anglican stock) and is part of the Auckland parish of Saint… – well never mind. His views may or may not include observations of one or more vestries and synods in which he may or may not have participated.

chris@arrowleadership.org.nz

Disagreeably WORDS: CHRIS GRANTHAM

“Good humour can be a useful tool when discussing divisive topics.”

AnglicanLife Issue 23

Anglican Living’s aim in its re�rement villages and care homes is to enhance your quality of life within a Chris�an family environment. That means you can enjoy a comfortable and safe place to live, no ma�er who you are or what you believe. You’ll be part of a warm and welcoming community where you can be as social or as private as you want to be. You’ll also have access to the care and support you need from qualified professionals, and a chaplain if you wish.

Call Bishopspark on (03) 977 2320 or Fitzgerald on (03) 982 2165, ext .1www.anglicanliving.org.nz

Independent Living: One and two bedroom co�ages and apartments.Semi-independent: Studio Units with meals and linen provided, while you s�ll maintain your independence.24-hour Care: Rest home, hospital and secure demen�a care to meet your individual needs.

BISHOPSPARK24 Dorset St, Christchurch

Gracious re�rement village and rest home living adjacent to

Hagley Park, with nursing support when you need it.

FITZGERALD437 Armagh St, Christchurch

Care to the level you require in our rest home, demen�a care unit, or hospital, or independent living in an apartment, all in the midst of

lovely gardens.

Anglican Living offers...

21

CLOSING ESSAY

“Could you please repeat what you have just said? I don’t agree with a word you say….but I love the way you say it,” said Ralph the American in response to the content – and accent – of John the Scot at the board meeting of an international partnership. John delightfully repeated, Ralph vigorously disagreed. Good humour can be a useful tool when discussing divisive topics.

The first Christians had their debates, and used a variety of methods to deal with them. The Council of Jerusalem was one method. Another approach was to storm off and do your own thing, ‘unfriending’, as it were, the one you had fallen out with (with all due respect to Paul and Barnabas – who later kissed and made up, as it were, according to the Scriptures).

How do Christians today deal with divisive issues? Some people in church want to be told what to think. Some pastors/vicars and the odd self-appointed bishop want to tell them what to think. ‘God has set me in front of you as guardian of your soul,’ or something. ‘I know what is truth.’ Amazingly many intelligent articulate double-degreed parishioners swallow it.

Different Christians, different churches, have different ways of dealing with issues. In my Baptist days we had regular congregational meetings where we debated issues both banal and controversial Westminster-style. When Vera was asked why she opposed the establishment of a licensed facility in the neighbourhood, she responded querulously, ‘Because we always do.’ QED. Booze was not debatable.

My Anglican self is approaching two decades of experience. We have our vestry system, and though the word ‘governance’ occasionally slips from vicars’ mouths (one mouth per vicar) when referring to vestry, we are nevertheless effectively ruled by a benign dictatorship. Synod with its disproportional representation follows some sort of Westminster system for its debates. The

nature, quality and even the outcome of debate may be a reflection of participants’ ease with the system.

Back in the 70’s IVP, the reputable evangelical publishing house, produced a series “When Christians Disagree”. Books canvassed different approaches to then-current debates such as baptism, pacifism, creation/evolution, the role of women, (nothing, apparently, was needed on the role of men), signs wonders and healing, politics. What I liked about the series was the way that within each volume there were perspectives from both ‘sides’ of the particular debates. Throughout each volume there was backwards and forwards engagement by the two protagonists debating/responding to the various points. What was unique compared with so many ‘issue’ books of the day was that each ended with you having to decide your own perspectives. You’ve heard the issues, you’ve heard the debate, weigh it up, make up your own mind.

The older I get the greyer I become – not just on top, and I’m not just referring to the colour of my hair. I know what I know, I’m sure about what I’m sure about. Of all of that, there is a little less than when I was young enough to know everything. I’d be glad to hear your perspective.

Chris Grantham is director of Arrow Leadership NZ, a two-year leadership programme for Christian leaders aged 25-40. Chris, born and educated in Christchurch, is author of the bestselling ‘The Kiwi Bible’. He lives with his wife Jocelyn (of Anglican stock) and is part of the Auckland parish of Saint… – well never mind. His views may or may not include observations of one or more vestries and synods in which he may or may not have participated.

chris@arrowleadership.org.nz

Disagreeably WORDS: CHRIS GRANTHAM

“Good humour can be a useful tool when discussing divisive topics.”

AnglicanLife Issue 23

Anglican Living’s aim in its re�rement villages and care homes is to enhance your quality of life within a Chris�an family environment. That means you can enjoy a comfortable and safe place to live, no ma�er who you are or what you believe. You’ll be part of a warm and welcoming community where you can be as social or as private as you want to be. You’ll also have access to the care and support you need from qualified professionals, and a chaplain if you wish.

Call Bishopspark on (03) 977 2320 or Fitzgerald on (03) 982 2165, ext .1www.anglicanliving.org.nz

Independent Living: One and two bedroom co�ages and apartments.Semi-independent: Studio Units with meals and linen provided, while you s�ll maintain your independence.24-hour Care: Rest home, hospital and secure demen�a care to meet your individual needs.

BISHOPSPARK24 Dorset St, Christchurch

Gracious re�rement village and rest home living adjacent to

Hagley Park, with nursing support when you need it.

FITZGERALD437 Armagh St, Christchurch

Care to the level you require in our rest home, demen�a care unit, or hospital, or independent living in an apartment, all in the midst of

lovely gardens.

Anglican Living offers...

Phone 03 389 7999Ferry Park Chapel, 297 Ferry Road

Christchurchwww.belllambtrotter.co.nz

BELL, LAMB & TROTTERFUNERAL DIRECTOR LIMITED

Suzanne & Ian BellCanterbury owned and operated since 1872