BULLETINVol 20 No. 06 JUNE 2020

INSIDEIDEA: Making Room For The New 02

EQUIP: Rethinking Development 03COVID's Work Implications 06

GO: Happy Hour Discipling 09Hard Hit Ecuador 10Our Wounded Planet 11

CARE: Pray Through A Pandemic 14All Your Heart & Mind 15

PRAY:Prayerlinks 16SPOTLIGHTS: 17

For I am about to do something new.See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?

I will make a pathway through the wilderness.I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.

(Isaiah 43:19 NLT)

This month’s whakataukī (proverb) is: “Tungia te ururua, kia tupu whakaritorito, te tupu o te harakeke” [Get rid of the overgrowth and the new

flax shoots will spring forth]. The proverb is about the process of change—remove the old to let the new flourish. It should not be interpreted generationally, as Māori culture maintains deep respect for elders, but it does speak to change of roles and functions, and allowing the young room to sprout and flourish. It is also a metaphor for adapting to environmental/social changes and new ideas.In his May 14 article in The Correspondent, Dutch historian Rutger Bregmen quotes from Thomas Friedman's 1982 book, "Capitalism & Freedom"...

Only a crisis (actual or perceived) produces real change. When that crisis occurs, the actions that are taken depend on the ideas that are lying around.

Friedman is best known as the architect of the neo-liberal theory of economics (think: free markets and globalisation—it manifested as 'Rogernomics' in Aotearoa New Zealand). AD2020 marks the dramatic end of this economic era. By all accounts, Bregmen argues, free-market global capitalism has spectacularly failed.As I write, we are watching the USA collapse into chaos as the Black Lives Matter movement found its tipping point with the death in custody of George Floyd, in the context of a crippling pandemic and an accelerating trade war with China; even as the President lauded a Billionaire's recyclable rocket launch into space. As COVID-19 passes the 6.5 million infections mark, we are living in strange times indeed. With reference to the Australian bushfires that kicked off this year, the old overgrowth is burning, the new has room to flourish.What of missions? My days (and nights) are consumed by chasing leads to potential answers to that question. It's like chasing a mirage. It always has been and probably always will be. "Like chasing the wind" says the ancient teacher of Ecclesiastes. Missions is forever shifting because God is forever moving. Jesus knew this when he warned, "people will not say here it is or there it is" (Luke 17:21), because the Kingdom of God is within (or among) the People of God. So missions shifts according to the needs of the emerging people of God. Missions is humans furthering the purposes (mission) of God in a particular context, beyond the influence of a local church. That can take many forms but should ultimately result in God being glorified and humans, their communities and their environment flourishing—shalom.

Taking Lausanne 1974 as marker, the Evangelical concept of missions has grown in a particularly narrow way, under a particular eschatology, with a particular concept of how the Kingdom of God is "expanded". For 220+ years the central Scripture has been Matthew 28:18-20 or what became known as "The Great Commission". As I've written elsewhere (most recently here), I believe a new era of Evangelical missions needs to emerge for a post-(you name it) era, rooted in John 17:18-25, which I like to call "The Great Commitment".In a recent Virtual Forum with global missions leaders, one of many discussing "the future of missions", a well-respected missions information researcher observed,

People in mission organisations are turning inwards, engaging in introspection and speculation and they all seem to want to tell me about their conclusions! Many seem to see the crisis as a justification for the way they feel God had already been leading them.

This could be interpreted two ways, 1) that missions are seeking to protect their 'reason for being' based on preexisting personal or organisational convictions, or 2) that change agents are seeking to justify their insistence that missions should shift based on selective data that reinforces biases they formed prior to the pandemic. The former view will not last long because too much evidence is amassing that missions leaders cannot afford to ignore—change is coming. Holders of the latter interpretation would be wise to heed the warning to not be quick to assume their bias is God's way forward. I put myself in this second camp and took pause for thought. I took it as a caution to not let my biases lead me.For all the problems now evident with his economic theories, Friedman was a master change agent. His argument is sound and well proven, even if the way he applied it isn't likely to last. Our current crises provide an opportunity for missions ideas untenable a few months ago to become mainstream strategies. It is time for ideas that have been in gestation on the margins of missions and evangelistic activity to come to the fore. The old must give way to the new because the old is no longer fit for God's purposes: industrial to indigenous, individual to collective, imposition to invitation, contract to covenant, rapid to deep, task to relationship, power to service, separation to inclusion, influence to suffering, will to surrender, human agency to God's Spirit. "The wind blows wherever it pleases... So it is with everyone born of the Spirit" (John 3:8). As our 'new normal' in missions sprouts and flourishes, let us boldly follow the Spirit into a new era, Together: On Mission.

EDITORIALMAKING ROOM FOR THE NEWBy Dr Jay Matenga, Executive Officer, Missions Interlink.

Tena tātou katoa e te iwi mīhana...

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A few years ago, I walked through a refugee camp in western Ethiopia. In most

of the UNHCR tents, I caught glimpses of sick people lying down. By the communal water tap, hundreds of colourfully-dressed women were lined up. The eyes of many whom I greeted were dull, their faces lined with pain.

We were escorted into a large clearing where hundreds of people were seated, waiting for church to start. During the service, people stood and shared their stories: stories of fleeing from violence, of losing family members on the journey, of struggling to obtain ration cards for their families. The desperation revealed in their testimonies, and the knowledge that their suffering was largely caused by human hands, made it difficult to think of human words that could give hope. While aid and development agencies provided for the material needs of the people seeking refuge at the camp, they could not provide the hope that the people needed to hear.The bishop stood up and preached resurrection; the only words that truly speak life in a place of death. The only true Word of hope is the person of Jesus Christ. The only source of lasting

hope is the Gospel: the knowledge that God came to earth and experienced all that we experience; that Christ knows what it is like to stand at the grave of a friend and weep; that He suffered the death and shame of the cross; that on the third day He rose again and defeated death. Since Jesus rose from the dead, we know that one day there will be no more death and no more suffering. God will wipe away every tear from our eyes when His Kingdom comes.

My thesis, which this article is sourced from, was born out of two arms-length experiences of the field of international development. The first was interaction with people struggling in poverty, the people whom international development purports to assist. The second was working with institutions that have been set up to create solutions to poverty, and encountering the ideologies that underpin these institutions.

ORIGINS OF DEVELOPMENTDevelopment is a contested term. While poverty is an age-old concern, the notion of development in relation to global poverty has only emerged recently. The language of international development became widespread in the aftermath of the Second World War: at this time referring to a vision of lifting nation-states out of poverty.

Since then, the concept has been defined in myriad ways, and the international development literature is now filled with a plurality of voices. Some argue that the definition of development is so broad that it now “means whatever one wants or needs it to mean.” Others give a more precise meaning based on ideas related to economic growth, meeting basic human needs, or upholding human rights.

Despite the long history of Christians serving the poor globally, voices from the Church have been largely absent from mainstream discourses of international development. This reflects both the secular underpinnings of the field, as well as a lack of engagement by Christians with international development scholarship: there is an absence of published research by Christian development practitioners and little theological reflection.

ALIGNMENT WITH SCRIPTUREThe impact of this lack of theological engagement is that Christians working in the field can come to embrace the implicit assumptions of dominant ideologies of international development, which often run counter to the claims of Scripture. Although development is often imagined to be a neutral moral good, development ideologies carry

RETHINKING DEVELOPMENTREALIGNING NARRATIVES TO SCRIPTURE

by Rosie Fyfe, National Director NZ Church Missionary Society. Adapted from the introduction and conclusion to Rosie's unpublished MA Thesis (Trinity School for Ministry), "The Immanency of the Eschaton: International Development as Secular Eschatology" (2018). As we seek to 'rebuild' in a post-pandemic reality, we do well to remember to keep our eyes on the author and perfector of our faith.

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within them various assumptions of the end, or the telos, towards which human societies should be moving.

Without a commitment to using Scripture as the lens through which to understand the world, Christian development practitioners are at risk of becoming “functional atheists” in their work. This is not to say that Christians should ignore the knowledge offered by experts in the field. However, they should examine carefully the implicit assumptions of ideologies of development, and hold them up to the light of Scripture.

Scripture provides a different understanding of both the problems that international development identifies, and the solutions to these problems. Scripture reveals distinct answers to questions such as the nature of humanity, the better future that development is working towards, and the source of ultimate hope.

EYES ON THE KINGDOMMy thesis examined the ideologies of international development in the light of the reality of the Kingdom of God, since the Kingdom of God is a central theme in Scripture. According to Mark, it was the subject of Christ’s first sermon (Mark 1:15). It was the only thing that Christ called the Gospel (Matt 4:23), and the topic which Jesus said was key to understanding His teaching (Luke 8:10).

Scripture teaches that the Kingdom of God has both arrived on earth with the coming of Jesus Christ, and is yet to arrive in its fullness. A right understanding of the Kingdom of God is essential for anyone working in the field of international development. While Christians are called to work for the coming Kingdom, it is ultimately God who will bring the Kingdom to completion and restore the world to how it was created to be: a world where “death shall

be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore” (Rev 2:14).

Scripture thus imparts a transcendent eschatology. It is the coming of the Kingdom of God in its fullness that will bring salvation and the restoration of all things, and this will be enacted by divine agency through the Second Coming of Christ.

A SECULAR IDEALI maintain that mainstream development discourses carry within them a secularised eschatology. Such discourses hold an implicit belief in human progress, trusting in human agency to save the world and make an end to global poverty. They are thus seeking to bring about an eschaton in the immanent world through human actors.

I believe that Christians working in the field of international development ought to be cognisant of its teleological

(end-goals) orientation, which may be antithetical to the telos of the Kingdom of God. They should resist being formed by the secular liturgies associated with the field, and instead serve the poor through obedience to the true King, placing their hope in Christ's Kingdom.

A PRACTICAL THEOLOGYMy desire is to articulate a practical theology of international development—examining how Christian theology both affirms and

critiques mainstream development discourses. The goal of practical theology is to reflect theologically on the practises of the Church, with a view to ensuring and enabling faithful participation in God’s redemptive practises in, to, and for the world.

The task of practical theology, therefore, is to “remind the Church of the subtle ways in which it differs from the world and to ensure that its practises remain faithful to the script of the gospel.” Practical theology begins with practise, then reflects theologically on practise, and concludes with transformed practise.

John Swinton and Harriet Mowat (2016, the source of the quote above) propose a framework for practical theological reflection in four stages: 1. current praxis: identifying practices

which require critical reflection; 2. cultural and contextual analysis:

excavating the meanings within the situation or field;

3. theological reflection: critical reflection on praxis in the light of Scripture and tradition;

4. formulating revised practise: drawing together the cultural and contextual analysis with the theological reflection in order to discover new and altered forms of practise.

Following this framework, in my thesis I outlined the most influential paradigms of international development, and asked theological questions of each paradigm so as to examine its implicit assumptions.

I articulated the eschatological vision of the Kingdom of God described in Scripture, and examined the role of human agency in relation to the coming Kingdom. I then drew together the critical analysis of international development paradigms with the theological reflection, in order to discern how a teleology and eschatology, formed by the reality of the Kingdom of God, transforms the way international development is understood and carried out.

THE CONTRASTING VISIONSInternational development is concerned with moving toward a vision of a better world. Development narratives tend to assume that time is linear and that humanity moves towards a better future, achieved through human agency. In other words, because the end-vision offered by paradigms of international development is removed from any transcendent claims, hope is drawn from a better future imagined by the human mind.

Scripture, in contrast, reveals a transcendent eschatology in which the Kingdom of God will arrive through divine agency. The promise of Scripture is that poverty and injustice will end when God ushers in His Kingdom. Christians, therefore, wait in anticipation of the coming of God’s Kingdom: knowing that the best life that could be imagined will be given by God at the eschaton.

This Kingdom, however, is not solely a future promise. The Kingdom of God has already come; the Kingdom has

RETHINKING DEVELOPMENT cont...

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been inaugurated through the person and work of Jesus Christ. The Church is thus called to participate in the work of the Kingdom in the present, through the power of the Holy Spirit. Christians are to live under God’s reign, establishing colonies of heaven in this present reality.

They are called to live in a stance of active waiting; to orient their lives towards the end-vision of the Kingdom, working and praying that God’s will would be done on earth as in heaven.

In effect, ideologies of international development can be seen to operate as anti-theologies, belief systems that run counter to the claims of Christian theology.

OUR SOURCE OF HOPETo reiterate, the ultimate hope of our Christian faith is grounded in the promise of the coming Kingdom, whereas the hope projected by the field of international development is based in historical time and derived from within the confines of an material-world frame of reference. But this humanly-derived hope is destined for failure because it is reliant on the fantasy of humanity being able to save itself from its sins.

Christians should not subscribe to the structuring of over-arching narratives that run counter to the storyline of this world's beginning and end, nor to the belief that humankind can save itself from its sins by eliminating poverty and ushering in the eschaton by its own strength and on its own terms.

REINFORCING LITURGIESThis does not mean ceasing the type of work that development narratives aim to inspire. The mandate to carry out this type of work is woven into the fabric of communities that hold fast to the knowledge that their Redeemer lives.

Christians working in the field of international development are called to work with a posture of obedience toward their King. They ought to make use of Scripture in order to navigate the complexities of this world, not the secularised ethical allure of the better life made solely by human hands from the 'liturgies' of international development.

Liturgies are identity forming and influence the way we collectively see the world. Christians, therefore, must take part in the liturgies of the Church. As they do so they are formed as citizens of

the Kingdom of God in order to live their lives in obedience to the true King.

The international development liturgies nurture an impulse to create an eschaton in a future humanistic material world. They are bent on making an idol of a salvific vision that occurs through human agency without God’s involvement.

HUMANS FLOURISH IN GODIt is true that all humankind lives within a here and now frame of reference, but those who hold to faith in the resurrection must remain open to the transcendent and not live as under a closed heaven.

The bold vision that international development aims to embody is a comprehensive way of imagining a world that is moving towards closure: the full-realisation of a 'developed' better-life world based on a self-referential authority. Christ-followers, on the other hand, are led to see through that illusion to the horizon of history where we anticipate the return of One in whom lies all authority in heaven and on earth and the coming of life everlasting, which is better by far.

RETHINKING DEVELOPMENT cont...

In 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13, the Apostle Paul gets serious with the Thessalonian faithful… And now, dear brothers and sisters, we give you this command in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ: Stay away from all believers who live idle lives and don’t follow the tradition they received from us. For you know that you ought to imitate us. We were not idle when we were with you.

We never accepted food from anyone without paying for it. We worked hard day and night so we would not be a burden to any of you. We certainly had the right to ask you to feed us, but we wanted to give you an example to follow. Even while we were with you, we gave you this command: “Those unwilling to work will not get to eat.” Yet we hear that some of you are living idle lives, refusing to work and meddling in other people’s business. We command such people and urge them in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and work to earn their own living. As for the rest of you, dear brothers and sisters, never get tired of doing good.

We are living through a period of time where an idealised concept of work is emerging—from necessary drudgery to meaning and purpose, with positive social and environmental outcomes.

While this is a welcome aspiration, it is still a far cry from reality for many people around the world.

WORK RECOVEREDWithin the realms of Church and missions, the sacredness of work has been, for some time, promoted as valid and good, with even a ‘witness to the world’ orientation to it. We work because God works, and our capacity to work is rooted in our creation in the image of God. This kind of work is creative work. It is an investment of our human capacity to craft good out of the material world we have been gifted from the Creator. Work is an opportunity for Divine inspiration to flow through us, for something unique and beautiful to emerge from our talents and the wisdom of God granted to us (see Isaiah 28:23-29). The outcomes of such activities ought to be for the sustenance of ourselves and our families, our neighbours and our society, the creation around us and for the glory of God who provides for and sustains us by grace.

We also labour and toil. This is a direct inheritance of the corruption of creation that we trace back to what we know as “the fall”. At that point of disobedience, our ancestors’ determination to judge right from wrong, good from evil, burdened us with resistance to our investments of energy. The material world

no longer yields so easily to our efforts to craft good, to make a living, to find peace and joy in our activities. Yet labour we must, to perpetuate our existence.

After the resurrection of the carpenter from Nazareth, who experienced a brutal death nailed to slabs of wood like those He used to craft with, we now find rich meaning in our earthly labours. When we act, we do so in and for our resurrected Lord (Ephesians 6:7-8, Colossians 3:23-24, 1 Timothy 5:18). In this way, our efforts are transformed from toil to testimony. In-Christ, we once again discover the joy of creative work, for our own dignity, the dignity of our families, the benefit of our society, the wellbeing of our environment and the glory of God in all the earth. We work because it is an act of worship. Idleness, therefore, is idolatry—a misdirected devotion to something other than God’s right ways.

WORK INTERRUPTED Paul chastised the Thessalonians with a strong word: “Those unwilling to work will not get to eat.” There is inference here that some among them may have been living off the generosity of a community of faith that was sharing its wealth. Paul was criticising them for not contributing to the wellbeing of that community. This suggests that some work within that community may not have been directly remunerated.

WORK IMPLICATIONSON MISSIONS IN A TIME OF PANDEMIC

by Dr. Jay Matenga, Executive Officer Missions Interlink NZ and Director of Missions & Evangelism Dept. World Evangelical Alliance (and Mission Commission). This article was previous published on the WEA MC website, May 25 2020. A podcast of this article, narrated by Jay, is also available as part of the WEA MC's GLOBAL MISSIONS INSIGHTS series available on iTunes, Spotify, Blubrry.com and the WEA MC's website (same page as the article).

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Yet an investment of time and energy to the benefit of the community was still expected in order to receive a portion of the fruits of the communities’ activities as a whole.

Viv Grigg, a missions-oriented social entrpreneur and professor of Urban Leadership at William Carey International University, suggests these Biblical examples of sharing communities were operating out of a cooperative economic mindset (see his book, Kiwinomics). In a cooperative, capital is shared and assets are communal, then the benefits are enjoyed by all. It is a bit more complex than it sounds and the principles are by no means exclusive to Christians, but cooperative economics can be powerfully applied by believers for the benefit of mutual flourishing, wealth creation and wellbeing.

That is all very well, but what if the entire community cannot work? What if creativity is hindered by Government-level injunctions to cease activities outside of the home? How then does a family survive unless they have the accumulated spare resources to do so—for as long as is required? For most in the industrialised world, governments have provided temporary incomes in some form, either as welfare, wage subsidies or business hardship packages. For those who are able, work has continued from the home, travelling the umbilical cord of the internet to deliver products and services that can still be traded in the marketplace. For the vast majority of people on earth, however, this is not an option; because the vast majority of people on earth live a subsistence existence and they are starving.

WORK IMPOSSIBLEThe COVID-19 response has been predominantly one-size-fits-all, following the most popular option to mandate physical distancing and close the marketplace to do so. This took consumers of anything other than “essential items” off the streets. Suddenly the clientele of most retailers, their suppliers and the manufacturers, disappeared. No doubt we have all heard of the plight of those in impoverished nations who live day to day and hand to mouth from street selling. We have seen the long walks to home villages and heard of the devastation a copy-cat isolation strategy is causing throughout the high-density low-income populations of the world.

On May 16 2020, Mats Tunehag, Chairman of the Business As Mission (BAM) Global Think Tank, noted that,

United Nations, World Food Program, International Labour Organization, International Food Policy Research Institute, Business Sweden, and others are painting horrifying scenarios on a macro-scale: Around 50 million children could fall into extreme poverty. Hundreds of millions of jobs may be lost. 260 million face starvation, and three dozen countries risk famine. 2.7 billion workers are affected by the lockdown measures. Most vulnerable are people in the informal sector, and in India alone 400 million workers now face greater impoverishment. 50–70 percent of the population in 20 countries in Africa will run out of money and food after a 14-day quarantine.

Another impact, lost on the media, is that of the livelihood of religious workers in the Majority World. When you are ministering in a society that relies on presence and cash (or other material offering), isolation immediate shuts off a lifeline. Ministers have not stopped working. They are still praying, studying, listening and teaching, and their phones will be running hot as they comfort and counsel their flock. But their income supply has been cut off. The ox has been muzzled (see 1 Timothy 5:18) by the edict to remain at home. As one example of solidarity, the World Evangelical Alliance is responding to the plight of the pastors by fundraising for them and distributing collections via national evangelical alliances. Click here to find out more and contribute to this pilot project.

Nations that could afford to keep their economic engine running and risk a very high load on their healthcare systems are not faring much better than nations that locked-down. People have still opted to remain home and the direct death toll from COVID-19, particularly among the elderly, is drawing stern criticism—but it is far from over and the total impact, whether from infection or isolation, will take years to determine. By then it will be just an historic curiosity.

WORK ASSISTANCEIt is a no-win situation. Everyone will lose something, some much more than others. Those most acutely impacted will require financial assistance. The McKinsey consultancy company

reports that philanthropic enterprises released “US$10.3 billion globally in May 2020, according to Candid, which is tracking major grants.” Aid of this magnitude (and much more) is certainly needed for the desperate, but it is often not distributed equitably, if it is distributed at all in places.

Regardless, human dignity does not thrive in dependency. Dignity is found in creativity and contribution. For most of the world, the problem is not refusing work in favour of idleness, it is the inability to find work. In parts of the industrialised world this has suddenly become an overwhelming new reality. For example, at the time of writing, the unemployment rate in the United States of America is the highest it has been since the Great Depression and is set to get worse. India’s unemployment rate, in contrast, had “stabilised” at an unfathomable 24% (compared to 6.5-7% in May 2019)—an estimated 120 million people are jobless and 80 million jobs have disappeared completely, let alone the hundreds of millions otherwise negatively impacted. Offering job welfare and stimulus packages is going to create an enormous debt for India (as it is for all nations) and delivering stimulus funding is a very complex economic exercise not to be treated lightly.

WORK ADAPTING Where businesses and businesspeople have the capacity to continue operating in the current crisis, some are responding wonderfully well, contributing solutions for the benefit of their employees and communities.

A company developed by Christian innovators in New Zealand usually makes sturdy plywood road cases for event equipment. As the inevitability of a lock-down loomed, they saw the need for work-from-home desks, so they pulled out an old design and quickly refined it. Within days they started producing a flatpack fully-adjustable workstation kitset out of their road case material that is durable, strong and requires no tools to assemble. The business continued to thrive as an employer and essential services provider.

Dr. João Mordomo, co-founder and vice-chair of Crossover Global tells of a Business As Mission enterprise in Brazil called LivFul,

an international BAM business with a growing presence in Brazil. They

are driven by an Isaiah 61 (and Luke 4) vision “to proclaim good news to the poor… to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, [and] to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.” One of the ways they do this is by producing world-class (and world-beating!) insect repellent. That alone is enough to save thousands, if not millions, of lives annually. But what about right now, in the midst of a global pandemic that is not related to mosquitos and other insects? LivFul immediately mobilized, by way of a joint venture with another BAM company, to offer PPEs (personal protective equipment) such as masks and rapid-testing kits to governments, hospitals and NGOs at special low prices. They willingly forsook some of their financial bottom line in favour of the social and spiritual bottom lines. They looked around, saw an opportunity in the midst of the need, and jumped into action.

Stories abound of businesses from established companies to micro-enterprises repurposing their activities to supply ventilators, protective screens, personal protection equipment, masks, sanitizer, handwash stations, and all manner of innovative devices to accommodate the low-touch requirements of our present and future. What they all have in common is a sensitivity to the needs around them and the ability to create solutions with the resources/assets they have on hand. This kind of service-orientation is core to what it means to make the most of our God-given gift of work.

WORK ON MISSIONFor followers of Jesus, we are to use our creativity for the benefit of others as if working for the Lord, as an act of worship. The global reality is that those of us who have some resources and are less impacted, have a wide-open missions opportunity to live out our faith by praying for inspiration that will enable us to create employment opportunities.

God has not abandoned us to this crisis. The Holy Spirit has positioned us for it. The hope we profess is not void of power. We operate by the laws of a different reality and have assets that are out of this world. Through prayer, with our mustard seed-sized faith, we can see unemployment and debt and need mountains move. We can imagine a

better future because Jesus has proven that there is one.

Now is not the time to tire of doing good—we need to increase our investment, to be part of a whole-of-life gospel solution. We need to be known as feeders of the hungry and carers of the sick and resourcers of the willing. We need to be lovers of the lost, hope-givers and, by our example, trainers of those who put their hope in Christ. And we need to permeate whatever level of society we work in with the fragrance of the living God, the perfume of faith, hope and love. To draw people previously untouched by the gospel into the fellowship we enjoy with the Prince of Peace.

Mats Tunehag concludes his article (noted above) by projecting into the near future…

The need for God-honouring and people-serving businesses will increase during and after the pandemic. Thus, we must continue to affirm, equip and deploy men and women, young and old, on all continents, to grow, shape and reshape businesses with God and for the common good. We also need to build an eco-system of (Christ-honouring) leaders from business, government and civil society, so different kinds of wealth can be created, and health restored. And we must include the Church. To that end, let me conclude with the appeal from the Wealth Creation Manifesto: “We call the Church to embrace wealth creation as central to our mission of holistic transformation of peoples and societies.”.

Potentially more potent and possible than autonomous business initiatives, especially for urban people in poverty, is for Christians to lead in collective enterprises based on a cooperative economics model such as that mentioned above. Viv Grigg clarifies,

Among the poor there is money. But there is not access to capital for starting of small businesses that will generate money. The solution to this is the development of cooperative savings schemes. When a group of people put their small amounts week by week into a common fund it grows to a significant amount of capital which can then be given to one of the members of the group to start a small business. This person then can repay that loan week by

week, while the continued process of group savings continues till the next person can be given a capital loan, and so on till the whole group have had access to the capital. At that point, they are all earning more, so the amount of loans moves up a step to the next level of capitalisation.

In light of the COVID-19 crisis, Viv's opening sentence may no longer be valid. People in poverty may have consumed what funding they had. Nevertheless, cooperatives can be developed with strategic injections of capital alongside training for the collective on how to develop a flourishing cooperative. Missions could lead the way, helping local churches to develop a cooperative economic mindset for the benefit of a congregation's mutual wellbeing and witness to the world—but first, missions would need to adopt a cooperative mindset.

We are hearing much talk about increasing collaboration within missions circles in this crisis moment. Some are calling for a new era of "radical collaboration", but there is a danger that collaboration will remain little more than a trendy new way of speaking of 'partnership'—the working together of autonomous bodies for mutually agreed outcomes. For cooperatives to work effectively, an assumption of autonomy must be surrendered. The early church had a deep sense of unity, a mutuality in-Christ that built sufficient trust for their cooperatives to work, such that many were added to their numbers daily because of their witness. If we are to bear full witness to the promise of our Lord, that He came to fulfil "the year of the Lord's favour" (Luke 4:19), perhaps we need churches and missions to start living out a selfless common-good cooperative jubilee around the world as evidence of our salvation and as actionable good news to the poor.

WORK FAITHFULLYIn 2 Thessalonians 4:3-5 Paul declares, …the Lord is faithful; He will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one. And we are confident in the Lord that you are doing and will continue to do the things we commanded you. May the Lord lead your hearts into a full understanding and expression of the love of God and the patient endurance that comes from Christ.

— in other words, #stayonmission.

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It seems like everyone is hunkered

down these days. Until we went to Level 2 it precluded sitting in a cafe and talking over coffee or breakfast. But physical distancing shouldn't stop us from obeying Jesus in making disciples. We asked ourselves, how can we be involved in disciple-making without being able to meet in person? Additionally, how can ideas and practices be helpful to us as we move forward in disciple making post-pandemic?

What birthed from these questions was an exciting, intergenerational online community, showing up weekly, in numbers between 50 and 100, to engage with a panel of NZCMS Mission Partners (and some guests) to discuss edgy mission topics like: “True or False? God will keep us safe” or “Should we still send Missionaries in 2020?”.

ROOTS & REDISCOVERYAs we dreamed about connecting people in a conversation around mission, we noticed some things that helped us shape the direction of what became our Happy Hour. We realised that our Mission Partners were a gift—our teachers at this time—since living in the midst of uncertainty and risk is not new for most of them. We noticed our Mission Partners were in lockdown too, some with more time on their hands than usual. So we asked, how do we connect them with one another and with our communities here in NZ? We sensed that this was a time for a voice for global Kingdom Hope and challenge to call us to ‘be the Church’, expanding

in Kingdom vision at a time of retreat and lockdown. We noticed our regular regional support groups couldn’t meet and there was a need for connection.

The roots of NZCMS are member-centric, and this sense of community is built into our DNA. The lockdown enabled us to connect differently, to build on some defining conversations we have been having within NZCMS to rediscover and refine our calling as a mission society and our calling to be a voice for global mission to the Church.

We dug into the founding story of CMS—birthed in a pub with a bunch of people gathering to discuss gritty mission issues. So, with a nod to this unique heritage, we called our Zoom gatherings ‘Happy Hour with NZCMS’.

CONNECTION AND COMMUNITYHappy Hour was a stab in the dark, but it was also loads of fun to give something different a go. Along the way we discovered there’s an appetite for it! It enhanced our sense of community as our Mission Partners, supporters, churches, staff and new people turned up and connected with each other.

Our traditional ways of connecting with supporters predominantly drew older supporters, whereas people of a wide range of ages connected with Happy Hour. All of us have had a sense of belonging to a mission movement that is globally engaged and passionate about God's mission. One of our Mission Partners thought it was “a wonderful event to be part of and I'm super inspired and challenged again to dig deeper in our community again.”

Through this, we sense a trend that we have been seeing for a while; there is a change in the way people in NZ engage

with global mission. As well as hearing from individuals 'out there' doing the mahi (work), people here also want to wrestle with meaty topics of faith and mission that connect into their own life and ministry. People want a challenge outside of themselves. We know we live in a globally connected world, and we know that our own country is also a “mission field.”

WHERE NOW?Happy Hour has become a new space for engaging mission partners and generations in the stirring conversation for global mission. With people now no longer restricted to home, we are moving this to a monthly gathering to try to make it a sustainable offering. (see our facebook page for details). We’re energised by the drive for connection with diverse but like-minded mission-oriented people, and people engaging in stimulating and current missional conversations that inspire and challenge.

We at NZCMS don’t know if Happy Hour is a long-term game or a short term good-time in the mission conversation and community, but we will continue to ask the question: where is God at work and what are the opportunities in this season as the Church and as a Mission Society?

We are also aware that God has a way of using momentus events throughout history to usher in something new. God’s redeeming work continues; are we bold enough to wonder if this is a moment for God’s renewal of God’s people? What would it look like if this time were to be one where God raises up a new wave of disciples for mission? We believe God can and will do this and we want to do what we can to be part of that.

GO

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HAPPY HOUR DISCIPLINGMOVING TO ZOOM TO MOVE INTO MISSIONS

by Kirstin Cant, Mission Enabler for NZCMS.

One of our partners, Darnelle

Richardson, is in Ecuador, the earliest South American country to be hard hit by COVID-19. Darnelle writes, “Being restricted from having one-on-one contact with people I’d normally get to see, has been very hard—but then I found out about the red flags.” People who need help, mainly with food supplies, have been hanging a piece of red cloth out.

There in her close neighbourhood was a red flag, and she had just been to the supermarket.

“I admit I was nervous going to their gate; I had never been there before. When I went in, three little kids greeted me, staring up with wide eyes. I heard a voice telling me to enter, and as I followed the kids around a corner, there were about six adults sitting on benches.

“It was an awkward moment: I looked at them, they looked at me with my bags of shopping.

“I asked who the red flag belonged to.” Two sisters got up and came to take the bags from me and said thank you. So I introduced myself, ‘Hi, I’m your neighbour from that building—OK, bye!’ and I left, because I wasn’t really allowed to be there. That is not normally how I am!” She has since taken food parcels to other families.

As a children’s worker, Darnelle has Bible studies, games and other activities at her fingertips, to share with children in her community. But since lockdown she has been busy putting a lot of this material online, so that former

contact families still have access to it. “Thats a blessing,” she says, “especially because the mums have had to read the stories with the kids and repeat things with them, so then they have been learning too.” Darnelle and her co-worker Amanda were preparing new online training resources for children’s ministry workers which they planned to launch on May 25.

The president of Ecuador has announced that at least 13,000 dead from COVID-19, so the regularly quoted statistics for this country are too low, only counting those who tested positive in a health clinic prior to dying. In fact there are estimates that 1 in 3 people in the virus epicentre—the major port city of Guayaquil—are infected. (As at June 4, the official count was only 3,486 deaths).

Independently gathered figures from cemeteries suggest the death toll in Guayaquil alone was more than 8,000 last month alone, as bodies piled up in homes and at times on the streets. It’s thought that the original sources of infection were often Ecuadorean students coming home from Spain.

Darnelle is based in the southern city of Loja, where things are not so desperate as in Quayaquil, where SIM has a project buying and delivering food parcels, gas, water and medical supplies to families in need. “I have donated and would love others to join me,” Darnelle says. “Just use the project number below when giving."

“And please pray for our team members who live in the middle of Guayaquil; pray for stamina and protection.” SIM Latinoamerica’s

Director Julieta and her colleague Lola, who were spearheading SIM’s compassion project and were already physically and emotionally drained, have now tested positive for COVID-19, and all the family have the virus. Two have already died. Julieta is the caregiver for her extended family, and asks for prayer for supernatural strength.”

Last Saturday Darnelle’s landlord’s brother died from COVID-19. “He was a doctor living near Guayaquil, married with two children. Please pray that his wife may be comforted by the hope she has in Christ.”

Darnelle concludes, “Despite having bad news crowding in on us, it has been amazing to see God open doors here, and opportunities to be able talk to others about him. Thank you all very much for your ongoing support.”

To donate to the SIM Ecuador compassion project, go to https://sim.org.nz/give/ and quote project #91902.

A HARD HITBEING CHRIST IN COVID-CRISIS ECUADOR

by SIM NZ with Darnelle Richardson, an SIM Mission Partner in Ecuador, sent from Howick Baptist in Auckland. This report was curated from SIM NZ's May 2020 blog post.

I am writing this looking out into my garden. I can hear the birds singing loudly and the silence

from the lack of traffic noise is stark. If I stand outside and look up at the sky, it is clear blue with no airplane trails across it. The canal where I go for my daily walk is the clearest I’ve ever seen it, now that there are no boats using it, stirring up the mud. Walking with my daughter the other day, we stood in the middle of what is usually a busy road, with not a car on it, and I said, ‘stand still for a moment and appreciate this. You may never experience this again’.

We are going through profound shocks: socially, politically, economically... and the impact of these will last for many years. Alongside the positives that some of us are experiencing, we are also facing fear, grief and suffering. There are immense challenges that we are dealing with, in our homes, our churches and our workplaces. How does the theme of reconciliation contribute to this current time, particularly in relation to our relationship with the wider natural world?Let me start with the fundamentals: God created a world that he declared to be very good, a world in which people and the wider natural order exist

harmoniously in the presence of God. Relationship with God, with others, with ourselves and with the rest of creation is central to God’s loving purposes. But those relationships very quickly went wrong, and the Bible then tells the story of how God works to restore them (reconcile them) and put them back to rights—a plan that ultimately finds its fulfilment in Jesus Christ.

The Gospel (literally ‘the good news’) is thus a Gospel of reconciliation. Through Jesus we are reconciled (restored in relationship) with God, with the wider natural world, with other people and with ourselves. That means that a Gospel that does not include our relationship with the whole creation is not the full Gospel. How tragic that we have been content with such an emaciated Gospel!1

Through this pandemic I have been reflecting on how we live in a wonderful yet wounded world. As I noted in my opening, many of us have been re-discovering what a wonderful world we live in. For those of us fortunate enough to have gardens or to be in countries where lockdown has allowed us a daily walk, we have come to appreciate getting outside more than ever. So many people have been reconnecting with the wider natural world in a way they haven’t done for years and realising just how

nurturing and good for our wellbeing it is to spend time outdoors.

This is a world of awe and beauty; a world that God has created teeming with life, full of diversity and abundance and colour. And what neighbours we share this world with: the most incredible and stunning mix of strange, funny, scary, cuddly, scaly, odd, tiny, huge creatures that we could ever possibly imagine!2

Yet at the same time, we live in a world that is seriously wounded. Contrary to what some church leaders may be saying, I want to state that COVID-19 is not a judgment from God: he did not cause it or will it into being. Whilst the Bible indicates there can be times when someone’s sickness is the result of personal sin, if and when people fall ill, there is no Biblical warrant for automatically linking that with a person’s sin and we must be very careful before we pronounce something as being God’s judgment.

Having said that however, as we have seen, the Bible is clear that God, people and the wider natural world are deeply interconnected. If one aspect of that set of relationships is broken then everything will be impacted. As hard as it is to hear, the outbreak of COVID-19 is not a ‘natural disaster’. Rather it is a disaster of our own making.

OUR WOUNDED PLANETTHE GOSPEL OF RECONCILIATION FOR CREATION

by Dr. Ruth Valerio, Advocacy and Influencing Director for Tearfund in the UK. Among Ruth's responsibilities is to mobilise churches around the world to tackle poverty and injustice by pushing for change at a governmental and institutional level. This article is reproduced (with permission) from Redcliffe College's Vista magazine, Issue 36, May 2020.

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Viruses can jump species and get into humans. Environmental destruction makes this more likely to happen, and with greater frequency, as people are brought into closer contact with virus-carrying animals.

Deforestation, mining, the bushmeat trade, animal trafficking and unsustainable agricultural practices are all likely factors at play. It is tempting to see this pandemic and the climate breakdown as having their origins elsewhere, to point the blame at people, governments and organisations in other parts of the world. But, any of our nations are certainly not innocent bystanders.

In 2008 the European Commission pledged to halt deforestation, but in 2019 recognised its goals are unlikely to be met with current trajectories3. While Europe’s forestation plantations are booming, European consumer practices are still stimulating global deforestation importing nearly a quarter of products which have been cultivated on illegally deforested lands around the world4.

A 2010 study revealed that concerning quantities of bushmeat were being illegally imported from Africa into Europe, posing significant health risks to people and livestock.

Alongside this, the virus has spread so rapidly because of our dependence on air travel. We’ve known for decades how environmentally harmful flying is, yet we have been steadily increasing our flights in, from and to Europe alone, amounting to over a billion passenger flights in 2008.

The desperation of poverty and the greed of wealth underpin a global system that is fundamentally at odds with God’s original intention of shalom between all things, and the current pandemic is a terrible consequence of that. Of course, whilst we may be focused on COVID-19, the disasters of climate breakdown, biodiversity loss and plastic pollution are still continuing and we still need to tackle them urgently.

So how do we bring a Gospel of reconciliation into this situation? One answer to that is found by looking at what it means for us to be made ‘in the image of God’ (Gen. 1:26- 28). This description places humans in a particular relationship with God and looks in two directions.

Firstly, it looks in the direction of our relationship to others and speaks of the absolute equality between people:

all people have been made in God’s image. That absolute equality means that poverty is an absolute abomination. COVID-19 challenges us here. It exposes the stark inequalities of our world as it wreaks havoc most on those for whom lockdown means no money and no food and who don’t have access to the basics of clean water and soap let alone a garden or park.

Reconciliation with others includes responding to the needs of neighbours both near and far. In Europe, 1 in 5 people are living in households at risk of poverty or social exclusion and research is indicating that this makes them especially vulnerable to the virus, as does living in areas with high air pollution5. People in refugee camps are particularly vulnerable in Europe during this pandemic6.

Reconciliation with others means not only responding to the needs of our immediate communities and nation, but also looking to our global neighbours and the needs of those living in countries that do not have the financial protection or health equipment that we do.

Secondly, being made in the image of God looks in the direction of the whole creation. Like an image in a temple, we are God’s representatives, created to serve and look after the rest of what he has made. COVID-19 challenges us to recognise how far we have fallen from doing that well, but it also presents us with a unique opportunity for change.

As we emerge from lockdown and stimulate our economies, will we do so in a way that does not take us back to pre-pandemic levels of pollution? Will we prioritise tackling deforestation and unsustainable agriculture7? In relation to the current pandemic, tackling unregulated ‘wet’ markets is also critical. Will we push our governments to ensure that economic recovery happens within the parameters of a 'less than 1.5°C temperature-increase' future? It is encouraging to see Amsterdam deciding to build back its economic activity in a way that meets the core needs of all but within the means of the planet7, and the state aid being given to Air France has come with strong climate response conditions.

At Tearfund (UK), we are working hard on the ground with our partners in many countries around the world, responding to the urgent needs of the pandemic. And, we are looking at these underlying

systemic issues and stimulating a conversation with churches to ask, how can we build back a better world that is fairer and greener?

As Christians, churches and missions, we can have a central role in calling for, and working towards, a world without huge gaps between rich and poor—one that enables us to live in harmony with the whole creation. We know we won’t see it fully until Christ returns to this earth, dwells in our midst, and completes the transformation of all things (Rev. 21 and 22), but we are future-oriented people and we can let that hope motivate us now in how we live, act, pray and speak out now.__________

References cited1. For full Bible references and to look at this more see R. Valerio, Just Living: Faith and Community in an Age of Consumerism (Hodder & Stoughton, 2016, p17-24).

2. For much more on this, and an exploration of Genesis 1 and how we can relate the themes of the Days of Creation to issues today, see, R. Valerio, Saying Yes to Life (originally the Archbishop of Canterbury’s 2020 Lent Book).

3. See ‘Communication From The Commission To The European Parliament, The Council, The European Economic And Social Committee And The Committee Of The Regions; Stepping up EU Action to Protect and Restore the World’s Forests’

4. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/jun/30/europes-contribution-to-deforestation-set-to-rise-despite-pledge-to-halt-it

5. https://www.eurofoodbank.org/en/poverty-in-europe; https://www.newsmax.com/health/health-news/hardest- hit-communities-lower-income-elderly-cdc-death- records/2020/04/01/id/960944/; https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/04/20040610 0824.htm

6. https://www.euractiv.com/section/justice-home- affairs/news/refugees-left-behind-in-coronavirus-crisis-aid- groups-warn

7. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/08/amsterdam-doughnut-model-mend-post-coronavirus-economy.

OUR WOUNDED PLANET cont...

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ROLE VACANCYOMF New Zealand has a vacancy for a Communications Coordinator to work in their warm and welcoming Auckland office. This is an ideal position for someone with experience or qualifications in communications and/or marketing. We are looking for someone who has a positive attitude, is flexible, and can work both autonomously and within a team. The Communications role sits within a wider team of mission mobilisers, and you will occasionally be required to work out of the office at public-facing events. This job is best suited to someone who connects well with other people. There is capacity for the applicant to combine working from home with time at the office.

Skills required include:• Project management and

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writing ability• Good interpersonal skills• Proficiency in Microsoft Office:

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media post creation• Strategic thinking combined

with driving ideas into action.

For more information about the role or OMF, go to omf.org/nz, or facebook.com/OMFNZ. Interested applicants should apply to: NZ.ND@omfmail.com.

The month of May has always been my favourite month. For those who live

in the northern hemisphere, its arrival is met with birds chirping, flowers blooming, longer daylight hours, beautiful sunsets and the return of warmer weather. It is a time of new growth and most importantly, a time of transition between spring and summer.At no time has this seasonal transition been more apparent to me than this year. My wife and I live in Genova, Italy, and have watched our country be overwhelmed by the Corona Virus pandemic. Since mid-February the daily news has been sobering. One of the images that many of us in Italy will never forget was watching the convoy of military vehicles in cities like Milano (Milan) and Roma (Rome) escort hundreds of caskets of Corona victims to various cathedrals because there was no more room in hospitals.

During these difficult days, my role as a member care provider (in quarantine) has been to listen and comfort my friends and ministry partners, many of them on the front lines of the pandemic. One of my friends, a nurse, works in the leading hospital of our region caring for Covid19 patients. He has told me repeatedly, “I feel like I have had to play God, literally deciding who will and will not receive treatment.” Others had not been home for over two months, even though the hospital is five minutes from their home, out of fear of exposing their families to the virus. All of my friends have had at least two things in common: they are exhausted and longing to share their stories.

My role has been to listen. So often we forget that one of the most important aspects of good Member Care is just being present and allowing those we care for a chance to talk and be heard! During these times of listening, I have discovered several useful tools:

1. PRAYERS OF LAMENT: People are experiencing various forms of loss and grief during these times. Perhaps we have often seen lamenting as being somewhat “overdramatic,” but there is certainly a Biblical premise for crying out to the Lord in the midst of our struggles with raw emotion. A local pastor in our now online church service shared these words from Psalm 44: “Awake, Lord! Why do you sleep? Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever. Why do you hide your face and forget our misery and oppression? We are brought down to the dust; our bodies cling to the ground. Rise up and help us; rescue us because of your unfailing love.” What powerful and timely words for the current world situation! It is important as member care providers that we allow people a chance to cry out, lament, and acknowledge their grief and name their losses. Prayers of lament in a time of suffering can be an act of worship.

2. PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION: As Christians we often say things like “I will pray for you” and then simply forget. As I have cared for friends, I spend time in prayer with them specifically asking God to bless them, meet needs, or simply minister in unique ways to each one of them, according to God’s will. Like many of

you, I have at times felt inadequate or even hopeless, confined to my home in quarantine. Yet, I have been reminded that most of the Apostle Paul’s ministry was conducted from the confines of a jail cell. What was arguably the essence of Paul’s ministry? Intercessory prayer for the early Church and the Apostles. Let’s not forget the power of prayer during this time. Here in Italy we have seen pastors coming together online to pray for our nation and world. Moreover, hundreds of European youth from all over the continent have met online each month in intercessory prayer during this pandemic. God is working!

3. SOUND OF SILENCE: Sometimes words fail us, as has been the case in many of my interactions recently while caring for friends. The seconds turn into minutes with no one saying a word, but there is power in remaining silent, taking deep breathes and allowing God to search the heart. Perhaps these difficult times are reminding us to stop and to wait upon the Lord.

The Apostle Paul reminds us in Romans 8 that we often do not know what to pray for, but the Spirit intercedes for us through wordless groans! Even just sitting and listening to nature during these times can minister to someone really struggling. Let’s not rush to fill the space with words, advice, or other things, but allow silence to speak.

So as May arrived, so too did a time of transition in Italy (having entered Phase 2 of our Corona response on May 4th). Yet, much of the world continues to suffer not only physically, but especially mentally and financially. Pray.

PRAY THROUGH A PANDEMICLAMENT, INTERCESSION & SILENCE

by Mihai Lundell, the member care provider for One Challenge's Europe Area Team, and a member of the European Member Care Board. Mihai works to build Member Care awareness and networks in eastern and central European countries that are just beginning to understand the need for Member Care. This reflection was curated from the Global Member Care Network's May 2020 email newsletter.

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CARE

God’s mission is redemptive in nature, grounded in the overflowing love of the

triune God. The responsibility of the Church, if it is obedient to Christ’s call is to first listen and discern what redemptive activity God is doing in their local context.In the case of Aotearoa New Zealand, the Church doesn’t need to discern too long to notice God’s activity with those suffering from mental illness—or the direct or related effects of COVID-19 for that matter. In response to Mental Health, I believe God has guided the NZ Government to respond to the mental health crisis highlighted by the Mental Health and Addiction Inquiry. Inquiry recommendations that the Government accepted (in 2018) include "to:• Significantly increase access to

publicly funded mental health and addiction services for people with mild to moderate needs

• Commit to increase choice by broadening the types of services available

• Urgently complete the national suicide prevention strategy

• Establish an independent commission to provide leadership and oversight of mental health and addiction, and

• Repeal and replace the Mental Health (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act 1992.

Delivering on the Inquiry's vision of a people-centred approach to mental health and addiction that meets the full range of need."

There has been an increase of website resources such as the Government's health promotion agency's (Te Hiringa Hauora) depression.org.nz and a willingness by celebrities to share their personal struggles with depression, such as Mike King and Sir John Kirwan. In these initiatives I see God is clearly active and the Church is invited to participate.

If the Church is grounded in good theology of mental health, it has something wonderful to share with those struggling with depression. However, church-based ministers in mental health must be careful to understand the language of Mental Health spoken by the medical world.

In Chaplaincy and Spiritual Care in Mental Health Settings, Ben Ryan says “Mental health language is modern and scientific. It has its own jargon and its own medical terminology, and little of it has much theological resonance or biblical basis."

The Mental Health and Addiction Inquiry noted that our existing mental health system was not set up well to respond to those not at the extremes of need:

Our mental health system is set up to respond to people with a diagnosed mental illness. It does not respond well to other people who are seriously distressed. Even when it responds to people with a mental illness, it does so through too narrow a lens. People may be offered medication, but not other appropriate support and therapies to recover. The quality of services and facilities is variable. Too many people are treated with a lack of dignity, respect and empathy.

In response, the Church could acknowledge the care provided by the medical world (while being quick to listen and slow to speak), but at the same time, humbly and wisely offer a larger picture to what it means to be human and have health.

It is said that acts of kindness are good for the soul and now science is proving that acts of service are good for one’s mental health. Research has now found that one’s mental health improves when helping others. This should come as no surprise to the Church, who gives in response to what Christ has given.

The Church can be a community that not only lives and teaches this principal of life but creatively seeks opportunities to serve others redemptively. In doing so, we should remain confident that we have good news to offer.

This offering could be provided through and by a communion of people who love and accept, because of Christ, those who are depressed. Recognising all the while that all of us have been accepted because of Christ Jesus not because of what we’ve done, look like or how healthy we are.

Opportunities for missions engagement with mental health needs could involve proactively working with mental health professionals, enrolling in free mental health programmes, inviting members of the Church community, who work in the areas of mental health, to talk with the congregation, seeking ways to become involved in wise and humble advocacy, and (most importantly) becoming a community that loves by listening without judgement.

ALL YOUR HEART & MIND GOD'S MISSION & MENTAL HEALTH

by Stuart Simpson, minister of the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand who has served in a city parish for over ten years, helping the church reflect missiologically. He has been a missionary in Madagascar and involved in missionary training through the Council for World Mission.Stuart is currently working on his Master of Ministry around the question: ‘How can the PCANZ equip its leaders to have a Christ like approach to depression?’

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PRAYERLINKS

PRAYER FUEL FOR MISSIONS

BIBLE LEAGUE NZPray for a number of Bible League trained Church Planters who are sharing the Word of God through online platforms in South Asia. Pray for the Lord to bless this new opportunity to share about Jesus. Praise God that Project Philip Bible studies have resumed in areas unaffected by COVID-19.

FEBC NZDue to the COVID-19 lockdown requirements, many marginalised people are suffering through loss of employment and hunger. Our Thailand Ethnic Ministry team supplied the villages we work with food and seeds for crops to grow in partnership with the local churches. Please pray for wisdom in meeting people's needs physically and spiritually, both immediate and long term.

INTERSERVE NZThe occurence of COVID-19 has provided an opportunity for the Interserve NZ whanau to reflect deeply on the future of missions and how we will need to adapt to the potential challenges the global pandemic will present once the viral spread settles down. Everyone is talking of a 'new normal', it is on us to discern before God what that will mean for missions and how we can match our history, values and strengths to the new realities. Pray for our Chair, Rosemarie Dewerse as she leads the Interserve Council in a process of reflective analysis; and National Director Susie Couch as she considers our strategic direction with the NZ staff and missions partners as a community of missional faith.

MISSIONS INTERLINK (MI)Much of our activity this past month has seen Jay involved in online meetings, whether participating in webinars or consulting with missions leaders concerning the problems emerging from the pandemic. Praise God that many missions leaders remain confident of the Lord's leading and of their organisations' continuing involvement in God's mission. Among the numerous meetings and conversations already planned for June, please pray for the MI Council Meeting on June 17. They will be responsible for setting the 20/21 budget with Jay. Pray for wisdom to know how to realistically set income and expenditure levels in what is likely to be a period of economic decline.

OMF NZThank you for your ongoing prayer. Our staff are back working in the office, thankful for the opportunity to collaborate face-to-face again. We have two significant mobilisation events coming up on 6 June: Our next online "EAT Aotearoa" event (for mission-minded young people), which will focus on Taiwan; and a get-together partnering with some Chinese churches in Auckland to explore further opportunities for mission involvement. We are also planning for our first online prayer day on 18 July. Our Communications Coordinator, Jess, is leaving her role at the start of July, and we are also still in the process of finding a new National Director. Please pray that God will lead us to the right people for these strategic roles.

SIM NZPray that our mission partners who are still in NZ due to COVID-19 lockdown will be able to get back with the communities they were called to, and that this pandemic doesn’t stop new people wanting to serve overseas. Pray for peace and acceptance at the uncertainty of travel due to borders being closed, health concerns, visa issues, cost of tickets and many other speed bumps they might have to endure.

RACIAL UNRESTThe lid has been lifted off simmering racial tensions in the USA. That is a unique situation, but ethnic tensions exist throughout the world, here in Aotearoa New Zealand as well. The pandemic and social media are exacerbating the tensions and divisions between people with differing perspectives, amongst Christians as much as anyone else. The issues in every context of societal division are very complex and not easily resolved. Pray that God would raise up leaders with a ministry of reconciliation who will have a unique Holy Spirit-empowerd grace to bring healing to deep hurts and honour to the dishonoured. Leaders with James 3:17-18 wisdom. Pray that truth will prevail in the place of conspiracy and supposition. Pray against the Evil One who delights in the destruction of relationships. Pray for people to turn to God as the only authority able to be trusted to lead us and empower us in the way of righteousness for the betterment of all people on the earth.

PRAY

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SPOTLIGHTS

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FLAXMILL BACK OPEN FOR RETREATSThe Big Toe Foundation's primary purpose is "to help those who are helping others"—and one way they do this is by providing reduced rate accommodation at Flaxmill Bay Hideaway to team members of registered not-for-profit groups. Missions Interlink member organisations can book the special rates via their MI membership. Flaxmill Bay is next to Cooks Beach, just 2.5 hours from Auckland, Hamilton or Tauranga.Between now and mid-December 2020* take some time out and enjoy a stay in one of Flaxmill’s 3-bedroom houses or charming 1-bedroom cottages.For more information about bookings or the facilities at Flaxmill, visit https://www.bigtoe.org.nz/flaxmill/. Special rates: https://www.bigtoe.org.nz/rates/. To enquire or book email: nfp@flaxmill.co.nz or phone: 07 866 2386.

*2-night minimum stay. Subject to availability. Not available public holiday weekends. Conditions apply.

OMF ONLINE PRAYER OPPORTUNITYJoin OMF NZ online on 18 July to pray for the people of East Asia. This interactive event is an opportunity to hear updates about OMF, share stories of God at work, and connect with others who have a heart for missions. Register a small group to pray together and receive an afternoon tea pack! To register yourself or a group, or for more information, contact Sarah by email: NZ.Mission@omfmail.com.

PERSPECTIVES INTENSIVEThe South Pacific version of the Perspectives on the World Christian Movement is being run again as a block course in West Auckland.

Rosedale, Auckland AUCKLANDJuly 13-18, 2020 (8:30am-5pm)Learn about Perspectives here. Contact Michael Simkin for further details by email: msimkin2015@gmail.com.

He is the God who made the world and everything in it. Since he is Lord of heaven and earth, he doesn’t live in man-made temples, and human hands can’t serve his needs—for he has no needs. He himself gives life and breath to everything, and he satisfies every need. From one man he created all the nations throughout the whole earth. He decided beforehand when they should rise and fall, and he determined their boundaries.His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him—though he is not far from any one of us. For in him we live and move and exist. (Acts 17:24-28b)

ABOUT USExecutive Officer Jay MatengaAdministrator Pauline Wood

Executive TeamRob Reynolds (Chair), Glenn Carter (Vice Chair), Jon Horne (Treasurer), Russell Thorp (Secretary).

MI CouncilAlpha NZ, Asian Outreach, Bible Society NZ, Church Mobilization, Eastwest College, GC3, Interserve, LeaDev-Langham, MAF, MotiVate (Missionary Ventures), NZBMS, NZCMS, OMF, OMS, Pioneers, SIM, WEC, with individual member: Jon Horne.

connect converse conductConnecting the missions community

from and within Aotearoa NZ for God’s glory everywhere, always.

Our PurposeWe facilitate collaboration towards participation in mission from and within Aotearoa NZ. We nurture the missions community in Aotearoa NZ to connect, converse, and conduct mission with the aim of working together: on mission.

ADVERTISINGThe MI BULLETIN is distributed by email every month to more than 1000 missions interested people.

HOW TO CONTACT US PO Box 64 379 Botany 2163 Auckland, New Zealand +64 9 320 4408 info@missions.org.nz https://missions.org.nz

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