Mihana

MISSION

WHAT IS MISSION?

“Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given complete authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
MATTHEW 28:18-20 (NLT)

Mission is the last instruction Jesus gave the disciples before he ascended to heaven. As Christians we are missionaries sent by God to represent Jesus. Being a missionary is not about doing things to people, but serving alongside people. Everyone who claims to be a disciple of Jesus Christ should also see themselves as a missionary. That’s because Jesus commissioned all believers to make disciples, to baptise, to teach the commandments, and to remember that He is always with us. So a missionary is not only someone who is called to work overseas - anyone of us can be a missionary in our local context.

In the Anglican Church we have agreed on these Five Marks of Mission:

To proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom.
To teach, baptise and nurture new believers.
To respond to human need by loving service.
To transform unjust structures of society, to challenge violence of every kind and pursue peace and reconciliation.
To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation, and sustain and renew the life of the earth.

Each time you exercise one of these marks you are a missionary responding to God's call on your life. Fundamental to these five values is the notion of Christian social justice. To explore some of our priorities see the social justice page.

WHAT COULD MISSION LOOK LIKE?

“Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”
MATTHEW 6:10

There are lots of things to consider when trying to work out what your involvement in God’s mission might look like.

Is it local, national, international?
Is it financial, skill-based, time-based?
Is it your idea or God’s prompting?

Prayer is always the best place to start – on your own and with others. Try to find out what the Spirit is already doing and get onboard. That will then influence what happens next. Have a look below to see the kind of mission activity our Diocese is already involved in (or skip to the end to see what youth and young adult opportunities are coming up).

Local

Community Garden

Seasons for Growth

Car Boot Sale

Recyle-A-Bicycle

Dedicate a day to collecting and repairing bicycles as gifts for refugee families.

Food Together

How can you address your community's need for fresh fruit and vegetables?

Op-Shopping

Support your local Anglican op-shops! Not only full of bargains but creating conversation.

Selwyn Centre

Selwyn Centres create community and relationship. We have them dotted across the Diocese.

Tamahere Market

Explore Tamahere Market and its potential. Mission, ministry, and fund-raising ...

Chaplaincy

As a Diocese we support hospital, school, tertiary, and rest home chaplains.

PARISH REVIEW OF MISSION AND MINISTRY

Reviewing Mission Inspiring Action

The pdf below outlines the process by which a parish can explore its parish ministry and the congregation’s awareness of it. It is significantly derived from the work of Sheffield Diocese, further informed by the Healthy Churches Handbook,[1] and subsequently aligned with our Diocesan vision. In addition, you will note several references to the enormously significant Church of England investigation into church growth captured in the report, From Anecdote to Evidence.[2]

Our local process can be divided into three parts:

Data collection (online survey)
Data Analysis (extraction and summary of digital data)
Delivery, decision-making, and action (presentation of data, assessment of critical work, and delegation of responsibility)

if you have any questions please contact stephen@wtanglican.nz.

[1] Robert Warren, The Healthy Churches Handbook : A process for revitalizing your church (Church House Publishing, London: 2004).

[2] You can read a summary here: https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2019-06/from_anecdote_to_evidence_-_the_report.pdf (last accessed Sep 9, 2020).

Reviewing Mission Inspiring Action pdf

National and International Partners

Anglican Missions Board

New Zealand Christian Mission Society

Youth and Young Adult Opportunities

Better World | Be Changed. Be Change: Radical social justice gap year experience for school leavers and young adults

Te Ruinga | Sowing Good Seed: Young Anglican’s Programme forming Young Anglican Leaders

MISSION TO CHILDREN AND FAMILIES

Waikato & Taranaki

How are we responding to the Baptismal vows?

Our mission statement is "being as Christ to the community", so this is what underpins all of our ministry. We are hoping to be Christ's hands and feet to those we minister with. We want to journey alongside our families by supporting them in whatever situation we are able. We believe that building faith at home is critical. At the same time we all need the support of community and relationship.

We want all our churches to live out the claim that our young people are not the church of tomorrow, they are the church of today. So join us in building up the body of Christ!

MISSION TO YOUTH

Waikato & Taranaki

Faith Matters

Our youth face significant challenges. The world is more diverse with each generation. Our access to news is unprecedented. The internet and associated tech have created the most extraordinary opportunities and pressure. Anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, and self-harm have become part of the landscape and everyday language. Pornography has become increasingly normalised. Traditional ethical boundaries have shifted. But the hope of Jesus Christ remains.

We believe that our young people should have a space to discuss these issues: to be heard and taken seriously. We believe that our faith offers a framework in which to explore all these challenges. We also believe that sometimes our young people just need a break and a safe place to go and hang out...