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Kia ora from the A Rocha National Team!
Another year has passed – and we have loved sharing the A Rocha journey with you all. Celebrating our 5th Birthday this year was definitely a highlight – but has also reminded us that there is much more work to be done – especially evident from those that shared at our national conference in October. There is also a sense of urgency among us all – as we strive to develop a sustainable level of income for A Rocha, our projects and staff – please consider supporting us financially and remember us in prayer this coming year. On behalf of the A Rocha National Team and trustees we want to express our thanks to all of you for contributing in numerous ways to the work of A Rocha during 2012.
Our prayer is that this Year there will be opportunities for you, with family and friends, to both reflect upon and then actively participate in God’s love for all of creation.
Warm Regards,
The A Rocha National Team
NATIONAL CONFERENCE
Christianity and the Ecological Crisis: Lament, Hope, Action was organised in partnership with Caritas & the Centre for Theology and Public Issues, University of Otago. The October conference attracted 160 participants from a range of denominations and traditions and from across Aotearoa - with even visitors from Australia.
We reflected on the current crisis confronting Earth, mainly due to our failure as humanity to live sustainably within ecological limits (Lament) – it was an emotional part of the weekend for many. But there was also “Hope” – as we reflected on the importance of being grounded in local contexts, of community and partnership, of rediscovering ancient life-giving and earth-renewing practices such as observing the Sabbath, fasting, gardening, contemplation, and familiarising ourselves with the creatures with which we share our local environment.
And then there was Action – the chance to visit and participate in numerous activities - stream restoration, community garden, labyrinth walk, and a seaside walk. It was exciting to see such a broad range of Christians gather together and share their experiences and ideas and learn together.
Post conference feedback has been very enthusiastic, commenting on the warmth and gracious spirit of the ecumenical event; the theological depth and the quality of the plenary speakers and workshops; the fantastic opportunity to network with other Christians from across traditions and the country and, of course, the quality of the food!
Thank you Ange & Penelope!
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RECOGNYZ YOUTH AWARD RECOGNISES A ROCHA VOLUNTEER
The amazing achievements of Stephanie Collis were celebrated on the 6th December at the “Recognyz Youth Awards”. Seven categories awarded young Hamiltonians for their contributions – the Manaakitanga award for community involvement and volunteering going to Stephanie in recognition of the many hours she contributed to A Rocha, the Te Kaakano Community garden run in Partnership with Desert Spring Community Ministry, and the A Rocha led Karioi project in Raglan. Stephanie – or Stephano as she is known to her friends – also helped out with a huge variety of other A Rocha projects – the A Rocha National conference, Maui Dolphin day, Eco Grommet Camp, Trees at the Meteor, as well as taking on many leadership roles in her senior year at high school.
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A ROCHA ENVIROCHURCHES PROGRAMME OFF THE GROUND
Over the past year, A Rocha has been looking at ways in which we can help churches to make creation care an integral part of the Christian life – both individually and collectively. An Enviro-Churches brochure has now been published, outlining how local churches can build a relationship with A Rocha and our ethos as Supporting or Partner Churches. If you and/or your church is interested in starting a conversation with A Rocha about how this may work for you – then please contact Phillip.Donnell@arocha.org
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A ROCHA WHANAU DAY: A GAME OF TWO HALVES
The ARANZ National Team and around 30 “A Rocha whanau” gathered at Tapu Te Ranga Marae immediately after the National Conference. Chris Naylor – the A Rocha International Director joined us following a hectic week of travelling around the North Island visiting our flagship and local projects and of course attending the conference himself too.
The whanau day allowed us to celebrate our 5th Birthday in Aotearoa – with the theme - Praise for the Past and Faith for the Future. We looked back to the past with thanksgiving, consumed a delicious birthday cake, and wrote what we were grateful for on stones which we piled together (based on I Samuel 7:12). We then looked forward into the future with anticipation – and considered what we had done so far – and how we could do it better. Having Chris with us gave us a special connection to the wider A Rocha family – internationally – and also inspired us with hopes and dreams for the future for the A Rocha movement in Aotearoa.
Thank you to all the wonderful people that joined us on the day and have supported A Rocha in so many ways over the last 5 years!
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PARTNERSHIP WITH TIROHANGA CAMP KICKS OFF IN DUNEDIN
This year A Rocha entered into a partnership with Presbyterian camp – “Tirohanga” which means “place of far vision”. Situated just 20 minutes’ drive from Dunedin, the camp is intensively used by schools, churches and other groups and is situated on a hillside overlooking the Taieri plain surrounded by a mix of native bush, a stream, forestry and pasture.
The project aims to restore degraded forest and stream habitats, replant retired pasture land, improve sustainable practice within the camp and inspire campers to also live in more sustainable ways. A draft management plan for the project has been prepared in consultation with Dr. Bill Lee of Land Care Research and numerous potential projects in a variety of areas have been identified to keep volunteers busy for a few years as the relationship grows.
The project kicked off officially in July with 300 native seedlings planted. A recent visit from stream ecologists Rob Davies-Colley (A Rocha National Team) and Lan Pham gave us the opportunity to explore life in a stream – we were delighted to see an eel and lots of koura (freshwater crayfish). We’re excited about the partnership with Tirohanga, both the vision of ecological restoration and sustainability for the land and camp itself, but also the potential for this to become a model for other camps around New Zealand.
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