Weaving, Networking & Taking Flight: Engaged Ministry in Avondale Union and Manurewa Methodist Parishes 2006–2014

By ‘Alifeleti Vaitu’ulala Ngahe

Tongan Methodist minister ‘Alifeleti Vaitu’ulala Ngahe has been in full-time, ordained ministry for almost 10 years. This book reflects on those years in Avondale Union and Manurewa Methodist parishes in Auckland, New Zealand. Rev Ngahe’s approach is to create strategies for change by engaging in deep theological thinking, in networking with key local people and organisations, and in careful reflection on learnings from his ministry. He believes all people in a community have a contribution to make and hopes this book will encourage church and other local leaders to work effectively in their communities.

Church life and ministry is changing. Alongside this, our communities are changing and are often stressed. How does the Church engage effectively with the communities in which they are set?

Rev Ngahe says, “Over my years in ministry it has become clear that people are excited and enthusiastic about engaging in God-talk and living out the Gospels. ...communities come together when a vision and the possibility of achieving positive change are offered.”

Using the metaphors of weaving a mat, creating a network the way a spider spins a web and a bird taking flight, he explains how he has given new life to his parishes.

* The mat represents the history of the church. Leaving the edges of the mat unfinished allows new stories and experiences to be woven in.

* The web represents the network that needs to be deliberately built up between people in the church and the leaders and organisations that form the surrounding local community.

* The bird reminds us that it takes a lot of energy to take flight. But when the community is working together and heading in the same direction, we can relax and enjoy the ride, soaring through the air.

Two key projects demonstrate the power of church and community working together. The run-down Rosebank Penninsula Church building has been restored and transformed into a busy community centre. The outdoor mural at Manurewa Methodist church was painted by people of all ages from within the church and the wider local community. It remains a vibrant symbol of that church’s role as the Corner of Hope.

Rev Ngahe’s enthusiastic and yet deeply thoughtful, methodical approach will provide inspiration for all who are engaged in multicultural Christian ministry.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Philip Garside
• Release date: Sep 24, 2014
• ISBN: 9781927260258

‘Alifeleti Vaitu’ulala Ngahe

Tongan Methodist minister ‘Alifeleti Vaitu’ulala Ngahe has been in full-time, ordained ministry for almost 10 years. This book reflects on those years in Avondale Union and Manurewa Methodist parishes in Auckland, New Zealand.Rev Ngahe’s approach is to create strategies for change by engaging in deep theological thinking, in networking with key local people and organisations, and in careful reflection on learnings from his ministry. He believes all people in a community have a contribution to make and hopes this book will encourage church and other local leaders to work effectively in their communities.

Book preview

Weaving, Networking & Taking Flight

Engaged ministry in Avondale Union and Manurewa Methodist parishes 2006–2014

‘Alifeleti Vaitu’ulala Ngahe

Copyright © 2014 ‘Alifeleti Vaitu’ulala Ngahe

All rights reserved.

This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

The publishers gratefully acknowledge the generous assistance of the F. A. Parker Bequest Fund of the Methodist Church of New Zealand.

Thanks also to Paul Titus, editor of Touchstone, for providing archival photographs.

ePub edition

ISBN 9781927260258

Philip Garside Publishing Ltd

PO Box 17160

Wellington 6147

New Zealand

[e-mail] www.pgpl.co.nz

Table of Contents

Front matter

Forewords

Preface

Introduction

Why I am reflecting on my nine years in ministry

1 — Images and Icons

The image of the Mat (Fala)

The Spider

The Bird

Jesus uses metaphor, image and parable in his teaching

2 — Avondale

An unfinished mat continues its weaving in Avondale

Back to the spider

Reflecting on the components of a spider

History and inheritance

Networking with businesses and others

Networking with the churches

Web building continues: The funding network

The mat weaving continues

And the web grows

The mat continued to be woven after I left Avondale–Rosebank in 2010

3 — Manurewa Methodist Church

Another unfinished mat continues to be woven

The story of the Manurewa mural

Thinking more about the bird

The components of the bird

4 — Mission

Rosebank Penninsula Church Mission Statement

Why this community project?

A Contextual story to show how the mission statement took shape in action

Telling the story through media

New role as community hub saves church from closure

Manurewa Methodist Church Mission Statement

Christmas Carols Send the Message of Jesus to the Community

Manurewa Methodist Church: Values

5 — Theological Themes

Theology of hospitality

Theology of transformation

6 — Ten Things I Have Learnt

1 — Lessons from the spider

2 — Lessons from the bird

3 — Lessons from the mat

4 — A question of leadership

5 — Exploring ministry is relevant to today’s local environments

6 — Know your context

7 — Build networks

8 — Recognise change

9 — The importance of images and icons

10 — Back to the beginning

7 — Another Ten Ministry Learnings

1 — Reflection Process

2 — Be patient

3 — Use the media

4 — Networking

5 — Keeping a journal

6 — History and inheritance

7 — Special icons

8 — New theology

9 — Resources that are available

10 — Supervision

Closing thoughts

Bibliography

About the Author and this Book

Visit our Site, Join our Mailing List, Review this book

Forewords

Church life and ministry is changing. Alongside this, our communities are changing and are often stressed. How does the Church engage effectively with the communities in which they are set?

That’s the question Rev Vaitu’ulala Ngahe grapples with in this sustained reflection. What Vaitu’ulala presents is not simply a theoretical statement of we might or should do, but a set of possible actions and directions based on his own experience in ministry. These practical examples are deepened by theological reflections that explore the place of community ministry in wider theology. For this, Vaitu’ulala – in his personal style – makes use of images that relate to the two key communities he has worked in. These images then provide resources for the theological reflection.

I think this is great! I have enjoyed reading the material, thinking about it, and imagining the contexts involved and how the ideas could be related to other settings. I’m convinced that community-engaged ministry of this kind is essential if the church is to have a relevant future in our society. Surely, this has been the location of the church and its ministry until very recently. It’s only the separation of ‘church and state’ over the last 200 years that has driven the church into a world of its own, often out of relevant touch with the communities in which its set.

One of the scary things this raises is that we need to change our practice of ministry. Vaitu’ulala’s experience and insights push us to recognise ministry as wider than the congregation and its life, and involve thoughtful examination of the issues and themes of our communities, plus a determination to engage with those communities in ways relevant their specific needs and characteristics. This is a big ask! I’m not sure how well prepared many of us are to make this shift. But Vaitu’ulala points us in fruitful directions. My hope would be that we pay attention to his words and guidance, and then take this further in the life and ministry of the Church.

Vaitu’ulala brings the perspective of a Tongan presbyter in his reflection. And it’s great to see him prepared to write down his experience in this way – something that has not happened much in the context of the Pacific communities of the Church. At the same time, he has been working in cross-cultural Church settings and communities, and speaks as a Methodist presbyter working in general ministry.

I commend Vaitu’ulala’s reflection, Weaving, Networking & Taking Flight, to all in the Church, and pray that his insights will influence our thinking, our perspectives, and our practice into the future.

Rev Dr John Salmon

~ ~ ~ | ~ ~ ~

One of the reasons we have been Methodists all our lives is the way John Wesley went into the highways and byways to preach the word of God. This philosophy allows you to take your belief out into the community.

Vaitu’ulala has the same approach to his theology, as these writings show. His early ministry has helped him to integrate his preaching into two entirely different communities, (Avondale and Manurewa). We believe at the end of his ministry he will look back at this time as a steep learning curve, but one where he enabled the churches to show how Christ is the Light in our community. Never before in the history of the Methodist Church of New Zealand – Te Haahi Weteriana o Aotearoa, has so much change been necessary to accommodate such diversity in culture and, within the community, so many different ethnicities and social concerns to tackle.

One line of a 2009 local newspaper article, by Vaimoana Tapaleao, sums up a lot that Vaitu’ulala has written: We can’t stop the history of this place – we’re trying to write another story.

Discipline – Drive – Dedication – Doing!

These words sum up the basis of our Methodist heritage from John Wesley. They form the backbone of our Methodist faith and caring for the marginalised in our community.

The basis of weaving