The Emmaus training day on Saturday saw around 60 people from all across the Māwhera deanery gather to inspire each other in faith and ministry. From as far as Hokitika in the south and Karamea in the north, parishioners met at Holy Trinity Church in Greymouth.
Bishop Steve said that when he reflected on the West Coast, the image of a firekeeper came to mind. In Africa, fire had four main purposes – to give light, to warm people, to cook meals, and to protect families. Firekeepers were assigned to maintain the flames, whether for protection through the night from lions or to cook up a large dinner.
“You are the firekeepers,” the bishop told the gathered coasters, “keeping the fire burning in this place.” Steve could see the fire of God's presence alight in the people of Māwhera, radiating into the communities around them.
(Keeping a fire burning is no small feat on the West Coast!)
Rachelle and Evan, from the Parish of Greymouth and Kumara, were both grateful “that the good folk from the dio team made the effort to come to Tai Poutini, both to share their wisdom, but also to remind us that we are part of something much bigger – something that reaches beyond the Passes that sometimes keep us feeling a bit isolated.”
The Māwhera deanery coastline spans over 200km. Sharon from Buller Parish, who travelled all the way down from Karamea, was also pleased to have the opportunity to connect with others. “What stood out to me was the real warmth as I watched or was involved in conversations with others.”
“There are not that many opportunities to gather together, being so spread out,” Samara from Greymouth and Kumara Parish agreed. “I enjoyed gathering with people from across the diocese, and especially the wider Māwhera deanery. I found it especially heart-lifting during the worship times to hear everyone singing together – the volume of so many voices lifted in praise to our God.”
Listeners appreciated Clint Ussher’s message. Evan from Kumara was especially moved by one of the images Clint shared of two beams that fell from the Coventry Cathedral, England, after it was bombed in World War II. A stone mason found them in the midst of the rubble, laid in the shape of a cross. The beams were then bound together and raised as an altar in the cathedral. “To think that it still stands today, reminding people that real church – the people living in faith – is only built when we remember the pain of the past, and keep Christ and the cross as central.”
People also found the workshops encouraging and valuable, maybe best summarised in a critique from Sharon: “The only difficulty was choosing between two workshops on at the same time!”
For Mark from Cobden-Runanga Parish, the biggest takeaway from Emmaus was the fact that “no matter what part of the body of Christ we are, we each have an equal part to play helping and loving one another, especially our neighbours in the community, whether in our work, hobbies, family, church, retirement, and so on. We all matter to Jesus with our different gifts and Emmaus has helped me recognise this.”
Check out other articles in the
series below.
More articles in the
series are to come.
We have invited these writers to share their experiences, ideas and opinions in the hope that these will provoke thought, challenge you to go deeper and inspire you to put your faith into action. These articles should not be taken as the official view of the Nelson Diocese on any particular matter.
The Emmaus training day on Saturday saw around 60 people from all across the Māwhera deanery gather to inspire each other in faith and ministry. From as far as Hokitika in the south and Karamea in the north, parishioners met at Holy Trinity Church in Greymouth.
Bishop Steve said that when he reflected on the West Coast, the image of a firekeeper came to mind. In Africa, fire had four main purposes – to give light, to warm people, to cook meals, and to protect families. Firekeepers were assigned to maintain the flames, whether for protection through the night from lions or to cook up a large dinner.
“You are the firekeepers,” the bishop told the gathered coasters, “keeping the fire burning in this place.” Steve could see the fire of God's presence alight in the people of Māwhera, radiating into the communities around them.
(Keeping a fire burning is no small feat on the West Coast!)
Rachelle and Evan, from the Parish of Greymouth and Kumara, were both grateful “that the good folk from the dio team made the effort to come to Tai Poutini, both to share their wisdom, but also to remind us that we are part of something much bigger – something that reaches beyond the Passes that sometimes keep us feeling a bit isolated.”
The Māwhera deanery coastline spans over 200km. Sharon from Buller Parish, who travelled all the way down from Karamea, was also pleased to have the opportunity to connect with others. “What stood out to me was the real warmth as I watched or was involved in conversations with others.”
“There are not that many opportunities to gather together, being so spread out,” Samara from Greymouth and Kumara Parish agreed. “I enjoyed gathering with people from across the diocese, and especially the wider Māwhera deanery. I found it especially heart-lifting during the worship times to hear everyone singing together – the volume of so many voices lifted in praise to our God.”
Listeners appreciated Clint Ussher’s message. Evan from Kumara was especially moved by one of the images Clint shared of two beams that fell from the Coventry Cathedral, England, after it was bombed in World War II. A stone mason found them in the midst of the rubble, laid in the shape of a cross. The beams were then bound together and raised as an altar in the cathedral. “To think that it still stands today, reminding people that real church – the people living in faith – is only built when we remember the pain of the past, and keep Christ and the cross as central.”
People also found the workshops encouraging and valuable, maybe best summarised in a critique from Sharon: “The only difficulty was choosing between two workshops on at the same time!”
For Mark from Cobden-Runanga Parish, the biggest takeaway from Emmaus was the fact that “no matter what part of the body of Christ we are, we each have an equal part to play helping and loving one another, especially our neighbours in the community, whether in our work, hobbies, family, church, retirement, and so on. We all matter to Jesus with our different gifts and Emmaus has helped me recognise this.”
Check out other articles in the
series below.
More articles in the
series are to come.
