Amanda Poil, Children and Families Enabler for the Nelson Diocese, sat down with Rev. Paul Nzimbi to hear about his first impressions of Aotearoa and his hopes for Victory parish.

Amanda: You’ve been here 3 months now. How are you finding New Zealand, and what are you sensing for the Victory parish?

Rev. Paul: I’ve received a great welcome so far from many people. There’s lots to learn and unlearn from everyone. I’m sensing God doing an amazing work in me as well as in the church. He is at work whether we see it or not. There are so many great opportunities to reach out and have an impact intergenerationally and interculturally.

Amanda: This Easter the diocesan theme was "Haere Mai – Jesus Matters, Come and See", and Bishop Steve had a dream that 500 people across our diocese would be invited to hear the good news of Jesus. Tell me about Victory’s Haere Mai outreach and how you engaged with that vision. I heard you had to pivot plans due to the weather?

Rev. Paul: Yes, we had an amazing time hosting Kea Kids. About 47 kids came along to our week-long outreach where we got to share God’s word with them. They even went on outreach themselves – visiting two local senior homes and performing songs and dances on the Cathedral steps.

We had planned to finish the week with a sausage sizzle and fun in the park, but the weather didn’t play ball. So instead, we hosted a movie night at the church and showed The King of Kings. About 70 kids and adults came. At the end, we made an altar call – and seven kids gave their lives to Jesus. I’d say we were able to reach all ages in one week with the gospel.

Amanda: Why do you think connecting with the local community is important for a church?

Rev. Paul: For a few reasons:

1. It gives the Church visibility.
2. It demystifies a lot of things about the Church in the community.
3. It helps people realise we are people too.
4. It gives people – especially those who are lonely or overlooked – a chance to build new relationships.
5. It’s an opportunity for the Church to give back.
6. And believers get to exercise their faith by sharing the gospel.

Amanda: In what ways is Victory already doing this?

Rev. Paul: A few things:

• We have a senior care ministry that visits rest homes nearby.
• Victory Hoops runs twice a week, connecting with youth through basketball.
• Our Thursday night youth group has been a place where kids from the neighbourhood just walk in and find connection.
• And we partner with other organisations to help house people and see lives transformed through the Wikitoria next door.

Amanda: What do you hope to see for Victory in the future? And how do you see the heart of the Haere Mai initiative continuing through the rest of the year?

Rev. Paul: I hope to see Victory become an intercultural and intergenerational church – reaching people of all walks of life and all ages. Vibrant, yet deep.

Haere Mai isn’t just for Easter. It continues as we, the congregation, become more aware of the opportunities around us and step out to invite those in our lives.

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