Weaving, Networking & Taking Flight - eBooks.

Weaving, Networking & Taking Flight
Engaged Ministry in Avondale Union and Manurewa Methodist parishes 2006-2014

By ‘Alifeleti Vaitu’ulala Ngahe

An inspiring reflection on multicultural, community-focused ministry, drawing on practical experience and rich Tongan metaphors to encourage transformative church leadership.

This book will help you:

• discover effective strategies for multicultural ministry in diverse communities

• engage with your local community through networking and partnership building

• integrate deep theological reflection with practical ministry initiatives

• find inspiration from real-life stories of church revitalisation and community transformation

• apply Tongan metaphors and cultural insights to enrich your ministry practice

• foster inclusive, participatory leadership within congregations

• revitalise parish life by bridging the gap between church and wider community

Features

• Personal reflections from nine years of ministry in two multicultural New Zealand parishes

• Practical examples of successful community engagement projects

• Rich metaphors of weaving, networking, and flight to illustrate ministry concepts

• Thoughtful theological reflections on transformation and community

• Inspiring case studies, including church restoration and community mural initiatives

You are buying a zipped file containing eBook editions of this 68 page book in PDF, ePub and Mobi formats. (2014)

ISBNs:
ePub 9781927260258
Mobi 9781927260265
PDF  9781927260272.

Philip Garside Publishing Ltd (2014)

Click for Print books  

Description

In Weaving, Networking & Taking Flight, Rev. ‘Alifeleti Vaitu’ulala Ngahe reflects on nine years of ministry at Avondale Union and Manurewa Methodist parishes in Auckland, New Zealand. This concise and inspiring book offers church leaders and laypeople practical insights for engaging effectively with today’s diverse, multicultural communities.

Drawing on his Tongan heritage, Rev. Ngahe uses the powerful metaphors of weaving a mat, spinning a web, and taking flight to describe his approach to ministry. The mat represents the church’s history, always open to new stories; the web symbolises the network of relationships built between the church and the local community; and the bird in flight illustrates the energy and joy that come when a community works together towards shared goals.

Throughout the book, Ngahe demonstrates how intentional networking and collaboration can revitalise churches and empower communities. Two key projects highlight this vision: the transformation of the Rosebank Peninsula Church building into a busy community centre and the creation of a vibrant mural at Manurewa Methodist Church, painted by church and community members alike. These projects show the church’s role as a dynamic, inclusive "Corner of Hope."

Rev. Ngahe’s deeply thoughtful yet practical approach offers a compelling model for community-facing ministry. His experience will inspire church leaders, both lay and ordained, to reflect on their ministry practice and consider new ways to engage meaningfully with the communities they serve.

About the Author

Rev. ‘Alifeleti Vaitu’ulala Ngahe is a Tongan Methodist minister with two decades of full-time, ordained ministry experience at the time of writing. His ministry in New Zealand’s Avondale Union and Manurewa Methodist parishes focused on fostering inclusive, multicultural community engagement. Ngahe’s leadership is characterised by deep theological reflection, cultural sensitivity, and a commitment to collaboration. He encourages churches to move beyond their walls and embrace a vision of transformation that includes the whole community.

Contents

• Preface

• Introduction

• Weaving: The Mat as a Metaphor for Church and Community

• Networking: Building Community Like a Spider’s Web

• Taking Flight: Energising Ministry for Transformation

• Case Studies: Rosebank Peninsula Church Centre and Manurewa Mural Project

• Reflections on Multicultural Ministry

• Theology of Transformation

• Conclusion

• • •

Praise for this book

“Church leaders and lay alike will find humble but passionate vision and wisdom here.” Review by Rosemary Dewerse of Weaving, Networking and Taking Flight.
To be published in the December 2015 issue of the Australian Journal of Mission Studies.

“…extremely well written, thoughtful and engaging.” Review by Johanna Warren of Weaving, Networking, and Taking Flight Review published on Tui Motu Facebook page 12 August 2015

“…ministry is intrinsically linked to human need.” Review by Daniel Newman of Weaving, Networking and Taking Flight Review by Daniel Newman – former chairman, Manurewa Local Board

“…rich with stories, metaphors and invitations for ministering across cultures…”
Jione Havea

Review by Brian Turner in Touchstone March 2015

“Rev Vai Ngahe has done what many clergy intend but few actually do – that is, to reflect on past ministries in order to traverse better the pathways ahead.

Vai has done this for the first nine years of his Auckland ministries in Avondale and Manurewa and he has shared his reflections with us by publishing them…Brave man! Vai utilizes compelling images from his Tongan background as well as a presbyter/minister in Aotearoa-NZ. Drawing on his experience in relating to the community in Avondale and Manurewa, he makes a strong case for congregations and parishes to relate more closely to the communities where they are located.

This raises a number of interesting questions. In what ways should the church relate to the community?

Should it offer programmes and initiatives that the wider community can join (for example, rebuilding the Rosebank church building as a community centre or painting a public mural at Manurewa) or should a parish/congregation relate to the good it sees being done by others in the community and offer its support without seeking to take over or dominate?

And who in the church should initiate community facing or joining activities? Historically, the NZ Methodist Church has said this is more the responsibility of the laity and diaconate (deacons) rather than presbyters. However, many presbyters have (like Vai) exercised strong community-facing priorities as well as in-church word and sacrament ministries.

More significantly, is Vai suggesting that the Kingdom of God is in fact the establishment of healthy communities in which the church is an integral contributor rather than a distant outsider? He seems close to this position when under the heading of a “Theology of Transformation” (page 50) he writes:

“We are no longer focussed within the church on the inside/us only. Our focus shifts the position to facing outside, to the community. The wider community also becomes us.”

That left me wondering if the oneness of church and community is more achievable in multi-ethnic communities than predominantly mono-ethnic ones. Vai himself advocates the importance of weaving together a multi-cultural community to support members within the church and people in the community. This pre-supposes that many multi-ethnic communities, and presumably those in which Vai has worked, are more open to the place of the church than communities elsewhere. In predominantly Pakeha Christchurch, for instance, when a congregation canvassed door to door and asked what people expected of the church, the response was invariably ‘Nothing…piss off!”

This suggests that in many communities there is a widening gap between church and community. Vai Ngahe is to be commended for developing ways to help bridge this gap. It remains to be seen whether such methods will work in all communities.”