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Moderator

I am grateful for the opportunity of "reporting in" through Bush Telegraph from time to time. I see this as a part of my accountability to the Church.

The Past Month

Reflecting on the Assembly I am very conscious that the atmosphere that developed there came about through the convergence of many things. Not least among those was a new way of planning the Assembly, with the many different facets of what has become a quite complex event being brought together on a regular basis in the Coordinating Group. The Assembly was a team effort of significant proportions.

I have been in the Dunedin Presbytery area for three weeks, and I have come away even more hopeful, as I came across congregations taking big risks in mission and courageous steps in working together so that resources are better utilised. Many congregations are undertaking imaginative mission projects in their community, often linking with others like Presbyterian Support. Three such projects, for example, focus on youth - Southside, Student Soul and Youth Grow.

During the month I also caught two very different images of mission in challenging situations - meeting with the Presbyterian Defence Chaplains (living out the Gospel at the raw edge) and being at the Regional Church Conference at Botany Downs (living out the Gospel in a new way of being Church).

Bali - and an invitation to prayer

Since the tragic events in Legian Kuta, Bali, we have been in touch, through the Global Mission Office, with the Gereja Kristen Protesten di Bali, offering our deep sympathy with all the families who are grieving and our prayerful support of the Church as it encourages the people to re-build their lives and their region. A gift of $2,000 from the Disaster Relief Fund has been sent to the Church.

More recently an invitation was received to send representatives to an international ecumenical service to be held in Bali on Friday 29 November. It is not possible for us to do so. I have sent Bishop Ayub a message on behalf of the Church here for that service.

I invite you and your congregations to mark this event by arranging appropriate opportunities for people in New Zealand to pray for the people of Bali and for world peace on that day, 29 November. The theme of the service in Bali is "Fear not! Love conquers fear".

Meeting with Government

In addition to several letters being written to the Government on various matters from the General Assembly, I joined other church leaders on the eve of Guy Fawkes Day (!) to meet with the Prime Minister and five of her cabinet colleagues for a two hour discussion on the government's stated policies on: (a) investing in families and reducing child poverty; (b) affordable and appropriate housing strategies for low income families; and, (c) the Responsible Gambling Bill. In that the Ministers of Finance, Social Development and Housing were present there was informed and good discussion. A copy of our submissions on these matters is available from Julia Stuart, Research Officer of the Churches Agency on Social Issues. Email her at CASI(at)pcanz.org.nz.

Each time we meet I sense an increasingly deeper level of trust between ourselves and the government. At this last meeting there was a relaxed, friendly and open atmosphere in which we were able to speak freely and listen carefully to each other.

Michael Thawley