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Global Mission Office

It didn't take McDonalds (http://www.mcdonalds.com/corporate/social/index.html) long to tell us that they were 'switching off their 'golden arches' when the power crisis hit. Starbucks (http://www.starbucks.com/aboutus/csr.asp) is suddenly advertising that they only brew fair trade coffee. British Petroleum (http://www.bp.com/) are now going 'beyond petroleum'. Why? Simple really - big corporates think that kiwis have a social conscience. I am not arguing the merits of their efforts and recommend a quick visit to their websites to get a fuller picture. But I wonder if there is a lesson for the Church in all of this?

Philanthropy is humbling

I recently had the July edition of Unlimited magazine (http://www.unlimited.co.nz/) recommended to me. It characterizes itself as a magazine all about 'business with imagination' and won the 'Best Magazine Award' at the 2003 Qantas Media Awards. In an article titled "Good Karma", they investigate four businesspeople 'doing their bit for the community'. When asked why, the response of all four kiwi entrepreneurs seems to echo what Jesus proclaimed, 'it is better to give than to receive'. In short, whether in Takapuna or Greymouth, Christchurch or Wellington, it seems that philanthropy is good for you and your company.

From the outside in

The interesting part is that their claims are backed up by research. Quoting an AC Nielson report (no not the Church research) Unlimited state that 'good works bring good results for companies'. Beat that! The research showed that 82% of consumers stated they are more likely to support a company if it supports a worthy cause. 75% would change to a rival company offering a similar product if it had a social conscience. Big business is being forced to care, because the majority of kiwis care.

From the inside out

It gets better. The AC Nielson research states that 72% of employees who work for a company involved in charitable works have strong feelings of loyalty compared with 55% when the company did nothing. More than 50% of New Zealand employees believed that a company should give something back to the community.

So what has all that to do with Global Mission?

My take quite simply is that it is highly likely that the New Zealanders sitting in the pews or driving past our Churches on a Sunday want the Church to have a conscience too. Caring beyond ourselves should be our core business. Our mission notice-boards need to be the most colorful and lively whilst our notice board on the street needs to proclaim 'we care'. Being involved in mission, both local and global is an essential growth dynamic for the local church. More, than that, we should be brave enough to invite local companies to join us in partnership in mission to enable us to achieve our mission objectives.

Searching for spirituality on the web

Talking of notice boards, can surfers find your Parish on the web? CWM reported the findings of web research company Hitwise which shows a marked increase in the number of New Zealanders searching for spirituality on the web. Given the wide range of choice from Zorastrianism to Christianity, they conclude that there is little wonder that congregations are ageing and attendances at church services are down.

Check out virtual religion at http://religion.rutgers.edu/vri/index.html for example. Young people can now use the internet to define their spiritual journey. Interestingly 14 per cent of the traffic went specifically to New Zealand sites. sPanz reported on an initiative from St Giles Presbyterian Church in Christchurch.
Take a look at St Columba@Botany (http://www.stcolumba.org.nz/) for ideas and note the on-line games they offer. Let us start to encourage each other to grapple creatively with the challenges of conducting mission in cyber space.

Global Mission Gazette

However in this cyber world we are still committed to printing a bi-monthly Global Mission newsletter. All Parishes and/or ministers were recently sent two copies asking that they be distributed to people in the pews who are passionate about mission. However they will not be mailed out in this way again. To receive this bi-monthly publication, please ensure that anyone in your Parish who is interested in Global Mission adds their name to our growing mailing list, either by mail to the Global Mission Office or email to globalmissiongazette(at)xtra.co.nz . We will soon be able to distribute it electronically via the website so you can select this option.

Views from abroad

Vanuatu: 50th Celebrations of Onesua Presbyterian College
The Presbyterian Church of Vanuatu has just confirmed that the dates for their Fifty-fifth General Assembly, which will include the Jubilee Celebrations of Onesua will be held from the 19 - 28 August 2003 at the College. I have been asked to extend a general invitation to all the 'friends of PCV' to attend. Please contact me urgently if you would like further information.

Ireland: Does this sound like New Zealand? "Our society becomes increasingly materialistic and secular, and sadly in some situations in the North, even more sectarian. As the churches struggle for relevance, we ask 'What is needed?' May I suggest that what we most need is the dynamic of the Holy Spirit coming in full measure...our members would have to live uncomfortably with the world on subjects such as the promotion of alcohol as a necessary ingredient of modern living, the exploitation of the poor by giving endless opportunities to gamble on the lottery, or the concerns we have about how the people of Iraq are given back their freedom. They are in fact the words of Rev Jim Rea at his induction as President of the Methodist Church of Ireland. Good mission talk that!!

Scotland: Rev Dr Roderick Hewitt, moderator of the United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, was elected as Moderator of the Council for World Mission on 18 June 2003 in Scotland. Hewitt stated that he believed that CWM is "poised to be a sign of justice in relationships. We need unity in our faith, joy in our diversity and a commitment to mission that brings a significant and credible improvement in the quality of life for those to whom we go." Read more about the decisions of the recent CWM Assembly in Scotland at http://www.cwmission.org.uk/

And from our 'Encouragement for the weary and disheartened' file

Did you ever wonder what the WD in the name of the famous brand WD-40 stands for? The name was lifted right out chemist Norm Larsen's laboratory notebook. Way back in 1953, he was trying to concoct an anti-corrosion formula, which worked on the basic principle of displacing water. Larsen finally got it right. Hence the name WD-40. It literally means 'Water Displacer, 40th try'.
Source: WD-40 website