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Assembly 2004
General Assembly 2004 will be at St Andrews College, Christchurch from Sunday 19 September to Friday 24 September 2004.
Information and forms have been sent to Presbyteries and UCC’s to enable them to appoint Commissioners. Presbyteries and UDC’s will decide which parishes will have minister representatives and which will have elder representatives. The list of ministerial representatives will be finalised by 7 May and representatives by 4 June.
Registration packs with details of accommodation and travel booking information will be sent out to Commissioners when Kerry Enright has received their names and contact details. Online registration will also be available on the www.presbyterian.org.nz website from mid-May.
More information about issues to be considered at Assembly will appear in Bush Telegraph closer to Assembly and in the August issue of sPanz.
Youth Assembly
On the weekend before General Assembly this year, there will be an opportunity for youth delegates to get together, compare life stories, and work out how we’ll take over the Presbyterian Church in the following week at Assembly. If you have young people who might be interested, it’s time to start shoulder tapping.
<typohead type=3>Who should come?</typohead>
Those of you who have diligently memorised the Book of Order will be familiar with the following guidelines for choosing youth reps:
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Representatives are nominated to the Presbytery by the District Youth Committee or other Youth committee recognised by Presbytery. Where there is no District Youth Committee, nominations may be submitted to Presbytery by a Session or Parish Council.
Presbyteries with more than 13 parishes may send 2 representatives. Presbyteries with less than 13 parishes may send 1 representative.
Pacific Island Regional Youth Committees (Auckland, Wellington/Wanganui, and the South Island) may each appoint 3 representatives, Te Aka Puaho may appoint 6 representatives and the Council of Asian Congregations may appoint 3 representatives.
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For more information on the regulations see reg. #176 in the Book of Order.
Other stuff to think about when you’re approaching young people to be reps at Assembly:
While the definition of youth differs across cultures, a general guideline for General Assembly youth representatives is 15-30 year olds. Youth workers or youth leaders may be good delegate choices, as they often have an awareness of big picture issues, and will benefit from networking with other youth reps and church leaders who will be present at Assembly.
<typohead type=3>What will we be doing at Youth Assembly?</typohead>
1. Orientating ourselves with the main issues being raised at Assembly this year
2. Oriententating ourselves with the process of General Assembly
3 Connecting, laughing, eating, making paper darts, bingo cards and other boredom busters for the following week
Planning is still in the preliminary stages. Look for more info on www.presbyterian.org.nz/youth in the months leading up to Assembly or contact me at the PYM office.
Mo Mansill
National Youth Coordinator
PO Box 9049
Wellington
Ph: (04) 381 8299
Email: mo.mansill(at)presbyterian.org.nz
New Community Chaplain
It’s really exciting to announce the appointment of Nicky Jenkins (not the athlete) as our Community Chaplain in North Auckland.
The position is focused on helping people develop celebrations and events that mark transition times in their lives. It was established to take up opportunities, identified by the AC Nielsen research, for the Church to connect with young families by resourcing people at times of transition and celebration. The role is funded by the Council for World Mission.
Nicky will work primarily with the church community of Mairangi and Castor Bays and will later be working with some other churches. She will be guided and supported in the role by Don Hall the Parish Minister, a Spiritual Director, and a Theological Reference group.
Nicky is passionate about the possibilities of celebrancy, about using ceremony to mark special occasions in people’s lives, and has experience in acting, story-telling and with events. She has a young family and experience with Playcentre, PTA and working for Miscarriage Support. We believe she has the right mix of affinity with the Christian community and the unchurched to help us have a conversation with the people we are trying to reach.
Introduction Work Group
We have a keen and exciting group of nine Ordinands to introduce to Boards of Nomination in 2004. On Friday 19 March the Work Group hosted a Dessert and Coffee evening on your behalf to meet the Ordinands and explain the process that is being followed in 2004. By the time you read this we will have received the Ordinand Personal Information Forms and be in the process of communicating with their referees.
You can be part of our work by remembering us in your prayers. Our particular needs at this time are:
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Boards to discern if the Spirit is leading them to consider an Ordinand as next Minister
Referee statements that are helpful to our discerning
Ordinands to call to a variety of contexts
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Parish Profiles for consideration in the first round of discernment must be with the Convener (24 Picardy Street, Dunedin Ph 03 453 5357 geoffrey.skilton(at)paradise.net.nz) by 1 May 2004. We ask that profiles be presented to us in two formats, A4 Clearfile including photographs etc that can be offered to an Ordinand, and a Word text only file as an email attachment that be circulated to Work Group members. When a Parish Profile is offered to the Work Group we ask that we have exclusive access to the vacancy for the period we hold the profile. Boards for whom an introduction is not forthcoming in the first round will have their profile returned by mid July.
To keep things straight forward contact with the Work Group is through the Convener. It is unhelpful if Boards or Ordinands seek to make arrangements outside the Work Group.
Introduction Workgroup members for 2004 are: The Revs Geoffrey Skilton (Convener), Makesi Alatimu, Martin Baker, John Daniel (MRT), Neville Emslie, Helen Harray, Martin Stewart, Mrs. Marion Kerr, Mrs. Amanda Guy, and a recent graduate to be nominated by the Ordinands.