[{"id":2831,"order":0,"imagePath":"https://admin.ezystream.com/static/images/article/dc116a16-3497-402f-965f-5ca6877c0f3f.png","type":"image","content":"https://admin.ezystream.com/static/images/article/dc116a16-3497-402f-965f-5ca6877c0f3f.png"},{"id":2832,"order":1,"contentText":"John Catmur believes that mission starts with asking, u201cHow can we follow God as he transforms this community?u201d He tells us about the journey he and Mu0101ngere Baptist Church have been on in this regard.
The 20th September 2014 was a special day for me, not because it was the day of the general election, but because it was the first day I made contact with Makaurau marae, Ihumu0101tao, Mu0101ngere.
There were several places to go and vote in Mu0101ngere but I chose the one that was the absolute farthest from my houseu2014that marae. God had already put on our hearts at Mu0101ngere Baptist the kaupapa for all our marae to experience revival and become self-sustaining faith communities. We were just about to see the first fruits of that as Val Teraitua, manager of Papatu016bu0101nuku Kokiri marae, became a Christian in a dream and went on to exert the ministry she continues to this day. So, I was in the mood for making contact with marae!
Developing relationships
At the polling booth, I met Qiane, a wahine toa (strong, accomplished woman) with a vivacious personality and a happening career in photography and journalism. We hit it off so well that I went around for a cuppa a week or two later. The relationship continued between Qiane and our church, as a few months later we invited her to present stories and pictures from her whenua as the main part of our church service. In response, we prayed for her, although she did not profess a Christian faith.
A year or so later I was looking for someone with whom to practice my conversation skills in Mu0101ori, so I asked Qiane to point me to anyone she knew who could help. Through this I met matua Ike, who acts as a kaumu0101tua on the marae, speaking regularly on the pae at pu014dwhiri. This is how the deal unfolded:
u201cMatua, I came today to ask you whether you could help me with some regular conversation practice, like weekly?u201d
Matua Ike paused, then said, u201cOkay, do you believe in reciprocity?u201d
u201cu0100e,u201d I replied, planning to offer him money.
u201cOkay,u201d he said. u201cThen you will come to the ku014dhanga reo at our marae every Friday at 11am and you will teach our tamariki about Jesus Christ from the Bible, in te reo Mu0101ori. In return, Iu2019ll speak to you in Mu0101ori. Iu2019m on my own journey, but once youu2019ve spoken to our tamariki for a while, maybe Iu2019ll come to your church and hear what you have to say.u201d
What had God done? I left on cloud nine and spent the following few months growing ever closer to Ike, the kids, and various adults at the marae.
Whakamoemiti
Eight months later on a Tuesday night at our church, in walked Pauline. I had met Pauline once or twice at the marae but today she came to us; Val from Papatu016bu0101nuku marae had invited her along. Pauline had been a Christian for around four years. During the evening, she explained that God had given her a vision of seeing whakamoemiti (praise and worship) happening on her marae but didnu2019t know what to do about it.
Gobsmacked, I told her that this is also what we had been praying for over the last couple of years. As we figured out what to do, I went to see matua Ike and asked him what his thoughts were and whether a hui where this could happen might be allowed.
He said, u201cI think itu2019s a wonderful idea and Iu2019ll tell you what to do. Go to our marae secretary with Pauline and ask her to put it on the agenda for the marae committee. Then go along and ask their permission. Iu2019ve no doubt theyu2019ll say yes, and you could start a gathering in the New Year.u201d
They did say yes, and on Sunday 3rd December last year we gathered for the first time with the vision of seeing healing come to the community. The first principle of the hui was whakawhanaungatanga, where people could come and share freely about their lives, get prayer, and be touched by the God who answers prayer.
The second principle was wu0101nanga, where not only is the Word of God preached but there is opportunity to share thoughts and questions, right or wrong, on the kaupapau2014perhaps a bit like Alpha.
Pu0101nia was one of the first to share. u201cIu2019ve come here today because Iu2019m searching. I have a difficult relationship with Christianity because of colonisation. But at the same time there is something spiritual happening inside of me and Iu2019ve come to find out what it is,u201d she said.
Weu2019ve now met four timesu2014itu2019s a monthly thing at the momentu2014and each has been a small delight in its own way. Itu2019s not as if weu2019ve seen hundreds come to Christ. Mostly itu2019s been a gathering of about 10-12, and half of that is our team. (A big mihi to Pauline, Caleb, Maanaakinui, Louise and Puti!) But I think itu2019s the start of something wonderful and I look forward to seeing what God will do in the coming times from this bit of mission that started from the community.
Story: John Catmur
John is Pastor of Mu0101ngere Baptist Church. He grew up in the UK and has lived in Aotearoa for 10 years. After a previous pastorate at Auckland Baptist Tabernacle, God did some serious reu2011wiring of Johnu2019s brain to prepare him for a radically missional approach to church. You can view a short Loading Docs documentary about John and his journey of learning te reo Mu0101ori.
Starting with the community
When it comes to mission, if we start with the community we have different questions and different priorities to when we start from the church. When we start from the church we tend to end with the church; that is, the growth of our church tends to be our goal. Thankfully this is not incompatible with the interests of the kingdom of God, although sometimes it can be.
When we start with the community, however, the question becomes not, u201cHow can I grow my church?u201d but u201cHow can we transform the community?u201d In fact, taking another step back again, we realise that mission really starts with God, so we ask, u201cHow can we follow God as he transforms this community?u201d I hope that our work with Makaurau marae is a small expression of that.
~ John Catmur
","type":"text"}] 
