[{"id":15951,"order":0,"imagePath":"https://admin.ezystream.com/static/images/article/24ff12d8-d0a5-4de0-ab20-9f71c964ef81.png","type":"image","content":"https://admin.ezystream.com/static/images/article/24ff12d8-d0a5-4de0-ab20-9f71c964ef81.png"},{"id":15952,"order":1,"contentText":"Janet Vaughan is part of Royal Oak Baptist Church in Tu0101maki Makaurau, Auckland.
As an elder in the leadership team at Royal Oak Baptist Church, I was interested to know more when I heard about the u201cBelonging in this Landu201d treaty education resource for us to use over May and June in small group contexts (itu2019s two 90-minute video/discussion sessions designed for small groups within churches).
Public conversation around the Treaty of Waitangi has been all around us this year. I wonder how Jesus asks us to position ourselves as we seek to bring gospel renewal to people and places in our local neighbourhoods?
In my own journey, my primary schooling occurred in Australia (last century!), and I have no memory of any treaty education at all in my New Zealand high school. My first real encounter with the Mu0101ori world was through Whanganui Baptist Church. During my late teens, our whole church participated in two visits to local marae. These visits were funded by Baptist Kaumatua Lionel Stewartu2019s decision to invest in connecting local Baptist congregations to the Mu0101ori community. The experience sowed seeds in me that, looking back, carry the sense of Godu2019s watering and tending.
Fast forward to now, Iu2019m working for a Mu0101ori health trust and slowly learning te reo Mu0101ori. Along this journey, I have been asking Jesus for his view on Mu0101ori and the treaty relationship and how to respond both personally and in our church community context.
In recent years at Royal Oak Baptist Church, we have been slowly exploring the treaty relationship in different ways: Waitangi Day activities around a meal, The Rapana whu0101nau doing a series called u201cThe Powhiri Journeyu201d, Dave and Denise Tims leading a Sunday morning u201cworkshopu201d and many of our congregation reading the book Huia Come Home by Jay Ruka.
u2018Belonging in this landu2019 is a timely resource for us to continue our learning journey. At Royal Oak Baptist Church, weu2019re hosting the Belonging in this land video/discussion sessions on two Sunday evenings around dessert. We already have 45 people signed up to attend.
The Belonging in this land resource has been put together by Common Grace Aotearoa and Karuwhu0101 Charitable Trust. It is designed as treaty education for faith communities across Aotearoa in preparation for the public discussion that will be generated by the upcoming Treaty Principles Bill that will enter parliament in June.
Here is the website for more information: treatyandbelonging.nz
Photo by Hanlala Thasneem on Unsplash
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