Vicar's Letter - 25 February 2022

Kia ora All Saints Whānau!

We moved Isaac into his first flat this week. He’s joining AYM houses and has moved into the Thorndon House with two amazing leaders and a wonderful group of other young people committed to this radical Jesus journey. Amidst my big feelings about our boy leaving home (that always seemed to catch me off guard and come at awkward times like in the bath towel aisle at the warehouse), I was struck by how proud I was of him, and all our young adults in AYM Houses. These passionate and committed individuals are starting their journey of adulthood by devoting their time, energy, creativity and gifts to proclaiming God’s Kingdom around them. We could all learn a heck of a lot from them.
 
We live in a world that tells us to live for ourselves and make decisions based on what’s best for OUR future, OUR comfort, OUR stability. We often respond to the influences around us a bit like a cat chasing a laser pointer (have you ever tried that? It’s great fun). We are distracted by the next exciting thing and in that often loose our way. We as a church are fortunate to have Jesus as our tether point but those around us without that are struggling.
 
As we take our first few steps into the year as a faith community, we are just beginning to ask the question, “what does Missional Living look like?” I want to encourage you all to talk to one of the young adults in our congregation who are in the AYM Houses movement. They may be young, but they have wisdom beyond their years about what it means to live for those around them and lay down their lives for Jesus. And after you talk to them, I encourage you to find a way to support them. Together let’s be sure they feel deeply supported by their church so that they may be able to continue to pour out to those God is asking them to journey alongside. And this – being deeply relational with one another as we live missionally – will be an example of God’s Kingdom on earth that this world needs to see.

Hei konā mai me te aroha 
Summer on behalf of the co-vicars