ALIVE Magazine Oct/Nov '14 by Greta Yeoman

an online magazine for christian young adults in new zealand | october-november 2014 | issue one

ALIVE magazine

from the embers of parachute... two new festivals have sprung social justice | arise conference reviewed living the dream | columns | streaming now.. music and movies

EDITOR GRETA YEOMAN deputy editor NICOLA FROUD THE ALIVE TEAM ANNA GREENWOOD EVONNE KEY CONTRIBUTing writers/photos JOLYON WHITE LYNDON ROGERS KAREN YUNG KIRSTIN CANT KATE EAST ******* WANT TO WRITE FOR ALIVE? GOT A COMMENT, QUESTION, SUGGESTION? ANY IDEAS FOR STORIES OR FEATURES? CONTACT US AT ALIVEMAGAZINENZ@GMAIL.COM ******* ALIVE WILL BE RELEASED EVERY TWO MONTHS. DEADLINE FOR DEC/JAN IS NOV 20. ******* IF YOU HAVE ANY ADVERTISING OR STORY IDEAS PLEASE GET IN TOUCH ASAP. THE DEADLINE IS FOR SUBMITTING FINISHED STORIES NOT CREATING IDEAS. ******* ALIVE MAGAZINE IS A FREE ONLINE MAGAZINE FOR CHRISTIAN YOUNG ADULTS IN NEW ZEALAND. WWW.ALIVENZ.WORDPRESS.COM ALIVEMAGAZINENZ@GMAIL.COM ************

contents.... Editorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Column ... page 4 Arise Conference â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;14 review .... page 6 from the embers of parachute... page 8 Alive Team columns... page 10 Living the Dream.. page 13 FEATURE: Social Justice... page 14 Streaming Now... page 20 A Brutual Romantic ... page 22

Hello and welcome to ALIVE! I’m super excited for this magazine. My name’s Greta Yeoman and I’m the editor of this wee publication alongside our wonderful team of writers, which will hopefully grow in time. The aim of ALIVE is for a nation-wide magazine for Christian young adults in NZ. If you are interested in writing a column or a story or just have an idea please, please, please get in touch, we would LOVE to hear from you. This is not just a magazine to be read by you guys, we want you to be involved in writing it too. I’m based in the lovely broken city of Christchurch. I am a huge fan and supporter of the Christchurch music scene. I’ve studied journalism this year at Polytech and I am also a filmmaker. As I write this I am super excited about a premiere of my documentary Town Like Here 2014 tomorrow, which is about the Christchurch music scene postquake. My favourite books are those by Jodi Picoult, especially Sing You Home (makes you think so much!). I am also very stoked as my dear friends in my favourite band The Eastern are home tomorrow (as I write this). They’ve been touring Europe for a couple of months and I can’t wait to see them again. I hope you enjoy this debut issue of ALIVE. Between publications we will be updating our website alivenz.wordpress.com with stories, so keep an eye on that. This October/November publication has a wonderful wee feature about the importance of social justice in this country, written by three people heavily involved in the movement. We’re also very excited to profile two summer christian music festivals that have sprung up from the embers of Parachute Music Festival (we’ve chosen embers over ashes because Parachute Music hasn’t completely died). Check out the Streaming Now section for new music and film releases for the coming months! God bless, get in touch if you feel like it, we would love any feedback. Email alivemagazinenz@gmail.com. Many thanks, Greta Yeoman

Hi, I’m Greta and the editor of this magazine. I’m an 18-year-old journalism student with a slight obession with music, namely the Christchurch music scene. I am a songwriter/musician and also a film-maker/photographer. When I’m not studying journalism I am currently undertaking two major film projects, a parttwo in a series about the Christchurch music scene after the earthquake called Town Like Here (find part one on YouTube) and also another film about Christchurch’s red-zone. I love writing and am very excited about this magazine!

WRITE TO US ANY RESPONSES YOU HAVE TO STORIES IN ALIVE AND WE CAN PUBLISH THEM IN THE “LETTERS” SECTION. START A CONVERSATION WITH OTHERS THROUGH THIS MAGAZINE FOR YOU! (OF COURSE YOU CAN GET IN TOUCH WITHOUT HAVING YOUR WORDS APPEAR IN PRINT - JUST LET US KNOW IF YOU WANT IT PUBLISHED OR NOT. EMAIL US AT ALIVEMAGAZINENZ@GMAIL.COM OR CONTACT US THROUGH FACEBOOK. 4

IT’S TIME TO WAKE UP

IN LATE AUGUST 5000 PEOPLE FLOCKED TO WELLINGTON FOR THE ANNUAL ARISE CONFERENCE. WELLINGTON-BASED STUDENT ANNA GREENWOOD GAVE US THE RUN DOWN FROM THE WEEKEND. PHOTOS BY KATE EAST. Arise Conference 2014 was just incredible. From August 2830, over 5000 people from 130 churches packed Wellington’s TSB Arena, attending eight sessions over three days- with guest speakers Ps Chris Hill, Jentezen Franklin and Rich Wilkerson Jr., and hosts John and Gillian Cameron. Themed, ‘Future Now’, these speakers brought incredible and life-changing messages on the importance of bringing God’s promises to your life today in order to see their fruitfulness tomorrow. Jentezen Franklin’s message on God’s desire to give you the

supernatural in your life was definitely a highlight among the young adults. Sharing from Exodus 4, Ps Jentezen shaped his message around God using a plain old stick to do the supernatural in Egypt. God doesn’t need you to do anything supernatural. He just needs you to be ordinary; He needs you to be ready, and then He will do the supernatural through you. He does not want supernatural snakes, but faithful, ordinary sticks. Although all the sessions were profound and challenging, the conference’s final message, ‘It’s

Time to Wake Up’ was just amazing. Teaching from the story of Lazarus’ death in the book of John, Ps Chris Hill shared that although it seems like Jesus does nothing in the aftermath of Lazarus’ death, he is actually healing and touching people. Something incredible happens in your faith when you decide that even though you may go through trouble, trouble is not going to go through you; that even though you may go through hell, it’s not going to burn you up. Jesus waited four days to raise Lazarus from the dead, because he needed to prove his greatness. The

“Something incredible happens in your faith when you decide that even though you may go through trouble, trouble is not going to go through you; that even though you may go through hell, it’s not going to burn you up.” best challenge though, comes when you realize the profound way that we can apply this story to our lives today. Jesus asked where Lazarus was buried so that the people around him would recognize where they buried their hope. In the same way, we are called to go to the place where we buried our hope; we are called to walk into that place and move the stone away. Dig up your dream, dig up your hope; if you move the stone, then Jesus will do his part. Words are literally so hard to

find when you’re trying to describe Arise Conference. Think amazing- but at the super-amazing end of the spectrum. Think life-changing- I haven’t met a single person who has attended Conference and hasn’t been radically changed in their heart and mind by the Presence of God. If you get the opportunity to attend this conference, take it. If you get the opportunity to attend any Christian conference, take it. Expect God to turn up, and He’ll be there with bells on.

what others had to say.... “God spoke so gently to my heart during Arise conference. He reminded me of His loving, graceful and merciful character and that we must simply live sold out for Him and Him alone!“ - Kate, christchurch

“Arise conference 2014 was a life changer! It really inspired me to look at my future from a different angle, with hope and courage knowing that God is with me each day unconditionally and that he has a plan for my life! This was the first arise conference I went to and I can truthfully say that it will not be the last!!!” - olivia, christchurch

from the embers

of parachute music festival there have sprung two new festivals, Cloud and festival one. greta yeoman finds out more about these two new events to be held over auckland anniversary weekend. story: greta yeoman photo: luke fletcher photography 8

Cloud Festival, a one-day festival “unashamedly all about Jesus”, debuts this summer on Saturday 24 January, 2015. Their website promos it as an event “for you, your youth group, church and even your little bro”. “Imagine thousands of people gathering with no agenda, no gimmicks, and no sign-ups, but with one purpose: to get together and praise the Creator.” Just 1 day. 20 artists. 3 stages. In summer. The one-day festival is to be held at QBE Stadium in Auckland and already boasts a stellar line-up of kiwi and international acts. On the international front their headlining act is American worship band Newsboys that have written songs such as “God’s Not Dead”, “Stay Strong” and “He Reigns”. They’ve included Rapture Ruckus under the “international acts” section, which is strange because they are originally a Kiwi band. However, they have taken over the world wee bit I’ve heard. Aussie band Tigertown, who have had large crowds at their Parachute slots the last few years, play on the day. Auckland-based folky modern-day psalm-

ist Strahan also performs along with NZ X-Factor finalists Gap 5, JuliaGrace and many others. And it’s not just musicians who will be onstage at CLOUD. They’ve also gathered a line-up of world-class speakers for your entertainment. In late September Cloud announced that “for the first time to New Zealand, we’re frothin to introduce you to guest speaker & evangelist Todd White who will exclusively be part of Cloud Festival”. Check out the full line-up on their website, www. cloudfestival.co.nz. Their pricing system is interesting with “100 days of raise”, with ticket prices going up $1.35 per week. So get in fast and book your tickets to the country’s biggest one-day Christian music event of the summer! The one issue is that CLOUD Festival falls on the same weekend as Festival One, which creates a clash for punters wanting to attend both. Well, we will leave it up to you to decide where you want to be come Auckland Anniversary weekend this January. Reminder details: Saturday 24 January, 2015. QBE Stadium in Auckland. Acts include Newsboys and Tigertown.

Festival One isn’t advertising. It just wants those attending to advertise for them. To make the Festival their own. Will you, they ask? The multi-day festival over Auckland Anniversary weekend could be seen as just taking over from Parachute, and though Parachute’s team, with their years of knowledge and contacts, have helped both Festival One and Cloud, they want to let people know that is a new different festival. Yes Mystery Creek. Yes same weekend. Yes similar line-up. But different. Festival One is to be held in Hamilton at Mystery Creek Events Centre from January 23rd-26th, 2015. The line-up is stunning. American rock band Switchfoot return to the country again after a Parachute slot a few years ago that appeared in their documentary ‘Fading West’. Ex-Paramore drummer Zac Farro (aka Halfnoise) also appears in the lineup accompaning Gungor (who played the second-to-last slot on Mainstage at Parachute last year), Newworldson, Late 80’s Mercedes and many, many other

stellar acts. Festival One describes their line-up as “artists who love their craft, and who are passionate about their faith. Worship in many forms.” Community is a very important part of Festival One. According to their website it “is at the very core of Festival One”. You know those festivals where you find yourself panicking in a long queue as you hurriedly try grab some food between acts you want to see? No worry about that at Festival One. Apparently the whole site will stop for lunch, and dinner. That’s pretty cool! The current Earlybird ticket prices are $99 for a student (with valid ID) or $124 for an adult (if you’re under 12 or as part of a family, check the website for alternate prices). Tier two student jumps up to $119 and adults to $145. There is also a tier 3. If you’re keen though, grab your tickets to the biggest multi-day Christian music event in the country before they go up in price. Reminder details: January 23-26th, 2015. Mystery Creek Events Centre in Hamilton. Acts include Switchfoot, Gungor and Halfnoise. festival-one.co.nz

Winter In Auckland Winter in Auckland is waking up in the dark. It is hitting ‘snooze’, running late, and catching the bus in the nick of time. Winter in Auckland is watching the sun snoozily get up, stretching over the waterfront and yawning over the CBD. It is rattling down the tracks, docking at port, stepping off the bus, a transport swipe in one hand, a coffee in the other. It is boots, and scarves, blazers and little beanies. The CBD is a hub of independence and priorities. It is the job of each to look only at where headed, stop for nobody, and produce a solitary, business like aura. Schedules are tight and unforgiving. They are present in the cars running orange lights. They are present in the loud clack of quickly moving high heels. You can sense the impatience in the line for the thoroughfare. The air in the elevator is tensed for nine stories, and then the elevator doors open at street level and we all tumble out, and begin to trickle down the streets to meet our schedules. No-one talks. It would break Auckland etiquette to crack a smile or start a conversation – unforgivable to cause any delay to the day. Winter in Auckland is splendorous and awesome, but it is cold and impersonal.

NICOLA FROUD (AUCKLAND)

Hey all, Nicola here! Feeling a bit stoked to have a contribution toward such a cool project; I’ve been set apart as the one Aucklander in the team so far. I’ve lived in the big smoke all my life, and it’s fabulous – $12 hourly carparks and all – but give me mountains any day! I’m a first-year student at Auckland Uni and it seems that I spend the rest of my time on public transport, but I also manage to squeeze in youth, music, reading, babysitting and rock-climbing, thank goodness. Nicola is also the deputy editor of ALIVE. hank goodness.

Love from the centre of who you are; don’t fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle. - Romans 12: 9-10

I’m Leaving on a Jet Plane The past two weeks have been nonstop planning, organising, booking, buying and generally late nights and stress filled, although I suppose if I had more good night’s sleep I wouldn’t be as stressed, preparing for my big three month OE. Right now I am on a plane, from Queenstown to Auckland, getting myself ready for a 27 hour flight on Tuesday to Paris. It could feel daunting or scary, but it’s more just so epic, and big, and exciting, that I’m not too worried about what happens when I get over there. I know I’ve got Angel Backup if need be. I also know that whatever happens, God will be there through it all to sort out whatever kinks and curves come my way. Not necessarily to smooth them out. But to get e safely round the bend without rolling the car per se. Like he has these past two weeks. Although I may not be the most experienced traveller, (yet), I have noticed that whenever something big is planned, something always goes wrong at the last minute. But God has been amazing. I found sunglasses I had lost six months ago, I found things that I had typically misplaced and hadn’t found and I had a week before I left. I found shoes, which were comfortable and fit, within four pairs and one shop. <Which is frankly incredible for me>. And probably the biggest one of all: My laptop. My laptop hasn’t been restarting properly for a while and typical me I didn’t get it checked out properly soon enough, and the warranty had already expired. It wouldn’t start at all last week and I sent it to our computer tech friend. He rang me with news that Dell was sending a technician up, under extended warranty, free of charge and they were going to push for it to be done before I left on Saturday. He arrived on Friday, spent two hours fiddling and replacing the entire mother board, and now we’re good to go. Perfect timing or what. Thank you LORD, for always providing, last minute or not. Thank you that you will be in this trip. And thank you that you’re always there for anytime we need to cry out to You.

EVONNE KEY (ARROWTOWN) My name is Evonne Key. I am a fruit freak, a name nerd, a wordsmith, a languagenut, a fangirl and sometimes an introvert. I have Obsessive Compulsive Daydreming Doodling Disorder and I can’t sit still to save myself unless it’s to play sleeping lions. I am writing a book which I can’t explain in one sentence very easily.

UNASHAMEDLY ALL ABOUT JESUS

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20 ARTISTS

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SAT 24 JAN 2015 | QBE STADIUM AUCKLAND

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RAPTURE RUCKUS

SARAH JAKES

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LOUD HARP • TIGERTOWN • A BOY & HIS KITE • DAN BREMNAS • SAVING GRA�E • STRAHAN LIFE WORSHIP • GAP 5 • EQUIPPERS WORSHIP • JULIA GRA�E • LIFESTYLE (OF WORSHIP) MAGNIFY • TE KOOTI BROTHERHOOD • FRESH MOVEMENT • IDENTITY DAN�E �REW

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Name: Kirstin Cant Age: 27 where you live : Auckland Studies: Bachelor of Fine Art – Otago. Graduate Diploma of Theology – Laidlaw College. Job name: Youth Mobiliser for New Zealand Church Missionary Society 100 words about why you love your job: Kirstin Cant hails from the deep south of NZ where she spent years in various forms of church and youth ministry, running music festivals, and making sculptures for an art degree. Her life deepened when she spent a year overseas on a mission internship programme. Nowadays Kirstin lives in Auckland with her husband Rowan and spends her time journeying alongside young people with similar questions to her own like “how can I be more a part of God’s mission?” and, “In what ways can I live out the Good News to others?”. It’s a privilege to be able to be a small spark in people’s life encouraging them to deeper relationship with God and be a part of his mission. All of this is wrapped up in the fancy title of Youth Mobiliser as Kirstin works with the New Zealand Church Missionary Society.

Name: Greta Yeoman (ALIVE Editor) Age: 18 where you live : Christchurch Studies: Media Communication at Aoraki Polytechnic Job: student/filmmaker/journalist/musician/editor 100 words about why you love your job: I’m coming to the end of a year of Media Communication at Aoraki Polytech with aims of becoming a fully-fledged journalist next year. I’m also a filmmaker and I love my job because there are all these amazing people around my town and I get to tell bits of their stories, accompanied by footage and beaut music. I love telling the stories of people and interacting with others and experiencing their emotions along with them. I’m also a musician so love telling stories in that form too. It makes me busy though haha.

LIVING THE DREAM: PEOPLE’S JOBS AND WHY THEY Like THEM Name: Nicola Froud (ALIVE dept editor) Age: 18 where you live : Auckland Studies: Arts & Law degrees at Auckland Uni Job: student

Name: Lyndon Rogers. Age: 24 Studies: Law Job name: Social Change Lawyer Lives: Bryndwr, Christchurch.

100 words about why you like your job: It’s been said “We have to find ways to connect our 100 words about why you love your job: deepest passions with the world’s deepest pains.” I I have left high school and I definitely, for the first work for the Anglican Church in Christchurch, using time, have glimpsed the adult world and am startmy legal training to improve Christchurch’s rental ing to dream bigger. With my career still uncertain, I feel settled in my law degree, and in my arts housing so no more kids get sick. I also work with some groups who are trying to change our prisons degree, at the University of Auckland this year. I still get to live at home, with free wi-fi, an unlimit- to become places where peoples’ lives can really be ed supply of food, the added company of my family turned around. It’s work that I really care about, and that I know is important in God’s Kingdom. Knowing and puppy, and support that is both financial and that keeps me working day to day to day and keeps me emotional. My degree gets me classes in four faculties, and I love the breadth. The range of people I liking my job. get to be surrounded with is just as varied. School tried to teach me that it was the arts or the sciences. At eighteen I don’t have a strong plan for my life … I make sure that I study both. got a job you love? send in the above details and 100 words about why you love your job to alivemagazinenz@gmail.com

social jus

WHAT’S THE BIG DEAL AN

stice

NWAY?

WHAT’S THE DEAL WITH SOCIAL JUSTICE? ALIVE ASKED THREE KEY PEOPLE WHO ARE PART OF THE SOCIAL JUSTICE MOVEMENT IN NEW ZEALAND TO EXPLAIN IN THEIR OWN WORDS WHY IT IS SO IMPORTANT AND WHAT YOUNG NEW ZEALANDERS CAN DO FOR THEIR BIT TOWARDS CREATING SOCIAL CHANGE. FIRST UP WE HAVE JOLYON WHITE FROM THE CHRISTCHURCH ANGLICAN SOCIAL JUSTCE UNIT TO DICUSS WHY FOOD BANKS HAVE FAILED: AND WHY WE NEED THEM MORE THAN EVER. In 1968 New Zealand signed the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. Among other things that covenant honoured an ‘adequate standard of living,’ including adequate housing and food, as a basic human right. That same year Walter Nash, the 27th prime minister of New Zealand, died. He had famously said “I don’t want to get rid of poverty just to ensure that prosperity is maintained; I want to get rid of poverty because it is bad, it is wrong, it is immoral, it is unethical, it is un-Christian, it is unfair, and it is unjust”. Getting rid of poverty is a noble goal. One most Christians would agree was a good idea. It is tragic then that in the early 80’s New Zealand saw the rise of a new phenomenon - the food bank.

“A government that accepts charitable food banks as the means to provide adequate food is guilty of human rights abuse.” Tragic? But they are the charity models of choice for most churches. Don’t they address poverty? No, they are a symptom, a litmus test. Just as well to say the canary in the coal mine is the cure for dangerous gas build-up. A food bank assumes that someone has a home to live in, a stove to cook on, and a pantry in which to store food, but the pantry shelves are empty. (An occurrence more and more frequent even for families in work. 40% of children in poverty come from families with at least one working parent. A care-giver or cleaner does not need to be pushed into a job, they need to be paid adequately for the one they have.) Food-banks were only supposed to be a stop-gap measure while

the economic reforms of the 80s brought prosperity to the nation. Meanwhile, back at the United Nations…

The Gospel is silent on the method with which we need to address the social problems of the day, only that the problem needs to be addressed.

The senior U.N official responsible for ensuring governments complied with covenants they had signed warned that reliance on food banks Food banks are now cemented into to provide adequate food was a vio- the landscape. In part that speaks of lation of the that 1968 covenant. a generous nation, but, as St Augustine said, “charity is no substitute for That is worth repeating; a governjustice withheld”. The cementing of ment that accepts charitable food food banks into the landscape is jusbanks as the means to provide ade- tice withheld. They exist because of quate food is guilty of human rights a created poverty, not out of scarcity. abuse. In 2010 seventeen people took home yearly salaries over 1 million dollars, Spoiler alert. Food banks did not while 150 children died of poverty end out being a short term stop-gap related illness. Food banks are not while we addressed the poverty the about scarcity. economic reforms of the 80s created. In 1991 welfare spending was Remember when you did that dodgy slashed. In the following year and a repair on the pantry shelf by prophalf, food bank usage quadrupled. ping under a broom-handle, or fixed

Something to think about.... “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” - Nelson Mandela “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” - Margaret Mead “No one has ever become poor by giving.” - Anne Frank

the leak in the roof with a bucket, or darned your underpants with duct-tape; and then the existence of that broom-handle, bucket, or tape meant you never got around to actually fixing it? That’s a food bank. The Gospel is silent on the method with which we need to address the social problems of the day, only that the problem needs to be addressed. Not simply by government - our civic engagement does not end with voting - but certainly the government is part of the mix. Regardless of whether you are lamenting the defeat of the left or relieved at the triumph of the right, from this moment forward we are called “to do good. Work for justice. Help the down-andout. Stand up for the homeless. Go to bat for the defenseless”. (Is 1:17 MSG) Part of that ‘standing up,’ and ‘going into bat’ involves finding ways to raise out voices. We may need food banks more than ever, but like duct-tape on our underpants we should never become comfortable with their existence. If we are serious about the gospel of peace, we must remind ourselves that left and right, any government that relies on food banks to provide adequate food is guilty of human rights abuse, and that charity is no substitute for justice withheld.

LYNDON ROGERS IS A SOCIAL JUSTICE ADVOCATE FOR THE ANGLICAN CHURCHES IN CANTERBURY. A child shivered, another sneezed and a lone mum on the couch sniffed back an oncoming cold. “Do you have any idea how hard it is to keep this house warm?” she asked. “No, tell me.” “The windows are all drafty, the roof leaks, the boys never close any of the doors and there’s no insulation anywhere!”

“For this family, their home’s a prison. And Jesus came to set these captives free. I care about them deeply. And besides, well before they care about my theology, they need to know I need to care about what matters to them.”

“Bloody hard to keep it warm then?” I laughed – how else do you respond? “You’re telling me” she responded, as she drew back under her blanket with her hot lemon drink. Keeping an old state house warm for a family is a mission and a half. This particular mum has three hectic sons under 9 who, like any young boys, want to wear shorts and tank tops as they charge around oblivious to how the cold is making them sick. But in that living room, in that cold, what can I do to help? For this family, their home’s a prison. And Jesus came to set these captives free. I care about them deeply. And besides, well before they care about my theology, they need to know I need to care about what matters to them. Now I know that the local church knits free draft-stoppers, and that day, I went and picked two of the boys up from school, because mum and the other boys were home sick.

But there are thousands of families in this situation. We can fight it one draft-stopper at a time, but there are bigger issues at play here. In a country like New Zealand, why can a landlord make money renting out a harmful house? Why isn’t there a simple, usable system for this mum to stand up for herself? And how do we keep the quality of our rental properties to a decent standard? There are laws and a system that are meant to answer those questions, but for this mum we know those laws and that system aren’t working. Someone has to help this mum, but someone has to change those laws as well. Someone has to

change the system so that this mum can actually use it. And that’s what makes this a social justice problem. In social justice, we tend to ask three big questions: Why does this problem exist? Who else cares? What can we do about it together? If we live our lives asking those questions and living out the answers, imagine the change we could make. ______________________ Get in touch if you have a passion or a skill you’d love to use to make some change. Contact Lyndon at legalresearcher@anglicanlife.org. nz. CONTINUED >

ACCORDING TO WELLINGTON-BASED SOCIAL JUSTICE ENTHUSIAST KAREN YUNG, A COMBINATION OF UNDERSTANDING JESUS AND REAL LOVE MIGHT BE A GOOD START TOWARDS FIGHTING SOCIAL JUSTICE ISSUES. KAREN WORKS FOR THE FAIR TRADE ASSOCIATION AND ALSO TRADE AID. HERE ARE HER THOUGHTS ON WHAT YOUNG KIWIS CAN DO TO CREATE SOCIAL CHANGE IN NZ AND ABROAD. Once upon a time the Sojourners Christian Community cut out all the relevant Bible verses to justice, adding another meaning to the term ‘Holy’ revealing a vast range of gaps in the scriptures. This appears to be even more prominent as we enter the Gospels - the journey of Christ, the Prince of Peace who came to bring the Good News to all the world. Since we were young, we’ve had a developing sense of what is right and wrong in our world. Various people who come to mind when we consider those who have done right, and those who have done wrong. Not only as humans of all ages can we not ignore the issues of right & wrong, of justice in our

“Much of what Jesus did in a broad sense is as relevant in our context, as it was in his. So what does it look like to ‘act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with God’?” world, but especially as followers of a Christ who brought reconciliation, peace, love, mercy and grace. Jesus is a prime example of how we can go about that – that in each and every moment, each decision we make – we can choose to ‘deny ourselves’ and ‘pick up our cross’ in order to give life to all.

path of truth before aiming to reconcile and strive for justice.

A simple way to engage with justice is following the steps of Jesus, and understanding that every decision we make can speak life or death, and that we can also do no everlasting harm to others, but bring life to us and those around us. We’re Now we may not be able to collect probably familiar with the ‘What our tax money from the fish of the would Jesus do?’ which is great, but imagine if we started to think about sea, or heal people miraculouseveryone who had to deal with the ly fast, however there are other consequences of our decisions in ways that we can be engaging in everyday decisions bringing about light of, ‘What would we do if that person was Jesus, or someone else justice, restoration, and hope in that we loved?’ and stepped out loveveryday life. ing everyone as best as we possibly Much of what Jesus did in a broad could. sense is as relevant in our context, as it was in his. So what does it look like to ‘act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with God’? Jesus’ ability to be still, take notice and be present to each and every moment, to see beyond the surface of issues and challenge the ‘bonds of injustice’ are so relevant to how we should tackle life. And once he engaged with an issue, he then learnt more about the situation by asking questions and reframing things pulling more people into a

What are your favourite fairtrade coffee shops around the country? Write to us at alivemagazinenz@gmail.com so we can include your favourite places in an upcoming story for December!

WELLINGTON - ANNA

“I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.”

AUCKLAND - NICOLA

- C.S. Lewis

STREAMING NOW..... Kiwi songwriter Brooke Fraser recently released the dates for her 2015 NZ ‘Brutual Romantic’ tour. Here are the dates (and a small story about her album two pages over). Friday 20 March Hamilton Founders Theatre Saturday 21 March Palmerston North Regent on Broadway Monday 23 March Invercargill Civic Theatre Tuesday 24 March Dunedin Regent Theatre Wednesday 25 March Christchurch Horncastle Arena Friday 27 March Wellington TSB Bank Arena Saturday 28 March Auckland Vector Arena Monday 30 March New Plymouth TSB Showplace Tuesday 31 March Napier Municipal Theatre Wednesday 1 April Tauranga ASB Arena Baypark

in our ears

The Edge of the Earth Switchfoot

Songs of Innocence U2

Spirits French For Rabbits

Jumpin Beds - Single Meredith

the american rock band switchfoot have recently released ‘the edge of the earth’ the un-released songs from their film ‘Fading West’. their 2014 album by the same name tied in with the film about the band which made it’s debut NZ screening in at parachute 2014. the seven new songs are part of the soundtrack to the film which documented switchfoot touring and writing/recording their most recent album. now in their 17th year the band are prepping to play at festival one in hamilton in january 2015.

irish pop/rock band u2 had confirmed an album sometime in 2014, but in early september they made the sudden release of ‘songs of innocence’. the first album since 2009’s no line on the horizon, the new lp was available for free through itunes from sept 9 and will be reeleased worldwide in hard-copy on oct 13. the band released the album at the same launch of the new apple iphone 6. apple has paid u2 for the album. Bono wrote a post on their website about the record saying “it’s a very, very personal album.”

a christchurch-based folk act are set to release their album ‘Spirits’ on october 31. brooke Singer and John Fitzgerald make up the base members of folk band french for rabbits. after their 2012 debut ep ‘claimed by the sea’ was a finalist for the 2013 folk tui their sucess has just continued. on the back of two european tours, they recorded their upcoming album over the last two years, and will release it on their upcoming third tour to europe in october. they will then be back home to nz to tour the new record.

jumping across the ditch for this one, we have brisbane-based singer/ songwriter Meredith. the early 20’s musician, who has drawn comparisions to laura marling and julia stone, released her debut ep ‘The Darkness EP’ at the beginning of this year, and just four months later, has sprung this gem on the world. keep an eye and ear out for more of her work. at just over 2 minutes it’s not very long but shows a change from her primarily vocal/acoustic guitar sound. oh and she only began songwriting in 2010.

through our eyes

Mockingjay - Part 1 Release Nov 20, 2014

The Maze Runner Release Sept 25, 2014

Katniss Everdeen reluctantly becomes the symbol of a mass rebellion against the autocratic Capitol. the third film installment of hit series ‘the hunger games’ is in cinemas around nz in late november.. ‘mockingjay - part one’ is the first of the part two conclusion to suzanne collins’ hunger games triology.

Thomas is deposited in a community of boys after his memory is erased, soon learning they’re all trapped in a maze that will require him to join forces with fellow “runners” for a shot at escape. this film features will poulter who played eustace in the third narnia film Voyage of the dawn treader.

The featured video of this issue of ALIVE is the music video for Guy Sebastian’s ‘Get Along’. A poignant dream for everyone to ‘get along’, this video was released in 2012. “And when all the worlds collide All they know is to divide And it’s easy if they’re faceless To hate the other side And the others caught between Are the only ones to bleed And the ones they leave behind Can only sit and cry”.