KO TĀTOU NGĀ KAITIAKI O AOTEAROA

KO TĀTOU NGĀ

O AOTEAROA

NATALIE DUCHESNE | SUNZ North Island Camps Facilitator

The Board of Scripture Union New Zealand recognise SUNZ’s role as ‘Kaitiaki’ in New Zealand and expects that SUNZ staff take all reasonable steps to implement SUNZ procedures and policies in ways that promote environmental responsibility and stewardship.

Significant words from the Board, and new words for Scripture Union New Zealand—a call to stewardship of creation that has been present in our ministries organically for a while, but which has now been formalised. Kaitiaki is a te reo Māori word, rich with meaning. It describes a person or group which acts as a carer, guardian, protector or a conserver. With that one word— kaitiaki—we see a parallel with the beginning of Genesis when the cosmos and everything in it is brought to life, and humankind is given a specific role to play. This call is not just present in Genesis, however; it is throughout the narrative of Scripture and, as we arrive at the gospels, we observe Jesus himself engaging with creation in powerful ways. Jesus used the natural world as a place of retreat, a place to gather, and a means to connect people with a larger meaning or significance. He not only related to people in flourishing and perfect ways, but he also related with the wider natural world. This is this model we use on SUNZ camps as our camping ministry uses outdoor spaces and activities as a vehicle to connect young people with God. It’s not just limited to a metaphor either, as we take up the example of Christ and encounter God in these places in very humbling ways. One programme that exemplifies this is Wild Wāhine—a weekend camp for girls—where we adopt the role of pilgrims rather than tourists as we make our way up a mountain being attentive to God in our natural surroundings. We stop at multiple pilgrimage stations along the way and engage in silence and solitude or have group kōrero unpacking the richness of our passage of Scripture in creation.

Our E3 expeditions are another example. These 11-day expeditions explore how the themes of leadership development, faith formation and creation care weave together, often seamlessly. The expedition is a journey and takes place in the back-country of Aotearoa where you’re left to become good friends with the elements, as there’s no choice but to embrace the somewhat

JESUS USED THE NATURAL WORLD AS A PLACE OF RETREAT, A PLACE TO GATHER, AND A MEANS TO CONNECT PEOPLE WITH A LARGER MEANING OR SIGNIFICANCE.