The only way forward

Hello Jim Bunny. I just wanted to congratulate you on your opinion piece in The Weekend Sun newspaper. While many have skirted around the issue of the current negativity that lurks just below the service here in the Tauranga region, and in fact in many regions of New Zealand at the moment, you have not only lifted the lid a ‘squeak’, you have ripped it off entirely. The response heading your way will be swift and full of righteous anger, but I am sure you know that and are prepared for it.

Tauranga could be so much more and until we are able to open minds and help people understand that there is a bigger picture to consider and that their own small concerns and selfish agendas have to be put aside to allow grown up conversations and healthy, non-aggressive debate, we will remain in the current ‘rut’. Yes some of these hard decisions will ‘bite’ and will cause temporary upheaval and inconvenience but nothing worth doing ever comes without sacrifice and a little bit of short term pain. To share in the decision-making process, with a positive – not blinkered mindset –is the only way forward.

Why did I mention the stadium?

Your opinion will spark outrage but at least it will make people think, which is a good thing, especially for those, like me, who are in that silent majority whose voice is often drowned out by the ‘Naysayers’. Thank you and keep up the good work!

Victoria Allwood, Tauranga City.

You make me smile... Right on the money

Dear Jim, No matter how I’m feeling, I can always rely on your clever banter every week to make me smile. Thank you! With best wishes. Geralyn Finnegan.

Re: Page 2 Jim Bunny’s column ‘Ngati Whingers’ or just plain ‘rude’ published Friday, May 26, 2023. Great article and you are right on the money! Well done! Chris McAlpine, Tauranga City.

Churches Active In Our Community Audio Culture and... some new local music!

has now released his second album ‘Raise A Glass’. It is available online and you can get CDs via his Facebook page.

It’s often said: ‘It’s not what you know; it’s who you know’. And there’s some truth to that. There are certainly some plusses that come from the relationships we have. It may be an introduction to an acquaintance who turns out to be a loyal friend, satisfied customer, or a wise mentor. We’ve been designed to have relationships or connections with fellow human beings. Life always works better when we ensure we have good relationships in our lives, good connections that benefit both those we relate to and ourselves.

It’s because we were designed for relationship that we have an inner knowing, an inner awareness that we were also designed for a relationship with a higher power. Many people just have an upward relationship with God; in other words, it’s all directed from us to Him for what we can get out of it, it’s all about us. But there’s just three amazing words spoken by Jesus when He said: ‘I know them’. Is there someone in our life who really knows us? The good, the bad, the ugly, warts and all? They’re likely to be very special people, whom we trust because they’re trustworthy. We know they know all about us and we feel safe with that knowledge.

It’s a wonderful place to be. Completely understood, totally accepted, lovingly corrected, and fully supported.

Audio Culture, the website and self-proclaimed ‘noisy library of New Zealand music’, has just celebrated its 10th anniversary. Audio Culture was founded in May 2013 as a means to archive and explore Kiwi music. In the past decade they’ve published almost 2000 pages documenting New Zealand’s musical history.

It is a brilliant and wide-ranging archive – originally the brain child of music legend Simon Grigg and with contributions from many of the country’s top music writers – that includes reviews, discographies, interviews, biographies, background articles, images, recordings, and music videos.

Any day now they’ll be announcing the results of their poll of Greatest Kiwi Album of All Time – and if you want to dive into a diverse and everchanging snapshot of the music scene, just have a glance at what’s on the front page.

Currently...

St Andrews Church,

FURTHER NOTICE Maunganui 10:45am you! S2214cbMount

It’s exactly that kind of relationship we can have with Jesus our living Saviour. He will vouch for me now and when it counts.

Stephen Whitwell, C3 City Church, Tauranga.