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Showing posts from January, 2017

The Treaty - a summary

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These are a few of the main points about the Treaty. The signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, how it is to be interpreted and applied, is an incredibly complex undertaking. This page is not designed to be comprehensive or reductive, but as a starting point. NZ History: These points are taken from http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/politics/treaty/treaty-faqs and www.bibleandtreaty.co.nz): · The Treaty of Waitangi is a founding document of New Zealand. It is an agreement entered into by representatives of the Crown and of Māori iwi (tribes) and hapū (sub-tribes). It is named after the place in the Bay of Islands where the Treaty was first signed, on 6 February 1840. · More than 40 chiefs signed the Māori copy of the Treaty at Waitangi on 6 February 1840. Copies were then taken all around the country, and chiefs from many places signed. There were about 50 signing meetings between February and September 1840 and about 540 chiefs gave their agreement. All but 39 chiefs signed

How to start the year well in three simple steps...

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It's a new year, and with that comes this feeling that we must somehow make this year count. For me this can seem overwhelming. So, this year I am focusing on three simple steps. You might find them helpful too!  Step One: Be Grateful Someone told me recently this quote: 'Comparison is the thief of joy'. Apparently it's something Theodore Roosevelt once said. How true is that! When we compare, we take our eyes off all the things we have and place them on all that we don't have. More leaders, a bigger budget, a supportive leadership team, creative projects starting up... the list just goes on and on. Someone else will ALWAYS have something we can compare ourselves against, and it WILL rob our joy. Gratitude is about taking our eyes off what others are doing, and focusing on where we stand right now. This does not mean that we don't learn from others. But it means that we learn to embrace the ministry we have been given, to live our God given potential. We l