I read, with much interest, the celebration of the opening of the new Hospice Waikato retail store in Te Awamutu.
Hospice Waikato Te Awamutu Shop Opening
My late father was a long-term supporter of the work of hospice organisations in New Zealand.
He would be delighted to read of the vision and drive to extend this work, as stated on the Hospice Waikato website: “to support the patients in their care, and their whānau and caregivers, enabling them to make the most of every moment they have.”
I was even more interested to read of the commentary supplied alongside, where the invited guest, Tom Roa, explained the Tikanga Māori practice of karakia, linking it to the fundamental principle of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
Tom Roa, left, with Hospice Waikato acting chief executive Susan Hassall, and regional retail manager Terese Bidlake at the opening of the new store.
I loved the simplicity of the explanation; to exhort us as members of the community to work together in partnership to support the realisation of the aspirations of all.
As I see it, the Hospice Waikato retail store is a fine example of the community working together to enable others to make the most of life.
Our family will be supporting this endeavour alongside other fantastic community contributors.
Phil Strong
Here at Zion, we recently hosted the Business Chamber as our guests. As members, we were excited at the prospect of connecting with other members, showcasing our hub as an asset to the local community, and sharing insight into who we are, what we do, and why we do it.
As a member of the community, Zion is all about partnership. Our plans to redevelop the church land on Racecourse Road would not be possible without the strength and vision of our partner, Habitat for Humanity Central Region.
Clearly, they share this philosophy as previous news items show them successfully partnering with Waipā District Council to meet housing needs across our region.
I’ve been harping on lately about the need for us all to “step up and step in,” accepting our role in enhancing the lives of those around us.
In a church context, this is the essence of our faith; Jesus Himself gave everything so that we could each find our ‘best life’ in relationship with God – His Father and ours. As far as I can tell, the Bible is explicit in the responsibility we each have in being an active member of the family.
One Bible verse has become my soapbox, as it were, for me to stand on in my regular activity of harping on. Ephesians 4 verse 16 instructs us to contribute our strength, as part of the collective, for the fundamental purpose of making the collective stronger. As I’ve written here many times before, “together we are better.”
As a church, we choose to put this Biblical instruction into practical application by the way we intentionally interact with our community (collective).
We reach out to establish partnerships that will bear fruit so as to, in the words of Hospice Waikato, “enhance the lives of others.”
What is belief without practical demonstration of what one says they believe?
Phil Strong
