WelCom September 2020
Chris Duthie-Jung
After 18 months of careful planning it was disappointing the locally-hosted, national conference – Takirua 2020: Shaping the Mission – was declared a casualty of Covid-19 and cancelled. However, the kaupapa of lives on in a series of local consultation forums. The first was in July with 70 participants representing young Church ministers, gathered to confront our reality through discussions about our various ministry responses. Issues included social media, clericalism and the need for new and different ways of ‘doing community’. The result was a renewed sense of collaboration, commitment and a heightened awareness our current practice needs to change. ‘Round Two’ for Catholic college staff and parish pastoral leaders – on Young Church issues – is set for early September and a third version aimed at Marriage and Family ministry for mid-October.