Haere Mai was a Diocese-wide initiative by the Anglican Diocese of Nelson, aiming to open church doors to local communities to experience “the love and presence of Jesus Christ through welcoming events and gatherings.” Each parish was encouraged to prayerfully discern and implement their own local strategy in keeping with this Diocesan vision.
At St Christopher’s our approach was to run the Christianity Explored Course in small groups. We formed a Haere Mai Leadership Team to plan, coordinate and oversee this project. The team was composed of myself as coordinator, along with Steve Scaife, Keith Buck, Alan Nicholson, Garth Mushet, Francy Mushet, with help from Valerie Nicholson.
We introduced Haere Mai to our church as “an intentional effort to create welcoming spaces where people can explore the Christian faith through personal invitation, hospitality and community.”
Vision and Missional Alignment
Haere Mai was deeply aligned with our church vision and mission: to be a growing church making disciples of Jesus. In today’s world, people have genuine questions about Christianity – some skeptical, others curious. Christianity Explored offers a clear and welcoming space to explore faith, ask honest questions and discover the gospel message. This course focuses on three essential questions:
Who is Jesus?
Why did He come?
What does it mean to follow Him?
The course is relational and discussion-based, grounded in the Gospel of Mark – a fast-paced and accessible account of Jesus’ life, ministry, death and resurrection.
Timeline and Preparation
February 16 to March 2: Call for Volunteers (Hosts, Facilitators, Group Members)
March 16 and 23: Training Sessions for Hosts and Facilitators
April 20 (Easter Sunday): Project Launch
April 20 to June 8: Seven Weekly Group Sessions
June 8 (Pentecost Sunday): Culmination and Celebration Service
Each group met at a time and venue of their choosing. Hosts opened their homes and provided refreshments; facilitators led discussions; group members committed to attendance and were encouraged to invite non-Christian friends. Existing home groups were invited to participate but asked to adjust their format to align with the vision of Haere Mai.
Participating Groups and Leaders
Five Haere Mai Home Groups were formed:
Garry and Lynette Stanely – hosting and facilitating
Rev Kevin and Sheryll Gwynne – hosting and facilitating
Jackie Hall – hosting and facilitating
Guan Vistar – hosting and facilitating (Chinese-speaking group)
Madgeline Pelvin and Judith Jariel (hosting) and Deo Vistar (facilitating) (Filipino Group)
Three of these were new groups formed for Haere Mai; two were existing groups that adjusted their focus.
Outcomes and Achievements
We give thanks to God for the many fruits of Haere Mai. These include:
Weekly Participation: An average of 34 people attended the groups each week.
New Connections: 13 of these participants were not previously part of St Christopher’s. All were invited by group members.
Personal Evangelism: In Guan’s group, one participant requested extra materials to conduct a one-to-one course with a non-Christian friend who was unable to join the group – an unexpected and Spirit-led extension of the project.
Strengthened Groups: The two existing groups that participated in Haere Mai saw an increase in numbers and renewed purpose.
New Groups Formed
o A Filipino Group, which was the largest group with an average of 10 attendees, is continuing weekly as a Bible study, discipleship and fellowship group.
o A Young Adults Group will begin soon – this is the first such group at St Christopher’s for many years.
The culmination service on Pentecost Sunday featured five heartfelt testimonies from group members, sharing how they were blessed, how their faith deepened, and how Christian community had been a source of encouragement and transformation.
Gratitude and Acknowledgements
We offer our heartfelt thanks:
to the Haere Mai Leadership Team for their commitment and prayerful oversight;
to our Hosts and Facilitators, for their generosity in opening their homes, leading sessions, and providing refreshments;
to our Group Members, for their faithful attendance and invitation of friends;
to our Church Family, for their prayers and support;
and to the Diocese of Nelson, for their funding assistance that enabled us to purchase Christianity Explored resources.
Your dedication, partnership and willingness to serve have been instrumental to the success of this initiative.
Conclusion
Haere Mai has been a fruitful, Spirit-led endeavour for our church. It enabled gospel outreach to those outside the church, strengthening believers in their faith, formation of Christian community, and the birth of two new ongoing home groups. It was a concrete expression of our calling to make disciples of Jesus. May the seeds planted through Haere Mai continue to grow in the lives of all who participated.
