Faith and belief in NZ

Faith and belief in New Zealand: McCrindle Report May 2018

The latest research on faith and belief in New Zealand has just been released: commissioned by the Wilberforce Foundation, undertaken by Australian research company McCrindle. It explores attitudes towards religion, spirituality and Christianity.

Mike’s blog about the report makes interesting reading – as does the report itself.

Mike Crudge lives in Auckland and is the Director of the Carey Centre for Lifelong Learning, that provides ongoing professional development and support for church leaders throughout New Zealand. It is part of New Zealand’s Baptist theological college.

 

How are you celebrating Matariki?

Here’s an example from St Andrew’s on The Terrace’s 2013 Matariki service:

Matariki: a time to tell our stories

What’s your story?

Do you know your own story, your birth story, your life story? Did someone tell it to you, or have you made it up from memory and experience? It’s worth keeping in mind that there are different Matariki stories, different meanings depending on the location of the tribe who tells them: in some, Matariki is a time for planting; in others, that’s not the case at all. There are many variations of the calendar and many ways the different tribes used stellar guides for their own specific environment.

So, Matariki isn’t just a time to learn the legends of the stars, fascinating as they are. Learning about family and whakapapa is also important. Around Matariki the harvests such as kumara were in, and this cold part of the year was a time for hui, for korero, to exchange stories, learn about ancestors who have passed from this world to the next, and hand down knowledge and practices to ensure the culture is preserved. Memories, good and bad, are powerful…