ARISE Annual Report 2014
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
ARISE CHURCH ANNUAL REPORT 2014 THE STORY OF Financial reports give the numbers, but they do not automatically tell the story. The story of ARISE is of the amazing team of people who, inspired by their relationship with God, work day in and day out to ARISE IS OF THE improve the lives of people. LEFT: Whether it be positive environments for children, engaging John Cameron — Lead Pastor, AMAZING TEAM programmes for teenagers, opportunities for community engagement ARISE Church. for young workers, marriage counselling for couples, parenting tips for families, hospital visitations, support for those grieving, life skills OF PEOPLE WHO … training, open homes, positive role models or a myriad of other ways, ARISE is about an amazing team wanting to make a difference in the WORK DAY IN AND lives of others. Twelve years into our journey ARISE has a growing membership of people and campuses in Hamilton, Wellington, Christchurch DAY OUT TO and the Kapiti Coast. In 2015 we will be opening at least two further campuses in Whangarei and Dunedin. We will also begin construction on our ARISE HQ which will be a midweek hub for our IMPROVE THE LIVES Wellington congregation and a campus in the Hutt Valley. Our plan is to continue to open other campuses around New Zealand. OF OTHERS. Jesus commanded us to principally do two things: love God and love people. At the core, that is what ARISE is all about. Our special thanks goes to all those who make ARISE the place of love, grace and encouragement that it is. Team work makes the dream work. Yours sincerely, John Cameron — Lead Pastor, ARISE Church BREAKFAST CLUBS SCHOOL PROGRAMMES THE ARISE The ARISE Church Breakfast Each week ARISE Church goes Club programme serves over into 11 schools in Wellington, CHURCH BREAKFAST 440 substantial and nutritious Christchurch and Hamilton to RIGHT: ARISE Breakfast Club, Wellington. breakfasts a week to children run a fun classroom or lunchtime in four low-decile schools in assembly programme called CLUB PROGRAMME Wellington and Christchurch. Champions. The Champions Many of these children arrive curriculum teaches values which at school with no lunch and will help young Kiwis grow up to SERVES OVER no breakfast. Principals and be mature and compassionate teachers at these schools adults. Sessions focus on values have noticed an increase in such as respect, helping others, 440 SUBSTANTIAL the physical health, focus, what it means to be committed, confidence, academicbeing patient, positivity, and achievement, and attitudes of how to make good choices. AND NUTRITIOUS the children who attend these Presentations, props, videos, Breakfast Clubs, and have stories and songs are used to also witnessed a decrease in ensure the content is accessible BREAKFASTS A WEEK bullying which they attribute and engaging to primary school in part to the ARISE Breakfast children. The Champions Clubs. Breakfast Clubs have programme has enabled ARISE also provided an opportunity to Church to develop ongoing teach children about healthy positive relationships with these eating, provide mentoring schools, providing opportunities opportunities, and help students to further assist these schools in with their homework. The the future. Christchurch Breakfast Club started in May 2014, with a second Christchurch Breakfast Club scheduled to start in August 2014. Wellington, Kapiti and Hamilton. We also put on a free Easter COMMUNITY PROJECTS production for the public in four cities around New Zealand. ARISE Church has always sought to reach out to the communities In 2014, ARISE Church ran an around us. This year we focused event to support and encourage LEFT FROM TOP: on the welfare of impoverished solo mothers. We hired out — Easter Hot Cross Bun drop, Wellington. communities, solo and teen an indoor playground for the — Big Hearts at Christmas Annual mothers, flooding victims in children to play on while the appeal, Wellington. — Big Hearts at Christmas Annual Christchurch, and supported mothers were pampered, appeal, Wellington. local food banks. provided snacks and drinks, and gave every mother and ARISE Church partners with The child a present to take home. House of Grace, a Wellington- ARISE Church also organized an based charity which provides a evening for families affected by home, support and advice for the Flockton Basin floods in May teen mothers. We organized a 2014, hiring out a local Inflatable working-bee to help maintain World for the children to play on, the residence, during which we providing snacks and drinks, also pampered the mothers to and creating activities and hang show how much they are valued. out zones for the parents. ‘Mums & Bubs’ groups hosted by ARISE Church members create an environment for young mothers from both the church and The House of Grace to connect with and receive support ‘BIG HEARTS AT CHRISTMAS’ from other women who are also ANNUAL APPEAL on the parenting journey. Each Christmas, ARISE Church ARISE Church volunteers were members commit to blessing the able to distribute over 3,000 less fortunate in our communities. cans of food directly to the doors In December 2013, we provided of impoverished families, and at food donations to local food Easter this year ARISE Church banks to help families at this gave away 5,000 free packs of financially stretching time of hot cross buns to residents of year. Food banks we supported council flats in Christchurch, in 2013 included the Salvation Army, Wellington City Mission, to children and teenagers – and 0800 HUNGRY. We gave a Boost for intermediate-school brand-new, individually named aged children, and Elevate for WE HAVE SEEN and wrapped Christmas present teenagers. Young people from a to each child at two of the low- wide variety of family and socio- decile schools where we run economic backgrounds attend, MANY POSITIVE Breakfast Clubs. Our team including those in the care of RIGHT: ARISE Church youth was very moved as we saw state organisations such as programme attendee. the joy on the faces of the 524 Child, Youth and Family. CHANGES IN … children we were able to bless. Another 50 presents were given These youth programmes are a to the mothers and children at place where young people can THESE CHILDREN the Kapiti Women’s Refuge, make friends, receive mentoring 280 presents to the children and be taught good values and at Christchurch Barnardos. life skills, all while having a great AND TEENAGERS, In addition to supporting food time. We have seen many positive banks and providing presents, changes in the confidence, ARISE Church puts on a free maturity, mental health, focus, WHICH CAN IN PART Christmas production and a and academic achievement of Christmas Eve Carols event these children and teenagers, which can in part be attributed BE ATTRIBUTED TO for the public in Hamilton, Christchurch, Wellington and to their involvement in these the Kapiti Coast. programmes. Our Intermediate THEIR INVOLVEMENT programme for Years 7-8 is run in Christchurch and Wellington City, with an average weekly IN THESE attendance of approx. 280 children. Elevate, our Highschool YOUTH PROGRAMMES programme, is run in Hamilton, PROGRAMMES. Christchurch, Wellington City, ARISE Church runs free and the Hutt Valley, and was weekly youth programmes for launched on the Kapiti Coast in school students in Years 7-13. May 2014, with approximately These programmes provide a 800 teenagers attending each welcoming, inclusive, positive week across New Zealand. and fun environment and an alternative to the high school partying scene. We run two separate programmes to cater environment, and how to mentor other parents in their community. WE HAVE WORLD VISION With each couple committing to mentor ten other couples at ARISE Church has partnered the end of their training, World CONTINUED TO SEE with World Vision since 2008 to Vision forecasts that a minimum help fund an Area Development of 1000 children will be positively LEFT : Project in Lipiri, Malawi. We have impacted as a result. Children in Lipiri, Malawi. IMPROVEMENTS continued to see improvements in the areas of education (95% In addition to our ongoing of primary school-aged children commitment to Lipiri, ARISE IN THE AREAS OF are now enrolled in school), food Church was also able to respond security (30.7% of households to the Typhoon Haiyan disaster are now ‘food secure’), and which struck the Philippines EDUCATION, FOOD health (with funds going towards in November 2013. ARISE equipment and the training of Church congregations donated community health volunteers more than $25,000 to fund SECURITY, AND to access child health, and World Vision’s relief efforts in reduced growth rates in under-5 the Philippines. Donations year olds dropping 4.6% since from Passionate Conference HEALTH. 2008). also funded the creation of ‘Child-Friendly Spaces’ in Syria. ARISE Church has continued to These spaces promote the promote the child sponsorship psychosocial recovery of conflict- programme which ensures affected children by providing a that a child has access to food, safe place for them to play and safe drinking water, education, socialise in. health care and also provides support to the wider community. 361 children are currently being sponsored through World Vision by members of ARISE Church. STUDENT WELFARE Money received at the ARISE Church Passionate Women’s ARISE Church is focused on the Conference in April 2014 funded welfare of tertiary students and the training and resourcing of maintains an active presence 15 couples in Lipiri on how to on university and polytechnic create a safe and loving family campuses, especially during academically stressful times of Christchurch, and Wellington. year. In 2014 we were named ARISE Church helped over 1200 “Best Religious Club” by Waikato University students the University of Canterbury move into their hostels, and Students’ Association. helped student associations run their orientation week activities ARISE Church loves to give and pack their welcome packs RIGHT FROM TOP: — ARISE Church volunteers away free treats, be it coffee, at the start of each semester.