NZ Day 21 – Friday 7th October

Bus into town this morning then another to North Shore for my lunchtime meeting with the ENGAGE team.  Getting quite used to getting around on public transport.  The only problem with buses is that they keep stopping to let people on and off. 

Got to Windsor Park Baptist and met Dave Chawner in the Cafe.  I am impressed with these Church Cafes and a good flat white to boot!  The cakes were pretty good to.  The place was heaving with Mums, babies and toddlers. Dave and I were the only men in there.  It is apparently like this every morning, thinning out a little towards lunch before the cafe closes at 2pm.  It really does serve as a meeting hub for Mum’s from across the district.

Meeting was over lunch at Long Bay in a restaurant overlooking the beach. Glorious sunny spring day.  I really am going to miss this Kiwi way of working.  Present were a couple of other chaplains and a few of the ENGAGE team who have made this whole Rugby World Cup chaplaincy possible.  Lunch was as a way of thank you to chaplains and staff for the time they had given.  While I still have a few days left in New Zealand it almost felt like my farewell.  It was kind of appropriate being at the beach I first walked along on my first Saturday here.  It was good to catch sight again of the bigger picture and to realise that I have been part of a team to make history.  Rugby World Cup 2011 is the first Rugby World Cup to have a fully endorsed chaplaincy programme.  It might even get noted in the New Zealand Rugby Museum!

After lunch stayed on to chat to Ross Georgio and Andrew Kerr about the initial vision for ENGAGE and their hopes for the future in terms of New Zealand and in terms of Rugby World Cups.