From Chris Clarke, CEOKia ora koutou, greetings to you allStory tellers are great at telling other peoples’ stories but often struggle to tell their own. Maybe it’s because their story is still forming, they are too close to it, or they want to avoid any suggestion they are ‘blowing their own trumpet’. At Wilberforce we are justly proud of the stories of our namesake, William Wilberforce, as well as our founders, Ian and Wendy Kuperus. Their stories share a delight in ministry, an appetite for risk, an openness to new ideas, a love for people and the courage to do what others say can not be done. But, when we have been asked about the Wilberforce Foundation, typically we have shied away from telling our own story and instead told the stories of the charities and organisations we support. There is a humility in this, but it begs the question “What does the Wilberforce Foundation actually do?” Last week we quietly launched our new website (wilberforce.org.nz). Through images, colours and words we are learning to tell our story, and the collective story of how a community of faith leaders and organisations across Aotearoa New Zealand are contributing to the flourishing of the good news of Jesus Christ across our land. Please do have a look. Websites are never static and we know our story will develop further as the Wilberforce Foundation and Community’s place in the gospel story in Aotearoa deepens. Successful story telling is as much about the posture of the story teller as the story itself. Posture is its own story. It can’t be self described. It is for others to observe. Our new website conveys a story of intent and posture. We will leave it to you to decide whether our story honours our intent, our practice and our posture. Blessings on you and your work over this coming month, Chris Clarke Mentoring Programme UpdateWe are delighted to be bringing together 38 members of the Wilberforce Community who will connect in a mentoring context over the next 12 months. We have 10 mentees from the upper North Island, and 9 mentees from the Lower North and South Island. It is great to see a mixture of CEOs and Board Chairpeople engaged in this programme. We hope to continue to offer this programme into the future, so you are welcome to make contact if you would like to receive mentoring or be a mentor on our next programme. We know that leadership can be a lonely journey. Mentoring is an opportunity to learn, connect and share which we know both our mentees and mentors appreciate. The pairs will all connect in mid-June in person, and we wish them all the best. The Wilberforce Community NewsWe have received some great feedback about the commencement of our monthly ‘Wilberforce Community News’ newsletter. It’s our pleasure to share this content across the organisations we are connected with. If you would like material such as job opportunities, upcoming events or resources from your organisation featured please email news@wilberforce.org.nz Requests will need to be received by the first Friday of the month in order to make the news for that month. Our new website!We have recently undertaken some work to refresh our website. You will see our newsletters and the ‘Wilberforce Community News’ posted on our website, too, and we will be adding further resources over the coming months.
What we’re reading/listening to…In this section of our newsletter, we invite a leader within a Wilberforce Foundation supported ministry to share what they've been reading and listening to lately. This month Matt Burrows, the Managing Editor of xvox, is sharing his top four recommendations of podcasts and books. First, let's introduce you to Matt and xvox. I'm Matt Burrows, the Managing Editor of xvox. This is an initiative of the Christian Broadcasting Association (CBA) that seeks to deepen mainstream news coverage of religion, spirituality, and faith communities. We want to see Christianity represented well, so we provide news organisations with the commentary, spokespeople, and resources to help make this happen. Increasingly, a big part of xvox has become equipping Christians, churches, and Christian organisations with the tools and knowledge to engage well with mainstream media themselves through consultations and training. Our completely cost-free media training workshops give Christians the know-how to get their story in the news, deal with media requests, interview well under pressure, and develop a crisis communications plan. If you’re keen to have a session at your workplace, get in touch with me at matt@xvox.nz. Check out Matt's recommendations below. Sunday Sanctuary by Love It MediaThis one’s sort of cheating, because it’s made by my workmates at CBA. But I had to include it because it’s something of a rarity – a home for excellent conversations about Christian spirituality that are totally unintimidating to non-Christian listeners. Think discussions about our shared humanity on topics like disappointment, perfectionism and death, with some of the country’s best Christian communicators. So good. Serial (Season 3) by SerialSerial is known for innovating the true crime podcast genre, but has pivoted in recent years to heartier investigations. Its third season is a comprehensive deep-dive into the complexity and structural issues of the US justice system, as told through the cases heard at a single courthouse in Ohio. Equal parts gripping and heart-wrenching, it’s a showcase of journalism as a force for good. Adam: God’s Beloved by Henri NouwenI could’ve chosen any number of Henri Nouwen books, really, but I’ve always found this one particularly powerful. Nouwen reflects on his decades of care of Adam, a man whose severe intellectual disability had left him unable to speak, walk, or perform many other basic tasks alone. Through his relationship with Adam, Nouwen gained profound insights into our inherent dignity and vulnerability as humans. Incredibly affecting. Let Your Life Speak by Parker J PalmerA must-read for anyone trying to work out their vocation, Parker J Palmer reflects on the teachings of Christian mystics to drive home the importance of living a life grounded in our ‘authentic self’. It’s a book that encourages us to emphasise deep self-examination rather than succumbing to cultural definitions of success and calling. Plus it introduced me to a practice the Quakers call a ‘discernment circle’, which has genuinely helped me become a better listener. |