Resources for faith and life |
Welcome to 'Conversations' ... Inspiration from Aotearoa New Zealand |
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Happy New Year!!
I know of no more beautiful prayer to start the year than 'A Morning Prayer' by the great Joy Cowley Kia ora my Friend God. I give to you the voyage of this day, that to be which is already yours, adding to it my rejoicing, a shout of praise. Amen. Amen. You are the wind: fill up my sails. You are the water: run fast beneath my keel. And I will sing in the wind and dance over the water, God my Friend, oh God my Friend. You are the light: enfold me, You are the darkness: embrace me. You are pain: hollow me. You are love: overflow me. The storms of change are you, and the peace of tranquil waters. You are all these things Friend God, and I thank you. Amen. Amen. May I journey without fear through all your seasons. In emptiness let me find fullness. In imprisonment let me find freedom. Render me passive in your will and I shall be most active, moving with you in everything, seeing you in everything knowing you in everything. Amen. – Joy Cowley, Aotearoa Psalms |
Brought to you by Silvia Purdie 
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News: I am now a Provisional Member of the New Zealand Christian Counsellors Association!
(This might not mean that much to most people but gaining a professional membership is kind of a big deal for those of us in the mental health world. I got to the 'provisional' stage yay! I am officially provisionally moderately approved of.)
(This might not mean that much to most people but gaining a professional membership is kind of a big deal for those of us in the mental health world. I got to the 'provisional' stage yay! I am officially provisionally moderately approved of.)
More News - a new book on the way!!
Over the last few months (since COVID lockdown threw some of my other plans) I have been working on a new book. 'Awhi Mai Awhi Atu' is a collection of stories of Women in Creation Care. And what a bunch of fabulous women they are too!!
Also includes a wide range of practical tools for churches for environmental action
and some wonderful poetry and prayer.
Over the last few months (since COVID lockdown threw some of my other plans) I have been working on a new book. 'Awhi Mai Awhi Atu' is a collection of stories of Women in Creation Care. And what a bunch of fabulous women they are too!!
Also includes a wide range of practical tools for churches for environmental action
and some wonderful poetry and prayer.
View recording of my webinar on Climate Change and Mental Health,
organised by Grow for the Mental Health Awareness Week. View HERE
organised by Grow for the Mental Health Awareness Week. View HERE
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New page:
Wellbeing and Climate Change Recording and notes from a recent A Rocha event in Christchurch. Ministry Supervision: now available online to where ever you are!
Contact me to book in a FREE 15-min conversation to explore supervision with Silvia HERE |
Photo and painting by Jessica Ramage
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Place Sustainability Consultancy
a consultancy and resource for community sector groups to develop policy and practice for environmental sustainability.
a consultancy and resource for community sector groups to develop policy and practice for environmental sustainability.
Resource: The Rubbish Challenge
We all know that we make too much rubbish. Too much goes in the red bin, off to landfill. Too much stuff is only made for one use before getting chucked. Too much recycling gets contaminated and dumped. Not enough stuff gets composted.
This is not just a problem for our city councils. It is a problem for God’s creation, and so it is a problem for God and God’s people. We all add to landfill waste and so we all get to share in solving the problem. Could this even be a way of serving God? Could it be a face of mission in 2021?
How? By taking small steps.
To cut down on our rubbish, we think about what we use and where it goes. We make choices, about what to buy and how to dispose of what we don’t want any more.
The Rubbish Challenge is a series of little actions, one each month. Together they add up to a big impact.
The Rubbish Challenge is a resource for churches, groups, families and individuals. Each month there’ll be thought, a verse, a prayer, and a practical task to do. Plus links to more material.
10 Steps to Less Waste over 10 Months!
We all know that we make too much rubbish. Too much goes in the red bin, off to landfill. Too much stuff is only made for one use before getting chucked. Too much recycling gets contaminated and dumped. Not enough stuff gets composted.
This is not just a problem for our city councils. It is a problem for God’s creation, and so it is a problem for God and God’s people. We all add to landfill waste and so we all get to share in solving the problem. Could this even be a way of serving God? Could it be a face of mission in 2021?
How? By taking small steps.
To cut down on our rubbish, we think about what we use and where it goes. We make choices, about what to buy and how to dispose of what we don’t want any more.
The Rubbish Challenge is a series of little actions, one each month. Together they add up to a big impact.
The Rubbish Challenge is a resource for churches, groups, families and individuals. Each month there’ll be thought, a verse, a prayer, and a practical task to do. Plus links to more material.
10 Steps to Less Waste over 10 Months!
"Relationship Repair Kit"
offering eight practical and profoundly important tools for strengthening your marriage.
- in the Counselling section.
offering eight practical and profoundly important tools for strengthening your marriage.
- in the Counselling section.
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Life, the Universe, and God
Six Big Ideas about Creation DOWNLOAD HERE A six-part study on God’s Creation in Christian Theology: • an overview of leading writers in eco-theology • a range of perspectives • questions and suggestions for discussion and prayer • issues raised by the Covid-19 pandemic. |
"Letters about plastic"
I'm writing to businesses that I personally use to challenge them on their plastic packaging. Many companies in NZ are actively working hard to reduce plastic, and as consumers we need to be congratulating them on achievements and pushing them to do more.
Look me up on Facebook:
www.facebook.com/lettersaboutplastic
I'm posting on the Facebook page the letters I write and the responses I receive.
Join me - post your own letters there.
I'm writing to businesses that I personally use to challenge them on their plastic packaging. Many companies in NZ are actively working hard to reduce plastic, and as consumers we need to be congratulating them on achievements and pushing them to do more.
Look me up on Facebook:
www.facebook.com/lettersaboutplastic
I'm posting on the Facebook page the letters I write and the responses I receive.
Join me - post your own letters there.
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The Psalms in a fresh voice for kids, families and worship
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Resources for faith and worship:
GOD ... resources for worship, especially 'Calls to worship' and confession - prayers and home-grown 'psalms' - sermons - Communion liturgies - all-age worship ideas & reflections for children's ministry PSALMS ... reflections on Biblical Psalms interpreted and reworked for prayer and for use in worship LOVE ... poetry, discussions on marriage & intimacy and dramatic explorations of Biblical love stories ... reflections on grief and death SONG ... original music, for worship and for kids ... and lots of lovely photos! 
Because I believe ... that the gospel of Jesus Christ is true! that growing to maturity in Christ takes work that courageous honesty of heart and soul is required that worship is wonderful that each person is a taonga, a treasure, no matter the age, assets or abilities that the local church is the hope of the world. |
In conversation ...
... chatting with friends over coffee ... skilled professional support ... finding words for the moments and movements of mind & body, my spirit alive with God-Spirit ... getting to know Jesus Christ, ever curious as to what he would say and do ... bringing every fibre and phrase into the eternal conversation of Father Spirit Son ... with my people in my place and offered to everyplace ... with pain and with celebration, with beauty and with scars, with the sacred and the ordinary, with scripture, song and silence. All material here is copy-right free; you are free to copy and paste to your heart's content. I just ask that you acknowledge the source and help promote my website.
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