Events

Overview of Upcoming Events - Upcoming National Events - Recent National Events - Past National Events

Overview of Upcoming Events Around the Country

Date

Event

Region
(Click for more details)

First Thursday of each month

Prayer Breakfast

Waikato

Every second weekend

Mt Karioi Project - trap lines are checked.

Waikato

Every third Sunday

Visit to a Dunedin conservation project

Dunedin

Sunday 19th Feb 2012

New Year BBQ and Bush Walk

Wellington

Saturday March 11th 2012

Maui Dolphin Day & Recycled Raft Race in Raglan!

Waikato

Sunday March 25th 2012

Compost Toilet Building Blitz shared BBQ

Waikato

Sunday March 25th 2012

Pot luck BBQ

Christchurch

13-15th April 2012

April A Rocha "Eco Grommet" Camp

Waikato

Upcoming National Events

Recent National Events

Makarora SU ARANZ camp 2012January 2012 - A Rocha Eco-Adventure Camp

One youth camp was held this summer in partnership with SCRIPTURE UNION – deep down south in the Makarora Valley.

Snow-capped mountains, wild rivers, dense forests, beautiful birds, extraordinary insects! We participated in hands-on conservation, spending a week exploring the grandeur and diversity of Aotearoa/New Zealand!

December 2011 - Trees at the Meteor

A creative christmas exhibition just prior to Christmas - now in its fourth year - got people thinking about the true meaning of Christmas. Tree exhibits included trees made from lego, recycled denims, CD's, car number plates, canned food (later donated to the Hamilton Food bank) and recycled bottles to name a few. The events also included DIY ideas for Christmas presents, Karol-Oke Christmas cards that went straight to U Tube and free t shirt screen printing. This year a wonderful bunch of Hamilton Teens looked after the "A Rocha Marae style information stand" - thank you to all those involved!

Some of the profits of the event go to A Rocha and we are super grateful to INCEDO for their support.Hui 2011

Trees provides A Rocha with a contemporary and creative setting where we can ask the big questions at the core of human life. As created beings, should we care for God’s Earth?

November 2011- Leaders' hui.

Another great A Rocha Leaders' Hui was held at Craigieburn Environmental Centre in November 2011. The gathering, which included members of the National Team, National Board, leaders and kids from each of the A Rocha regional groups, was a great time for relationship building, reflecting on what’s been going on, dreaming and planning into the future and engaging in hands-on conservation work.   An extra special thanks those in the Christchurch region involved in the logistics of the weekend.

January 2011 - Tongariro Eco-Adventure 2011
Powerful volcanoes, wild rivers, magnificent forests, delicate alpine flowers, beautiful birds, extraordinary insects... This summer A Rocha teamed up again with Scripture Union for the second annual Tongariro Eco-Adventure. Together we explored the amazing ecosystems of Tongariro National Park, helped on a conservation project and got to know the wonderful God who created us and all other creatures. We had a wonderful time, including close encounters with fernbirds, kakariki, whiteheads and even blue ducks!

January 2011 - Parachute Music Festival.

December 2010 - Trees at the Meteor, Hamilton. This was the third year that this event has been run - please see below, for details of this event in previous years. Also, please see www.treesatmeteor.co.nz

Past National Events

Sat 29th May 2010 - 'Peace on Earth' colloquium, Ngatiawa community in Waikanae, Wellington 

This colloquium was co-sponsored by A Rocha Aotearoa NZ , the Anabaptist Association of Australia and NZ and Urban Vision.

What an interesting day!

  • Chris Marshall (Associate Professor of Religious studies, Victoria University) spoke of the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition, their sincere discipleship and adherence to ethical commitments. 
  • This became evident during James Yoder's description of forty years contribution to making Eastern Mennonite University an environmentally sustainable campus. 
  • Chris Marshall then shared from Romans 8 about how Jesus's resurrection pioneers and guarantees the redemption of creation and that we are called to participate with God to restore the world to His original intention.
  • Mark Barnard (Urban Vision) encountered such a theology of engagement with Anabaptists in Prague.
  • Justin Duckworth (Ngatiawa community, Urban Vision) shared his experience of holistic community life and relationships between community, ecological action and land.

For further information, please click here (application/pdf, 166.3 kB, info). 

29th January - 1st February 2010 - Parachute Music Festival, Hamilton

At the Parachute Music Festival in 2010, A Rocha was invited to participate in a combined stand at the Global Expo Tent, along with several other organisations. This was a good opportunity to highlight our mission and vision - in particular to the theme of "One life One world" in a semi-interactive stand....

10th-15th January 2010 - Tongariro Eco-adventure: A Rocha Aotearoa NZ's first summer youth camp

Venue: Crusader Lodge, Mt Ruapehu

Powerful volcanoes, wild rivers, magnificent forests, delicate alpine flowers, beautiful birds, extraordinary insects. Participants joined with outdoors-lovers to explore the amazing ecosystems of Tongariro National Park, meet real-life scientists, help on a conservation project and get to know the wonderful God who created you and all other creatures. Tongariro Eco-adventure was a partnership between A Rocha and Scripture Union. Combining a love of God's wonderful ecosystems with all the fun and adventure of a kiwi summer camp, it was a wonderful experience. For more information, click here (application/msword, 78.8 kB, info).

15-19th December 2009 - 'Trees at the Meteor'

Venue: The Meteor, the steps to St Peter's Cathedral, and St Peter's Cathedral, Hamilton

Artists decorated a tree and shared it with the city... NZ styles, pacific styles, under the Southern Cross 09! Organised by Incedo, in partnership with A Rocha and World Vision. A Rocha was the benefactor of this event. Click here for more details about Trees of the Meteor 09 and click here to see a video of the event.

23rd-26th October 2009  (Labour Weekend) - Leaders' Hui

Venue: Kodesh Christian Community, Avondale, Auckland

This was a hui for all those involved and passsionate about A Rocha Aotearoa New Zealand. Our main purpose for this hui - building relationships & community... to be refreshed, to share, to inspire and be inspired as we shared our stories of hope for the land and the A Rocha vision.

4-21st December 2008 - 'Trees at the Meteor' Trees Invite

Venue: The Meteor, the steps to St Peter's Cathedral, and St Peter's Cathedral, Hamilton

For the past 5 years, Hamilton has hosted an Easter art festival called 'Stations of the Cross' (which in 2008 attracted 3500 people to the Hamilton Botanic Gardens). In December 2008, for the first time, there was 'Trees at the Meteor': an installation based around an art competition for individuals, schools and community groups. Participants displayed their creativity by decorating a tree... Different categories included: Avant-Garde, Kiwiana, Recycled, Human, Polynesian/Maori, and Stenciled (spray-can) Tree. The public viewed the trees then enjoyed a free coffee... on the way, passing by other art installations based around the Christmas story. 'Beautiful but not syrupy'.

Trees at the Meteor profiled the work of A Rocha, World Vision, and Hamilton's local Refugee Migrant Service. A Rocha was the benefactor of profits from the event.

Meteor artwork 3 Meteor artwork 5 Meteor artwork 2 Meteor artwork 4

DiscernArt Auction  (June 2008)

New Zealand hosted World Environment Day 2008 on June 5, and A Rocha Aotearoa NZ highlighted the event through a nation wide ART AUCTION.

Raglan Artist Amanda Watson, who attended the first A Rocha Aotearoa New Zealand (ARANZ) national conference is so passionate about the establishment of A Rocha in New Zealand, she jumped on board and decided to support A Rocha Aotearoa NZ in her own unique way. Amanda, an established emerging artist, donate one of her unique landscape paintings for auction to raise funds for A Rocha Aotearoa NZ. All proceeds from the sale of the painting went towards the practical conservation projects of A Rocha Aotearoa NZ.

Conference: "Eden to Aotearoa: From Biblical Hope to Ecological Action" (30th May to 2nd June 2008)

This was ARANZ's first national conference. For more information, see "Conferences".

Parachute Music Festival, Hamilton (January 2008)

Parachute 2008
Parachute 2008

Parachute is a 3-day music festival held annually, which showcases New Zealand and international Christian music. Attendance at the festival is approximately 30,000 people. This was a great weekend, and very very hot and sunny! We met a bunch of interested people who chatted with us (and signed up about 63 supporters). There were many absolutely amazing people who were excited to hear about A Rocha and who are doing some great things themselves already too... so it was rewarding work and we hope to build on the connections we made.

May 2007 - Environmental Colloquium, Bible College of New Zealand, Auckland

For more information, see "Conferences"

January 2007 - Parachute Music Festival, Hamilton

The A Rocha Aotearoa New Zealand Initiative Group had an information stall at the Parachute Music Festival for the first time in 2007. The weather was hot, the work exhausting, but ever to rewarding... we talked and talked and talked to so many people - youngsters, teenagers, and the young at heart... for 2 half days and 2 full days from 8:30 in the morning until 10 at night! Wow!

For further information, see Newsletter 2 in "News"

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