Stories

Ngā Kōrero

Contact us to add your story to the collaborative Eco Church NZ puna mātauranga / pool of knowledge.

Green Spaces, Community Engagement Iris Lee Green Spaces, Community Engagement Iris Lee

Peacemakers Retreat Centre: A place to retreat and connect with God, self, and others

Situated on 15 acres of land held in a trust, Peacemakers is a tranquil space, with stunning stars on a clear night and birdsong at dawn. The three kaitiaki of the land Andrew, Susannah and Shannon have lived in intentional community here for 8 years and have recently been joined by Joshua. We all have a deep love for the land and follow the principles of permaculture. We are committed to planting natives and nurturing the orchard and food forest. Anyone is invited to join us for our volunteer days to experience the property.

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Uptown regeneration

Cityside Baptist community had long wanted to enhance the gardens around their building. They also wanted to extend them, with a couple of gravelled spaces at the back of the church calling out to be planted. In 2021, they began a programme to explore what being a regenerative church could look like. At the same time, they joined the Eco Church movement and the garden project sat easily at the intersection of these initiatives. After years of dreaming and months of planning, in August last year, the community got stuck in to make the new garden happen. Even one or two self-proclaimed “non-gardeners” got their hands dirty.

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