For anyone in ministry in New Zealand in the decades from 1960 it was never going to be an easy ride. Loren Mead of the Alban Institute once described this country as the most secularised he had ever encountered. So it was easy for many clergy to find relevant service in other fields than the institutional church or the parish. But for those who stayed that less than popular course during that period there was the privilege of engagement in one of the most remarkably turbulent periods the ...

In 2015 the New Zealand Federation of Family Budgeting Services is a massive organisation that assists families with their household budgeting. The national Government provides substantial financial assistance to enable competent people to handle initial interviews and manage the hundreds of volunteers in about 170 affiliated groups throughout the country.But financial support from state funds was not always available. From the novel approach by Dr Nathan Paewai and Gray Vuglar in K...

In an age in which Christians have to choose between blossoming audiences of largely conservative theology and dwindling numbers in the corner church, Ecclesion has offered a strategy for a completely new approach to small congregations. Developed twenty-five years ago, this strategy has even more to offer in the present day.The E-book is a lightly edited version of the original which is still in print and may be ordered from the author. Since this was first published, the bleak pic...

This story of the HBAC has been put together by Dave Mullan who became involved in family budgeting in the 1970s. With Allan Mayall of Christchurch, he co-convened the first national meeting to consider forming a federation of budgeting services. But it had no funds, no resources and the only organisation was a small management group in Auckland.In 1978 Dave was appointed to the Home Budgeting Advisory Committee of the Minister of Social Welfare. When the volunteer federation later...

For about twenty-five years Val Mullan in Queensland and Dave Mullan in New Zealand have corresponded about the possibility of putting together some kind of record of the four Mullan siblings who emigrated from Blossom Hill in Co. Tyrone to the other end of the world. This collaboration initially was limited to the gathering of information for a Family Tree and was prompted in New Zealand by WA Mullan who was the last direct descendant of four brothers and sisters who left Northern Ireland...

Dave says, When we used to go to the movies in our childhood we loved to immerse ourselves in the stories of the pioneers of the Wild West. We gasped at their struggles and we wept over their tragedies. We booed the men in black hats for we knew they were the baddies and we cheered on everyone in white hats. We followed all the ups and downs of pioneer life and when it became impossible for them to remain on the land we crowded together in the fort with the beseiged community. We always fe...

Brought to you by Penguin.Nu-Earth, a battle-ravaged world forever scarred by an ongoing war between the Nort and Souther armies. The poison atmosphere makes it hostile to all who fight there, with the exception of one person - the Rogue Trooper.A biologically-engineered war machine, Rogue Trooper is searching for the traitor General responsible for the deaths of his clone brothers. Together with his three 'dead' bio-chipped comrades, Gunner, Bagman and Hel...

For decades, most of the descendants of James Attwood and Emma Ward thought they were part of that prestigious du Bois ("at wood") family who came to England with William the Conqueror in 1066.Alas, James may have gained the Attwood name when he was three years told and his unmarried mother married a William Attwood.But this very ordinary beginning might have characterised our family very well. There are very few famous among us. We have had our ups and downs like many others...

In New Zealand there has been considerable interest in the large family of Moses and Catherine Stewart who lived on the Landahussy side of the Glenelly Valley in Northern Ireland in the late 19th century. The large family aroused memorable local interest as they ventured on the "footstick" over the small river to the church on the other side of the valley. Even in 2002 locals remembered their parents speaking of the family of more than a dozen walking in single file, with the bigger ones s...

In 1966 the congregation of Dunedin's Trinity Methodist Church completed major renovations of the church. Its structure was strengthened and waterproofed, the organ was enlarged and overhauled and neatly installed, and the whole of the interior was renewed from the stonework out. Completely new furniture was commissioned to match the light rimu of the newly panelled walls and the fine sanctuary screen. The total cost was about $58,000 and the result was an attractive worship centre of dign...

These stories were first inspired by the author's father's own remarkable effort in putting together his life story. Bill taught himself to type at 80 and No Standing Stone was published soon after and revised and enlarged a decade or two later. Dave was fascinated with what they turned up as they dug into his past. Born in 1909, Bill could relate in a lot of interesting detail many experiences that were no longer possible for anyone 80 or 90 years later.Then Dave realised that he t...

Following The Dream tells the story of a small group of faithful and dedicated people whose huge vision built the Russell Methodist Church and maintained a living congregation for just a few months short of one hundred years. The book was initially inspired by many touching and memorable reminiscences contributed to the Centenary celebrations in April 2012. Sadly, the event coincided with the closing of the congregation which had dwindled to just a couple of members.Looking at the w...