| Friends of Te Puna Karaiti |

Te Puna Karaiti ministry is based at Ramsey House, situated in the heart of the Kelburn campus at 8 Kelburn Parade. The present building has served the ministry well for many years but it is now in the middle of redevelopment.

	Stage One has involved the complete refurbishment of the downstairs part of the building – provision of cafe, lounge (with cinema), extension to the library and study area, industrial-standard kitchen, new offices and conveniences, internet kiosk, student phone and other services.
	Stage Two will see the upstairs flat refurbished and extended, a new chapel at the rear of the building along with a further extension of the library, which will form the base of our proposed Centre For Christian Studies. The estimated cost of achieving this is in the region of $800,000.

But why such a big project? …

Strategic Positioning
Recent years have seen the expansion VUW Chaplaincy. This has been recognised by the University, in particular by the Vice Chancellor, who appreciates the value added to the academy by the Chaplaincy. The Bishop of Wellington and the Vice Chancellor signed a Memorandum of Understanding in 2002 formally recognising the Chaplaincy within the university for the first time in its 40+ years of ministry.

Te Puna Karaiti’s ministry vision is outlined elsewhere. Over the last five years our strategy has been to:

• Develop existing patterns of ministry – providing a nurturing safe environment for those facing the challenge of university life.
• Develop new patterns of ministry – moving from maintenance to mission.
• Develop the ministry’s infrastructure – governance, administration, facilities.
• Secure baseline funding while developing alternative sources of income – moving the ministry onto a sustainable footing.

Taking this to the next stage and securing the long term effectiveness of the ministry requires capacity building at all levels. A recent independent review has confirmed that AngChap must better position itself for its strategy to succeed. This will mean more staff and more capital investment.

Finishing The Redevelopment Of Ramsey House
A crucial part of strategic positioning and capacity building of the ministry is finishing the redevelopment of Ramsey House as a base for mission over the next ten to fifteen years. There are several key areas where this needs to happen:

• Providing a Chapel where the Christian Community can worship: AngChap’s recently-signed heads of agreement with neighbouring St Michael’s Church in Kelburn has already resulted in a mushrooming student and graduate-based congregation – Substance. However, the need remains for a spiritual witness on campus.

  Prayer, exposition of the Word and sacramental worship are the “open secret”, the engine room, of AngChap’s mission within the academy and core to its distinctively Anglican identity. So too is the saying of the daily office and the Ministry of Reconciliation for those who seek it. A fledgling worshipping community already provides for the needs of young people who are not yet ready for commitment to suburban Churches.

• Extending the living quarters at Ramsey House: Extending and fully separating the accommodation from the downstairs part of the building will allow more flexibility of use for both parts – either a chaplain with a family or more students to be accommodated and so more income to be generated.
• Providing adequate space downstairs: Both the Baines Wylie library and study area (including a cyber suite), need expanding to provide for seminars, student meetings and counselling space.

In addition, there are outstanding maintenance requirements for Ramsey House requiring attention. Meantime expanding ministry means expanding overheads.

All this costs money. For AngChap’s ministry to grow and realise its vision we need friends. A Friend of AngChap is someone who gets involved in our ministry through giving – giving of themselves through practical help, prayer or money.

You may wish to become a Friend of AngChap. If your gift is to pray then you can become a Praying Friend. If it is to support us financially you can do this either through regular auto-payments or a one-off donation. In any case do contact the Chaplain to discuss just how you can become involved in our work.

Our task is big. There is much to pray for and much to do. But we worship a God who has bidden us to pray not just for our ‘daily bread’, but who has also said…

“I say to you… Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.” ~ Luke 11:9-10