Category: Challenge 2000

Challenge 2000 Youth Ministry Training and Formation Camp

The Whanganui Awa, and more specifically Hiruharama/Jerusalem, has long been a source of retreat and inspiration for the Challenge 2000 Youth Ministry team.  In January, a team of 18 took four days to gather together to reflect on Youth Ministry and plan for the year ahead.  8 College students, 5 young adult volunteers and staff reflected on what it means to be a youth ministry team for 2016.

Hiruharama, with its rich history of Catholic ministry, was a great venue to pause at the beginning of the year and reconnect with our vision and purpose and get to know each other better.  The team took the time to revisit why youth ministry matters, how each of us can contribute to making a difference and what we individually can contribute to the lives of those around us.

Group work

It was also an opportunity to reconnect with the whanau up the river holding an activity day for many of the young people who live in Hiruharama and the surrounding communities.  It is always a special time playing games, sharing laughs and checking in with the hopes for the year ahead.

Hoop circleTrust

The College students took real leadership of the day and leant lots about running activity days.  Many friendships were formed and it was difficult to leave!

Challenge 2000 is very lucky to have a longstanding connection with the families living in the area and also at the school in Ranana.  Heath Hutton supported a school trip to the Gold Coast last year, so it was great to be able to reminisce about all the fun had on that trip.

Just as Suzanne Aubert did so many years ago, the Challenge 2000 team travelled back to Wellington with a sense of mission and purpose for 2016.  Dreams were shared and plans hatched!

If you know of any young people who are in Year 12 or 13 who would be keen to be involved in youth ministry, please get in touch with Nicole Simson on 04 477 0045.

 

Balls and Kids

Christmas Hampers for Families

This C521403_507528735971177_1716605174_nhristmas week our happy staff and volunteers have delivered 85 hampers to families we are involved with. Many, many thanks to all those generous people who sent money in response to our Christmas appeal for meat, veges and fruit. The response was outstanding.

A big thankyou also to KIERAN O’SULLIVAN and his wonderful team at Pak n Save Lower Hutt. Your service and generous discount was absolutely AWESOME!! You made our staff members cry!! Thank you!!

1-Christmas hampers pickup Pak n Save 2 1-Christmas hampers pickup Pak n Save       1-Christmas hampers pickup Pak n Save 3

Many families were very surprised and humbled.

A family of 10 was overwhelmed by the gesture, the whole family came out to receive the Hampers which included gifts.  Children were wide eyed with excitement, adults were so overwhelmed, and very thankful.

One Parent said: “Thank you for the aroha, my Whanau are so thankful”

A 9 yr old girl said: “is that really for us? I can’t wait for Christmas”

Another caregiver said:
“I can’t believe this, thank you for this so unexpected, but we so needed this”

Thanks also to Sacred Heart Primary School for their generous donations towards our Christmas Hampers.

1-Sacred Heart Primary school hampers

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Holiday Programmes

Throughout the Summer, Challenge 2000 provides fun, educational, pro-social, Holiday Programmes for children and young people. Thanks to Infinity for providing a salary for January to facilitate this programme. Without your support it would be impossible!!

2015 – 2016 Programmes

December 2015:

22nd – Creative Chrismassy Craft activities, Christmas Cookie Baking and fun day – 5-10 year olds

23rd – Swimming, Games, and Christmas Hat Craft day – 5-10 year olds

January 2016:

6th – Sports Day – 11-17 year olds

8th – Beach Day – 11-17 year olds

11th – Tongariro Tramp Preparation Day Tramp

12th – Activity Day – 5-10 year olds

14th – Actors and Weta Workshop Day – 10-13 year olds

14-16th – Tongariro Crossing Camp

17-20th – Leadership Training Camp

Call us on (04) 477 0045 if you would like your child to participate, or if you would like to sponsor a child to attend.

 

Christmas Hamper Appeal!

Many of the families we work with really struggle to survive financially.  The Christmas period is always a time of both happiness and intense pressure and stress for our families and young people.  Challenge 2000 fortunately receives Christmas Hampers from the St Vincent de Paul Society and the Wellington City Mission which we deliver on 23rd/24th December.

While these hampers are full of Christmas goodies, they do not include meat, vegetables and fruit.  With your help, we can add these to hampers.  Please spread the Christmas message of love by helping us to help others.  Please donate $12 for a frozen chicken, $20 meat pack, $50 for a small Christmas Ham or $80 for fresh fruit and vegetables for a family of five children.

 

So please if you can either post a cheque to Challenge 2000, P O Box 13059, Johnsonville or direct credit to Challenge 2000: ANZ 01-0519-0057660-00 reference Christmas Food.

 

All amounts are tax deductible as we are a registered charity.  Thank you for helping us to make a difference.  For further information, please call Trish or John on 04 477 6827.Hampers

Tongariro Crossing!!

 

During the Christmas holidays 4 Challenge 2000 staff members along with 4 amazing young men from different Colleges and youth organisations around Wellington accepted the challenge to hike the Tongariro Alpine track.  The trip was done over 3 days.  With 2 nights camping out under the stars in Kuratau, Taupo and 1 full day hiking through the Tongariro Crossing.

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These young men admitted that they were both physically and mentally challenged through the hike (especially “the Devil’s Staircase) but also said that the view from the top was well worth the 8 hour/20km hike.  John* commented that “it was a great way to start the year doing something that hard and smashing it”!!

 

Tongariro 1

 

After completing the Crossing, the sense of perseverance and accomplishment was very clear to see in each of these young men’s faces.  A very big thank you to all those who have contributed with donations of money and gear towards this trip.  With this support it was possible for these young men to have had such a life changing experience.

Thank you for helping us make a difference!

Tongariro 3

 

GOOD LUCK FOR EXAMS!!!!

GOOD LUCK with exams!!!! …. to all students we are working with on the YWiSS programme and our other school based programmes.  It’s the last major push of the year and a time for you to reap the benefits of a year’s worth of goal setting and hard work!!!

KIA KAHA!!!

Exam good luck

Fun times at Newlands Community Centre!!!!

Challenge 2000 are back at Newlands Community Centre every Tuesday 3pm-5pm.

We had a few champion planes in our plane building competition today and we have a lot of exciting activities planned every Tuesday afternoon for the rest of 2016!!

Get ready

Planes

If you and your friends are interested in checking it out – come along on a Tuesday after school!! It’s free!