UNOH a Church Order

Urban Neighbours of Hope is a Church Order of the Baptist Union NZ. That is, a community of Christians who share a set of common commitments, values, neighbourhood disciplines, priorities and practices for the purpose of spreading the Good News of God’s reign.

The UNOH Covenant, that all Members dedicated themselves too, is the set of common commitments, values, neighbourhood disciplines, priorities and practices that every UNOH worker commits to and upholds for a specific period of time.

Our mission is to immerse ourselves in the life of neighbourhoods facing urban poverty, joining the risen Jesus to seek transformation from the bottom up.

In order to do this, UNOH workers covenant with one another to:

• share our lives and resources with our neighbours,
• share Jesus in word, deed and sign,
• discern the will and heartbeat of our Lord together; and
• seeking justice, both locally and systematically, for those on the margins.

We want to be able to commit long-term to our neighbourhoods. Therefore to help make this lifestyle sustainable, we also share a common rhythm of life on team. This includes breaking bread together regularly during the week, living out our values, praying for our neighbourhoods, and taking weekly Sabbaths.

OUR VALUES:

Shalom: Identifying that which is of God’s Kingdom: Our wellbeing with God, with each other and with creation.

Wellbeing in the eyes of God and His Kingdom: wellbeing of our Spirit, our home relations, our neighbours, our people and our country. Seeking and celebrating.

Justice: Fighting that which is NOT of God’s Kingdom: that which is destructive to our wellbeing with God, with each other, and towards creation.

Spiritual, social, systemic, racial, financial etc injustice. Naming and challenging.

Hope: The promise of God.

Our promise is in the King Jesus Christ. He reveals His ‘inaugurated’ Kingdom: a righting of relationships with God, with each other and with His creation.

Our promise is that God has NOT abandoned His precious work – His Holy Spirit is at work in His creation towards His Kingdom.
This is our Hope.

UNOH & The Treaty of Waitangi

UNOH upholds 5 Treaty Principles:

Partnership
There is an obligation for UNOH to include Māori in the design of Neighbourhood-led Strategies, the art of neigbourhooding and the spreading of the Kingdom’s ‘Good News’. It draws on the idea that Māori should play an active role when plans for Māori wellbeing are devised.

Protection
Its is UNOH’s duty to actively protect Māori interests and to ensure that Māori are able to enjoy (at the very least) the same level of well-being as non-Māori.

Participation
It is the obligation of UNOH to ensure that Māori are able to participate in the delivery of the ‘well-being’ of the whole neighbourhood.

Privilege
The principle of Privilege identifies that Māori have a unique worldview and perspective, through which God has revealed Himself. This understanding contributes towards the well-being of our communities and it requires, from UNOH workers, an attitude of respect, honour and humbleness to work alongside Māori towards the establishment of ‘Heaven on Earth’.

Presence
Presence, from a Biblical perspective, recognises that God was and is, already present in Aotearoa, (including the neigbourhoods/communities that UNOH has a presence in). This was evident before the arrival of Pākehā Missionaries. It recognises that Māori had an understanding of God and spirituality before missionaries arrived. Presence recognises the Māori narrative in Aotearoa & in neighbourhoods/communities – its past, presence and future.