Values : The Wharenui - our Educational model (a model of Discipleship):
Kua whakaaturia e ia ki a koe, e te tangata te mea pai a he aha ta Ihowa e rapu nei kia koe, heoi ano ko te whakawa tika, ko te pai ki te tohu tangata, ko te whakaiti me te haere tahi I tou Atua?
Micah 6:8 ‘He has shown you O man what is good and what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God’.
Proverbs 1 : 8 ‘The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom’
Proverbs 2 : 6 ‘For the Lord gives wisdom, and from HIS mouth come knowledge and understanding’
Proverbs 24 v 3 ‘By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established’.
When our manuhiri (visitors), arrive at Chapman College, we always have a Powhiri (welcoming ceremony) in which we acknowledge our Sovereign God, our heritage, and our faith concluding with the symbolic hongi which signifies sharing breath as sharing life and whanaungatanga (relationship).
We are committed to valuing the unique significance of each person and of embracing them and their kete filled with taonga-knowledge,
understanding and skills.
Above the wharenui we see the koruru which is the symbol of the Crown, the Cross, and the Dove representing El Shaddai-the ONE true God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit and His Sovereignty. HE is the owner of the wharenui, HE is the Creator and Sustainer of the world. On either side of the door are the amo (the legs) which stand firm on the land indicating a firm, steadfast relationship with Creation but which go beyond the known material world into eternity. Etched in the amo are the words TRUTH and WISDOM, which declare what the wharenui is built on and what we seek to find (Proverbs 24 V 3).
The koruru is connected to the tahuhu which is the main ridge pole of the building, the central support of the entire wharenui. It connects with almost every other part of the wharenui transporting the mana the authority of God- represented by the koruru (Crown, Cross and Dove symbol) linking HIM as the Source of transforming power and authority through the heke (diagonal beams) to the poupou, the poutuarongo and the poutokomanawa. It is also God who gives the ‘fruit’ in the lives of those within the wharenui. It is under submission to and acknowledgement of God, as the Sovereign God Creator and Sustainer of the universe that we enter this wharenui which is dedicated to HIM, to bring HIM all glory, praise and honour.
Coming into the wharenui we note the four corner poupou each of which tells its own story, and these are truths about who this wharenui belongs to, HIS character and the Biblical narrative: Creation, The Fall, Redemption and Reconciliation. In each corner stands a poupou - God is Relational-God is LOVE; God is Righteous-HE is just; God is Redeemer-He is Saviour; and God is Reconciler. These poupou tell the stories which answer the BIG worldview questions we, as human beings wrestle with.
Other poupou along the sides of the wharenui are significant in relation to the stories they tell of Biblical characters, nations and the patriarchs of the Christian faith. They remind us of our humanness, of the grace, faithfulness, holiness and mercy of God. As this wharenui belongs to God, we who enter, come to learn about HIM, to learn with HIM, to learn from HIM and to learn how to live for HIM.
The Poutuarongo is the back wall pillar which is the first upright to be erected when building a wharenui. It is recognised as the foundation block of the building and the rest of the wharenui takes shape around it. The stories of origins are recorded there and the history of Man actually begins there. It represents the Word of God-Scripture and the Living Word the person of Jesus Christ, fully God and fully man; the ONE who is our Saviour. HE is the ONE who saved us, who intercedes for us, the ONE who justifies us and the ONE who we seek to grow to become like. The Word of God-the Bible is the inerrant Word of God which informs our faith and upon this Truth we base both our Curriculum and our lives.
The Poutokomanawa is the central pillar which is connected to the tahuhu. The poutokomanawa is translated as ‘the post that holds up the heart’ and it is etched on all four sides with GEMS-Guided by the Word; Empowered by the Holy Spirit; Motivated by Love and Saturated in prayer which reminds us as teachers about how we approach and undertake Christian Education.
In our wharenui, it is a square pole with each of its four sides representing the heart of Christian Education. G-Guided by the Word of God-the written and living Word; Empowered by the Holy Spirit-we recognise we do nothing of ourselves as teachers and that it is the Holy Spirit who both leads us to wisdom and truth and who transforms lives; Motivated by love-we minister from the place of unconditional love; Saturated in Prayer-we remain humbly on our knees before God seeking HIS direction and trusting HIM to give us the grace and the strength that we need. Through being and living the GEMS-the ministry of reconciliation is outworked as we are impacted by Truth, Informed by Faith, Inspired by Hope, Ignited by Love and Identified by Service.
Across the wharenui are the heke (ribs) which state Impacted by Truth-Courageous; Informed by faith-faithful (Joshua 1 V 8); Inspired by Hope-Secure (Ephesians 1 V 18- 22); Ignited by Love-Loving (1 Corinthians 13)and Identified by Service-Humility. As we place ourselves and our pupils under the authority of God and of Scripture we are transformed by the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. It is the Holy Spirit who leads us into all wisdom and truth and who equips us for faithful service.
The wharenui is a place where each person is significant as we recognise our connection to our Creator God and recognise that we are made in HIS image, with unique purpose and design. We are in this wharenui as a community of learners, journeying together through bringing who God has made us to be so that we may contribute to, and build up the entire community. God shapes our character through being with each other-we learn how to love, how to be patient, kind and forgiving through living in community and being inter-dependent. It is community which allows us to walk out our beliefs, attitudes and virtues with integrity as we are kept accountable through community within this wharenui. We can debate, grow, disagree, celebrate, forgive, resolve and achieve. We share our gifts and talents, we serve one another, we learn with and from each other, and in this process we grow as individuals and as a community.
Our respective individual stories interweave like tukutuku panels along the walls of the wharenui for it is a living, spiritual story which began with Creation, and is connected to the Biblical narrative the BIG story of which we, today are a part. The stories of Abraham, Noah, Joshua, Esther, Mary, Paul, John, Martha, Sarah, Samson, David and others are told around the wharenui. Through these stories, we learn of who we are, of our human condition, of our Faithful God, of HIS Son Jesus Christ, of sacrifice, justice, love and reconciliation. These stories are told, pondered and thought through in light of understanding God, others, ourselves and this world we live in. They are deeply significant and impacting spiritual stories which encompass the past, the present and the future, going beyond this temporal world to eternity. Most of all we also learn of our unique place and part in this on-going story in which
we have the opportunity to impact our world.
At the base of the poutuarongo, (the back wall pillar), lies the Chapman College Crest. The three feathers stand for Father, Son and Holy Spirit. They also remind us that three things alone are eternal and they are faith-whakapono; hope-tumanako; and love-aroha. Finally we are reminded that the feathers are humbly bowing to God, recognising HIS authority and that our response in relationship with Him is to serve by acting justly, loving mercy and walking humbly.
The Cross is a reminder of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ which is central to our faith. Relationship begins with acknowledging sin, need for Jesus and acceptance of salvation. The roof of the wharenui is red, an ever present reminder that we live under the covering and protection of the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ and that our security and hope in HIM is eternal.
The jewels in the crown are the gifts and talents we each have and which we develop and use fully for HIS glory and for HIS Kingdom purposes through serving Him and others. It is the jewels not only as individual stones but also together in community which are precious and which make the difference by reflecting HIS light and Truth in a broken world. It is also true to say that within this wharenui we lay down our lives in love which means sacrifice and service by which we pray we will be identified. The evidence of lives dedicated to God, shaped and transformed by Him is seen in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (the Fruit of the Holy Spirit -Galatians 5V22). We acknowledge that where these are present it is the Holy Spirit at work within the wharenui, in each individual life and it is HE who has challenged, changed and caused growth.
The Truth and wisdom which is taught and gained through being in the wharenui, build hope and security in the life of the individual. The wharenui is the place in which a true sense of belonging is experienced and where a turangawaewae (a place to stand) is known and fully experienced. The wharenui is not a place to stay, yet remains a place of belonging, a place one can always return to, which will refresh and remind each one who he/she is, to whom and where he/she belongs and the Truth upon which his/her life is anchored. It continues to be a place of generational equipping, a place which acknowledges and reveals heritage. It is past, present and future, totally authentic and relevant, reflective of relational connection and community and of the on-going story we are each a part of.
This wharenui prepares us for and propels us into a world in which we can live a life that makes a difference, through being Impacted by Truth, Informed by Faith, Inspired by Hope, Ignited by Love and Identified by Service.
To God be ALL glory and honour and praise!
Kua whakaaturia e ia ki a koe, e te tangata te mea pai a he aha ta Ihowa e rapu nei kia koe, heoi ano ko te whakawa tika, ko te pai ki te tohu tangata, ko te whakaiti me te haere tahi I tou Atua?
Micah 6:8 ‘He has shown you O man what is good and what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God’.
Micah 6:8 ‘He has shown you O man what is good and what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God’.
Proverbs 1 : 8 ‘The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom’
Proverbs 2 : 6 ‘For the Lord gives wisdom, and from HIS mouth come knowledge and understanding’
Proverbs 24 v 3 ‘By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established’.
When our manuhiri (visitors), arrive at Chapman College, we always have a Powhiri (welcoming ceremony) in which we acknowledge our Sovereign God, our heritage, and our faith concluding with the symbolic hongi which signifies sharing breath as sharing life and whanaungatanga (relationship).
We are committed to valuing the unique significance of each person and of embracing them and their kete filled with taonga-knowledge,
understanding and skills.
Above the wharenui we see the koruru which is the symbol of the Crown, the Cross, and the Dove representing El Shaddai-the ONE true God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit and His Sovereignty. HE is the owner of the wharenui, HE is the Creator and Sustainer of the world. On either side of the door are the amo (the legs) which stand firm on the land indicating a firm, steadfast relationship with Creation but which go beyond the known material world into eternity. Etched in the amo are the words TRUTH and WISDOM, which declare what the wharenui is built on and what we seek to find (Proverbs 24 V 3).
The koruru is connected to the tahuhu which is the main ridge pole of the building, the central support of the entire wharenui. It connects with almost every other part of the wharenui transporting the mana the authority of God- represented by the koruru (Crown, Cross and Dove symbol) linking HIM as the Source of transforming power and authority through the heke (diagonal beams) to the poupou, the poutuarongo and the poutokomanawa. It is also God who gives the ‘fruit’ in the lives of those within the wharenui. It is under submission to and acknowledgement of God, as the Sovereign God Creator and Sustainer of the universe that we enter this wharenui which is dedicated to HIM, to bring HIM all glory, praise and honour.
Coming into the wharenui we note the four corner poupou each of which tells its own story, and these are truths about who this wharenui belongs to, HIS character and the Biblical narrative: Creation, The Fall, Redemption and Reconciliation. In each corner stands a poupou - God is Relational-God is LOVE; God is Righteous-HE is just; God is Redeemer-He is Saviour; and God is Reconciler. These poupou tell the stories which answer the BIG worldview questions we, as human beings wrestle with.
Other poupou along the sides of the wharenui are significant in relation to the stories they tell of Biblical characters, nations and the patriarchs of the Christian faith. They remind us of our humanness, of the grace, faithfulness, holiness and mercy of God. As this wharenui belongs to God, we who enter, come to learn about HIM, to learn with HIM, to learn from HIM and to learn how to live for HIM.
The Poutuarongo is the back wall pillar which is the first upright to be erected when building a wharenui. It is recognised as the foundation block of the building and the rest of the wharenui takes shape around it. The stories of origins are recorded there and the history of Man actually begins there. It represents the Word of God-Scripture and the Living Word the person of Jesus Christ, fully God and fully man; the ONE who is our Saviour. HE is the ONE who saved us, who intercedes for us, the ONE who justifies us and the ONE who we seek to grow to become like. The Word of God-the Bible is the inerrant Word of God which informs our faith and upon this Truth we base both our Curriculum and our lives.
The Poutokomanawa is the central pillar which is connected to the tahuhu. The poutokomanawa is translated as ‘the post that holds up the heart’ and it is etched on all four sides with GEMS-Guided by the Word; Empowered by the Holy Spirit; Motivated by Love and Saturated in prayer which reminds us as teachers about how we approach and undertake Christian Education.
In our wharenui, it is a square pole with each of its four sides representing the heart of Christian Education. G-Guided by the Word of God-the written and living Word; Empowered by the Holy Spirit-we recognise we do nothing of ourselves as teachers and that it is the Holy Spirit who both leads us to wisdom and truth and who transforms lives; Motivated by love-we minister from the place of unconditional love; Saturated in Prayer-we remain humbly on our knees before God seeking HIS direction and trusting HIM to give us the grace and the strength that we need. Through being and living the GEMS-the ministry of reconciliation is outworked as we are impacted by Truth, Informed by Faith, Inspired by Hope, Ignited by Love and Identified by Service.
Across the wharenui are the heke (ribs) which state Impacted by Truth-Courageous; Informed by faith-faithful (Joshua 1 V 8); Inspired by Hope-Secure (Ephesians 1 V 18- 22); Ignited by Love-Loving (1 Corinthians 13)and Identified by Service-Humility. As we place ourselves and our pupils under the authority of God and of Scripture we are transformed by the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. It is the Holy Spirit who leads us into all wisdom and truth and who equips us for faithful service.
The wharenui is a place where each person is significant as we recognise our connection to our Creator God and recognise that we are made in HIS image, with unique purpose and design. We are in this wharenui as a community of learners, journeying together through bringing who God has made us to be so that we may contribute to, and build up the entire community. God shapes our character through being with each other-we learn how to love, how to be patient, kind and forgiving through living in community and being inter-dependent. It is community which allows us to walk out our beliefs, attitudes and virtues with integrity as we are kept accountable through community within this wharenui. We can debate, grow, disagree, celebrate, forgive, resolve and achieve. We share our gifts and talents, we serve one another, we learn with and from each other, and in this process we grow as individuals and as a community.
Our respective individual stories interweave like tukutuku panels along the walls of the wharenui for it is a living, spiritual story which began with Creation, and is connected to the Biblical narrative the BIG story of which we, today are a part. The stories of Abraham, Noah, Joshua, Esther, Mary, Paul, John, Martha, Sarah, Samson, David and others are told around the wharenui. Through these stories, we learn of who we are, of our human condition, of our Faithful God, of HIS Son Jesus Christ, of sacrifice, justice, love and reconciliation. These stories are told, pondered and thought through in light of understanding God, others, ourselves and this world we live in. They are deeply significant and impacting spiritual stories which encompass the past, the present and the future, going beyond this temporal world to eternity. Most of all we also learn of our unique place and part in this on-going story in which
we have the opportunity to impact our world.
At the base of the poutuarongo, (the back wall pillar), lies the Chapman College Crest. The three feathers stand for Father, Son and Holy Spirit. They also remind us that three things alone are eternal and they are faith-whakapono; hope-tumanako; and love-aroha. Finally we are reminded that the feathers are humbly bowing to God, recognising HIS authority and that our response in relationship with Him is to serve by acting justly, loving mercy and walking humbly.
The Cross is a reminder of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ which is central to our faith. Relationship begins with acknowledging sin, need for Jesus and acceptance of salvation. The roof of the wharenui is red, an ever present reminder that we live under the covering and protection of the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ and that our security and hope in HIM is eternal.
The jewels in the crown are the gifts and talents we each have and which we develop and use fully for HIS glory and for HIS Kingdom purposes through serving Him and others. It is the jewels not only as individual stones but also together in community which are precious and which make the difference by reflecting HIS light and Truth in a broken world. It is also true to say that within this wharenui we lay down our lives in love which means sacrifice and service by which we pray we will be identified. The evidence of lives dedicated to God, shaped and transformed by Him is seen in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (the Fruit of the Holy Spirit -Galatians 5V22). We acknowledge that where these are present it is the Holy Spirit at work within the wharenui, in each individual life and it is HE who has challenged, changed and caused growth.
The Truth and wisdom which is taught and gained through being in the wharenui, build hope and security in the life of the individual. The wharenui is the place in which a true sense of belonging is experienced and where a turangawaewae (a place to stand) is known and fully experienced. The wharenui is not a place to stay, yet remains a place of belonging, a place one can always return to, which will refresh and remind each one who he/she is, to whom and where he/she belongs and the Truth upon which his/her life is anchored. It continues to be a place of generational equipping, a place which acknowledges and reveals heritage. It is past, present and future, totally authentic and relevant, reflective of relational connection and community and of the on-going story we are each a part of.
This wharenui prepares us for and propels us into a world in which we can live a life that makes a difference, through being Impacted by Truth, Informed by Faith, Inspired by Hope, Ignited by Love and Identified by Service.
To God be ALL glory and honour and praise!
Kua whakaaturia e ia ki a koe, e te tangata te mea pai a he aha ta Ihowa e rapu nei kia koe, heoi ano ko te whakawa tika, ko te pai ki te tohu tangata, ko te whakaiti me te haere tahi I tou Atua?
Micah 6:8 ‘He has shown you O man what is good and what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God’.
