“You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Acts 1:8
We’re excited to introduce “Haere Mai: Jesus matters – come and see”, a diocese-wide initiative designed to help us share the welcome of Jesus with our communities.
Running from Easter to Pentecost 2025, Haere Mai is all about creating opportunities for people to encounter faith in a positive, approachable way. Whether through a community meal, a family BBQ at the beach or a Discovery Bible study at a cafe, it’s a chance to embody the love and hospitality that Jesus calls us to offer.
The campaign comes with a suite of imagery that we hope will become recognisable to the people of Māwhera, Waimea, Marlborough and Nelson as something that a whole lot of churches are doing – and that they’re invited to.
Haere Mai is essentially a campaign with shared branding and, more importantly, a season of intentional outreach under a shared kaupapa (set of values) of genuine invitation and unconditional welcome. It’s an opportunity to practise being outward-focused, taking church beyond our walls and into our communities. It’s not about getting all our parishioners to be street evangelists (though some may have that gift), it’s about making connections and inviting people to “come and see”.
One of the key aspects of Haere Mai is that it’s made to be used in any context or community. It invites every parish in the diocese to run local outreach events tailored to their neighbourhoods. These could be anything from Easter outreach services and discussion nights to family beach trips or shared meals. Each parish gets to decide what works best for their context.
We’re focusing on two key groups: those who’ve disengaged from church and those who’ve never engaged at all. The dechurched might have stepped away but could be open to reconnecting if invited. The unchurched may not have explored faith before but might be curious about life’s big questions or searching for a sense of belonging. Haere Mai is an opportunity to create a positive presence, foster curiosity and extend a genuine invitation to explore church and faith.
Haere Mai is more than an outreach campaign – it’s an opportunity to grow in confidence in sharing our faith, to show our communities that church is for everyone, and to extend an invitation to experience the hope and love of Jesus.
Let’s step out together and invite our communities to come and see why Jesus matters.
Check out other articles in the
series below.
More articles in the
series are to come.
We have invited these writers to share their experiences, ideas and opinions in the hope that these will provoke thought, challenge you to go deeper and inspire you to put your faith into action. These articles should not be taken as the official view of the Nelson Diocese on any particular matter.
“You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Acts 1:8
We’re excited to introduce “Haere Mai: Jesus matters – come and see”, a diocese-wide initiative designed to help us share the welcome of Jesus with our communities.
Running from Easter to Pentecost 2025, Haere Mai is all about creating opportunities for people to encounter faith in a positive, approachable way. Whether through a community meal, a family BBQ at the beach or a Discovery Bible study at a cafe, it’s a chance to embody the love and hospitality that Jesus calls us to offer.
The campaign comes with a suite of imagery that we hope will become recognisable to the people of Māwhera, Waimea, Marlborough and Nelson as something that a whole lot of churches are doing – and that they’re invited to.
Haere Mai is essentially a campaign with shared branding and, more importantly, a season of intentional outreach under a shared kaupapa (set of values) of genuine invitation and unconditional welcome. It’s an opportunity to practise being outward-focused, taking church beyond our walls and into our communities. It’s not about getting all our parishioners to be street evangelists (though some may have that gift), it’s about making connections and inviting people to “come and see”.
One of the key aspects of Haere Mai is that it’s made to be used in any context or community. It invites every parish in the diocese to run local outreach events tailored to their neighbourhoods. These could be anything from Easter outreach services and discussion nights to family beach trips or shared meals. Each parish gets to decide what works best for their context.
We’re focusing on two key groups: those who’ve disengaged from church and those who’ve never engaged at all. The dechurched might have stepped away but could be open to reconnecting if invited. The unchurched may not have explored faith before but might be curious about life’s big questions or searching for a sense of belonging. Haere Mai is an opportunity to create a positive presence, foster curiosity and extend a genuine invitation to explore church and faith.
Haere Mai is more than an outreach campaign – it’s an opportunity to grow in confidence in sharing our faith, to show our communities that church is for everyone, and to extend an invitation to experience the hope and love of Jesus.
Let’s step out together and invite our communities to come and see why Jesus matters.
Check out other articles in the
series below.
More articles in the
series are to come.
