CWM

Face to Face launches in Fiji

Thursday, 28 May 2009 11:42

Candidates for this year's Face to Face group have gathered in Fiji at the start of a seven-week cross cultural exposure programme exploring their faith.

Sponsored by CWM, the intensive course is hosted by God’s Pacific People (GPP) at the Pacific Theological College to expose ministers-in-training to a new context.

Having kicked off with a packed orientation week, the students are now looking forward to embarking on three challenging 10-day long placements in Fiji.

Alongside these placements they'll write daily journals of their progress and develop a project focusing on what they've learnt – this project will be presented to the rest of the group at the end of the course.

CWM's Lindsey Horsfield, who joined the candidates for their orientation week, says the team has already gelled as a group.

"The group was getting along and working well together after only a few days in Fiji. The orientation week serves to provide a basis of understanding about the context’s culture, history, church life, political and social realities.

"A lot of time was also put into teaching the participants the language, getting to know one another and also the cultural dos and don’ts they'll need for their placements."

Fiji offers a rich array of issues and topics to be explored and discussed through the Face to Face programme
She adds: "This year, there were also interns from GPP’s programmes participating which increased the number of cultures and countries represented at the programme and offered further insight to activities taking place in Fiji."

As well as exposing the group to different cultural and social contexts, the Face to Face programme aims to stimulate theological reflection, and motivate them to get involved in mission.

Activities for the first week included a visit to the Fiji Museum in Suva, Fiji, trips to a Hindu temple and also a mosque where the group got to hear prayers and ask questions about Islam afterwards.

They heard talks on theology in the Pacific and the challenges facing mission in Fiji and were given an insight into the cultural and social protocols they need to be aware of.

There was also a chance to take part in a Talanoa (discussion and debate) session arranged by the Pacific conference of Churches to discuss climate change in the Pacific context.

Part of their task for week one involved preparing for a worship service they were to lead at a prison in the local community.

Ms Horsfield says: "Throughout the week the students were welcomed to the PTC and introduced to the Pacific context. They got to know one another and indicated what their aspirations for Face to Face were and also what they defined mission as.

"Fiji offers a rich array of issues and topics to be explored and discussed through the Face to Face programme. The strong presence of Fijian culture, their political situation, climate change and inter-faith dialogue – all these areas were covered in the orientation week and will be re-visited throughout the programme."

She adds: "Everything went really well and the orientation week provided a fantastic start to the course."

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