All the UNOH teams across the four regions gathered for a Commissioning Service on the 9th of July, 2015, at Manurewa Baptist Church in Auckland. Matt Hakiaha, a Maori Christian elder, gave a special welcome in English and Maori. John Douglas, President of the Baptist Union in NZ, presented each UNOH team with a candle and spoke prophetic words over them, all with the theme of Christ’s light. Each candle has three colours which symbolise the three vows each UNOH worker makes to God and to one another: white for obedience to Christ, green for service to the neighbourhoods, and red for simplicity and sacrifice. Lynette Leach (Pastor of UNOH) led a time of prayer for each team, while Jodie MacCartney gave a stirring address on love and compassion in the midst of the hard struggles of Klong Toey slum. The service was a sacred moment, and a testament to God’s faithfulness in all the 10 neighbourhoods facing poverty in which UNOH is present.
