Our Contributions, Our Challenges, Our Way Forward A Personal Perspective from the Executive Officer of the New Zealand Council of Christian Social Services

The New Zealand Council of Christian Social Services has been operating since the early 1960s. It started as an informal group of Christian providers working to support older people, mostly through aged residential care. By the late 1960s it had become a more formal Council and in the 70s broadened its work to include a wider and more inclusive focus. Our Mission calls us to work for a just and compassionate society in Aotearoa New Zealand – we see this as a continuation of the mission of Jesus Christ. We maintain a special focus on poor and vulnerable New Zealanders. We strive to express through our work our commitment to the Treaty of Waitangi. This is the lens which we take to our work. Our Christian social services members may have emerged from a history of charitable works. They are now looking to carry a Christian message of hope and transformation to help create an inclusive and just society. To seek structural change to address the causes of exclusion and marginalisation rather than just treat the symptoms.

Overview of services provided 213 providers 37 general types of services 1,024 programmes 55 towns and cities $671m income 4,923 full time staff 6,735 part-time staff 15,862 volunteers

Our Challenges Social Services as a Band-Aid – not addressing underlying causes Delivering services predetermined by government agencies – not by the communities that they are directed at Surviving as organisations in a complex, competitive and underfunded operating environment

Our Way Forward Social services as deliberate acts of advocacy, empowerment and social justice “We together” – the social services community working with our communities, for our communities – adding value to our communities

Our Way Forward Collect and use our own data as a tool for social justice Carry the lived experience of those we serve to the policy makers and implementers – make it real Believe in for all