Urban Vision is a group of households and ministries in Wellington, Porirua and the Kapiti Coast who focus on building life-giving relationships with those on the margins of mainstream society, and doing justice in the midst of urban poverty. We’ve come to realise we’re a local expression of a global revolution of hope and transformation, worked out in the neighbourhoods of need we’ve relocated to.
BeginningsWe began in 1996, when we were the City Division of Wellington Youth for Christ, based mostly in Berhampore and Newtown. Since then we’ve had tons of fun, struggles and changes! Lots of great people have come and gone, ministries have ended and new ones have begun. Life is full of vitality and challenge when you try to live an alternative.
ShapesWe’ve also experimented a bit with the shapes and formats of how we are organised as a movement, and have arrived at a shape that seems to work for us at the moment. In 2007, we took the imaginative step of becoming a contemporary Order, following Jesus on the margins. In making this step, we’ve recognised Jesus is doing new things right now in Aotearoa/New Zealand (contemporary), and that we have some things in common with some of the monastic and missionary movements of old, specifically a spiritual rhythm to life (order). We have been students of history and experience: we wanted a durable structure, enabling the continuing vitality of our pioneering, prophetic and Jesus-centred threads. Anyway, we could go on and on about this stuff…the best way to understand us is to get to know us. So, don’t hesitate to get in touch!
Learning from othersOver the years, our members have been part of just about any denomination or church movement you care to name in Wellington. We currently have strong connections with a range of local churches in our various contexts. We unashamedly learn and draw sustenance from a range of church cultures and traditions – there’s so much interesting stuff out there and we’ve got so much to learn from each other! Brief History of UV
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