About Engage

Engage has a serving and resource based approach that helps the ‘church’ to engage in the community (our cities, towns, villages and sports clubs) in meaningful ways during the 2011 rugby tournament.

Engage will help bring value, joy and success to the tournament and future events, the country of NZ and the visitors that visit our shores.

Our Vision

Engage in Community… Provide services to the rugby community… Build legacies…

The Cup provides the opportunity for the average ‘Church-goer’ of NZ to seize the opportunity to engage in their community, to serve and to share to the nation, the teams, sports people, sports clubs, the New Zealand community and sports fans who visit our country… and feel good about it.

The Church knows how to serve, because that is its mandate, that is what Christ did. The nation needs the help of the 'NZers' to be official volunteers or to provide a range of services that we are good at. This is an awesome opportunity to link arms and provide services to the rugby community, to serve as we are called to.

NZ is under the magnifying glass for this main stage event. How the Church serves and brings value will help make this event a success, it will position the Church to be the ‘go to people’ for services at future main stage events and will set up future ministry for where ever the tournament is hosted in the future. It is our chance to build legacies!

Countdown

The official 1 year countdown to the tournament has started!

Then prayerfully consider how you and your Church can be embracing and ENGAGE-ing during this once in a life-time opportunity!

God of Nations - NZ Anthem

Radio Interviews

Listen to recent interviews:

22 June 2011 Planet Sport, Ross Georgiou, CEO ENGAGE
David Chawner and Ross Georgiou being interviewed by Planet Sport. They are discussing the role of a chaplain on s rugby team and how all on that matters for the upcoming rugby tournament. Ross is also discussing how churches can be involved in the Player Family Hosting Program.

18 April 2011 Grant Harris, chaplain NZ BREAKERS
Ps Grant Harris, sports chaplain the NZ Breakers basketball team was interviewed prior to the finals against Cairns Taipans in the Australian Basketball League. Grant explains his role with the team, individuals and the organisation. Chaplaincy is about relationships and the chaplain serves everyone in the organisation, not only the Christians. Win or lose, tomorrow is another day.

11 April 2011 Sylve Ng, spokesperson for Engage
Engage can help churches to be most effective in serving during the rugby tournament. National Church Leaders are in full support of Engage. Church leaders are especially interested in combining their efforts on certain programs. Start by going to the website, register to stay updated and informed and see all the resources and ideas available.

23 November 2010 Ross Georgiou, CEO Engage
Interview with Radio Rhema. Engage is the umbrella organisation for the combined ministry of NZ churches to the world cup. The vision of Engage ideas of how churches can serve. More about the Engage Family Hosting Program, official volunteers, social services and other useful information.

17 June 2010 Ross Georgiou, CEO Engage
Interview with Aaron Ironside on Radio Rhema. NZ church community can be the Good News to other NZers and visitor. Brief overview of what churches can do to engage.

Welcome to Engage

This website provides information, support and help for:

• People from all walks of life in NZ communities in the tournament hosting and playing cities.
• People from all walks of life in NZ communities in the non-hosting cities.
• The international rugby players, coaches and their support people and players’ families.
• The fans and visitors to NZ.
• The Church in NZ who wish to Engage in the tournament. (See ideas or resources)

What to Expect?

Engage rides on the back of successful events held at other major sports events such as the Summer Olympics, Winter Olympics, Football World Cup and much more.

Through international experience and partners and the collective service of a national network experience a range of services and products shall be on offer

Who is Engage?

Engage Trust is a not for profit trust. It was specifically set up for the 2011 rugby event.

Under the umbrella of Engage the NZ Christian community is proposing to bring added value to the tournament, to the visitors to NZ and to the wider NZ community, leading up to, during and post the event.

The entity of Engage is a platform that the Churches can work (‘engage’) in a coordinated and transparent way.

The Christian community have united to bring about this ENGAGE Ministry with the formation of 5 groups, made up of prominent leaders who are committed to the ENGAGE vision. The groups and their roles are:

• Governance Board: This board will bring about macro direction and vision to ENGAGE.
• Reference Board: Team of people with substantial public standing who have agreed to be ambassadors and champions of ENGAGE.
• Executive Operations Team: the team responsible for putting into place and coordinating the vision of ENGAGE.
• Expert Consultants: a local and international team of consultants who will be called upon from time to time to provide expert advice to ENGAGE.
• National Church Leaders / Liaisons: Church leaders and their proposed delegates from across NZ.

How we can Help

The types of services offered by Engage include the following categories;

Social Services - Promoting positive values and minimizing negative culture associated with major sport events. Peace keepers, Making parties ‘safe’ and providing support to young people, Safety Patrol for safe passage home from pubs, clubs and games, Nationwide 24hour Pastoral / Info – drinking, gambling, domestic violence assist – complimenting existing help lines.

Support of the sports people, support team, officials and their families - Providing services such as hosting, pastoral care and places of worship as appropriate and as agreed by the tournament organizers.

Support of visitors to NZ - Providing information / support / resources / safe accommodation to the visitors of NZ

Celebrating the World Cup together - Providing a range of social, sports, interactive events, services and products

History / Timeline

Mid 2008 - Initial discussions between people with various experience/knowledge of Major Sport Event ministry on the international scale were held.

2009 - Meetings were held with a variety of Church leaders in Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland to discuss potential initiatives approaches to serving / ministering as an umbrella entity for the 2011 event.

October 2009 - A delegation of Ross Georgiou and Andrew Kerr made a 90 minute presentation to the National Church Leaders in Wellington which was unanimously accepted and approved under the Chair Ken Harrison. Denominational liaisons were subsequently put in place.

2010 - The entity of Engage takes form. First round meetings begin with RNZ 2011 Ltd management to establish how Engage can serve the tournament organizers and participants & NZ .

February & March 2011 – Follow-up meetings with RNZ 2011 Ltd Engage CEO, Ross Georgiou, makes a presentations at NZ Christian Network’s National Congress ; Final meeting with National Church Leaders where support for Engage is re-iterated and good working relationship with RNZ 2011 Ltd management applaud.

7 May 2011 – Resources and Services released via Engage website. (Make sure you are registered in order to receive news updates.)

June / July 2011 – Ministry training taking place

Sept / Oct 2011 – Ministry roll out

Nov / Dec 2011 – Follow-up, assessment and feedback given, models and references for future events (national & internationally established)