Kia ora koutou katoa,
I pray this email finds you safe and well, especially in such difficult times.
We’re aware that the COVID-19 Pandemic, and the ongoing economic effects, may have had a significant impact on you, our members.
Some of you may have had to spend the past few months busier than ever, overwhelmed by stress. Others may be adjusting to steep learning curves as you find new ways to operate. Maybe some of you are facing the very real possibility of a loss of funding, or even a loss of your job.
Whatever your situation, we’d love to hear from you, and hear how we can best support you at this time.
CONFERENCE
Our Executive met last week to discuss our coming plans for our conference in Perth.
We had a lengthy discussion about the current situation and the limitations we now face in light of COVID-19 restrictions in different our countries and states, with the hope that we may be able to find a solution.
Reluctantly, the ARPA Executive has decided to cancel the ARPA Conference for 2020.
In light of this, we will not be awarding the Ramon Williams Scholarship this year, as the scholarship is directly for the purpose of attending the conference. The scholarship levy will also not be charged this year.
While this was a sad decision to make, we are confident it is a decision that takes into regard our trans-Tasman fellowship, the health and safety of our members, and the financial pressure many may be facing.
AWARDS
Now for some brighter news!
We are pleased to confirm that the 2020 ARPA Awards will still go ahead.
Only now, the process will be fully online. We’ll let you know more details about how we will present the awards closer to the date.
In light of the current crisis, we are also pleased to offer an extension to the award entry deadline:
The deadline for 2020 ARPA Award entries is now 30 June 2020.
PLEASE GET IN TOUCH
As I said earlier, we’d love to hear from you.
Whether it’s just an email to let us know your thoughts, or some ideas on how we can best support you during this time.
Our new Executive Officer Amanda Jusaitis is loving getting to know each of you, so please don’t hesitate to drop her an email and introduce yourself. Mandy will be processing the award entries and liaising with the judges.
In uncertain times, I pray each of you will know the certainty of hope in Jesus, even as things around us shift and give way.
Ngā mihi nui,
Sophia Sinclair
ARPA President