THE VISION OF THE SOCIETY
On a summer’s afternoon in Moerewa in 1997, the Church brethren sat down to dream into reality God’s desire to make a difference in our lives and the people in our neighbourhood and surrounding regions.  We had a plan for a society.  We wanted a name that said it in Maori.  The name is so unique that it has been difficult to portray it with a symbol.  

The Pastor Malcolm Wano, his mum Sister Rita, and  Brother Mal Wark initiated a discussion following talks with Sister Erana Prime.

We considered ‘haa’ a pronoun which in Maori means ‘breath of life’, transposed on ‘hanga’,a verb which in Maori means ‘to form or construct in the image of’.  ‘Haa-nga’ brings their two meanings together by semantic licence.  Licence does just that. It gives licence to do things, to bring a desired vision alive.

WHO WE ARE
The Society comprises members of the Church who have skills and gifts for enterprises and charity in all sorts of fields.  Some of these skills are practical, some physical, some spiritual, some artistic including writing, music, administration, cooking, sewing, building construction, fishing, eeling, food processing, flooring, furnishing, printing of booklets that give guidance pertaining to everyday life.

The Society sets up services, infrastructure and operations to carry those out.   Under the legal umbrella of an Incorporated Society, our members can trade and exchange goods and services at public and private places, always guided by the name and its meaning, ‘God’s breath of life to make a difference’.

AND SO ON  – WHAT HAVE WE DONE?  

CONSTRUCTION  – Our Brothers have built our church building as well as a utility hall that is available for community use. Each building is a testimony to the gifts they possess in design, carpentry, furnishing, flooring, and interior decorating.

CATERING  – The Society provided catering services to contractors at Ngawha Prison during its construction.  

The Society has also catered for corporation functions such as at Hauora Ngati Hine, and Te Wananga O Aotearoa courses at Waitangi, and many others.

The Society has fundraised around many venues in the Bay of Islands area with food stalls and catering at many marae-based hui and festivals.

For many years the Society offered a food marquee at Waitangi Day.  This was a feat in itself.  Whether down at Te Tii marae, or up on the hill, just try delivering a box of eggs for burgers through a crowd of thousands without parking privileges!  

SOCIAL SERVICES  
The Society provided intervention, placement and counselling for youth in need based at Moerewa. It ran a clay art course for young people culminating in an exhibition of the participants’ creations attended by local dignitaries as well as providing a tiled water fountain in a Moerewa park.

COMMUNITY FUNDRAISING  
The Society provided its own community fundraising and advocacy to meet the requirements of national funding bodies. Work contracts such as forestry planting were part of this. Our efforts in putting the case for Moerewa-based intelligence has been very much under-acknowledged. We have been helped largely by individuals who do this through their philanthropic work, or their government work and experience.  Funds raised are utilised in the maintenance and operation of our hall, our printing work, and supporting indigenous peoples in need.

AND WHAT DO WE DO?  
In large part, the Society continues to offer similar activities, and services today. After missing a Waitangi Day here and there in recent times there is intention to be there once again for the 180th celebrations in 2020. We have also been doing regular food stalls in Kaikohe and Kawakawa which in addition to making money allows contact with the local people, a very important aspect of manifesting our Society’s name in the community.

MUSICAL ACCOMPANIMENT 
A major accomplishment of our church musicians, they continue to provide original compositions and salve to the soul through their music.  They accompany most Society fundraising activities on location.  They have been to overseas conventions as well, learning from our African and Caribbean brethren, how to praise and glorify God in that skill.