Surrounded by the dense Native Forest of the Coromandel ranges, Tairua is one of the earliest known settled lands in Aotearoa boasting one of our oldest artefacts - an ancient fishing lure brought here by our pacific ancestors over 800 years ago. Tairua (Māori) means ‘Two Tides’ and is a land of rest, renewal and revelation.
The coromandel itself is a ‘thin place’ attracting spiritual seekers of all kinds, so it’s no surprise that in recent times that the Spirit has drawn Christians here for prayer, revelation and renewal.
The rhythms and ministries of our Centre include meeting with God personally, in silence and solitude, in the gift of His creation here as we believe that He has made Tairua itself a kind of monastery for praying seekers and God’s church.
In ancient times, Christian mystics, much like the Desert Fathers and Mothers, would retreat into the wilderness to live solitary lives of prayer. Eventually, instead of going it totally alone, these pray-ers would begin to gather in small communities called sketes. Sketes were a collection of solitaries all seeking a deep and vital experience of God in a similar region that would often meet once a week for communion and worship.
These men and woman would fast, pray and experience profound personal encounters with the living God that led them to be holders of deep wisdom, vitality, miraculous powers and love for their generation. Visitors would come from tens to hundreds of miles away to meet with these saints in their reclusive life. Many were healed of physical illnesses, received prophetic insight, divine wisdom or deliverance.
Tairua is our skete. A place were pray-ers have moved to seek their Beloved for themselves, and for the church. We’re no desert saints, but we do see ourselves as friends of the Bridegroom, here to help lead others into an experience of their Beloved for themselves through this whenua (land), where God lives. We feel called to pray for the church and her renewal and to make ourselves available to Him in whatever way He longs for that His Spirit may meet all who seek Him.
So, think of Tairua as the monastery, and our Centre as the chapel for gathering from time to time as we seek the face of God for ourselves, and to draw all thirsty hearts to His willing, loving presence.