BTI - Bethlehem Tertiary Institute

Manaaki whenua, manaaki tangata, haere whakamua. 🌱

A group from BTI recently spent the morning at Te Ara o Wairakei in Pāpāmoa, helping to plant native species and care for our local whenua.

It was a beautiful morning to get outdoors, work alongside one another and contribute in a small but practical way to the restoration of this special place.

Ngā mihi nui to Tauranga City Council for providing the plants, equipment and opportunity to be involved.

Mānawatia a Matariki ✨

Our BTI whānau recently gathered to mark Matariki through shared kai, kōrero and raranga.
It was a special opportunity to slow down together, remember those who have gone before us, celebrate the present and look ahead to the year to come.

Ngā mihi nui to everyone who helped make it such a meaningful time together. 💛

Recently, the BTI community gathered to celebrate the launch of Phillip Larking’s new book, A Praxis of Shalom: Christian Reformation for Community and Professional Practice.

More than simply launching a book, the gathering created space for rich kōrero about shalom as something to be lived and practised. It invited us to consider what peace, restoration and flourishing might look like within our communities, our professions and our everyday relationships.
Ngā mihi nui to Phillip, everyone who contributed to the occasion and all those who came to share in this special milestone.

A Praxis of Shalom is available from BTI for $30, plus $8 postage. To order a copy, please contact mailto:[email protected]

Photo credit: Rachelle Hulbert

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A Praxis of Shalom is now available.

Written by BTI educator Dr Phillip Larking, the book explores shalom as more than peace, considering what wholeness, justice, grace and flourishing can look like across community and professional practice.

Copies are available to purchase from the BTI office. A free PDF can also be downloaded from Phillip’s ResearchGate page:

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Phillip-Larking?ev=hdr_xprf

Mānawatia a Matariki.

Today we pause to remember, give thanks and look ahead with hope.

At BTI, Matariki reminds us of the many journeys that bring us together: by land, sea, sky, story, culture, faith and community.

May this season be one of rest, renewal, gratitude and fresh purpose.

From all of us at BTI, mānawatia a Matariki.

Shalom is more than peace.

A Praxis of Shalom by BTI educator Dr Phillip Larking explores how wholeness, justice, grace, and flourishing can take shape across community and professional life.

Official online sales are not live yet. From 13 July, hard copies will be available to purchase from the BTI office, with a downloadable PDF also available through Dr Larking’s ResearchGate page.

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For BTI graduate Melissa Symington Smith, faith, flexible study and genuine community were all part of the journey.

Explore all study options and find your next step at bti.ac.nz/study

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This Matariki, BTI staff are reflecting on the many whakapapa, cultures, migration stories and faith journeys that shape our community.

Through the theme Matariki Herenga Waka, we are exploring the many journeys that have brought us to Aotearoa and to BTI.

Each staff member is creating a waka that represents their story. These waka will then be moored together as one community, with Jesus Christ as our foundation and mooring post.

Many journeys, one purpose.

Whakapapa Community Aotearoa TeTiriti ChristCentred

A Praxis of Shalom: Critical Reflection for Community and Professional Practice by Dr Phillip Larking launches on Monday 13 July 2026 and will be available in print and digital formats.

Dr Larking is a Senior Educator and Professional Lead in BTI’s Bachelor of Social Work programme. In this book, he explores shalom as the Bible’s vision for peace, wholeness, and flourishing in community, and considers how this vision can shape faithful responses to discrimination, oppression, and marginalisation.

Offering practical principles for reflection and action, A Praxis of Shalom invites readers to consider how grace, justice, and renewed relationships can take shape in personal, communal, professional, and public life.

Hard copies will be available for purchase from the BTI office from the release date, with a free downloadable PDF also available via Dr Larking’s ResearchGate page.