What’s a perohuka?
Perohuka means 'billhook' in te Reo Māori.
A billhook is a versatile cutting tool commonly used in agriculture and forestry. The billhook is particularly useful for cutting woody materials and pruning branches. An unknown but remarkably gifted artist carved the beautiful implement you see here sometime in the nineteenth century.
The churches I am most familiar with do an amazing job serving their communities. In fact, many run so many outward-facing programmes that volunteers are stretched and tired. Yet, despite all our activity, very few people are coming to faith through our community ministries. This is where a little thoughtful pruning can result in significantly more fruitfulness.
Pruning must surely be a painful process for the plant, but without it, the tree's lack of focus results in a meagre crop. The same is true of the efforts of our churches.
