Recently I met Ryan Feng, the minister at St Margaret’s Presbyterian Church in Bishopdale. He showed me the new church that was officially opened in early May 2023. As far as a modern church goes, it is probably even nicer than the new Methodist Church in Chapel Street. Even though we come from quite different…
In March 2023 the Parish had a meeting with the Archdeacon for Regeneration and Mission, Mark Chamberlain. He encouraged us to draft a Mission Action Plan for the next three years. At the meeting we determined three priorities: Develop ministry to children and families Building the faith and knowledge of the Parish Improve the promotion of the Parish These priorities have been…
Some of our lovely people at our Coronation Service on May 7th.
From our Country Gospel Evening Service Sing-A-Long on Sunday, May 7th 2023.
In Cambridge I was part of the Cambridge Tree Trust, a group that planted and cared for trees around Cambridge. I still remember the day when I helped to weed in an area that was once a rubbish dump and now was a park planted with quite a few trees. We were pulling out all…
Last year one day when I sat in my office preparing the sermon I heard a knock on my door. I opened and there was a couple who handed me a photo. It was the photo of a model of St Paul’s. Their friend Dave Brown had made it. He had asked them to give…
I have been asked why this past Holy Week we had Communion on Good Friday and not Maundy Thursday. I don’t think either one is right or wrong, but I thought I should lay out my reasoning here. Communion, as it is celebrated today in many churches, is highly stylised and ritualised. That has its…
After the discussions at the AGM about working together with Te Papanui Trust on redeveloping the hall complex, I thought it might be good to set out a timeline of where we’ve come from so far. Diligent readers of vestry minutes might have gleaned the information, but it is better to see it all in…
Ever since my father’s accident last year, he relies more on his children helping him keep their land and animals. So when I visited my parents last year, I was swiftly pressed into service to cut up a tree that an arborist had felled. I was given a chain saw and the required safety equipment…
Every year I try to give something up for Lent or pick something up. One year, for example, I decided to regularly practice a musical instrument. Another year I gave up alcohol (except for Communion). This year I gave up chocolate for the duration of Lent. I didn’t totally succeed: at one time somebody offered…