Helping People to Meet God • Make Friends • Grow in Faith

GRAHAM WRITES …

I wonder if you, like me, have been having times of tiredness. Not only physically speaking, but also with all the negativity and stress coming to our attention through the various media of our day. I sometimes say to my wife during a news broadcast: “When is the GOOD news coming?” Yes, it is so…

From the Treasurer

A bit of background I see my role as managing the limited finances of our parish and helping to support our mission and ministry.  This covers a variety of tasks and follows a monthly program of invoicing, supplier payments and reporting.  Additionally in February each year the annual reports have to be produced and sent…

FROM THE WARDENS – 

DrainageThe scheduled drainage work is now underway, so try and avoid parking over by LOOP and the church office in June if you can.  Sunday morning parking nearer the church will be fine as usual. Community Outreach 14th July is the new public holiday Matariki and many are looking for ways to celebrate this event (Māori New Year).…

Working together

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…

Mission Action Plan

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…

Weeding

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…

A noticeable church building

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…

Communion on Good Friday

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…