Last Sunday we attended the church service at St Stephen’s Anglican Church in Reefton. By turning up we doubled the congregation there. The service was led by Hilary Ladds, the local lay minister. Songs were played on the computer and automatically coordinated with the overhead projection – they must use a song-bank that makes this…
Recently the Diocese has prepared guidelines for dealing with homeless people on church property. Vestry decided that a short summary should be provided in the newsletter. Welcoming those experiencing homelessness must be balanced with our responsibilities for the safety and wellbeing of parishioners, visitors, and the wider community. Compassionate care works alongside the law and…
Recently I read a book about the 1960s New Zealand Railways days. One of the things that stood out for me was how often railway employees seemed to move around the country. Every few years they would move to another locality, often with houses provided. Some localities gained a bit of a reputation among the…
PYDT serves the communities of NW Otautahi with 148 community groups and programmes operating, with 47,455 being impacted across the board. Some young people might attend more than one programme.Our centre (LOOP) is functional and funky and maintained by Te Papanui Trust and volunteers.Our purpose is to empower young people to reach their full potential.Currently…
After some concerns in Vestry last year, the Wardens and I indicated to the Diocese that the long-term finances of the Parish do not look healthy. We met with the Bishop, the Diocesan manager and CPT manager early this year. They indicated that the Parish could continue a little longer under the current administrative and ministry set-up, but long-term this might need…
A common argument by atheists is that most people are in some way atheist because they don’t believe in the many thousands of gods that have been part of human religion through time. Most believe only in one god and are therefore “atheist” with respect to all the other gods. Therefore, they argue, how do…
It seems to me that the bluebells in St James Park are more numerous and vibrant this year. There under the mature linden trees (also called “common lime tree”) they are the very picture of serene beauty. And they represent something of an old-world charm. We can be grateful at the beauty of God’s creation…
A few weeks ago someone asked me why I think that the world is so evil these days. I suggested that it was the way of a sinful world, that the troubles besetting the world seem to come in waves. Yes, there is a lot wrong in the world at the moment, but I’m not sure that this is the worst time…
If you spend any time on the internet or read motivational magazines, you will soon notice inspirational messages that tell you that the future will be far better than the past, that the best is still to come. It shouldn’t surprise us that those messages are often also promoted by prosperity preachers. After all, they stand to gain something from people’s drive…
On Wednesday afternoon Harmans Lawyers joined the Fellowship Group to talk about enduring powers of attorney and wills. The lawyers did say that those are valuable for people of any age and need to be regularly reviewed as circumstances change. And while powers of attorney might never actually be used, having a will makes it so much easier for those left behind,…