I generally do not watch a lot of sport. With the Olympic Games coming up, I may catch the odd competition. I do have to say that I find team sports more interesting to watch and may view some basketball or volleyball games. For me the most interesting spectator game is still football. But I…

Music affects us far more deeply than just the written or spoken word alone. Hymns and songs give voice to our emotions, our deepest feelings, our sincerest convictions, our firmest hopes, and our hidden longings. Through them many people can more readily praise and worship God. Through hymns and songs, which often endure across generations,…

Children and Families Worker We have now appointed a children and families worker. Emma Cooper will join us from July 2024. She is an engineering student at Canterbury University and has worked with children in churches in Wellington and Christchurch. She currently attends All Saints in Burwood. Growing up in a Salvation Army church, she…

Even though the Anglican Church does not officially recognise “saints” as people that were set apart by God, each Anglican Province has a calendar of commemoration to remember Christians that exhibited faith in a way that was significant for the Church. These men and women are reflective of the Christian faith through the ages and…

Both the Diocesan Standing Committee and Church Property Trustees have approved the parish motion at the last AGM to retain some of the land for a vicarage and to sell the remaining land with preference given to the Christchurch Methodist Mission. This is a necessary step in the process. The Methodist Mission need to confirm…

A few weeks ago one of my children asked me what might be the worst thing that could happen to us. An asteroid hitting earth? “Possibly,” I said. But if it destroyed most life on earth very quickly, it may not be that bad. The despair and reaction of people before it hit may be…

On Trinity Sunday we used the quite different Athanasian Creed, instead of the Apostle’s or Nicene Creeds. Some people noted the recurring reference to the catholic faith, the catholic religion and the catholic church. But what does the term catholic mean? The Greek word katholikos is a combination of two Greek words: kata (“according” or…

At the Annual General Meeting only one ordinary Vestry member was elected. The Bishop has since advised that another parishioner should be co-opted by Vestry as an ordinary Vestry member, so that St Paul’s Papanui would not need to be dealt with as a problem parish by the Bishop. Several people involved with the Parish…

Last week New Zealand’s electricity system came close to its limits on a cold day with several power stations out of service for maintenance and hardly any wind to drive turbines. Both private and commercial electricity users helped by saving power. Alongside efforts to conserve electricity there were also efforts to state the problem clearly…

Last year I was getting ready for my second day of the Diocesan synod. I was sighing as I put on my jacket. My daughter asked me where I was going that day and what I would be doing. I told her that I was going to a church meeting, where I would be listening…