Dear Friends,
I continue to be uplifted by our Living Faith conference – lovely compliments about the conference keep coming in – and I hope we are continuing to reflect on what it means to live a Jesus-shaped life in a Jesus-shaped church working for a Jesus-shaped world to the glory of God. Then, in turn, how might we be disciples who make disciples who make disciples?
Last Friday evening and Saturday, at Living Springs, another significant Diocesan event took place, our Deeper Camp for 2024, with around 100 young people, parents and leaders in attendance. A very big thank you to Azaria Brooker, our Diocesan Children’s Ministry Developer and her team for organising and facilitating the event, to speakers Amy Clark and the Reverend Harry Newton, and to Paul Hegglun and his music team. This year’s camp was the best attended in our Diocese for some years.
On Sunday night Sister Annette of the Community of the Sacred Name died in Christchurch Hospital. She has been a faithful servant of the Community and the wider church, through a very long life. Since the 2011 earthquakes, Sister Annette has been resident in Ashburton and her funeral will be at 10.30am this Friday, 8 November 2024 in St Stephen’s Church, Ashburton. All welcome.
All are invited to share in the ordination service as Robert Jamieson, Andy Dickson, Anne Shave and Sage Burke are ordained deacons at 10.30am on Saturday, 23 November in the Transitional Cathedral. Clergy are asked to robe with red stoles.
Congratulations to Dame Sue Bagshaw on the opening of the Youth Hub in Salisbury Street, Christchurch. This opening represents the achievement of a huge vision and is a result of government and community generosity. A special Anglican link to this project is the supply of the land beneath the Youth Hub by the Anglican Care Trust Board.
On Sunday morning it was good to be at St Barnabas’ Fendalton to confirm Anne, Amy, and Hugh and to celebrate All Saints Day. At the conclusion of the service, I licensed the Reverend Dr Andrew Butcher to be Priest in Charge of Fendalton and the Reverend Jenny Wilkens to be Senior Associate Priest of Fendalton (effectively a swapping of roles for Andrew and Jenny). Concomitantly, Dr Nigel Yeoh became the Bishop’s Warden for the parish, and Marcus Read stepped down from that role.
I am delighted to announce that the installation of Marcus Read as a new Lay Canon for the Cathedral will take place in the Transitional Cathedral during the 5pm Evensong on Sunday 24 November 2024. All are welcome to this service.
Late on Sunday afternoon, Teresa and I were at the Rāpaki church for an annual ecumenical Parihaka service led by the Reverend Maui Stuart. On Tuesday morning, we were at the Peace Bell in the Christchurch Botanic Gardens for a Parihaka service on Parihaka Day itself. It was good to see fellow Anglicans at this ecumenical service which included members of the Christ’s College choir and representatives from The Cathedral Grammar School.
The question of heritage status is challenging for a number of our buildings in the Diocese. Some timely words of wisdom may be found in this article by Dr Eric Crampton.
Please pray for:
- Healing for the Reverend Jo Latham (Hanmer Springs).
- The Diocese of Dunedin preparing for its electoral synod which will take place over the weekend 22-24 November 2024.
- Andy Dickson, Robert Jamieson, Anne Shave and Sage Burke preparing for ordination as deacons.
- Peace and justice in all places torn apart by war, destruction and chaos.
The Gospel Reading for Sunday is Mark 12:38-44. The contrast between the modest widow and the show-off scribes and show-off rich folks suggests that Mark tells us this story as an example for disciples. The total commitment of the woman is in keeping with the total commitment of Jesus himself.
Arohanui,
+Peter.