1. religion and spirituality
2. christianity
3. catholicism

ANGLICAN PARISHES OF
PAHIATUA + EKETAHUNA
Magazine - Autumn 2015 (March - May)
messy church comes to Pahiatua !
co-vicar Debbie leads messy church in Christchurch, May 2010
Imagine church that is informal
and fun, suitable for people of all
ages. It may get a bit chaotic, even
messy at times.
If this appeals, then check out messy
church at St Peter’s Pahiatua on Sunday 29th March at 4pm to hear about
the Easter Story.
If the term ‘messy church’ doesn’t
appeal it may help to know that it
isn’t a reference to glue and glitter,
although there may be plenty of both.
Rather, the term acknowledges that
life often gets messy. Christians have
not got life all sorted. They wrestle
with the same issues that many do.
The difference is that they know Jesus
and He makes life worth living.
messy church does church differently.
It is suitable for people of all ages ...
. . . . continued on page 5
COMING EVENTS
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Regular events
MONDAY
9.30 – 11.30 am (during school term)
Pahiatua Community Play Group
2 pm Prayer Meeting at St Peter’s
TUESDAY
4.30 pm, EFM Study at St Peter’s
WEDNESDAY
10.00 am, Holy Communion
St Peter’s Church Lounge
3.15 – 5.00 pm (during school term)
Kids’ Club - afternoon tea, fun &
games at St Peter’s
7.30 pm, House Group
THURSDAY
9.30 – 10.30 am (during school term)
Mainly Music, St Peter’s Pahiatua
11 am, first Thursday of month
Coffee Club, Wooden Spoon Pahiatua
1 pm, second Thursday, Foot Clinic
1.30 – 2.30 pm, Simply Songs,
first and third Thursdays, Eketahuna
FRIDAY
10 am first and third Fridays
Waireka Rest Home Service
SATURDAY
12 pm, fourth Saturday of month
Loaves and Fishes Lunch, Pahiatua
PRAYER MINISTRY
We believe in the power of prayer.
Prayer is available at any time
– and especially after any service
– feel free to ask the worship leaders.
PASTORAL CARE
For those of you who may be
suffering ill health or would
appreciate a visit, or home
communion please contact one of
the clergy.
Contact Us
Eketahuna
Vicar’s Warden
Julie Waring
06 375 8464
People’s Warden
Nigel Dempsey
06 375 8900
Pahiatua
Vicar’s Warden
Alan West
06 376 7932
People’s Warden
Carol Coler
06 376 6417
Clergy
Co-Vicars
Debbie & Andrew Smith
[email protected]
06 376 7434
Assistant Priest
Jill Woods
[email protected]
06 376 7444 Ext1
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Christian communites,
healing
the sick, baptizing and teaching.
He became Prior (head) of the
monastery at Melrose, and later at
Lindisfarne. There was much opposition from the monks as he set
out to improve discipline and restore morale, but Cuthbert’s gentle sincerity and graciousness
gained their trust.
strengthening
St Cuthbert’s Cross
In 676, Cuthbert sought a more
solitary life of prayer and removed
We in Eketahuna will soon be celto the remote inner Farne, a small
ebrating our Patronal Festival, and
barren rocky island, where he
we thought it would be helpful to
lived in a partly underground cell.
tell Introducing
you somethingour
about
our
incoming
vicars,would
Andrew
People
crossand
from the
saint,Debbie
who started
off
many
years
Smith...
mainland to seek his advice. As
ago in the Celtic Church.
the years passed, he withdrew
St CUTHBERT
more and more, enjoying only the
CUTHBERT was born in Northum- company of birds and animals. In
bria, England about 635 AD. As a 685 he reluctantly agreed to be
boy he was strong athletic and en- Bishop of Lindisfarne and in the
joyed games. He became a shep- next two years, wore himself out
herd, and while tending sheep on with preaching, teaching and visthe hills, had a vision of angels iting all his large diocese on horsecarrying a soul to heaven. Some back or, more often, on foot.
days later, when he heard that He was always friendly, cheerful,
St Aidan had died, he recognized and full of loving concern for all
the vision as a call from God, and those with troubles. Being a bishwent to Melrose I Scotland to be- op did not change his way of life –
come a monk. Cuthbert traveled he wore the same plain clothing
widely through Northumbria, and lived with characteristic sim-
We’ve found two!
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plicity. By his actions, Cuthbert
gained the love of the people. He
contracted the plague and, realizing that he was dying, resigned as
bishop and returned to the Inner
Farne.
He died on 20 March 687 and was
buried on Lindisfarne (also known
as Holy Island, off the Northumcontinued from front page
... from the youngest to the oldest;
whether single or a family. It isn’t
only for children, parents and carers
come as well. Meeting together informally to learn more about God
expresses His heart for wholeness,
family and community.
messy church considers the needs,
learning styles, temperament and
spirituality of everybody. Jesus is
introduced through stories, prayer,
worship, creativity and crafts, friendship and hospitality in a relaxed atmosphere. messy church isn’t a
stepping stone into traditional
church; it is church in its own right.
berland coast), but after the Viking raids began, his remains were
removed and found their final
resting place in Durham Cathedral. We celebrate St Cuthbert
each year on 20 March, or the
nearest Sunday to that date.
Julie Waring, Vicar’s Warden,
St Cuthbert’s, Eketahuna
‘It is my heart to encourage and support taking risks in how we do church
and to face the challenging issues of
developing church in the 21st century’.
We look forward to welcoming you.
Debbie
more photos from a messy church
Debbie has been running messy
church since 2009 and has recently
taken up the role of National messy
church Coordinator.
She says she is committed to exploring and pushing the boundaries of
what it means to be church.
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St Peter’s:
a ‘Learning Community’ parish?
Some of Jesus’ closing words to his
followers were,
‘God authorized and commanded me
to commission you: Go out and train
everyone you meet, far and near, in
this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father,
Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct
them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I'll be with you as you do
this, day after day after day, right up
to the end of the age.’
(Matthew 28:18-20)
This is the ‘Message’ version of what
we call the ‘Great Commission’. Note
that Jesus did not say, ‘Fill your building with people.’ In many ways I often
feel we’ve taken our eye off the ball,
focussing more on church services
than ‘training everyone we meet’,
more frequently translated as
‘making disciples’.
Disciples isn’t a word we use much
outside of church circles, so I prefer
to say ‘apprentices’. An apprentice is
someone who serves time to become
a craftsman, skilled in using tools to
be creative. Church is about training
people of all ages to be skilled in using the life that God has given each of
us creatively.
Our bishop, Justin, has encouraged us
to focus on this task of training apprentices and one way of achieving
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this is by becoming a
‘Learning Community’.
The parish Vestry has been exploring
joining an initiative across the Wellington Anglican Diocese to focus on
training this Jesus way of life. It will
be a two-year commitment and an
investment the parish can make in its
future.
At our annual meeting (AGM) we will
be electing the new Vestry. With the
outgoing Vestry has deciding to become a Learning Community we are
asking that all new Vestry members
be committed to the two year initiative. It will involve meeting regularly
and three days away in Wellington in
each six-monthly period, starting in
April this year.
If you have not already seen it, look
out for the leaflet, ‘Learning Communities: a brief introduction’, copies
available in the foyer at St Peter’s.
Please be praying about the election
of Vestry at our AGM on March 22nd
that the parish will have leaders
ready for this fresh and
exciting challenge.
Blessings, Andrew,
co-vicar
From Jill Woods
Being Disciples
A special welcome to Andrew and
Debbie as they begin their ministry in
our parishes – I firmly believe that
this special couple answered Jesus
call to follow him to our parishes and
that they are committed to seeking
and fulfilling our Father’s will. What
about each of us?
Debbie & Andrew outside
St Peter’s
As children we are often asked what
will we do when we grow up
– I was convinced I would be a teacher – until one day at aged 15, I woke
with a neck that would not turn. That
day was a pivotal day in my life – from
that day I was convinced God had
called me to be a physiotherapist. As
we walk through the gospel of Mark
this year we see Jesus ministry beginning with the call of fishermen. His
invitation, ‘FOLLOW ME’ - saw Peter
and Andrew, James and John experience a pivotal moment - immediately they left their nets and followed
him – no self-doubts, no time for regrets, no lengthy debates – they
simply gave up the life they were
leading to become Jesus apprentices.
We may not have to give up our profession or our families but we are
called on a pivotal day to transform
our lives to be like Jesus. Like those
first disciples we are called to pass
the
story
on
– building faithful relationships that
deepen each person’s appreciation of
God, self and neighbour. My prayer
as we walk through Lent is that: we
will listen for Jesus calling to follow
him – and in so doing we will seek
afresh to seek the will of God. Remember that Jesus called and supported an intimate group around him
– prayed with them, mentored them,
equipped them for their mission – if
you require support as you journey
through Lent to the foot of the cross
and the beauty of Easter Day know
support is available – just a phone
call away.
Jill
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Martyrdom
The world has been rightly appalled by ISIS’ recent murder on a
Libyan beach of 21 Coptic Christians.
Perhaps surprisingly, not much
seems to have been made of the
fact that these men were Christians,
the successors of the forgotten early
disciples who, when St Paul was
travelling north to bring the Gospel
to Europe, travelled south along the
Nile to take the same Gospel as far
south as Ethiopia, still a Christian
country today and with a liturgical
language which is all that remains of
the ancient language of the pharaohs.
It is a shock to realise that their
deaths make them Christian martyrs, the latest in a line of Christian
heroes extending back 2000 years to
St Stephen. Who would have
thought that we would live to see
Christian martyrdom on such a scale
resurrected in the 21st century?
In spite of their differences in race,
culture and language, these are our
Christian brothers, so I hope that we
will remember them frequently in
our prayers in the months to come. I
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hope also we will remember that that,
besides the Copts there are many
Christians in a variety of sects at risk
throughout the Middle East and pray
for them as well. And I hope we will all
remember that in committing ourselves to Christ, we are all, like Jesus,
called upon to pay with our lives. Here
in New Zealand it may not be martyrdom but their example reminds us
that, we should offer willingly everything we do have and rejoice in the
privilege.
Alan West, Vicar’s Warden,
St Peter’s, Pahiatua
Kennadee Welch baptised in February
Jill & Chris at a St Peter’s baptism
Support our parishioners in business:
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The Computer Man
Do you want your lawns mowed
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06 375 8900 027 524 4999
Phone Ian 376 8093 or 027 507 3776
[email protected]
Phone Nigel Dempsey
We come to you
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Home and Business
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7 Tiraumea Rd, Pahiatua
Call Dean: 06 376 8767
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Kevins Tree
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027 5234458
06 3766017
NZHITO Certified
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From Kat our Parish Nurse
I have 81 regular clients within the
community for foot care. Some of my
regulars have died throughout the
year and some new ones have joined
the crowds.
For foot care I have seen 314 people
throughout the year:
92 home visits
91 at foot clinic
131 at Waireka
Jill Parker is my trusty helper at foot
clinic and without her I would not be
able to offer foot spas after a cut.
I have had 84 phone calls asking for
help or any other health related advice and 12 visits to my home with
questions or for first aid.
I have not counted all encounters and
chats at church but there have been
many.
As many have noticed, I have stopped
checking Blood Pressures. The reason
for this is that Blood Pressure cuffs
need annual maintenance, checking
and calibration which are expensive
and I do not think this cost feasible
for our Parish.
I feel like I am growing in this community, spiritually and socially. This com-
munity has given me so much over
the last years and I am proud to be
part of it. In my journey as a Parish
Nurse, God has guided me where he
wanted me to serve and I am trying
my best to fulfil his wishes.
News from the Medical Centre:
There now is a Podiatrist visiting from
Masterton. He is based at the Medical
Centre on a Friday.
This is a private service and we have
details of his charges available at reception.
I honestly believe that if you do have
any trouble with your feet he is very
worth the visit. It might only be that
you need to see him once a year to
take care of corns, warts or callouses
and ingrown toe nails.
If you would like to make an appointment please get the number at reception.
We now also have a Social worker
available who works every Friday at
the Medical Centre. You can either be
referred to him by your GP or nurse or
you can book an appointment
through reception. There is no charge
for his service.
Many blessings to you all, Kat
Foot Clinic
1pm Second Thursday of the month, St Peter’s Hall
Book an appointment with Katrin 376 6099
If you can’t make it to the church we can arrange a home visit
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The Last Word
I’ve learned that sometimes all a person needs
is a hand to hold and a heart to understand
Andy Rooney
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It was a very hot day for the installation of the
new co-vicars, 8th February!
From left to right: Andrew, Bp Justin,
Steve Kimberley (Masterton),
Mike Hawke (Anglican Missions Board)
Cool clergy!
Easter Services
29 MARCH PALM SUNDAY
Pahiatua
4pm
1 APRIL
Wednesday in Holy Week
Makuri
5.30pm Community Service with Supper
2 APRIL
MAUNDY THURSDAY
Pahiatua
6.00pm Passover meal
3 APRIL
GOOD FRIDAY
Pahiatua
Eketahuna
9.30am Reflective Service
11.00am Combined walk of the Cross
1.00pm Reflective Service
5 APRIL
EASTER SUNDAY
Pahiatua
8.30am Easter Morning Service
9.30am All Age Celebration
10.00am Easter Celebration
Eketahuna
messy church
FROM
Anglican Parishes of Pahiatua + Eketahuna, PO Box 52, Pahiatua 4941
Phone: 06 376 7434
Web: www.anglicans.org.nz
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please do feel free to let us know. Phone: Dawn 022 175 3268 or email: [email protected]
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