Kia ora All Saints Whānau!

We moved Isaac into his first flat this week. He’s joining AYM houses and has moved into the Thorndon House with two amazing leaders and a wonderful group of other young people committed to this radical Jesus journey. Amidst my big feelings about our boy leaving home (that always seemed to catch me off guard and come at awkward times like in the bath towel aisle at the warehouse), I was struck by how proud I was of him, and all our young adults in AYM Houses. These passionate and committed individuals are starting their journey of adulthood by devoting their time, energy, creativity and gifts to proclaiming God’s Kingdom around them. We could all learn a heck of a lot from them.
 
We live in a world that tells us to live for ourselves and make decisions based on what’s best for OUR future, OUR comfort, OUR stability. We often respond to the influences around us a bit like a cat chasing a laser pointer (have you ever tried that? It’s great fun). We are distracted by the next exciting thing and in that often loose our way. We as a church are fortunate to have Jesus as our tether point but those around us without that are struggling.
 
As we take our first few steps into the year as a faith community, we are just beginning to ask the question, “what does Missional Living look like?” I want to encourage you all to talk to one of the young adults in our congregation who are in the AYM Houses movement. They may be young, but they have wisdom beyond their years about what it means to live for those around them and lay down their lives for Jesus. And after you talk to them, I encourage you to find a way to support them. Together let’s be sure they feel deeply supported by their church so that they may be able to continue to pour out to those God is asking them to journey alongside. And this – being deeply relational with one another as we live missionally – will be an example of God’s Kingdom on earth that this world needs to see.

Hei konā mai me te aroha 
Summer on behalf of the co-vicars

Kia ora All Saints Whānau

Guy here, I am so filled with pride and excitement for our first House Church week of the year for 2022. We have a significant number of groups in action this week which is a huge testament to each groups leaders as well as each one of you who have joined a group! I met with our House Church leadership team recently as we met to discuss, dream and pray about 2022, I was then drawn to the passage in Acts 2 "The fellowship of the believers" I was drawn specifically to the last part of that passage at the end of verse 47 where it says and the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

This is so huge! we cannot be a group of people who meet and others are not joining. How are we continuing to position ourselves sot hat we are seeing others added to our number day by day and being saved. House Churches is another way that we live into the call to be the "church" in the Temple and the Home. We are creating a space where we can invite people into a place where they can explore and wonder about this God we believe in. Where they can be met by the transformative power of Christ and be saved. 
 
The Good News of Christ must be shared! 

If you are not in House Church please email me at [email protected] 

There is an epic amount of groups that meet across Wellington but one group I would like to highlight is the Minnees and the Worsleys have teamed up to lead 2 House Churches one from home but also one from the Parish Center. 

If you feel comfortable joining a House Church group from at the center this will run at 10am Sunday morning. 

Check out all the exciting opportunities to engage locally and globally in our newsletter. 

Remember when it all comes down to it prayer works! Lets get praying! 

Much love and blessings, 
​Guy on behalf of the co-vicars.  

This week Parish Council met and we wanted to keep you updated with what was discussed. If you want to discuss them further then please contact one of the Parish Council members found at the bottom of this message.

We discussed again our 3 priorities for 2022:
Missional Living:

• Wheldon presented an idea of using the centre for some concerts, getting some subscriptions to watch them and looking to the future for setting up a Whanau and Youth Hub. Parish Council will review this again in April to see how successful the March series has been. Look out for more information on these concerts in March.

Children and Families:

• There was an update about what is happening in the Childrens and Families space - including the purchase of a curriculum that is home based so we can continue throughout isolation periods and the house church is really connected and growing. 
• There was also discussion about an Intergenerational offering for Children and Families. There is to be more discussion to happen around this and we will hear back soon.

​Buildings:

• We are going to do an audit of the Centre to find all maintenance issues within the next month and then decide a course of action from there.
• Parish Council is keen to find out what is needed from the Diocese for the brick church building and then have a discussion about what the plans for this would look like as a church. We will set a plan in the next couple of months around how to have this discussion.

There were some approval of accounts and a setting of the AGM Date (27th March) that were also decided.

Parish Council for 2022-23:

• Chris Worsley - Vicar's Warden
• Marietta Flaws - People's Warden
• David Butterfield - Synod Representative
• Ginny McCarty - Methodist Representative
• Wheldon Curzon-Hobson
• Corinna Lines
• Heather Miller
• Karen Moreau

Kia ora All Saints Whanau,

I write this from my caravan parked in our driveway as we prepare to move closer to our neighbourhood that we minister in. We have yet to find a house but will see what comes up in the next couple of weeks.

We will gather this week on Waitangi Day, our nations day to focus on the beginnings, the struggles and the journey it has been to be treaty partners in this beautiful whenua (land). The treaty itself was born out of a wanting to partner with the queen to protect Māori, the whenua and all that was here. It has been horrific for Māori in this journey. But to me it is important to recognise that many of the stories I have heard where Māori have been mistreated is out of people wanting to get all they wanted.

This is the gospel imperative - where we can give up our rights (because we realise they were not ours in the first place) and all we wanted and in fact serve the other. In our reading this week from Luke I can see two clear parts where the disciples realises their own shortcomings.

First, Peter after Jesus has done a miracle:
"When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!”"
Peter recognises his own sinfulness and that he is not worthy to be before Jesus. He recognises his place is before Jesus the king.

Secondly, the disciples at the end of the passage:
"So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him."
They listen and they obey what Jesus is saying.

So may we do the same and not make the mistakes of our ancestors and those around us who go after their own gain. Rather may we go after kingdom gains and recognise our place at the feet of Jesus because we are welcomed there not because we are worthy.

See you soon Hataitai we are moving into the area and I am coming to you because I am trying to listen to what Jesus told me to do.

Andrew Spence
On behalf of the Co-Vicars.