​Kia ora All Saints family. 

What a phenomenal weekend we had with our Annual Light Party on Sunday. See the Light Party article here.

I am always so encouraged that, as a community, we have a DNA of being able to understand and acknowledge that as much as we love and value gathering together either in the room or in homes to worship, we are ok to shut down those spaces to create room for our community to gather in a place that is fun, warm and welcoming and affords us a chance to meet and build a relationship with the hope of creating space for interaction with the kingdom of God somewhere down the line. 

Seeing our community, from young to old, work together, as well as with and alongside those from the wider Hataitai Community, create that space fills my heart with joy and pride. Well done everyone. 

This week is our final House Church Sunday for the year as we head towards our AGM and Advent together. It's always good to think about why we do what we do so we don't forget. It's also necessary to keep asking are we seeing God at work amongst us as we do what we do. House Churches are a way for us to continue to meet in a deeper, more intimate way that gives us a way of connecting not only with each other in a deeper way but unlocking, unpacking, and digging through the word of God and into prayer in a deeper way together. So, as we connect this week for the last structured time together as House Churches, let us remember that it is in these moments that we are looking to really look each other in the eyes and ask each other what it is that God is saying to us and what am I going to do about it. 

Just a reminder that we have our AGM coming up on Nov 17th. It will be a real celebration and thanksgiving gathering. Our team is working hard in the background, setting this up and preparing the morning. Please keep an eye out over the next week or so as we compile all the reports and information for us as we gather. 

We are starting to finalise all our Christmas events that are coming up. It would be great to know if you are around over Christmas and keen to serve together. Please email Ginny and just let her know you are available. We will also have a clipboard out over the next several weeks for you to put your name down. 

It is with great love and joy to be on team with you all. 

Much love,

Kia Ora All Saints Whānau, 

We missed being with you all last Sunday. Guy, Adam DeJong (our amazing synod rep), and I spent the weekend with many others from our diocese at St. Mary’s Karori where we all gathered for our 2024 Diocesan Synod. There was a fair amount of meeting time filled with business and governance matters that may not always thrill most of us. But it was also a beautiful time of fellowship and connection with our greater diocesan whānau. There is something so powerful about these reminders that we are a part of something greater than our individual contexts. We are a part of the body of Christ and that body is not simply a figurative illustration for the worldwide church. It’s a literal description of what it means to all be in this together. Let me tell you, there’s nothing like a synod meeting to make me thankful there are other parts of the body that are gifted in the areas that I’m not! If you want to learn more about synod and the discussions had there, check out this article from Movement Online. 

At All Saints we have been journeying together throughout this year exploring what it means to be the body of Christ – what authentic community is. One of the practical things I found myself pondering over the weekend is what it looks like to live into that wider than All Saints. What does it look like to truly operate as a body of Christ? I think there’s so much we could explore, but what feels clear to me is that it starts with shifting our posture to begin to see ourselves as a part of something bigger. God is doing incredible things at All Saints; let’s share those stories with other parts of the body. God is doing miracles and answering prayers for others who are ministering in different contexts; let’s find spaces to hear what God is doing and pray for our brothers and sisters who are sharing Jesus in their neighbourhoods. 

Perhaps one of the most beautiful celebrations of this in our diocese is our ordination and celebration service on the 23rd of November. And this year we have the opportunity to go in support of Cassandra who is responding to God’s call on her life through ordination to the transitional Diaconate. I would encourage you all to come along to that, support Cassandra well, celebrate with others responding to similar calls, and rejoice in all that God is doing in our diocese. Read all the details here 

​This Sunday is one of our big opportunities at All Saints to engage with our local community and share Christ’s love with those in Hataitai and Kilbirnie. If you haven’t already signed up to participate, please do by clicking here to join 

Let’s turn up for our community on Sunday and our Diocesan family on Nov 23rd, and let us keep rejoicing together in the hope we share in the Risen Christ. 

Ngā Mihi Nui, 
Summer

​Kia ora All Saints 

Guy here this week. I have spent the week in awe of how God moved on Sunday. The palpable sense of God's presence amongst was energizing. As I continue to revisit the prophecy from Ezekial, where God calls Ezekial to call out to the dry bones, and they turn into corpses, God then calls Ezekial to call on the spirit of God to come, and the bodies come alive. May we be people who are crying out for the spirit of God to come! May we see people come alive in the presence of God! 

We are fast approaching Advent and Christmas season; my encouragement to us as a church is to not miss what God is doing amongst us or calling us into as we prepare for the rush of the world in this season: all the parties, calendar planning, or family preparations. Let us be present in the now and toward the future. Recently I have been involved in several conversations about where people feel God is calling them to step out or into spaces here at All Saints next year. This is so exciting: opportunities involving missional communities, formation classes, deeper understanding, and involvement in prayer. As we prepare for the end of the year my challenge to us, if I may be so bold, is to seek the Lord with a fervent heart as to where or what he is asking us to participate in here in the life of All Saints, that might be something new with a team of people (never alone) or it might be right where you are, as you strengthen and grow a ministry, let us not be a passive people who are content with drifting along. 

Just a reminder that this week is 9am and House churches, the following week Oct 27th is Go Sunday with our annual Light Party happening. Please head over to the spreadsheet by signing up for a place to serve and getting involved. 

Summer, Adam and I covort your prayers this weekend as we are at Synod, pray that we would have a time of connection with others around the diocese and that we would see and hear God at work amongst some of the more business aspects of the institution. 

May you go about this week with strength and trust in the Lord.

Yours in Christ 

Kia Ora All Saints Whānau, 

​Guy and I just returned from Auckland where we spent three days with church leaders from our Diocese and churches of all denominations throughout New Zealand at the Abide conference. (Special shout out to Jess Hedge for bravely watching our kids for two nights! What a legend.) Being in a place of input alongside so many others who are seeking to share Jesus in neighbourhoods throughout Aotearoa was inspiring and encouraging. Being there without children to look after or anything to lead ourselves meant that we could fully engage, we could sit in prayer for All Saints and our community, and we could listen to the Holy Spirit speak to us about all that he is doing and seeking to do in our context. 

We came away a bit mentally exhausted but with full hearts and a renewed spirit of excitement to keep pouring ourselves into ministry in our parish. I want to share briefly a few of the stirrings we had from the Holy Spirit and ask that you all pray alongside us for more clarity, direction, and divine inspiration as we ask God what he has for All Saints in 2025. 
1. We need the power of the Holy Spirit and must be committed to constant prayer as a church for God’s spirit to move amongst us. 
2. Our church must be a place of hope and healing for all who come walk through our doors or engage with us in any way. 
3. We have a great responsibility in how we engage in Christian formation, particularly with our children, youth, and young adults. 

Amidst the dreaming and wondering we did this week, we also sat in a deep and profound sense of privilege at the opportunity to lead with you in this time and in this place. Every church has things we need to work on and ways we need to grow and heal, but we are clearly able to see that there is so much healthy soil at All Saints. We have a healthy culture, we love one another well, and we are deeply committed to participating in bringing about God’s Kingdom around us. We believe that God has laid a firm and healthy foundation in which his Spirit can move and that is something to be deeply grateful for. 

Guy has written an article with a bit more info on our time at the Abide conference so check that out, and we look forward to continuing this conversation and dreaming together with all of you. For now, please pray alongside us for God to move in a mighty way. 

Ngā mihi nui, 
Summer

Kia ora, All Saints whānau. 

Guy here! This week, Summer and I are in the throes of the school holidays with the kids, for the first time in our new season at All Saints. So far, so good! It’s a mixture of going slow and keeping active with the kids amidst the “I’m bored” moments. This isn’t too different from our conversation about breathing in and breathing out last week during our first week of Revelation. Feel free to check that out in our sermons section if you missed it. 

Next week, Summer and I will be in Auckland for the Laidlaw Abide conference with others from our diocese. We are hoping and praying for a time of hearing about and seeing how God is working in other parts of the kingdom, as well as discovering tools that might help us as a community as we seek Gods leading at All Saints.

This week, we enter our second week of letters from Revelation, focusing on a God who knows our suffering and trials as we live in this world and live out the good news. We will gather at 9 a.m. and in our House Churches for deeper discipleship, specifically looking at Revelation 2:8-11. 

As you gather, make sure to discuss and decide where your group wants to serve at our annual Light Party coming up on October 27th. There are plenty of opportunities, so feel free to sign up for a couple of slots. Check out the signup sheet in the newsletter. 

Be sure to head over to the notices section of our newsletter to see all that is happening here at All Saints. There’s a lot to get involved with!

Ngā mihi,