Our Parish Life in the Anglican Parish of Pauatahanui

	Messenger: Download the monthly newsletter for
	September 2010 (827kB)
	News of Pauatahanui Anglicans : Download the weekly newsletter for:
	29 August 2010 5 September 2010

Services

Download the September 2010 Service Roster.

Sermons

Recent sermons are available to download below:

Following Jesus our Brother	Father's Day	5 Sept 2010	Jenny Dawson
Christian Conservation Imperative	GEOH	29 August 2010	Keith Calder
“Open our eyes to the wonder of creation.”	Pentecost 14	29 August 2010	Jenny Dawson
Retreats	Evensong	22 August 2010	Jenny Dawson
Healing the broken body	Pentecost 13	22 August 2010	Jenny Dawson
Glimpsing God's Glory	Transfiguration	8 August 2010	Graeme Ogilvie
Riches in Heaven	Pentecost 10	1 August 2010	Graeme Ogilvie

Jenny's Study Leave in Turkey, holiday in Italy and her retreat in Ireland:

The first part of my Study Leave began, with the St George's College Jerusalem course "St Paul and the Early Church in Turkey". Jenny's emails from 25 May to 9 June are here Turkey .

Now Jenny writes from Italy.

The Tirty Day Retreat - a pre-reflection reflection! Ireland

A Brief Study Leave Report regarding 44 much-appreciated days within the period
23 May-7 August 2010.

Vestry Meetings

Vestry generally meets in the Parish Centre on the second Wednesday of the month at 7.30pm Minutes from the August meeting of Vestry.

Reports

Natural Church Development - read more about it here NCD.

Prayer Chain

The Prayer Chain is a confidential ministry. Anyone with a need may request prayer, for themselves, or on behalf of others. The prayer chain members will pray for that need.

Library

A selection of reading material is available from the Parish Library, which is located at the back of
St Andrew's Church, Steyne Avenue, Plimmerton. (The Parish Library will not be available until
St Andrew's is open again following the fire rebuild.)

Check the library catalogue here.

Contributing Financially

The Parish of Pauatahanui serves the local community and supports outreach through mission. Thus it depends on the monetary contributions made by many people. Worshippers are encouraged to express their commitment through regular cash contributions, and others make donations for a variety of reasons. Regular contributions can easily be made by joining the envelope scheme, or by setting up regular automatic payments. Another good way people support the Church is to make provision for a bequest in their will.

Giving made easy and some questions and hints to help you.

Parish Roll

A person becomes a member of the Church through baptism. The Anglican Church recognizes and accepts all who have been baptised from all Christian denominations. All who are baptised are able to receive all the sacraments of the church, including Holy Communion.

The Parishes Canon 2007 requires your name to be recorded upon our Parish Electoral Roll to become a voting member of Pauatahanui Anglican Parish. Currently your name is most likely on our Parish list which is used for communications such as the delivery of the Messenger. Also it is used for delivery of the offertory envelopes and all tax receipts. All this will still happen even if you do not wish to be on our Electoral Roll but you will not be able to vote or stand for office.

To find out more please contact the Parish Office. Alternatively, you may wish to download and complete the electoral roll application form and hand to the Parish Office.

Frequently Asked Questions

ABOUT THIS PARISH

Why does the parish have four different churches and not just one?
A hundred years ago there was just one church at Pauatahanui. St Alban’s was built in 1896. Plimmerton then became a popular seaside destination so St Andrew’s was built in 1916. St Mark’s at Pukerua Bay and St Philips in Paremata catered for the post war building boom in the 1950s.

Why is St Andrew's Church not on St Andrew's Road?
The road is named after the home place in Scotland of Mr Walker who owned the land in the nineteenth century. The church is named after St Andrew, who is the patron saint of many churches by the sea because he was a fisherman.

Where does the parish Vestry meet and how can I read their minutes?
They usually meet on the second Wednesday of the month in the Parish Centre. The minutes are sent out to the churches and are also put on the website.

Which version of the Bible is used for the readings in the parish?
The New Revised Standard Version is used because it is a good and inclusive translation. Also having one version of the Bible used by readers means that preachers can make specific references to the text.

Why do people chatter so much before the service?
Probably because they are pleased to see each other! They may also be welcoming new people. However, with this exception, it is helpful if everyone is quiet in the church as it is a sacred space and many people want to prepare themselves in prayer for the worship. It is sometimes said, "Before the service, talk to God. After the service, talk to each other!"

ABOUT THE ANGLICAN CHURCH

(or THE ANGLICAN COMMUNION as it is correctly called)
How are decisions made about church life?
The key unit of the Anglican Church is the diocese, so policy and directions are set by the Synod (Bishop with parish representatives). Local parishes set their own goals and organise their own local mission and life together, mostly through the elected Vestry. Within some parishes, individual local churches take responsibility for care of their own building and details of their worshipping life.

Who can receive the bread and wine in communion?
Those who have been baptised in any part of the Christian church, because this is the sacrament of belonging and strengthening for the ministry that God's people share together.

How can I find out what Anglicans believe?
Read the prayer book, both A New Zealand Prayer Book/He Karakia Mihinare o Aotearoa and the Book of Common Prayer. Also many parish websites are helpful in setting out clear beliefs.

Do you want to find out more about how Anglicans worship?
Have a look at this website Liturgy - an ecumenical site of resources and reflections for liturgy, spirituality, and worship, for individuals and communities.

ABOUT THE CHRISTIAN FAITH IN GENERAL

How can I learn to pray?
Mostly by doing it! A good spiritual director helps. Intentional personal prayer, possibly for about 30 minutes, should be part of every day. Being part of a church community helps. Often prayer groups are available and Anglican worship services always include various kinds of prayer (particularly praise, confession and intercession). However corporate prayer is not enough to deepen one's personal relationship with God, and you will probably find what happens in church flowing into your everyday life.

Why are there so many different denominations?

Because of historical events, as different individuals or groups experienced God's call in a particular way and found they could not be incorporated in the life of the church as it was. A good rule of thumb is to avoid any denomination or church that says it is the only way to God! The ecumenical movement of the twentieth century focussed on seeking ways that denominations could explore and celebrate what they have in common, and there has been considerable agreement especially about ministry and baptism, with eucharist being an outstanding and often painful area of difference between some denominations.

What is the difference between "a service", "worship", "eucharist", "communion"?

A service usually means a corporate worship activity and it mostly happens in a church building.
Worship means praise and adoration of God, which can and should be both an individual and corporate activity but is essential in any service.
Eucharist comes from the Greek word for thanksgiving and refers to the liturgical gathering in which bread and wine are shared, but also includes worship, praise, offering, and prayer for others. Anglican services today are mostly the eucharist, although morning and evening prayer (evensong) are rich parts of Anglican life.
Communion usually means holy communion which is technically the part of a eucharistic service which involves the ministry of the sacrament (that is the blessing, breaking and sharing of bread and wine). The mass or the Lord's supper are terms used for this in other parts of the Christian church.