Last weekend St John’s in Johnsonville celebrated the 90th birthday of one of their stalwart women of faith and bishops medal recipient Jane Watts. This wonderful celebration got us thinking. Not just about Jane, but also about the hundreds of women of faith like her across our movement in the Diocese.

Our vicar, Chris Dodds, dressed in a cassock and surplice for the first time in his life, hymns that were over a century old, the 1662 liturgy, Chris preaching from the pulpit. What was happening at our 10:00am service on Sunday 26th July 2022?

Hot on the heels of refugee Sunday, we talked to Jake Smythe from Red Cross about his role in the former refugee resettlement programme. This story comes as we are in the process of setting up four homes and have six more to do in the next few weeks.

Thursday 30th June marked 10 years since Bishop’s Justin’s ordination as Bishop of Wellington.

World Refugee Day is marked on 20 June where we celebrate the courage and strength of refugees and displaced people. In the Anglican calendar, we set aside July 3 for Refugee Sunday.

Over the weekend, rangatahi from all over our diocese (and some from further abroad) got together at Forrest Lakes to explore what it means to be an everyday apprentice. And get up to general shenanigans (of course).

Last Sunday the Onslow Anglicans celebrated the 100th anniversary of the first worship service held at the St Barnabas church building in Khandallah. Bishop Sprott opened the worship service and in his sermon stated that on such as occasion as dedicating the new church it was fitting to ask themselves why they built churches.

Three of our movement whānau have been awarded honours this Queen’s Birthday weekend.

We recently celebrated with our Diocesan Advocacy team five years of campaigns and advocating for positive change and acknowledged the hard work of Kate Day and Elise Ranck who have been behind it all.

Across our Anglican Communion, in preparation for the Lambeth Conference this year, Bishops across the world have been gathering on Zoom to study 1 Peter, to pray together and listen to God for the Church. A few weeks ago I joined a group studying the theme of suffering and hospitality in 1 Peter 4.

On Saturday, St Paul’s Kapiti and All Saints Palmerston North hosted our northern training days. It was a great day of fellowship, connecting with old friends and making new ones as well as receiving some great input across a range of topics from having God Conversations, and putting them into practice to ministering to the dying to helping our children grow in their faith.

As part of the Thy Kingdom Come season our Peninsula Parish whānau are holding a contemplative prayer vigil on Saturday night.

Two training days down, two to go. If you’re on the fence about coming along to our Kāpiti or Palmerston North days here is what people had to say about Wellington and Wairarapa.

Thy Kingdom Come starts this Thursday, Ascension Day, and runs until the day of Pentecost on Sunday 5th June. Every year, millions of Christians around the world commit themselves to praying for 5 people to come to know the love and peace of Jesus Christ over this 10-day period.

My name is Annie Hawkes and my ministry is to those in residential dementia care. As the daughter of someone who had dementia, I realised how important faith was to the being of my mother. When so much of her identity was stripped away, her love of Church, her familiarity with the liturgy and faith in Jesus remained long after much of the rest of her life had disappeared.

For some of you reading this, you be thinking “Training Day is coming, yeah! Can’t wait.” For others you may be thinking, “What is this Training Day you speak of?” Training Day is for everyone and anyone!

Becoming a vocational deacon is something I’ve cogitated on (to borrow a phrase from my father) for many years. And, to be completely honest, it’s something that I tried to avoid for a long while! But as I’ve journeyed on this journey, I’ve come to realise that it’s not what I want but rather what God wants from me. So, here I am.