Weekly Notices - 6th July 2025
As a church we come together this week to mark World Refugee Day in which we honour refugees around the globe, celebrate the strength and courage of people who have been forced to flee their homes to escape conflict or persecution, and lament the circumstances that led to their forced displacement and harrowing journeys to find refuge.
World Refugee Day offers us an opportunity to build empathy and understanding for the plight of refugees, to recognize their resilience, to pray for displaced people and their homelands, and to take time to discern how God is calling us, as Christ followers, to provide compassionate care for refugees and other displaced people. We are called to pray for the stranger in our midst and say to the refugee and asylum seeker: 'we see you, and there is a God who sees you too'.
I hope that as we gather in the safety of our church and its surrounds, we can be mindful of the struggles of all those who are new to our land – especially those forced to land here without a choice and with no future in their own homeland. And when we leave this place, let us be Jesus’ face of Welcome and Love in our community.
May God bless St Aug’s
Your Friend and Vicar, Kofe.
Vicar Kofe
This Sunday’s Service (6th July)
Theme: ‘Refugee Sunday’ - God's word expressed in human persons and their actions
Sentence: ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; ask therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest.’ Luke 10:2
Collect:
Eternal God, you are working still,
breaking down and building up;
open our eyes to discern your hands
so that we may take our place
as labourers together with you.
Hear this prayer for your love’s sake.
Amen.
Readings: 2 Kings 5: 1 - 14, 6 – 14 & Luke 10: 3 -11; 16 – 20
Messy Church at St Augs!
On Saturday 28th June, we held a very successful ‘Messy Church’ activity day for Pre-School & Primary aged children in the Hall.
Many grateful thanks from Rowena, Thelma and the team to all those that contributed to the success of this day. We hope to hold another session before the end of the year!
What is ‘Messy Church’? Messy Church is a church for everyone who may not feel comfortable attending a ‘normal’ church service and who don’t yet belong to a church. It typically includes a meal, hands-on activities such as arts, crafts, meeting God in the outdoors, science activities and more, which are suitable for all ages.
Check out the NZ ‘Messy Church’ website! www.messychurch.nz
Last Sunday, we were absolutely privileged to have members of the ‘Sumner Silver Brass Band’ lead our 10am Combined Service.
With all the scaffolding still in place, it was especially apt to see how the band seated themselves around the 'mess' of our repairs and just fit in so calmly with what we had to work with.
This week, Vikki and the band are competing in the 2025 National Brass Band Championships, being held in the Christchurch Town Hall. Registrations for this competition have been received from around 39 Bands from throughout NZ and also from other countries, so it will indeed be a spectacular showcase event. After our service on Sunday, we were treated to a performance of the Band’s pieces for the competition – thoroughly enjoyed by all!
If you remember, our relationship with the Sumner Silver Brass Band began a few years ago when young Loki Kristianson joined us as one of our regular organists. Loki organised a visit by the Band as a fundraising concert which was truly successful, and since then he has brought in members of the Band to accompany him whenever he was rostered to play at our Sunday services. The whole Band has joined us several times to lead our Sunday service music, and we are always so grateful for their time and energy, and the relationship we have forged together.
Our prayers are with the Sumner Silver Brass Band this week as they participate in their competition. We look forward to hosting them here at St Aug’s again, at the end of November.
The year that keeps giving... us building work(!)
During the last week of June we are having the Sanctuary feature (internal) wall stripped as it has been discovered to contain asbestos.
Very impressive operation complete with complete plastic containment within the scaffolding, an internal 3-stage shower (in the sanctuary area no less, more involuntary baptisms?!?) and venting system (check out the plastic tubing).
The first concert in our current Organ Concert Series featuring Sea-am Thompson was a huge hit with a full house (check out the photos below!).
Get in quick for the next one! (Click here for more details about this series.)
Please be warned that with the commencement of our roof repairs we have LOTS of scaffolding around the place to be aware of. In particular this affects parking near the Hannan Centre ramp.
Be careful out there!
(And here are a couple of shots of the team in the skyline recently.)
Please remember to use our Diocesan Prayer for Regeneration: As the kotuku gently rests upon the tree, come and rest upon us Holy Spirit as we pray for the regeneration of our Diocese… Ever living God, through your Spirit you constantly renew the whole creation; bring regeneration to your Diocese of Christchurch, grant us courage to grow disciples of Jesus, give us vision to reach young people and their families, and strengthen us to create vibrant communities of faith. All this we ask in Jesus' name. Amen.
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