Weekly Notices - 23rd November 2025
As we look to mark Aotearoa Sunday this week, our minds turn to the special logo our Anglican Church has, here in Aotearoa NZ and Polynesia. Many of you may have noticed the logo on wider church publications, and as lapel pins worn by members of the church.
People have also questioned the idea behind its design and its meaning, so I think it is appropriate that we look at our Anglican Church logo and familiarise ourselves with it as we celebrate the work of Te Hahi Mihinare and our own Maori Diocese of Waipounamu.
A brief summation of the logo is given below:
The Woven Flax Cross - Te Ripeka Whiringa Harakeke
by Archbishop David Moxon
The woven flax cross, Te ripeka whiringa harakeke, was chosen as the first work of art in our prayer book and has become a sign of being Anglican in these islands. At the centre of the woven cross pattern is the koru, a sign of life. The koru is presented in red, a sign of life blood, of the life giving love which flows through the heart of the Christian message and Christian mission. The design presents the flax strands moving outwards, symbolising the life patterns of the Gospel being formed in a new creation.
May God bless St Aug’s as we celebrate each other
Your Friend and Vicar, Kofe.
Vicar Kofe
This Sunday’s Service (23rd November)
Theme: A day of Prayer & Thanksgiving for the work of the Bishop of Aotearoa
Sentence: Look to the rock from which you were hewn, and to the quarry from which you were dug. Isaiah 51: 1
Collect:
God of all races and peoples,
you have given your Maori people a unique contribution to make to the rich diversity of your church; strengthen the bishops, clergy and people of Te Pihopatanga o Aotearoa, that by their worship and service they may proclaim your love and bear faithful witness to the good news;
through Jesus Christ our Saviour.
Amen.
Readings: Colossians 1: 3-14 & Mark 4: 26-34
FROM THE PRAYER WORKING GROUP (Christine, Jenny and Liz)
Memories of our 24-Hour-Prayer event continue to warm our hearts & feed our spirits!
A big thank you to all who participated; the Saturday section leaders, the parishioners who came along to support and pray, the faithful parishioners who prayed us through every one of the 24 hours at home, and the wonderful background people who assisted along the way.
And now, as we focus on “where to from here”, we’re beginning to look towards prayer goals for 2026.
We’d love to increase the numbers in our Email Prayer Team.
Many of you have received prayer through this team, or through the Prayer Box, and from the 11am Pray-ers at the end of services.
We invite you, along with all parishioners, to seriously consider joining the seven intercessors who currently make up the Email Prayer Team.
In joining, you commit to pray regularly for as long as you like, and in any way you like, for prayer requests that are forwarded firstly to Christine, then on to the team.
This ministry is one that older parishioners can so easily be part of!
Give it a go, and see how this special ministry will bless you and bless others through you!
Just email Christine at cdesenna@gmail.com to join up!
Come and join us on Sunday in our Lay-led 11am service.
There will be a 5-10 minutes open sharing/testimony time, so bring your stories and let’s share them in our God Space!
Sunday 30th November:
Please note that this particular Sunday will be the 5th Sun of the month; hence a 10am Combined Service.
It will also be the 1st Sun of Advent, our time of preparation before Christmas, and it is delightful that our Sumner Silver Brass Band will be leading our music selection. We are grateful for our warm connection with SSBB, established through Loki Kristiansen, and always look forward to having them in our midst.
Please diary Sun 30th November as a 10am Combined Service, and plan ahead to bring a plate for Morning tea.
Messy Church
We are aiming to run one sometime in Term 1 next year.
See the photos below to see what our previous ‘Messy Church’ session looked like!
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
The church is currently being opened to the public each Thursday afternoon between 1 - 3pm.
This is a great opportunity for you or others you may know to walk through our beautiful doors and sit in the quiet holiness of our space.
Everyone is welcome, and we thank Kristine & Mick McKey for this ministry.
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)
Helpful info
Giving
Groups
It’s easy to connect and get involved with some great social and faith-focused groups that meet regularly across the parish. You can find out about all our regular groups on our Groups page. If you have any questions, just click the contact button to connect with the group’s organiser.
Need prayer?
We’d love to pray for you. See the ‘Prayer Support’ section on the Help & Support page for more information on how we can help with your prayer needs. There are confidential and anonymous options available.