e-Life

Greetings from Mid Canterbury, where God is at work in the church and community.

 

At 12.12pm every day since early 2023, Ashburton Parish has been using the Leading Your Church into Growth prayer – for growth in numbers, in spiritual commitment and in service to the community. We ventured an Alpha course last term, and 30 people participated. Now, 20 of those have trained as leaders and helpers for this term’s course.

 

Participants last term said Alpha:

“Reminded me that Jesus loves me, I think it also made me a calmer person”; “Awakened my desire to know Jesus more and to let me accept his love with open arms”;
“Showed me that even a broken person can have a purpose”;
“Allowed me to welcome the Holy Spirit”;
“Rekindled my faith and awakened the desire to attend church and lead a more productive life.” 

God was wonderfully at work!

 

Across Mid Canterbury, a new after-school club in Methven grew from 4 to 17 children last term. Also at All Saints Methven, a Sunday evening meal is being offered weekly through winter at 6pm with Evening Prayer at 6.45pm – and weekend visitors to the ski field are warmly welcome.

 

This Sunday there’s the first Pint with a Priest at Mt Somers pub at 3pm; and St Mark’s Rakaia is trialling Breakfast Church at 9am on the first Sunday of the month in the church lounge.

 

It feels like the wind of the Spirit is in our sails as we seek to keep up with what God may do next.

 

In news from the wider Diocese, The Rev’d Dr Sam Wells (Vicar of St Martins-in-the-Fields in Trafalgar Square, London and Visiting Professor of Christian Ethics at King’s College in London) will be visiting Christchurch next month. While he is here, he will be presenting “Reimagining the Church in Mission” on 16 August. For more information, see the article below in e-Life, or visit the Theology House website.

 

The Rev’d Dr Hugh Bowron has been appointed Priest in Charge of Kaiapoi Parish, and he takes up that role for a time from Wednesday, 1 October.

 

Last weekend I was blessed to be at an Anglican Pacifist conference in Wellington. In the face of ongoing and increasing international turmoil, it is vitally important that followers of the Prince of Peace commit to God’s unceasing work of justice, reconciliation, and peace. 

 

The Anglican Consultative Council’s five marks of mission challenge us “to seek to transform unjust structures of society, to challenge violence of every kind, and to pursue peace and reconciliation”. Now, more than ever, it is time to step up to this challenge.

 

God bless you in all that you do, that the reign of God may come on earth as it is in heaven.

 

Arohanui,
Indrea

The Venerable Indrea Alexander, Deputy Vicar General

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Dear Friends,

 

It was a joy to be with a full congregation in All Saints’ Church, Methven last night for the ordination of the Reverend Sage Burke as a priest in the church of God. The photo above features Sage, Lara, his wife, Felicity and Genevieve their children and the Reverend Eric Keyte (Vicar of St. John’s, Roslyn, Dunedin), the preacher for the service. I thank the parishioners of the Parishes of Mayfield-Mt. Somers, Methven and Rakaia for their hospitality and congratulate our clergy on a large turn out for the occasion. I also thank the Reverend Jenny Wilkens, our Diocesan Director of Ordination for her co-ordination of planning for the service and Archdeacon Ben Randall for leading Sage in his pre-ordination retreat.

 

On Sunday morning and early afternoon, it was also a joy to participate in 8am and 11am services with Archdeacon Nick Mountfort, celebrating the patronal festival of St. Peter’s, Upper Riccarton, with the 11am service being a doubly special occasion. First, it was a joint service in English and Mandarin with the Chinese church that meets each Sunday at St. Peter’s under the leadership of Pastor Albert. Secondly, within the service, we dedicated and blessed eight bells which will soon be installed in the tower of St. Peter’s. Once installed, this new pearl of bells will be enthusiastically rung by trained bellringers. Our thanks to the Keltek Trust which have generously made this installation possible – the first in NZ for some 50 years. Following the morning services, we shared in an amazing lunch together.

 

Teresa and I then travelled over to Akaroa for the ordination and induction of the Reverend Pauline Hampshire as the new minister of the recently constituted Community Church of Akaroa Banks Peninsula – a joint venture between Anglicans and Presbyterians. This service was led by the Moderator of the Alpine Presbytery, the Reverend Lynmarie Sopoaga and the preacher was the Reverend Luke Blackbeard, one of the ministers at The Village Presbyterian church, Christchurch. A very nice high tea followed this service. Welcome Pauline and Simon to life in Canterbury!

 

Friday and Saturday’s events included attendance at sessions of the Little Revolutions conference, an ecumenical event focused on church planting and pioneer ministries, participation in a farewell service for Liz Coster, Deputy Principal at St. Mark’s School, Opawa who is moving to become Principal of St. Michael’s Church School, Christchurch, and confirmation in the Transitional Cathedral of five young women from St. Margaret’s College: Emma, Zoe, Erin, Lucie and Madison. Each of these occasions was uplifting and encouraging.

 

Last Sunday, 29 June 2025, was the Reverend Lucy Flatt’s last Sunday as Vicar of the Parish of Highfield, Kensington and Otipua. Thank you, Lucy and Cameron, for your ministry here and best wishes for your new ministry in the Parish of Johnsonville.

 

Sunday was also the last Sunday for the Reverend Sandy Constable as Vicar of Kaiapoi. Sandy will be on study leave for the next three months until her appointment as vicar there formally concludes. Thank you, Sandy, for your ministry in Kaiapoi.

 

The Reverend Gabriele Anderson, minister at Rolleston in the Parish of Lincoln, has announced that she will be taking up a new appointment from 1 September 2025 as a Justice chaplain in Auckland. I will have more to say about Gabriele’s enormous contribution to the development of ministry and mission in Rolleston nearer to the time her ministry concludes there.

 

We have been well served for generations in our Diocese by outstanding Chancellors. On Monday, 30 June, 2025, Maurice Walker concluded his role as Chancellor (simultaneously with laying down his licence as a lawyer). Thank you, Maurice, for your work for us. I look forward to a formal occasion in our September Synod for all present to acknowledge your service in our Diocese as our Chancellor.

 

I am delighted to announce that effective from 1 July 2025, our Vice Chancellor, Alex Summerlee, is our new Chancellor. Thank you, Alex, for taking up this role.

 

Please pray for the following deacons who will soon be ordained as priests – all welcome, clergy robing with red stoles:

The Reverend Robert Jamieson, at 7pm, Friday 8 August at St. Michael’s and All Angels church, Oxford Terrace, Christchurch

The Reverend Andy Dickson, at 7pm, Thursday 14 August at All Souls church, Church Lane, Merivale

The Reverend Dr Anne Shave, at 5.30pm, Wednesday 27 August at the Transitional Cathedral, Hereford Street, Christchurch

 

A significant opportunity to hear outstanding theologian, author, and priest, the Reverend Dr Sam Wells, is coming up when Sam leads a full day seminar on Saturday 16 August, 2025 at All Souls Church, Church Lane, Merivale.  Sam offers a vision for a renewed sense of what it means to be the Church in mission, grounded in theology and practice.  Details are on the Theology House website, and here is the registration link. It will be a privilege to host Sam in our Diocese. I especially encourage all preachers, and Bible study group leaders to register for this event. We have nearly 50 people already registered for the event, and I am keen to see at least 100 of us share in this great day with Sam Wells.

 

If there were a competition for the most widely known member of our Diocese, I suggest it would be easily won by Tammy Wells, aka the Briscoes Lady, and regular organist and worshipper at St. Mark’s, Marshlands in the Parish of Shirley. Tammy is the subject of this lovely article (which was not behind a paywall when I read it).

 

The Canterbury Interfaith Society and Lady Khadija Trust have made a joint statement in response to Destiny Church’s recent protest against diversity in NZ. In their statement they reaffirm the importance of solidarity, compassion and our shared humanity across faiths and cultures.

 

This coming Sunday, 6 July 2025 is Ordinary 14 and the Gospel reading is Luke 10:1-11, 16-20. This is a “rich” set of verses, too much for a brief comment to cover everything. But the encouragement to pray for the Lord of the Harvest to send labourers remains an urgent prayer for this diocese. Your prayers for workers in our corner of the vineyard are much appreciated, along with your prayers for Regeneration of our Diocese, across all its ministry units through this decade.

 

From 4 July to 31 July, 2025 I am on study leave. This is the first part of a two part leave, the second part beginning after Synod in September. While I am on leave the first point of contact will be emailing Veronica Cross, Bishop’s EA. Depending on matters raised, responses will be made by Archdeacon Mark Barlow, Vicar-General; Archdeacon Indrea Alexander, Deputy Vicar-General; Rachelle Mathews, Diocesan Manager; Gavin Holley, CPT General Manager; and Dean Ben Truman in respect of the Cathedral Reinstatement Project.

 

Arohanui,

+Peter.

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