BISHOP S NEWS FOR FEBRUARY 2013

Transcription

1 The Anglican Diocese of Wellington As a Christian Faith Community we worship, we witness, we teach, we serve, we care Bishop s Office P O Box Wellington 6144 Telephone BISHOP S NEWS FOR FEBRUARY 2013 Bishop s Letter Kia ora koutou katoa Greetings What a stunning summer! Our family has had a great holiday, a few of our highlights were tramping the northern circuit around Mt Ngauruhoe, resting at Omori and attending New Wine at El Rancho with hundreds of other Anglicans. However the holidays are dwindling into the background now as the Diocese moves forward into the adventures that God has for us in 2013 and beyond. I was deeply impacted as I read the end of Psalm 77 (The message translation) in the morning office; Ocean saw you in action, God, saw you and trembled with fear; Deep Ocean was scared to death. Clouds belched buckets of rain, Sky exploded with thunder, your arrows flashing this way and that. From Whirlwind came your thundering voice, Lightning exposed the world, Earth reeled and rocked. You strode right through Ocean, walked straight through roaring Ocean, but nobody saw you come or go. What resonated with me was the sense of the overwhelming chaos that threatens us, whether it s global, national or even Diocese. We/ I often feel out of control surrounded by many overwhelming obstacles. Yet God walks through unhindered! The problem is but nobody saw you come or go. God is active in our chaos however the writer of Psalm 77 does not assume that we will ever be able to recognise God s transformative work in our world. At this time in history I have confidence that God is at work, I pray though that we/i will have eyes to recognise it. We are called always to be a courageous people of faith. Where ever Jenny and I visit in the Diocese we constantly come away saying they are amazing people. We are so impressed by the courageous signs of hope that are happening around our Diocese despite the surrounding chaos. To mention a few; 1

2 The completely renewed vicarage at Raetihi and the installation of the Reverend Sam Bate as a Missioner. The courage shown by the parish of Ruapehu is inspirational and the generosity of the wider Diocese in time and money is legendary. The new Diploma programme starting in a few weeks has over 40 participants from across the Diocese. Sending two new young adults to St Johns The service at Marton where the wider Parish gathered along with the year 9 students from Nga Tawa The installation of The Reverend Ellie Sanderson at the parish of Eastbourne, the welcome of the Parishioners and the huge sense of call that Ellie feels to be part of the family of the Diocese of Wellington. Young clergy and family retreat, over 75 family members came to Ngatiawa to strengthen relationships across the Diocese family My personal favourite Kingdom moment came when I was just about to address a public rally and felt relatively alone and anxious about my contribution. Just then a beneficiary came up to me and said God has said that I should come up and pray for you, as what you are doing today is difficult. Then this saint quietly prayed that I would have wisdom and courage, then he just disappeared again into the crowd. I am always impacted that of the ten lepers who were healed by Jesus, only one returned to Jesus to say thanks. We, as a Diocese, need to start the year by saying thank you to God for our life together, it is a challenging and rich life, it is the abundant life! Family I would ask you to uphold a couple of matters in prayer in this next month. 1. The nominators are getting into the final stages in our discerning of a new Dean. Pray that God will guide us in this important task. 2. The Tikanga Pakeha Bishops are meeting on the 18 th of March to discern a new Archbishop for Tikanga Pakeha. I would ask that Parishes pray on the 17 th in their services and parishioners remember us in their prayers on the 18 th. Thank you family Blessings +Justin 2

3 Bishop s Diary for February and March Please uphold +Justin s ministry in your daily prayers. Along with the day to day meetings in the Bishop s Office, the following is the diary for December, January and February: February Wednesday 22 Thursday 21 Friday 22 Friday Wednesday 27 Wednesday 27 and Thursday 28 Sean Stillman, WIT Library, Anglican Centre at 7pm Sean Stillman at St Peter s on Willis 12 2pm Sean Stillman at Parish of Puatahanui, 12.30pm Passionfest at Ngatiawa, Waikane Commissioning New Chaplain at Rathkeale College Commissioning Prefects, Holy Trinity Schools, Masterton Tikanga Pakeha Ministry Council meeting in Wellington March Sunday 3 Tuesday 5 10 Monday 11 Tuesday 12 Wednesday 13 Thursday 14 Sunday 17 Monday 18 Tuesday 19 Saturday 23 Sunday 24 Tuesday 26 Installation of Martin Robinson as Priest in Charge of Naenae Epuni Parish at 6pm Fiji Training Youth Leaders Commonwealth Service at Wellington Cathedral of St Paul and 6pm Management Committee Leadership Group meeting Board of Nomination meeting Meeting with Retired Clergy in the Wairarapa Visiting the Parish of Wainuiomata Bishop s meeting in Wellington Meeting with Clergy and Retired Clergy in Wanganui IDC Special Meeting Visiting the Parish of Brooklyn Chrism service at St Thomas s Sanson at 11.30am, light lunch to follow 3

4 Wednesday 27 Thursday Saturday 30 Sunday 31 Chrism service at Wellington Cathedral at 12.15pm light lunch to follow Camp Easter, Mansfield, Feilding Wellington Cathedral of St Paul at 7pm Easter Vigil and Confirmation Service Camp Easter, Mansfield, Feilding Eucharist at 10am Acts of the Bishop Licence of a Priest Holding the Office of Priest in Charge in the Parish of Pohangina Reverend Janice Rosemary Lyon, CertCounsel, MinInternDip 26 December 2012 Licence of a Priest Holding the Office of Vicar in the Parish of Eastbourne Reverend Eleanor Ruth Sanderson (Ellie), BSc (1 st Class Hons), MDevStud, PhD, MTh 30 January 2013 Licence of a Priest Holding the Office of Priest in Charge in the Parish of Johnsonville Reverend Alister Graeme Hendery, BA (Cantuar), LTh 1 February 2013 Licence of a Priest Holding the Office of Priest Assistant at the Wellington Cathedral of St Paul Reverend John Hartill McCaul, BA, BDiv, Dip ES 10 th February 2013 Licence of a Priest Holding the Office of Missioner and Priest in Charge in the Parish of Ruapehu Reverend Samuel Colin Bate, BTh 17 February 2013 Letter of Authority for the Office of Archdeacon Emeritus Archdeacon Montague John Black (Monty), BA, LTh, BTh 3 February 2013 Letter of Authority for the Office of Chaplain at St George s School, Wanganui Andrew Osmond 17 th February 2013 Permission to Officiate Archdeacon Montague John Black (Monty), BA, LTh, BTh 3 February 2013 Reverend Lance Edward Kevey 7 th February 2013 Reverend Kevin John Tarry 7 th February

5 Bishop s Medal of Service Eileen Shirley in the Anglican Church 30 December 2013 Brent Thompson in the Parish of The Epiphany, Masterton 6 January 2013 Hilary Black in the Parish of Onslow 3 February 2013 Alice Cherry in the Parish of Taihape 17 February 2013 Doreen Bristol in the Parish of Taihape 17 February 2013 Faculty Parish of All Saints, Palmerston North at All Saints remove the WWII flag hanging on the West Wall of the Church 30 January 2013 Parish of The Epiphany, Masterton construct and place an Aumbry 5 February 2013 Vacancies Chinese Anglican Mission Requires Fulltime Pastor Parish of St Matthew s, Palmerston North Requires Fulltime Vicar Please see the Diocesan website: Parish of Johnsonville Requires Fulltime Vicar Please see the Diocesan website: Expressions of interest and CV to: The Right Reverend Justin Duckworth Bishop of Wellington P O Box Wellington 6144 Telephone: justin@wn.ang.org.nz 5