Dear Friends,
It has been a privilege in the past week to be able to meet with our students at St John’s College, share in an excellent dinner celebrating 150 years of a church being on the St Barnabas, Fendalton site (the parish being formally established in 1883), worship on Sunday morning at St Bartholomew’s, Kaiapoi, and share in the commissioning of the Reverend Dr Joshua Taylor to be Archdeacon of Selwyn-Tawera in the 5pm Evensong at the Transitional Cathedral. Each such occasion in our wider church and within our Diocese involves hard work on the part of many people and I am thankful to God for the faithful ministry of so many people in our church.
Congratulations to Peter Dawe, a long-serving Cathedral Volunteer, who received a Volunteer Recognition Award from Volunteering Canterbury this week. I am conscious that Peter is one among many Anglicans serving in diverse volunteer service across our Diocesan region—thank you Peter, and many others for all you do to enhance life in our communities.
I remind readers that the Reverend Simon Green will be the next Vicar of the Parish of Opawa-St Martins with his induction service at 3pm Sunday 28 June 2026 in St Mark’s Church, 101 Opawa Road, Christchurch. All are welcome to this service. Clergy robing, red stoles please.
Catch Network is offering 2026’s Little Revolutions conference in Christchurch, Friday 26 to Saturday 27 June, at Oxford Terrace Baptist Church, Christchurch. Details are on their website, including the programme. Invited speakers include Archbishop Justin Duckworth.
Please pray for preparations for The Abbey, a national Anglican hui for people involved in youth work and young adults ministries, which this year is being held at Living Springs, Friday 17 to Sunday 19 July. In particular pray for our Diocesan staff, Paul Hegglun, Azaria Brooker and the Reverend Sammy Mould as they contribute local leadership to the event.
Since commenting last week on the situation in the Middle East, there now seems to be a more definitive, more mutually assured commitment to peace between the USA and Iran than has previously been the case. Thank you for praying for peace. Let’s keep praying because the peace needs to hold and the peace needs to extend to the territories encompassed by Gaza, West Bank, Israel and southern Lebanon. Please pray for a just peace and not merely a cessation of hostilities.
I am pleased to announce some Christchurch details of an NZ speaking tour for widely respected Palestinian Christian Theologians Dr Lamma Mansour and Dr Yousef Khoury in July. All are welcome to the following public events:
Christchurch Transitional Cathedral-7pm, Sun 19 July
Oxford Terrace Baptist Church-7pm, Mon 20 July
It is likely that one of the theologians will preach at St Aidan’s, Bryndwr on Sunday morning 19 July, that both will likely speak at The Abbey, and there will be an opportunity for ministry leaders to meet with them over morning tea on Monday 20 July 2026 (invitations will be issued soon).
This coming Sunday, 21 June 2026 is Ordinary 12 and the Gospel is Matthew 10:24-39. There is no getting around the overall impact of this passage: to follow Jesus is likely to be a costly business in human terms. From an eternal perspective, only losing our lives for Jesus’ sake will gain eternal life. From a God-perspective, every step of the way, whatever that way may be as disciples, God loves us, cares for us and has our ultimate interests at heart.
Arohanui,
+Peter.