‘Climate justice and sustainable living practices.’ This workshop, presented by the Anglican Climate Action Network, was held on Saturday August 10 at St. Matthew in the City.

About 30 people attended.

Dr. Nicola Hoggard-Creegan (theologian) spoke about the ‘creation care’ message in Scripture.

Dr. Richard Milne (scientist) called upon the most recent UN reports showing the urgency of the climate crisis, and the need to cut carbon emissions as rapidly as possible.

Rod Oram (author and political journalist) spoke about the activities of many secular groups in New Zealand who are working towards a carbon neutral economy.

John Allen (Sustainability Fieldworker for the Diocese of Auckland) showed how developing a personal or family ‘carbon budget) can guide us in reducing our carbon emissions.

A follow-up practical session will be held on September 8, 2019, following the 10am service..

For more information visit each speaker's presentation:

Our monthly newsletter drawing attention to our shared responsibility for making real the UN Sustainability goals as well as paying attention to particular ways to care for creation: this month we focus on Bees!

Following the successful "Climate Justice and Sustainable Living Practices" workshop, presenters Dr Richard Milne, Dr Nicola Hoggard-Creegan and Rod Oram will be speaking at services on September 1, 8, 15 respectively.

A monthly reminder of our commitment to care for creation. UN awareness days, topical issues, NZ application, what you can do. But also let us know what you are doing.

Our Vicar Helen Jacobi was interviewed by Kim Hill on the Saturday Morning Programme of Radio NZ

We were very excited to watch a special pop up garden be installed outside St Matthew’s this week, as part of our Armistice Day centenary remembrance celebrations. The impetus for creating this memorial peace garden on the Federal St side of St Matthew in the City came from landscape designer Tania Barke, of Through the Garden Gate Ltd. Tania’s inspiration for the installation was from a relative’s sobering letter written from the war front, describing the conditions he encountered at Le Quesnoy in Northern France.

The town of Le Quesnoy has a special place in New Zealand’s WWI history. On the 4th November 1918, shortly before Armistice Day, the town was liberated from German occupation by NZ forces, who at great risk used a ladder to scale the almost impregnable ancient town walls. To this day, a strong bond remains between the town and New Zealand, there are many reminders of the liberation there, and Kiwis are still warmly welcomed when visiting.

Tania’s concept offers a glimpse into the appalling conditions on the ground, while scattered wild flowers emerge through the landscape, symbolising hope and new life.

This exhibit honours the memory of the thousands of New Zealanders who died at war, amongst them parishioners and clergy of St Matthew’s. It encourages locals and passers-by to spend a few minutes reflecting on the scene before them and to remember everyone affected by the conflicts of war.

We are most grateful for the support of Daltons Landscape Supplies, Kokako Coffee and Through the Garden Gate Ltd which made this all possible.

Our service this coming Sunday November 11 at 10am will centre around this important occasion and we will hear the stories of those remembered in the St Matthew’s war memorial. The service will conclude at 11am with a 2 minute silence followed by the St Matthew’s bellringers joining in a nationwide “Roaring Chorus”, emulating what would have happened 100 years ago.

You are warmly invited to attend - we’d love to see you and perhaps hear some of your own stories or memories from those you knew.

Today, October 4th, marks World Animal Day – an international day of action for animal rights celebrated annually on the feast day of Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals. Every year animal welfare organisations, community groups, youth and children’s clubs, businesses and individuals organise events to commemorate the day. It is now widely recognised in a variety of different ways in many countries, with no regard to nationality, religion, faith or political ideology.

We celebrated a week earlier than usual here at St Matthew-in-the-City with a very special Animal Blessing Service last Sunday, 30 September. Our Animal blessing is always a highlight in our calendar and we were once again thrilled to play host to a whole menagerie of animals and their humans – in fact over 350 people attended this year! The largest percentage of visitors were dogs, with a few cats and even a bird (in a cage!). The service went off without a hitch and we’d like to extend a big thank you to everyone who took part.

Special thanks also to the SPCA team led by Lucie Fowler who helped us put it all together and the St Cuthbert’s College choir who, despite it being daylight savings and the beginning of school holidays, came out and put on a fabulous performance.

See some photos from the special day below and to read more about World Animal Day and what it’s all about visit their website.

We’re looking forward to next year’s service already!

'It's a good thing' - Auckland Anglican vicar welcomes vote for same-sex blessings

The Anglican Church in New Zealand is a step closer to recognising same-sex relationships, after a clear majority of bishops voted to allow blessings for couples.

Watch Helen's interwiev here: https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/its-good-thing-auckland-anglican-vicar-welcomes-vote-same-sex-blessings

This week’s order of service and the signs outside have changed. Everything is now sporting our new logo.

Our old official logo was from the parish centenary in 2005 and the sketch of the church had been used more recently. Our thanks to the team of professionals who helped us reach this point. They all offered their time well below their usual charges. Margaret Whitten worked with us in 2016 on our “brand identity”. Then Sarah Walter and Michelle Amberg of “The Namery” did the design work. Tui Thorn has done the practical rollout of the design and will continue to work with us on layout of brochures going forward. The staff team have all been involved and we have benefitted from Dmitry’s sharp eye for detail.

Our vicar's latest blog: will the heart of Christchurch really be restored by spending $104 million on a church? https://helenjacobi.com/2017/07/05/christchurch-and-its-cathedral/

Helen’s sabbatical time has seen her busy visiting, meeting with people and communities of faith in New York, Washington DC, and now Toronto, engaging particularly in conversations around the journey to marriage equality.

Read Helen’s blog about her time at Epiphany Church in DC https://helenjacobi.com/2017/05/23/homeless-near-the-white-house/

The first of the St Matthew’s Concert Series for 2017 was a resounding success. Jade Quartet (who performed on Sunday 19 February) is Auckland’s most accomplished String Quartet and their playing is marked by excellent ensemble and beauty of tone.

The programme was beautifully planned with accessible Beethoven, very entertaining David Hamilton, and good meaty Brahms all making for an ideal afternoon’s music – the fact that it was relatively short made it all the more enjoyable.

Their programme was ideal – the duration of 1.5 hours was just right and the audience size (70 + people) and it was very pleasing to see the concert attended by a diverse collection of music lovers. The atmosphere, introduction and administration were – as we’d expect of St Matthew’s team – very good.

Audience members greeting one other warmly, and members of our St Matthew’s congregation were sure to make friendly contact with visitors. There were audible comments about the quality of the printed programmes, the notes inside and the season tickets system.

Auckland composer David Hamilton is well known for his beautifully crafted choral music which is often sung by our St Matthew’s Voices and visiting choirs in the building. He is the composer of that grand hymn “Companions let us pray together” which we lustily sing from time to time. It was like meeting a dear friend to hear his Parlour Games for string quartet. Movements like Charades, Tango (ish), Hide and Seek both entertained and challenged the audience and (as was visible and audible) stimulated and enlivened the Jade Quartet players who had commissioned the work.

I moved from near the front (1st half) to the back (2nd half) and found the sound firstly very clear and crisp and then from the back still clear but with a warm bloom. In other words, a String Quartet sounds very good throughout the space. The acoustics of the nave interior are generally warmly regarded by musicians (but not without critics too!). Once in front of the chancel arch it is just a big, high, boxy room with warm clear resonance. St Matthew’s Voices when singing from the baptistery or gallery are a splendid example of how to musically exploit the acoustics in this glorious space.

So, a brilliant start – a pat on the back to Tom Chatterton (Director of Music 2016) for organising this series and to the staff and people of St Matthew’s for getting behind the programme and supporting some fine, relaxed Sunday afternoon music making.

The next concert – St Kentigern College Showcase on 7 May deserves our support. Please tell your friends and encourage them to attend.

Tim McWhannell

Tim is a former organist of St Matthew’s and as a current member of the congregation he is enthusiastic about the liturgical and secular music performed in the space. He has recently become the Chair of the Music Events Group.

This Lent St Matthew’s joins a worldwide conversation about water

Sundays at 10am with an after church discussion:

March 5: Dr Jennifer Salmond, Auckland University – Linking global climate change to daily lives and personal choices: Can we really make a difference?

March 12: Raymond Chang, Environmental Scientist, BECA

March 19: Archbishop Winston Halapua – Rising sea levels in the Pacific

March 26: Dr Robin Kearns, Auckland University – Placing water in our Lenten journey & local landscape

Watch the 15 minute film Water https://www.nzonscreen.com/title/water-2004

Tim McWhannell, Tom Chatterton and Stephen Beech following a performance of Vierne's Double Organ Mass

Having moved into central Auckland I set about finding a new church community, a task which is maybe easier said than done. I guess I approached the task with an unwritten shopping list. My list includes high activity level, excellent music, leadership, prayerfulness and only then did I consider location. I’m currently patting myself on the back for having made a good choice in becoming (again) a parishioner at St Matthew-in-the-city.

In recent months we have been exposed to generous activity in the presentation of wonderful church music and although the calendar calls these ‘ordinary Sundays’ they have been festive and have delighted regulars, like me and visitors, alike.

Some highlights for me have been lots of Bach organ and choral music during the services, a series of striking and popular anthems (Haydn, Brahms, Vaughan Williams), a new liturgical setting, three ‘big music’ days and the launch of our 2017 Concert Series. In a period which included our Name Day it was reasonable to expect something striking in celebration of St Matthew.

For the Patronal Festival the choice of the Poulence Gloria was both festive and compatible with the musical resources to hand - the organ taking over the orchestral part (the notes largely taken from a piano score adapted to the task). Three trumpets and percussion with 8 voices (sometimes doubling for soprano and bass solos) produced a vivid sound and enthusiastic reaction from the big congregation of friends and former parishioners who traditional join us for our birthday.

Requiem by Maurice Durufle kept us in 20th century France – a concert performance in St Matthew’s the pervious weekend with small orchestra and organ was followed by a liturgical performance to mark All Saints Day and it was sung sympathetically by Auckland Youth Choir. We marvelled at both the choral balance, vocal tone and flashy organ accompaniment. One wonders how bearded young men could be ‘Youth’ but who cares when under-pining the vocal ensemble is so strong and telling… I understand that 25 years of age is the cut off for Auckland Youth Choir participation.

Still in France and in the company of the Choir of Holy Trinity Cathedral and St Matthew’s Voices with two organs made for generous sounds and thrilling antiphonal effects in Louie Vierne’s Solemn Mass.The short-term loan to St Matthew’s of a high quality digital organ allowed this unusual combination to be mounted with instruments in the east and west and we were left wondering which was the pipe and which the digital organ. The congregation was swelled by a number of visiting organists and organ enthusiasts (see illustration showing some of our own).

On Friday 11th November St Matthew’s new 2017 concert series was launched by young AucklandUniversity musicians, St Matthew’s Voices and the Cathedral Organ Scholar in a divers programme compared by Tom Chatterton. The short and pithy range of music demonstrated the style of performance we will enjoy during the 2017 concert series. Each of the six concerts will be at 4pm on a Sunday afternoon with a duration of about an hour.

To extend the possibilities of chamber music in St Matthew’s the parish has also started a fundraising effort to encourage the purchase of a concert grand piano. Solo piano concerts, piano concertos with St Matthew’s Chamber orchestra, vocalist and instrumentalists accompanied by piano and occasional use in a liturgical context will all be part of the role envisaged for this hard-working instrument.

Also included in this highly active period was an ‘off site’ organ concert of Bach organ works given by Director of Music, Tom Chatterton in our brother church, the Roman Catholic Cathedral of St Patrick. The mechanical action organ was eminently suitable for Bach and Tom’s playing ably demonstrated his impeccable understanding and skill in this repertoire. Although during the September/October period Tom had played much of this Bach in a liturgical context at St Matthew’s it truly shone in his concert performance.

Tim McWhannell was organist of St Matthew's (1993 – 2000) and is currently a parishioner who, recently returned to central Auckland delights in the liveliness of the parish music and liturgy. He is an organist for Auckland Rainbow Church and a member of the Music Events Group, who aid the promotion of the 2017 Concert Series.

My name is Harley. I am a Golden Retriever puppy, who is in training to be a working dog for Mobility Assistance Dog Trust.

I am here for socialisation and to have as many experiences as possible for my first year, before going on to advanced training to assist disabled clients.

I am already getting Ian into my routine!

The beauty and range of our music in Church makes us a very rich parish. Every Sunday we experience choral and organ music which is drawn from the established repertory of the best in classical sacred music - from the contemporary Arvo Part to medieval Hildegard von Bingen, all the bases are covered week by week with flair.

Our occasional ‘big music’ Sundays also serve to remind us of a range of full length church music in a liturgical context. The clergy and musicians devise ingenious ways of linking words and music, artfully tying together movements of choral music with Te Reo, the forms of the prayer book and our own prayers, hymns, and poetry. In this regard there is generally a lovely balance of ‘transporting music’ and the ‘reality’ of our intentions as parish.

The Schubert's Mass no 2 in G major (D167) performed recently was a shining example of this. This piece is very versatile: intended to be performed by singers and strings, it is more often accompanied with an organ. This was the version we enjoyed, performed by with Tom Chatterton (Music Director of St Matthew’s) conjuring up soft string-like sounds and thunderous roars (Credo) with the drawing of handfuls of stops and the flicker of swell pedals. It was one of those occasions when, in Tom’s skilled hands, the size and complexity of the Willis organ sounds both controlled and extravagant.

St Matthew’s Voices fully exploited the acoustics of St Matthew’s, performing in astationary half circle. The balance of voices within the ensemble was beautiful, with effortless solos achieved by subtle projection of chorus voices. The trio of the Benedictus was an enchanting example of the subtleties achieved by singers used to working with each other on a weekly basis.

On St Matthew’s Day we will have another major choral work within the liturgy. Gloria by Francis Poulenc (1961) will blend the vast colour of an orchestra, here played by organ and brass, with the chorus and solos taken by the small ensemble of singers. This is an enormously colourful work with six movements, mixing energetic rhythmic dance and haunting pathos. A great sacred work by Poulenc, a composer who was once described as “part monk, part rascal” and a perfect celebration of our Saint’s Day.

Tim McWhannell was organist of St Matthew's (1993–2000) and is currently a parishioner who delights in the liveliness of our parish music and liturgy. He is an organist for Auckland Rainbow Community Church.

Photo: Tim in Christ Church, Wanganui, 1976

St Matthew-in-the-City has recently joined a growing number of Living Wage Accredited employers. Many thanks to Rev'd Susan Adams and Ian Pallas for making this happen!

Newly accredited employers: Dean Jo Kelly-Moore of Trinity Cathedral and Rev. Dr Susan Adams (St Matthew-in-the-City).

St Matthew-in-the-City seeks a priest to join its team. This position is half time which means 2 days plus Sunday, 2 weeks of the month, and 2 1/2 days (20 hours) on the other weeks; actual days to be negotiated as suits.

We are looking for a creative preacher and liturgist with an interest in the city and the community.

This role would include:

2 Sundays a month (one presiding at 8am and preaching both services; one presiding at 10am)two Wednesday services a monthsome pastoral caresome baptismssome funeralsparticipation in worship planning and staff meetingsengagement with parishioners and established players in the city to define the city's needs in areas of social justice and to design actions appropriate to St Matthew'sfurther development of our parish neighbourhood clusters by empowering them in matters of social justice and pastoral carecover for the vicar when she is absent

Conditions:

An initial contract for 12 months.

The position will be paid a half stipend, plus pension and a housing allowance based on the annual Diocesan allowance. The parish will provide an office and computer, email address. Reimbursements may be sought for mileage, cellphone, books and hospitality as per the Diocesan guidelines.

Applications (letter and a CV) should be sent to Vicar Rev Helen Jacobi helen@stmatthews.org.nz and close on 15 July; interviews will be the week of 25 July and the position comes available in August 2016.

Anglican Church stalls progress on same gender blessings.

Today the General Synod of the Anglican Church of Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia chose unity over justice.

It chose to not pass the proposal before it to allow for the church to move towards the blessing of same gender marriages. Instead the proposal "lies on the table" which means the Synod comes back to it in 2 years time, allowing time for further work.

The Synod has allowed the views of "conservatives" to rule, rather than working for the just inclusion of all faithful people in the life of the church.

In my 24 years as a priest I have always been proud of my church. Today I hang my head in shame.

We have chosen rules over love, and doctrine over gospel. We have imperilled the mission of the church.

There were strong voices for change from many parts of the church but not enough.

Ar St Matthew-in-the-City we will continue to welcome our LGBTI community and assure them of their place in our church and in the heart of God. We will not abandon them and will continue to work for justice. To them today we express our deep sorrow and seek their forgiveness.

Hong Kong, April 27 – May 1, 2016

St Matthew-in-the-City is part of this international network bringing together churches from financial capitals of the world.

The conference was hosted this year by St John’s Cathedral, Hong Kong. Other churches represented were: St James’ King St, Sydney; Trinity, New York; American Cathedral, Paris; St Mary-le-Bow, London; St John’s Edinburgh; Cape Town Cathedral.

The conference is sponsored by Trinity, Wall St but this year generous Hong Kong parishioners sponsored our hotel costs, transport and much of the hospitality.

St John’s Cathedral, founded in 1849, stands on the only freehold land in Hong Kong. Begun as a church for the British it is now a vibrant multi cultural place of worship. 2,200 on average attend the 8 services spread across Saturday and Sunday. They baptise at least 200 people a year, mostly adults.

Dean Matthias leads a team of 8 clergy and many more lay staff. They have significant outreach ministries including a counselling centre, support for domestic workers and migrants, and HIV education. The wider diocese has an extensive network of schools and social services.

Services are mostly in English, with one in Mandarin and one in Filipino. The rest of the diocese is largely Cantonese speaking.

The Archbishop of Hong Kong Paul Kwong has just been elected as chair of ACC (Anglican Consultative Council).

Hong Kong is 8% Christian but the church is well respected and has a voice in society. Now Hong Kong is part of China the church is paying attention to developments and policies on the mainland, especially as China is loosening control over churches.

Visits

St James’ Settlement – multiple social service projects including dementia day care; workshop for people with intellectual disabilities; career training for young people; meals on wheels; “upcycling” – making new products from recycling – and many more – one floor each of a high rise building. http://www.sjs.org.hk/en/front/front.phpWe were taken to two “apartments” to visit elderly people – one quite shocking cupboard size known as a “subdivided” apartment and one in govt provided housing – well kept and safe but normally this one room apartment could house up to 6 people.Buddhist Nunnery and Temple where we were guided through the Temple and gardens by a young nun.

Church in China

We had a very interesting lecture from Dr Philip Wickeri, a scholar on the church in China. Christianity in China is expanding rapidly and by 2030 will have the largest Christian population in the world.

Most Protestant churches are still part of the “3 Self Movement” while some choose to be independent and “unlicensed”. Communist party members are not permitted to be religious.

There is a desperate need for clergy and leadership training as the church grows so fast. There is 1 clergyperson per 10,000 believers, with 7 churches a day opening.

The Anglican Church as such no longer exists in China but the heritage and memories of the Anglican Church from pre 1950 remain. The last Anglican Bishop (Bishop Ting) died in 2012.

Themes

From the discussions about each of our places of ministry common themes were

taking our place in an increasingly secular societythe changing nature of worktransience of people and workterrorism (Paris, Sydney)repercussions still from the Occupy Movements (HK, NY, London)engaging with political issues and world issues such as climate change

Next year the conference will be in New York in May; Auckland will host in 2018 or 2019.

Professor Peter Lineham and Mark Henrickson have written this challenge to the church concerning the General Synod "A Way Forward Report". Peter Lineham will be our preacher 1 May 2016 both 8am and10am services.

Photo: Professor Peter Lineham

Please sign this petition which will go to our General Synod in May as we work for marriage equality. It will only take one minute of your time, but can affect lives of hundreds and thousands. Thank you!

Armed with tape recorder and bible in hand Graeme heads in to town to meet Helen Jacobi, vicar of the very liberal Anglican church, St Matthews in the city. How does she mesh her liberal outlook with distinctly unliberal Biblical scripture?

St Matthew-in-the-City Photo: RNZ / Kim Baker Wilson

A central Auckland church known for being supportive of LGBTI rights had to call police after men with a loudspeaker shouted homophobic abuse at worshippers, it says.

Yesterday's 10am service at St Matthew-in-the-City was halfway through when the men, who the church said warned they would be back next Sunday, turned up wearing black shirts and dark sunglasses.

About 100 people were inside, and Reverend Helen Jacobi, who was taking the service, said the men intimidated church members who should be able to worship freely.

"At first I couldn't quite hear what they were saying but then I picked up 'you are all an abomination' ... our greeters were quickly closing the doors to shut out the noise.

"A couple of our people went outside to engage with them and ask them to stop. They wouldn't, and so they called the police," she said.

The men also said the church would crumble and worshippers would be punished, which was "pretty horrible kind of stuff", Ms Jacobi said.

Ms Jacobi tweeted her outrage: "Worship @StMatthewsNZ this morning disrupted by hateful homophobic 'protesters' with microphones. Shame on them!" she wrote.

The men were moved to the footpath by the police, but stayed for the rest of the service and tried to engage again with worshippers as they left, she said.

Ms Jacobi could not recall such an incident at the church before, and said the church was preparing to trespass the men if they returned as they promised.

"We're very publicly in support of those in the gay and lesbian community ... that doesn't give them the right to come and tell us what we're doing.

"Unfortunately there are some churches which encourage this kind of behaviour in people and it's most unfortunate," she said.

Ms Jacobi said the church would talk to the police about what it could do, if needed.

"For your regular person coming in and out of church, it's not very nice to have people standing out there shouting at you," she said.

"If they do come back and it does continue we'll have to see what we're about to do about that."

St Matthew-in-the-City is known for its billboards that support the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex (LGBTI) communities.

Some of these billboards have been attacked and defaced in previous incidents.

Kim Baker Wilson, in Auckland - @kimbakerwilson

This week the General Synod Working Group “A Way Forward” published its by the same name after 20 months of deliberation since General Synod in May 2014.

The group were tasked with seeing if a way could be found whereby people in same sex relationships could have their relationships recognised by the church and then to see how those in such relationships could also be ordained.

The group was specifically not tasked with debating the question of same sex marriage which the Synod motion affirmed as between a man and a woman.

So the results of this report fall short for those of us who advocate for marriage equality within the church. We note that the Episcopal Church of the USA has changed its marriage canon (rules) to allow for full marriage equality. We would like to follow suit. But this report was never going to deliver that for us.

So what will it do?

The report recommends the adopting of a service “The blessing of the relationship of those who have entered a civil marriage” and a full liturgy is provided. The service is intended for a same sex or heterosexual couple who have had a civil marriage (ie in the Registry Office or by a civil celebrant) and then come to church for a blessing service. This could for example happen on a day after the civil ceremony or some years after for couples who might join the church and want a marriage blessing.

This might be seen as a “second class” system for same sex couples, which I think it is, or a step on the way towards the church arriving at marriage equality, which it also is.

The most important thing that can then happen though, is that people living in a same sex relationship and who want to be ordained, will be able to do so with no barriers. Of course LGBTI people have always been amongst the ordained, and many have been living in long term committed relationships. But in recent years as the spotlight has come upon this issue it has become harder rather than easier for these members of our church to be accepted for ordination. As we saw with the case of Geno Sisneros and the Human Rights Tribunal in 2013.

This report does give a way forward for LGBTI couples. If civilly married and then blessed by the church they could be seen to be in “rightly ordered relationships” which is a requirement of all clergy (for example heterosexual clergy must be married and not living together). Of note also – heterosexual clergy, married in only a civil marriage, will also be required to have a blessing service.

Now you might well ask – why not just marry everyone! rather than have this two step process. Good question – but many in the church are not ready for this step and so in the interests of bringing the majority of the church along – this process has been recommended to us.

The process will also be a long one – if the recommendations are passed at General Synod in May 2016 – they then have to go to all dioceses and hui amorangi for approval and come back to General Synod in 2018, plus one year for appeals to May 2019.

So that is still a LONG time to wait and we still only get blessings and not marriage.

I think it is really hard for me as a married woman of 33 years and ordained for nearly 25 years to say if this report is a step forward or not. It is for those who are waiting for marriage and ordination to say. And of course many who would have had an opinion have already left the church. I am sure more will walk away while we debate the finer points of liturgies and paths to ordination.

However, it is what we have, it is on the table, and it will bring us progress. Just not enough and not soon. As the psalmist says “How long, O Lord, how long?”

Meetings are planned for the Diocese this week as follows:

Tuesday 1 March – 7:30 pm – Selwyn Library, 10 St Stephen’s Ave, Parnell

Wednesday 2 March – 7:30 pm – Holy Cross Church Albany - 222 Dairy Flat Highway, Albany Village

Thursday 3 March – 7:30 pm – Christ Church Papakura - 40 Coles Cres, Papakura

Anyone interested is welcome to attend.

As previously announced our Director of Music is sadly leaving us at the end of February.

Michael will give a farewell concert on Sunday February 21 at 4pm, followed by drinks.

Then his final service will be Sunday 28 February at 10am, followed by speeches and presentation of gifts.

If you would like to contribute to Michael’s farewell gift please use one of the labelled envelopes and place it in the collection or make a bank transfer clearly identified (ask Ian Pallas for the bank account number if you need it). Vestry would ask you to attend to this soon so that in late January we can have an idea of what we might be able to plan for.

We are very pleased to be able to announce today the appointment of Thomas (Tom) Chatterton as the next Director of Music for St Matthew’s. Tom will take up the position on March 1, 2016.

Tom is from the UK and began his musical career as a Chorister in Lincoln Cathedral Choir, after which he became a music scholar at Uppingham School. He continued his education at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge University, where he was Organ Scholar and studied for a degree in music. During this time he was appointed Acting Organ Scholar at Jesus College, Cambridge, a post he held alongside his commitments at Corpus. Whilst at Cambridge Tom made a number of CD and BBC recordings accompanying various College Choirs on the organ, and gave numerous organ recitals across the UK and on international tours.

After graduating, Tom spent a further year at Jesus College as Assistant Organist, where he had the opportunity to focus on widening his repertoire, working with some of the most prestigious organists and choral conductors in the UK.

In September 2010, he took up the position of Organist and Music Teacher at Oakham School. At Oakham, Tom had a number of responsibilities centred on both performing on the organ and teaching: he played for five services per-week, accompanied the school’s choirs, and taught class music from age 11-18yrs. Tom was also the conductor of Oakham Choral Society, an 80-strong community choir which performed a wide range of repertoire under his stewardship, including, Mozart’s Requiem, Vaughan Williams’ Dona Nobis Pacem and Puccini’s Messa di Gloria. After five very happy years at Oakham, Tom, his wife Emma and the newly-arrived baby Arthur decided to move to New Zealand (or rather back to NZ in the case of Emma!). Having been in Auckland since July, Tom, Emma and Arthur have settled in quickly and are enjoying life in the city.

Recently Tom has been Relieving Organist at The Community of Saint Luke, Remuera, and whilst he is sad to leave that position, he is very excited by the musical opportunities at St Matthew’s. Away from music, Tom enjoys keeping up-to-date with current affairs, trying new food and wines, and trying to improve his spin fishing technique.

St Matthew-in-the-City is celebrating the visit of Nelson Mandela, 20 years ago, on Friday 13th of November at 7pm. This will build on our celebrations last year as now each year, we consider how we are living out Mandela's legacy and his challenge to move beyond structural racism and racial prejudice in Aotearoa New Zealand in our own day. Over two sessions we will hear from speakers addressing the issues and from people living with the experience, and we will engage in considering what more we can do to facilitate our own walk to freedom in this nation. Participants are invited to attend one or both of the sessions.

On 22 September St Matthew-in-the-City and the Auckland Chamber of Commerce held their second annual Business Leaders’ Breakfast with a sell out group of 110 attendees.

Entitled "The value of difference: cultural diversity in the workplace", four speakers explored this issue.

The speakers were Founding Partner of Chen Palmer, Mai Chen; Matthew Ensor, Business Director for Beca and Dr John Evangelista, General Manager Nirvana Health Group. The event was facilitated by St Matthew’s Vicar Rev Dr Helen Jacobi and a response to the presentations was delivered by AUT University’s Professor of Diversity, Edwina Pio.

In her summing up Professor Pio highlighted the following: Mai Chen spoke about the work of the Superdiversity Stocktake which is to be published in November. In 25 years over 50% of the NZ population will be Asian, Pacific Island or Maori. Generation 1.5 (those who have grown up here but been born elsewhere) are the bridge for the new migrants and the resident population.

Matthew Ensor spoke about the Beca experience and creating high performing teams of many cultures. He described his “yum cha” moment of seeing staff communicate more openly in a different context and how concepts such as “initiative” need to be unpacked for each culture.

John Evangelista described the family of the Nirvana Health Group from 45 different ethnic and how they support each other in religious and cultural celebrations. They encourage the hiring of family members to strengthen the commitment to each other.

Professor Edwin Pio then challenged the audience with three questions: How do we engage in real world issues; what are we prepared to commit to? and what are we willing to act on?

Participants went away with the many examples from the presenters to reflect on these questions as businesses in Auckland strive to keep up with the diversity of our city and to gain competitive advantage from working with diverse teams.

The breakfast was sponsored by Hesketh Henry; CBRE and Westpac.

Watch the video on Facebook or YouTube

Photos provided by Kylin Image.

St Matthew-in-the-City presents its second annual Business Leaders’ Breakfast event

The iconic inner-city parish St Matthew-in-the-City will present its second annual Business Leaders’ Breakfast event on 22 September. Following a sell-out inaugural event in 2014, this year the discussion will be centred on The value of difference: cultural diversity in the workplace.

The 2015 presenters include Founding Partner of Chen Palmer, Mai Chen; Matthew Ensor, Business Director for Beca and Dr John Evangelista, General Manager Nirvana Health Group. The event will be facilitated by St Matthew’s Vicar Rev Dr Helen Jacobi and a response to the presentations will be delivered by AUT University’s Professor of Diversity and Fulbright alumnus, Edwina Pio.

St Matthew’s has a long tradition of serving and engaging with the Auckland business district, which it is located in the heart of.

In 2014 the first Business Leaders’ Breakfast was held as part of a commemoration of the visit of President Nelson Mandela to St Matthew’s in 1995. In 2015, the breakfast has become a stand-alone event and, according to Vicar Helen Jacobi, “an opportunity to check-in with the business community in Auckland and drive dialogue about issues of mutual interest.”

Mai Chen chairs the Superdiversity Centre of Law, Policy and Business, which has won a NZ Law Foundation Grant to publish research in 2015 on the impact of superdiversity on electoral law and policy. Superdiversity is a term that acknowledges how New Zealand, particularly Auckland, has a superdiverse population with a uniquely high proportion of indigenous people. Chen is a thought-leader on securing the ‘diversity dividend’ – ensuring that our law and policy is fit for purpose in a superdiverse society. Mai is also Managing Partner, Chen Palmer Public and Employment Law Specialists; BNZ Board Director; Adjunct Professor at the University of Auckland Law School; Chair of New Zealand Asian Leaders and Inaugural Chair of New Zealand Global Women.

Matt Ensor is Business Director – Advisory Services at Beca. He is a nationally recognised leader in making organisational cultural diversity into a competitive advantage and in 2007 his team were awarded the EEO Trust Diversity Award for the Private Sector. He is an alumnus of both the University of Auckland and Massey University, and in 2012 he attended the prestigious INSEAD Business School in France on a Prime Minister’s Business Scholarship. Matt will speak on the challenges and successes on the cultural diversity journey at Beca and his aspiration and strategies for enabling increased cultural diversity in leadership roles.

John Evangelista is General Manager of the Nirvana Health Group. The group is the largest network of primary care services in New Zealand which includes the East Tamaki Healthcare clinics as well as the White Cross A&M centres. He has over 20 years of international experience in executive healthcare management having worked before in Asia, Europe and the Middle East. He was previously the Director of the Ambulatory Healthcare Services at SEHA which owns and manages all public healthcare facilities in Abu Dhabi. He also worked with the UK National Health Service (NHS) and also as Executive Director at BMI Healthcare, the largest provider of hospital services in the UK.

East Tamaki Health Care won the “Walk the Talk” award at the EEO Trust Diversity Awards in 2104, recognising their work across diverse communities in Auckland and the integration of medical staff from those same communities.

Edwina Pio is New Zealand’s first Professor of Diversity and a Fulbright alumnus. She is the leader of the research group Immigration & Inclusion under the auspices of the New Zealand Work Research Institute. She is Co-Director of the Global Centre for Equality and Human Rights UK, an Associate Director of the New Zealand India Research Institute, a member of the Migration Integration Group, and the Gender and Diversity Research Group. She is on multiple boards, has won awards for her work and written a number of books, including Sari: Indian women at work in New Zealand, Longing & Belonging and Work & Worship.

Rev Dr Helen Jacobi has a Bachelor of Arts (Auckland), Diploma in Social Work (Victoria), Bachelor of Divinity (London), Doctor of Ministry in Preaching (Chicago), and Certificates in Congregational Development and Consulting (New York). She was previously Dean of Napier Cathedral and has lived and worked overseas.

The Business Leaders’ Breakfast event is a partnership between St Matthew-in-the-City and the Auckland Chamber of Commerce.

EVENT DETAILS

The Value of Difference: Cultural Diversity in the Workplace

7.30-9.00am

Tuesday 22 September 2015

St Matthew-in-the-City, 187 Federal St, Auckland

$60 + GST individual, or table of 10 $600 + GST

Bookings are essential – register at events@chamber.co.nz or visit www.aucklandchamber.co.nz

MEDIA CONTACT

For more information, images and interviews, please contact Siobhan Waterhouse at Mr. Fahrenheit Publicity on siobhan@mrfahrenheit.nz or 022 126 4149

Bookings open for our Business Breakfast:http://www.chamber.co.nz/events-training/events/st-matthew-in-the-city/

Warmest congratulations to our neighbour Dame Diane Robertson Auckland City Missioner honoured in today's Queen's Birthday Honours as a Dame Companion of the NZ Order of Merit. Fantastic to see her work recognized. And congrats to her husband and supporter Deacon Wilf Holt!

We are proud to host a photo exhibition of a Wellington based photographer Alex Efimoff (www.alexefimoff.com), as part of the Auckland Festival of Photography. The photos are of Holy Trinity Church, Avonside, Christchurch, after the Christchurch earthquakes. We are open for the public Monday to Friday, 10am-5pm.

From May 5-11 Vicar Helen Jacobi attended a conference of clergy from inner city churches: Trinity, Wall St, New York; Toronto Cathedral; St Mary-le-Bow, London; Hong Kong Cathedral; St James, King St, Sydney; and Cape Town Cathedral.

She writes:

Cape Town a city of contrasts – spectacular scenery, beautiful historic buildings, warmth of hospitality, extreme poverty next to great wealth, the legacy of apartheid hanging over everything. And in the midst of the city St George’s Cathedral, the place of protest and witness during all the apartheid years ministering and witnessing still to inclusivity and Bishop Tutu’s “rainbow nation.”

Highlights of our time were:

hearing the life story of “Mama Kate”, how her house was demolished one day while she was at work and she was deported to the Transkei, and walked for 3 weeks to return to Cape Town and joined the protests and went on a hunger strike for 23 days in March 1982 in the Cathedral with over 50 others. Eventually they were allowed to “live” on the outskirts of Cape Town where now she has a house on the edge of one of the many shanty towns. The wall of her lounge is covered in press cuttings about the protests.

visiting the District Six Museum which tells the story of this vibrant multi racial community which was demolished between 1966 and 1982. And hearing how the households were shipped out to the townships and separated from family and neighbours and how that breakdown of community is still a cause of social unrest today.

hearing from Imam Rashied Omar about the strength of interreligious solidarity which dates back to the founding of Cape Town and the slaves who worked and lived together. This solidarity was made very strong under apartheid as prisoners prayed together and shared the struggle together.

making the Mandela pilgrimage to Robben Island and being shown around by a former prisoner. It seemed sad that the prison will never leave the prisoners alone as it now gives them their livelihood.

reflecting and sharing together on our own contexts, our own engagements on a political level. And all of us being in awe of Dean Michael Weeder and his team leading a vibrant cathedral community as an ongoing witness to hope in a struggling South Africa.

I was privileged to be invited to preach at evensong on Sunday 10 May. My sermon is linked here. One of the realities of life in Cape Town is rolling electricity cuts. I was grateful that the lights came on 5 minutes after the service started as it was already dark and the prospect of preaching with a torch and no microphone was not a happy one! An honour to preach in Bishop Tutu’s pulpit.

We are grateful to Juliet Batten for creating a blog post about her experience of walking the labyrinth here at St Matthew's during Holy week.

The bishops have instituted partnerships of 3 parishes across the Diocese. Our partners are St Francis, Tairua (Coromandel) and All Saints, Wellsford.

On the weekend of 2 and 3 May George and Jocelyn Armstrong, Rose Christie French and Pedro Portella and family visited Tairua.

They write: “Indaba," our Bishops wrote, a Zulu word for gathering for purposeful discussion, "is a way of being the Body of Christ that places a priority on relationships, empowers all and is oriented to mission." A big ask indeed.

The aim of an Indaba process, therefore, is to allow for mutual listening and learning while recognising and celebrating the diversity in our Diocese. It's not an exercise in persuasion or even evangelism, but a thoughtful glimpse into another Parish's life, way of being church and commitment.

And we did just that in Tairua in 2-3 May. We are three very different parishes, ourselves, Wellsford and Tairua. We listened and learnt about each other, and celebrated who they were and who we are. Right from the start we were into discussion of important faith and church issues.

Tairua is a Local Shared Ministry. This parish of retirees, with an average age of 70, has no vicar, but a team of lay people who are proud of what they have developed over the years with good training and much encouragement. Three are ordained to administer the eucharist in the parish; the pastoral care leader has a team of 12, the worship coordinator a large team including 8 who preach; the educator, the visual leader and the parish administrator complete the team. Everyone has a buddy out in the wider community. The OP shop is a going concern with involvement of the wider community.

The process for the weekend was indeed flexible and enabled us to really hear the personal dimension involved in the work and deep commitment of a Parish so different from our own. We felt, over the weekend, that we had begun a very special connection with Tairua – and with Wellsford – and one hopes that there will be a continuing relationship when all this is over.

A visit to Wellsford is planned and the two parishes will come to St Matthew’s – dates to be confirmed.

This week St Matthew's launches a new financial giving programme: Generous Spirit.

Designed by the Finance Committee this programme encourages those who worship at St Matthew's to consider making a financial commitment to the church community.

St Matthew's is fortunate to have income from the carpark but this does not cover all expenses and we are hopeful of being able to bring our clergy team back up to two if finances allow.

We also need to rebuild our reserves having depleted them in recent years.

Download the .

It is our Parish tradition to cook pancakes at the front of the church on Shrove Tuesday, to give away to passers by. Volunteer helpers who can give any time between 2.30pm and 6pm, can sign on to the list on the table at the back of the church or email annie@stmatthews.org.nz

We know we will have enough people to help on the day, but it would be good to know how many beforehand. So sign up if you can, it will be fun.

If you aren’t able to help on the day, we would appreciate a donation of lemons. Bring them into the church office anytime between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday, between now and Shrove Tuesday.

On the 27th of September I embarked on an amazing journey. 16 New Zealanders including my self and my sister set off to Labasa, Fiji. After a 30min bumpy bus ride from the air port we made it to the Habitat for Humanity main base - an ex school facility. The buildings consist of 4 classrooms, and an ablutions room. The first of the old class rooms was the sleeping area for the Fijian builders we were working along side, the next class room was the room the 11 women in our team shared, the next room was storage of tools and valuable building materials and the last class room was still being used by the kindergarten that was run alongside the school. The kindergarten is currently waiting for their new room to be built on the new school ground. The men from our team slept in the houses of two families next door to the school.

We had lots of adventures in Labasa: sleeping on the floor of a classroom, the logistics of sharing one shower, travelling on the back of utes to the building sites, and of course building in the humidity and heat. Our first building day we worked in small groups, painting the frame work walls (me), strapping the joists down (my sister), while another group started prepping the deck area. By the end of the day we had a large portion of the deck done and all of the wall frames were painted and most of them were up and in position. The second day we continued strapping and bracing the wall framing, started digging a massive hole to be dug for a tank, and there was more painting to be done also - a combination of awesome orange for the doors and window shutters and purple for the window sills and frames – my work shirt is very colourful!

We go so far through the first house that they decided to take the women to a second build site to repeat the painting, decking and strapping process. The men from our team stayed at site one to help out with roof cladding and framing the windows. This meant we got to know two families, and two building teams, which was great – lots more people to answer our questions about Fiji, their cultures, the sugar cane burning process etc.

I was absolutely blown away with our hosts - they worked so hard and even organised a special birthday dinner for the two birthday girls, complete with cake and ice-cream!

Day Six was our final build day. The women headed off to house two to finish off what we could. At lunch time we wrapped up and headed back to base to prepare for the blessing ceremony for house one. Andrew from our team had made a special plaque for the house which said ‘Kia Kaha’ – Stand Strong. The house was blessed, we sang a song for the family, then it was hugs and time to leave. It was very emotional for both us and the family as we could see that what we had achieved in a week would change their lives. And that was the most special gift we could give.

That night, the Fijian builders put on a special lovo for us (similar to a Hangi), and we shared in a feast and the special Kava ceremony, where we sang and shared stories together. I think it was quite an awesome experience for all. We packed up our base camp at the Habitat base the next day and said goodbye to our hosts and the awesome team, both Kiwi and Fijian, as we were all off on our own adventures.

My Habitat build is something that I will carry with me for the rest of my life and I would like to take this opportunity to thank my amazing church family for all their support both financial and emotional that helped get me there and be apart of something so amazing. For those keen to learn about Habitat’s work locally please contact Katherine Granich on 09 2713357. Habitat will be sending two teams to Fiji in 2015 – if you’d like to volunteer please contact LJ or Jane on 09 2713357. If you’d like to volunteer in other overseas countries please contact Kosala 09 5794111.

With Love and gratitude,

Suanna

On Christmas Day 1814 a service and a sermon preached by Samuel Marsden, to a Māori and Pakeha congregation, began Christian mission in this land. It was the partnership of Marsden and Ruatara which led to a pivotal moment in our history and the development of the special relationship between the two peoples, Māori and Pakeha, it was a step towards nationhood.

December 21st will be the opening of Rangioua Heritage Park, a place that tells of beginnings and includes the site of the Marsden Cross. Details for that day are available on www.rangihouaheritage.co.nz

On December 25th there is an invitation for all to attend a Bicentennial Ecumenical Service of Thanksgiving at the Marsden Cross site. The Christmas Service will celebrate the birth of Christ at the birthplace of Christianity in Aotearoa New Zealand. It will be lead by church leaders from across the country.

If you intend to come to the service, to assist with planning it would be appreciated if individuals or groups could register numbers attending at the following website.

Start time: The service will begin at 11am. It needs to start on time as it will be broadcast live on TV One. It is suggested people walk down to the cross by 10:30am at the latest. It is a 15-20 minute walk. People are encouraged to arrive early, if they are able, to ease possible congestion.

Parking: There will be a drop off point for those travelling by car at the entrance to the pathway on Oihi Road that leads down the hill to the Cross. Cars will be parked in allocated areas approximately 1.5 kilometres away. Shuttles will then take drivers back to the beginning of the pathway. It is not possible to take vehicles down the access path on the day.

Boat: Those travelling by boat can arrive at the beach but should be aware of commercial vessels operating that day. Fullers are also operating services on the day and inquiries can be made to their Paihia office about bookings.

What to bring: People need to be self-sufficient with their own water, refreshments, sunscreen and clothing for changeable weather. There is an invitation for people to stay after the Service with their own picnic and walk round the site and view the information panels that tell the story of Rangihoua.

Remembering the Day Madiba Came

On 13 November 1995 President Nelson Mandela came to St Matthew-in-the-City to thank the anti-apartheid movement and the people of Aotearoa for their support of the freedom struggle in South Africa. President Mandela spoke to a large crowd from the St Matthew’s pulpit.

On 13 November 2014 at a gathering to remember that day, about 150 people were spellbound as they listened once again (thanks to Radio NZ Archives) to Mandela’s speech, accompanied by photos of the gathering from 1995. Many people could recognise their younger selves.

Then inspiring speakers followed: Desmond Abrahams was a young activist in the last years of apartheid who spoke of the fear and experience of arrests and torture at the hands of the South African “authorities”.

HE Zodwa Lallie, High Commissioner for South Africa, spoke about how 20 years of freedom has impacted South Africa and how the country is now living up to Mandela’s vision of justice, reconciliation and peace. She also spoke of the importance of New Zealanders’ actions protesting the 1981 Springbok tour and how those actions made a difference and will never be forgotten.

The evening was enlivened by songs from the Heaven Bent Gospel Choir which had the audience wanting to be up and dancing.

A highlight for everyone was young Auckland Poet Brian Gashema (of Kenyan origin) who performed two poems – Crowns and Momma.

Ngati Whatua Orakei welcomed the guests as they had done 19 years ago for President Mandela and Deputy Mayor Penny Hulse represented the City and thanked the main speaker, the High Commissioner.

Then as if my magic overnight the church was transformed into a breakfast venue for

Living the Vision: Business and Mandela’s Legacy

Three speakers shared their stories from their businesses to the 100 attendees.

Rangimarie Hunia, from the Board of Ngati Whatua Orakei spoke about Ngati Whatua’s vision for delivery of services and their investment in housing.

Les Morgan, Director of Operations at Sudima Hotels spoke about leading a diverse team of staff and having each on contribute as part of the team. Sudima Hotels pay above the minimum wage and have a low staff turnover.

Carl Robinson, Director Global Sustainability and Social Responsibility, Fonterra, spoke about partnerships with schools and community groups in the Breakfast and Milk for Schools programme, and environmental work with the Dept of Conservation. She talked about the challenges of partnership and the need for honesty and the acceptance of diverse opinions to achieve common goals and values.

Rod Oram, business journalist, drew the threads of the conversation together speaking about the ideals Mandela has left us with which were evident in the speakers’ presentations.

Both events were presented in Partnership with the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and were sponsored by Trust Management, Hesketh Henry and KPMG.

Sarah Stuart, The New Zealan Herald

Dr Waiora Port was on the door at St Matthew in the City 19 years ago this week when the congregation welcomed Nelson Mandela to Auckland. The 82-year-old academic got her first degree at 60 and her PhD at 75.

Waiora Port was so nervous meeting Nelson Mandela, she had to be reminded she was there to karanga for him. Picture / Greg Bowker

1. How would you describe your childhood? I spent the first eight years of my life in the Far North, in Manukau, Diggers Valley and Ahipara and in 1940 we moved to Auckland. My father and mother had decided to go where my father could get a full-time job, which he did at the Hume Pipe Company in Penrose. We didn't like being brought to the city into a very old, dilapidated house in Cook St which at that time was in the slums of Auckland. Many Maori families at that time were living in one room and sharing facilities with others. My mother had very high standards and brought us up so well. Three times a week she marched us up to the Victoria Park Market for free showers. We had wonderful neighbours. Up north we were called the Pakeha kids because of our dad but in Auckland we were black Maori kids. I didn't like that much.

2. What did your parents teach you? Our parents taught us that we were always part of a family, community and we had to do our best to make our contribution to this family and community. We had rules and my dad, who was not religious, but his golden rule was do unto others as you would have them do to you.

I still live by that. Our mother had been taken away from school to help with her younger brothers and sisters and I believe she felt strongly about we girls having a good education and encouraged us to seek this.

3. Did you speak te reo? My grandmother lived with us and she couldn't speak English. I remember walking her up to George Courts on K'Rd and helping her get a job looking after the teapots. I had to do the talking for her. I worked there too, for years, in the beautiful tearooms. I still make the best club sandwiches my daughters wanted them for their weddings. We kids never spoke te reo. We went to a native school and there was not one Maori word spoken. I became the perfect example of a brown Pakeha. It wasn't until my mother died when I was 34 that I realised I had this huge hole in my life and I started going to classes.

4. You were a teacher but gave up when your children came along: was that difficult for you? Oh yes. I used to wish I lived on a kibbutz and could teach all day then enjoy the children in the evenings. But it was the thing in 1955 for me to fold my tent and quietly stay at home and have my baby and look after it. I gave up sport and I didn't question it. My husband felt that a man supported his wife and she should be at home looking after the children. I was 40 when I went back relieving and he was not happy about this and would not allow me to buy anything for the house with the money I earned.

5. Did you have a happy marriage? Oh very. Garth was a very, very clever person and we loved bringing up our children. He was so kind and generous and we had five daughters together. We were married 60 years but he died of prostate cancer seven weeks ago. He'd been sick for a very long time. Of course there are moments when I wallow, there's no doubt about that, but I just get up and get on with it. We lost a daughter, Mary Rose, to bowel cancer when she was 43. That was the worst thing that ever happened to us and harder than my grief now. At the time she was found to be really sick I'd been asked to do a PhD and they wanted me to do it about cancer and DNA testing and how Maori feel about new technologies like that. I almost gave it away but after she died it helped fill that terrible time.

6. Why did you begin university in your fifties? I wanted a BA by the time I was 70. I'd left Grammar thinking I was not really very bright, had failed school certificate and had to get a (dispensation) to go to university. But teaching had given me a lot. I was running a bilingual unit at Richmond Rd School when a lecturer at the university whose son was in my classes suggested it. I'd thought yeah, I'd always wanted to but never got around to it. My youngest daughter and I went together and in my first year I got two A-, two As and two A+!

7. How difficult was it being a mature student? It was not difficult at all. In fact it was exciting. I was 55 years old and felt the students and lecturers would not want such a mature student. Well the Maori students were just wonderful. They treated me with such respect and were always solicitous for my welfare. I did find that some tutorials in other topics were not so friendly. I went part-time because I was also supervising a kohanga reo but I just loved university. It was as if someone had given me all these sweets. And the more you learn the more you realise how little you know.

8. What is your greatest strength? My greatest strength is that I am flexible and practical. I can manage a team or work as a team member. I am happy with either. I know although I have my moments I am extremely calm in really serious situations. I don't believe in post mortems. I believe in going immediately into fix-it mode. I love people. I care about people.

9. And weakness? Where do I begin? I am a procrastinator so I need constant pressure to get me going. Therefore the more I have to do the more I do but I constantly need pressure to really get down to business. I sometimes go at things, as my mother used to say, "like a bull at a gate". At 82 I have not changed. I talk too much. I hate housework but because of my mother I know how to do it well, or see that it is done well.

10. What does faith mean to you? My Maori grandmother had an innate spirituality which was enhanced but not dominated by Christianity. She had karakia for the garden, for the sea, for the river, for when she worked with harakeke. She had been an Anglican because the first missionaries in the North were. I have since childhood been influenced by my grandmother's spirituality and the way in which she lived. I have a strong faith built on the teachings of Jesus Christ which I live by. He is my friend whom I consult at many levels. I love the ritual, the music, the poetry of my Anglicanism and I love to acknowledge the majesty of Tane Mahuta, Tangaroa.

11. St Matthew's is the most liberal of Christian churches: has that affected your faith? I haven't got a closed mind but I've had to sit and think about it. I believe that Jesus was the most open person and everything he did was about compassion. I believed everything - that Jesus rose from the dead, that there's three in one, but I've now had to rethink. It's like everyone's lived with the Emperor's new clothes for a long time, and now we have to think about it.

12. What do you remember of the day you met Mandela? We had thought when [the vicar] first told us he was asking the Government if Mandela would attend a service of people who had fought against apartheid that he was in a dream world. Henare Te Ua and I had been asked to greet Mandela at the door and I was to karanga on his behalf. What an honour. I was so moved and awestruck that I had to be reminded to do it. We shook hands but I didn't feel at that moment that I was his person. It wasn't the people who were chosen he wanted to meet, it was those who were just there. He went to where the children were, as if he was disregarding all that ceremony. We'd been told we weren't allowed to do this or that but I should have hongi'd him. He loved people and I think he had an eye for the ladies. There was something magic about that night, meeting the person that we had all looked up to.

• St Matthews in the City is commemorating Mandela's visit on November 13 with a 7.30pm talk by the High Commissioner for South Africa on 20 years of freedom. Koha to attend.

On 13 and 14 November, iconic Auckland church St-Matthew-in-the-City will host two events to commemorate the 19th Anniversary of the often-recalled visit of President Nelson Mandela.

On 13 November 1995 President Nelson Mandela came to St Matthew-in-the-City to thank the anti-apartheid movement and the people of Aotearoa for their support of the freedom struggle in South Africa. President Mandela spoke to a large crowd from the St Matthew’s pulpit.

In the year following President Mandela’s death, St Matthew’s wishes both to honour and remember that day, along with Mandela’s work and message. The events aim to address the current state of social, racial and economic justice in New Zealand.

Of the commemorations Vicar of St Matthew-in-the-City Rev Dr Helen Jacobi said, “St Matt’s is a place where the people from anywhere in Auckland can come to worship or simply reflect on the issues of the day. With these two events we want to engage in conversation about the abiding relevance of President Mandela’s legacy for our country and our city, and inspire another generation of leaders with President Mandela’s vision of a more just and peaceful world.”

Thursday 13 November 2014, 7.30pm - 9pm

Koha to attend

All are welcome at this special gathering to remember the day President Mandela addressed the Auckland community.

HE Zodwa Lallie, High Commissioner for South Africa, will discuss how 20 years of freedom has impacted South Africa and how the country is now living up to Mandela’s vision of justice, reconciliation and peace.

There will also be special performances and refreshments.

Friday 14 November 2014, 7.30am - 9.00am

$55 + GST per person (Breakfast is provided. Registration is essential)

This event aims to bring Auckland’s business community together to exchange views on how the corporate sector can play its part in making the city a better place.

Speakers include Carly Robinson, Fonterra’s Director Global Sustainability and Social Responsibility, Les Morgan, Director of Operations for Sudima Hotels, Rangimarie Hunia, representing Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, and business writer Rod Oram.

This event is presented in partnership with Auckland Chamber of Commerce, and sponsored by Hesketh Henry Lawyers and Trust Management Ltd.

For more information, please visit www.aucklandchamber.co.nz

For more information, images and interivews, or a transcript of President Mandela’s 1995 address to the St Matthew-in-the-City congregation, please contact Siobhan Waterhouse on +64 22 126 4149 or siobhan@mrfahrenheitpr.co.nz

Photographer: John Selkirk

Our new billboard is up. Thanks Auckland Theatre Company

Reverend Dr Helen Jacobi, the new vicar of inclusive Auckland church, St Matthew-in-the-City, ponders if the new musical about to take over our super city will make us ask bigger questions about life.

For those of us who were teenagers in the 70s, songs like “I don’t know how to love him” and “Could we start again please?” were part of our lives as we fell in and out of love.

For those of us who were churchgoers back then Jesus Christ Superstar broke into our world and shook us up. It presented the Jesus story as we had never imagined. The story was no longer isolated to a wooden pew, but was given a new lease of life, on stage.

Read more...

In addition to our regular services at 8am and 10am, this Sunday evening there will be a Taizé service in the church at 5pm.

This service of quiet and reflective singing, is participatory and designed to be ecumenical.

In 1944 having been a leader of the Student Christian movement in Switzerland Brother Roger Schutz founded a Monastery in Taizé, France open to all Christians.

This style of worship grew out of the evening prayer offered each day at Taizé.

It is offered in many parts of the world as a simple way of reflection and prayer.

Please join us on Sunday, October 12th at 5pm.

Photos of the ATC cast for Jesus Christ Superstar taken at St Matthew's during the week and in the Sunday Star Times today. The Last Supper with pizza!

Despite a mass powercut in central Auckland today, hundreds of people gathered with placards in support of endangered animals and to have their pets blessed.

Each year SPCA Auckland celebrates the life of St Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals, by providing the opportunity to have a pet blessed by the ministers at St Matthews-in-the-City.

We hope you can join us this Sunday at 1pm for the annual Blessing of the Animals service. All creatures great and small along with their human companions (of course) are welcome!

Help us celebrate World Animal Day this Sunday 5 October! Join SPCA Auckland on the ‘Great Animal Walk’ – a unique march down Queen Street that this year also . It’s a wonderful opportunity for animal lovers and their pets to celebrate the important place animals have in our hearts. This year SPCA Auckland is also participating in the Global March for World Animal Day. Auckland is among 119 locations around the world recognising and highlighting the many endangered animals on the planet who are suffering as result of human mistreatment. Join us at Queen Elizabeth Square, next to Britomart, from 11.30am to hear speeches from prominent animal advocates. We commence the Great Animal Walk at 12.15pm. Immediately following the Walk, the Blessing of the Animals service will be held at St Matthews-in-the-City church. Each year SPCA Auckland celebrates the life of St Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals, by providing a unique opportunity to have your animals blessed by the ministers at St Matthews-in-the-City. The service will commence at 1.00pm. 11.30am – Speeches begin 12.15am – Great Animal Walk up Queen St begins 1.00pm – arrival at St Matthews-in-the-city Church 2.30pm – event finish

Congratulations goes to Erno Hajos for his winning design for the St Matthew-in-the-City billboard competition. You win two tickets to the opening night of the Kensington Swan season of Jesus Christ Superstar, dinner, breakfast and a luxury room for two at Heritage Hotels & CityLife Hotels and a $90 Villa Maria Estate voucher. Don't forget to watch out for this design displayed on the most famous billboard in town.