Ray Muller Funeral Notice
It is with sadness we let you know that Ray Muller passed away late last Saturday night. A celebration of Ray’s life will be held at St Mary’s Church, Karori on Thursday October 24th at 11am.
Bishops Justin and Anashuya ask us to join in prayer for the friends and family of Venerable Dr Ray Muller, who died on Sunday 6 October.
Ray became a Christian at St Peter’s Gonville as a teenager. He was ordained by Bishop Henry Baines in 1962, an experience which, to his astonishment, felt like 10,000 volts of divine electricity flowing through his body. It was overwhelming and returning to the choir stalls took careful effort!
From 1963-1968 Ray was Curate at All Saints’ Palmerston North and the first Chaplain of Massey University. He witnessed a phenomenal outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Hundreds of students came to faith; it was an everyday occurrence. There were miracles, including a man’s hearing restored, even though he had no ear drum – he was interviewed on National Radio. 700 people regularly came to Evensong at All Saints. Ray and others’ recollections will be published in a book called “Hearts on Fire”.
Ray also made international connections. Ray and wife Elaine worked in England in 1971 for Michael Harper in the Fountain Trust. For 40 years thereafter Ray would bring international speakers to New Zealand to stir up and equip the national church through several organisations he established: Christian Advance Ministries (out of which came Anglican Renewal Ministries), Church Growth Resources and Alpha New Zealand.
In 1974 Ray became Vicar of St Christopher’s Tawa and applied renewal principles at the parish level. The Easter service was televised live nationally. Then followed St Michael’s Newlands in 1985. His first parish was Patea in 1968.
But Ray’s passion was for the wider church. In 1988 Archbishop Brian Davis appointed Ray as Parish Consultant for evangelism and he joined the Diocesan office staff. Ray valued the opportunity to support so many colleagues throughout the Diocese. In 1988 the Lambeth Conference declared the 1990s to be a Decade of Evangelism. Ray was involved in both Provincial and Diocesan bodies set up to work on this project. Looking for a way forward, Ray went to Holy Trinity Brompton in London in 1994 to meet Rev Nicky Gumbel. As a result, he launched the Alpha Course in New Zealand. By the late 1990s New Zealand had the highest proportion of Alpha Courses per head of population in the world. By 2000 one third of churches were doing Alpha. The first national initiative in 2000 saw 700 churches invite 50,000 people to dinner and sign up 17,000 people for the course, one third of them unchurched. New Zealanders are still coming to Christ through Alpha today.
May he rest in peace
Sunday Services 20th October in Marsden Chapel
Please note in your diary that on the 20th of October our services will be held in the Marsden Chapel, Marsden School, at the usual times. This is due to Synod using Karori Anglican Church.
Games Night
Games Night is back this Wednesday 16th October at Te Korōria! Join us for a fun night of many games and fun – snacks are provided
Quiz for a Cause
Come and support Operation Refugee by joining a fun quiz night organised by Isabelle Harvey-Green and Charlie Fitzgerald. Teams can be up 4-8 people, and cost is $15 per person. So get a team together an come along to have fun! Please email Charlie.fitzgerald@marsden.school.nz to book tickets and deposit your ticket money to 03 -1399-0679688-001 including your name as reference.
Hosted in Te Korōria – BYO drinks and snacks.
Youth Weekend Away
Youth Weekend away is coming up from Friday 29th November – Sunday 1st December. This is for young adults (13-21 years), as well as the parents or carers. If your youth would like to attend please email – office@karorianglican.org.nz or ben.bormann@karorianglican.org.nz
Intermediate Youth – “CHAOS” (Christian’s Hyped About Our Saviour!)
Guess who’s back, back again? CHAOS is back, tell a friend to come hang out and play some games. Next Thursday 17th October 6:15pm.
Youth – The Collective
Welcome back! We will attend a Quiz night on Friday 18th October meet at 6:15pm at Te Korōria – please let Ben know if you would like to attend
New Wine Early Bird
A group from Karori Anglican will be heading to New Wine in January 2025. New Wine early bird sale until 30th November – click HERE to register
Twilight Golf
Twilight Golf is every Wednesday 4:30pm-5:15pm, everyone welcome! Get in contact with Geoff – geoff.lee@xtra.co.nz
Key upcoming dates:
- Thursday night CHAOS – 17th October 6:15pm Te Whare ō Mere
- Friday Night Youth – 18th October 6pm Te Whare ō Mere
- Te Korōria Games Night – 16th October Cafe 7pm
- Synod – 19th – 20th October St Mary’s Church
- Fish and Chip Night – Friday 22nd November
- Great Escape Youth/Parent Weekend – 29th November (Tongariro)
‘For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life’ John 3:16