SEASON OF LENT
The Lent season begins the first week of March with an Ash Wednesday Service at St Mary’s Church at 7 pm. We encourage everyone to come and mark the beginning of Lent, encourage your house church to come along. Here is a Wiki link for some background information on this important part of our church calendar https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lent
If you are not already a member of a house church there is an opportunity to join a group (just for six weeks) during Lent. You can sign up in the gathering area after the services this Sunday, or sign up by visiting our website karorianglican.org.nz and select the Join a Lent Group button on the main page, or email heidi@karorianglican.org.nz. The groups will be studying “Lent for Everyone: Luke, Year C – A Daily Devotional” by NT Wright. This will be available for purchase or you can download on Kindle/Amazon. The first week is available to download (for free) by visiting https://www.wjkbooks.com/Content/Site117/FilesSamples/188184175787Wri_00000033261.pdf It is really amazing to see how God moves as together we explore His word. If you are not currently in a study group – give it a go, we have all sorts of times and locations to suit what works for you.
LATEST TE KORŌRIA UPDATE
This week the frames for the counselling rooms started going up. The foundations of the main Te Korōria building are underway with framing and drainage going in. We continue to push into our fundraising as we still need to raise a further $1.7 million. One way you can help is below – please promote and share with friends and colleagues!
BUY A BRICK – PAVE THE WAY!
This is an opportunity for people to have the names or business names/logos engraved on the bricks we will be putting outside Te Korōria and the counselling rooms. Creating a permanent record of support. We need help to promote this opportunity – please share with friends and colleagues, neighbours, share online with all your contacts. Options start from $250. Brochures available to pick up at St Mary’s. More information can be found at karorianglican.org.nz or contact Kate Harvey-Green kate@karorianglican.org.nz.
GODZONE KIDS and YOUTH
All meet in St Mary’s for the start of the 10.30am service. You will then head out to your GodZone/Youth Chat groups together. Thanks.
SUNDAY FAMILIES LUNCH
Heads up, the next Families lunch will be held on Sunday, 6 March straight after the 10.30am service. A venue is yet to be confirmed but will be advised in next week’s newsletter.
IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER
Save these dates into your calendar now!
2 March – Lent Begins!
If you are not already a member of a house church and would like to join a Lent Group, then sign up by visiting our website karorianglican.org.nz and select the Join a Lent Group button on the main page.
4 April – Karori Anglican AGM
21 May – Anglican Diocese Training Day
2 July – Parish Dinner
YOUTH GROUP THIS WEEK : TRIP TO MAKARA BEACH FOR BONFIRE AND MARSHMALLOW TOASTING!
Fridays 7.15pm to 9.30pm – meet at the church office, 8 Fancourt Street
We are currently in the process of recruiting a new Youth Leader to lead the Youth Collective on Friday nights and we hope that we will have this sorted in the next month or two. Please keep this in your prayers.
In the meantime, we will be running a number of outings/social events for youth, exploring various parts of Wellington and having some fun together. Kids are more than welcome to bring along their friends! Youth Group is for secondary school aged youth and meets every Friday during term time. If you have any questions please contact Ian Cook.
WE HAVE NEW RECYCLING BINS!
As part of our passion for integrating care of creation and sustainability into life and activities in our church and community, we are excited to reveal our new recycling bins for St Mary’s gathering area and the church office. We now have four separate bins for Glass, Landfill, Paper and Plastics and Cans. This is a fantastic opportunity for us to help keep our community and country clean! When using these bins it is very important that rubbish is put in the correct bins and that any recycling items, ie. plastics, cans and bottles, are thoroughly washed and dried before throwing them away. We thank you in advance for your continued support in keeping our church community eco-friendly! You will see these bins in St Mary’s as well as in the offices, SMASH, and the Early Childhood Centre thanks to a grant from Wellington City Council.
COVID UPDATE
With Covid now circulating in communities around New Zealand, please ensure you do not attend services if you are feeling unwell, or are required to isolate (more on isolating can be found below).
Vaccination Certificates
We have started recording that we have sighted your vaccination passport and you will not need to present it again, if you have already, except for some random spot checks as required by law. However, upon entry you still need to scan in with the contact tracing QR codes and/or fill out a Record Keeping Contact Slip.
If You Are Unvaccinated
If you are unvaccinated, you can access an audio recording of the sermon which will be posted early the following week under the Resources section on our website https://www.karorianglican.org.nz/
Isolating
If you are asked to isolate due to either having Covid, or you need to self-isolate due to being a close contact with someone who has Covid, it is important that you have support while isolating and that we take care of each other. If you are in a house church, your first point of contact is your house church leader. If you are not in a house church, or cant get hold of your house church leader, please contact Heidi in the parish office. It is important that you let at least one of them know so that they can keep in touch and arrange help for you when required.
To minimise risk to our most vulnerable congregation members, please note the following:
- Masks are required, except for those leading and reading. Please make sure you are wearing your mask when you arrive (especially during the crossover between our two services). We will have spare masks available should you forget.
- Chairs will now be placed 1m apart. However, you can move chairs into groupings should you all agree to.
- Communion is still by one element only.
- The peace is non-contact only.
- Morning tea will not be served.
- Children and Youth can join us at the start of the 10.30am service and then can exit to their programmes.
PASTORAL CARE
If you have any pastoral care concerns or queries please contact Ian Cook ian@karorianglican.org.nz
NEW STAFF MEMBER – JANET TIFFIN
We are excited to welcome Janet Tiffin to our Karori Anglican staff. Janet is our new Treasurer and is already working in the office learning the ropes alongside Shirley Black who is stepping back from this role in April. If you have any accounts queries, please email janet@karorianglican.org.nz and she will be in touch. We acknowledge the longstanding commitment that Shirley has provided as Treasurer to Karori Anglican and we wish Shirley well in her upcoming retirement!
KARORI ANGLICAN CAPS & TEE SHIRTS FOR SALE
We will be selling Karori Anglican caps and tee shirts on Sunday in the gathering area. If you have already ordered one, come and collect it, and if not you can buy one on the spot! These will look great when you are out serving the community in Kaitiaki or anywhere else! You can pick up the tee shirts and caps
Pricing: $20 per cap and $35 per Tee shirt (navy with KA logo on chest) – both the cap and tee shirts are dark navy in colour – refer picture above.
REFUGEE DONATIONS – THANK YOU
Thank you to parishioners for the generous indication of support for the refugee family of four. The girl and boy are thought to be in the 5-10yr age range. Please deliver the items you are donating to either church, church office or phone Mike or Judy to arrange collection on Ph 04 970 3069.
WHEELERS UPDATE
We have received an update from the Wheelers on mission in Kapuna, Papua New Guinea. You can pick up a hardcopy of this email in the gathering area. If you would like to receive the Wheeler’s email updates then please let Heidi know heidi@karorianglican.org.nz and she will have the Wheeler’s include you in their email distribution list.