In ten days, on the 6th March, Porirua Anglicans will convene two groups to study about "Christian Grace". Study booklets have arrived and are available for a suggested koha of $5 each. Entitled, "A pilgrimage of grace", this study will run for six Wednesdays through to 10th April. There will be two groups meeting at St Anne's: 10am and 7:30pm. Those wanting to join either of these groups should contact Rev Terry Alve 027 944 4996 or 232 2583 (text or call) and advise which group they will join.

​More information is available in the flyer below.

A wonderful Sunday afternoon and plenty of food & drink and good chat and carol singing and several children to receive gifts. Nearly 50 locals joined the gathering at Ernest Street Reserve/Park on 9th December to catch the spirit of Christmas. Thank you all, especially the St Anne's organisers, for a wonderful gathering.

On Wednesday 5 December 2018 Porirua Anglicans gathered in St Anne's for a day of prayer. This involved folk attending one or more prayer sessions: 6am, 9am, noon, 3pm, 6pm, 9pm. Each session lasted 30-40 minutes and was developed around a theme.

In promoting this day in an email the night before I had observed, "Porirua Anglicans are a people of prayer who have seen much of God at work through prayer. Tomorrow we expect that our praying will make a difference. Let's respond to God's word."  I ended with this scripture of encouragement,

The Church's new year has just begun with us celebrating Advent last Sunday. So it's time for new beginnings; new resolutions; new hope believing that God is doing a new thing in our midst. It was with these thoughts before us that we launched our day of prayer. Those gathered heard these verses from Isaiah 43 read,

So we are encouraged to pray that God will do the new things in our midst that perfectly reflect God's will for the Church and for the people of Porirua. We take heart for the housing renewal and regeneration plans recently announced by the Prime Minister and we see these as a sign of the spiritual renewal coming. We pray that Porirua Anglicans will be at the forefront of those committed to the renewal and regeneration of our city. That they will be bearers of new hope into the future.

We are NOT talking about the Porirua Anglican family, 'Grace', but high quality Lenten Studies on key Christian themes that have been offered in the Wellington Anglican Diocese in recent years. ​This year's series, "A Pilgrimage of Grace" promises to be up there in quality and content.

What is (Christian) grace? Elegance? Good will? Honour? Study scriptures about grace together. Share your experiences of grace received and given and how they have made a difference. Do you agree that if we do not offer grace, then we become a prisoner?

Buy your copy of this Lenten study series from the diocesan office or get one from Porirua Anglican.
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Two Wednesday Study groups are planned in St Anne's:

• 10:00am - begins with morning tea
• 7:30pm - supper to follow

Both commence on Wednesday 6th March 2019 and Studies run for six weekly sessions.
​Use our contact form to register.

“The war to end all wars,”  was how the first world war was perceived at the time. The world, in its shock at the extent and the cost of WW1, thought humanity may have come to its senses with this war. Sadly, this war did not end wars. If anything the terms of settlement ensured that WW2 would follow after a short time.
 
It is the nature of people, that we fight for what we believe is right, and sometimes that results in physical confrontation. Other times, as our gospel today asserts we, “cheat widows out of their homes” (Mark 12:40) or, otherwise dispossess the oppressed unjustly. The capacity of humans to be inhumane knows few bounds.
 
Today, as we celebrate  100 years since the WW1 armistice on 11 November 1918 we are compelled to  continue praying for peace. Peace for ourselves including peace of spirit; peace for our closer ones. Peace in the nation and world peace. Wherever there is absence of peace we pray God of all, may swords continue to be turned into ploughshares and sophisticated armaments into food for the hungry and justice for the needy.

This Sunday 11 November 2018 marks the centenary of the first Armistice day - the day when WW1 ended. To celebrate we are invited to do four things at St Anne's, Porirua:

1. Bring personal memento/s relating to our family's experience of WW1 - medals, pics, clothing, other military hardware, writings, etc. with a view to displaying them in or after the service;
2. Join us in keeping silence for 2 minutes at 11am;
3. Participate in the 'roaring chorus' which will begin with the ringing of the church bell at 11:02am;
4. Pray for peace, especially where we understand there to be a lack of it currently.

PLEASE DO JOIN US FOR THIS HISTORIC EVENT.

The Reverend Jenny Dawson will lead the eucharist with members of the Waitangirua Anglican Community at Russell School this Sunday - 28th October 2018. This monthly 10am gathering invites all associated with the congregation to come and give thanks for the month that has been and to pray for the coming month. Visitors are welcome to this gathering at the School in Fantame Street, Waitangirua.

The St Anne's congregation in Ranui Heights will have  guests from Auckland - Rev Dr Derek Tovey and his wife Lea. Derek was lecturer in New Testament studies at St John's College, Auckland for many years. Derek's mother is Marjorie who accompanied Dr Jocelyn Williams (Porirua Anglican) home, after she had nearly died of Hepatitis B - as mentioned last Sunday. Derek & Lea spent two years with Porirua Anglican priest Terry & Margaret Alve at St John's College as neighbours. Derek and Terry were ordained deacon together in Christchurch Cathedral in 1980.

Derek & Lea will be with one of their ex-students Elaine and write, "One of our ex-students, Elaine Roub, is coming to NZ. She is a daughter of the past principal of the Murree Christian School, in Pakistan. She is an American, in her late forties, and a 'missionary' in Belfast, Northern Ireland. At the beginning of this year Elaine received a Churchill Fellowship for research on bereavement."

A fourth guest in this service may be the Reverend Rochelle Grace a daughter of the Parish and deacon with the Rota Waitoa Maori Church at Elsdon. Rochelle will join us if she can be relieved of duties at Rota Waitoa. She too is a former student of the Tovey's at St John's College.

After the service both congregations are invited to join together at the home of church members Casey and Shannon and boys at 12 Kohika Grove, Elsdon for a barbeque lunch with their neighbourhood.

Our Bible reflections this Sunday will speak of happy endings - Job's blessings after his suffering; Jesus' eternal and perfect high priesthood; and Blind Bartimaeus' gaining sight because of his faith. These scriptures are a fitting corollary to our St Anne's focus last Sunday on St Luke - Healer and Evangelist. The one who delighted to talk about the blessings of Christian faith and encourages us to pray for the sick and tell of the Good News about Jesus.