Christ Church, Russell

Matariki – a time to reflect – a time to harvest – a time to give thanks.

Matariki is the Maori recognition of New beginnings or a New Year. At Christ Church we celebrate this festival each year. This year, on Sunday 22 June, we invited the children from a local Maori school to join in the service.

What a treat! The children sang a waiata and again during Communion. The Old Testament Lesson was read by an 11 year old in both Maori and English. A tangible sign of our bi-cultural heritage.

We were also treated to a most colourful but inspirational address by the Principal from the Waikare School. In essence -‘children of today are the future of tomorrow – cherish and nuture them all as they are all our responsibility’.

This uplifting service was conducted by our Maori Sacramental Minister who is also a senior teacher at the Waikare Total Immersion school. Following the service a luncheon was enjoyed by all present.

Sunday 25 May is Te Pouhere/Constitution Sunday when we celebrate the unique structure of the Anglican church of Aotearoa/New Zealand and Polynesia.

We have three tikanga or ways of being – Maori, Pakeha and Polynesian. Each tikanga has autonomy but is also closely related to the other two.

It’s like a woven piece with its distinctive individual threads. Our original constitution of 1857 was updated in 1992 to reflect the many strands that are the Anglican church in this land.

Christ Church celebrates Matariki, the Maori New Year, every season.
Our church commemorates Matariki as a midwinter festival, celebrating the harvest. This year the children from Waikare School were a pivotal point in the service.
Matariki is a time to reflect on the old… look forward to the new, and share our cultural heritage.
Sunday 22 June 2008, 10.30am.

Every year in our community we have some wonderful services, one of the more memorable ones recently was on 25 April, ANZAC Day.

This is a day when Australia and New Zealand commemorates members of the Australian and NZ Army Corps (ANZACs) who fought at Gallipoli in Turkey during the 1st World War, altough of recent years it has become a tribute to all those who have died during times of war – and a plea for peace.

This year, Mary decorated a stunning cross at the back of the church with red poppies. The poppies are the symbol of the wildflowers which bloom each year in the cemeteries of Gallipoli.