A weekly sent to all parishioners, usually on a Friday.

16 April 2026

Kia ora, friends

I hope you all got through Cyclone Vaianu all right – Hawkes Bay seems to have got off much more lightly than we originally thought, and certainly had an easier time than other regions.  It was good to see some of you joining in the Zoom Morning Prayer offered by the Cathedral team on Sunday morning. 

This Sunday things will be back to normal.  There are services at Waipukurau (9.30am), Ōtāne (10am – rescheduled from last week), and Ormondville (10.30am).

Our readings this Sunday: Acts 2:14a, 36–41: Peter proclaims the resurrection as God’s vindication of Jesus, both Lord and Messiah.  The crowd’s response matters: repentance and baptism signal a real change of life, not just private belief.  Salvation is communal, forming a new people of God.  How is our life different because of Easter?  1 Peter 1:17–23: Believers are called to live responsibly, knowing their lives matter to a just and faithful God who brings life out of death.  Hope leads to changed behaviour, especially love within the community. Love isn’t optional; it’s the clearest sign of new life. What old ways might we need to leave behind?  How does hope shape how we treat one another?  Luke 24:13–35: Resurrection faith unfolds over time. Disappointment and grief are taken seriously as the risen Christ is recognised through Scripture, the breaking of bread, and shared community. Where do we struggle to recognise Christ amid confusion or loss? How do your encounters with the risen Christ shape your sense of mission?

Here’s a prayer for this week:

Jesus, we believe you;
all we heard is true.
You break the bread, we recognise you,
you are the fire that burns within us;
use us to light the world.
Hear this prayer for your love’s sake. Amen.

We’ll soon be electing a new Lay Synod representative and an alternate. Why?  That’s because the people who hold these roles currently have been ordained, or are about to be. They’ll still be attending our Annual Synod (in October, this year in the Hawkes Bay), but can’t represent our parish as lay people. We’ll hold a Special General Meeting for this election – date to be advised shortly. 

Could you be our next lay Synod rep?  To inspire you, here’s some reflections from the Rev’d Birgitta Rolston, who represented CHB parish in 2024:

“I was elected as Synod lay representative for our CHB parish in 2024.  Synod met that year in Gisborne, over a weekend in October.  Your petrol, accommodation and main meals are all paid for by parish funds.  Highlights for me included the lovely and frequent ‘food stops.’  Food aside, it was lovely to see everyone from across our whole church region all gathered in person.  I loved meeting new people, or people that I had heard of but had never met before – or even people who I was training with online, who I now met face to face. There was a real feeling of camaraderie and friendliness, and it felt like one, huge extended family – which was really fun to be a part of.

The biggest highlight for me was listening to our Tikanga Māori Archbishop Don Tamihere, who spoke candidly about the history of Te Tairawhiti, which was both powerful and humbling – particularly when I learned more from him firsthand about the chequered past of our own Anglican church in this region.   His words inspired in me a renewed vision of us all still learning, and growing, and improving in our efforts to become a multi-Tikanga church for all New Zealanders.

Coming up:

Mini-Fair Saturday 16 May at the Green Patch in Waipukurau. Starts 10am.  More details to come.

Donna Cruickshank’s ordination as a Vocational Deacon: Saturday 23 May, 11am at Waiapu Cathedral in Napier.

Followed by our next CHB Parish Combined service: Sunday 24 May, 10.30am at St Mark’s Takapau

Blessings

Deborah

11 April 2026 5pm

Kia ora, friends

Things are moving fast out there.   Bishop Andrew has contacted me to say he is now recommending that all church services throughout Waiapu be cancelled tomorrow.  He’s concerned about both clergy and lay parishioners travelling and getting caught up in the storm.

In view of this, all worship services in CHB are cancelled for tomorrow morning, ie there will now not be in-person worship in Waipukurau, Ōtāne or Takapau.

Instead, please feel very welcome to join in Morning Worship by zoom at 10am hosted by Waiapu Cathedral.  Here is the zoom link for that::

Morning Worship by Zoom 12 April 2026 with the Cathedral at 10.00am

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87512560739?pwd=iyfLtNzrUyJ1EbSpKkrRFu8PD9dtad.1

Blessings

Deborah