As part of our life as a Church whanau, we have mid-week home groups that meet to study the Bible and pray together – sharing life experiences and encouraging one another in the journey of faith.

Many find these groups to be vital in sustaining an active faith, and as you read the updates from these groups, I’d encourage you to consider getting involved in one of them – or even starting up a new group! We have lots of terrific resources to encourage study and discussion.

We also celebrate some highlights from this first part of the year; occasions that express the Vision God is leading us in.

We explore and share the gospel with our dynamic neighbourhood. We create safe spaces to be, to belong, and to navigate the tough stuff. Getting to know God is a team sport – that’s why we do this together, not alone.

There is a lot for us to give thanks for, and I pray that we will be inspired to continue to intentionally seek to deepen our faith and courageously live it out. God has given us one another to do this together!

Allister Lane

How are our Home Groups going?

Monday Night House Group

The Monday night house group meets weekly at the Galt home in Karori. Some members have been part of this group for nearly forty years, but new people are always welcome. We start at 7.30 with prayer and Bible study and finish with supper at 9 pm. We have from 6 to 10 people in person and regularly 3 or 4 members by Zoom (in the past, we have had Oliver zooming from Taiwan). Members take it in turn to lead the study. We use a variety of study books. We began the year finishing our study on Ezra and Nehemiah and have also been looking at prayers in the New Testament and New Testament characters.

We start the year in February with a barbecue and finish the year with a Christmas dinner in early December. We have also had special evenings with A and J when they have been in the country. Pastoral care is an important aspect of our group, as we share joys and struggles. We always finish with a time of prayer concerns. This has been a strength of the group throughout the years. Anyone interested in joining us can speak to Linda or David and Margaret Galt.

The Thursday Night House Group

Every other Thursday a group of ten or so people gather at someone’s house in suburban Wellington. The next couple of hours follows a pattern, essentially not too dissimilar to the one practiced by the early church of, ‘teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread and prayer.’

Following a quick catch up and welcome we invariably begin with an opening prayer, followed by a study, then a time of prayer and supper. Supper is an important component of our House Group and testament to the fact that the baking of biscuits and cakes is not a lost art. Supper also affords the opportunity for everyone, to further engage in conversation.

The studies vary. Each member of the House Group takes a turn. Sometimes it’s a study on a book of the Bible, or a Biblical theme. At other times we follow a video series accompanied by discussion. A outstanding video series led by Biblical Scholar and Anglican Archbishop Tom Wright springs to mind. Or sometimes it’s a one-off study, on a topic of interest for the person leading it.

Our house Group year is ‘bookended’ by celebratory meals. The year concludes in late November with a meal at a restaurant. There, we share all our festive and holiday plans. We gather again in late January for a barbeque. This time, we reminisce about how those plans eventuated. We then speculate on the year ahead.

Our group is a ‘fluid’ one. With work, family and other responsibilities not everyone can make it every time. That’s to be expected. We don’t keep a roll!

One last thing. New members are warmly welcomed.

On behalf of the Thursday House Group.
Rob Anderson

The Young Adult’s Bible Study

The Young Adult’s Bible Study on Thursday night at 6pm in the office has been going along swimmingly.

I am really enjoying the different conversations that come up and the way people are questioning different and new things to gain a deeper understanding.

This year we have looked at the Beatitudes using a John Stott book to delve into Matthew 5:1-12 in a deeper way than we may have done previously.

We then moved onto The Insect and the Buffalo; this book is an overview of the whole bible and had us challenging the way we view the world and how we might read the bible with a new lens. Each member of the group lead us in a chapter each week and helped us explore the different areas in the bible.

I appreciated learning from multiple people. As we have just finished this study I am excited to see what we look at next and how the conversations and friends that have been made grow and develop.

Hannah North

Betty’s 100th

Betty Robertson is a very special person for us at St John’s, and we were thrilled to join with her in celebrating her 100th Birthday earlier this year.

At this significant milestone, we recognise as her Church family there is a great deal to celebrate about Betty – who she is and all she lives for.

Betty started coming to St John’s in the 1950s. And she has been a loyal and active member of the congregation ever since.

Betty’s fortes are numerous but they have one common denominator: people.

Betty epitomises so much of what we value at St John’s: intergenerational friendships, welcoming, compassion, care, faithfulness, service.

And, to be honest, it’s entirely possible that we value these features of Church because Betty has modelled them for us!

Fun day – Cog park

On a day when it is freezing cold with a howling Southerly and pouring with rain it seems a long time since the Evans Bay fun day was held.
Sunday 19th March 2023 was the second attempt at the Cog Park fun day – the original date being deferred because of weather. A fine day emerged and so did every Wellingtonian – the Childrens’ triathlon, a marvellous event and the largest traffic snarl up in the Eastern suburbs! However, everyone made the Cog Park destination eventually.
Key moments !!!

The most enthusiastic fisherwoman was Elaine Pearse
The most successful Fisherman was James Lane with a haul of 8 fish (genre unknown but thought to be spotties !!!)

The person with the drippiest chocolate sauce on their ice-cream was Neil Dodgson – and the most popular ice- cream flavour was cookies and cream (all this info tucked away for another time !!)

There were no tears shed at the lolly scramble – everyone got a good stash – and there was a good lot of sharing and caring at the time – a hallmark of the people at St John’s

People walked and talked and coffee’d nearby. Some braved the chilly sea and had a swim (not for me brrrrrrrrrr)

Hopefully the fellowship of families, the warmth of the suns rays, a picnic lunch which always tastes better than at the table at home -set people up for a good week ahead.
My thanks to Paul Ramsay (who helped lead the day) and the Lane family who were a great support in getting the fun day to a fun reality.

Eldred Gilbert

Youth Dinner 9th June

We have been doing lots to pursue the Vision God has given to us.

As part of the Building Community Vision Group, Margaret Gilkison organised a team of super-stars to host a dinner for the youth and Session elders in the St John’s Centre on a Friday night.

The purpose of the evening was to “acknowledge our youth and their leaders and to encourage inclusiveness and belonging in our church family”.

By inviting Session, it enabled people of different ages to get to know one another, which builds community and encourages belonging.

We are grateful to Marg and all the super-stars who made this Vision idea come to fruition.

Scots services

At St John’s in the City we have hosted visits from the Houses of Glasgow, Aitkin, Uttley and Fergusson, as well as the whole Junior School (who don’t have Houses).

This change to include the majority of the Houses in the morning services has been a great success. We have experienced the fruitful connections, collaboration, friendship, and impressive student participation.

There is currently a very high level of goodwill with the Chaplains, the Deans, the Headmaster and Principals, staff and students. Their contributions in the services have been recognised and appreciated.

From the Scots side, they tell me they have appreciated the warm welcome, inclusion and hospitality. They especially appreciated the St John’s youth also remaining in for the whole service.

St Johns messenger - July 2023