The centre of who we are and who we want to become...
Worship is so much more than an activity, a performance or even a gathering. It is an act of formation. It is a process of becoming fully human by knowing our places within the universe as creator and as beloved children of God. There is no one way to reach this aspiration and so we seek to offer a variety of gatherings and opportunities for people to experience God and to grow in grace - from ancient practices that have nourished generations, to experimental forms that name Christ as Good News for you today.
Worship Service
Traditional Eucharist
Our 8am service at All Saints is our most traditional service. Using A New Zealand Prayer Book, you will shuffle pages and switch books as we move through the deep liturgical practice of the eucharist and recall prayer and scripture that has formed the church from caves to cathedrals. Accompanied by the organ and the singing of hymns, this is a beautifully gentle way to worship the God of ages.
8am at All Saints
Family Service
Our 10am service at All Saints is our attempt at bridging the gap between liturgy and the expression of contemporary worship. A more informal service, utilising elements of the liturgy and culminating in the celebration of communion, this is often an easier point of entry. With music led by guitar and keyboard, and songs written within at least the last 50 years, this gives expression to a contemporary version of Anglican liturgical worship.
10am at All Saints
Evening Worship
In the early church, those coming to explore the faith or to experience the life of the church were called 'Catechumens'. Their journey was marked by a focus on the teaching of Jesus as the Word of God and mystagogical teaching - exploring the spiritual dimensions of Christ's life, death, and resurrection and the invocation of the Holy Spirit to move within the lives of those whom God was calling. This service is informal and focussed on worship, teaching and the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
7pm at All Saints
Rural Worship
Within our community there are three churches and 5 congregations. Two of our churches and congregations gather in the rural communities outside of Napier. The Church of St Michael and All Angels in Puketapu meets for worship every month on the third Sunday from 9:30am for a communion service. The Memorial Chapel of St George in Crownthorpe hosts gatherings on ANZAC Day, Remembrance Sunday and Christmas Eve.
Rural Worship
Our Worship Principles.
We have not made ourselves. Instead, we stand in the tradition of faithful men and women through millennia who have created who we are today, and left us signposts and markings to guide us from folly and danger. We live in constant dialogue with this past, while always remembering we will be that past for others. Integrity with who we have been makes us faithful for another generation that needs it.
An integrity with the past
We believe that the world deceives us to think that other people are an audience for the performance of our lives. We believe that lie has also found its way into the church. Instead of performances, we value companionship - a community that breaks bread together, celebrates and mourns together and a community that argues together. That is true unity - not the production value of your worship.
Choosing altars over stages
You will likely not understand much of what we do the first time you experience it. But we believe you are capable of more than being spoon-fed truth through taglines and gimmicks. We expect of you what we expect of each other, that together we will grow in understanding and come to see the deep and rich ways our forebears have left us to form a faith and practice that stands the test of time and trial.
Expecting more of you than you do
If you are hoping for a church that is following the latest trends or who fits your aesthetic, we probably aren't for you. We are messy, sometimes broken, often odd, and our intentions rarely match our ability. And yet we know that, in Christ, we are profoundly loved as sons and daughters of God and that you are too. If you want real community and can't be bothered with the pretence of perfection, you'll fit in well.