Easter Joy, Haere Mai Launch and Church Family Updates
Dear St Christopher’s Church Family
Grace and peace to you in the name of our risen Lord Jesus Christ.
We continue to rejoice in the victory of Easter – that glorious day when Christ triumphed over sin, death, and the powers of hell. What a joy it was to remember together, in a meaningful, Christ-centred, and gospel-exalting way, our Lord’s sacrifice on the cross – where He paid in full the penalty for the sins of all who would believe in Him – and His resurrection, which secures for us eternal life and unshakeable hope.
I want to thank all of you who attended and participated in our Holy Week and Easter services. We give thanks to God for the good turnout and the success of each gathering – the Maundy Thursday Tenebrae Communion Service, our Good Friday All-Age Reflective Service, and the Combined Family Communion Service on Easter morning. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who contributed in various ways – from leading music and readings to serving, setting up, and praying – your ministry was a blessing.
We also celebrated our Easter Messy Church on 17th April, which was a vibrant, interactive event for children and families, beautifully centred on the story of Jesus’ love and resurrection. You can read more about this colourful and Christ-filled gathering in our blog post here: 👉 Easter Messy Church 2025 – A Colourful Celebration of Christ’s Love
Special Good Friday Offering for CBM
At our Good Friday Service, we also held a special collection for the Christian Blind Mission (CBM) in support of their work providing cataract surgeries for the visually impaired in some of the poorest parts of the world. I’m pleased to share that we raised $780.60, not including designated online donations. Thank you for your generosity and heart for mission. Please note that fundraising for CBM will continue until the end of May, so there is still an opportunity to contribute if you haven’t yet. If you’re giving by cash or online, please clearly designate your donation as “for CBM.”
A Word of Thanks and Rest
As you might expect, Holy Week is one of the busiest seasons in the life of a parish, and this year was no exception. Our Good Friday service in particular, with its creative and participatory approach, required significant preparation. After such a full and fruitful week, I was grateful to take a short break with my family this past Tuesday and Wednesday. That time of rest was refreshing – both physically and spiritually – and I return with renewed strength and joy for the season ahead.
Haere Mai Project Launch
One of the highlights of Easter Sunday was the official launch of our Haere Mai Project, a significant new initiative for our church. As I shared in the service:
“As we celebrate the joy of Christ's resurrection today, we are excited to also launch an important new initiative at St Christopher's Anglican Church – the Haere Mai Project. The word ‘Haere Mai’ means ‘welcome’ in Māori, and it perfectly encapsulates the heart of this project. Our desire is to create welcoming spaces where people can come and explore the Christian faith. These aren’t just Bible studies – they are spaces of invitation, hospitality, and community, centred around the Christianity Explored course. At St Christopher’s, we are deeply committed to making disciples of Jesus. This isn’t just a vision statement – it’s our calling. And the Haere Mai Project is a practical way to live that out.”
We are blessed to have five Haere Mai Home Groups launching as part of this project. All groups are meeting this week except for Guan’s Chinese group, which will begin next week.
Let us continue to lift this ministry in prayer. Even if you’re not part of a group, your prayers and encouragement matter.
Corporate Prayer This Saturday
Speaking of prayer, please remember that this Saturday (26 April), being the fourth Saturday of the month, we will gather for our Corporate Prayer Meeting from 3pm to 4pm in the church. This is a valuable opportunity to pray together for the many needs in our church, our community, and our nation. All are welcome.
First Meeting of the New Vestry
Tonight, our newly elected Vestry will meet for the first time following their commissioning at last month’s AGM. I humbly ask you to pray for us – for wisdom, unity, discernment, and the Lord’s guidance as we begin this season of service together.
Holding on to Hope in a Troubled World
In today’s world, with so much real-time information available through TV and the internet, we can quickly become overwhelmed. The constant flood of news –often filtered through biased worldviews – can leave us feeling discouraged, even hopeless. But let us not lose heart.
It’s not necessarily that the world has become more evil; it’s that we are more exposed to its brokenness than ever before. As God’s people, we are not called to despair, but to hope. We are Easter people – people of the resurrection, people of prayer. Let us continue to bring our burdens and our world before the Lord in prayer, and anchor our hearts in the promise that Christ is risen and His kingdom is coming.
On the Passing of Pope Francis
You will likely have heard that Pope Francis, leader of the Roman Catholic Church, passed away on 21st April 2025, at the age of 88. The Bible teaches us to “mourn with those who mourn” (Romans 12:15), and so we extend our sincere sympathies to our Roman Catholic friends and neighbours during this time of grief.
Pope Francis was widely respected for his deep compassion, particularly for the poor and the marginalised. His example reminds all of us, regardless of denominational differences, of Christ’s call to care for the vulnerable.
At the same time, Francis’s passing invites us to reflect on the nature of the Church itself. The enormous scale and global influence of the Roman Catholic Church present certain challenges and temptations, notably the mixing of spiritual leadership with worldly power and politics. Indeed, any church or religious organisation – including our own – can be vulnerable to these challenges. This moment serves as an important reminder for us to remain vigilant in ensuring that our own expressions of leadership and community remain faithfully rooted in the humble example of Jesus Christ and the teachings of the New Testament. Let us be prayerful, compassionate, and reflective during this time, seeking always to embody the humility, grace, and truth of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Services This Sunday – 27 April
This coming Sunday, we will gather for worship at our usual service times: 9am and 11am.
We will also incorporate into our services a brief remembrance of ANZAC, in recognition of those who have served and sacrificed in war for the sake of others. You are welcome to bring your medals and wear your poppies as we mark this important moment together.
Please join us for morning tea at 10am – a lovely time for fellowship and camaraderie between our services.
11AM Congregation Monthly Luncheon
A special note for our 11am congregation: we will be holding our monthly luncheon fellowship after the 11am service this Sunday.
Please bring food to enjoy and share, and invite your friends and family along. It’s always a joyful time of connecting and building up our community.
Thank you, dear friends, for being part of the life and ministry of St Christopher’s. Let us continue to walk in the joy and power of the resurrection, serve one another with love, and boldly live out the hope of the gospel.
With resurrection joy Deo
Rev Dr Deo Vistar Vicar, St Christopher’s Anglican Church
