Kaurihohore Church

06/09/2026

Today is the first Sunday in the Season of Creation, a month long celebration which happens every year in September.

In today's service Jane reminded us that "we celebrate God’s creation… of forests, rivers and mountains. We see flowers
budding, newborn lambs playing and other signs all around us that Spring is here" and also that "Creation is also a time to celebrate God’s work in our own hearts and lives."

If you missed the service or would like to catch up, you can check out the full service sheet and Jane's reflection on our website - the link's in the comment below.

We also encourage you to listen to our theme hymn we'll be using each week during the Season of Creation: I, the Lord of sea and sky.

"I, the Lord of Sea and Sky" was written by Daniel L. Schutte, publ...

30/08/2026

𝗔 𝗣𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗿𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗡𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗹

As we hear of the devastating floods in Nepal, we pause in sorrow and solidarity with all those affected. In the face of lives lost, families separated and communities facing profound uncertainty, we turn to God in prayer. We pray for those who grieve, those still waiting for news, and all who are working to bring rescue, care and hope.

God of compassion and mercy,

We hold before you the people of Nepal following the devastating flash floods in the Bhote Koshi River area.

We grieve with those who have lost loved ones. We pray for the many who are still missing, local people and visitors alike, for families waiting anxiously for news, for those who have been injured or displaced, and for communities facing such immense loss.

Draw near, O God.

Where there is grief, bring comfort.
Where there is fear, bring courage.
Where there is exhaustion, bring strength.
And in these difficult hours of searching and waiting, sustain hope.

We pray for all involved in search and rescue, evacuation, medical care and relief. Protect and strengthen them. Give wisdom to those coordinating the response, and may help reach those who need it most.

Jesus Christ, you entered into the suffering of our world and showed us a love that draws near. Draw near now to the people of Nepal in their suffering.

By your Spirit, weave together communities of care and compassion. Strengthen neighbours supporting one another, families holding one another close, and all who are offering shelter, comfort and hope.

God of life, we entrust to your mercy all who have died. Hold those who mourn. Be near to those still waiting for news. Strengthen all whose lives and livelihoods have been devastated by this disaster, and sustain them through the long journey of recovery.

Hold the people of Nepal in your love —
the love of the crucified and risen Christ,
a love that crosses every boundary,
a love that will not let us go.

Amen.

– 𝙒𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙣 𝙗𝙮 𝙋𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙍𝙚𝙫 𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙖 𝙎𝙪𝙡𝙞

23/08/2026

Today we explored the fourth and final chapter of Jonah. Richard led our service and encouraged us to look beyond the childhood "Sunday School" version of the story to discover deeper, life-changing lessons.

Richard challenged us with two big questions from Jonah 4:
1️⃣ Are we truly ready to forgive? Jonah struggled with God’s grace and mercy towards Nineveh—a harsh and hostile enemy nation. It’s easy to feel bitterness or resentment when we or others have been hurt. Yet, as we pray "forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us", we are invited into the challenging, divine work of genuine forgiveness rather than holding onto anger.
2️⃣ Are we being called to be the Jonahs of our time? Is God asking us to stand up and speak out as prophets in our own era, speaking truth and challenging the violence, greed, and injustice that harm the vulnerable? Or have we been hopping on ships to Tarshish to run away from that call?

As we shared in Communion together today, we were reminded that Jesus calls us to a radical way of love, justice, and reconciliation.

If you missed the service or would like to catch up, you can check out the full service sheet and message on our website - the link's in the comment below.

16/08/2026

In our service today, we dove into Jonah chapter 3, where the King of Nineveh called the whole city to wear sackcloth as a sign of repentance. To give us a feel for what this would be like we each received a small piece of burlap.

We considered doing a dramatic retelling of the story where even the sheep had to put on sackcloth... tempting, but we figured our neighbours might not be too keen on us dressing up their livestock! 🐑😄

If you want to read the reflection from today’s service check out our service sheet on our website:
https://kaurichurch.org.nz/weekly_services/

09/08/2026

In today’s service, we continued our series in Jonah with Jane leading us through chapter 2, exploring Jonah’s famous prayer from inside the belly of the fish.

When we hit rock bottom, our way forward begins with honesty, prayer, and gratitude. Jonah’s story reminds us that even in our lowest moments, God provides a path toward grace, repentance, and redemption.

You can read the full reflection and access today’s complete service sheet on our website:

Serving the Kaurihohore, Te Kamo and Surrounding Communities We're proud to offer a variety of services and events that enrich our local communities Worship & Spiritual Growth Weekly Church Services Every Sunday at 10am Communion Once a month Study Groups For faith development Special Services Chris...

02/08/2026

In August each year we pause following the Revised Common Lectionary and instead focus on a specific book in the Old Testament. Last year we spent the month in the book of Ruth, this year we're delving into Jonah. We invite you to read these chapters along with us each week, and hope that these next 5 Sundays provide you with a new way of thinking about what may be an already familiar story.

To start, you can check out Kimberley's service on our website, and watch the fantastic Bible Project overview of Jonah at the link below.

Watch our overview video on the book of Jonah, which breaks down th...

26/07/2026

✨ Reflecting on Today’s Service ✨

Today we were blessed to be led in worship by Rev. Johanna Warren, our Parish's Interim Moderator.

Johanna brought a inspiring service focused on the parables Jesus shared about the Kingdom of Heaven. She reminded us to joyfully tell God’s stories and challenged us to see them through fresh eyes, asking ourselves what new parables fit our modern context: "The Kingdom of Heaven is like..."

This led to wonderful, lively discussions during the service about what modern parables might look like today. Some of the themes that were shared included:

Connection: How the internet connects all of humanity, or how members of our own community connect to help those in need find safe housing.

Mystery: How the Kingdom is often right beside us, much like Kamo Springs - a hidden treasure many of us pass by regularly without truly noticing its beauty.

💙 A special thank you to Johanna for spending time with our community today and for helping us engage in a whole new way of seeing and understanding the Parables!

How would you finish the sentence: "The Kingdom of Heaven is like..."? Share your thoughts in the comments below! 👇

21/06/2026

Today we commemorated World Refugee Day, honouring refugees around the world, people who have been forced to flee their homelands. The story of Hagar in today's lectionary reading was fitting, and we learned this beautiful new song by David Bjorlin.

Text: David BjorlinTune: NOEL NOUVELET

06/06/2026

✨ The beauty of working together ✨

Yesterday, we held our biannual Parish planning morning – a wonderful time to come together, reflect on the year that’s been, and look ahead to what’s next for our church community.

To ground our morning, Rosalie led us in a beautiful devotion focused on us being a diverse body of Christ. We were invited to contribute to a collaborative mosaic using materials Rosalie brought along.

Take a look at the finished piece! Just like the mosaic, our parish is made up of unique, diverse pieces that come together to create something beautiful. It truly reflects who we are, how we work, and the joy of serving together.

31/05/2026

This morning we enjoyed a Sharing Sunday service, where everyone has an opportunity to share a hymn, poem, prayer, story etc - we all participate in curating the service.

One of the songs Kim shared with us was Praise the Source Who Sang Creation, by one of our favourite hymnist, David Bjorlin. Check out the link below if you want to hear it again.

Mike also read a new version of the Creation story from Mariko Clark's The Book of Belonging - you can see more about that book here: https://www.thebookofbelonging.com/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBnpJUV_l_4

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