What's Happening?

       Sunday Services - 19th July, 2026

9:30am   Christ Church, Warkworth;

9:30am St Leonard’s, Matakana,

   11:00am St Michael & All Angels, Leigh.

From the Vicar’s Desk 
One of the real joys of this past week has been hearing the stories and seeing the photos  coming back from the Lift! camp. For some of our young people it was their first time they had spent any substantial time away from home. For others, it was an opportunity they may never otherwise have had. Some come from church families, while others are simply curious about faith and have found a place where they belong.

As I listened to their stories, I found myself thinking of the Bible's picture of a tender new shoot pushing up through the ground. New shoots are easy to overlook. They need care, encouragement and time to grow. But they also hold enormous promise.

That's how I feel about Lift! I don’t know how long it is since our parish has included young people in this age group.  And now, week by week, we have a growing community of 10 to 13-year-olds who are asking questions, opening their Bibles, learning to pray together and discovering who Jesus is. It feels like one of those quiet ways that God is at work among us.

None of this happens by accident. I'm deeply grateful to Nina Lorigan, our Children and Families Pastor, whose energy, creativity and faithful ministry make Lift! such a welcoming place.  She not only encouraged our young people to attend camp, but worked there as a leader for the entire week so that they could be part of it.

Please continue to pray for the Lift! group - for the friendships being formed, the seeds of faith being planted, and the young lives being shaped. May God continue to nurture these tender new shoots, and may we be the kind of church where they can grow strong and flourish.

Lisa

Matariki at Matakana

We had a great turnout at St Leonard's on Sunday for our second annual Matariki service - there were 37 adults, 2 children and 2 dogs!

Superbly led by Bishop John, Ruth and Ellie, the service offered a great mix of worship, teaching and learning about te ao Maori in our Christian context for everyone fortunate enough to attend.

We look forward to celebrating Matariki again in 2027!

Children and Families Ministry

Our young people from our Lift! Bible study group have made it back from camp safely after a busy week of activities, learning and worship.  They celebrated the end of camp with ice creams at Pokeno. 

Praying for Our Parish - errata

Last week we published the wrong date for our monthly parish prayer meetings.

This parish prayer meeting takes place every second Wednesday of each month (at 10am at Christ Church). Note NOT the third Wednesday as previously advised.  We would love to see you there.

    Pastoral Care

We have some lovely people across the parish who love to support others.  If you would like a visit at home or in hospital,  someone to pray with, or some support when you’re unwell then please reach out.  You can send an email to: pastoralcare@warkworthanglican.nz 

or call the office and be connected.  

   150th Anniversary of Christ Church

This year we celebrate 150 years of Christ Church.  

As we think about altering the front entrance to the church it’s interesting to look back at the original design of the church.  This photo taken from the Auckland Council Libraries website shows the church in the year it was built, 1876.  Doesn’t it look cute!  

More to come about our anniversary celebrations. In the meantime note the 15th of November in your diary for a special service with the Bishop,  the Right Rev’d Ross Bay.

   Bible Crossword

You might like to try an interactive online crossword at:

https://www.christianbiblereference.org/crossword.htm 

Activities - week beginning Sunday 19th July:

Mon   9:30am Selwyn Centre Parish Hall, Warkworth

Mon 5.00pm Lift - PreTeen Group Parish Hall, Warkworth

Tues 7:00pm Vestry Meeting Parish Hall, Warkworth

Thurs      9.30am Christian Meditation            Christ Church, Warkworth

Sun 9:30am Explorer Kids Christ Church, Warkworth

Readings for Sunday - 26th July, 2026 

Gen 29:15-28;  Ps 105:1-11, 44b or Ps 128;  Rom 8:26-39;  Matt 13:31-33, 44-52