Matariki Services

Seen sparkling in the winter sky just before dawn, Matariki (the Pleiades) signals the Māori New Year. For Māori, the appearance of Matariki heralds a time of remembrance, joy and peace. A time for communities to come together and celebrate. As of 2022, Matariki is a NZ public holiday - in 2022 it will be Friday 24 June - and this public holiday will shift each year but is likely to always fall between June and July. Read more about Matariki.

2022 Matariki message to the Church by Te Aka Puaho Moderator Marina Rakuraku

"Kia Ora Koutou Katoa. Matariki brings to mind the preparing of soil to receive new seeds, it’s also the beginning of the Māori New Year. As it says in Matthew 13:3-9: “Behold a Sower went forth to sow; and when he sowed, some seeds fell by the wayside, and the fowls came to devour them up:
Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:... " Download the full message pdf here .

Rev Dr Wayne Te Kaawa - Matariki service for PCANZ Ministers & Worship Leaders, 14 July 2022

Rev Dr Wayne Te Kaawa, Lecturer in Māori Theology at University of Otago/ Te Whare Wānanga o Otākou, invited Presbyterian ministers and worship leaders to a Zoom online Matariki service on Thursday 14 July 2022, 7pm - 8:15pm. There was a PCANZ focus, with Wayne giving people an idea of what a Matariki service could look like. This was an online Presbyterian event (Wayne's second - his first was 7 June) and was Wayne’s offering to his Church. Watch the video from 14 July above, or watch and download from the PCANZ vimeo page here (click the grey 'download' button), or direct download the video here. 

St Andrew's on the Terrace Wellington Matariki services 2005, 2008

Please note: as these services date from 2005, 2008, some external links may no longer work. 

Presbyterian Children and Families Ministry resources

Bible te reo Māori resource

  • Read the Bible in Maori - Te Paipera Tapu (the Holy Bible in Māori  ). Download the Bible Society app which features two English translations – the Good News Bible and the Contemporary English Version – alongside the Māori, so you can compare the same passage in Māori and English.