News archive

General Assembly 2010 endorsed action against New Zealand’s drinking culture. We now have the chance to have our say on the Government’s proposed alcohol law changes, with a deadline for submissions to the select committee of 1 February 2011. Alcohol Action New Zealand has developed a summarised digest version of the Bill.

Global Mission Coordinator the Very Rev Pamela Tankersley has sent out an end-of-year update summarising the state of global mission in the Church. If you weren’t on her mailing list, please download the letter.

Christmas greetings from the Right Rev Peter Cheyne, as well as the Christmas messge from the World Council of Churches general secretary:

My prayer for you is that your Christmas will have lots of Jesus in it!

Ken and Jenny Williams and family have been serving at Talua Ministry Training Centre on Santo Island, in Vanuatu, since 2009. They've now returned to New Zealand and you can read about their experiences on the global mission pages.

News from the Council of Assembly meeting held from 19-20 November was emailed out to subscribers last week and is now available online. To sign up for any of our email newsletters, use the form on the right hand side of www.presbyterian.org.nz

I write this pastoral letter conscious that all of us have followed the Pike River mining situation as it has unfolded, and have grappled with the sudden end that arrived with the second explosion. As we have watched, we have been conscious of the stress on all those directly involved. Now they grapple with the confirmation of the loss of life. No doubt you have been praying for them. I thank you for that and encourage you to continue.

The December 2010 issue of Spanz has been distributed to parishes and is also available online.

Christian World Service has launched an emergency appeal for Indonesia following two catastrophic events. A 3 metre tsunami struck West Sumatra on 25 October following a 7.7 magnitude earthquake on the same faultline that caused the disastrous 2004 Indian ocean tsunami.

The latest issue of our monthly Bush Telegraph newsletter is now available online.

The General Assembly annual accounts for the year to 30 June 2010 have been audited and are available with some explanatory notes.