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PAKU VIEWS ISSUE 3 SPRING/SUMMER 2011-12
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To View:
21 Main Road, Tairua
The Thanksgiving celebrations had two features:
For the building that has encircled so many
signifcant events, as well as regular worship over
the last 50 years.
For the institution of Local Shared Ministry 25
years ago, a signifcant change from earlier years
with one stipended vicar covering the whole
Coromandel Peninsula. The local faith community
now calls people to offer voluntarily a whole range of
ministries. They are trained, licensed by the bishop
and work as a team to lead as pastoral carers,
educators, administrators, sacramental ministers
and preachers.
Actually, it is hard to fnd any member of St. Francis
who is not offering their talents in some way to the
community and the church! - Bruce Gilberd
St Francis
Anglican
Church Jubilee
Celebration
by Ruth Lee
An Illustration drawn by Ruth Lee for the celebration. It depicts St
Francis Church mid 1960’s. The sanctuary was added in 1989.
Inset: Present day.
On the 15
th
and 16
th
of October, Tairua’s little church
of St Francis celebrated its half century. The
church and the hall were open to the community
and many joined the celebration and viewed the
numerous displays.
The building, then only a shell, was dedicated by
Bishop Gowing in September 1961. It had been
built by voluntary weekend working bees and took
5 months. These working bees continued until the
church was lined. The solid rimu pews and altar
were built by Cleave and Payner of Thames at a cost
of £48. The total cost of the shell and furniture came
to £650. How much infation has risen in ffty years!
But the building is not the church. The life of the
church is its people. In 1974 Reverend Bill Smith
and his wife Margaret came to what was then the
Coromandel Parish of which we were a part. To any
vicar who came this parish was daunting because of
its scattered communities and rugged terrain. Even
someone as energetic as Reverend Smith found that
he could not serve all of the people in the way he
thought they should be served. He began to envisage
the idea of raising up a team ministry from within our
own ranks.
It wasn’t until the 1980’s that the idea fnally took
shape and a group of 16, chosen by the people
from the three areas of Tairua, Whitianga, and
Coromandel, undertook a three year training course.
There were four trainees from Tairua, one of whom
was ordained as priest. We found that at last we
could minister to each other, and in our town the
church began to become a much more dynamic part
of the community.
Team ministry has changed and grown to be
known as Local Shared Ministry and used by many
churches successfully throughout the Auckland
province. Tairua is known as the frst Local Shared
Ministry Unit. We are acknowledged as pioneers of
this concept.
Our jubilee is a not only a time to look back, honour
and give thanks to those that have gone before us,
but also to look forward and meet the challenges of
the times that are ahead, both in terms of making
sure that our buildings and our actions meet the
needs of our people.
So we celebrate 50 years for the building and 25
years for the start of a new way of ministering, Local
Shared Ministry, which is still developing.
It’s worth a visit to a Sunday service to view the arpilleras (Latin
American word for quilts or wall hangings) that you see on the far
wall. These beautiful three-dimensional applique textiles depict
contributions various members of the church have made or are
making in the community. “The appilleras are like songs that one
paints”, said Violeta Parra, well-known singer from Chile.
Daffodils were made by Tairua
School pupils from recycled
materials and distributed around
town on Daffodil Day. By undertaking
this project the children took time to
dwell on what the day really meant,
had some fun, gave pleasure and
saved a tree. This vase of daffodils
was a gift to the church and was
part of the Church’s Flower Festival
display.