Are you naturally friendly and enjoy dealing with all kinds of people? Love serving the community and good causes? Well organised with a a practical bent? Attracted by a challenge? This could be the position for you. Since its official opening in February 2020 the Aldersgate Centre facilities have been well used — being booked … Continued
Ram, our friend from The Dirty Apron cafe, took time out to teach a team of almost a dozen volunteers from Durham Street Methodists on the intricacies of the commercial espresso machine in the Aldersgate kitchen. Look forward to higher quality beverages at up-coming church events!
This week we celebrate Te Wiki o te Reo Māori (Māori Language Week), as September 14 commemorates the presentation of the 1972 Māori language petition to parliament. We are all encouraged to use this Wiki o te Reo Māori to ‘welcome Māori language into our lives’ (whakauruamai hoki te reo Māori ki tōu ao), and … Continued
This week our long-awaited Aldersgate window was successfully installed. The original Aldersgate in London was the spot where founder of the Methodist movement, John Wesley’s “heart was strangely warmed”. His faith became real and visceral. It also impelled him into the world of poverty and the marginalised, so that he (and the church) would never … Continued
In February 2020, it’s great to see progress on the colourful, inclusive stained-glass window designed and being crafted for us by Graham Stewart of www.stewartstainedglass.co.nz. When finished it will be hung in the giant window of the Chapel at Aldersgate, facing Durham Street. More background on the design, its meaning and significance and what to expect in … Continued
We were surprised and just a little over whelmed with the estimated thousand plus people who came through Aldersgate on Sunday 23 February for our Sneak Peek Tours of the building just ahead of the next weekend’s official Opening Celebrations. We stopped counting at 150 in the first 20 minutes or so, but the crowds kept … Continued
It’s great to see progress on the colourful, inclusive stained-glass window designed and being crafted for us by Graham Stewart of www.stewartstainedglass.co.nz. When finished it will be hung in the giant window of the Chapel at Aldersgate, facing Durham Street. More background on the design, its meaning and significance and what to expect in the final product … Continued
On Monday morning 17 Dec, Dr Terry Ryan, assisted by Roz Wilkie blessed the completed Aldersgate Centre, after it was handed over from the builders to the Durham Street Methodist Church. In attendance along with a small group from the congregation, we also hosted representatives of the Social Services of Christchurch Methodist Mission, and Christian … Continued
To celebrate the opening of Aldersgate, a new centre for spirituality, inclusion & social justice at the heart of Christchurch, we are sponsoring an art competition on the theme of “The Essence of Aroha”, for any children of primary or intermediate ages. Entries on A4 or A3 paper need to be delivered to Aldersgate,309 Durham … Continued
The large screens that hang down from the roof over the colonnades down both sides of the Aldersgate Great Hall are made of punched metal, but have been designed to echo the traditional, woven tukutuku panels that often line marae (meeting house) walls. In particular, the stepped Poutama design used in the Aldersgate panels is … Continued
With the Aldersgate construction nearing completion, on a beautiful sunny summer morning at 7:30am on Thursday 28 Nov, Durham Street Methodists provided a sit-down, full-English cooked ‘thank you’ in the form of a breakfast for 65 workers (architects, designers, managers, builders, tradies and many others) who had contributed in one way or another to the … Continued
Work is underway on an exciting new and colourful window that will evoke a hopeful and inclusive message from The Chapel at Aldersgate to the busy Durham Street frontage. Symbols and images in the window’s design have been deliberately chosen to speak to people from a variety of faith backgrounds and none, filling three giant … Continued
Don’t miss out on the Aldersgate Opening Celebrations from the Behind-the-Scenes Sneak Peek Tours on Sunday 23 Feb, through to the Opening Celebration, Dinner and Festival of Music on 29 Feb to 1 Mar 2020. To keep in touch with what’s happening, register today by emailing opening@aldersgate.org.nz
With much of the external scaffolding now taken down, its easier to get a good idea of the overall shape of the new centre and especially its external finishes – which includes stone reclaimed from the original building though still hiden behind the protective fencing.
Unlike the attached link, suggesting Mike Pence was horrified to discover a unisex toilet in his own house, this post is not Fake News. It was a no-brainer for us to put unisex facilities in Aldersgate – our new church and community facility. Not only are they more welcoming for gender diverse folk, but they are … Continued
In April 2019 our minister, Philo Kinera, wrote the following Letter to the Editor of “The Press”. Philo brings her personal experience of coming from a consciously multi-faith society – Singapore – and has strong pastoral connections with local refugee and migrant communities. Keep an eye out for more opportunities for increased inter-faith understanding and … Continued
The table was almost groaning with the Christmas morning tea shout that a dozen members of Durham Street Methodist church surprised the builders at the Aldersgate Centre site on Monday 17 December. (Photo Credit: Judith Prosser)