All posts by Auckland Unitarian

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Join us at 11am Sunday mornings

(22:00 UTC Saturday evening)

Our services include a talk from a different speaker every week, often followed by a discussion. Services feature Jaime Taylor on our fully restored stereophonic pipe organ, and/or Frank Chen on piano. We always finish with morning tea and opportunity for friendly socialising.

Join us ‘live’ in the building,
or via Zoom, link below:-
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/8949163748?pwd=eU4vaXhzRXZJNkd5c3JIVmliSm1pZz09
Meeting ID: 894 916 3748, Passcode: 12345

Coming up:-

Sunday 10 November, 11.00am:-

A New Age of the Machine —
What kind of Society do we Want?

Speaker:- John Maindonald
Worship Leader:- Shirin Caldwell

Today’s machines, powered by ever-evolving computing systems, are reshaping our world and the ways we engage with it. What promises do they hold, what dangers may they bring, and what risks lie ahead?

This talk explores how UU principles and values can help us navigate the ethical complexities and guide our responses to this rapidly advancing digital age. We’ll reflect on our role in shaping a future that upholds dignity, justice, and compassion in a world transformed by technology.

Sunday 17 November, 11.00am:-

RUMInations on Ageing and Dying

Speaker & Worship Leader:-
Barbara Thomborson

Quoting sage writers like the poet Rumi, Barbara ponders ageing and dying. This ends her series on dying and death.

Sunday 24 November, 11.00am:-

Non-violent communication

Speaker & Worship Leader:-
Kate Lewis

you can also

Zoom into a midweek (Wednesday 6, 13 November etc.) morning tea and chat, with whoever else turns up,

11:00am, Zoom details as above

Follow this link to read the latest (October 2024) ANZUUA (Australia and New Zealand Unitarian Universalist Association) Newsletter. At the bottom of each newsletter is the opportunity to subscribe as an individual.

Health and safety measures: We now have working air purifiers in the church, to help reduce the spread of any nasties.

we apologise for the recent hiatus in posting videos and service information (below) to this site. Normal service will be resumed as soon as possible.

Missing Services

Sunday Talks / Random Musings
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Apologies from the video editor, we’ve had a hiccup with editing recent services, they are recorded, but we haven’t been able to prepare the videos and audio files for publication. That has now changed. From here on – 3rd November – we’ll be adding new services soon after they happen, and catching up with the old ones, listed below, as time allows.

“Music Sunday”, Rachel Mackintosh, 27th October
“Certification of the organ”, Rachel Mackintosh, 20th October
“The importance of ritual”, Barbara Thomborson, 13 October
“Jain wisdom in a pluralistic world”, Claire Butler, 6 October
“A language of reverence”, Ted Zorn, 29 September
“Flower Communion”, Karn Cleary, 22 September
“NZ Suffragette, Annie Jane Schnackenberg (nee Allen)” Randolph Hollingsworth, 15 September

Christmas Eve Candlelight Service 2023

Christmas
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Proceeds from tonight’s collection will go to Rainbow Youth and to the NZ Food Network. The church’s Management Committee has approved matching dollar for dollar tonight’s koha. You can still contribute to this collection directly into our bank account No:- 02 0100 0024691 00, and put ‘Xmas 23‘ in the details. Please be generous.

Christmas Eve Candlelight Service – 2023

Please join us for our special Unitarian Christmas Eve service from 8.00pm on Sunday 24 December. If you are in Auckland, come to 1a Ponsonby Rd in time to get a seat. If you are not, we welcome you to our live stream, https://youtube.com/live/VxWqQ777dSk?feature=share. Note this service will not be watchable via Zoom. Check your world clock to see what time it will be where you are. Please mark your diary and join us for a service of festivities, stories and music, with a shared light supper to follow. Our musicians will include Frank Chen on piano, Jaime Taylor on our stereophonic pipe organ, and — for our special music — Tess Brothersen on vocals.

 

Farewell Clay Nelson

Workshops
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We mourn our just-retired Minister, Clay Nelson, who died on 2 November 2023. Clay was our Minister from September 2014 to August 2023.

Givealittle page to raise funds towards Clay’s funeral.

Nina Khouri has launched a givealittle page to support Clay’s family with funeral costs.

https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/funds-for-the-funeral-of-the-beloved-clay-nelson

Clay Nelson touched so many people through his 40 years of ministry, introducing folk to the power of radical love and acting as a resource to all who desire to experience their full humanity through their chosen spiritual path. And dedicating his life to building communities committed to transforming the world to be a little more just and a little more peaceful. 

https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/funds-for-the-funeral-of-the-beloved-clay-nelson

The Funeral was on Saturday 11th November, at the Auckland Unitarian Church. and was livestreamed on YouTube, follow this link Funeral Service for Clay Nelson -https://youtube.com/live/ByH9HkpcDVo, to view that.

Follow this link for the NZ Herald death notice and condolences page.

Here’s the Eulogy delivered by Rachel Mackintosh at Clay’s Funeral.

Clay was born on 31 May 1949 in Coral Gables, Florida.

His father, Calvin Clayton Nelson Sr, was a student at the time and was subsequently an academic whose career took him all around the USA — so Clay and his younger sister Cynthia, recently reunited for some happy days in Philadelphia, lived all over the place … a couple  stints in Florida, and also Sandy Oregon, Yakima Washington, Gunnison Colorado, and eventually LA California …

Continue reading Farewell Clay Nelson →

2022 Service Auction

Fundraising
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Begins Monday 28 November 2022

Our church’s service auctions are the major fundraising events of the year.

This year bidding for most items will take place by email over 4 days (from Monday 28 November until Friday 2 December).

Follow this link to the catalogue of auction services and items, along with instructions on how to bid.

In addition to online bidding, we will be holding a LIVE auction at the Church on Saturday 3 December from 4.00 – 6.00 pm.

Live Auction on Saturday 3 December 4.00 – 6.00 PM

Please join us at the Church for a happy hour of drinks, nibbles and conversation starting at 4 pm on Saturday 3 December. The programme will include a live auction of items listed on the last page of the catalogue. Everyone is welcome – regardless of whether or not you place a bid.

As the evening will mark the first social event at the Church in ages, we hope you will come along to reconnect and support this important fundraiser.

ANZUUA Statement on war in Ukraine

News
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STATEMENT ON WAR IN UKRAINE

The congregations of Unitarian and Unitarian Universalist churches and Fellowships throughout Australia and New Zealand are deeply concerned at the growing humanitarian crisis in Ukraine and call for an immediate ceasefire between Russian and Ukrainian forces, immediate cessation of the 8 year civil war in Eastern Ukraine, and withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine.

We call on the United Nations to urgently broker a negotiated settlement guaranteeing the full withdrawal of Russian forces and resolution of the security concerns claimed by both parties to the conflict. Only a genuinely negotiated resolution that addresses the security fears of both can protect the world from the current danger of escalation into a wider and possibly nuclear catastrophe for life on our planet.

We urge our governments to provide substantial and continuing humanitarian aid to respond to the catastrophic impact on the lives of all people in Ukrainian and to support neighbouring countries who are accepting those who are fleeing the conflict.

We call on our governments to offer transportation to our countries and safe haven and refuge for those fleeing this war. We also call for all persons in Australia and New Zealand on temporary visas and who cannot safely return to Ukraine to have their visas extended until a genuine settlement is achieved.

We commend the words of the Unitarian Universalist Services Committee, ‘All powerful states must be held accountable to the principles of human rights.’ ‘We join our prayers to those of people around the globe, who cry out in this moment—we demand peace; we demand an end to the bloodshed; we demand respect for human rights!’.

Authorised by Rev Clay Nelson, President of the Australian and New Zealand Unitarian Universalist Association (ANZUUA), Auckland Unitarian Church.

Press Enquiries: Revd Dr Ralph Catts

ralphunitarian@gmail.com