All posts by Auckland Unitarian

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Join us at 11am Sunday mornings

(23:00 UTC Saturday evening)

Our services include a talk from a different speaker every week, often followed by a discussion. Services feature Frank Chen on piano. We always finish with morning tea and opportunity for friendly socialising.


Join us on in person or via Zoom, link below:-

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/8949163748?pwd=eU4vaXhzRXZJNkd5c3JIVmliSm1pZz09

Meeting ID: 894 916 3748, Passcode: 12345

you can also

Zoom into an 11:00am Wednesday morning tea and chat, with whoever else turns up.
Zoom details as above


Exciting Upcoming Service Themes and Speakers – stay tuned!!

Travel Tips for Spiritual Journeys

Speaker & Worship Leader:- Alix Geard

11.00am Sunday 7th June

A continuation of our series on spirituality – and lack of it – in Unitarian experience. Explores how some of us adapt and adopt cultural metaphors, including considering “a free and responsible search for truth and meaning” as a kind of journey.

What the Secular World can learn from Religion

Speaker:- Niki Harré
Worship Leader:- Rachel Mackintosh

11.00am Sunday 14th June

Niki Harré talks about her year as a self-appointed secular priest. She undertook three vows – simplicity, hospitality and pause, offered weekly services and personal conversations, and attended a Christian church. While she experienced considerable resistance, she also learnt a great deal about humility, listening to and caring for the other, and an awareness of the world as it is, rather than as we wish it was.

Diversity – its Beauty and Strength

Speaker & Worship Leader:- Maria Hayward

11.00am Sunday 21st June

What do we gain from diversity in our community?

Topic:- TBA

Speaker:- Peter Lineham
Worship Leader:- Ted Zorn

11.00am Sunday 28th June

On Matariki weekend (July 12) we will celebrate this special day in Aotearoa with the welcoming of new members to our ropu (congregation).

We will continue the year with further services that both help us to reflect on our values and principles and to consider these in action.


Follow this link to read the latest (June 2026) 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.

Christmas Eve Candlelight Service 2025

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8.00pm Wednesday 24th December

Worship Leader:- Rachel Mackintosh

Auckland Unitarian Christmas Eve Candlelight Service 2025
This Service will not be Zoomed.
Readers:-

Maria Hayward
David Fougère
Leo Boyd
Barbara Thomborson

Peter Kennedy
Tess Brothersen
Ted Zorn
Kate Lewis

Musicians

Piano — Frank Chen
Organ — Edmond Wong
Piano / Voice — Caitlin Smith
French Horn — Chris Breeden

The collection this evening will be split 50/50 between RainbowYOUTH and Merge Café, and the amount donated will be matched from church funds, so give generously and double the value of your contribution!

Those who are unable to attend Christmas Eve but would like to contribute are asked to please do a bank transfer to the new bank account of the Auckland Unitarian Congregation Incorporated: 02-0200-0156552-00 (Particulars: “Your Name” and Reference: “Christmas Eve”


Christmas Eve Candlelight Service 2024

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2024 Christmas Eve Candlelight Service

Worship Leader:- Rachel Mackintosh

Proceeds from tonight’s collection will go to Rainbow Youth. The church’s Management Committee has approved matching dollar for dollar tonight’s koha, or you can contribute to this collection directly into our bank account No:- 02 0100 0024691 00, and put ‘Xmas24’ in the details. Please be generous.

Readers

  • Betsy Marshall
  • Alaine Tasker
  • Peter Kenedi
  • Izzy Richardson
  • Kate Lewis
  • Ted Zorn

Musicians

Piano – Frank Chen
Organ – Jaime Taylor
French horn – Chris Breeden
Voice – Sophie Richardson


 

Missing Services 2024

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While we’re keeping ‘mostly’ up to date with publishing recorded services, these ones from 2024 have gone on the back burner. We hope to retrieve them at some unknown date in the future.

“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

Christmas Eve Candlelight Service 2023

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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

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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