While the countdown to Christmas is still very much in full swing, looking ahead to 2025 is also important as January will see a lot of refurbishment work in All Saints' Church and so will see some shuffling of worship and gatherings through the first month of the new year.
Refurbishment: In the past few months, the Vestry has approved several pieces of work to prepare All Saints' for its 150th celebration. At present, this work includes a full repaint of the church from floor to ceiling. We have also just approved the installation of new carpet both in All Saints' Church but also throughout the whole complex in Taradale, creating a greater cohesion and connection between the various rooms. Finally, the Vestry has approved the installation of blinds in All Saints' Church and the Church foyer to help us manage light and heat. All of the work will likely be completed in the middle of January, with completion toward the beginning of February. While this work represents the major pieces that need to be completed, but there will be more undertaken in the months following.
Implications: With the work being completed in All Saints' through January, it means we will not be able to worship in that space through the month. This also means no access to the organ. With this reality in mind, we are working with the Cathedral to offer the traditional eucharistic service with hymns at the cathedral and maintaining the 10am service in the hall through the month of January. In part this is because the style of worship at 10am is easier to manage in the hall than eucharist, but also because January represents a time when many people 'church shop' and maintaining a standard time is beneficial to making this as easy as possible for people trying to 'check us out'.
The connection with the Cathedral community through the 8am service in January is also a part of our effort to breakdown some of the parochial boundaries between the Anglican churches of Napier as we explore how we can work more powerfully together to achieve the mission of the church in our city. For this to happen, the relational links between us will need to be strong. While asking our communities to worship in another space is an unusual thing to do, we believe it is an important step toward a greater Anglican community in Napier.
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