Worship

Regular Sunday Services

Map - 497 Remuera Road, RemueraYou are welcome to join us for our main church service here at 10 am each Sunday. It is led by our minister Rev Brett Johnstone with members of the congregation leading prayers and reading from the Bible. On most Sundays during the school term a music group made up of members of the congregation lead the worship in song.

If you seek a deeper meaning in your life, want a time to pray or a chance to join in the fellowship of the congregation, then joining us for Sunday worship is a good place to start. Everyone is welcome to join us for worship.

Most services are about an hour long. Some of the key elements are…

Preaching and Prayer

Our minister preaches the sermon, which helps the congregation understand the Bible’s meaning for the contemporary world. He aims to present the hope of the Christian Gospel in a thoughtful and challenging way. In our prayers we give thanks for God’s goodness towards us, ask forgiveness for ourselves and pray for God’s love and blessing towards others.

Music

We sing a blend of traditional hymns and modern contemporary songs. Some are fast and upbeat, others slower and reflective. They are sourced from the wealth of traditional hymns in our hymn book and from contemporary hymn and song writers from New Zealand and around the world.

Children’s Time

Children have their own special time at the start of the service, which includchildren's talkes stories and music, before leaving for their own activities. We have a crèche for younger children, a Sunday School for children from age 3 and above and a Youth Group for young people in year 7 and above. The crèche has a glass window that looks into the auditorium and the church’s sound system is relayed to the crèche.

Special Services

Communion Services

On the second Sunday of the month we celebrate our communion service, a symbolic meal that re-enacts the last supper Jesus Christ shared with his disciples. We gather round the church’s communion table to celebrate the great gift Jesus Christ gave to us of his life. Through that gift we hope to lead lives of love and grace in the world.

Easter Services at Somervell

Easter ServicesOn the Sunday before Easter we celebrate Palm Sunday, a 10.00am service that recalls the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem the week before his death.

Over Easter Weekend we celebrate with several different services, including Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and an Easter Sunday Dawn Service. Please contact the Church office to find out which of these are happening on any given year.

Our 10.00am Easter Sunday service is one of joy and triumph, a time of renewed hope that the disciples felt when they met their friend Jesus as the resurrected Lord. We celebrate communion together at this service.

Christmas Services at SomervellDSC06082

In December our Sunday School and Youth Group have their break-up service. The Sunday School traditionally put on a Christmas Pageant for the rest of the congregation during our morning service. This is a fun, relaxed service with our children and teenagers presenting elements of the Christmas story to the congregation.

The Lessons and Carols service also takes place in December. We sing a mixture of traditional and modern carols, linked by the relevant readings from the Christmas story in the Bible. Some of the music is performed by our music group and children’s choir.

On Christmas Eve we have a special children’s service at 6 pm. This service — which is popular with the local community as well as our regular congregation — is a fun interactive retelling of the story of the birth of Jesus, a Christmas craft activity, a lolly scramble part way through, and coffee and cake for the adults afterwards.

This is followed by a Carols by Candlelight service at 9.30pm. This is a beautiful chance to reflect and contemplate as you sing your favourite carols.

On Christmas Day we have a family service to celebrate the birth of Jesus. It is about 40 minutes long, with plenty of singing and a story and activity packs for the children. It is a great way to remember what this special day is all about.