St James Presbyterian Church English Language Congregation

We encourage our people to express their faith in God, in the Community

Mission Statement:

  Aim:
We encourage our people to express their faith in God in the Community

  We do this by:

• Recognising that we are part of the family of God, part of the wider Church that follows Christ
  
  

  We recognise that we are part of the family of God, part of the wider Church that follows Christ

• We are as a congregation members of the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand (PCANZ). As such
  • within our resources we contribute financially to the Assembly Enterprises Budget of the PCANZ
  • as a congregation we recognised the form of the PCANZ structure and order viz
    Congregation - Session
    • Elders are called to the eldership for life
    • Elders are elected by the Congregation at a Congregational meeting
    • Elders are inducted as Elders of the Congregation at the normal service of worship
    • The English language Session appoints Junior Church leaders
    Wellington Presbytery and its Committees
    • The English language Session organises representation at Presbytery
    General Assembly and its Committees
• We participate in the activities of the General Assembly and its committees by
  • the English language Session appointing a commissioner to attend the General Assembly when required.
  • encouraging members of the congregation to support the work of the General Assembly through
    • participation in Committee work.
    • support of the Assembly Enterprises budget
    • receiving reports on the activities of the General Assembly and it committees. This may be achieved thorough a service of worship, Crosslink or other special document.
    • the English language Session responding as appropriate to any remits or reports that are referred to it.
• We participate in the activities of the Presbytery and its committees by
  • the English language Session providing an Elder to attend all regular meetings of the Wellington Presbytery.
  • encouraging members of the English language Session to support the work of the Wellington Presbytery through
    • participation in Presbytery Committee work.
    • participation in Presbytery Visitation Teams
    • receiving reports on the activities of the Presbytery.
    • the English language Session responding as appropriate to any matters that are referred to it.
  • meeting any costs of the Presbytery of Wellington that may be levied on the parish
• We are part of the wider Church that follows Jesus Christ. We work ecumenically by
  • developing the relationship with other churches either as a parish or as individuals. We do this through
    • combined worship with the congregation of Trinity Wellington South Union Parish and St Giles Presbyterian Parish. Combined services are held in the January period of each year' Good Friday, and World Communion Sunday.
    • arrangements with other parishes in the Newtown area that may occur from time to time.
  • keeping informed of events and activities of groups in the wider church by
    • sharing and distributing information
    • having visiting speakers from various Christian Organisations to speak at services of worship or special events.
  • keeping informed of the happenings of the wider Church and its organisations by receiving and circulating publications
    • SPANz - Christian magazine of the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand
    • Mission News - news sheet of the Council of Mission and Ecumenical Co-operation of the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand
    • PSDS News - news sheet of the Presbyterian Savings and Development Society
    • Presbyterian Support - news sheet of Presbyterian Support Services Central
    • Friends of Jaghadri - news sheet of the Friends of Jaghadri based on Christchurch
    • The Word at Work - news sheet of the Bible Society in New Zealand
  • encouraging members to be involved with and informed of the activities of Christian Organisations within the Church and local communities.