More families at church services

Press, 26 December 1979, Page 4

More families at church services

Family worship was a feature of the church services held in Christchurch this Christmas. Almost all church leaders said that they had noticed more families worshipping together. They were also pleased with the attendance at services. The Bishop of Christchurch (the Rt Rev. W. A. Pxattt said that Christchurch Cathedral was "packed to, the doors” on Christmas Eve. and was full for the choir service yesterday The congregation spilled out of St Barnabas' Church. E’endalton, on Christmas Eve. The vicar (Canon R. A. Lowe) satd about 2000 people attended Communion. Numbers at other services were well up on last vear. The Rev. W. E. Falkingham, of the Methodist Central Mission, said more famines had worshipped together. This trend was also noticed at Roman Catholic; Masses in Christchurch. A spokesman commented that many young families attended. Knox Presbyterian Church reported that attendance at its services was better than last year. The Rev. D. R. Madill, the associate minister, said many children were 1 at the services. Mr Madill said that informality of dress in the

congregation was also noticeable, and was probably! a result of the heat. The New Life Centre held its first meeting in the reno-| vated auditorium of the Majestic Theatre building yesterday morning. A con-! vention in the centre will start today and will end on: January 2. The Bishop of Wellington (the Rt Rev. E. K. Norman) told Anglicans in Wellington Cathedral that New Zealanders seemed to enjoy being pessimists, reports the Press Association. ”We |ive in a beautiful country with all the natural • advantages we could desire.! We have a freedom of speech and thought rare in the world todav. We have free-’ dom to practise our religion without hindrance.” While New Zealand suffered economic problems with the rest of the world, it had enviable resources, mostly untapped. The new Roman Catholic Archbishop of Wellington 'the Most Rev. T. S. Williams) called on people to pray for unity. “The decade of the 19705 j has proved more than anv other that New Zealanders are a mixing of many people. "The 1980 s will give us a chance to turn that mix ! into a true, permanent blend : so that we will be as one : people under God’s guiding hand.”