NZAAW President’s June 2025 Newsletter

The story behind the Calypso Hymn… ‘During my 2005/2006 term as AAW Christchurch Diocesan President, I was invited to Ashburton to help with Holy Communion on AAW Sunday. (First Sunday in February.) Suddenly at 2am, I woke and was aware of a vision of the AAW Hymn as a calypso: words, music and dance. In […]

Mary-Therese, Assistant Chaplain and Ship Visitor for the Port of Wellington Mary-Therese started working for The Mission to Seafarers Wellington in 2023. She has a Diploma in Chaplaincy. She enjoys visiting ships and providing pastoral support to the crew members onboard, as well as meeting their practical needs, like sim cards and information about Wellington. […]

From the AAW Overseas and Outreach (O&O) July update… NZAAW O&O PROJECT: As many of you are aware, the Al-Ahli Hospital has been chosen as our current NZAAW project. AAW groups throughout NZ should make donations to their diocesan treasurer who will forward these donations to our NZAAW Treasurer. The NZAAW Treasurer will send the […]

We can all identify at times with the three main people in the (parable) story Jesus told about the Prodigal Son. There’s the forgiving father, the wayward younger son and the resentful elder brother.
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Congratulations, AAW members! ♫♫ In Christchurch we have the Transitional Cathedral – and this is a transitional newsletter, summing up the last year and looking forward to the next. Today I sent this email to Anglican Missions in Wellington: ‘On behalf of the Association of Anglican Women in Aotearoa New Zealand, l am glad to […]

In the Name of God: Earth maker, Pain bearer, Life Giver. Amen. On International Women’s Day (March 8) we’re invited to strive for a world free of discrimination and bias; a world that’s diverse, equitable and inclusive; a world where difference is valued and respected. Against the current backdrop of nations set alight by international […]

NZAAW FUTURE DIRECTION SURVEY 15 April 2026 Survey deadline extended due to multiple requests Deadline now 30 July 2026 As a result of discussion at our recent Executive Meeting in Dunedin, it was agreed that we would survey our current and previous members as well as clergy and younger women to gain a better understanding […]

Dot Muir writes… The NZAGM for our Association of Anglican Women (AAW) was held at St John’s Church in Roslyn, Dunedin, on Saturday 21 March. It was a wonderful gathering where positions were confirmed, and we spent valuable time discussing the way forward for our organisation. After open and honest communication, we reached a positive […]

As we journey through lent, we are following a narrative of the people Jesus encountered. Two weeks ago (22 February 2026), Jesus was tempted by the tempter on the way to the cross. Then Nicodemus came to Jesus at night; and today we hear of the woman at the well. She is so often presented […]

Returning to Our Roots: Bishop Justin’s Reflections on Waitangi Day 2026. As I write this, my hands still bear the honest dirt of this morning’s gardening. There’s something deeply grounding about tending to the whenua around our home – the simple act of pulling weeds, nurturing seedlings, and watching things grow in their own time. […]

Note: It was brought to our attention that publishing our newsletters in their current form could cause us inadvertently not to adhere to current Privacy Laws. Therefore, we have deleted the two newsletters we had published on this page. If anyone would like a copy of those newsletters, please email enquiries@nzaaw.org.nz Thank you for your […]

Today [Saturday 18 October] is St Luke’s Day, hence the reading from Sirach in praise of physicians and pharmacists, but I don’t want to offer a Sermon on St Luke. I want to see what those readings might say to the AAW. But, I realised, while I’ve spent most Sundays of my life in a […]

Today [Thursday 2 October] is  the Feast of the Guardian Angels, falling in the same week as the Feast of St Michael the Angel, which was on Monday. Perhaps no aspect of piety is as comforting to parents as the belief that an angel protects their little ones from dangers real and imagined. Yet angels […]

On Tuesday of this week, [July 22] we remembered Mary Magdalene in the calendar. Mary is one of our most blessed and significant ancestors in the faith. As I reflected on her part in the gospel narratives, threethings struck me. Firstly, her life was completely changed by a radical encounter with Jesus. Secondly, she followed […]

Helping children stride into the future with Pillars Ka Pou Whakahou. At Pillars Ka Pou Whakahou, we believe every child deserves the chance to step-out into the future with confidence, no matter their circumstances. But right now, an estimated 17,000 tamariki with a parent in prison face an invisible sentence. Pillars Ka Pou Whakahou supports […]

Women’s Refuge have asked the NZAAW to spread the word about their new project which will capture memories of all involved since their beginning as an organisation. The name of this Women’s Refuge project is ‘Her Story’. The NZAAW has supported Women’s Refuge, mainly through our groups inviting speakers and/or collecting practical donations such as […]

Women are amazing. Whether or not they are deemed worthy of pay equity, I think women are amazing. They serve as care givers and MPs; teacher aides and high court judges; women work as police officers, and night shift cleaners; they serve as check out operators and surgeons; they knit, sew, bake and cook; women […]

This autobiography begins with a telling of the story of the sinking of the Titanic. I read on quite puzzled at this, only to discover that this was an Important story in Francis’ family, His grandparents and their only son Mario (later to become Francis’ father) had a ticket for this very crossing but they […]

When we pray, we are responding to God’s love, which surrounds us in everything that we do. Prayer enables us to deepen our awareness of that love, as we come before God to give thanks for blessings we have received and to ask for help with issues that concern us.