04 Kawerau
Kawerau Lutheran Church
Annual report covering 2023:
Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus.
We have held regular worship services with average attendance of 13.
We appreciate the continued support and fellowship of the Methodists.
Lisa or Karesse have given children’s talks most Sundays.
We have continued combined services with the Anglicans and Presbyterians during January; we hosted the Methodist Covenant service on the 29th January.
We joined the Presbyterians on 26th February, 16th April and 20th August, and the Combined Churches services on 30th April, 30th July and 29th October.
Our visit from Bishop Mark was on 25th June. On 21st January I led a memorial service for Vanessa Jenkins, who had died in Australia and her ashes were sent back here to be interred in the Kawerau Cemetery.
We restarted the weekly Bible study on 17th February.
On Tuesday 12th September we had a visit from Acting Bishop of the LCNZ Bishop Robert Bartholomaeus (Bishop of New South Wales) and his wife; the congregation shared lunch in the Church house.
We were joined by Kawerau Bible Chapel for a Carols and Readings service on 24th December, and joined by the Presbyterians on 31st December.
Josie and I continued to attend the monthly meeting of Kawerau Ministers’ Association.
We have continued giving to missions and charitable causes.
Thank you to all of you who contributed to the life of our congregation.
Annual report covering 2024:
Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus. In 2024 we have continued with regular worship services, with an average attendance of 12.
We appreciate the continued support and fellowship of the Methodists.
Combined services have continued with the Presbyterians and Anglicans during January. We hosted the Methodist Covenant Service on the 28th January.
We joined the Presbyterians on the 11th February.
We had visits from current Bishop, Pr Richard Schwedes on 18th April and 10th September.
We joined in the Kawerau Combined Churches services on 30th June and 29th September.
Josie and I attended a KMA (Kawerau Ministers’ Association) Wananga, a teaching about the Treaty of Waitangi from a Biblical covenant perspective on 24th August.
On 20th October we celebrated the 60th Anniversary of the building and opening of the Kawerau Lutheran Church, Pastor John Davison being the guest preacher; we planted an apple tree (“Winter Banana”).
In early November the congregation led a Church Service and Bible Study in the Whakatane Hospital chapel, followed by Kawerau Church services ably led by Arja Nurkka in my absence.
We joined the Kawerau Bible Chapel Carols and Readings on 22nd December.
Earlier in the year we were approached by Pastor Howie Sargeant (Restore Church) and we agreed that they could use our church for their services on Wednesday evenings and other occasions.
Thank you to all of you who have in so many ways contributed to the life of our congregation.
May God bless you.
Erik
Kawerau
May 2025
Financial Statements
Kawerau: https://lca.box.com/shared/static/9yz25wpyhx0d4rgxhyrwp2lb2qaepklj.xlsx
