You are invited to attend this special annual service of remembrance in St Hilda's at 7pm on Sunday 5th November. Please come and offer the name of your deceased one/s, light a candle in remembrance of them, give thanks for them and participate in this short worship service. 

Marlene Schmidt and Neil Frank have been worshipping at St Hilda's during the past year while they have been living, working and travelling in New Zealand. Neil farewelled the St Hilda's congregation last Sunday and in his subsequent email to St Hilda's PIC Terry he wrote,

One of the things Neil and Marlene have been doing during their NZ stay is writing a Blog cataloguing their Kiwi experience via word, image and audio visual offerings. This Blog offers very perceptive reflections on NZ through the eyes of curious Americans. You can view their Blog here:

If you would like to contact Neil or Marlene please contact Bob Reid or Terry.

Sue Woodhouse is one of the St Hilda's, Upper Hutt synod representatives. Her take and report on the Synod held in Palmerston North from 16-17 September, 2017 is below. She with Dave Pullar St Hilda's Bishop's Warden and Synod Rep. along with Interim priest in Charge, Terry Alve concurred that this year's Synod was inspirational and provided plenty of 'food for thought' and 'challenges' for St Hilda's.

While the National government has announced plans to build and renovate houses up and the country, past (in)action cautions us to continue highlighting the fact that many people throughout our land live in sub-standard and inadequate housing, and that's not good enough.

​The Diocese has announced that August, in the run-up to the election, is an appropriate time to highlight the housing crisis and to encourage people to be mindful of the issues.

​In Sunday services and in our small groups we are being encouraged to be informed and reflect on the part we can play to better house the needy. Check the following link for more information...

In 1937 German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote what has become a Christian classic book, "The Cost of Discipleship." In it he draws inspiration from Jesus' sermon on the mount. One of the most quoted parts of the book deals with the distinction which Bonhoeffer makes between "cheap" and "costly" grace. According to Bonhoeffer, "cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline. Communion without confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, ultimately - grace without Jesus Christ."

Cheap grace", Bonhoeffer says, is to hear the gospel preached as follows: "Of course you have sinned, but now everything is forgiven, so you can stay as you are and enjoy the consolations of forgiveness." The main defect of such a proclamation is that it contains no demand for discipleship. In contrast to cheap grace, "costly grace confronts us as a gracious call to follow Jesus, it comes as a word of forgiveness to the broken spirit and the contrite heart. It is costly because it compels a man to submit to the yoke of Christ and follow him; it is grace because Jesus says: 'My yoke is easy and my burden is light.'"

Bonhoeffer who was a supporter of an anti-Hitler conspiracy was executed at Flossenbürg on April 9, 1945, just 2 weeks before this Nazi concentration camp was liberated by the US Army. In resisting "cheap grace," Bonhoeffer died for his resistance to the Nazi cause and its leader.

St Hilda's Anglican Church in Cruickshank Road, Upper Hutt is a popular wedding venue for a number of reasons:

• it is set in a glade of established trees back from the suburban street
• it is a traditional wooden church with a striking stained glass window depicting St Hilda
• a quality AV system is complemented by a piano and organ
• the adjacent hall provides comfortable morning and afternoon teas plus reception facilities 
• church members are available to assist
• a friendly minister/priest can assist you to create a personal marriage service
• we offer quality marriage preparation using the 'Prepare' resource

For more info and to contact us use the links below.

The prayer temperature is rising nine days into our 21 Days of Prayer & Fasting at St Hilda's, Upper Hutt. With Pentecost Sunday upon us tomorrow we are noticing reports of effective prayer in  the St Hilda's community.

We remind ourselves that this prayer initiative was prompted as we approached the ordination of a new Bishop in Wellington. Well, that happened last night as Ellie Sanderson became the Assistant Bishop of Wellington during a wonderful celebration of diocesan life and faith at the Wellington Cathedral of St Paul.

The Archbishop of Canterbury in England had promoted worldwide prayer for Christian outreach and we have been viewing some of the videos produced for that initiative - two of them are on the home page of this website currently. And, this time between Ascension Day and Pentecost Sunday has always been promoted as a time of prayer for Christian unity. In that regard, the episcopal ordination service last night was also a celebration of Christian unity. The Cardinal Archbishop John of Wellington was there and the preacher was Pastor Amy Page-Whiting, Senior Pastor at the Cashmere New Life Church in Christchurch. There were Bishops present from all around the country and the Pacific and Christians from all around the diocese.

Closer to home, last Sunday about 15 people from St Hilda's gathered after the 10:30am service at Jocelyn's new home for a house blessing before sharing in a scrumptious lunch and rich fellowship.

During the week another house blessing and prayer took place in the Parish as the Parish Chaplain Judy joined me, and two from Prison Fellowship, to pray at the home of an ex prisoner who had requested a house blessing following some disturbing experiences. When I returned yesterday he was very peaceful as he gave thanks during a home communion service and spoke of his desire to follow Jesus again.

During the Thursday communion service this week, Grace talked of some of the answers to prayers (recorded in a notebook she keeps) that she and her group have received. She talked of a young girl run over and badly injured finding healing. And also of an older girl who has found the work she sought and more, after a time of waiting and doing menial work.

Let us praise God that pray works. Let us keep praying and talking about prayer answered.

Terry Alve - Interim Priest at St Hildas.