Who we are

Our Missions and Values

Vision:

To be an inclusive Christian Faith Community in Marlborough.

 

Mission:

1. Bridge the Gap into vulnerable communities

2. Build authentic relationships

3. Care for God’s creation 

4. Growing in Christian faith through discipleship

 

Structure & Leadership

St. Andrew’s is governed by a Parish Council that consists of approximately 10 people that are elected by the annual Congregational Meeting. The role of the Parish Council is to empower leadership and committees to dream, to strategize, to decide and to move ahead.  The teaching and ruling elders or Parish Council together work for the whole spiritual, physical and social life of the church.  

Parish Council also represent each of the 4 committees:

1. Worship & Faith Formation Committee

2. Pastoral Care, Fellowship and Mission

3. Property Committee

4. Finance Committee

 

Values

1. Worship          

We try to make our worship a worthy offering to God, joyful and relaxed, and yet dignified. In our worship we try to be honest with ourselves and God, bringing together our lives as they are, our lives as God sees they might be, and being open to receive God’s help. We believe it is important that everyone, including the smallest children, feel they belong and are significant in God’s eyes and in the life of his family.

2. Education       

We see Christian education as a way of growing to mature faith. It is a life-long process. Education is encouraged through worship, through teaching in Sunday School, youth group, house groups, and fellowships of a variety of sorts; and through preparation for baptisms, weddings and so on.

3. Pastoral Care  

God’s people have a caring role for people in all their life and death situations; for those who are ill, elderly, bereaved, or in trouble of some sort; and also for their celebrations and joys. The caring role is shared by everyone in the church.

4. Stewardship   

We recognise the importance of Christian stewardship, which we understand as a proper management of our time, our abilities, our money (and the wise choice in our priorities in using them), as a thanksgiving to God for our life and well-being, and as ways in which we are called to join in what God wants done.

5. Church buildings and property                      

We recognise our responsibility to keep our buildings and grounds clean and attractive and in good order, and to enhance their beauty and usefulness as appropriate. We recognise their purpose is to help further God’s work in Blenheim.

6. The church family      

We believe that everyone has something to contribute to the life of our church, and we realise that we can only live by our aims if we all play our part in it, pray for it, pay for it, and speak up for it. We pray that people at all stages of their human and spiritual life will feel welcome at St Andrew’s, that it is a place that God is present and at work. We pray it may be a place where people feel accepted, forgiven, loved, and challenged, so they are free to grow to become what God wants them to be.

7. Community work       

We believe God’s people have an important role in the community and should be involved in those things in the life of the community which enhance the health and well-being of people.  

8. The wider work of the church                       

We are part of a church that is wider than our own parish, and we are concerned to contribute to that wider work. As part of the whole Presbyterian Church we support such work as the mission of the church in NZ and overseas, the training of ministers, the social service, overseas aid to those in need, and many other good causes.