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| 2193: St
Peters in the City, Tauranga, New Zealand |
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Mystery Worshipper: Nengscoz.
The church: St Peters
in the City, Tauranga, New Zealand.
Denomination: Presbyterian
Church of Aotearoa New Zealand.
The building: Basically a modern red brick building with narrow windows. A
large cross outlined in blue is superimposed upon a white
inlay. The church appears to be redeveloping at the moment,
so the exterior is a confusion of scaffolding. Inside were
white walls and grey carpeted partitions.
The church: St Peters describes its heritage as evangelical Presbyterian
and offers a variety of services ranging from traditional
to family to contemporary. The church offers outreach
to the community through St Peters House, a charity working
to assist people in various ways. This can be through
counselling, advocacy, or group parenting classes.
The neighbourhood: Tauranga is the sixth largest city in New Zealand and is experiencing
a period of population growth. It is popular for its close
proximity to beautiful beaches and the Pacific ocean. The
church is located near the centre of town, just off the main
road.
The cast: Paul Archer, music ministry coordinator, opened with singing,
and Rob Williams, youth pastor, led the sermon.
The date & time: Sunday, 5 June 2011, 6.50pm.
What was the
name of the service?
Evening Service.
How full was
the building?
Half full (the approximate capacity would have been 70). Tauranga is well known to be the place where people retire to. In
reflection of this, about 60 per cent of the congregation
were over 60. About 35 per cent, however, were teenagers,
and I understand the youth group precedes the service.
Did anyone
welcome you personally?
No. I walked in looking lost, sat for 10 minutes looking lonely,
got some tea, and sat somewhere else. It took 15 minutes for
anyone to notice me.
Was your pew
comfortable?
A padded bench seat, which was obviously comfortable as I noticed a few
people had dozed off.
How would you
describe the pre-service
atmosphere?
There was nice background music. I spent most of the time confused,
wondering if I was in the right place and that there was going to be a
service, as it took 20 minutes for anything more than teenagers
gossiping to really happen.
What were the
exact opening words of the
service?
"Everybody wishing to worship tonight, stand and sing. Or
stay seated." (Everyone stayed seated.)
What books did
the congregation use during the
service?
Copies of The Holy Bible, New International Version,
were available for reference, and I saw a couple of people
referring to them during the service.
What musical
instruments were played?
Just a guitar.
Did anything
distract you?
Trying to work out, based on breathing patterns, whether there
were one or two people asleep in the pews behind me.
Was the worship
stiff-upper-lip, happy clappy, or
what?
It was billed as a contemporary service. It consisted of 25
minutes of singing contemporary songs, followed by a 30 minute
sermon based around various parts of the Bible. The projector
was used during the sermon as well as for song words. A few
people sat with hands upturned during the songs.
Exactly how
long was the sermon?
30 minutes.
On a scale of
1-10, how good was the preacher?
8 – The jokes were good, there was congregational participation,
and there was a good run-down of the book of Ruth. Rob knew
not only his Bible but also the relevant culture of the period
he was talking about, and could make this accessible to the
congregation.
In a nutshell, what
was the sermon about?
The sermon anticipated Pentecost by looking at themes and
symbols in the Bible. It looked at the Akedah (Genesis 22,
the story of Abraham and Isaac) and the book of Ruth, and
how these link to the story of Christ.
Which part of the service
was like being in heaven?
The pictures shown as a backdrop to the songs.
And which part
was like being in... er... the other place?
The awkward 15 minutes at the start wondering if I was in the right
place, sitting next to teenagers who chose to come and sit next to me
but ignored me, wondering when (if) the service was going to start.
What happened
when you hung around after the service looking lost?
I was, on the whole, ignored. Someone, also new, asked me
how to work the hot water. Then two people made eye contact
but started conversations with other people. Oh, it was awkward!
How would you
describe the after-service
coffee?
A good range of teas were provided (herbal, fruit, as well
as "normal"), and the pikelets (small pancakes customarily
served with tea) were cute and tasty.
How would you
feel about making this church your regular (where 10 = ecstatic, 0 =
terminal)?
2 – I felt out of place and in a hostile environment
for 90 per cent of the time, plus I did not feel as if the
congregation enjoyed being there: little interaction in the
singing; people falling asleep during the sermon. The only
redeeming factor was the interesting sermon.
Did the service
make you feel glad to be a
Christian?
Not at all. I hope that visitors don't judge Christianity
by this church whose congregation ignore you, and where you
are not welcomed until 20 minutes into the sermon.
What one thing
will you remember about all this in seven days' time?
The passion of Rob as he delivered his sermon. |
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| The Mystery Pilgrim |
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| One of our most seasoned reporters makes the Camino pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. Read here. |
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