What was the name of the service?
Family Service. It was also a celebration of the church's 100th anniversary.

How full was the building?
Full to bulging. Extra chairs had been placed in the aisle and all were filled.

Did anyone welcome you personally?
Initially nobody welcomed us. After a few moments, a lady gave us a leaflet. A man dressed in civvies followed us in (we later learned that he was the vicar!) and, as the church was almost completely empty at the time, commented that there were plenty of seats, but did not introduce himself or utter any words of welcome.

Was your pew comfortable?
It was hard and not at all comfortable.

How would you describe the pre-service atmosphere?
A music ensemble was tuning up and people were chatting animatedly as the church filled up.

What were the exact opening words of the service?
Darryl Gardiner said, "Well, good morning everybody!" to which the reply was, "Good morning, Darryl!" Mr Gardiner is the national director of Youth for Christ and rather well known.

What books did the congregation use during the service?
Hymns for Today's Church, the New Zealand Prayer Book, the International Bible. Words to the hymns were put up on a screen via PowerPoint.

What musical instruments were played?
Electric keyboard and two guitars.

Did anything distract you?
The stained glass window behind the altar captured my attention.

Was the worship stiff-upper-lip, happy clappy, or what?
Informal and seriously happy clappy. It was a very vivacious celebration of the Church and of people's faith. The Lord's Prayer was recited in the Maori language.



Exactly how long was the sermon?
There were two! The first lasted 14 minutes, the second 16.

On a scale of 1-10, how good was the preacher?
8 – Rev. Davis had forgotten his notes and spoke from memory. He was not particularly dynamic but reasonably interesting. Rev. Parata made some good points in his sermon.

In a nutshell, what was the sermon about?
In the first sermon, Rev. Davis emphasised the history of the church and the relationship between the Maoris and the Christian missionaries. "We are here to worship, witness and serve," he said. The second preacher, Rev. Parata, said that St Luke's had come from a legacy, and that irrespective of the past we should look to the future. New Zealand society is comprised of two people, and our legacy for the future should be from the fusion of these two.

Which part of the service was like being in heaven?
The second hymn, a modern piece, was repeated several times and was sung with great gusto and genuine feeling.

And which part was like being in... er... the other place?
Although not advertised, a communion service was included. Unfortunately this seemed to be secondary to whatever else was going on, and as such seemed to be tacked on to the rest of the service. Also, the clergy were in formal robes because this was a special day, but this appeared at odds with the informality of the service. It might have been better if they had been dressed as they would have been 100 years ago.

What happened when you hung around after the service looking lost?
We hung around trying to look as lost as we could, but nobody approached us. In the end we talked to a couple who had been sitting in front of us and who had shaken hands with us during the peace. The vicar walked past us twice but did not speak either time.

How would you describe the after-service coffee?
An elaborate morning tea was served in typical New Zealand style, with cakes, pies and biscuits. The tea was hot and served in proper cups. We could not ascertain its provenance.

How would you feel about making this church your regular (where 10 = ecstatic, 0 = terminal)?
8 – The dynamism of the congregation was infectious and they were genuinely enjoying their worship.

Did the service make you feel glad to be a Christian?
Yes, for the reasons given above. It was nice to see people worshipping spontaneously and unselfconsciously.

What one thing will you remember about all this in seven days' time?
Saying the Lord's Prayer in Maori.