Today's Senior Chapel was led entirely by students and treated the Yr 7-13s to a theatrical extravaganza reminding them that they are "#wonderfullymade." In the Junior School Chapel earlier in the day, Head Girl, Hannah, and Rev. Nicol encouraged persevering with aroha.

Chapel Prefects, Sophia and Mabel, did a fabulous job organising a team of senior students to perform a drama in the Chapel service that celebrated the uniqueness of every individual.  The play centred on a conversation God had with different symbols (e.g. @, #, ?) about them each wanting to be something different.  In the end, they came to appreciate that they were all special and "#wonderfullymade."  This message was reinforced by the reading from Psalm 139 which begins: You are the one who put me together inside my mother's body, and I praise you because of the wonderful way you created me."

In the Junior Chapel, Head Girl, Hannah, shared a whakatauki: "E hara taku toa, i te toa takitahi, he toa takitini / My strength is not as an individual, but as a collective" and talked about the need to show aroha to one another.  Rev. Nicol continued on this theme talking about persisting with doing good by sharing 3 stories.  We can have an "I think I can" attitude like the little blue engine and give things a go.  If we don't succeed, we need to check if what we are aiming for is worth our energy.  Working towards something worthwhile is important, not being like the Big Bad Wolf who showed fabulous perseverance chasing the 3 little pigs, but he was not making the world a better place! Finally, perseverance is something we can help each other with like Dory did, when she encouraged Marlin to "just keep swimming" in the story Finding Nemo.  

Year 6 students, Alicia, Méabh, and Leo ably lead the Lord's Prayer and Columba Karakia.  Samuel and Hugh delivered this reading with wonderful clarity: "What a person plants, she will harvest. The person who plants selfishness, ignoring the needs of others—ignoring God—harvests a crop of weeds. All she’ll have to show for her life is weeds! But the one who plants in response to God, letting God’s Spirit do the growth work in her, harvests a crop of real life, eternal life.

So let’s not allow ourselves to get tired of doing good. At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don’t give up, or quit. Right now, therefore, every time we get the chance, let us work for the benefit of all, starting with the people closest to us in the community of faith." (Galatians 6:7-10 CEV).