Prayer & Worship

In the Anglican Church worship sustains our life as followers of Jesus Christ. A hallmark of worship in the Anglican tradition is that it is liturgical. This means that it follows an orderly, structured, written form. This form can be adapted for approved use in any local (congregational) setting while retaining its unique Anglican identity and flavour.

Anglican worship places a high priority on reading from the bible, preaching, and the weekly celebration of the Eucharist (Holy Communion). Less formal worship may occur at other times and especially in small group settings.

Anglican worship in New Zealand is shaped by a publication called

"A New Zealand Prayer Book - He Karakia Mihinare o Aotearoa." 

Two features distinguish this book from other contemporary prayer books:

• its bicultural format (English/Maori with some Polynesian language provisions), and
• its gender-inclusive language. 

In the Wellington Diocese our worship continues to develop using modern technology with a growing appreciation of our unique New Zealand identity. This gives rise to styles and forms of worship that are rich and wide-ranging; from our long standing Anglican prayer book forms of liturgy, through to fresh, contemporary expressions of worship.