Auckland Unitarians

Speaker & Worship Leader:- Maria Hayward Refugees and migrants contribute towards making Auckland the second most diverse city in the world. As we celebrate World Refugee Day (June 20th) perhaps we can reflect on what is gained from this diversity - how we are enriched by this as individuals and as a community. To find out more see:- https://aucklandunitarian.org.nz/what-do-we-gain-from-diversity/

Speaker & Worship Leader:- Maria Hayward Refugees and migrants contribute towards making Auckland the second most diverse city in the world. As we celebrate World Refugee Day (June 20th) perhaps we can reflect on what is gained from this diversity - how we are enriched by this as individuals and as a community. To find out more see:- https://aucklandunitarian.org.nz/what-do-we-gain-from-diversity/

Speaker:-  Niki Harré Worship Leader:- Rachel Mackintosh Niki Harré talks about her year as a self-appointed secular priest. She undertook three vows – simplicity, hospitality and pause, offered weekly services and personal conversations, and attended a Christian church. While she experienced considerable resistance, she also learnt a great deal about humility, listening to and caring for the othe...

Speaker:-  Niki Harré Worship Leader:- Rachel Mackintosh Niki Harré talks about her year as a self-appointed secular priest. She undertook three vows – simplicity, hospitality and pause, offered weekly services and personal conversations, and attended a Christian church. While she experienced considerable resistance, she also learnt a great deal about humility, listening to and caring for the othe...

Speaker & Worship Leader:- Alix Geard A continuation of our series on spirituality - and lack of it - in Unitarian experience. Explores how some of us adapt and adopt cultural metaphors, including considering "a free and responsible search for truth and meaning" as a kind of journey. Recorded @ Auckland Unitarian Church 7 June 2026 For more information see:- https://aucklandunitarian...

Speaker & Worship Leader:- Alix Geard A continuation of our series on spirituality - and lack of it - in Unitarian experience. Explores how some of us adapt and adopt cultural metaphors, including considering "a free and responsible search for truth and meaning" as a kind of journey. Recorded @ Auckland Unitarian Church 7 June 2026 For more information see:- https://aucklandunitarian...

With Maria Hayward Can spiritual journeys be something other than finding a religion or a God? A personal interpretation. My story’s a bit different – but maybe it’s yours too …. Recorded @ Auckland Unitarian Church 24 May 2026 For more information see:- https://aucklandunitarian.org.nz/reflections-on-a-spiritual-journey/

With Maria Hayward Can spiritual journeys be something other than finding a religion or a God? A personal interpretation. My story’s a bit different – but maybe it’s yours too …. Recorded @ Auckland Unitarian Church 24 May 2026 For more information see:- https://aucklandunitarian.org.nz/reflections-on-a-spiritual-journey/

with Laurie Ross Higher Common Values for an Ecological Economic System. Development of Spiritual Consciousness for Humanity and the Earth. Recorded at Auckland Unitarian Church 17 May 2026 For more information see:- https://aucklandunitarian.org.nz/evolution-of-human-consciousness/

with Laurie Ross Higher Common Values for an Ecological Economic System. Development of Spiritual Consciousness for Humanity and the Earth. Recorded at Auckland Unitarian Church 17 May 2026 For more information see:- https://aucklandunitarian.org.nz/evolution-of-human-consciousness/ 00:00 Titles & Prelude 04:24 Welcome 06:44 Chalice Lighting & Covenant 08:26 Special Music 13:08 Joys and Co...

with Kate Lewis How I came to Unitarianism and am still not sure how I define or participate in spirituality. Recorded at Auckland Unitarian Church 10 May 2026 For more information see:- https://aucklandunitarian.org.nz/grappling-with-spirituality-2/ 00:00 Welcome 01:38 Opening Words 03:07 Chalice Lighting & Covenant 04:36 Joys and Concerns 06:23 Reading 08:26 Grappling with Spirituality - 2 2...

with Catherine Delahunty Guest speaker Catherine Delahunty has had a lifetime of working for justice. She is an ally and champion of the people of West Papua, who live under occupation. Recorded at Auckland Unitarian Church 3 May 2026 For more information see:- https://aucklandunitarian.org.nz/west-papua-justice-for-our-neighbours/ 00:00 Welcome 02:30 Karakia timatanga 02:46 Opening Words 04:11 Ch...

with Keola Whittaker What if fear is not a flaw to be fixed, but an invitation to be answered? This sermon explores stories of courage – what it means to take trembling steps into the unknown and what holds us when we do. If you have ever stood at a threshold you did not choose, wondering whether you had what it takes to cross it, this one is for you. Recorded at Auckland Unitarian Church 19 April...

with Ted Zorn As a community, we have momentum that we want to build on and ultimately be able to hire a new minister. This talk focuses on the power of our community striving together, building on success, and creating virtuous circles. Recorded by Auckland Unitarian Church 26 April 2026 For more information, Including links to the videos mentioned in the service, see:- https://aucklandunitarian....

with Rachel Mackintosh In the Monty Python film, The Life of Brian, set in the time of Jesus, Brian’s mother confesses to Brian that his father was not Jewish, but was, in fact, a Roman. She reminisces: “Promised me the known world, ’e did.” This is funny. Although it is generally fatal to a joke to explain it, I now risk killing the joke by pointing out that it is funny because it plays on the ca...

with Ruby Johnson Today’s service is part one of what we are aiming to be an ongoing series on spirituality, and addressing the question of what the spiritual needs of our congregation might be. I wanted to launch this series, because I think that a lot of us have a complicated relationship with spirituality, with religion, and with the concepts and language that surrounds them – I include myself...

with Maria Hayward Recorded at Auckland Unitarian Church 15 March 2026 Discovering the essence of humanity from stories – seminal moments in a teaching career. For more information see:- https://aucklandunitarian.org.nz/the-power-of-stories/ 00:00 Titles & Prelude 04:05 Welcome 05:48 Chalice Lighting 06:24 Opening Words 08:09 Covenant 09:04 Joys and Concerns 10:14 Reading 11:54 Discovering the...

with Rachel Mackintosh Recorded at Auckland Unitarian Church 8 March 2026 Today is International Working Women’s Day In 2017 the tide was in. It was a tide of transformation. One small second-hand car dealer in Invercargill sold 40 cars in a month. In Invercargill. The women who bought those cars each had one less worry. The stress of wondering if the car would get them to their next job without b...

with BarbaraThomborson In a continuation of the service done on Mental Health Awareness Week last October, this one focuses more on dealing with your own mental illness stigma and understanding mental health for anyone. Recorded at Auckland Unitarian Church 1 March 2026 For more information see:-https://aucklandunitarian.org.nz/mental-health-awareness-part-2/ <br /> and from last October:-&l...

with Ted Zorn So much can be achieved if we share honestly and listen deeply to each other. But what if we do so and find that our beliefs, needs or values are fundamentally at odds? Recorded at Auckland Unitarian Church 22 February 2026 For more information see:- https://aucklandunitarian.org.nz/listening-into-the-difficult-places/ 00:00:00.000 Titles 00:00:35.000 Prelude 00:03:43.000 Welcome 00:...

Please accept our apologies for the poor sound quality on this recording. The video mentioned @ 5:03 can be found at https://youtu.be/f8J9WssSj7Q with Dr. Tof Eklund Reflection on Rainbow Flags:- Maria Hayward Worship Leader:- Rachel Mackintosh If you find nonbinary gender(s) confusing, want to understand what it means to be nonbinary, or are nonbinary, this one’s for you. Dr. Tof Eklund (they/the...

Speaker & Worship Leader:- Keola Whittaker Instead of preaching about queer folks as people who need support, I’m inverting it to what can queer and trans people teach the rest of us about being fully human? Especially now, when authoritarianism and even AI are trying to flatten us all into simple categories. I’ll be weaving in the story of the Kapaemahu stones in Waikiki – four healing stones...

Speaker & Worship Leader:- Ruby Johnson For more information see:- https://aucklandunitarian.org.nz/introduction-to-pride-month/

Speaker & Worship Leader:- Rachel Mackintosh Why do we repeat this ritual every year? It isn’t just to brag about our travels. When we share our water in the common bowl, it reminds us that while we are separate people, we are also part of an interdependent community. For more information see:- https://aucklandunitarian.org.nz/water-communion-2026/

Feeling a bit Grinchy this year? You’re not alone. This sermon is for everyone who has ever wanted to skip Christmas, escape the forced cheer, or hide from a holiday that asks too much. It’s also about what happens when love finds us anyway, in forms we didn’t expect, and in places we didn’t think to look. Speaker & Worship Leader:- Keola Whittaker Keola Whittaker © 21 December 2025 For more i...