Chapel Messages
2026 Theme - New Horizons
“Titiro whakamuri, kookiri whakamua.”
“Look to the past to guide us into the future that our actions today are informed by events of the past.”
Chapel Theme: Term 3, Week 6: By Hard Work.
Colossians 3:12-17, 23-24 Whatever you do, work at it with your whole heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters. Since you will know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
Chapel Theme: Term 3, Week 5: Uike Kātoanga’i ‘o e lea faka-Tonga – Tonga Language Week, 16 - 22 August 2026
Ko 'etau hiva, ko e fe'unu mahu'inga ia ki he mo'ui 'a e Tonga - Our music is a vital strand of our Tongan culture.
Scripture
Psalm 96:1–3 “Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth. Sing to the Lord, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvellous deeds among all peoples.”
This week we celebrate Tongan Language Week 2026 and the rich language, culture, faith, and heritage of our Tongan community.
The theme, “Ko 'etau hiva, ko e fe'unu mahu'inga ia ki he mo'ui 'a e Tonga – Our music is a vital strand of our Tongan culture,” reminds us that music is more than entertainment. Through hiva—singing, hymns, chants, dance, and traditional performance—stories are remembered, faith is expressed, values are taught, and relationships between generations are strengthened.
Psalm 96 calls God’s people to sing, praise, and proclaim. This reflects the important place music holds within Tongan life, particularly in worship, family, community, and cultural celebrations. Through song, people give thanks to God while also preserving their identity and passing their heritage to the next generation.
At Wesley College, we celebrate the gifts our Tongan students, staff, families, and community bring to our Wesley whānau. Their language, music, faith, and cultural traditions enrich our shared life and strengthen our Methodist understanding of connexion—belonging to God and to one another.
We extend our sincere thanks and appreciation to Rev Etueni Talakai for coming to Wesley College and blessing us by officially opening our Tongan Language Week. We are grateful for his presence, encouragement, and spiritual leadership.
We also warmly thank our Prefects Lineti, Rachel, and Catherine for their leadership and participation in yesterday’s Chapel Service.
We wish all our Tongan students every blessing as they lead our Chapel services, performances, cultural activities, and events throughout the week. We thank them for the courage, commitment, and pride they show in sharing their language, faith, music, and culture with us. May they enjoy this opportunity to celebrate who they are, honour those who have gone before them, and inspire others to treasure Tongan heritage for future generations.
A word of appreciation goes to Mr Lesley Veinakolo and some of our teachers and staff for their leadership, preparation, encouragement, and commitment in making Tongan Language Week a meaningful celebration for our College community. We value the time and energy they give to supporting our students and helping preserve and celebrate the beauty of Tongan language, faith, music, and culture.
As we celebrate this week, may we listen, learn, sing, and participate together, honouring the beauty of Tongan culture and recognising music as a precious strand connecting faith, family, identity, and generations.
Mālō ‘aupito, pea tau fakafeta‘i ki he ‘Otua ‘i he ngaahi me‘a‘ofa ‘o e lea, hiva mo e anga faka-Tonga.
Chaplain: Rev. Ieremia Amani Amituana’i
There will be three Holy Communion Sacrament Celebrations this Term, to be held on:
Monday 27th July, Week 2 Monday 24th of August, Week 6 Monday 28th September, Week 10.
Wesley College Chapel / Te whare karakia
Wesley College Special Chapel Services: I extend a warm invitation to families and friends of Wesley College to attend the Special Chapel Services scheduled for this year.
Service of Beginnings: The official opening of the academic school year. Parents and caregivers are warmly invited to attend the Service of Beginnings.
Monday 10/08/2026
Term 3, Week 4 Theme: By Learning
This week at Wesley College, our theme is “By Learning,” grounded in Proverbs 1:5:
“Let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance.”
Learning is more than gaining knowledge. It involves listening, seeking guidance, asking questions, learning from experience, and putting wisdom into practice. In our Methodist tradition, learning is also part of our life together in connexion. We grow by listening to God, to one another, and to the communities and cultures that enrich our Wesley whānau.
As we begin this week, we extend our heartfelt condolences, love, and prayers to Dr Brian Evans and his family following the passing of his beloved mother last week. May God surround Brian and his whānau with comfort, strength, and peace during this time of bereavement.
We also express our sincere thanks and appreciation to Mrs Natalie Faitala and our Cook Islands Student Group for their wonderful leadership during Cook Islands Language Week. Thank you for leading our Chapel Service and for the performances, activities, language, culture, and celebration you shared with our College community. Your contribution enriched our learning and strengthened our appreciation of the cultures within our Wesley whānau.
Congratulations also to our Wesley College Netball Team for winning the Manukau Secondary Schools Championship last week. We celebrate your hard work, commitment, teamwork, and perseverance.
We are equally proud of our Wesley College Choir, who have progressed to the finals of the Stand Up, Stand Out competition. Congratulations also to Lini Puamau, who reached the semi-finals of the solo competition. These achievements reflect the talent, discipline, courage, and dedication of our students.
As we journey through this week, may we all remain willing to listen, learn, grow, and encourage one another. May our learning continue to shape not only what we know, but also who we are becoming as we move together towards our New Horizon.
Monday 10/08/2026
WESLEY COLLEGE CHAPEL LITURGY
Term 3 – Week 4
Theme: BY LEARNING
Core Scripture
Proverbs 1:5 “Let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance.”
Weekly Special Character Focus
At Wesley College, “By Learning” is more than gaining knowledge or achieving qualifications. Learning is part of our Methodist understanding of becoming the people God calls us to be.
John Wesley believed that faith should shape the whole person — mind, heart, character, and actions. Education should help us grow in wisdom, love, responsibility, justice, and service.
Our Methodist tradition also teaches connexion: we do not learn or grow alone. We learn in relationship with God, our teachers, classmates, colleagues, families, church, culture, and wider community.
As we journey towards our New Horizon, our Special Character calls us to use our learning not only for ourselves, but for the wellbeing and flourishing of others.
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MONDAY
By Learning, We Listen
Supporting Scripture
Matthew 7:24
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.”
Welcome
Talofa lava, tēnā koutou katoa, and welcome to our Monday chapel service.
This week our theme is “By Learning.”
Today we begin with a simple but important truth: learning begins with listening.
Introduction
Proverbs tells us that wise people listen and continue learning.
Jesus also teaches us that hearing is not enough. Wisdom comes when we listen carefully and then put what we have learned into practice.
This connects strongly with our Methodist Special Character. Wesleyan faith is a practical faith. What we hear in chapel, Scripture, classrooms, and conversations should influence how we live.
Call to Worship
Leader: God calls us to listen.
All: Give us attentive hearts.
Leader: God calls us to learn.
All: Give us open minds.
Leader: God calls us to grow together.
All: Strengthen our connexion with one another.
Leader: God calls us to put faith into action.
All: Help us to live what we learn.
Leader: By faith, by learning, and by hard work,
All: Lead us towards a New Horizon.
Opening Prayer
God of wisdom and grace,
Thank you for the gift of learning.
Teach us to listen carefully to your Word and to one another.
Bless our students, teachers, support staff, leaders, families, and wider community.
Give us humility to receive guidance and courage to put good learning into practice.
May our learning strengthen our faith, our relationships, and our service to others.
In Jesus’ name.
Amen.
Reflection: Learning Begins with Listening
Proverbs 1:5 says:
“Let the wise listen and add to their learning.”
James 1:19 reinforces this:
“Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.”
Wisdom begins with listening.
A wise person does not assume they know everything. They listen, receive guidance, reflect, and grow.
In the classroom, listening helps us understand instructions and feedback. In relationships, listening helps us understand others before reacting. James reminds us that when we are frustrated or disagree, we should listen first, speak carefully, and control our anger.
Jesus also says in Matthew 7:24 that the wise person hears his words and puts them into practice.
So Christian learning follows a simple pattern:
Listen. Learn. Act.
This connects strongly with our Methodist ethos of connexion. We do not learn alone. Students learn from teachers, teachers learn from students, and we all learn from Scripture, whānau, community, and one another.
Listening is therefore an act of respect, humility, grace, and love.
Illustration
Two students receive the same feedback.
One becomes defensive and ignores it.
The other listens, asks questions, and improves.
The difference is not ability. It is the willingness to listen and learn.
Application
Today, practise James 1:19:
Be quick to listen. Slow to speak. Slow to become angry.
Before responding, ask:
Have I really listened?
As a Wesley College whānau, may our learning be seen in how well we listen, how respectfully we speak, and how wisely we respond.