Kia ora and Welcome!
Welcome, this website replaces a 2014 version. Here you will find hymns, some from the book With Heart and Voice published in 2004 (currently out of print), others published in With A Song In Our Heart (2019). In addition to these, there are a number of new hymns and in some cases new music. While some of the hymns reflect the context of Aotearoa New Zealand and significant events in that location, many others will have relevance in a variety of contexts. I have also included reflections on the importance of Charles Wesley, comments on various hymns and hymn writing, along with some topical articles and the occasional sermon.
NOTE to find the index please click on the three short black lines on the right side above!
Background
I was born in Dublin, Ireland. We emigrated to New Zealand as a family when I was ten years old. There, I attended Sumner primary school in Christchurch followed by four years at Linwood High School (now te Aratai College). I later studied history and religious studies at Canterbury University. As a teenager I was active in the Sumner Methodist Church. During this period I attended Easter Camps at Amberley and it was there that Christ touched my life. In my late teens I lived and worked in Melbourne for a year. On my return to Christchurch I worked for my Dad in the clothing manufacturing industry for several years before candidating for the Methodist Ministry.
I have been privileged to serve in parishes/circuits in Christchurch and in Auckland, New Zealand, in Inishowen in County Donegal in Ireland, in Cheltenham in Gloucestershire, in Bendigo in Victoria, Australia, and in the Lisbellaw, Maguiresbridge and Tempo Circuit outside Enniskillen in Northern Ireland. For eleven years I was the Superintendent of the Methodist Church of New Zealand’s Development Division (Home Mission dept.). I have been President of the MCNZ.
While in the Development Division of the Church I wrote Methodism at the Crossroads (1993). This was based on research into the attitudes and beliefs of New Zealand Methodists. Later I co-authored with Jan Chamberlin a book of hymns which we called With Heart and Voice (2004). These hymns were mostly set to well known tunes. More recently I worked with two colleagues, the late Norman Goreham, and musician Jeremy Whimster, in the production of a second hymnbook with the title With A Song In Our Heart. This latter work contains over forty hymns of which I wrote the lyrics for approximately half. There are very few copies of With A Song In Our Heart left but hopefully there will be a reprint in due course.
I was born in Dublin, Ireland. We emigrated to New Zealand as a family when I was ten years old. There, I attended Sumner primary school in Christchurch followed by four years at Linwood High School (now te Aratai College). I later studied history and religious studies at Canterbury University. As a teenager I was active in the Sumner Methodist Church. During this period I attended Easter Camps at Amberley and it was there that Christ touched my life. In my late teens I lived and worked in Melbourne for a year. On my return to Christchurch I worked for my Dad in the clothing manufacturing industry for several years before candidating for the Methodist Ministry.
I have been privileged to serve in parishes/circuits in Christchurch and in Auckland, New Zealand, in Inishowen in County Donegal in Ireland, in Cheltenham in Gloucestershire, in Bendigo in Victoria, Australia, and in the Lisbellaw, Maguiresbridge and Tempo Circuit outside Enniskillen in Northern Ireland. For eleven years I was the Superintendent of the Methodist Church of New Zealand’s Development Division (Home Mission dept.). I have been President of the MCNZ.
While in the Development Division of the Church I wrote Methodism at the Crossroads (1993). This was based on research into the attitudes and beliefs of New Zealand Methodists. Later I co-
Until January 2014 I was the regional Superintendent for the Manukau, Auckland and Northland Synods in the Methodist Church of New Zealand. More recently, Margaret and I, have relocated to Australia (northern NSW) to be closer to family, to spend more time with our grandchildren, and pursue other interests. I can be contacted by email. My email address is: brookesne51@gmail.com
Music Composers
I am very grateful that a number of friends have kindly composed music to accompany some of my lyrics. I am indebted to them for sharing their musical talent and skill with me. Should you be interested, you will find their compositions the section following the hymns and labelled "Music". Hopefully, it will be obvious which tunes are designed to accompany particular lyrics. The new tunes, where appropriate, are mentioned at the foot of the relevant hymns. In addition the music pages have the titles of the hymns they accompany.
The Brookes Family
Margaret and I have been married for over 50 years. Margaret comes from Melbourne. We met, in the 1960s, at a Presbyterian Camp which was part of the Belgrave Heights Convention Centre outside Melbourne. We have had the privilege of serving the Methodist Church in New Zealand, England, and Ireland. We have also served the Uniting Church in Bendigo, Australia. Margaret is a retired microbiologist. Originally she worked in medical microbiology but over most of her working career she has been involved in laboratory work associated with the health supplements industry. Following retirement, but prior to leaving for Australia in 2025, Margaret was a Parish Steward and Property Committee Convener of the Papatoetoe Methodist Church in Auckland. During this time she oversaw the building of a new parsonage and a major upgrade of the church kitchen and other facilities. We have been blest with two sons and five lively grandchildren.
Church Life Survey (CLSNZ)
In the mid 1990s the CLSNZ workgroup came into being with significant assistance from NCLS Australia and the Uniting Church Board of Missions, with me as its Convener. In 1997 the New Zealand work group carried out a survey of some 1400 churches. Approximately 70,000 people took part in this inaugural survey. Data was subsequently provided to each participating congregation highlighting the beliefs and attitudes of those in the pews to a range of issues. This exercise was repeated in 2001.
Several booklets were written as a result of the surveys, these include, Lifting the Lid, Initial Impressions, Impact, and Sexuality and Life Issues. The New Zealand team also participated with the Australian team in the production of larger studies, namely, Shaping a Future (which includes Lifting the Lid on the New Zealand Church) (OpenBook 1998). For more up to date details please see the website clsnz.com I retain an interest in the work of CLSNZ and am glad that the CLSNZ team continues to provide a service to the New Zealand Churches.
Several booklets were written as a result of the surveys, these include, Lifting the Lid, Initial Impressions, Impact, and Sexuality and Life Issues. The New Zealand team also participated with the Australian team in the production of larger studies, namely, Shaping a Future (which includes Lifting the Lid on the New Zealand Church) (OpenBook 1998). For more up to date details please see the website clsnz.com I retain an interest in the work of CLSNZ and am glad that the CLSNZ team continues to provide a service to the New Zealand Churches.