who we are
Situated on 2 1/2 acres of land in the heart of Beach Haven the Cedar Centre is an Anglican Community Church. We are a faith community made up of people of all ages and stages of life and from many different cultures. Together we seek to live out our Christian faith in the Birkdale and Beach Haven community and beyond.
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We believe that the Cedar Centre - Birkdale & Beach Haven Anglican Church is called to be:
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A worshipping community of all ages, races and genders who seek first Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God in thought, word and deed.
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A biblically based community of people who have a local community facing and world facing focus.
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A people who see themselves living a radically different Christian lifestyle and yet identified with the world in which we live.
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A sign and agent of the Kingdom of God.
At the heart of our complex is the hand carved macrocarpa cross - the symbol of our faith - which captures our vision of reaching out to others and pointing to God in a manner that reflects our collective culture.
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Working with a long held vision of providing a hub for the community which can house and resource programs that enhance spiritual, mental and emotional wellbeing, we offer a range of activities that cater for all ages, races and cultures. These include a Playgroup for preschoolers, Selwyn Cedars for the seniors, and SPACE (Supporting Parents Alongside Children's Education) for parents of newborn babies. Our community garden is staffed by volunteers who are passionate about home grown produce and willingly share their expertise with others.
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Development of our site was completed in 2010 and our facilities include an auditorium/ worship centre, office complex, historic chapel, classrooms and community garden.
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Our commercial kitchen has become a central meeting place catering for both functions and church activities. It has the space and ethos to accommodate cooking classes and celebrations of different cultures.
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We hold two church services each Sunday: a traditional service at 8 o'clock in the chapel and an informal family service at 10 o'clock. All are welcome to attend.
Rev Daniel Sahayam
Parish Vicar
As Vicar of the Cedar Centre Daniel carries overall responsibility for all the programmes and ministries of the church. Daniel is a fourth-generation Fijian of Indian descent. He has been married to Kathrine Kalyani for 35 years and has two adult boys, Richy (34) and Samson (30). Daniel was ordained as an Anglican Priest in the Diocese of Polynesia, where he worked for 14 years, and he has been vicar of the Cedar Centre since 2022. He is passionate about working with people in a ministry called by God to fulfil his commandments by spreading the love and the good news of the Gospel. His wife, Kathrine, is a former kindergarten teacher who loves engaging with children.
Meet The VICAR
What we believe
As an Anglican Church we are shaped by the rich heritage of the Anglican Tradition and especially by the Charismatic Evangelical expression of that Tradition.
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We believe in God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit
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We believe in God as creator of the universe and all that is within it.
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We believe that all people are created in the image of God and made for relationship with God and with others
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We believe that Jesus, the Son of God, lived, died, and rose again to bring us forgiveness of sins and make a way for us to know relationship with God our Creator.
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We believe that God is living and active and at work in our world today.
We believe that salvation is found in Christ alone and that transformation of individuals and communities takes place as people are renewed and made whole through relationship with God.
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We believe that the Bible is God's word and that through it God speaks today. We seek to live by the values and behaviours of the Kingdom of God as discovered in the Scriptures.
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We believe in the Church as the Body of Christ and seek to be a welcoming community where there is a place for everyone.
OUR JOURNEY
History
To understand where our church is today, it is important to be aware of the journey we have been on for the past 15+ years.
Our historic chapel St Peter’s, was built in 1885 at the Chelsea sugar works to provide a place of worship for the workers. From there, it was moved by horse and dray to Birkdale in 1907 before being relocated in 2000 to its present position on site.
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Prior to this between 1986 and 1992 the parish grew dramatically. Despite adding on to the buildings at the St Nicholas site the two churches were bursting at the seams and in 1999 the decision was made to purchase some land to build one building to house the whole family together.
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In 2000 we sold our two churches and their land, St Nicholas located in Beach Haven and St Peter’s in Birkdale, and purchased 2.7 acres of land at 56a Tramway Road. This was a huge step of faith. Worship continued during this time both in the chapel and in the local school hall. In 2004 the vicarage was built and in 2005 two classrooms from Chelsea Sugar Works were relocated to our site; these are known as the ‘Chelsea Rooms’.
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In 2010 the church took another giant leap of faith and began building what is now known as the Cedar Centre. This is a purpose built auditorium which seats 250 people. The foyer seats 80 people and is served by a commercial kitchen. The office block contains three individual offices, meeting room, main office and foodbank.
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In 2012 a wooden cross was carved and erected on site, depicting the elements contained in our vision statement. Yet to come is the construction of the hall.​
