Parish Newsletter 17 September 2017
Posted on September 19th, by Kate Clare in Alpha Course, Combined Parish Council, Mainly Music, Pompallier Village Trust, Prayer Group, Vestry. Comments Off on Parish Newsletter 17 September 2017
The Combined Anglican and Presbyterian Churches of Akaroa & Banks Peninsula
Sunday 17th September – St Peter’s –9.30 am
Lodge Service
A warm welcome to parishioners, Lodge members and visitors alike. Please join us for morning tea and fellowship in St Peter’s lounge following our service this morning.
Lodge Service
A warm welcome to parishioners, Lodge members and visitors alike. Please join us for morning tea and fellowship in St Peter’s lounge following our service this morning.
THE COLLECT
Compassionate God, your forgiveness is more than we can imagine. Enable us to take hold of the forgiveness you offer and to have the grace to forgive others as we are forgiven. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen
Compassionate God, your forgiveness is more than we can imagine. Enable us to take hold of the forgiveness you offer and to have the grace to forgive others as we are forgiven. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen
MIKE’S MESSAGE
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
Today we warmly welcome all visitors with us, and especially members of the Akaroa Masonic Lodge, who are joining us for a church parade. Welcome!
Forgiveness is the religious word for ‘letting go’. In Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthian church, he says ‘Love takes no offence’ (1 Corin 13:5). Central to the Lord’s prayer is Jesus’ understanding of forgiveness. He believed that God our father would forgive our sin directly in proportion to how forgiving we are as people; “Forgive us our sins, as much as we forgive those who sin against us…” Our gospel today reminds us that God’s economy of forgiveness is essentially infinite. Jesus says, we should forgive one another not seven times, but “seventy times seven” (Matt 18: 22). I think this is amazing (if not difficult) – and has implications on how we conduct our lives. God bless! Mike
Forgiveness is the religious word for ‘letting go’. In Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthian church, he says ‘Love takes no offence’ (1 Corin 13:5). Central to the Lord’s prayer is Jesus’ understanding of forgiveness. He believed that God our father would forgive our sin directly in proportion to how forgiving we are as people; “Forgive us our sins, as much as we forgive those who sin against us…” Our gospel today reminds us that God’s economy of forgiveness is essentially infinite. Jesus says, we should forgive one another not seven times, but “seventy times seven” (Matt 18: 22). I think this is amazing (if not difficult) – and has implications on how we conduct our lives. God bless! Mike
COMING UP THIS WEEK
Monday 18th September
10 am Mainly Music – Trinity Hall
Wednesday 20th September
10.30 am Prayer Group – St Peter’s lounge
11 am Holy Communion – St Peter’s lounge
1.30 pm Holy Communion – Pompallier
5.30 pm ALPHA introductory dinner – 20 Stanley Place
Monday 18th September
10 am Mainly Music – Trinity Hall
Wednesday 20th September
10.30 am Prayer Group – St Peter’s lounge
11 am Holy Communion – St Peter’s lounge
1.30 pm Holy Communion – Pompallier
5.30 pm ALPHA introductory dinner – 20 Stanley Place
Thursday 21st September
5 pm Vestry Meeting – St Peter’s loungeSunday 24th September
5 pm Vestry Meeting – St Peter’s loungeSunday 24th September
9.30 am St Peter’s – Holy Communion/Baptism
Leader: Mike
Organist: Janet Sides Person: Clive
Prayers: Wendy Welcomers: Annette & Rose
Projection: Gerald Readers: Clive & Sarah
Morning Tea: Fiona, Wendy & Chrissy
Readings: Jonah 3: v 10 – 4: v11 Matthew 20: v 1 – 16
11.30 am Pigeon Bay
Leader: Mike
Organist: Janet Sides Person: Clive
Prayers: Wendy Welcomers: Annette & Rose
Projection: Gerald Readers: Clive & Sarah
Morning Tea: Fiona, Wendy & Chrissy
Readings: Jonah 3: v 10 – 4: v11 Matthew 20: v 1 – 16
11.30 am Pigeon Bay
COMING UP SOON
Monday 25th Sept Mainly Music – Trinity Hall – 10 am
Monday 25th Sept Mainly Music – Trinity Hall – 10 am
Wednesday 27th Sept Prayer Group – St Peter’s lounge – 10.30 am Holy Communion – St Peter’s lounge – 11 amFriday 29th Sept Community Lunch – 11.30 am – Trinity Hall
Sunday 1st October Richard Randerson Seminar – Euthanasia – a Christian perspective. 11 am (after 9.30 am service at St Peter’s)
ALPHA
Our second Alpha begins on Wednesday 20th September at 5.30 pm with the Alpha dinner at the Tippings’ home, 20 Stanley Place. We will have food and conversation, the introductory video will be shown, people will speak briefly about their Alpha experience, and guests will decide whether they would like to do the whole programme. This is your chance to play a part in building up our church and introducing friends and family to the wonderful experience of following Jesus and being part of the church family.
For those who find it difficult to share their faith and witness to others (and who doesn’t!), this is your chance to do it the easy way. Just bring your friends to the Alpha dinner, and the rest is up to them. The dinner will not be a particularly ‘churchy’ event – no hymns, prayers or church jargon, so it’s suitable for your non-churchy friends.
For church members who haven’t yet taken part in Alpha, why not start now? It’s a free 12-week programme – one meeting a week, with each meeting consisting of food and a chat, a 30-minute video, and a discussion of the video at which any opinion can be expressed, and no-one is made to speak if they don’t want to. If you have to miss a session, that’s OK.
Our introductory dinner will be on a Wednesday evening, but the regular meeting time will be decided by consensus among those who want to take part.
Come and join over 20 million people who have done Alpha.
Our second Alpha begins on Wednesday 20th September at 5.30 pm with the Alpha dinner at the Tippings’ home, 20 Stanley Place. We will have food and conversation, the introductory video will be shown, people will speak briefly about their Alpha experience, and guests will decide whether they would like to do the whole programme. This is your chance to play a part in building up our church and introducing friends and family to the wonderful experience of following Jesus and being part of the church family.
For those who find it difficult to share their faith and witness to others (and who doesn’t!), this is your chance to do it the easy way. Just bring your friends to the Alpha dinner, and the rest is up to them. The dinner will not be a particularly ‘churchy’ event – no hymns, prayers or church jargon, so it’s suitable for your non-churchy friends.
For church members who haven’t yet taken part in Alpha, why not start now? It’s a free 12-week programme – one meeting a week, with each meeting consisting of food and a chat, a 30-minute video, and a discussion of the video at which any opinion can be expressed, and no-one is made to speak if they don’t want to. If you have to miss a session, that’s OK.
Our introductory dinner will be on a Wednesday evening, but the regular meeting time will be decided by consensus among those who want to take part.
Come and join over 20 million people who have done Alpha.
MONTHLY GROCERY DONATIONS
Please remember your grocery donations each month. If we all contributed one item per month we would have a wonderful amount to donate to Heartlands, for those in our community in need. Winter time can be especially difficult for those families who are under stress.
Please remember your grocery donations each month. If we all contributed one item per month we would have a wonderful amount to donate to Heartlands, for those in our community in need. Winter time can be especially difficult for those families who are under stress.
FREEZER MINISTRY – MEALS REQUIRED
We are delighted that many of our frozen meals have been delivered to those in need. We now have only ONE left in the freezer at Trinity, so would appreciate some home-cooked and frozen supermarket meals to replenish our stock. Casseroles and soup can be put in ice cream containers (there is a supply next to the freezer). Please label them with contents and number of servings, and write the details in the notebook on the freezer. If you know of anyone who is unwell or under stress who would appreciate a cooked meal, please contact Rachel – phone 304 8920.
We are delighted that many of our frozen meals have been delivered to those in need. We now have only ONE left in the freezer at Trinity, so would appreciate some home-cooked and frozen supermarket meals to replenish our stock. Casseroles and soup can be put in ice cream containers (there is a supply next to the freezer). Please label them with contents and number of servings, and write the details in the notebook on the freezer. If you know of anyone who is unwell or under stress who would appreciate a cooked meal, please contact Rachel – phone 304 8920.
COMBINED PARISH COUNCIL REPORT
The Combined Parish Council met on Thursday and discussed a number of important matters. This is a selection from what was considered. Ideas were suggested for making our regular informal services more interesting and varied, and how to involve others from the community as guests. Some good suggestions were made, and a small group will be set up to take action.
A Combined Parish planning event will be held next March, to put together a Mission Action Plan for our combined churches. Before that, some draft plans will be circulated to the congregation for comment.
The sale of the St Andrew’s church, Le Bons Bay, has been cancelled while discussions are held with leaders of the Sumner parish youth ministry. They are interested in using the church and neighbouring school as a centre for retreats with a youth/environmental/surfing focus. This would be trialled for a year before being permanently set up.
The re-opening of Trinity Church is scheduled for 22 October, and the Presbyterians hope the event will be a special blend of service and celebration. Ideas welcome – contact Ken Paulin.
Mike Baker tabled a list of projects which he would like to undertake with the Combined Churches in the future. This interesting list was given preliminary discussion, and further details will be passed on when the practicalities have been explored.
The Combined Parish Council met on Thursday and discussed a number of important matters. This is a selection from what was considered. Ideas were suggested for making our regular informal services more interesting and varied, and how to involve others from the community as guests. Some good suggestions were made, and a small group will be set up to take action.
A Combined Parish planning event will be held next March, to put together a Mission Action Plan for our combined churches. Before that, some draft plans will be circulated to the congregation for comment.
The sale of the St Andrew’s church, Le Bons Bay, has been cancelled while discussions are held with leaders of the Sumner parish youth ministry. They are interested in using the church and neighbouring school as a centre for retreats with a youth/environmental/surfing focus. This would be trialled for a year before being permanently set up.
The re-opening of Trinity Church is scheduled for 22 October, and the Presbyterians hope the event will be a special blend of service and celebration. Ideas welcome – contact Ken Paulin.
Mike Baker tabled a list of projects which he would like to undertake with the Combined Churches in the future. This interesting list was given preliminary discussion, and further details will be passed on when the practicalities have been explored.
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK
Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future. Paul Boese
Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future. Paul Boese
Vicar – Rev Michael Baker – phone 304 7051 or padre_mike@hotmail.com
Presbyterian Contact – Ken Paulin – phone 304 7012 or paulinakaroa@xtra.co.nz
Newsletter – Chrissy Smith – phone 424 3592 or chrissyakaroa@gmail.com
Webpage – www.akaroachurches.co.nz
Presbyterian Contact – Ken Paulin – phone 304 7012 or paulinakaroa@xtra.co.nz
Newsletter – Chrissy Smith – phone 424 3592 or chrissyakaroa@gmail.com
Webpage – www.akaroachurches.co.nz
