Welcome!
If you’ve been coming along to services lately and want to know how to become part of the community here at St John’s, it would be great if you could fill out your details for us on the forms at the back of church…or Katie our admin person might even pass one to you if you’re at the 10am service . This will allow us to contact you and let you know what’s happening and how you can get involved! You can also email the office, using the the email address at the bottom of the page.
The 10 minute tip for welcoming
Most visitors arrive 10 minutes before a service starts to find a seat…and leave within the first 10 minutes after a service ends because they don’t know who to talk to over a cuppa. To welcome those who are new and build community, let’s aim to talk to someone we don’t know in those first 10 minutes before and after the service before having our usual catch ups with one another and continue to grow as a welcoming community.
Special 10am service this week
This week at our 10am service we will be welcoming local Scouts for their annual Thinking Day service. There will be lots of young people and families there who do not usually come to St John’s. This is a great opportunity to make people feel welcome here: come a few minutes early to talk to a few people you don’t know, and spend a few minutes immediately after the service with someone new.
St John’s and St John’s Villas Trust Annual General Meetings
The Villas Trust AGM and Parish AGM will be on Sunday, 16 March at 10.15am, after a combined service starting at 9.15. Please come along and join us in planning for the future of the parish. Also please consider being a member of Vestry and/or nominating someone you think would do a good job on Vestry.The AGM nomination form 2014 is linked here, and there will be extras at the back of the church.
Items for the agenda should be given to Ben by Sunday, 23 February.
Nominations should be given to Ben by Sunday, 2 March.
Friendship Lunch
Our first Friendship Lunch of 2014 will be on Tuesday, 4 March at 12noon. All are welcome.
This Year’s Lenten Study
For Lent this year as a parish we are looking to deepen our understanding of discipleship.
A fantastic resource has become available, developed here in New Zealand through the Diocese of Christchurch, which draws spiritual and intellectual insights from Matthew’s Gospel (the Gospel for the current lectionary year).
Being Disciples: Through Lent with Matthew will run for six weeks on Thursdays in the church hall starting at 7.30pm on 13 March and will be led by our vicar Ben. The six illustrated studies are:
- The joy and terror of being called (Matthew 4:18-22)
- Disciples in crisis (Matthew 8:23-27)
- Disciples in mission (Matthew 10:37-42)
- When the going gets tough (Matthew 11:28-30)
- Disciples in community (Matthew 18:10-22)
- Disciples in the making (Matthew 28:16-20)
There is no cost in taking part, but for catering and planning purposes please sign up on the clipboard on the back table at church or email the office.
Volunteers needed
We are looking for people who can help with the following things in the parish:
- mainly music, in the kitchen especially but we’d also welcome people want to do other things, some Wednesday mornings
- reader at 8.30am service, once a month
- welcomers at 8.30am service, once a month
- morning tea at 8.30 service, once a month
- welcomers at 10.00am service, about once a month
- running the data show at the 10am service, about once a month
- cleaning the hall about once a month with others, generally on a Monday
- cleaning the church about once every six weeks with others, on a Friday or Saturday
If you can help with any of these things, please speak to Katie in the church office or contact Pam, 232-2138.
New roster preparation
Katie has sent the roster out by email to those who have email. If you have not received it, please check at the back of the church for your named copy, or you can take one of the spare copies.
Spud in a Bag Judging Day
Today at 11.45am, Twigland Garden Centre, Glenside. Who will take out the prizes this year? Will it be the usual winners: Sissons, Toni Mohuanga? The competition is fierce, with much boasting about spud size from the competitors. Come along to Twigland next Sunday and join in the fun as all is revealed.
AAW notices
Saturday 1 March—AAW Diocesan Meeting at Levin. 11.00 a.m. to 2.00 p.m. In a lovely garden setting with a speaker, lunch and short service. All parish women welcome. Car pool from St John’s at 9.30 a.m. Please ring Margaret Smith, 938-7915, if you wish to attend. A small contribution towards petrol to drivers would be appreciated.
Thursday, 6 March—St John’s AAW monthly meeting: a day outing to the Film Archive in Taranaki Street to see a special screening on the Northern Suburbs, followed by a light tea meal (provided by the committee) at Christine Gibbons’ home, 20 Cranwell Street, Churton Park. Car pooling from St. Johns promptly at 3.45 p.m., films 4.30–5.30 p.m. Cost $10 per person. All welcome. Please ring Margaret Smith, 938-7915, if you are coming. Drivers may also need a small contribution towards parking costs.
Friday, 7 March—World Day of Prayer. Details will be published next week.
Alpha marriage course
The Marriage Course is very practical, giving any married couple the tools to build a strong and healthy marriage that lasts a lifetime. Over eight evenings spent together couples talk about important issues that can get swept under the carpet in the rush of daily life. Privacy as a couple is always respected. There is no group discussion and no requirement to disclose anything about your relationship to anyone else. The setting is welcoming, relaxed and non-threatening.
St Michael’s, Newlands will run the marriage course starting on Wednesday, 5 March. Contact Rev Jennie Sim, (021) 151-4862 or vicar@smn.org.nz.
Diocesan picnic/hui
Every person in the Parish is invited to come along on Saturday 8 March and take part in our Diocesan Hui. We’ll be talking about our three main themes for 2014: Discipleship, Biculturalism and Child Poverty.
- We’ll celebrate and worship as a Diocesan family.
- We’ll support the Anglican Missions Board and hear from Reverend Mike Hawke, the charismatic Church Support Officer from AMB.
- We’ll picnic together in our Cathedral because our Cathedral is the Mother Church of our Diocese.
It will be a fun day for all the family, young and old.
St John's Anglican Church 