WELCOME AND NOTICES
CALL TO WORSHIP
How great and glorious is our God! From hour to hour,
from day to day, our lives overflow with praise and gratitude.
It is amazing, how our God permeates every aspect
of our lives and can work out his purposes through them despite our human faults and failures.
God creates beauty out of dust and brings forth meaning and purpose out of the ashes of our failures.
He transforms our weakness into channels of strength.
Our emptiness becomes a vessel of God’s fullness; our errors and mistakes are stepping stones to success.
But this is God’s doing, not ours.
How great and glorious is our God!
HYMN: Jesus Stand Among Us
Jesus, stand among us
in your risen power;
let this time of worship
be a hallowed hour.
Breathe the Holy Spirit
into every heart;
bid the fears and sorrows
from each soul depart.
Lead our hearts to wisdom
till our doubting cease,
and to all assembled
speak your word of peace. V.3 © Lydia Pederson (VU)
OPENING PRAYERS & THE LORD’S PRAYER
STORY-TIME
HYMN: 82 God, Who Made the Earth
INTRODUCTION TO THE READINGS
READINGS: 1 John 1 (Leslie Brandt: Epistles Now) Audrey Dunnachie
John 20: 19-31 Bob Cathro
HYMN: How Often We, Like Thomas (Tune: Thornbury WOV 389)
How often we, like Thomas,
need proof before we trust.
Lord Jesus, friend of doubters,
come, speak your truth to us.
We long to feel your presence,
and gain new faith from you,
to find, without our seeing,
the blessing Thomas knew.
You always stand among us,
no doors can lock you out.
Your presence reassures us
though we still live with doubt.
As present-day disciples,
whose lives by sin are flawed,
we want to come believing,
and cry: ”My Lord, my God!” © Selah Publishing Co Inc. (CH4)
SERMON: Is he really, poor Thomas?
HYMN: 299 I know That My Redeemer Lives
THE OFFERING
You bless our gifts, O God, and you bless us
as we encounter your Word.
You bless us with enlightenment;
you bless us with a will to make a difference;
you bless us with a generous spirit.
As we are blessed, so may we become a blessing
to others within this community of faith
and to those beyond this community,
as we serve you, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
WE GREET ONE ANOTHER
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
HYMN: Christ is Alive, and the Universe Must Celebrate
Christ is alive, and the universe must celebrate,
and the stars and the suns shout in this Easter Tide!
Christ is alive, and his family must celebrate
in a great alleluia, a great alleluia
to praise the power that made the stone roll away.
Here is our hope: in the mystery of suffering
is the heartbeat of Love, Love that will not let go,
here is our hope, that in God we are not separate,
and we sing alleluia, we sing alleluia
to praise the power that made the stone roll away.
Christ Spirit, dance through the dullness of humanity
to the music of God, God who has set us free!
You are the pulse of the new creation’s energy;
with a great alleluia, a great alleluia
we praise the power that made the stone roll away.
© Shirley Murray (AA)
THE BLESSING
NOTICES
A very warm welcome to you all as you worship with us this morning. Please stay for a cup of tea or coffee in the lounge after the service.
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CUPPA & CHAT Tuesdays & Wednesdays 10am – 12 noon. Do pop in! We are open on ANZAC Day. Aubrey 930 2525.
WEDNESDAY WALKERS: There is no walk on 25th April ANZAC Day.
CARING & SHARING will NOT be meeting this month.
CRAFTY CRAFTERS Thursdays 10am – 12 noon. Please contact Beverley 332 7786 for more information.
BOARD OF MANAGERS’ MEETING Thursday 26th April 7.30pm.
MEN’S GROUP will commence on Thursday 3rd May at 6pm in the church lounge. Bring a plate for a shared tea when we can share some bloke talk, followed by our speaker for the evening, Jamie Cross. All men are welcome. For details, contact Tony 332 0554.
FOOTCARE CLINIC: Seeking volunteers please to train up to cut nails, assist with the footspas and massage. This clinic happens every six weeks. The next session is on Thursday 10th May. Offers of help to Lyndsey please 388 1264.
MARMALADE FOR MISSIONS ~ please support this fundraiser!
Please join us! The Fireside group would like to invite the women of the congregation and friends to join us at 7.30pm on Tuesday 24th April in the church lounge. Colleen McKay, manager of Haemophilia Outreach Services, will talk about her visits to Cambodia. Please bring a small gift that we can give her to take to the children there – for example, something from the $2 Shop like hair ties, colouring book & pencils, small car. To help with numbers for supper an RSVP would be appreciated.
Lyn 332 0865 Allison 332 0554 Margaret 336 8936
St Martins Messenger: The next newsletter will come out at the end of May. Since the decision to go out quarterly there’s been a big gap, so that must mean there is plenty of news to catch up on. You are all co-opted onto the newsletter committee! Please please please send your contributions to Lyn (Madgwick) at l.mck@xtra.co.nz. News, photos, jokes, whatever interesting stuff you pick up over the next few weeks. Thanks.
St Martins Theatre Group: Please phone Lyn (same one) 3380840 if you are interested in Operatunity’s Best of British on May 7 at 11am or Much Ado About Nothing at The Court Monday May 21, 6.30pm.
WANTED: Kites for Pentecost Sunday 27th May. Details to follow.
The Parish Office will be closed on Wednesday 25th April.
BIRTHDAYS THIS WEEK: Thu 26th Rob; Sat 28th Joan.