NOTICES:

A very warm welcome to you all this morning. After the service please come through to the Lounge for a cuppa and a time to chat. Many thanks to Rev Hugh Perry for leading our worship today.

Practice the St Martins Plastic Pledge for July –

The St Martins Plastics Pledge:

1. I will responsibly recycle all I can, whenever I can.
2. I will regularly use multi-use bags when I go shopping.
3. I will try to reduce the use plastic bags and plastic trays used to     package food by using reusable containers.
4. I will use a re-usable mug and refuse plastic straws when I go to cafes, etc
5. I will try to buy unwrapped ‘loose’ locally grown vegetables/fruit whenever practical, rather than those wrapped in plastic or plastic nets.
6. I will tell others about my commitment to reduce our reliance on single-use plastics.

PLEASE REMEMBER to turn lights/heaters off when you leave the building!!

South Elder Care comes home to to 43 St Martins Rd this Tuesday!

Wednesday Walkers 24^th July: Meet 9.45am cnr of Birdwood and Malcolm Ave. We will have a walk in the Beckenham area and have coffee in the Birdwood Café. All Welcome.  Anneke 021 0774 065

Crafty Crafters: Meets on Thursdays in the Church lounge 10am-12noon. $3 per session. Contact Lyndsey 388 1264 for more information.

Updated Parish Phone List now available. Please contact the Office if you would like a copy. This can be either e-mailed to you, or a paper copy provided.

Movie Night….our next movie on Saturday 3^rd August will be “I Daniel Blake”.  Daniel has worked as a joiner most of his life in Newcastle, England.  Now for the first time in his life he needs help from the State.  He crosses paths with Katie and her two young children who are also struggling to survive.  Their encounters with welfare bureaucracy will have you both laughing and crying as they long to be treated as real human beings. Come along for BYO takeaway tea at 5.45pm, with movie screening at 6.15pm.

Working Bee Saturday August 10^th at 9am. Tasks will include: preparing section for grass seed, deck construction, window cleaning, shifting boxes, clearing out shed one.

Meditation Group…About ten people are meeting each week to spend time in stillness (20 mins) with a small message of teaching.  We are slowly growing in our discipline of spend time each day in stillness and believe this time re-orientates us in God and in our true selves.  It is special to feel part of a warm welcoming group of very diverse people that are on a journey together.  What is even better is that we recognise meditation is good for us!  Tuesdays 7.00-7.45pm in the lounge.   New members are always welcome or speak with Jeanette and David, Keith, Janet, or Helen.

Annual Reports are now due. Please e-mail them to Anna by Friday 16^th August. Thank You.

Men’s Group…Next gathering on Thursday 1^st August at 6.00pm when Warren Pettigrew will talk about some of the projects he’s been working on at Dynamic Controls.  Share the word with blokes you know.

Session Report for July

With the final payment being completed for the strengthening work on the church letters of thanks and appreciation are being sent to the Architect and Building Company.

Dugald has received his Certificate of Good Standing for the next three years.

Dugald has indicated he will be retiring as from Feb 23rd 2020, and we have asked Presbytery to form a Ministry Settlement Board. (MSB)  Session will appoint two people to this and the congregation will vote to appoint a further four. 

Session has decided not to instigate a special quarterly afternoon communion service for older members.

The decision by Managers to not insure the church buildings for natural disaster (eg earthquake and flood) was endorsed.  The costs of this are high and the excess would be approx. $140,000.  We will however insure to cover costs of demolition in the event of a large earthquake.

The AGM of the congregation will be held on Sunday 15^th September after worship.

Session has asked for ‘an event’ to look at and discuss the End of Life Choice Bill currently being processed by our Parliament.   A 20 page report prepared by the Doctrine Committee that was presented to the 2018 General Assembly is available in the foyer (more available on request).

We noted the call of the General Assembly 2018 to install bike racks.  

New Shelving in Foyer Storeroom…. We are very grateful to the Halswell Menzshed and to John Hinchey from the St Martins Menzshed for finding the MDF board and constructing the shelving in the foyer store.  Thanks to Keith for his input.

Concrete Paths….with another pour of concrete last Monday we are almost there with the concreting work around the church.  A fence with gates will be erected between the community room and the church.  A deck will be erected in the next few weeks outside the lounge.  Thank you to Cyril for the boxing, Keith and Rob for the fencing, David Hodder for organizing the concrete, and help from our neighbour Graham McNicholl in placing the concrete.

Court Theatre trip Thursday 19^th September 6.30pm to see “The Pink Hammer”, a Kiwi comedy. Money in a NAMED envelope to Sue Saunders please on or before Sunday 4^th August. Cost will be $49 & $37 for Community Services Card holders (please include a copy of each person’s card in in the envelope with the money). Names onto the clipboard in the foyer please.