Sunday 23 February 2020

NOTICES:

A very warm welcome to you all this morning. Please come through to the Lounge after the service for a cuppa and a time to talk.

Today Dugald leads his last service with us as our minister before his retirement after 35 years in the ministry.  Following the service we invite you to join together for a barbeque lunch at 12 noon.  Sausages, meat patties, bread, and drinks will be provided. Dugald will continue to have involvement with MenzShed and the meditation group but the ‘pastoral tie’ will be ended. The Presbytery will be appointing an Interim Minister who will have responsibility for all pastoral matters in the parish.

MenzShed…The woodwork workshop is now placed on piles. MenzShed volunteers will construct a ramp for disabled access and install fire wall lining and a structural skirt around the foundations. The old Sunday School rooms have been lined and rewired and will be used as an electronics workshop. Expect an opening in mid April.

Presbytery News…Charissa Nicol has been appointed as the new chaplain at Rangi Ruru School. Hamish Galloway has been appointed Interim Minister at Cashmere with the resignation of Sylvia Purdie. Hamish will shortly leave Hope Hornby to prepare for his role as Moderator of General Assembly.

Thank you to those who returned blue forms indicating your support for fundraising projects. The finance review team will now co-ordinate teams to promote these projects. Mark your calendars now for a ceilidh on Saturday 25th April.

A dollar a day…and you can have Sunday off!

Fireside is a friendly meeting for women and we welcome others to join us.  This Tuesday 25th February we plan to have a general catch up with each other, discuss plans for this year’s meetings, and enjoy “dessert and coffee” together.  We meet in the church lounge at 7.45pm. Enquiries to Margaret 366 8936.

Wednesday Walkers 26th February: Meet 9.30am at Cracroft shops. Coffee at Silverbacks Café. All welcome. Judy 027 242 7943.

Ash Wednesday services 26th February – an invitation to join our neighbours at St Mark’s 10am in the lounge 101 Opawa Rd or 7.30pm at St Mark’s School 33 Cholmondeley Ave. All are welcome.

National Remembrance Service Sunday 15th March in North Hagley Park.

Crafty Crafters Thursdays 10am – 12 noon. $3 per session. New faces very welcome. Lyndsey 388 1264.

World Day of Prayer Friday 6th March 7pm at Beckenham Methodist Church, 83 Malcolm Ave. A service prepared by Zimbabwe with the theme “Rise! Take Your Mat and Walk”.  All are welcome.

Court Theatre Group Booking:

“Lysander’s Aunty” Friday 17th April 7.30pm Tickets $54 or $42 Add your names to the clipboard please, and money to Sue Saunders by next Sunday.

Craft Crawl Thursday 12th March Kaiapoi-Rangiora area. Leaving from the church at 8.30am for optional 10am sailing on the “River Queen” (cost for this is $20 payable on the day) or explore Kaiapoi. On to Rangiora 11.30am for lunch and shopping, back home by 3pm. Bus cost approx. $25. Please let Lyndsey McKay know by 29th Feb if you would like to join us.

Meditation Group: meets in the CHURCH this Tuesday from 7.00-7.45pm. We are learners who are following an ancient Christian practice of being still with God.

Singing Group   1st & 3rd Sunday at 9.15am.


Board of Managers’ Report February:

  • Peter Mechaelis is our new chairperson.  Sue Saunders continues as our secretary.  
  • The following areas of responsibility have been allocated:

Buildings: Warren Pettigrew and David Hodder; Grounds: David Hodder

Social: Elizabeth Hawker; Fundraising: Ken Austin

Finance: Joan Macdonald and Barry Moore; Health and Safety: Warren Pettigrew

  • The ground improvements following the rebuild have now been completed.  A big thank you to Keith, Rob, David, Cyril, Barry, Dugald, and others who have removed concrete, laid new concrete paths, installed decking, gates, and fences, and levelled ground and sown new grass.  This has been a big job, but the grounds look great!
  • Handrails will be installed to aid stepping off the deck.
  • Blinds will be installed in the lounge – thanks to the Fireside Group for funding this!
  • The corrugated iron roof over the toilets will be replaced with help from the menzshed possibly in April.  When completed we will have no new maintenance issues to attend to for some years.
  • We now have a Facebook Page – please visit it, add your like, and share it with a friend.  Thanks Ken and Sonya.
  • The consent to locate the Menzshed on site has been granted and piling is imminent.  We have however used up most of the $22,000 we received from the Alpine Mission fund for this project with the Council charging $8,500 to process the consent (we have applied for a rebate) and consultant reports costing $9,400.   Piling will cost $4,000. 
  • Finance:  Accounts for the last two months show income of $22,634 and expenditure of $17,178.  For the year to date we have income of $78,713 and expenditure of $78,469 (excluding menzshed grant and costs). We are very thankful to those who have increased their giving.
  • Charitable Giving Tax Credit – we will be inviting all members to consider donating their Charitable Giving Tax Credit (which can be applied for from March 31st) to the church.  The Managers team and minister have all indicated they will support this request.  If we all committed to this, there would be a very significant bonus in our income.  Talk to our treasurer Joan Macdonald for more information.
  • A defibrillator has been installed in the foyer. This has been purchased through a grant from the Manchester Unity Trust Fund.