| Sunday, 11 December 2011 | |
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'And Heav'n & Nature Sing' (Dr Jeffery Tallon) |
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Korean Faith Community (Byounghak Cha) |
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Pizza Church (Shirley Vickers) |
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Shouts & Whispers (Dr Jeffery Tallon) |
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in recess |
WELCOME
Welcome to our services today. It’s great to have Jeff Tallon with us at all services. Jeff works as a professor at the MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology at Victoria University. Tonight he is speaking about the star that led the wise men to Jesus. This would be a good service to bring your family, friends, neighbours and workmates to.
The Grotto opens today between the morning services, and we will be praying with the key Grotto personnel at the morning services today. We are expecting up to 50,000 people through our facilities in the next two weeks with the Grotto and all other Grace Vineyard and Spreydon events and services.
Next Sunday December 18 Elgrego will be leading our morning services. It promises to be a great service and again one you could easily invite families and friends to.
In your newsletter today is the literature about this year’s TEAR Fund Christmas appeal, to help rescue mothers and children in the developing world. All offerings on Christmas Eve (except those in Spreydon envelopes) will go to this appeal.
Please diary our Christmas Eve services. 5pm and 7pm are repeat services with a family focus; 9pm is a Christmas Carol service, and 11pm will include communion this year. I’ll be speaking at the 5pm, 7pm and 11pm services, and Murray Robertson will speak at 9pm.
On Christmas Day at 9am there will be a service here which Grace Vineyard will be leading.
After Christmas our services will be as follows:
Sunday 1 January 10am only
Sunday 8 January 10am only
Sunday 15 January 10am and 7pm
Sunday 22 January Return to regular three service format – 9am, 11am and 7pm
Rob Kilpatrick of World Vision Australia, and formerly CEO of New Zealand Baptist Missionary Society, will be speaking at all services on 15, 22 and 29 January services. If anyone has a home that Rob could house sit from 9 - 30 of January we would love to hear about it – please contact Rose at rfrance@spreydon.org.nz or 338 4163 ext 226
Grace and Peace,
Alan
PRAYER
For emergency prayer needs phone Les Yetman 942 1172. He will alert the prayer chain to your need.
Come and pray for Matt & Ruth, preparing to go to Chad, and for Diane Goodman, returning to Chad in March, on Thursday December 15, 7.30pm at 27 Wentworth Street, Ilam. Contact Shirley 942 2976 for more info.
LIFE TOGETHER
Mercy Basket. Fifty Christmas parcels and gifts have been given out to families so far. If you know of a family who are struggling, that we can bless with a mercy basket, then please phone reception 338 4163. Thank you for all gifts received; may you feel blessed as we bless others. This week we need long-life milk, pasta and sauces, honey and jam.
Congratulations to Noel and Judi Cross who celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary this week.
Christmas:
Christmas Eve Kids’ Choir! All school-aged children are invited to join the Christmas Eve choir to sing at the 5 & 7pm services. Practice will be 10am - 12pm on December 17. On Christmas Eve we will start at 3.30pm and provide tea for the children between services.
Brass players…we need more brass instruments for our 9pm Christmas Eve services!!
Christmas Eve supper…We are looking for a small team of people to serve supper to our Christmas Eve teams at 10pm in the Cobham Street Hall (in between the 9 & 11pm services).
Please contact Michelle for more info on these Christmas opportunities, michelle@spreydon.org.nz or phone 338 4163 ext 225
Gospel Choir is in the Cobham Street Hall from 7 - 8pm on Monday December 12. We are practising for the 9pm Christmas Eve service. All welcome! Contact Anna, annawhitaker23@gmail.com.
The church office will be closed from 5.30pm Thursday December 22 to 8.30am Monday January 9. The church answerphone will be checked regularly for messages about pastoral support and care needs.
Men’s Survey. If you received a survey sheet last week and have not completed and returned it, please hand it in today. If you have not being given one, please collect one, fill it in and return it. Rodney Read 349 8851.
Funded earthquake counselling is available at Arahura Health Centre, Barrington Street. Phone 332 5702.
Support group for people who lost their house in the earthquake. Have you had to move out of your home due to the earthquakes? Interested in meeting with others who are in a similar position from Spreydon Baptist? We would like to meet others in a similar position, interested in forming a support group at Spreydon for prayer support, sharing knowledge of insurance and EQC processes and identifying people within the church who might be able to help us. We feel overwhelmed and alone but together we can do something! If interested please contact Sue kingham.sue@gmail.com.
The library will be closed from Monday December 5, during the Christmas Grotto and will re-open in January. You may return books to the Info Centre on Sundays. We are looking for people to assist on Sunday mornings next year between the 9 and 11am services. Contact Mike or Sue 981-5049.
EMPLOYMENT
A paid role in administration is available here at SBC and we would be keen to hear from people who are interested. 24 hours per week. Experience in admin required, particularly written skills and general resilience. Contact Duane dmajor@spreydon.org.nz or 021 546 444.
COMMUNITY MINISTRY
Christmas Grotto. Wheelchairs are required on loan for the people who come from rest homes.
Please sign up in the foyer today if you can help welcome those coming to the Grotto on any of these days: today, Saturday and Sunday December 17 & 18, Friday 23 December from 9.30am to 9.30pm and Saturday December 24 from 9.30am to 11pm.
People to pack up the Grotto are needed on Tuesday December 27.
Contact Linda 960 6329, 021 960 653 or rahills@paradise.net.nz if you can help.
OTHER
Ark of Hope interactive art installation for all ages at Sydenham Square (cnr Colombo & Brougham St) opens 7pm Friday December 16 and then 9am – 11pm December 17 – 22. Presented by Side Door Arts Trust (Pete & Joyce Majendie). No charge.
Art of Conversation Games will be available in the café after the morning services today. $20 per game. Suitable for all ages with children’s and Christian versions of this fun card game. Contact alison@thinklifecoaching.co.nz.
GLOBAL MISSION
Vijaya Chowdhuri
Christian Discipleship Centre, Bangladesh
Since the death of her husband, Bishu, Vijaya Chowdhuri has been the Director of CDC in Dhaka. On Sunday December 18 Vijaya will be with us in the 9am service, all being well.
This year CDC has started 6 month training courses for believers from the majority background. Thirteen students graduated from the first course at the end of August.
Fourteen new adult literacy centers and thirteen slum schools are progressing well. The one-year Discipleship Training course with 26 students had their graduation this month. Now the Board is selecting the students for the 2012 course.
The media work is continuing; they get a lot of encouragement through the follow ups.
Please pray for Bangladesh as people are suffering immensely after severe flooding this year.
Pray too for Vijaya’s health on her demanding travels in December and January as her blood pressure is a concern.
Vijaya praises God for our long term partnership to build His kingdom.
COMMUNITY MINISTRY
Keep Active
Twice a week (term time), KEEP ACTIVE! provides an opportunity for anyone
from the community to participate in circuit exercise sessions in a fun social setting.
Give thanks :
for God’s enabling and His Spirit’s Presence
for the people who attend regularly
for the number who invite others to join in
for the improvements in mobility, strength and endurance
for the committed team who put in so much time
Pray:
that people will continue to keep active over the holidays
for more leaders and helpers, especially on Mondays
for the continued enthusiasm of everyone involved
for God’s guidance for KEEP ACTIVE! in 2012
