| Sunday, 21 August 2011 | |
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Unrelenting compassion (Daphne) |
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Korean Faith Community (Murray Robertson) |
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Pizza Church (Shirley Vickers) |
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Passion (Duane Major) |
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Marty |
| WELCOME | |
| Welcome – after another topsy-turvy week I hope this time of worship draws you toward God’s love and compassion for you especially and through you to the world around you. I walked into our local dairy on Tuesday morning to get some milk and the dairy owner looked up from the shelves he was stacking and yelled out ‘Good morning my friend to another day in paradise’. I’m not sure how you saw the snow-days but I certainly had mixed feelings. The picture post-card look was beautiful, the snow initially fun and enticing but another set of lectures cancelled, meetings postponed and another disrupted week was really frustrating. For students doing NCEA, businesses and workers and contractors who lost a day’s work and pay it is another struggle. In the midst of all this I met another neighbour as we were both shovelling our driveways at the same time and stopped to compare notes. Today we are looking at passion. Our passions and the holy-discontent and passionate love of God. This series has accompanying study notes, daily readings and a DVD with short group study introductions for group leaders. Ask at the media room for more details. We are progressively developing the website and have a few new features. On the home page you can find the newsletter (and copies of past newsletters). You can subscribe to the newsletter electronically (it will be sent to you each week). There is also a click-box to see opportunities to serve around the church and a local map showing all the households who so far have indicated an interest in exploring being part of a local village. We are hoping everyone who has indicated an interest will be contacted by people in their area by the end of this month. Two weeks ago Martin van Beynen wrote an article in the Press titled ‘Save space, just one church should cover it’. I thought the article showed a real misunderstanding of how many people were involved in Christian churches and the degree of community service the churches are involved in. I wrote to Martin and offered to buy him a coffee and show him around Spreydon. In the email to him I briefly explained a little about Spreydon and our church life. This week I received a short reply from him thanking me for my contact, acknowledging it was good to hear what churches were contributing but refusing the coffee and chat. A bit of a shame really. Stay warm Grace and peace Alan |
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| PRAYER | |
| For emergency prayer needs phone Betty Warrington 980 8185 or Les Yetman 942 1172. They will alert the prayer chain to your need. Come and pray for Kylie and for the Overton family in Addis Ababa on Tuesday August 23, 7.45pm at 76a Glandovey Road, Fendalton. Contact Mike & Jenni 338 1668 for more info. Night of power prayer meeting for the Muslim World. Friday August 26 from 9-11pm in Cobham St Hall. Please come and join many other Christians from around our city. More information to come. |
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| LIFE TOGETHER | |
| If you can help with Global Night Market on Saturday September 10 please contact Barb 384 6103, 027 687 3787 or mark4barb@xtra.co.nz. Creative Concepts Craft Night is on tomorrow night at 7.30pm in the Meeting Room. Bring along your favourite craft and enjoy the company of fellow crafters. $2 donation with supper provided. Phone Shona 960 2903 with enquiries. Healing service - an opportunity for prayer for healing organised by SBC and Ellel prayer ministries. Come, participate in worship, have some teaching and then be prayed for by members of the Ellel team in a gentle worshipful environment. Wednesday September 14, 7-9pm in the Auditorium. Supper provided. Please invite those you know would like to come along. Contact Di 338 4163 ext 235 or dsargent@spreydon.org.nz for more info. The 6-week study group looking at emotional maturity and spiritual maturity and the link between the two, advertised the last 3 Sundays is planned to start on Tuesday August 23 at 7.30 pm. If you are interested in participating but have not yet made contact, phone Chris or Grace Currie 338 8329. Maori: reo & tikanga for anyone, through waiata, karakia, te paipera tapu, kai (songs, prayers, scripture n food) Mondays 6-7.30pm at 55 Cobham St. Contact Doug McNeill 021 662515. Calling all Halswell people - come and share tea on Saturday, August 20 from 5:30pm–8pm in the Auditorium. Bring your favourite takeaway, drinks provided, gym for the kids. Get to know people from your neighbourhood. Any questions, contact Dave dbates@spreydon.org.nz or 338 4163 or see him at church. |
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| CHILDREN & FAMILIES | |
| We continue to be blessed by Figtree Church Australia, who sent a sizable monetary gift following Feb 22. Figtree is now sending a team of 25 to serve us in response to the earthquake. We need to find billets for 20 of the team. They arrive Sept 24 and leave Oct 3. Please contact Lidwina lclarke@spreydon.org.nz or 338 4163 ext 223 if you are able to offer a bed or two. 78th Ave is a youth group for intermediate aged young people. And we are after some help! Heaps of young people join us from all over the community on a Friday evening - which is great! We are after some parents or parentish-aged people, to go on a roster to help watch out for our kids! Contact Luke: lgardiner@spreydon.org.nz, or 021 755737. Kings Kids. We will be taking part in the Missions night-market on Sept 10th. Kings Kids is a group where children of all ages and abilities can learn singing, dance, drama, microphone skills in a relaxed and fun way. Our first practice will be today, 1-3pm at 18 Penrith Ave, Somerfield (off Selwyn St). Come and meet some turtles and have a fun afternoon. Any enquiries, please contact Donna 980 7712. |
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| COMMUNITY MINISTRY | |
| Project Esther would love to receive donations of Joyce Meyer books plus Christian music cds for the Women’s prison. Contact Karen 338 4163 ext 252 or kpennington@spreydon.org.nz. Sharp After-School Coordinator Position (30 – 40 hours). To start term 4. Do you have a teaching background/and or experience in children’s work with a passion for young people and children? Are you a good team player with initiative who will be able to coordinate multiple programmes and up-skill our staff and large volunteer base? Good computer skills necessary. Please contact Fiona Kenneally fkenneally@spreydon.org.nz or 338 4163 ext 219. Stepping Stone Trust is looking for housekeepers, support workers, sleepover staff, and casual relievers. Contact Christine 338 6390 ext 736 for a job description and application form. |
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| SPREYDON OVERSEAS | |
| Diane Goodman arrives in Christchurch from Chad this Tuesday August 23. Welcome home, Diane! |
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| OTHER | |
| Ellel Ministries Seminars with Paul and Joanne Ryan: Learning to Trust Father God (Friday 26 August: 7–9pm. Event for men and women - $5) Fathering and Sonship (Saturday 27 August: 9.30am–5pm. Men’s event - $30, incl. lunch). Venue – Breezes Rd Baptist Church, 153 Breezes Rd, Wainoni. To register or for further information contact Paul or Jillian 021 269 8384 or info.newzealand@ellelministries.org. Elijah House seminar “Grief”. Saturday August 20, 9.30am – 1.00pm in the Cobham St hall. Small group ministry follows. RSVP to Elizabeth 942 3446 or Margaret 352 2972. Theology and Church Architecture - a seminar for churches thinking about rebuilding. Wednesday September 28, 9.00am - 3.30pm at Christchurch Chinese Church, 286 Greers Rd, Bryndwr (near Wairakei Rd shops). Cost: $20 payable at door, includes refreshments and lunch. RSVP for catering purposes: Chris Church, 355 9145 or admin@theologyhouse.ac.nz. TEAR Fund Appeal to Help Save Lives in the Horn of Africa – A severe drought has returned to haunt the people of Africa. An estimated 12 million people are struggling to survive. We would be pleased if you would partner with us to help raise $500,000. Donations can be sent to: TEAR Fund Regional Office, 4 Wiltshire Courts, Rangiora 7400 or phone 0800 800 777. Gas Heaters for Christchurch online appeal http://www.popstime.com. Click to donate via the Baptist site. Contact Energy is providing 1,200 gas bottles plus the first fill free & ongoing vouchers. The Warehouse is offering the heaters at 50% off the retail price! For more info contact Baptist Earthquake team: Liz 929 0539. |
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| GLOBAL MISSION | |
| Vijaya Chowdhuri Christian Discipleship Centre, Dhaka, Bangladesh I am thinking of those people whose houses have been damaged in the earthquake and exposed to the cold wind and snow. Sometimes we just wonder what is happening on this earth, we are having extremely hot and humid weather in Bangladesh and a lot of rain and the country is already under the floods. I arrived back in Bangladesh as planned on 15 July. Just before travelling I had a fall but fortunately no bone was broken. My health has not been so good here. There are problems with blood pressure and they can’t do anything more to help. Since I came I have been very busy with CDC work. On July 30 we had the first MBB (Muslim background believers) graduation. The 2nd batch of students is ready to begin and we will start from the third week of August. This is very encouraging. The rest of the other ministries are running well. Thank you for your prayer and love and fellowship in Him. |
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| PIZZA CHURCH | |
| Pizza Church started up about 5 years ago and has been meeting in the Cobham Street Hall at 5pm on most Sundays since then. Between about 20 and 40 of us usually gather for a meal (not just pizzas), a time of introduction and celebration of events, some songs of praise and a short interactive message. The atmosphere is informal: we sit around individual tables, catching up with each other about the week over our food and after the message further talking through questions which help us to digest and personalize God’s Word. Many of us at Pizza Church have been through difficult life circumstances and feel bruised and vulnerable. We are discovering together truth, forgiveness, healing and restoration. Praying for and with each other, seeking God’s intervention, we are all moving towards a greater wholeness in our lives. Those helped become helpers and those helping are themselves helped. Every week is a little bit different. We are so grateful for those of the larger congregation who pray for us. |
