5 December 2024
Greetings everyone!
I hope you are doing well and staying cool on this another very hot day in Blenheim! Summer has well and truly arrived.
Last Sunday marked the beginning of a new Church Year and the start of Advent - the season of preparation for Christmas. I hope this season will enable you to prepare your hearts to welcome Christ once again into our midst.
Traditionally in the four Sundays of Advent we remember Abraham and Sarah (the patriarch and the matriarch of Israel) on Advent 1, the Prophets on Advent 2, John the Baptist on Advent 3, and Mary the mother our Lord on Advent 4. But for our Advent observance this year we will follow the themes commonly associated with the Advent candles: Hope, Peace, Joy and Love. Last Sunday we lit the candle of Hope on the wreath. This Sunday the candle of Peace will be lit. The white candle in the middle of the wreath, the Christ Candle, will be lit on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
A Christmas tree has been put up in the church, but it is currently unadorned and will remain so until just before Christmas Eve, when some volunteers will dress it for the grand celebrations of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Advent and Christmas at St Christopher’s is shaping up to be a wonderful time of celebration and expectation. Our annual Service of Nine Lessons and Carols is happening this Sunday at 7pm in the Church. This is one of my favourite services of the year when we hear the story of redemption all the way from the fall of Adam in Genesis 3 to the Word made flesh in John 1. After each reading we either sing a traditional carol or listen to the choir sing. I’m grateful to all the people who have volunteered to join the choir for this service.
As has been announced, there will be no Christmas Luncheon for our church this year. In lieu of a luncheon, there will be a Parish Picnic, scheduled for 15th December, at 12 noon at Oliver Park, following a combined service at 10.30am. Please see the flyer below for more information.
In the evening of the 24th, we will have a Christmas Eve Candlelight and Communion Service happening at 9pm. Then, in the following morning we will have a Christmas Day Family Service at 10am.
Please note that our worship service for the last Sunday of the year - 29th December - is going to be a Communion and Prayer Service. There will be an opportunity during the service for you to receive prayer, or the laying on of hands, or anointing with oil. More details to follow.
Pop these service times in your calendar, and invite your family and friends. In this Advent it is my prayer that we would find ourselves in a season of hopeful expectation, as we remember and celebrate the first coming of our Lord and look expectantly for his return.
I’m glad to report that the recent Confirmation and Membership Course has been a successful one, and I’d like to commend Melissa Wills, Temiah Cyster, Channing Cyster and Emily-Rose Cyster for having completed the course. They will receive the confirmation from our Bishop at the Confirmation Service scheduled for 2nd February 2025.
Last Sunday I announced at church the good news about the recent decision of Vestry, following the recent evaluation of our ministries, to approve the recruitment of a part-time Children and Families Worker for our church. The advertisement for this vacancy is currently is being finalised, but here is the description of the role:
‘The Children and Families Worker will lead a team responsible for the development and growth of the children’s ministries. This role will work in conjunction with other ministries in the Church.’
I’m sure I do not need to convince you that children, youth and young families are the future of our church, and so I’m glad and grateful to the Lord that he has put us in a position where we are able to recruit a new ministry worker. Let us pray that the good Lord would provide the right person for us.
I hope to see many of you over the coming weeks. But for now I leave you with my prayers for each you. May you rest in the knowledge of our God who loves us, cares for us, and enfolds us in his arms.
Looking forward to seeing you all this Sunday as we journey and celebrate together.
In Christ
Deo
Deo with the Confirmation Candidates on our last day of class: Melissa Wills, Temiah Cyster, Emily-Rose Cyster and Channing Cyster.
A recent photo with the Wednesday 10am congregation.
Stage setup for Messy Church last Sunday. It was a successful event, attended by 64 people.
At the Eldercare Christmas Luncheon last week. In this photo the amazing volunteers are being thanked and given a gift. Well done Donna!