25 July 2024
1 Peter 4:10–11 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.
Dear Friends
I trust that this finds you blessed and in good heart.
As I share these updates, I’d like to encourage you to remember in prayer the children you know who have returned to school this week from their winter break, and their parents and the teachers who care for and teach them. In our church, our term-time programs for children and youth have also resumed this week. It is good timing that the focus of our Corporate Prayer Meeting this Saturday is on praying for children.
Most of you will know that this Sunday we have a special Church Meeting, the purpose of which is to help evaluate our Discipleship, Pastoral Care and Children’s Ministries. In case you’re wondering why we’re doing this evaluation, here’s why: we want to see how our ministries support our vision, goals and priorities and how well we are serving our church family and the wider community. I warmly encourage you to come along this Sunday and be a part of this important meeting. The Rev Derek Harding will be facilitating our discussion. Let us ask the Lord in prayer to be with us and bless us this Sunday.
We will begin the meeting at 10.00AM sharp in the Hall and finish at around 10.45, so please come early. Hot drinks and cakes/biscuits will be served starting 9.45. The 9AM Service will be shortened and should finish at around 9.45. If you are part of the 11AM Worship Team, please feel free to leave the meeting when you need to. For those who have children, we will be screening a Veggie Tales movie in the Church Lounge at 9.55AM sharp, and please encourage your children to enjoy this wholesome entertainment. The movie will finish well before the 11AM Service starts.
On to other updates.
Last week I received a message via Facebook Messenger from Tiru Taubakoa, Kaiea’s brother and who looks after Kaiea’s 8-year-old son in Kiribati, thanking us for the financial gift we sent them. This was his message (sent in English):
“Thank you, St Christopher’s Anglican Church, for your donation to Kaiea’s family. I, on behalf of the family, have received the amount of $800 Aus. Thank you very much for your kindness and may the Lord’s blessings be always with you.”
We did send NZ$920 through to Kaiea’s family, but a lower exchange rate (Kiribati uses the Australian dollar) and a deduction of $25 for the transaction fee meant the amount received was $800 Aus, still a generous gift.
Tiru also sent me a photo taken at Kaie’a wake, a few days before his burial. You can see it below.
We give thanks for the successful choral concert last week in our church and a smooth and safe visit of Christ’s College Chapel Choir (Cambridge UK) to Blenheim. The turnout was really good – 177. Many thanks to Mark and Viv Peters for coordinating the Choir’s visit and to all who helped with the food and billeting for the Choir.
We also give thanks for the safe and successful hernia surgery for Ethan Mahyambe this past Tuesday and knee surgery for Ian McEldowny yesterday. Let us pray for their smooth, speedy and full recovery.
I encourage you to pray for members of our church who are facing health challenges: Moira Paul, Colleen Bevans, Viv Peters, Steve Quarles, Jackie Hall and Elaine Gee.
In our two services this Sunday I will be preaching from 1 Peter 2:11–12 on the theme “Christian Living in an Unbelieving World.”
I look forward to seeing you this Lord’s Day.
God bless,
Deo
Angela and Nathan has so much fun in the snow up at the Rainbow Ski Field during the winter break.
The Christ’s College Chapel Choir (Cambridge UK) performing in our Church last Thursday
A photo showing Kaiea’s casket at his wake in Kiribati, a few days before his burial