Vicar’s Address
The Value and Power of Reflecting and Evaluating
I guess coming from an education background in supporting teachers I value and encourage us all to reflect on what we do and how effectively we do it. This helps us to grow and develop. The purpose is not to beat ourselves up over our shortcomings but to recognise, own and evaluate what we do. Not one of us has all the gifts we need to do all that we can as the body of Christ in this place. That is good. We all have our place. We need to acknowledge the different gifts we all have and to give thanks for them. I think praying is one of the least recognised but most valuable things we can offer. In prayer we find inner strength and peace for ourselves and gain wisdom in how to help and support others.
Over the next month we will be working on our Parish review. The diocese works with the parishes on a cycle to review the clergy and the parish or ministry unit as a whole. Each parish is reviewed about every five years.
Reviewing and reflecting on our individual lives and on our relationship with ourselves and with others is so important as we seek to follow, as closely as we are able, in Christ’s footsteps. It is important to look at our part in the bigger picture of God’s family, and the work we are called to do and be in this place at this time.
Do we value each individual — and how do we express this?
We are all different. We all think, respond and interact differently. We all like and dislike different things. This is what helps to add colour to who we are in this place.
No one can support everyone else or have all the skills we need as a community to be the people that God wants us to be as a community.
Don’t ask me to contribute musically for a start!!! Although I have to do the best I can when it comes to rest homes. I would love more singers to help with this ministry. It means so much to the older people. What we can all do, is do the best we can and contribute in what ways we are able to our community. We can all pray that God will lead us and guide us in following our calling. We can all encourage, support and nurture each other showing respect and concern.
So how can we work together better?
I believe by accepting that we are all different and honouring each and every individual and by playing our part. We can see this and explore such matters in our review.
It is good to set time aside to come together to discuss our likes and our challenges, to listen carefully to each other with respect and an open mind and where possible to make compromises that best fit the community that we are or want to become. To encourage each other as we together explore where we wish to go as a Parish as we continue the journey that each of us is on. I would like to encourage you to fill in a survey form and to come along and be part of our workshops on Sunday 4 November to discuss the outcomes. Please bring a plate for a shared lunch. It will be good to hear suggestions and ideas.
In completing a survey form it is helpful to be quite specific so we can see if there are common issues. One example could be, “we would like more familiar/modern/older hymns”. Please bear in mind that all except one Sunday a month we have three services on a Sunday morning so please name the service you are talking about. Then we can look at this and see if it is a common response for that congregation and if so what we then do about it. I do leave the hymns and songs to our musicians to choose as music is certainly not one of my gifts but I certainly enjoy it and see it as an essential component of worship.
Looking forward to our exploring our way ahead together.
Jan
From the Venerable Sarah Moss — Archdeacon with responsibility for ministry reviews.
Workshop Day Pew Sheet notice
What does it mean to be a healthy church? Are there some key components of our life together that are signs of health, growth and wellbeing? As the Bishop’s team, we believe there are and during the past few years significant work has gone into identifying what those things are and how we can support the Ministry Units across the diocese to reflect on their life and continue to nurture their spiritual health.
The Ministry Unit Review Process, which was designed especially for the Diocese of Auckland, plays a key role in this. To develop the process we have drawn on a range of church review resources and Healthy Church models from Aotearoa-New Zealand and overseas; from within the Anglican Church and from other denominations. Extensive research and collaboration took place between the Bishop’s Team and two invaluable resource people: Lynne Trenwith, a communications specialist (Parish of St Aidan’s) and Joyce Pereira-Laird (principal consultant from Beyond Consulting), who specialises in data analysis. Both Lynne and Joyce gave their considerable time and expertise to the diocese as a gift, for which we are extremely grateful.
Our Healthy Church Model identifies four dimensions of church life: Knowing God; Shaping Community; Walking with Christ and Living Beyond Ourselves.
Today in our workshops we will be doing two main things: exploring the data gathered through the parish survey and using this, along with some ‘big picture’ thinking and visioning, to identify areas for focus for future planning. The more specific details of the planning will take place after the workshops as the church leadership continues this work.
I look forward to working with you all today.
Ven. Sarah Moss
Archdeacon for Ministry Review and Planning
Copies of the survey form may be collected from the parish office or the survey may be answered on line using the link https://www.beyondconsulting.co.nz/OnlineServices/Survey/mu3/mu3.htm
Within the survey please comment which group you believe you are part of.
Review Workshops
11am, Sunday November 4
Come along with your suggestions and ways to assist in helping these to happen.
Please bring a plate of food for a shared lunch.
Rest Home Worship Services
Palms Rest Home: 10.30am Tuesday October 2
Palms Hospital: 11am Tuesday October 9
Lakeside Rest Home: 10.30am Wednesday October 10
Pukekohe Hospital: 10.30am Wednesday October 17
Possum Bourne Village: 11am Tuesday October 23
Anyone who wishes is welcome to join us at these services
Bible Readings in October
October 7 — Family Service
First: Job 1: 1; 2: 1-10 (Bruce Shepherd 8am, family service 9.30am)
Gospel: Mark 10: 2-16 (Alistair Parke, — )
Theme: Tough Questions Along the Way
20th Sunday after Pentecost
October 14
First: Job 23: 1-9, 16-17 (Sue Muir, Jill DeKock)
Gospel: Mark 10: 17-31 (Heather Wrigley, Glenis Kerr)
Theme: Finding Our Way
21st Sunday after Pentecost
October 21
First: Job 38: 1-7 (Phil Meyer, Viv Crimmins)
Gospel: Mark 10: 35-45 (Graham Russell, Bob Wallace)
Theme: A New Way
22nd Sunday after Pentecost
October 28
First: Job 42: 1-6, 10-17 (Joan Renall, Neville Phillips)
Gospel: Mark 10: 46-52 (Paul Muir, Pauline Brown)
Theme: The Way of Exclusion
23rd Sunday after Pentecost
NB: If you are unable to do your duty on the rostered date, please try to arrange a swap with someone on this Roster. If you are unable to arrange a swap, please choose a person who is not on this month’s Roster to fill in for you and then please notify Noeline in the Parish Office.
Worship
St Francis’ Day Service
9.30am, Sunday October 7
Blessing of the Animals
a family celebration of our animals and creation
Family & Community Service followed by morning tea. Bring along your friends, family, and pets. If it is really fine and warm we will have the service on the vicarage lawn otherwise it will be in Reid Anderson Hall.
Church Cleaning Roster
If you would be willing to volunteer for your name to go on the roster for cleaning the church, please let Noeline in the office know. Thank you.
Social Opportunities
Winter Soup lunch
The next lunch will be on Sunday September 30.
Contact Gael Crimmins, Ph 238 6017 or email vsgc@xtra.co.nz
Mothers’ Union
10.30am, Wednesday October 3
After the service, meet in the Parish Lounge for meeting. All Welcome
Ladies in Black
Our 2018 Fundraiser Movie
Ladies in Black is an alluring and tender-hearted comedy drama about the lives of a group of Sydney department store employees, adapted by Oscar-nominated director Bruce Beresford (Driving Miss Daisy, Mao’s Last Dancer) from Madeleine St John’s best-selling coming-of-age novel. Set in the summer of 1959, bookish school leaver Lisa takes a summer job at prestigious F.G. Goode’s. There she meets the “ladies in black”, who will change her life forever. Beguiled and influenced by Magda, the vivacious fashion manager, and befriended by sales ladies Patty and Fay, Lisa is awakened to a world of possibilities. As she grows from a shy schoolgirl to a positive young woman, she becomes a catalyst for a change in everyone’s lives. Put it in your diary now and please don’t be tempted to go to the show as soon as it is released — instead come with the fantastic family and friends of the Pukekohe Anglican Parish.
Pukekohe Cinemas, 5pm Sunday October 14. Tickets $20 (Available from the parish office).
Please take tickets to sell to your friends. Bring Cash for Raffles!!!
Women’s Fellowship
10am Thursday October 18
Meet at the church for communion. All Welcome.
Upcoming Events: Mark Your Calendars
All Souls’ Day Services
10am and 6pm, Friday November 2
An opportunity to remember those who we have loved and are no longer physically with us. The church will be open throughout the day for prayer and the lighting of candles in memory of a loved one.
Baroque Concert — Rita Paczian with Polly Sussex and John Green
11 November in the Reid Anderson Hall
Armistice Day
100-Year Remembrance
Sunday November 11
A time for us to remember those who served their country
Parish Breakfast
8.45am, Sunday November 25, Reid Anderson Hall. Last one for 2018
Musical Performances
Handel Consort & Quire’s concert at St Andrew’s on Sunday October 28 is off because they have been unable to secure their soloists.
Franklin Community Choir Christmas Carol Service
Sunday, December 2. Venue to be confirmed.
Handel Consort & Quire Christmas Concert
5pm, Sunday December 9
Nine Lessons and Carols Service
At St Andrew’s with the Franklin Community Choir. Date to be confirmed.
Make at note in your diaries now and don’t miss out
Daylight Savings Reminder
Remember: ‘Spring Forward’ on Sunday September 30. So move your clocks forward 1 hour from 2am. Don’t want to be late to church!
Parish Fair
Saturday November 17
8am St Andrew’s Complex
This is a major fundraising event for the year!!! Can you help, please? Volunteers will be needed for setting up on Friday 16 from 1pm and with the Fair from 8am until 1pm on Saturday. Now is the time to start getting those
* Jams * Pickles * Books * Household and White Elephant items * New items for the Tombola * Grocery items for the Raffles. Get involved in All the Fun!
Now is the time to start bringing along grocery items for the raffle and items for the tombola
Sustainability
Homo sapiens have lived on Earth for around 10,000 generations, yet since the industrial revolution (1760-1830), only 10 to 12 generations ago, we have been the cause of much lasting damage to the Earth.
We have degraded the world’s soils to the point that all of it could be gone within three generations. We have watched species loss occurring at an ever-accelerating rate — from 100 times the natural rate, to between 1000 and 10,000 times in my lifetime. We have sat on our hands for two generations, and done nothing to mitigate the drivers of global warming that is now changing our climate.
For more than 40 years we have known that avoiding disastrous climate change requires breaking the hold of fossil fuels on our economy and our way of life. And we have done so little.
Cherishing our Earth has become something we no give no attention to.
This topic came up at the Auckland Diocese annual synod in September.
Amongst the presentations was one by journalist Rod Oram, a member of the Anglicans Climate Action Network that I work with.
His topic was our Christian roles in this time of climate change.
One of Rod’s slides was a quote from American environmental lawyer and advocate Gus Speth.
“I used to think the top environmental problems were biodiversity loss, ecosystem collapse and climate change.
I thought that with 30 years of good science we could address those problems.
But I was wrong.
The top environmental problems are selfishness, greed and apathy and to deal with those we need a spiritual and cultural transformation and we scientists don’t know how to do that.”
James Gustave Speth
In this season of creation, we acknowledge the issues that humankind’s activities on this Earth have caused. It is time we took action. On these and other related issues.
How relevant is the quote and how right is the sentiment?
What do you think?
Cheers, John Allen
Sustainability Fieldworker | Anglican Diocese of Auckland
Ph. 021-463 686 | 238-1357
john@wjohnallen.nz | cherishedearth@auckanglican.org.nz
The Prayer of St Francis
Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darknewss, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.
O, divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.