SEASON OF CREATION
Each September we step aside from our regular lectionary readings and turn to reflect on God’s wonderful creation and what this means to us. We have looked at Forest, Land, and Wilderness Sundays, and this coming Sunday it is River Sunday. We have considered our responsibilities and our relationship with God in the midst of the forest, trees and other places of beauty that reveal to us the mystery and beauty of God’s wonderful creation.
As we enjoy the creation that surrounds us we need to remember our responsibility to care for all aspects of creation. We are just one of the many species living in God’s world here for a short time. In this short time we are all called to care for creation, to enhance it where we are able and to endeavour to hand on to future generations an environment that will enable them to live happy and healthy lives.
There are different stories relating to creation in our Bible and in reading these we need to remember that language has changed over time and the meaning of words has changed. In one version of the story the Bible talks of humans having “dominion” over creation but this does not mean authority over. It is about care and protection. We are more aware of what this means in this generation and it is great to see how the younger people are really taking this responsibility seriously.
The first Sunday of October is St Francis’ Day. This is a day to give thanks for a few of the animals God has entrusted to our care. We don’t always remember that we are to share the resources of the world with a wide variety of other animals.
Please bring along your pets, animals of any variety, for us to bless along with all of creation. The 9.30am service will be a family service and it will be great to be together again.
Vicky shared with us on the third Sunday of our creation series and she talked of ways in which we are endeavouring to care for creation in our parish. There is more information later in the Messenger.
A series of logos have been developed by the Diocese relating to our sustainability work. This is for the Auckland Anglican Response to the Climate Change. Each logo features an olive branch. The abbreviation for the work is AARCC. The arc reminds us of Noah in our first testament and care for the variety of animals taken on board
during the flood.
I am looking forward to seeing a number of you on Sunday morning if it is right for you to physically join us for worship. I will be continuing to offer Zoom services for those who are not ready to return to church at this time. It is important that everyone does all they can to remain safe.
The past week has again been a sad week for the parish as we have again lost members of our parish family.
Olga Blackmore – who has been a regular church attender for several years.
Nigel Gardner – son of Norman and the late Anne Gardner.
Nola Wills
Our thoughts and prayers are with Norman and Lisa and Olga and Nola’s
families.
Take care and blessings to you all.
Jan
HELP NEEDED FOR THE FAIR. 9th and 10th OCTOBER
Cakes, jams, and other items of food
Raffle and tombola prizes – having not had services we have been unable to collect these.
People to assist with the set up on Friday from 10am and to assist on the stalls on Saturday from 8am.
Please email or phone the parish office if you are able to assist or put your name on the form in the church foyer or in the parish office.
A Message from Bishop Ross to Clergy
Relating to health and safety as we move back into worship services
AUCKLAND MOVING TO ALERT LEVEL 2
Dear Colleagues
It was a relief to hear the announcements about alert level changes yesterday. As a result, ministry units in the Auckland Council area can plan to hold public worship from this Sunday under Level 2 guidelines, and the rest of the Diocese can move to Level 1.
This means that Auckland area ministry units must restrict their gathering number to a maximum of 100 people while allowing for physical distancing. In many churches this may restrict the number that can safely gather to below 100 people. Please work on the same basis that you did the last time we were in Level 2 in terms of calculating your
Safe Gathering Number. I am sure people will be glad to be able to meet in their sacred spaces and especially to receive the sacrament. I realise the logistics of making this happen take some work and I am grateful for the efforts you will make to be able to bring people together.
In Level 2, Holy Communion may be distributed in one kind only, i.e. using wafers. The chalice must be on the altar as part of the celebration, but only the presiding priest may drink from it. I heard a number of reports of the pre-intinction of wafers the last time we were in Level 2. I discourage you from this practice as the inevitable additional handling preparing the wafers increases the health risks, and it is unnecessary. In fact we should discourage intinction generally from our Eucharistic practice as it could heighten the health risks. Please take the opportunity
to teach people about the tradition of “Communion in one kind” within Anglican liturgical practice.
For those entering Level 1, the cup may be used again as part of the distribution of the elements of Communion. Let us be aware that not everyone will necessarily be comfortable with sharing the cup. Advice previously received around pandemics is that it is a very low-risk practice. Nevertheless, may I ask that some guidance about this be
offered either by way of verbal announcement or by a note in the pew sheet or order of service. The advice should be that sharing the cup is regarded as low-risk, but that people are free not to take it and will still receive the full benefit of the sacrament by taking the bread only.
In a previous letter I encouraged cautious practices around the sharing of the Peace, and I recommend that low or no physical contact continues, especially in Level 2.
Finally, a word on singing and on masks. There is varying advice about the risks of singing, but as the virus seems to be transmitted by globules, and singing likely increases the range of the globules, it would be wiser under Level 2 to not have congregational singing. A choir or music group with good physical distancing from one another and from the congregation could still offer a ministry of music.
No advice has been given that masks must be worn at gatherings and so I do not believe that we should require it of people attending church services. However, be sensitive to the needs of people within your congregations and of course do not discourage anyone who chooses to wear a mask.
Links to the Charts and FAQs are at https://auckanglican.us13.list-manage.com/track/click?u=cc3de34ff9daeae0babfb3755&id=edbaf272d1&e=8eb0269986 for your reference.
Once again, I much appreciate the efforts that you are making, and I pray that gatherings this weekend will be joyful and hopeful.
SPECIAL PARISH GENERAL MEETING
Sunday September 11 at 11am
Future of St Paul’s Church Buckland
A BRIEF REPORT ON THE RESTORATION OF ST ANDREW’S CHURCH
Report to Church – Seismic Upgrading of St Andrew’s
Church Building
1. Legislative Background:
The existing Church building has been identified as requiring structural upgrading to meet the current legislative requirements under the New Zealand Building Act legislation, and the Building (Earthquake Prone Buildings) Amendment Act 2016.
The minimum requirement is for the building to meet 33% of the New Building Standard for earthquake loadings. (Referred to as 33%NBS), however the normal recommendation is to upgrade to a minimum of 67% NBS as proposed by the New Zealand Society for Earthquake Engineering. (NZSEE).
Local authorities are required to assess buildings such as the Church by July 2032, and after that assessment a period of 35 years from the date of assessment is allowed for the strengthening (or demolition) to be undertaken.
2. Progress to Date:
Vestry recognised the need to investigate the seismic strength of the building at the time of carrying out investigations into establishing why cracks were appearing in the building, especially in the chancel area.
(Note: the main problem was a tree which has been addressed).
A brief for an initial seismic study was developed to provide concept designs for upgrading to the three different levels of NBS together with preparing high level estimates for the options. Suitable professional engineering consultancies were identified and fees obtained.
Funding was then sought for these fees with a substantial grant being received under the historic buildings section of the Lottery Grants Board through the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
On receipt of funding the preferred consultants, Lough and Associates, were commissioned to carry out the study. The present strength of the building was assessed at under 20% NBS. Three options were developed as requested, a minimum upgrade to 33% NBS, a recommended upgrade to 67% NBS and a full upgrade to 100% NBS. A copy of the recommended 67%NBS concept drawing is attached.
Subsequent to receipt of the seismic report, Hampton Jones, Quantity Surveyors, were commissioned to provide cost estimates.
A covering report, the Seismic Engineer’s report and the Quantity Surveyors’ costings were presented to Vestry at the 21st September meeting for consideration.
3. Overall Condition
The seismic investigation identified that the church appears to be in relatively good condition for its age and has been well maintained. The church is likely to have a current overall seismic capacity below 20%NBS. The low NBS score can be attributed to poorly performing gable end walls and a lack of an adequate roof diaphragm connection to
the Unreinforced Masonry (URM) walls.
The report identifies a set of “initial work” which they recommend should be completed to keep the building sound, plus the work required to bring it up to the three alternative strength levels. Whilst the initial work could be considered separately if we are unable to find the funds for a fuller upgrade, it is a better approach from both financial and disruption perspectives to carry out the work at one time. This approach has been adopted for this paper.
4. Summary of Options:
The costs from the QS excluded some items and so figures for these have been obtained/provisional sums calculated.
1) The minimum option is to upgrade to the 33% NBS. The principally involves “tying together” the various building
elements (Walls, roof, beams, etc) plus minimum extra foundation work.
Cost: $425,000
2) The recommended option is to upgrade to 67%NBS. In addition to the works for the 33% option the major item is strengthening of the foundations and improved reinforcement of building elements.
Cost: $770,000
3) The full upgrade alternative of upgrading the building to fully meet New Building Code (100%NBS) primarily sees the provision of extra reinforcing over the 67% option primarily with larger steel sections.
Cost: $845,000
Note: The costs at the present stage of the development must be regarded as indicative, they provide a reasonable view of the likely level of funds that will be required.
5. Moving Forward:
5.1. Step 1
The first step is to resolve the level of strengthening to adopt. Whilst the minimum acceptable level is the cheapest there is no margin if legislative changes take place and requirements are further increased. (This has happened previously). It has the advantage of minimal visible impact on the building.
The normally recommended level by NZSEE is for upgrading to 67%. This has become a de-facto “standard” for commercial buildings (offices, retail, etc) as companies are reluctant to rent any building with a lower level in the light of their H & S responsibilities to staff, (noting, however, that they have much higher occupancy time and thus risk
exposure than the church building).
The incremental cost of upgrading to 100% NBS is around 10% and thus there is an argument for adopting this level in view of the substantial disruption that will occur for either the 67% NBS level or the 100% NBS level. However, the steel reinforcing sections will be larger and thus have a higher visual impact.
It is understood that there is presently no specific Diocesan direction on seismic strengthening.
5.2. Steps 2 & 3
Step 2 is the development of the existing engineering studies and concepts into a full detailed design including full construction drawings and a specification ready for tenders to be called. The design will be developed and ways of minimising the impact developed.
This will require closer inspection (excavation) of the foundations and full soil testing as well as a closer study (needing access equipment) of the roof structure together with drilling inspection holes in various parts of the walls. An asbestos check can be carried out and the state of wiring, or any other areas of upgrade that could be desirable during the major disruption and when scaffolding is in place, can be reviewed.
The plans can be discussed with Council to ensure there are no unexpected requirements from them and Council fees accurately established.
This will enable the actual works required to be significantly “tightened” and for tenders to be called to establish a more accurate cost.
A budgetary sum of $40,000 has been adopted for this work. (This is part of the total estimates above).
Step 3 is to seek and identify funds to carry out the physical works. Some potential funding sources have been identified, however to seek grants we will need to complete Step 1 and be able to present actual quotations from construction companies to carry out the physical works.
The numbers developed in section 4 above provide a good indication of total costs, however it is desirable to adopt a target figure for fundraising for the full project.
Vestry Decision
At the Vestry meeting it was unanimously agreed to: –
1) adopt the recommended upgrade to the 67% NBS level.
2) proceed to identify funding and proceed with Step 2 (detailed design) as a priority.
3) adopt a provisional fund-raising target of $800,000 at this stage, to cover the likely total costs involved.
Ir. G. Richard Gibbons (Vestry Member)
Note: a copy of the full report to vestry can be provided if wished.
St Francis’ Day – Blessing of the Animals
Family Service
9.30am Sunday 4th October
Let us join together in worship as we celebrate God’s gifts to us in creation.
THE FUTURE OF THE HISTORIC ST PAUL’S CHURCH BUILDING IN BUCKLAND
Vestry are considering what is the best options for the St Paul’s Church. To us the historic church building is an asset and a spiritual presence in the community. We are weighing that against the educational needs of the children of the area both now and in the future. We would like to assist the school but also retain and use the church in the community To enable this to happen, Vestry is trying to identify a suitable site for the church in the Buckland area so it is accessible and useable as a church in the local community, However, this may not be possible and the church could possibly be moved out of the area. We are endeavouring to honour the history of St Paul’s which was built by the people of Buckland for the community at Buckland. This came about when the original Anglican church in Pukekohe, St Andrew’s, was moved from Wellington St to its current site on the corner of Queen and Wesley Streets in the late 1890s. The Buckland residents, many of whom walked to church in Wellington St, found the extra distance was just too far. The need for a local church was recognised.
There are many family members of old Buckland community members who visit the church on special occasions or when they are passing through the community. We regularly have senior art students wanting to photograph the
building. The historical importance of the church building needs to be balanced against the educational needs of students now and in years to come.
The Vestry is planning to call a meeting to ask the members of the parish and of the wider community for their input into decision-making and is happy to receive suggestions. We are planning to hold a meeting at the Buckland
School shortly to discuss the options.
Please feel free to come along and share your suggestions.
BUCKLAND SCHOOL PERSPECTIVE
Many may be unaware Buckland School has a close relationship with St Paul’s Church which has stretched for many years. In fact, for 120 years the church has given us free use of the small field which is part of their property. This land has been invaluable to us on a daily basis but especially around events and our Agricultural Day. When we were approached about the potential of this land being sold, we of course were more than interested and thrilled that they would offer to give the school this opportunity to purchase if it was within our budget. Buckland School has a long term plan for the replacement of our hall by building a multipurpose facility that we can use for a vast range of educational purposes and to bring our students and families back together in one space at the same time. The church land would help to offer us a perfect space for this to work seamlessly within our school.
We acknowledge that this is a fantastic opportunity, and at this stage it is very early in the planning stage, that Buckland School Board of Trustees with the support of the Ministry Of Education have agreed to work with St Paul’s and the Pukekohe Anglican Church to make all efforts in obtaining the property so that this can continue to be used by the school and aid in future developments.
THE HISTORICAL IMPORTANCE OF THE ST PAUL’S CHURCH TO THE COMMUNITY
The Village of Buckland and a Tale of Two Churches
For well over a century the village of Buckland has been recognisable by its twin churches visible as travellers drive past along State Highway 22.
In November 2017 the church building was added by Auckland Council to the historic heritage schedule which forms part of the Unitary Plan by means of Plan change 7.
If the church can be moved to a new site within the Buckland community, the Parish would ensure long-term maintenance of the church and the church building could be available for community use.
If a site cannot be found, the building which the community worked so hard to build and retain could be lost along with its history. Other facilities which have been lost to the community include the tennis courts, post office and railway station.
The Secretary of the Diocese approved relocation of the church and sale of land on 17th December 2015.
The churches have been a very important part of the community. Many hours were contributed voluntarily and money donated to provide the buildings we see today. Buckland residents have a long history of working together to build and retain facilities for community use. Some descendants of the early settlers are still residents in Buckland.
If the church building can be retained in Buckland it would preserve an historic building that was paid for in the first place by the money and labour of the local residents and which is a monument to the memory of the early settlers, their courage and determination. The spirit of the people who came to settle in a place where there was nothing except bush and bracken and set to work to build schools, churches and sports facilities like tennis courts and bowling greens would be recognised and remembered for generations to come.
Times are changing. The old school building which had similar architecture to the two churches has gone and one of the church buildings is no longer used as a church. The Anglican church has the opportunity to move to make way for school buildings which would benefit the community. The church has had a long association with the school and its pupils and teachers. From about 1897 church services were held at the Buckland School every Sunday. Currently the church vacant land is available to the school to use in return for parishioners being able to park in George Crescent and walk through the school property to the church to avoid parking on State Highway 22.
St Paul’s Anglican Church was built by the community in 1900 with the Methodist church following soon after.
The Buckland Anglican church was built in response to the church in Pukekohe being moved further north making the walk many miles to church by parishioners in Buckland even more difficult. Manukau Road was a swamp and the way to the church from Buckland was to walk over Pukekohe Hill.
Mr G. Revell from Tuakau was engaged as the builder and the bell was donated by Mrs Ballard. Money was provided by subscription lists and money promised from the community. “Timber was heart of kauri and hand dressed on the site”. “Early photos of St Paul’s Church show an imposing spire which even the original Pukekohe St Andrew’s did not possess. But in 1948 the spire was removed and the bell tower repaired.”
The first Methodist service in Buckland was conducted by Rev. G.T. Marshall in the St Paul’s Anglican Church. The Methodist church was completed in 1902. “Trees were given by local farmers to be milled and used in the construction of the building. Sunday School commenced and in 1906 had 40 children and 5 teachers. Even in 1958 there were over 50 pupils and 6 teachers.” Sunday school picnics were an important part of the social year for the community. Early in 1919 Mr W.H. Butler and his family decided to return to England to live and as a parting gift offered to pay half the debt owing on the church and also to pay half the cost of new pews, if the members between them raised the other half within a month. His offer was accepted and the money was collected within the specified time.
Buckland had one of the first Anzac Day ceremonies in NZ on 25th April 1916.
FROM THE VESTRY
The old processional cross had been damaged some time ago and wobbled on the staff as it was being carried. A very generous parishioner is donating a new processional cross which is currently being made. It will be a replica of the cross on the wall behind the altar in St Andrew’s church.
After considerable thought as to where to put the old cross the decision was made to have it able to be moved. This will enhance the use of the Nora Brown Chapel for services especially during renovations of St Andrew’s while restoration work is under taken. Richard Gibbons has had a friend mount it on swamp kauri. This is the cross on the front of the Messenger. Thank you for arranging this Richard, it is a great piece of workmanship.
Driveway – at last
For many years we have struggled with the entry point to the church from Queen St as the metal plates keep falling down. We have the required engineering plans completed and resource consent from council to create a proper concreted entry. We have requested quotes from known contractors but we know at the moment there are also quality smaller contractors who are struggling. If anyone knows any quality contractor who may appreciate some work please pass on the information below and give them Richard’s contact details.
Construction of a Concrete Vehicle Crossing
St Andrew’s Church, Pukekohe, is seeking quotations for the construction of a replacement vehicle crossing in Queen Street near the roundabout with Wesley Street.
The design has been completed and a permit obtained from Auckland Transport. The crossing is to be constructed to their current standard GD017A1C. It is approximately 4m by 3.5m. Due to the location there are significant
Traffic Control requirements.
If you are interested in providing a quotation please contact Richard for copies of the permit and engineer’s drawings at Richard@gibbonsconsulting.co.nz
Synod and Vestry Secretary
We are still seeking a second synod representative to join Vicky and myself for the discussion part of synod. We had the election and some of the more formal parts of synod at the beginning of the month and we will be meeting late November to discuss motions and other matters of importance to the church. It is a good opportunity to learn more about the church.
We would also appreciate some assistance with Vestry administration.
Please talk to Jan if you would like to know more about these roles.
Automatic Payments
There are automatic payment forms ready for completion on the table at the back of church if people would like to
contribute to the life and work of the Parish by Automatic Payments or deposit into ANZ Bank Account No. 06 0405 0012157 00
For Envelope Giving ~ you can join the envelope system, contact our Parish recorder Keith Gardner – Ph. 238-9928 Many thanks, Vestry
Sunday Worship Times
St Andrew’s
Each Sunday 8am & 9.30am Holy Communion
1st Sunday 11.15am Holy Communion (Nora Brown Hall)
St Paul’s Buckland
2nd & 4th Sundays 11.15am Holy Communion
The service on Sunday 27th September is cancelled due to an important parish meeting relating to restoration of St Andrew’s church and the future of St Paul’s church in Buckland at 11am at St Andrew’s.
Seniors’ Service: Please be aware that we have a short Eucharist service on the first Sunday of each month at 11.15 am for those who are unable to join our 8am and 9.30am services. It may be that you or someone that you know may find that the church is too cold or that the hour-long services are too long or the time too early. You are welcome to join this service in the Nora Brown Chapel at 11.15 am. Anyone is welcome.
WORSHIP
OCTOBER READINGS
(First reading, Gospel)
4th: Exodus 20:1–4, 7–9, 12–20, Matthew 21:33–46
11th: Exodus 32:1–14, Matthew 22:1–14
18th: Exodus 33:12–23, Matthew 22:15–22
25th: Deuteronomy 34:1–12, Matthew 22:34–46
PARISH ACTIVITIES
Well we are just coming down to Level 2 and having the opportunity to get together and we begin the school holidays when some of activities stop for a while.
Mothers’ Union will resume on Wednesday 7th October with Eucharist in the church at 10 am. This will be an opportunity for those who wish and are able to gather together and catch up.
Women’s Fellowship will gather for worship 10am and then head off to a local café and social time.
Seasons grief and loss programme restarted when we moved from Level 3 to Level 2.5 and this has been very worthwhile as many family relationships and children suffered added stress during lockdown especially with loss of jobs and financial concerns.
Space parent and first child programme again continues on Zoom during the lockdown as parents with young babies often feel isolated if they don’t have extended families in the area. They are also stopping for a two-week break over the holidays. I don’t know if it is the impact of the Covid situation or if it is that our work in the community is becoming more widely recognised but we are receiving more requests for mums to join Space groups from the Counties Manukau District Health maternal mental health team than we have had before.
Oasis: Again after getting back for one session Oasis is also not meeting for two weeks.
Food bank is receiving increasing requests for help and the Op Shop is having increasing sales which is helpful for our community work.
Senior Services
Mid week, rest home and hospital services when we are able to return
1st Tuesday 10.30am Palms Rest Home
1st Wednesday 10am Mothers’ Union
1st Thursday 10.30am Franklin Village
2nd Tuesday 11am Palms Hospital
2nd Wednesday 10.30am Lakeside
3rd Thursday 10.30am Women’s Fellowship
4th Tuesday 11am Possum Bourne Village
5th Tuesday 11am Possum Bourne Village
Please let Jan know if you are able to join her and assist at any of these rest home or hospital services on a regular basis.
ST ANDREW’S VICARAGE VEGETABLE GARDEN NEWS
St Andrew’s Waste
A bokashi bin has been installed on the shelf under the bench in the Reid Anderson kitchen to collect kitchen organic waste. When the bin gets full please put the contents in the green worm farm bin in the vicarage vegetable garden.
No citrus, onion skins, bread, meat, or dairy products.
There is another bin for excluded items. Please place the excluded items in the smaller bin which is next to the bokashi and when full please empty into the big green wheelie bin by the back kitchen door.
All recycling waste can go in the large metal bin and be placed in the big recycling bin with a yellow lid, by the back door.
Vicarage Garden Compost Bins are located around the back of the Op Shop storage shed by the back carpark
Fill the bin that is carded with grass clippings, leaves, twigs, flowers, and foliage.
Worm Farm Bin is next to the compost bins
No citrus, onion skins, bread, dairy products or meat.
Vicarage Vegetable Garden
The winter produce is ready to harvest. The cabbages and broccoli have been very successful and are being added to the food parcels. The St Andrew’s Court residents are able to enjoy the produce as well.
We have planted four mandarin trees and the herb garden is flourishing.
As soon as the winter produce is finished we can plant the summer crops.
LIVING SUSTAINABLY AS INDIVIDUALS AND AS A CHURCH
The season of creation which starts on 1st September, the Day of Prayer for Creation, and ends 4th October, the Feast of St Francis of Assisi, is a time to reflect on our earth and our relationship to it: how we can preserve and protect our planet.
Anglican ministry units in the Auckland Diocese are being challenged to respond to the climate crisis by the Auckland Anglican Response to Climate Crisis group (AARCC) and the Diocesan Sustainability Field Worker, Cathy Bi-Riley. AARCC is focusing on how we as churches advocate on behalf of the earth and affected people and putting forward actions to take around transport, energy, tree planting, gardening, our liturgies and our community conversations. Our church, here in Pukekohe, has a sustainability group looking at how we respond to these
issues.
AARCC is encouraging ministry units to sign up to Eco Church NZ (see https://www.ecochurch.org.nz/ ) and to join the Zero Waste movement (https://zerowaste.co.nz/ ). Both these sites have great resources and can connect us to a network of churches throughout Aotearoa New Zealand working for our earth.
Recently I joined a Zoom meeting for churches throughout New Zealand about how we could work towards Zero Waste. Much of the discussion was on our choices and actions as consumers. A focus was put on 7 actions for us as individuals and as churches, with all 7 actions beginning with the letter “R”.
The first and most important action is REFUSING. Saying NO to stuff that is single use only like water in plastic bottles; saying NO to a throwaway mentality; looking for options that are more eco-friendly (such as wooden-handled scrub brushes rather than plastic). Being a conscious consumer.
The second action is REDUCING. Buying less, considering whether we really need some things and looking for less packaging on what we do buy.
The third action is REUSING. Keeping using things until they are broken and taking delight in the memories and stories that are wound round many of our everyday items rather than replacing with the new. It helps our planet to keep using the dishes our mothers used and it can also feed our spirit with nourishment and belonging.
The fourth action is REPAIRING. Think back to the skills many of our parents and grandparents taught us as they darned clothes and fixed things with the iconic number 8 wire!
The fifth action is REPURPOSING. Finding a new job for old stuff. I was thinking of this a couple of weeks ago when we had a frosty night and I used old lace curtains to drape over my tamarillos and young avocado trees to protect them from the frost. It worked well and there was no need to buy a roll of frost cloth.
The sixth action is ROTTING. And this means composting all organic stuff and food wastes, using bokashi buckets, compost bins, worm farms and sheet mulching gardens and orchards; returning all organic material to the soil.
The seventh “R” is only for when the first six have failed and that is RECYCLING. I know this puts our usual thinking on sustainability on its head. Instead of putting recycling first we are challenged to consider the other 6 “R”s first: refusing, reducing, reusing, repairing, repurposing and rotting.
As the people of St Andrew’s, we might like to consider adding four more “R” actions to this list as we care for creation:
ROLE MODELLING. Showing by our actions the best ways to care for creation.
RELATIONSHIP BUILDING. Working within our community to start conversations on sustainability, learning from other groups, engaging with them in joint learning and projects.
RAISING OUR VOICE. Using our voices to speak out as advocates on behalf of our earth and people experiencing injustice because of the climate crisis.
RADIATING JOY. Experiencing and showing God’s grace as we care for His creation.
There is a challenge here for us all, as individuals, as families and as a church community, to preserve and protect this earth by consuming consciously and acting on these eleven “R”s.
Vicky Mee
Health and Safety Policy
THERE IS A DEFIBRILLATOR INSTALLED BY THE OFFICE DOOR
A copy of the Parish Health and Safety Policy along with the processes required for the implementation of the policy is currently available on the shelf at the back of the church, published on our website or available from the parish
office.
An evacuation plan is in each area for the church and complex.
Reid Anderson Hall: Assembly area is the car park adjoining the hall unless the location of the emergency situation is on the south wall preventing evacuation on that side of the building. In this case the assembly area is on the
road frontage in front of the church.
Nora Brown Hall: Assembly area is on the road frontage in front of the church or on the vicarage lawn depending on the location of the emergency situation.
Other rooms in the complex: Assembly area move to the vicarage lawn.
St Andrew’s Church: Assembly area is on the road frontage at the front of the church.
St Paul’s Church: Assembly area is on the road frontage at the front of the church.
First aid kits and accident reporting sheets are located:
1. Reid Anderson – In the cupboard over the small hand basin, by the back door in the kitchen.
2. Nora Brown – on the shelf above the microwave. Record sheets are next to the microwave.
3. Parish office – 2nd to top shelf on left side in the back room. The office is locked when unattended.
Forms are to be completed as soon as the accident has been dealt with. Treatment including resources that are used are to be recorded on the sheet.
PARISH FAIR
Saturday 10th of October 8am
We are in desperate need of saleable items of all sorts for the Parish Fair. This is a great opportunity to declutter, especially those items you sorted out during lockdown!
Cakes, jams and preserves, books, plants, toys, used clothing, knick-knacks, white elephant, raffles & tombola, BBQ
