First Church of Otago Newsletter
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FIRST CHURCH OF OTAGO - WHAT’S ON DURING JULY FIRST CHURCH OF OTAGO WEEKLY EVENTS 415 Moray Place, Dunedin SUNDAY JULY 3 Mondays 1.30pm Mah Jong - McLean Room Mon & Thurs 7.30pm Bells Practice 10.00 am -Morning Worship The Reverend Tokerau Joseph Fridays 6pm Youth Group Burns Hall NEWSLETTER - JULY 2011 10am DUTIES: Foalima Lemalu ( 453 4210), Toga Solofa, Gifford OASIS IN THE CITY – MIDWEEK PRAYER AT FIRST CHURCH Brown, Loraine Denniston, La Faatoese Finance: Nan Rickard. FIRST CHURCH MISSION STATEMENT TEA/COFFEE: John Takacs and Isobel Napper Tuesdays and Thursdays: 12.15-12.30 We are striving to become a truly multi-cultural community, providing a warm, creative and affirming home “ 12noon - Cook Islands ` The Reverend Tokerau Joseph base, enabling us to reach out with the Good News to those working and living in the inner-city and beyond.” 2.00pm - Samoan Service The Reverend Anne Thomson WHAT’S ON DURING JULY Message from The Reverend Tokerau Joseph SUNDAY JULY 10 Thurs 7 Craft Group meets 10.00am -Morning Worship The Reverend Anne Thomson TUES 12 4.30pm Property Committee 10am DUTIES: Brian Williscroft. Noeleen Williscroft , Isobel WED 13 6.00pm SESSION Inside this issue At this time of the year we can feel the pinch in more ways than just the cold Napper, Finance: Brian Williscroft Mon 18 4.00pm Finance Committee weather. Attendance to worship is usually down and power bills are usually T Joseph 1 TEA/COFFEE: Lily McDonald and June Evans WED 20 7.30pm DEACONS COURT higher. Although the Rugby World Cup seems just around the corner, the hardships upon people‟s lives seem to drag on and on. This is especially so Thurs 21 Craft Group meets Anne Thomson 2 12noon - Cook Islands ` - The Reverend Tokerau Joseph for the people of Christchurch as they endeavour to find ways to cope with 2.00pm - Samoan Service The Reverend Anne Thomson Session 3 the effects of earthquakes and aftershocks. The media coverage continually Cook Islands 4 gives us glimpses of some very desperate and disheartening experiences of SUNDAY JULY 17 what people there are going through. Please take time to read the latest is- 10.00 Samoan 5 am -Morning Worship The Reverend Anne Thomson OASIS IN THE CITY – sue (June) of SPANZ to get an insight into how some of our sister churches 10am DUTIES: Stan Catchpole (471 0633), Ian Mitchell, Margaret MIDWEEK PRAYER AT Lectionary 7 are responding to the situation there. Although some distance away from it Mitchell, June Evans. Finance: Stan Catchpole FIRST CHURCH Services all, we will carry on praying for them and offering help where and when needed. TEA/COFFEE: Gifford and Shirley Brown 8 Tuesdays and Thursdays: 12noon - Cook Islands Tanetini 12.15-12.30 - Special Services We have our share of struggles here as well. It was with regret that we learned that our funding 2.00pm - Samoan Service The Reverend Anne Thomson Time to pause in the middle of the in July applications to the Otago/Southland Synod for the Burns Hall foyer roof and youth ministry were day, to be still, to pray, to worship. The youth group will declined. Meetings arranged with Synod personnel to clarify our financial situation and funding SUNDAY JULY 24 For 15 minutes, we stop and wait be leading our criteria was very beneficial to ensure that future applications have a higher chance of success. on God, remembering God's 10.00am –Youth Service worship at 10 am I‟d like to thank Les Green and Tony Stevely for their leadership and professionalism in this matter. 10 presence with us throughout the day, listening to and 12 noon on am DUTIES: Ian Robertson ( 454 4513) Jenni Elmes, Julie God's word for us, responding in prayer. We‟ve submitted applications again for the next funding round so please keep this in prayer. Savage, Finance: Tony Stevely. Sunday 24 July. All are welcome, particularly those who work People‟s health and wellbeing are also important. Pastoral visits to homes and the hospital have TEA/COFFEE: Margaret and Ian Mitchell and live in the inner city. They will bring their enthusiasm, their shown me that folk need a little bit more support during these winter months. Keeping warm and 12noon - Cook Islands `Youth Service creativity and their dry is essential, but just as important is company (particularly good company). Being confined in- PRESBYTERIAN SUPPORT FOOD BANK – music to our doors due to the cold and icy conditions can also be isolating in some ways; especially for those SUNDAY JULY 31 Each Sunday morning, our services. Supporting living on their own and who cannot get out and about as often as they‟d like. If you know of some- 10.00 am -Morning Worship Arts - Rev Anne Thomson offering includes goods for the our youth at these one in our parish or in your neighbourhood that might appreciate good company, then I encourage This service will explore the conversation between art and Christian faith in Food Bank which operates services is a great you, who are able, to arrange and make a visit. If you know of someone that you would like our the context of worship. We gather in a work of art when we come to worship from Presbyterian Support encouragement to pastoral team to visit, please do not hesitate to let us know. at First Church – how else might art encourage our worship, helping us to Otago, our next door attend to God? them. In talking about good company, it was a privilege for us to have had the Moderator of General neighbours. Assembly PCANZ, the Rt. Rev. Peter Cheyne join us and preach during the Columba College 10 This month there is a particular Also on Sunday 24 am DUTIES: Russell Duff ( 476 3494) Selina Mulder service on the 22nd May. It was also an opportunity for the previous Moderator and current need for sugar and tea and coffee (and maybe July, the 2pm Finance: Russell Duff principal of the Knox Centre for Ministry and Leadership, the Very Rev. Dr. Graham Redding to some Milo too!). The food bank operators service will be led by TEA/COFFEE: Loraine Denniston and June Hastie lead the dedication prayer for the new chaplains of the school. It was an honour to receive such also say that toilet paper is always in demand. Rev. Karima Fai'ai. 12noon - Cook Islands ` T Brydon Thank you for your support of the Food Bank, Karima will shortly be positive feedback from people about the service, particularly from the principal Miss Elizabeth leaving St Andrews, 2.00pm - Samoan Service S Faatoese helping those in need in our city. Wilson. Gore, where he has been minister for a Developing good relationships with educational institutions in our city is important. I was invited to number of year, to take be part of a Pacific advisory group to the Health Sciences Division of the University of Otago to up ministry in Auck- look at ways in which it could support the Division‟s Pacific Strategic Framework. This is a Myanmar January 2012: A pilgrimage of pain and hope land. The Samoan significant step forward in enhancing the relationship between the university and community; See firsthand the difference we are making in the lives of our friends in Myanmar; feel God's community of First particularly the Pacific community in Dunedin. It‟s great that the University has continued to love working in this nation. Hear some amazing stories and be privileged to share and Church have invited recognise and value First Church of Otago as an important contributor to educational excellence serve with them. Experience a friendship that is transforming lives and communities both in Karima to lead in our city, province and country. Myanmar and New Zealand. Be blessed, encouraged, challenged and inspired by these worship at First Without meaning to end on a sad note, last week Anne and I supported our youth group who amazing people. To express an interest in being a part of the January team, please contact Church before he visited the family of a friend of theirs who took his own life. As a promising rugby star and very Myanmar Partnership Coordinator, Angela, phone 021 357 708 or email [email protected] leaves, and then to honour him with a popular person, his passing was a huge shock to many and has deeply affected some. I want to farewell feast. All are encourage our own young people or anyone reading this that it is important to talk with someone Sunday Quiz answers:- 1. Dr. Burns. 2. Bell Hill. 3.Tuning fork. 4. Paraphrase. 5. Crimmond. 7.Font. welcome to this about problems no matter how big or bad they may seem. You don‟t have to face or struggle with service. a problem on your own. Talk to someone so that you can get the support that you need. I want to acknowledge the great work that Ron and Tara Muliau have done and continue to do with our On Sunday 31 July at SENIOR MINISTER: The Reverend Tokerau Joseph, phone 477 7792 cell 027 371 4733 youth group. 10 am we will be focus- PART TIME ASSISTANT MINISTER: The Reverend Anne Thomson 477 7150 cell 027 467 5488 PART TIME PASTORAL ASSISTANT MINISTER : The Rev John Sinclair (473 9950 or 027 436 9204) ing on the way that art God Bless and keep safe. Tokerau FIRST CHURCH BELL RINGERS - Practice 7.30pm Monday and Thursday nights; interacts with Christian faith and worship. MESSSAGE FROM THE REVEREND ANNE THOMSON LECTIONAYR READINGS for JULY Dear First Church folk LECTIONARY READINGS FOR JULY It is three years this month since I joined you at First Church – and I continue to enjoy my- During July, the Revised Common Lectionary readings will be used at the 10 am and 2 pm service, and Te Tia self here, sharing in the ministry of this unique and diverse congregation.