Spring Clarion 2019
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ST ANDREW’S PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 2 DEVON STREET GORE SPRING CLARION 2019 TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE 3 MINISTER’S GREETINGS REV HELEN MARTIN PAGE 4 SESSION CLERK’S REPORT DOUGLAS DIXEY PAGE 5 TREASURER’S REPORT JOY CREIGHTON PAGE 6 RECIPE PAGE 7 AGM and PARISH REGISTER PAGE 8 & 9 THE WILLETTS FAMILY PAGE 10 THE MILLENIUM PRAYER PAGE 11 MINISTRY SETTLEMENT BOARD PAGE 12 OUR NEW EDITOR PAGE 13 CAPTURING LIGHT PAGE 14 MANSE RENOVATIONS PAGE 15 &16 SPRING CLEANING PAGE 17 &18 BOOK REVIEW PAGE 19 COMING EVENTS PAGE 20 DIRECTORY 2 MINISTER’S GREETING I’ve been thinking about my ‘bucket list.’ Not the list if things I want to do or need to do before I die, but what I need to do before I leave St Andrew’s. There’s no date set, but with the Ministry Settlement Board at work and with my health giving a little concern, it’s safe to say that I will finish up here sooner rather than later. I’ll hate to leave you all, but . best get on with the bucket list. We continue to work on our commitments and policies with regard the Missions we support. I have still to arrange a couple of Sunday services dedicated to The Leprosy Mission and to Te Aka Puaho, our Maori Synod as we hand over the bequest money as agreed. There’s still some ‘spring cleaning’ to do. My dream is that every room and every cupboard will be as clean and as well organised as the kitchen is. Ladies, you are an inspiration! I don’t want a new minister coming here while we have unused items lying around gathering dust – it might make them think we have been lying round gathering dust over the last couple of years, whereas we all know we’ve been working jolly hard together. Another burst is about to break forth. Hold onto your hats! Maybe we should all to get on with our personal ‘bucket lists’? A few months ago my father said that if he didn’t have much more time he would really like to go out for a meal with the family one more time. We did that and may do it again since he is still with us. In the end it is not spring cleaning but relationships that matter the most. Let’s put them at the top of the bucket list as we love our neighbours as ourselves. Helen Martin 3 SPRING Spring is coming or has it arrived? I remember those old school days when were able to make a fuss of the seasons and special events like Christmas and Easter. Today there seems to be constraints and restrictions on what can be presented and what can be covered. Spring was celebrated in August. We made cutouts and designs with daffodils and lambs and each child produced leaves and various coloured daffodils. These were combined into a mural for around the walls. Now September seems to be the month to celebrate spring and the coming of new life. Winter is passing and after snow the daffodils and tulips bring colour into our gardens and fields of daffodils are a common sight. Our temperate climate gives us plenty of colour especially in our parks and reserves. We give thanks for the seasonal changes but how often we complain about the cold. Without the snow and cold the bulbs will not produce healthy flowers. Bulbs need that dormant time to prepare, and warming temperatures to produce their beauty. Easter is one of our important Christian events where new life is celebrated in the northern hemisphere but we have to wait for August/September. Easter eggs do not coincide with the blossom, new growth and the coming of summer days. We celebrate Easter with chocolate eggs and in our schools and shops. The true message of Easter, the sacrifice on the cross and the risen Lord who surrounds us with love is not included. In previous times we talked about the Easter events in our lessons. Time is now spent on arty eggs, hot cross buns and egg hunts. Even symbolism of hot cross buns and eggs that bring new life is ignored. Our children are missing out. Let us come alive this spring. Help us to grow and blossom in our faith and give thanks for the beauty that surrounds us. Douglas Dixey (Session Clerk) 4 TREASURERS REPORT Our draft Annual Accounts, for the year ended 30 June 2019, have now gone to One2One Management (Tracy McGuigan) to be Reviewed ready for our AGM. They show a surplus for the year of $2,468. There was also Capital Expenditure of $6,548 for the underfloor heating in the church and $17,084 for updating the bedrooms and hall in the Manse. Our bank accounts totalled $92,189, at 30 June, compared with $126,223 last year. These figures include our ‘tagged’ bequests of $13,954. Murray Fortune advised that Land Information NZ (LINZ) granted approval to issue a separate title for 6 Devon Street on 23 July 2019. John Falconer has been working with the Gore District Council over the compliance issues concerning the assisted listening device in the church. The compliance schedule said we had a ‘loop system’ when in fact we had an FM system. This now seems to have been resolved to everyone’s satisfaction and Fire Protection Ltd have been contracted to attend to our compliance issues from now on. Thank you, John for your hard work in resolving this thorny issue. Thank you, everyone, for continuing to financially support the work of our parish. Joy Creighton (Treasurer) My grandson was visiting one day when he asked, "Grandma, do you know how you and God are alike?" I mentally polished my halo while I asked, "No, how are we alike?" “ You're both old," he replied 5 EASY PEASY PROTEIN LUNCH Ingredients: 1 x tin flavoured tuna (Tomato & Basil) 1 x Tomato flavoured Cuppa Soup sachet Method: In a large mug make the cuppa soup with boiling water, but only fill mug ¾ full. Next stir in the whole tin of tuna. If room top up with hot water. Enjoy with a slice of toast or a cheese roll. An elderly gentleman had serious hearing problems for a number of years. He went to the Doctor and the Doctor was able to have him fitted for a set of hearing aids that allowed the gentleman to hear 100%. The elderly gentleman went back in a month to the Doctor and the Doctor said ‘Your hearing is perfect. Your family must be really pleased that you can hear again’ The gentleman replied, ‘Oh I haven’t told them yet. I just sit around and listen to the conversations. I’ve changed my will three times already’ 6 PARISH REGISTER St Andrew’s mourn the loss of Gus Hogg Mary Smith Alice Wright DO YOU WANT TO RECEIVE AN ANNUAL GENERAL REPORT? We hope that most of you will collect your copy from church on Sunday morning one or two weeks before the meeting on 15 September. If you are not able to attend church and collect the report there are two options: Ask a friend to get one for you OR Phone the office and leave a message requesting a report be posted. We will gladly do that although it is likely you will receive the report after the meeting has taken place. Please Note: Because the Spring edition of The Clarion has just been delivered to you, visiting elders will not be able to call again so soon with the AGM report. Apologies ! 7 CATCHING UP WITH THE WILLETTS FAMILY 1 John 4:7-8: “Dear friends, let us love one an- other, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love, does not know God, because God is love. It is with love that we write this update, as each of you are very important to us. We are so thankful that you are a part of our lives and we have this opportunity to say “Hi”. Grace is nearly 18 and is at Gore High School. She is a happy chatty young lady who loves her ‘baby doll’ and playing the piano. Unfortunately she had an accident at the start of the year which resulted in 15 stitches in her forehead and the loss of her 2 top front teeth, but in true Grace form she has bounced back and is doing well again. Eli is 11, attends Longford Intermediate, and is loving it! Many of you will have seen him in The Gore Chamber Ensemble playing the cello, an instrument he enjoys immensely. And this year he has a part in the Gore Musical theatre's production of ‘The Wizard Of Oz’, playing a munchkin. 8 Luke is 7 and is at East Gore School. He enjoys school but loves being out in the sandpit more. He loves playing soccer and hockey and still keeps us on our toes with his creativeness and business. Ken is in his 3rd year with GWD in the used and new Holden divisions. He is chairman of the East Gore School BOT and combined with home life he is kept reasonably busy’ Nicola’s time is taken up with making sure everyone is where they should be, have what they need, and supporting Grace. Also doing some hours each day teacher aiding at East Gore School. At the moment we are worshipping at Calvin Church and have found that God in His wisdom knows that this is our time for growth in our faith.