Weekly Bulletin: Staying connected as a church - 27 August 2023
Kia ora St John’s whānau,
This Sunday the preacher’s message is on Hell!
If you’re interested in pre-reading, the Bible passage is Matthew 16: 13-20 “…on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hell will not prevail against it.”
Our worship service will be tailored to incorporate the Church Life Survey.
This is like the Census for all churches, administered by the Christian Research Association of New Zealand every five years offering a snap-shot of the spiritual life of our church.
The survey will be conducted during the morning service in peer group time. It will take between 10 and 15 minutes to complete.
You are invited to please bring either:
Your smart phone – to complete the survey via a QR code, or
A pen to fill in the paper forms that will be available
If you are not at Church on Sunday and wish to complete the survey let the church office know and they can provide you with a link to the on-line survey, or a copy of the survey which you will need to return to the church office.
The surveys will be analysed by the Christian Research Association and findings shared with the congregation so that together we can plan our way forward as a church.
If you can’t gather in the city, and you want to join the worship service via Zoom, here are the details to access the live-stream:
Zoom Meeting ID: 370 260 759
Passcode: worship
The link to join the Zoom worship service is below.
If using your phone: dial 04 886 0026 (Meeting ID: 370 260 759#, Passcode: 1560107#)
This is the link to the printable Service Sheet
OTHER THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT...
A big moment for our Church family is the recent death of John Hunt. We thank God for his example of servant-leadership, and pray for God’s comfort for John’s wife Margaret and all of his dear family. John’s funeral is at St John’s in the City Friday 25th August at 2pm.
SOUPER SUNDAY
You are warmly invited to share in a bowl of hot soup after church THIS SUNDAY. This is our final Souper Sunday for the winter.
Just bring a small plate of something sweet to share with your tea or coffee. Come and share in the warm fellowship, we’d love to see you.
Ice cream and the large yoghurt containers are useful for leftovers. If you can donate some, please leave these in the Centre kitchen pantry.
FLOURISHING FUTURES: THEOLOGICAL CONVERSATIONS
This series of public discussions with a panel of experts offering their insights on these issues is organised by the University of Otago.
Venue: Wellington Cathedral of Saint Paul, 2 Hill Street.
“It’s the End of the World as we Know it”: Climate Crisis and Civilisation Collapse? or A Post-Carbon Sustainable Future?
Tuesday August 29th 5.30pm–6.30pm
“We don’t need no education?” Education, Citizenship, and the Common Good
Tuesday Sept 12th 5.30pm–6.30pm
THEOLOGY AND THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT
Last year we hosted the first Faith Thinking event in Wellington – a short course over Friday night and Saturday morning titled Living Faithfully in the Anthropocene: Theological Imagination and Ecological Practices for the Church
Next month there is another of these short courses offered by the Theology Programme, University of Otago Theology And The Built Environment: Exploring the Connections Between Christian Faith and Architecture
From church architecture to the design of cities, Christian faith and theology has had a profound impact on architecture throughout the world. This short course will explore the nature of that impact and take a visual tour of buildings from Florence to Wellington and beyond.
Presented by theologian and former architect, Professor Murray Rae
Friday, September 8th (7.00pm-9.00pm) and Saturday, September 9th (9.30am-12.30pm) at Wellington Central Baptist Church
Course Cost: $20.00 (including GST)
Register here: https://corpapp.otago.ac.nz/training/ce/course/26914/course/0/
WHANAU NIGHT
The next Whānau Night will be on Sunday 10th September in the St John's Centre.
For this we'll be focusing on compassion. Hope to see you there!
APPLICATIONS OPEN
Can you pass on the opportunity for an organisation to apply for funds from our St John’s Edward Carter memorial special assistance fund?
The purpose of this fund is to assist people who need a second chance or a new start. Projects may be for local community or communities in the greater Wellington area or national in scope.
We welcome grant applications for up to $5,000 to fund projects which align with the grant’s remit. Applications are needed before the 30th September.
To apply or find more details, please see the ‘Grants’ page on the St John’s website. https://www.stjohnsinthecity.org.nz/grants
GENERAL ASSEMBLY 2023
Only five weeks now until the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand, in Auckland from 27th September to 1st October. This is a gathering of commissioners from across our national Church that is held every two years. The General Assembly website ga2023.nz has information on the venue, registration costs, accommodation, FAQs, and much more. It’s being updated regularly with further information about the programme, and events during Assembly.
Not attending assembly? Get the daily email update!
We invite you to sign up to receive a daily email with a summary of key decisions, plus links to video of the business sessions for full context, plus other video and events including the installation of the new Moderator. Sign up to receive this on the PCANZ website.
The way of Christ is perfect; we can always trust that following our Saviour is good for us.
Allister