Weekly Bulletin: Staying connected as a church - 11 February 2024
Kia ora St John’s whānau,
This Sunday we have a kick-off celebration, now that we are all back from the summer break. After the service we have a BBQ and games in the courtyard.
We celebrate the holy meal of Communion this Sunday and so young people and their leaders go straight to their peer groups in the St John’s Centre at 10am, and we will all come together in the Church later for Communion.
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 Sheets:
OTHER THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT…
SHROVE TUESDAY PANCAKE BREAKFAST
You are warmly invited to celebrate Shrove Tuesday together THIS TUESDAY with a pancake breakfast in the St John’s Centre. Come along before school/work at 7:30 (we will be all done before 8:30am). Your koha will support the work of DCM.
ASH WEDNESDAY
This coming Wednesday (14th February) at 5:15pm we have a combined Ash Wednesday at St Mary of the Angels with the Imposition of Ashes.
SPIRITUAL PRACTICES SERIES – FOLLOW ME
Over the six weeks of Lent we will explore Spiritual Practices. This continues our emphasis of putting our faith into practice, and will focus on our desire for more of God through intentional practices, relationships, and experiences that gave us space in our lives to ‘keep company’ with Jesus.
We will examine specific practices of Bible reading, Prayer, Self-examination, and Sabbath. But also consider many other spiritual practices that have helped Christians around the world.
Perhaps you have found a spiritual practice particularly helpful in putting your faith into practice, and you would be able to share this with our church whanau? Please let Allister Lane know if you would be willing to share something of your own experience for the sake of encouraging others.
PUBLIC LECTURE:
"SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL FOR GOD: ART AND THE CHRISTIAN IN AN AGE OF MASS CULTURE"
What is a work of art? How has the significance of a work of art changed in our contemporary era of mechanically copied objects and mass digital access to images and sounds? This lecture will explore these questions from a Christian perspective, and will use as a springboard the idea that modern ways of reproducing art have changed art's significance, an idea made famous by the German social critic Walter Benjamin.
5:30pm Tuesday Feb 20th at the Loaves and Fishes Hall, Wellington Cathedral. Cost: Koha
FELLOWSHIP GROUP
Lent is defined as 'the period from Ash Wednesday to Easter of which the 40 week days are devoted to fasting and penitence in commemoration of Christs fasting in the wilderness.'
There will be the chance to share thoughts and memories of observing Lent at this next meeting on Tuesday 27th February @ 11am in the Hall.
SERVING ON GOVERNANCE BOARDS
There are currently two opportunities for nominations to positions serving in governance roles for two community-facing organisations that work closely with St John’s.
The BGI Board – the Boys’ and Girls’ Institute is located in the top floors above the St John’s Office and their mission is to stand with young people to build great communities and help them to live meaningful lives. https://www.bgi.org.nz/
The DCM Board – St John’s is a member church community of Downtown Community Ministries in partnership to serve those in our city with high and complex needs. https://www.dcm.org.nz/
We are inviting expressions of interest in these opportunities by Friday 9th February. Please speak to the Minister, Allister; The Session Clerk, Rob Anderson; or the Chair of Council, Pamela Cohen.
YOUTH BAND
Our Youth Band has new members and is looking to expand the range of instrumentation. A bass guitar has been generously loaned, and we are still seeking a keyboard. If you may be able to donate an instrument, please contact the St John’s Office.
May God’s Spirit continue to help us make space to ‘keep company’ with Jesus.
Allister