Weekly Notices - 23rd March 2025
We are well into our Lenten Walk and I am sure each of us has struggled along the way. As we continue to stumble through the wilderness of life, heading towards Easter, I want to encourage us all to keep going! I know it is a hard Walk, and we are constantly faced with the pressures of daily living but imagine our Joy at the end!!
There are many temptations we face in our lives together.
· We face the temptation of putting our wants above another’s needs.
· We face the temptation of ignoring problems such as hunger, poverty, war, and disease, with the false hope that they will go away without our intervention.
· We face the temptations of wealth and consumerism.
· We face many temptations to stray from the path of our faith.
In the busyness of life, I urge us all to think of those around us who are suffering. An excellent point of focus would be the Christchurch City Mission who are struggling more than ever to cater to the needs of our city. It would be great if we could all take a moment to visit their website and learn more of what this wonderful organisation does!
The link below will take you directly into their website:
https://www.citymission.org.nz
If, after reading about our Christchurch City Mission, you would prefer to donate through our parish office, you are more than welcome to do so. Send your contribution through via our online banking facility and we will forward your payment through. Please remember to reference your contribution with “City Mission.”
May God bless St Aug’s,
Your Friend and Vicar, Kofe.
Vicar Kofe
This Sunday’s service (23rd March)
Theme: “God’s Mercy and Love”
Sentence: ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts, says the Lord.’ Isaiah 55:9
Collect:
God of grace and goodness,
you know that by reason of our frailty we cannot but fail;
keep us always under your protection
and lead us to all things profitable to our salvation;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Readings: Isaiah 55: 1 – 9 and Luke 13: 1 – 9
Parish News
Our restored church items which were badly damaged in the recent burglary will be returned to us to be blessed for use on Sun 30th March at a Combined 10am Service.
· A.G.M! Our 2025 A.G.M is on Saturday April 12th @ 10am. So if you head up an area/ministry - now is the time to start gathering your thoughts together regarding compiling your report for the A.G.M.
· Holy Week this year begins on Monday 14th April and again this year, we will be working with our Cashmere Presbyterian brothers and sisters as mark Maundy Thursday together in their beautiful church. The Good Friday Walk of the Cross will again start at the Presbyterian Church and end in our carpark with morning tea in the Hannan Centre, followed by our Good Friday Service at 10am here at St Aug’s. More details will
follow soon, together with a request for Readers for Thurs evening and Friday morning.· Please note there will not be a 10am midweek service next Wednesday, due to unforeseen circumstances. Our apologies for this.
Messy Church at St Augs!!
We are hoping very much to get ‘Messy Church’ up and running sometime in the next (school) term. Initially we aim to run a messy church session twice/year.
What is ‘Messy Church’? Messy Church is a church for everyone who may not feel comfortable attending a ‘normal’ church service and who don’t yet belong to a church. It typically includes a meal, hands-on activities such as arts, crafts, meeting God in the outdoors, science activities and more, which are suitable for all ages. Check out the NZ ‘Messy Church’ website! www.messychurch.nz
If this sounds like something you would like to know more about, please contact Rowena Pottinger: rowbillpotty@gmail.com
Please remember to use our Diocesan Prayer for Regeneration: As the kotuku gently rests upon the tree, come and rest upon us Holy Spirit as we pray for the regeneration of our Diocese… Ever living God, through your Spirit you constantly renew the whole creation; bring regeneration to your Diocese of Christchurch, grant us courage to grow disciples of Jesus, give us vision to reach young people and their families, and strengthen us to create vibrant communities of faith. All this we ask in Jesus' name. Amen.
Diocesan Prayer Community - Reminder
The Diocesan Prayer Community has been operating since March this year. This Community identifies the issues which challenge our Diocese (and parish!) and join each other in praying for those issues.
Do consider signing up to pray with others from other parishes. You will receive regular updates and forms of encouragement from our Archdeacon of Regeneration & Mission, and it only takes a few minutes of our time each day or week.
Please let the Vicar know if you’re interested.
Helpful info
Giving
Groups
It’s easy to connect and get involved with some great social and faith-focused groups that meet regularly across the parish. You can find out about all our regular groups on our Groups page. If you have any questions, just click the contact button to connect with the group’s organiser.
Need prayer?
We’d love to pray for you. See the ‘Prayer Support’ section on the Help & Support page for more information on how we can help with your prayer needs. There are confidential and anonymous options available.