Parish Newsletter June-July 2023

Lots on the the go in our parish

From time to time, people ask me if I’m terribly busy or assume that I am. “Been busy?” is often the form of greeting at the supermarket counter. Well, in general, I try to be available rather than busy. It is hard to be both.

Nevertheless, the last few weeks have been a busy time in our church.

Holy Week is always an intense experience, even if we did cut down on some of the services this year. I particularly enjoyed sharing an ecumenical Good Friday, as the Walk of Witness always draws the churches together. That afternoon I joined the Catholic community for the Veneration of the Cross - such a joy to quietly be a member of a congregation with no job to do.

No sooner had we celebrated Easter than we had the pleasure of three concerts the following week. Partly due to serendipity and in cooperation with the Geraldine Arts Council, April 13-15 became a mini music festival. It was great to see the church full of people enjoying the pleasure of music-making. The Wollongong students impressed the audience with their high standard, and a highlight was our own Stephen Beattie playing a saxophone solo with the Café Latte Orchestra. There is a link to the video on our Facebook page. I personally enjoyed being able to scrape away on my fiddle in the background. While not primarily a fundraiser, donations at the door brought nearly $1,000 to our coffers.

The Coronation on 6 May allowed us to offer a civic service at St Mary’s that drew around 50 people. We enjoyed a right good sing and prayed for the King. The previous day Susanne West organised a celebratory pudding evening where around 30 people had the task of judging as many puddings. The money is still trickling in, but it was good publicity for the parish and fun to be part of.

Ministry has its lows as well as its highs. The death of seven-month-old Harper Rate affected many people in our community. In the midst of such sadness, it gladdens me that the family turned to our church and held the service at

St Thomas’. It was great to see the folk who rallied around to make sure that the church building looked well for the service. Keep Mike and Kylie and their children Makayla, Caleb and William in your prayers. They have a long journey ahead of them.

We are now offering two regular Sunday services with a difference, each of them on a monthly basis. For those who wish to seek God in quiet contemplation, our Taizé service, held on the third Sunday of the month, provides a restful alternative to the busyness of the morning communion service. For the young and young at heart, Messy Church, on the last Sunday of the month, offers an activity-based alternative to the formality of the morning service. Both of these services are at 4pm. Taizé should see you home in time to catch The Chase. Messy Church will last a bit longer, but you’ll get fed and be home in time for the news.

I continue to commend TV series The Chosen to you. Season One is available on YouTube, and I understand now, on Netflix, also. Clever people can find an app that allows you not only to watch the shows but also to listen in on discussions with religious experts, including a very engaging rabbi. If you don’t know what an app is, ask your grandchildren. It could be a crafty way of sharing the gospel story with them.

As many are aware, I recently had a bout of Covid. Thanks to my recent booster shot, it wasn’t severe. However, those who love me insisted I rest, so rest I did. Thank you for the expressions of concern and offers of support.

I will be at Clergy conference at the end of June. I have been asked to give a presentation on ministry in Geraldine. I look forward to hearing what I have to say. Meantime, we continue to pray for revival and dare to hope that we are seeing some signs of it.

Arohanui.

Rev Hugh McCafferty PRIEST-IN-CHARGE

Anglican Parish

community

what’s new, what’s happening, what’s up where you are

Jesus Revolution: a radical revival of love

FILM REVIEW: In the 1970s, young Greg Laurie (Joel Courtney) is searching for all the right things in all the wrong places: until he meets Lonnie Frisbee (The Chosen’s Jonathan Roumie), a charismatic hippie-street-preacher.

Together with Pastor Chuck Smith (Kelsey Grammer), they open the doors of Smith’s languishing church to an unexpected revival of radical and newfound love, leading to what TIME Magazine dubbed a Jesus Revolution. Jesus Revolution honestly and sympa-

thetically portrays hippies as hungry seekers of spiritual truth and love, not just drugged-up kids without a sense of morals.

Yet the movie also shows the effects of psychedelics and drug addiction, revealing why so many disenfranchised hippies turned to Jesus and became known as ‘Jesus Freaks’.

If you missed it at Geraldine Cinema, or if you want to see it again, Rev Hugh and Fi will be arranging a screening of Jesus Revolution at Hislop Street.

Civic events well attended

We had an excellent turnout for Anzac Day. The four services were addressed by local Captain John Simpson and by the Hon Jacqui Dean. Wouldn’t it be great if our Sunday congregation looked like this? Revival is coming; keep praying and believe.

Our priests, Bob Moore and Hugh McCafferty, with RSA President John Bray. About 50 folk turned out to pray for King Charles III and to take the oath of allegiance. Many of the congregation, who are not regular churchgoers, expressed appreciation for the opportunity. God save the King.

Chuck Smith (Kelsey Grammer) and Lonnie Frisbee (Jonathan Roumie) are at the centre of this true story of the 1970’s Jesus movement.

Pastor Chuck Smith (Kelsey Grammer) and Lonnie Frisbee (Jonathan Roumie) meet for the first time in Jesus Revolution

Right RoyalCompetitionPudding

Rev Hugh and Susanne West with the Right Royal Pudding Crown winner Margaretha Cambridge (first place with her Duke of Cambridge tart, which originated in the 1800s), Anett Schneider (right) and Amber Moore (second and third place winners, respectively). At the end of the evening everybody stood for a rousing redition of “God Save the King”.

Virtual Bouquets

Car Boot Sale

In May, we took a stall at the Geraldine Volunteer Fire Brigade Car Boot sale. Thank you to Barbara Cassidy and Robert Scott for helping out. Barbara’s flowers and boxes of apples sold well. They made around $130 (not much spare cash around that weekend it seems.) On behalf of the parish I put together a basket of treats firefighters with a card thanking them for their service.

SUSANNE WEST

Notes from Vestry: 24 May, 2023

DAY OF GIVING We have settled on Sunday, 30 July as The Day of Giving. It was suggested that this is a one-off annual gift which excuses any involvement in other fundraising. Hugh will issue a certificate if required. It is also an opportunity to review your regular commitment.

SECURITY AT ST MARY’S Green exit signs will soon be installed in accordance with the law. Thanks to Cecil, new digiatal locks have been installed at the office and the sacristy

which permit one-handed egress.

HEALTH AND SAFETY Any incidents or near misses should be recorded. See page 7 for details. Plans are underway to provide a ramp into St Mary’s to improve access for people with walkers or wheelchairs.

FUNDRAISING IDEA We are looking for a Trade Me genius with spare time available to sell bits and pieces on behalf of the parish. A sort of ongoing virtual White Elephant stall. If this is you, talk to Hugh.

When Jenny Whiten arrived in the Anglican Parish of Geraldine, there were no Palm Crosses on Palm Sunday. Jenny soon fixed that. She has now been making our Palm Crosses for 43 years!

Jenny tells us that her secret to helping the time pass is to make them while she is watching TV. Thanks, Jenny.

so lucky to have Warren Thomas living next door to St Thomas’, Woodbury.

Warren opens the church for us in the morning and locks it again at dusk. He puts on the heaters early for the monthly Sunday services, and if he sees visitors, he often pops over and tells them all about our beautiful stained-glass windows and fine wooden carvings.

Visitor numbers have increased considerably since the Woodbury Café opened, with people often spending a morning or afternoon looking around the village.

Dear Readers

Audrey Butts has kindly offered assitance with the readings. She will make sure copies of the readings are available at the back of St Mary’s Church every Friday. St Mary’s readers, please collect your own if you would like to read it before Sunday. Country churches, your lay leader will continue to collect them. Thanks, Audrey.

READING FROM THE BIBLE: If you have a preferred translation, light permitting, you are welcome to read from your own bible at the service. Otherwise the readings will be on the lecturn as usual.

If you would like to be on the reading roster, get in touch with the organiser.

Romans 5:1-8

Matthew 9:35-10:8

25 June | Ordinary 12 | G

1: Jeremiah 20:7-13

2: Romans 6:1b-11

Matthew 10:24-39

2 July | Ordinary 13 | G

1: Jeremiah 28:5-9

2: Romans 6:12-23

Matthew 10:40-42

9 July | Ordinary 14 | G

1: Zechariah 9:9-12

2: Romans 7:15-25a

Matthew 11:16-19,25-30

16 July | Ordinary 15 | G

1: Isaiah 55:10-13

2: Romans 8:1-11

Matthew 13:1-9,18-23

23 July | Ordinary 16 | G

1: Wisdom of Soloman 12:13,16-19

2: Romans 8:12-25

Matthew 13:24-30,36-43

30 July | Ordinary 17 | G

1: 1 Kings 3:5-12

2: Romans 8:26-39

Matthew 13:31-33,44-52

From the Registers

APRIL | MAY | 2023

MARRIAGE | 8 April @ Holy Innocents Martin German Felder to Lisa Maria Jackson

Congratulations from us all.

FUNERAL | 11 May at St Thomas’ with burial at Geraldine Harper Nicole Rose Rate 23/9/22–3/5/23

Parents Mike and Kylie were married at St Thomas’. We extend to them our sympathy and love.

Victoria will be in touch with you as soon as she gets back England!from

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services, events, reports, updates, bible studies, notices et cetera Anglican

Parish

Housekeeping

Taizé SERVICE

SUNDAY 18 JUNE | 4pm

SUNDAY 16 JULY | 4pm

A short contemplative service using repetitive sung prayer, periods of silence and meditative worship. Everyone is welcome.

SUNDAY 28 MAY | 4pm

SUNDAY 25 JUNE | 4pm

SUNDAY 23 JULY | 4pm

Families exploring faith through science craft, play, music, food. Everyone is welcome to come along and join in the fun!

Some of you will have noticed that the locks at St Mary’s parish office have been changed. If the door has been unlocked using the keypad, the last person out needs to please make sure to lock the door again by pressing the Yale button. You will hear a musical tone, and the keypad will briefly light up. You can check it has locked by testing the door handle.

Mission matters: Mphatakizo update

“After a quiet Christmas, a cholera outbreak has left over 1,000 dead in Malawi. There are seven cases still in the local community, and [as of April] the government has run out of vaccines.

“At Mphatikizo, education, awareness and training is given, and there is a clean water supply at the house. At the orphanage, 75 kids come to school most days and are fed daily. This takes 150kg of maize, 40 bales of soy and 16 packets of sugar per fortnight.

“The cost of sugar has doubled and local families struggle to feed themselves. Four-yearold Felista Mphatso, recently hospitalised, weighs just 9kg and has been diagnosed with early malnutrition. Mphatikzo is looking for ways to help long-term.

“The market garden is flourishing, and the hope is to expand to sell surplus to local restaurants and lodges in order to pay the workers.

“Unfortunately, the Mphatikizo borehole and pump has broken and cannot be repaired (pictured). A new one will cost NZ$10,000. It supports many people in the community and, in the light of the cholera epidemic, is more vital than ever. Any assistance would be appreciated. Other projects are on hold for now.

A huge thank you for your continued love and support”

BOB SMEDLEY & FAMILY

Having successfully raised funds for the Anglican Mission Board Lenten Appeal ‘Bricks for Fiji’, your Mission Group will now focus on the urgent need for the community borehole. Donations can be made to Westpac account ‘Geraldine Parish’, 03-0839-0011581-000, marked Mphatikizo.

Mphatikizo is a small charity based in the village of Liwonde, Malawi. Founded by Bob and Regina Smedley, Mphatikizo, through its down to earth approach, supports local solutions to local issues through education, training and practical help where needed. To find out more visit Mphatikizo.com.

JAN HILL

Simon and I recently returned from a week in Sydney, where we attended a good friend’s funeral and helped to sort out his belongings. He was a single man with no family in Australia, just a sister in the UK and good friends in New Zealand.

Our friend had made out a will leaving a couple of specific bequests and instructions for the bulk of his estate to go to a worthwhile New Zealand charity. Unfortunately, the will was short and did not include details of his assets or bank accounts spread across three countries. The bulk of his estate will be gobbled up by lawyer’s fees as they search for this information. While our friend had

intended to provide these details, he never got around to it.

The irony of this story is that he was a salesman for a funeral insurance company. So, please think about what and where your assets are and make a list to lodge with your lawyer, along with your up-to-date signed and witnessed will. Simon and I will be doing that straight away.

If you can make a bequest in your will to the Geraldine Parish to help carry on the work of our church in this town, it would be greatly appreciated.

All donations qualify for a tax rebate; contact parish treasurer Cecil Hood on 027 444 7942.

SUSANNE WEST

CONTACTS

PRIEST-IN-CHARGE

Rev Hugh McCafferty | 027 920 8751 hugh@anglicansingeraldine.co.nz

CLERGY

Rev Bob Moore | 022 533 1969 reachfar@xtra.co.nz

BISHOP’S WARDEN

Paul Sagar | 03 693 8176 paul@anglicansingeraldine.co.nz

PEOPLE’S WARDEN

Susanne West | 027 272 4007 susanne@anglicansingeraldine.co.nz

HEALTH & SAFETY

Barbara Cassidy | 027 262 4233 cassidyob@xtra.co.nz

OFFICE HOURS

TUESDAY-FRIDAY

Rev Hugh | by appointment

MONDAY

9am-12pm | Susanne West

FRIDAY

9am-12pm | Audrey Butts

OFFICE PHONE 03 693 8380

OFFICE EMAIL admin@anglicansingeraldine.co.nz

SERVICES & OTHER INFORMATION

WEBSITE geraldineanglicans.com

FACEBOOK

Anglican Parish of Geraldine

DONATIONS

Westpac account: Geraldine Parish 03-0839-0011581-000

DEADLINES

NEWSLETTER - 21 JULY BY 5PM fi@saltmines.co.nz

MUSTARD SEED - THURSDAY BY 12NOON audreybutts@xtra.co.nz

DID YOU KNOW? The churches and properties of the Parish of Geraldine are subject to Health and Safety regulations. Any slips, slides, trips, other incidents or near misses must be recorded in the Health and Safety Register.

If you experience any of the above, please report it to Parish of Geraldine Health and Safety Representative Barbara Cassidy, 027 262 4233, or to church wardens Paul Sagar or Susanne West.

Have you ever thought about leaving a bequest?