If you have any feedback at anytime, please continue to let me know.
Peace.
Lifestreams @ Medbury: News and Roster
Dear Lifestreamers,Thank you to everyone who very patiently waited for Medbury to finish their special ANZAC commemoration on Sunday. Occasions like this teach us to be flexible and gracious. Also a big thanks to Peter the Principal and the students, who ensured that the Medbury service concluded and packed up just in time for us to begin our worship.
PENTECOST AND LIFESTREAMS' 6th BIRTHDAY
In three weeks we will be celebrating SIX years since the birth of Lifestreams at St Barnabas. A lot has happened in that time with the help of many dedicated people like yourselves. If you have not attended Lifestreams regularly in the past year, please consider marking this date down in your diary. Pentecost and Lifestreams are worth celebrating, it would be fantastic to celebrate with you all then.
If there are two people who would like to bake some Pentecost Birthday cakes please let me know.
I might even have some new baby photos to share with you by then (that's if I'm not in the delivery room with Anna)!
LIFESTREAMS TEAM
Last Thursday evening the Lifestreams' Team met for a second time. The team consists of Angela Moore, Vicki Gilmour, Michael Cropp, Chris Saunders, Stephanie Sturge, Leonie Stapleton, Mary Cropp, Megan Blakie, Angela Brown, Alister Hendery (Priest in Charge), and myself. The purpose of this team is to provide Lifestreams with vision and stability throughout this year while we await the appointment of a new vicar. We met for prayer, bible study and to surface key issues for Lifestreams at this time. I am deeply grateful for the support and insight that each of these people provide for me as I seek to minister to all those associated with Lifestreams. Please say hello to these people and share any insights or ideas you have about Lifestreams; we are here to serve you as we discover the purpose to which God calls us as a worshiping people.
A FEW WORDS
"The Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you."
God,
there's a lot of talk in the Bible
about
sending.
Prophets are sent to kings,
with messages
of discomfort
and hope.
Into Exile your people were sent.
As light and life your Son was sent.
To announce your Kingdom disciples were sent.
Jesus sent your Holy Spirit to Teach and Guide.
Apostles got sent to all kinds of crazy places.
Teach us about this sending business.
It could be that we've missed something
along the way.
Send us a clue.
Make our world that much wider again
through the sending of your Spirit.
We pray this because we suspect,
as stationary as we are,
that you might be a sending God.
Amen.
LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS FEEDBACK
For those of you who made it along on Good Friday and Easter we have feedback forms to help us evaluate and develop similar kinds of events for the future. I've linked to the forms below; one for those who assisted in any way, and one for those who contributed by attending. Can you help us by responding/reviewing? Thank you so much.
Light in the Darkness HELPER review.doc
Light in the Darkness review.doc
MEN'S DINNERNext month, 26th May, St Barnabas will host a men's dinner at the Medbury Dining Room with guest speaker Peter Beck, Dean of Christ Church Cathedral.
Tickets for the dinner are available for $25.00 with BYO drinks.
The Medbury kitchen serves a fine meal and we look forward to sharing the time with you.
Contact the church office for tickets.
PODCAST TALKS
You can find podcast talks on our website here.
WORKSHOPS AND SPEAKERS
I thought some of you may like me to highlight events of interest that relate to growth in the Christian life.
"God in Ordinary Time"
Outstanding American teacher, writer and professor of Spirituality Barbara Brown Taylor will conduct a workshop at Street Christopher's church, 244 Avonhead Rd on Thursday 3rd June 9.45am to 4pm.
Through formal presentations, followed by individual work and group discussion, discover ways in which we make God real in our everyday lives.
Venue: St Christopher's Church AvonheadThursday 3rd June 9.45am to 4pm
Cost $20 waged - $10 unwaged.
MEANWHILE, THIS SUNDAY:
Readings
First Reading: reader required
Acts 16:9-15
9 During the night Paul had a vision: there stood a man of Macedonia pleading with him and saying, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." 10 When he had seen the vision, we immediately tried to cross over to Macedonia, being convinced that God had called us to proclaim the good news to them. 11 We set sail from Troas and took a straight course to Samothrace, the following day to Neapolis, 12 and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city for some days. 13 On the sabbath day we went outside the gate by the river, where we supposed there was a place of prayer; and we sat down and spoke to the women who had gathered there. 14 A certain woman named Lydia, a worshiper of God, was listening to us; she was from the city of Thyatira and a dealer in purple cloth. The Lord opened her heart to listen eagerly to what was said by Paul. 15 When she and her household were baptized, she urged us, saying, "If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come and stay at my home." And she prevailed upon us.
Gospel Reading: Kevin Maxwell
John 14:23-29
23 Jesus answered him, "Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. 24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; and the word that you hear is not mine, but is from the Father who sent me. 25 "I have said these things to you while I am still with you. 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. 28 You heard me say to you, "I am going away, and I am coming to you.' If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I. 29 And now I have told you this before it occurs, so that when it does occur, you may believe.
Welcoming: Vicki Gilmour and Kathleen Laycock
Prayers: Amanda Cairns
Ministry of Healing: Carole Acheson, Kathleen Laycock
Sidespeople: Dave and Andrea Ramsell
Assistants: Moka Ritchie and Corrine Haines
Morning Tea:
Kidzone
Bubbles: Harriet English, Andrea Caldwell
Splash/Xstream: Sheena Maxwell, Angela Brown
GRID: Elizabeth Crampton
If there are any changes you need to make please let me know as soon as possible so we can put the changes in the Sunday pew sheet.
As always I can be contacted either by email andrew@stbarnabas.org.nz or phone at the office 351 7064. My cell phone is 021 201 4798 and home 351 7392.
May the glory that was with Jesus be also with you as you follow him into his way of life,
Andrew