This month the van outing visited our sister church of St Barnabas in Woodend.
The sexton, Warren Stanbury, was there to greet us and gave us a most informative talk about the history of the church and the area.
The small white concrete church with its shingle roof, was built in 1934 to replace the original wooden church which had been built on land donated by the Rev John Raven, one of the earliest European settlers. He named his farm Ravenswood – a name which continues with the naming of the subdivision, Ravenswood. Wayne Hann guessed this.
The church was designed by Cecil Wood and was consecrated on St Barnabas Day 1938. The link with our St Barnabas continues: Frederick Gurney, who is responsible for so much of the beauty in our own church, sculpted the stone figure of St Barnabas set in a niche over the main entrance. Inside the church, the font, given in memory of John and Susan Pope, rests on a mill stone from Archers old flour mill at Woodend. The Rev. John Holland built and carved the altar and five panels of reredos plus a prayer desk and chair. In 1903 the lychgate was erected in memory of Judge Henry Barnes Gresson who died at his home in Fendalton in 1901. He is buried in the Woodend St Barnabas churchyard.
The church is beautifully maintained and is full on a Sunday with two services being held. There is also a service of evening prayer held at 5 pm on weeknights. Such is the growth of the congregation that the building is being extended into the parking area at the rear of the church. We persuaded Diana Hann to ring the church bell which didn’t have quite the sophistication of our bells but still made a lovely mellow sound.
After this we drove to Paris for the Weekend, a café in Kaiapoi, where we enjoyed the most delicious cake and coffee and a lovely chat where we all sorted out the world.
Thanks to Jill Keir who organised this outing and drove the van with her usual aplomb. Apologies to those who are not included in the afternoon tea photo. I couldn’t go back any further.
Margaret Harper
By Margaret Harper