E NEWS 13TH DECEMBER 2024
Here we are in the penultimate week before Christmas, hope you are all taking things slowly and easy and not letting the busy-ness of the commercial side of Christmas take over for you. I know many of you have been there done that and now your children have taken over the organising of Christmas dinner etc. etc. All good and well, but just make sure you are still the “boss”.
Our Sunday Rainbow re-launch was great last Sunday. We had about 10 children attend three from SAOTT, 2 from the public and 5 from Queen Margaret College. Caroline did a great job for her first Rainbow room programme and we look forward to more of what she has to offer.
I’ve just returned from Queen Margaret College’s “meet the staff morning tea” which the Board of Directors put on for the end of the year college activity. One of the staff was talking about her love of golfing and sort of re-kindled a long lost love I used to have for the game. After my husband died 10 years ago, I stopped playing and have given my golf clubs away, now I’m reviewing that option for the New Year. Will have to get some custom made golf clubs and go to a driving range to refresh my rusty skills. I might start off in a golf cart for beginners and see how I go. It may also be a New Year’s pipe dream resolution, time and energy will tell. Who else plays golf in our church? Might form a SAOTT golf team!
I was fortunate to have my older sister down on Monday and we went to Queensgate Shopping mall and did some girly things together (I miss that ). Yesterday in preparation for the Y Group lunch at my place on Sunday and Cuppa and Chat at my place on Wednesday I took to the garden early evening to tidy things up and remove weeds etc. almost there, tomorrow Saturday I will add my final touch. I discovered McCauley Metals in Seaview road this morning after my metal park benches’ seat broke due to rust and I needed to find somewhere to drop it off. Unbelievable its only 5 years old and completely rusted out, I’m told it’s the light hollow metals that don’t stand the test of time. Now I now.
My family in Auckland are having their Christmas celebration on Sunday 22nd December at 4pm. I was planning to go up after Christmas Day service after church, which I’m still doing. But in the scheme of things I thought to myself “when am I going to find another time when all the great nieces and nephews are together with their parents and my siblings all in one place. So I bit the bullet and paid for another airfare to attend my family Christmas get-together in Auckland. I fly back on the 6am flight on 24th December. I will lead our Christmas Eve service, and then our Christmas Day service the next morning and fly back to Auckland as originally planned after Christmas service. Luckily, I pre-booked Christmas Day flights very early so they were a good price. Don’t worry, I am still on call for SAOTT and have a flexi-refund airfare if I need to return earlier. I will be back in time to take our first Sunday service on January 5th. There will be no communion service in January as we would have already had a communion celebration on Christmas Eve.
Well apart from the Christmas Eve and Christmas Day reflections, we are on track for the next 4 services 15th, 22nd, 24th and 25th December. This Sunday is our Aotearoa Christmas service where we will have NZ hymns and readings, there is no reflection. Next Sunday the CEO for Christian World Service Rev Dr Tim Pratt is speaking his theme is “Love in Action”. Our Christmas Appeal collection for CWS will be taken up at our Christmas Eve service. Our singers for the last two years Pepe and Kate and pianist Dan will be performing once again. This is bound to be another memorable service. Don’t forget to come early for the sherry and cake.
Christmas Day, Pam Fuller will be hosting morning tea for people who would like to stay behind and chat and are not in a rush to go off to family Christmas dinners.
Hope the beautiful weather continues until after Christmas time. Uncle Pasi’s funeral will be held this coming Tuesday at Harbour City Lower Hutt. I’m taking part and Dame Winnie tells me the Prime Minister of Samoa may be attending as her and Uncle Pasi were great friends. Fuimaono Dr Karl is also attending.
Next week will be my last E News for the year. So until then, noho ora mai, ma ia manuia. Fei
You can read the full E-news here: https://mailchi.mp/afc6ad557d48/this-weeks-newsletter-from-st-andrews-on-the-terrace-10132098
