E NEWS 5TH APRIL 2024
Today is Christine Wilkinson’s last day as our Parish Administrator. We wish her well as she travels to Nepal next week on her son’s school trip as well as her future endeavours. Thank you, Christine it has been a pleasure, working with you.
Jemma Ballantyne is our new Parish Administrator, and she begins officially next Tuesday after a handover today and tomorrow with Christine.
Easter 2024 was a reflective time and I hope transformative for many. I hope you all had some valuable time with family. We had 2 wonderful services on Good Friday and Easter Sunday. Thank-you to everyone who participated and to those who attended. Two people who work tirelessly behind the scenes every Sunday and especially at Christmas and Easter time are Brian and Lynette Burrell. Thank you to you both, you know how much we appreciate all that you do, and you work with such dedication and humility. Faafetai tele lava.
On Tuesday night I went Gladys Knights farewell tour at the Michael Fowler Centre, it was good to meet up with Jane Keller pre-show. Gladys Knight is 79 years old and she’s still got it.
Thursday I had a meeting at Levin Uniting Church as Central Presbytery rep for UPOG (Uniting Parishes Oversight group). It was a day of meetings, on the road at 8.30am arrived at 10am, left at 12.30pm for a Staff meeting back at church at 2pm, home for 3 hours for some dinner and relax then back to church for Parish Council 7pm. Now I’m at home writing ENews at 11.15pm. It’s been a very busy day. Friday tomorrow is also full-on concluding with our Hutt City Cluster Group at the Cunningham’s for Pizza and dessert at 6pm.
I’m enjoying my liquid fitness classes at Huia Pools in Lower Hutt. I’m doing 2 liquid fitness classes a week instead of 1 pool and 1 gym, I’m finding group water exercise better than trying to get self-motivated in the gym for now anyway.
This Sunday we revisit the story of Thomas who must see before he believes. My theme is “Doubting makes you stronger”. Thomas one the disciples has often been portrayed over the centuries as “doubting Thomas” because of his words “unless I see the nail wounds in his hands and feet and put my finger in those wounds and touch his side I will not believe”. He is one of 12 disciples, yet I personally think that Thomas articulated the doubt of probably most other disciples who remained silent. Usually, the one who speaks the loudest is painted with the brush of doubt whereas those who remained silent were probably saying the very same words over and over in their heads but hadn’t built up the courage to put their thoughts into words.
So, maybe we should stop labeling Thomas as “doubting Thomas” and be grateful to him for showing us that it’s OK to question and that it’s perfectly normal to have doubts. SAOTT is diverse theologically and is full of individuals, many who have walked the road of doubt and we come with lots of questions about the so-called truths we were fed as Christians in much more conservative evangelical upbringings. Many of you have chosen St. Andrew’s as a worshipping community because it meets you where you at, it allows you to doubt, it allows you sit with your questions and your challenges. We may not have the answers to all your questions, but we are here because we are happy to explore this and walk the journey of discovery together.
Don’t forget to put your clocks back on Saturday night otherwise you will have to set up for morning tea while you wait. (Spring forward, Fall backward) So we will all get an extra hours sleep, yayy!!!. Ka kite ano, Fei.
Below, our newest Parish council member Snoopy making up the quorum. (photo courtesy of Pat Booth).
You can read the full E-news here: https://mailchi.mp/c48275212b80/this-weeks-newsletter-from-st-andrews-on-the-terrace-9443804
