“Every moment wasted looking back keeps us from moving forward…. In this

world and the world of tomorrow, we must go forward together or not at all”

~ Hilary Clinton

~ www.dunstanparish.org.nz ~

Anglicans of the Dunstan, Teviot Valley and the Maniototo

February 2016

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When I got Esmé’s e-mail reminding us it is “Link” time again, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, was on the news saying that we are getting close to an agreement with the eastern Christian Church (Coptic) to set a fixed date for Easter - either the first or second Sunday in April.

So how did we get this confusing, moveable date that we have?

In the 7-8 century, an English monk called Bede wrote that “the Sunday following the full moon which falls on or after the equinox will give the lawful Easter”. The equinox is when the sun crosses the equator which is about March 20th. Our regular calendars follow the cycle of the sun and seasons but Easter is set by the moon.

Western Christians (us) use the Gregorian Calendar so Easter falls between 22 March and 25th April inclusive. Eastern Christians (Coptic) follow the Julian Calendar which is 13 days different to the Gregorian Calendar. This means their Easter falls between 4th April and 8th May.

The name Easter also goes back to Bede the monk. The month of April was called Eostre after the goddess whose feasts were celebrated during this time. She was the goddess of “the radiant dawn” or “the upspringing of light”. Before Bede , Easter was called the Christian Passover remembering the last meal Jesus shared with His friends. In Leviticus 23:5 the Passover Meal was on the evening of the first month of the year. The first month Adib (or Nisan) at that time was our mid-March to mid-April.

So it does seem that setting a weekend in the first two weeks of April for both Coptic and Western Christians does make sense.

Whenever it is, it always comes too quickly as Ash Wednesday, the start of Lent, is on 10th February this year. Our Easter is 27th March and the Coptic Easter is on the 1st May.

God Bless,

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A mother was teaching her three-year-old The Lord's Prayer. For several evenings at bedtime, the child repeated it after the mother. Then one night the child was ready to solo. The mother listened with pride to the carefully enunciated words, right up to the end. 'And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us some e-mail'.

Many years ago I wrote about the distinction between sources of satisfaction and sources of dissatisfaction in churches. That is, the things that make people happy and pleased to be here and the things that tick them off. Fairly early in my ministry the penny dropped for me that they are not usually that same thing. If you remove the sources of dissatisfaction you won't make people any more satisfied.

In a church, the things that make people dissatisfied are things like heaters that don't work or a buzz in the sound system; or the Vicar's annoyingly drony voice or the fact that whoever chooses the hymns around here has the taste of a blowfly maggot. Sources of dissatisfaction are easily identified - people let you know about them early and often. Sources of satisfaction are harder to identify. They are more subtle, deeper and often unconscious. People don't talk about them much and tend to take them for granted. They are things that are the reasons people joined a church in the first place: things like a strong sense of community; an awareness of the presence of God; the knowledge that people (including me) are valued and accepted in this place.

Many clergy operate on the squeaky wheel principle, attending constantly to the things people are dissatisfied with. They spend their lives chasing around after the sorts of trivia that people ring them about, getting tired and wonder-ing why the roll keeps on dropping. Of course if there is a buzz in the sound system it needs to be fixed, and perhaps I could do with elocution lessons, but by and large, if the church is a satisfying place to be, people will tolerate all sorts of little annoyances, and even begin to enjoy some of them as evidences of character. So rather than a shopping list of minor things to get sorted, church leadership needs to quickly and consistently address itself to the bigger issues: the issues that are hard to identify and require years of patience and hope and discernment and commitment to establish and maintain; but which, when attended to, offer a real chance of building a lasting and deeply satisfying community.

it is the sources of satisfaction that need attention and thought. Sort them out and all the other stuff tends to take care of itself.

Of course, while this is true of church life, it is also true of every other relationship in our lives. While the arguments with our best beloved, or our friend, or our children or our God will manifest themselves in squabbles about our sources of dissatisfaction ( Do I have to do this again.... It annoys me that.... you never..... I always...... ) the fact that these things surface time and again is an indicator that perhaps deeper issues need attention.

Why are we in this relationship in the first place? And are those foundational things being nurtured and attended to?

St Aidan’s, Alexandra: Well, Christmas is over for another year and it all went very well, starting with the service for the Senior Citizens in our community with a lovely morning tea provided by Jenny Morris and then the services on Christmas Eve and Christmas morning, conducted on both occasions by Carol & enjoyed by all. January has been quiet as usual as we all relax before moving into the normality of a new year. The new roster for the next couple of months is out and once again I’d like to thank everyone for their help during the year. Where would we be without you all? It was very disappointing to discover that the church had been vandalised once again with graffiti all over the windows and other places. Our thanks go to Adele and Steve Pyne for the sterling job they did in cleaning it all up and reporting it to the police. (The windows haven’t looked so clean for a long time!) You will notice that Ken, Roger, Brian and Allison have been extremely busy in removing the shrubbery in the front garden as it was felt that this was providing plenty of cover for the perpetrators of the crime. We are also going to have security lights fitted so hopefully that will help put an end to the problem. Last Sunday we had a visit from Nicola Taylor, the Director of Anglican Family Care in Dunedin, and she shared with us the values and aims of her organisation. It was good to be able to send her on her way with lots of goodies for the food-bank in Dunedin and thank you to all who contributed. ~ Liz Duggan

St James’, Teviot Valley: Greetings for 2016 from the Teviot Valley. It has been a busy time for orchardists and farmers. A very successful ‘Cherry Chaos’ was held Saturday 16th January bringing orchard workers and valley residents together for a fun evening. December Services held were the usual 1st Sunday, a Christmas Service at the Rest Home (3rd Friday.) The Millers Flat Community Carol Service and Christmas Eve Service at St James were very well attended, both including participation by the children and led by Rev. Jill Favel. Services in January: 1st Sunday; 4th Thursday a picnic day at Clyde. We will host the Combined Churches service on 5th Sunday at 10 a.m. followed by morning tea. Regular monthly services in February will be Sunday 7th at 10 am followed by morning tea, Thursday 25th at 11 am followed by a café lunch. (4th Thursday). A service on Ash Wednesday 10th February is being planned.

Lenten Discussion Group – a series of 5 studies – will meet on Sunday morn-ings in our hall during Lent beginning on Sunday 14th February at 9.50 am with a cup of tea and finishing at 11 a.m. Two parishioners, Amanda Perkins and Adair Miller, one from each extreme end of the Teviot Valley won Christmas cakes in the raffle. ~ Alison Perkins St Mary’s, Omakau: At St Mary’s, the Christmas Eve Carol singing followed by Eucharist service was very successful, enjoyed by those who attended, in what will most probably be the last service of it’s kind held in our little church. In late December, Bridget Milne, grand-daughter of Dorothy and Jim Morgan, married her Aussie beau, Matt Wakefield, in the garden of her parents in Muddy Creek Road. The day started off rather overcast, but by the afternoon was a beautiful, hot Central day. Many of their family and friends stayed in local accommodation and a good time was had by all! In mid-January we received the most welcome rain, with varying amounts throughout the district, to help ease the drought conditions. (The prayers must have worked!) But at the time of writing this, the jolly drying winds have re-appeared, so we hope and pray for more rain in the near future. Several families of quail are enjoying feeding on the grass in front of the church. The sale of St Mary’s has been finalised and the service of de-consecration is planned for Sunday, 21st February (see “For Your Diary” section on page 11 ~ Esmé .) ~ Bronwyn Bell From the Parish Vestry: The reshuffle in roles within vestry this year is working well as chairman Charles French becomes more familiar with the way things happen around the Dunstan and new treasurer Ken Cook has changed Blair's style of accounting to his own. We thank Blair for his dedication and hard work over the years and hope he can enjoy some time to himself from now on. Things are changing in the diocesan office with diocesan manager Graeme Sykes finishing at the end of November and under-40's educator Benjamin Brock-Smith finishing at the end of January to take up full time study at St John's College. The parish office has a new computer with the old one being stored safely away in case some long forgotten files need to be retrieved from it. No further word has been received on heat pumps for St Aidan's hall, but it is hoped these can be in place before winter makes its presence felt. In a very relaxed time of sharing and caring, the many raffle tickets became nine winners, and we thank all those who baked and iced the cakes, who sat on the street and sold the tickets, or who hassled their friends and family to raise much need funds. Ken's balance sheet showed offerings of $3,120.00 to cover outgoings of $4,179 for the month of November. ~ Barbara Withington

Anglican Family Care Centre has been delivering services in the Central Otago area since the 1980s. Our name has changed a bit in this time – originally known as Homebuilders Central Otago, and more recently as Anglican Family Care, since the founding partners of the organisation, the Anglican Diocese of Dunedin, and the Methodist Mission, went their separate ways in 2005.

We have in these years delivered services to the Queenstown Lakes and Central Otago areas, but now focus on Central Otago as the area is just too big to cover with our current resources. Our staff are based at the Alexandra Community House, and Team Leader Jane Hutton, based in Balclutha, commutes regularly to Alexandra to give leadership and support to the team.

Anglican Family Care Centre delivers a range of supports to children and their families. In Central Otago, the supports offered are Home Based Family Support, and counselling. Our social workers visit families in their homes to offer support and practical help with a range of issues. We work very closely with others, schools, public health nurse and counsellors, especially when using the Strengthening Families model. This is a meeting designed to co-ordinate supports for a family, which happens together with the family, with their agreement.

Families in our community are experiencing a very high rate of family violence, a problem not well recognised or responded to. Child poverty, with one in five of our children living in poverty, is serious. Most find it difficult to ask for help, and to be living in a supportive community with some awareness of these potential difficulties, is essential. Social isolation, loneliness, over-whelming depression and despair, can stop families asking for help. The relentless materialism of our society, fuelled by the media and advertising, together with the escalating costs of the essentials of life, make it increasingly difficult to cope. The distances involved in a rural community such as Central Otago add to the inaccessibility of finding supports when needed.

We rely so much on the generosity of individuals, local businesses and trusts to enable us to continue our work in confidence. Without this financial support we could not deliver the services and support we provide throughout Central Otago communities. Should you choose to make Anglican Family Care your preferred charity we thank you sincerely. Details about how to make a dona-tion can be found on our website – anglicanfamilycare.org.nz

Donate Food – Anglican Family Care contributes to the Alexandra Community

House Social Service Foodbank, based in the Alexandra Community House. We welcome donations of food which may be delivered to the Community House.

We also value your support in the wider sense, as members of the community with a concern for those families who may be experiencing distress, isolation or despair. Your support as family, neighbours and community does make a difference, perhaps more than you realise, in helping people through a difficult time. We always welcome a chat if at any time you are concerned or want advice about how best to approach a challenging situation. Your support can make a difference, and if you want to find out more about our work, contact us directly for a chat, or have a look at our website – anglicanfamilycare.org.nz or Facebook page – Anglican Family Care.

~ Nicola Taylor

De-consecration of St Mary’s, Omakau: A service of de-consecration presided by Bishop Kelvin will be held on Sunday 21st February at 2pm . It will be followed by refreshments and afternoon tea. Please pass on an invitation to the service to anyone whom you know to have had a relationship with St Mary’s or the district. To help with catering please RSVP to Bronwyn Bell, phone 03-4473756

Ash Wednesday Services, 10th February: St Aidan’s, Alexandra at 7.30pm St James’, Roxburgh at 7.00pm

Lenten Study: Rev Penny Sinnamon is coordinating a Lenten Study at St Aidan’s this year. Please contact her for more details on 03-4773070 Rev Jill Favel will be coordinating a Lenten Study at St James’ beginning on Sunday 14th February at 9.50am - 11am beginning with a cup of coffee.

Parish AGM: Our Parish AGM will be held at St Aidan’s, Alexandra on February 28th following the 9.30am service. There have been many changes over the past year within our Parish so we have much to discuss both looking back and, more importantly, looking forward.

Archdeaconry Day: An invitation is extended to all who would like to attend. The day will be held in Cromwell on February 16th . Further details may be obtained from Liz Duggan, phone 03-4487435

Diocesan Education Day: The next Education Day will be held in Balclutha on Saturday, 13 February 10am - 3pm . It is entitled "Ministry in Community" and is intended for all involved in ministry. Details from Liz Duggan, phone 03-4487435.

World Day of Prayer: The date for this is 4th March . More details to follow.

A minister waited in line to have his car filled with gas just before a long holiday weekend. The attendant worked quickly, but there were many cars ahead of him Finally, the attendant motioned him toward a vacant pump. "Reverend," said the young man, "I'm so sorry about the delay. It seems as if everyone waits until the last minute to get ready for a long trip." The minister chuckled, "I know what you mean. It's the same in my business"

Readings For The Sunday Liturgy

February 7th February 14th Isaiah 6: 1 - 8, (9 -13) Deut 26: 1 - 11 1 Corinthians 15: 1 -11 Romans 10: 8b - 13 Luke 5: 1 -11 Luke 4: 1 - 13

February 21st February 28th Gen 15: 1 -12, 17 - 18 Isaiah 55: 1 - 9 Phil 3: 17 - 4: 1 1 Corinthians 10: 1 - 13 Luke 13: 31 -35 Luke 13: 1-9

This picture was taken on 10th November 2013 after the service to celebrate the 100th anniversary of St Mary the Virgin Anglican Church, Omakau. We were joined by parishioners of St Peter’s Anglican Church in Queenstown where the building was first consecrated.

On 22nd January 2016, the sale of St Mary’s was

completed. The next step is a service of de-consecration. This will be held at St Mary’s on February 21st and presided over by Bishop Kelvin.

We extend an invitation to all who wish to join us at this service so please share this information with anyone you know who may wish to be there.

Following the service we will share our memories over refreshments and afternoon tea. To help us with catering, please RSVP to Bronwyn Bell either by email, neville.bronwyn@xtra.co.nz, or by phone 03-4473756.

Te Tiriti o Waitangi

Ma te whakatau ka mohio By discussion comes understanding

Ma te mohio ka marama By understanding comes light

Ma te marama ka matau By light comes wisdom

Ma te matau ka ora By wisdom comes life

To Live is to Worship, To Worship is to LiveTo Live is to Worship, To Worship is to LiveTo Live is to Worship, To Worship is to LiveTo Live is to Worship, To Worship is to Live Visitors and inquirers of all ages welcome

Email: dunstananglican@xtra.co.nz Phone: (03) 44 88327 PO Box 243, Alexandra, 9340.

www.dunstanparish.org.nz

Vicar: Rev Penny Sinnamon 03-4473070

0274909198

Email: l.p.sinnamon@xtra.co.nz

Vicar’s Warden: Bronwyn Bell, Omakau 03-4473756

People’s Warden: Ken Cook, Alexandra 03-4487566

Local Priest: Rev. Carol Masters 03-4487593

Authorized Lay Ministers:

Liz Duggan, Alexandra 03-4487435; Lorraine Armstrong, Poolburn, 03-4474279

Barbara Withington, Millers Flat, 03-4466871

Newsletter Editor:

Esmé Macdonald 03-4473099 E-mail: bruce.esme@xtra.co.nz

7 Feb 14 Feb 21 Feb 28 Feb 6 March

St Aidan’s, Alexandra 9:30am 9.30am 9:30am 9:30am 9.30am

St James’, Roxburgh 10.00am - 10.00am

St Mary’s, Omakau - 10.00am 2.00pm - -

St Hilda’s, Ranfurly 10.30am - - - 10.30am

4th Thursday, 11.00am

Copy deadline for next issue of “The Link” is

Sunday 21st February.