Wesley Methodist Church

Tauranga

Kia Ora. Malo e lelei. Bula Vinaka. Talofa lava. Kia Orana.

Namaste. Guten Morgen. Huro. Goeiemôre. An nyeng Ha se yo.

Mamarane Leana. Greetings.

Wesley Faith Community—a place to belong

25th February 2018

Kidz Talk with Daniel …

Best Friends—If you find someone who makes you smile, who checks up on you often to see if you’re okay, who watches out for you and wants the best for you, don’t let them go. Keep them close and don't take them for granted. People like that can be hard to find.

Welcome to worship at Wesley and a special welcome to you if you are visiting Tauranga. Everyone is invited to stay for morning tea in the hall

after the service; please don’t be shy about making yourself known to us.

Today, we continue our journey towards Easter. Last week we travelled

with the ordinary people and discovered they had quite a hard life with 70%

living below subsistence level. Today we are travelling with the Zealots.

You probably don’t know much about the Zealots – they are not mentioned

by name in the Bible apart from a reference to one of the disciples – Simon

the Zealot. Much of our information about the Zealots comes from

Josephus – a first-century Romano-Jewish scholar and historian. As we

discover more about this group, I invite you to consider whether you have

anything in common with them.

Wesley Kidz programme continues after a shared time in church

Preacher: Penny Guy Organist: Jeremy Whimster Reader: Patricia Hancock Prayers: Allan Robert

ST STEPHEN’S METHODIST CHURCH

25th February 2018

DEACON: Margaret Birtles Ph 576 0698

PASTORAL CARE: Ralph Vickers Ph 576 5171

PARISH STEWARD: Geoff Warth Ph 579 3637

Kia Ora, Malo e lelei, Goeiemôre and welcome to our service this morning which will be led by Viliame Naliva—thank you, Viliame.

Please join us for a cuppa and fellowship afterwards.

ROSTER: 4th March 2018

Preacher Geoff Warth

Steward Athol Benny

Organist Edna Neill

Door Pat Warth

Ethel Blackstock

Reader Ralph Vickers

Morning Tea Ann Booth

Colleen Dent

St Stephen’s Diary: 26 Feb-4 March 2018

Monday 3.30-6pm Girls’ Brigade

Tuesday 10am-4pm Allsorts Op Shop

Wednesday 7pm Tongan Language Fellowship

Thursday 10am- 4pm Allsorts Op Shop

Sunday 9.30am-

1pm

Worship Service

Tongan Language Worship

Please keep read-ing for important Parish information

Notices

House Hunt: Do you know of a house available for rent, in Otumoetai, Bethlehem, Matua, Bureta area?

Margaret B has been given six weeks notice to vacate her property by 6 April 2018.

Please speak to Margaret or one of the Property Committee if you know/hear of anything.

World Day of Prayer Friday 2nd March 10am.(see poster on notice boards.) St Stephen’s is responsible for hosting this year’s international event. Pat Warth would be pleased to hear from anyone who can help serve and/or provide morning tea at 9.30am. Would everyone attending please bring a plate for morning tea.

St Stephen’s invites all Parish Members to our Annual Church

Picnic after today’s service.

TODAY!

At Kulim Park

WESLEY DIARY FOR 26 February—4 March 2018

Wednesday 28th 5.00pm Walking Group meets at the church

Friday 2nd 9.30am World Day of Prayer service at St Stephen’s—see notices

Sunday 4th

9.30am

4.30-6.30pm

Worship Service

Study Group meets in the Lounge—Study 4.30-6pm followed by a shared evening meal.

Sunday March 4th—Lent 3

9.30 am Sunday Worship Service & Holy Communion led by Ngaire Southon and Viv Whimster

LECTIONARY READINGS:

Exodus 20:1-17; Psalm 19; 1 Corinthians 1:18-25; John 2:13-22

Readings: Valda Benfell Prayers: Val Carruthers

Wesley Kidz programme will continue after a shared time in church

CWS Cyclone Gita Appeal

As you will be aware Cyclone Gita is currently making it’s way through the Pacific area and causing havoc whenev-er it reaches land.

Tonga, in particular, has been devastated by Gita with flooding and high winds dam-aging buildings, homes and crops. American Samoa, Samoa and Fiji have also felt the affects of the storm and all live with the constant threat of Dengue fever from con-taminated water.

CWS, working through ACT Alliance, has launched an appeal for Tonga and other Pasi-fika nations as the need arises.

Donations can be placed into the koha basket in the Narthex clearly marked CWS Gita Appeal and will be sent to CWS from the Tauranga Methodist Parish in due course.

Alternatively, you can donate in the following ways:

Online to the Cyclone Gita Appeal and by direct deposit

By phone with a credit card: 0800 74 72 73

By post to: CWS, PO Box 22652, Christchurch 8140 Thank you for support

Minister: Rev Leigh Sundberg — Ph. 576-9749, Mob 021 0283 5358

Deacon: Valma Hallam - Ph. 562-3333

Parish Steward: Julienne Taylor - Ph 544-2565

Parish Office:

Mon-Fri 9.00am-12.30pm Ph. 578-8493 / 578-8496

P.O. Box 2019, Tauranga. Fax. 578-8463

Email: tauranga.methodist@xtra.co.nz.

Website: www.wesley.co.nz

Out and About This Week:

Leigh is currently ‘Out Of Action’ for a while following hip replacement surgery last week. Please contact Julienne or Valma if you would like to speak to someone.

Viliame Naliva is leading worship at St Stephen’s this morning.

Ngaire Southon is leading worship at Te Puke this morning

A Church Library for Tauranga Methodists

Do you enjoy discovering new ideas? Or finding out about people you admire?

Is it a while since you read a book about faith and church that you actually enjoyed reading?

Would you borrow and read a book if you didn’t have to buy it?

What would you be interested in reading?

Wesley Leaders Meeting has recommended that we establish a library for the Tauranga Parish.

We have placed books on display in the Narthex from various people’s bookshelves. They are there to give you an idea of what we might purchase for a church library. In a few weeks’ time they will be made available for people to borrow. In the mean time – Display only, please!

We invite you to read and respond to the questionnaire on the Narthex table so that we can make informed decisions about what to buy.

If you have particular suggestions, please talk to Leigh or Ngaire.

Who’s on Facebook? St Stephen’s is on Facebook! Check out their new Facebook page: St Stephens Methodist

Church

Our Methodist Synod is now on Facebook! Check out their new Facebook page:

Waikato-Waiariki Methodist Synod.

These pages will news and events, stories about special parish and community celebrations, resources and

reflections. If you want to stay in touch and share your news, please Like/Follow the page so that the stories ap-

pear in your News Feed.

St Stephen’s invites all Parish Members to our Annual Church

Picnic after today’s service.

TODAY!

At Kulim Park

PARISH CONTACT BOOK

We are in the process of printing Parish Contact Books for 2018 and hope to have them ready in the next week or two.

As you will be aware, we endeavour keep the document ‘live’ and up-to-date at all times with the information given to the parish office by ei-ther yourselves or one of the pastoral team.

Please let us know if you change your address, telephone number or email address as soon as possible, so that we can keep the Contact Book as current as possible.

Just remember—if you don’t tell us then we don’t know!

Thanks from Erin and Dianne

World Day of Prayer at St Stephen’s

Friday 2 March: 9.30am—special morning tea followed by the church service at 10.00am. This year’s service has been

organised by the women’s groups of several churches in our region. The theme for 2018 is “All God’s Creation is Very

Good”. Men and women welcome.

Public Issues for Parish Newsletters & Bulletins 25 February 2018

We are concerned that offers for new oil and gas exploration could be made at the Petro-leum Industry Conference 26

th March.

A draft letter is being written to Hon Megan Woods, Minister for Energy and Resources, to Prime Minister Ardern and Hon James Shaw, Minister for Climate Change to request an end to new oil and gas exploration. We ask parishes to pray for a moratorium on new oil and gas exploration.

We see action on climate change as essential for caring for our common home, and our global neighbours. Climate justice is part of our commitment to peace and stewarding our resources responsibly for future generations.

The Climate Conversations Resource is available as hard copy from Betsan or on the Public Questions website http://www.methodist.org.nz/public_questions_network/index3

Thank you, Betsan

Do you know of a house available for rent, in Otumoetai, Bethlehem, Matua, Bureta area?

Margaret Birtles has been given six weeks notice to vacate her property by 6 April 2018.

Please speak to Margaret or one of the Parish Property Committee if you know/hear of anything.

Come and support the Tauranga Moana Interfaith Council as they “Meet the Methodists”: a public meeting at St Stephens Church, Tuesday, 27th February at 7:00pm. There will be a short presentation on Methodism, some singing, discussion and supper. Everyone welcome!