the vicars voice

p 2 Quiz Night - Art Exhibition - Wednesday @ 9 - Sunday @ 4:30

p 3 Parish Groups and Regular Activities

p 4 Parish Contacts INSERT Service Times & Readings

December 2011 January 2012

One of my greatest joys as a Dad was when

my 5 year old son brought home a cardboard cone, with thin cardboard wings, pipe-cleaner arms and

macaroni features. All sprayed with gold paint. An angel. That angel still takes pride of place on our

tree at Christmas time. A gift made with love and

innocence and given with the thought it would be of value to us.

It cost nothing to make in monetary terms, but is one of the most valuable things they ever gave to

us, his parents. What price an iPad, or a camera. What worth a voucher or clothing. Even though they

may be thoughtful and useful, for a time, There is

nothing more precious than a five year old giving something they made, something they see you re-

ceive with real emotion and thanks, and something that goes on becoming more valuable the longer you

remember the day you received it. That angel is 20

years old now and we still smile when we get it out every Christmas.

And while we are talking about gifts, how amazing is it that the birth we celebrate is the gift we receive.

Surely when we hear of a birth we give the gift to the child, but at Christmas a major thing happens.

Something that is back to front from our human un-

derstanding. Something that has changed this planet forever. At Christmas time over 2000 years ago, God

gave the gift of His Son to a world that didn’t de-serve Him, that eventually executed Him, and has

tried to ignore Him to this very day. As The Message

paraphrase puts it: This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn't go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; John 3:16,17

So what is Christmas really all about? It is the gift of a child to an undeserving world. A child that

was born to be the way back into a loving relation-

ship with the Creator. Creation had been breaking the house rules since day one, and yet instead of

the Creator pushing “Delete”, He decided to initiate

reconciliation. Yet if we were to come up with a way

to come back into relationship with God it surely would have been through bigger flasher buildings

and ceremony, longer prayers, louder singing, and emotional apologies. We never would have consid-

ered God humbling Himself to that of a baby, grow-

ing in goodness and wisdom, showing us His power and glory through miracles and wonders, attempting

to teach us a new way, share Good News and herald in the Kingdom of God through love and compas-

sion. That is not the ways of sinful man, but it is of a Holy and loving God.

This is the God that loves you so much that at

Christmas time He gave you His one and only Son, that if you were to believe in Him and why He came,

then your sins will be forgotten, your life will be given eternal value and you will become a child of

the God of all Creation.

This Christmas we give gifts because an eternal Gift was first given to us. Jesus is the reason for this

season and the Gift from a loving Father. May you see Christmas in the light of God’s generosity to you,

and seek Him and you will find Him. God’s richest blessings on you and yours this Christmas.

Rev. Russell Pickersgill-Brown

Vicar Designate.

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Mount Herbert Parish

Striving to be a united, Christ-centered, community-serving Parish

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

Diamond Harbour Painting Group's Art Exhibition held 26-27th Nov 2011

Held in the St. Andrews Community Church Hall this exhibition was a celebration of the talent and creativity of many people in the local area. Guest Artists at the art exhibition were Sue Cur-rie who lives at Charteris Bay, Jennifer Neutze (Governors Bay) and Adrienne Pavelka ( Lyttel-ton). Local artists who we see in church were Bruce Beckett, Anna Pickersgill-Brown, Anne Fountain, Dorothy Shrimpton, Alison Roberton, Fran MacFarlane and John Barry. The exhibition was well received, with a steady stream of people keen to view the many styles and methods of painting on display. A number of the paintings now have new homes, no doubt hanging proudly in many halls and houses in the Lyttelton Basin and beyond. I am sure future exhibitions will be as greatly received as this one was. Any donations and commissions are going to support the Cholmon-deley Home.

W e d n e s d a y @ N i n e

Ever asked;

After the kids are at school, or you have had breakfast and a morning walk, drop in to the St. Andrews complex at 85 Marine Drive (Next to the Fire Station) and have a look for yourself. People have found comfort there and compassion. There is a relaxed atmosphere and friendly introduction to God, that may be easier to identify with than the last time you were at church. People have found a new way to look at their lives and found new meaning and purpose. Others have found healing and wholeness, the ability to move on from the trauma and hurt we all experience in our lives from time to time. This is an open invitation to anyone who would like to join me and others at 9am on a Wednesday morning to maybe discover for yourself that missing key to life and what others have found in Christ.

Until Wednesday then? Rev. Russell Pickersgill-Brown

What do church goers get out of giving up their Sunday mornings?

What is really so attractive about gathering together and hearing someone speak?

Family Service 4th Sunday @ 4:30pm Diamond Harbour Church.

Has started this new event and hope to develop it further in 2012.

A Family Service is also at the Governors Bay School Library

Sunday fortnightly at 10:30am See the insert for time details

This time together is child friendly and includes craft, stories, music and a fun time for the kids and parents alike. Don’t worry about getting home for tea, as at the Diamond Harbour evening service there is a free sausage sizzle afterwards. This is a vibrant community service which will be a fun, friendly chance to maybe make a difference to the lives of parents and young children alike. It will add to the life education and a foundation for the future of us all. I Look forward to seeing you there. Rev. Russell Pickersgill-Brown

St. Andrews Community Church,

Diamond Harbour Community Quiz night

held 25th Nov 2011 Held, as usual, in the Diamond Harbour Community

Hall with a packed floor of 27 teams, creating a noisy throng of over 140 enthusiastic people, each keen to pit

themselves against the table next door and come out on top.

The MC for the night was Rev. Russell Pickersgill-

Brown, who was able to create an atmosphere of fun and fellowship, and encouraged all there to enjoy this coming

together as community that was well overdue and a pleasant celebration of the tough year we have all

endured.

30 questions were on the card and some answers were very creative to say the least. All the raffles were

sold even before the night began and the two major raf-fles (a large Christmas hamper and a trailer load of fire-

wood ) were well received and patronized.

The people there cheered unanimously at the suggestion that the quiz nights could again become a regular event

and we all look forward to that coming to pass. Some nights for next year have already been booked and more

information on those will be advertised in the months ahead.

All in all a wonderful night and well worth the efforts by

the many people involved in organizing the quiz. There were so many involved it would be unfair to list them

here. But they know who they are and I am sure the community would like to pass on a collective THANKYOU

to them personally. The amount raised was over

$1700.00 and will be put to good use as we seek to be an influential part of this community.

Baby & Toddler Groups

Diamond Harbour Church hall. Tuesdays fortnightly for infants 0-36 months and their caregivers.

Begins again on Tuesday 24th January For information ring Wendy Coles 329 4483

Youth Groups

Little River Church Lounge Wednesday evenings in term time Ph Uiga Bashford 325 1076. Diamond Harbour:

We are keen for the youth of Diamond Harbour to have some input to create their

own Youth Group

Contact: Emma Kinnings

329 3170 (hm) 0211122464 (txt)

Email: dhyouthgroup@gmail.com

Bible Study and Home Groups

Diamond Harbour Monday Night Group Alternating weeks at Diamond Harbour Church and Charteris Bay. Phone Bruce Beckett for more details: 329 4422.

Birdlings Flat Care, Share & Prayer Group: Tuesdays weekly at 10am. Locations vary, so please call Fiona 329 0171 to check.

Commencing again in Feb School term

Diamond Harbour Bible Discussion group: Wednesday afternoon fortnightly,. Contact Anne Boyd 329 4444.

Little River home group Wednesday evening.

Ph Fitzgeralds on 3251 176.

Pre-School Music Groups Rainbow Music 0-4 years Diamond Harbour Church Fridays weekly in term time, commencing again in Feb - sessions: 9.30am with 10:15am cuppa & play time for all. Contact: Ian Lloyd 329-3183 or the Parish Office, 329-4790. Mainly Music 0-4 years St Andrew's Little River Thursdays weekly in term time, commencing again in Feb: 10.30am cuppa, 11:00am music. Contact Fiona on 329 0171

City Shopping Van The fortnightly shopping van to Southcity will be running on Wednesdays: December 14th+ 28th ; January 11th + 25th, Feb 8th The van does pick-ups from Diamond Harbour around 9:00am and drops people back home about 1:30pm. If anyone in Governors Bay is interested we can also pick up there. Bookings are essential as the van only seats 8 people. A contribution towards fuel of $10 per shopping day is invited. To book a ride phone Nicky 329-4341 or Wendy 329-4483.

Prayer for the Parish Weekly each Wednesday @ 8:15am Diamond Harbour Parish Library. If you are unable to join us, feel free to pray wherever you are. Prayer is essential for the life of our parish. The Prayer Chain: a telephone tree can be activated to pray for you or others by phoning Anne Fountain, 329-4202. The Prayer Chain is confidential.

Used Stamps Please

Your used stamps continue to be a good fund-raiser for overseas missions. Leave a decent margin of paper around the stamp when you cut or tear if off the envelope. Wendy Coles and her skilled associate Dick Bar-nett will prepare them.

PARISH GROUPS AND REGULAR ACTIVITIES

Mount Herbert Parish Contacts

Parish Office 329 4790; email: mtherbertparish@xtra.co.nz Messages on the answer machine are cleared daily Tuesday—Sunday

Vicar- Designate: Rev Russell Pickersgill-Brown 329 4876 Priest Supervisor: Rev David Boyd 329 4444

2011-12 VESTRY

Vicar's Warden: John Somerville 329 4713

Peoples Warden and Synod Rep Bob Buckley (Kaituna) 329 0029

Synod Rep & Vestry Member: Vivienne Jackson, (Governors Bay) 329 9930

Vestry Member Anthony Reid , Gebbies Valley 329 7923

Vestry Member David Dean, Teddington, 329 4411

Vestry Member Fiona Waghorn, Little River 329 0171

Vestry Member Rose Eastwood, Governors Bay 329 9166

Vestry Member Kelvin Duncan, Teddington 329 4123

Vestry Member Parish Treasurer: Pip Reid 329 7229

Vestry Member Jan Hanson, Diamond Harbour 420 1233

Vestry Secretary & Vestry member: Margaret Somerville, Diamond Harbour 329 4713

PARISH CONTACTS

Prayer Chain: Anne Fountain 329 4202

Preschool Music - Diamond Harbour Ian Lloyd 329 3183

- Little River Maria Bartlett 329 0016

Youth Group – Little River: Uiga Bashford 325 1072

- Diamond Harbour Emma Kinnings 329 3170

Used Postage Stamps for Missions: Wendy Coles 329 4483

Just Concerns: Sally Tripp 329 9752

Magazine Editor: Russell Pickersgill-Brown 329 4876

A personal message to all those Kingdom workers that input so much time and energy to see the Word of God help and sustain this mission we have, together, in the Mount Herbert area.

The past 12 months have been unprecedented in this area, and the way that every-one has supported each other, and in some cases put aside their own needs to support the needs of others, is enough to make you glad to be part of such a loving community. We are asked to “do for the least of these and you do this to me”Matt 25:40

and this has been evident in the assistance that has been given to so many by so many. As we move into a new season and a New Year in this parish, I pledge my support to all and seek that support in return as we, together, seek God and all his blessings, and for His Will and His vision for the Kingdom to come to pass in this slice of heaven. May God richly reward you as you continue to seek and serve Him, and until we meet again, have a safe and joyous Christmas and New Year. Kia Kaha:- Rev. Russell Pickersgill-Brown