Thought for the Week 16 August 2026

Welcome to our service today where we continue with our series  looking at sport; today we dive into the dark side! We’ve established that sport brings many benefits to our lives- health and wellbeing, entertainment, character formation and so on. But like all human     endeavours, sport is tainted by what the bible calls ‘sin’, which has its origins in our estrangement from a holy and perfect God. The corruption of all that is pure is seen in many ways in the world of sport. From various forms of cheating to gain advantage to the intense pressure athletes are put under to perform, which can have long lasting scars on both mind and body; from gambling and match fixing to the corrupting influences of money and excessive salaries paid to superstars. Sometimes sports tears us apart with violence; from football hooligans to the infamous 1981 Springbok tour.  There is a lot to consider!

Today we will also be presenting our 2026/27 budget for congregational approval. This budget has been prepared by our treasurer Janessa McCallum and the Admin team and has been approved by the Parish Council. It sets out our income expectations, operating expenses and some spending priorities and commitments. Thanks to the generosity of our members, both past and present, we are in a healthy place with the budget projecting a very modest surplus of $6,294.  We encourage you to ask questions at the meeting immediately after the service and members and associated members are asked to vote on the motion to approve the budget. If you are uncertain of your membership status, feel free to abstain from voting.

Nga mihi nui, Brent