Thought for the week
Thought For The Week 21 September 2025
Welcome to our service today. I wonder if you can hear anything different? It might be too subtle to notice but our new piano has arrived. It’s a beautiful looking and sounding instrument and I had the pleasure of helping John Hargraves putting it together and then hearing him put it through its paces. Skilful […]
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Thought For The Week 14 September 2025
Welcome to our service today. I want to begin by thanking all those who contributed their time and talents to our annual plant sale. Such a lot of effort goes into an event like this from potting and raising plants and the many baked goods produced in home kitchens to the people there on the […]
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Thought For The Week 7 September 2025
A very warm welcome to our service today especially to the Girls and Boys Brigade families. The service will include presentation to Fiona Blissett who is a receiving a badge for 40 years’ service to GB; Eamon Carson and Andre Stokes are receiving badges for attending the National Leadership Development Course and being promoted to […]
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Thought For The Week 31 August 2025
Season of Creation 2025: Peace with Creation This September, churches around the world will once again unite to celebrate the Season of Creation — a month-long opportunity, from 1 September to 4 October This year’s theme is “Peace with Creation” drawing from the promise found in Isaiah 32:14 ‑18. In this powerful passage, Isaiah offers a vision of deep restoration — […]
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Thought For The Week 24 August 2025
Welcome to our service today. It’s a delight to once again have Janie sharing the word with us- I especially appreciate our growing band of lay preachers and the insight and perspectives they bring. A healthy church is one where people are given space to grow in their ministry gifts and it is good to […]
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Thought For The Week 17 August 2025
Welcome to our service today. One of my favourite books is Bill Bryson’s A Short History of Nearly Everything which is described as “The ultimate eye-opening journey through time and space, the biggest-selling popular science book of the 21st century and has sold over 2 million copies”. What I really like about this book is […]
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Thought For The Week 10 August 2025
Welcome to our service today and thankyou Janie and Catherine for leading last week’s service so well while I was in Auckland. Our Parish Council have been busy lately grappling with a couple of significant things in our life which I would like to update you on. Budget 2025/26 This will be presented for congregational […]
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Thought for the Week – 3 August 2025
Peace Sunday, 3 August About 10 years ago I sat in a hotel in Waimate having lunch with my mother who had worked in the town during the war years. She told me that this particular hotel had been at the centre of the street party celebrations when the end of WW2 was announced. She […]
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Thought For The Week 27 July 2025
Welcome to our service today. The past week has been particularly busy with two funeral services happening at St Stephens. On Wednesday we farewelled long time member May Brown. The church was packed with some people standing throughout the service. On Friday we farewelled recent member Fred Knewstubb who passed away in June. A lovely […]
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Thought For The Week 20 July 2025
Welcome to our service today. Recently Max Muldrew returned from a trip around Europe and will be sharing about his time visiting the Milan Cathedral, which houses a famous statue of Saint Bartholomew, one of the 12 disciples of Jesus. He became the patron saint of Armenia and was martyred in typically gruesome fashion. We […]
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