This year our parish newsletter will be updated just once per month in print form, and available at service each Sunday. We will always contact church members with extra important information.
July 2019
We hope to have a more relaxed month as a faith family after the busyness and fundraising achievements of June! Also, due to hosting the annual Queen’s Badge Award service, Nathan has been invited to be chaplain on a Boys’ Brigade course at Nelson Lakes in early July. Thanks to Amber and Bruce for covering those services. Also welcome back to the Turner family.
Community News
• On July 7th we will be having a service where all ages can gather around tables in the hall, rather than in the church. Young and old will all stay in for that service.
• Richard B invites you to stay for morning tea after church on the 14th, to share celebrating his 40th. This is a regular school holiday Combined Service, we hold these three times a year alternating with St Hilda’s Anglican and Wellington South Baptist. A plate appreciated.
• Congratulations to Mel on receiving her absolutely positively Wellington award. Thanks also to the community of great volunteers who have supported her community work over the years.
• Congratulations to Susan Blaikie who has been called to be minister of a parish in Palmerston North, and who is in the process of becoming ordained as a Presbyterian minister. Her current job for Presbytery sees her traveling most weekends to be with churches from the Manawatu, Whanganui, Hawkes Bay and the Wairarapa, however she will come and do one last service for us in August as a farewell before leaving Wellington.
• Winter has come, the nights are dark, which means it is time to have some film evenings together in the lounge. Over four Saturdays, four different people will present a favourite film with some questions for reflection after viewing. Come from 6:30pm for hot chocolate. We will press play at 7pm.
June 29th Nathan presents The Station Agent, M
July 6th Kezia presents Mama Mia: Here we Go Again, PG
July 13th Bruce presents Calvary, M
July 20th Andrew presents Forrest Gump, M
• We are now collecting bread tags at IBPC, which are sent to South Africa, recycled, and the money used to buy wheelchairs for South Africans who can’t afford them. If you have any questions, see Kezia Bennett.
Community Connections
June was a super busy month at church, but we are still here! And pleased to say that every activity we embarked upon for June went really well, from the Girls’ Brigade (GB) pies fundraiser, to the GB High Tea, to the Kaibosh Food Rescue fundraising dinner, which raised $1,066.00! Our Matariki Family Night went extremely well and a number of extra families came along. Thank you to everyone who played a part in making these so successful.
People often comment that IBPC has a strong presence in the local community and it is our efforts, particularly here and in Berhampore, that are making an impact for individuals. Bruce is saying numbers of people coming to the lunches at Granville Flats are growing steadily, so it is a credit to the work of Bruce and his committed team that the residents are having the confidence to widen their own community. Maria, too, is making and creating good connections in the Rintoul Street Flats, and she is positive about the new coffee group there. The Matariki celebration she organised was a nice and connecting occasion.
It was the night of June 8th that many of the buildings at Tapu Te Ranga Marae went up in flames. To support out neighbours we decided to turn our garage sale of 29th June into a fundraiser purely for the Marae. The support from Island Bay in donations, baking, preserves and time has been fantastic. Thank you for your part in what was an exceptional event.