A Combined Service at Cashmere Presbyterian Church

10am Harvest Festival service at Cashmere Presbyterian Church, McMillan Ave with our neighbours from Cashmere & Hoon Hay parishes. All are welcome – please bring fruit & vegetables from your garden or non perishable grocery items which will be distributed to local community groups (including Waltham Cottage).

BIRTHDAYS THIS WEEK: Tues 1^st Aileen D; Wed 2^nd Anna W; Fri 4^th Rosalie B

NOTICES:

Door code change: Please note that the code to enter the premises will be changed on Friday 4^th April. To obtain the new code, please call into the Parish Office and sign the confidentiality agreement.

Donations: if you would like to support the ministry at St Martins our bank account is: 03-1598-0011867-00. Please include your name as a reference.

If anyone wants jars of spicy crab apple jelly to go on Hot Cross buns, please let Sue know by 6th April so she can have it at church on Sunday 13th.

Wednesday Walkers 2^nd April: Meet 9.30am on the Merchiston veranda, 75 St Martins Road for a walk around the area.  All welcome Fern 021 227 4758

THIS WEEK AT ST MARTINS                                    

Monday 10am               Tend cuppa & chat (lounge) 022 094 1492

Monday 7.15pm           Meditation Group Dugald 021 161 7007

Tuesday 10am              South Elder Care (lounge) Jeannette 332 9869

Tuesday 7-9pm             Mums n Tums (lounge) Olivia 027 327 6369

Wednesday 9.30am      Walking Group: St Martins Fern 021 227 4758

Wednesday 9.30am      Port Hills U3A (whole complex) Joy 337 2393

Wednesday 7-9pm       Cantabile Choir (lounge) Rose 027 254 0586

Thursday 10am             Crafty Crafters (lounge) Sally 332 4730

Thursday 1.30pm          Sit & Be Fit (church) Anneke 021 077 4065

HOT CROSS BUNS Fundraiser for St Mark’s Opawa. $5 for a packet of six delicious buns – available in traditional, chocolate or cranberry. Contact Anna in the Office before 3 April to place an order. Buns will be delivered on 13 April.

EASTER EGGS for Waltham Cottage – donations of Easter treats for the Cottage would be greatly appreciated. Please bring them to Church and pop them in the basket or drop them into the Parish Office before 9^th April.

CONSERVATION – Week 24. This week’s message is about efficiency. Efficiency is getting the most out of energy and materials thereby minimizing waste. When driving, keep your speed down. Minimize heat waste with insulation. When cold, add clothes rather than heat. Only buy stuff that you need. Recycle. The planet at birth was allocated a finite amount of non-renewable energy and resources. When used, the cake is eaten.

PLEASE NOTE: If you do not wish to receive the Alpine Presbytery newsletter each week please email me at the Parish Office (stmartpresch@xtra.co.nz) so I can remove your name from the list. DO NOT click “unsubscribe”. Thank you. Anna.

Here’s our Zoom link –

Topic: St Martin’s Sunday Worship. To Join Zoom Meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81508696154?pwd=cnErZFM5VG5OQVhsZkxYc0dxOHdvUT09

Meeting ID: 815 0869 6154
Passcode: 712158

A plea from Waltham Cottage: they are desperately short of non-perishable food to help out people in need in our local community. If you are able to bring along an extra couple of items on Sunday that would be much appreciated.

NOTICES:

A very warm welcome to all who worship with us today. Please join us for morning tea following the service as we farewell and thank Dan for his time with us as Interim Minister.

Donations: if you would like to support the ministry at St Martins our bank account is: 03-1598-0011867-00. Please include your name as a reference.

NEXT SUNDAY 30^th MARCH 10am Combined Harvest Festival service at Cashmere Presbyterian Church, McMillan Ave with our neighbours from Cashmere & Hoon Hay parishes. All are welcome – please bring fruit & vegetables from your garden or non perishable grocery items which will be distributed to local community groups (including Waltham Cottage).

Wednesday Walkers 26^th March: Meet 9.30am in The Colombo carpark for a walk around Sydenham.  Coffee at the new Mrs Smith’s Cafe at the entrance off The Colombo carpark. All welcome. Sonya 027 253 3397.

THIS WEEK AT ST MARTINS                                    

Monday 10am               Tend cuppa & chat (lounge) emily.ingram@tend.nz

Monday 7.15pm           Meditation Group Dugald 021 161 7007

Tuesday 10am              South Elder Care (lounge) Jeannette 332 9869

Tuesday 7-9pm             Mums n Tums (lounge) Olivia 027 327 6369

Wednesday 9.30am      Walking Group: Sydenham Sonya 027 253 3397

Wednesday 7-9pm       Cantabile Choir (lounge) Rose 027 254 0586

Thursday 10am             Crafty Crafters (lounge) Sally 332 4730

Thursday 1.30pm          Sit & Be Fit (church) Anneke 021 077 4065

HOT CROSS BUNS Fundraiser for St Mark’s Opawa. $5 for a packet of six delicious Couplands buns – available in traditional, chocolate or cranberry. Contact Anna in the Office before 3 April to place an order. Buns will be delivered on 13 April.

EASTER EGGS for Waltham Cottage – donations of Easter treats for the Cottage would be greatly appreciated. Please bring them to Church and pop them in the basket or drop them into the Parish Office  before 9^th April.

CONSERVATION – Week 23. For a change, this week’s message is not draconian or a kill-joy. It is to keep getting educated. Read history (or we will be deemed to relive it). There is just so much to learn from civilisations and people’s past mistakes – and breakthroughs. Nearly all civilisations in the past have succeeded and failed for not many common reasons. Unfortunately, our present civilisation tick most of the bad boxes. My little weekly sessions are my attempt at educating you all. What better place than in church as the Bible lays out formulae for very sustainable living.

Highlights from the March Parish Council meeting:

• Anna is to work some extra hours whilst we don’t have an Interim Minister
• A very efficient fire drill was held on 9^th March with an excellent evacuation time of 90 seconds
• An Interim Moderator is yet to be appointed
• The hedge at the rear of the property is to be trimmed, and the flax bushes on the footpath to be cut back
• The Pastoral Care team has met and the parish roll has been updated
• 5^th Sundays Combined services with Cashmere & Hoon Hay: Cashmere is hosting a Harvest festival on 30^th March, St Martins is the host on 29^th June, and it will be at Hoon Hay on 31^st August
• The access code for the kitchen door will be changed at the beginning of April. Anna will action this and advise all relevant groups
• After Easter the Elder Care meeting time will change to 1-4pm
• Dan was thanked for his leadership and care of the congregation during his time here at St Martins

A new Sunday roster is available today – please check to see if there is a copy for you in the foyer. Anna.

Here’s our Zoom link –

Topic: St Martin’s Sunday Worship. To Join Zoom Meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81508696154?pwd=cnErZFM5VG5OQVhsZkxYc0dxOHdvUT09

Meeting ID: 815 0869 6154
Passcode: 712158

NOTICES:

A very warm welcome to all who worship with us today. Please join us for morning tea following the service.

There will be a farewell morning tea for Dan & Monica next Sunday 23 March following the service.

Donations: if you would like to support the ministry at St Martins our bank account is: 03-1598-0011867-00. Please include your name as a reference.

Wednesday Walkers 19^th March: Meet 9.30am in the carpark of Charlesworth Street Reserve.  Coffee at Mitre10 Columbus Coffee.  All welcome.  Sonya 027 253 3397.

Articles are now being sought for the next ’Messenger’. Deadline is TODAY. Please email any contributions to Charlotte & Sally (hooty@xtra.co.nz). Thank you.

CONSERVATION – Week 22 For this week we discuss cryptocurrency. You may well ask what this has to do with conservation. The answer is quite a lot. The security of cryptocurrency trading is ensured by very sophisticated computer algorithms. The particular algorithms work with a system called block chain. It is very computer intensive. So intensive that the computers within data centres require a huge amount of electric power. Most of the data centres are in China. What they have been doing and still doing is to power them from a power plant built on top of a coal mine. Each data centre uses as much power as a small town. So, the message is, don’t use cryptocurrency. Besides it is a Ponzi scheme. Cryptocurrency has no fundamental value so could vanish in a flash.

Garage Sale thanks – many thanks to all who helped at the sale and to those who donated goods to sell. Total raised is $1709. Well done!

HOT CROSS BUNS Fundraiser for St Mark’s Opawa. $5 for a packet of six delicious Couplands buns – available in traditional, chocolate or cranberry. Contact Anna in the Office before 3 April to place an order. Buns will be delivered on 13 April.

SUNDAY 30^th MARCH 10am Combined Harvest Festival service at Cashmere Presbyterian Church, McMillan Ave with our neighbours from Cashmere & Hoon Hay parishes. All are welcome – please bring fruit & vegetables from your garden or non perishable grocery items which will be distributed to local community groups (including Waltham Cottage).

THIS WEEK AT ST MARTINS                                    

Monday 10am               Tend cuppa & chat (lounge) emily.ingram@tend.nz

Monday 1-4pm              Foot Clinic (lounge) Janette 021 0756780

Monday 7.15pm           Meditation Group Dugald 021 161 7007

Tuesday 10am              South Elder Care (lounge) Jeannette 332 9869

Tuesday 7-9pm             Mums n Tums (lounge) Olivia 027 327 6369

Wednesday 9.30am      Walking Group: Ferrymead Sonya 027 253 3397

Wednesday 7-9pm       Cantabile Choir (lounge) Rose 027 254 0586

Thursday 10am             Crafty Crafters (lounge) Sally 332 4730

Thursday 1.30pm          Sit & Be Fit (church) Anneke 021 077 4065

Here’s our Zoom link –

Topic: St Martin’s Sunday Worship. To Join Zoom Meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81508696154?pwd=cnErZFM5VG5OQVhsZkxYc0dxOHdvUT09

Meeting ID: 815 0869 6154
Passcode: 712158

NOTICES:

A very warm welcome to all who worship with us today. Please join us for morning tea following the service.

Donations: if you would like to support the ministry at St Martins our bank account is: 03-1598-0011867-00. Please include your name as a reference.

We give thanks for the long life of former parishioner Keith Alister Williamson, who died on 28^th February at the age of 104. Rest eternal grant unto him, O Lord. His funeral was on Thursday at Cashmere.

Fireside meets this Monday 10^th March 2pm at St Mark’s Anglican Church, 101 Opawa Rd. We will share stories about our favourite hymns. All women are very welcome. Margaret 366 8936.

Wednesday Walkers 12^th March: Meet 9.30am at the Bus Exchange and walk to the Art Gallery to look at the exhibition “Dummies & Doppelgangers”.  Coffee at The Thirsty Peacock, 10.30am (café attached to art gallery). For those who want to drive, park under the art gallery, enter from Gloucester Street and meet in the foyer about 9.50am. All welcome. Sue 960 7657.

Articles are now being sought for the next ’Messenger’. Please email any contributions to Charlotte & Sally (hooty@xtra.co.nz) by 16^th March. Thank you.

THIS WEEK AT ST MARTINS                                    

Monday 10am               Tend cuppa & chat (lounge) emily.ingram@tend.nz

Monday 1.30pm            U3A focus group (lounge)

Monday 2pm                  Fireside @ St Mark’s Opawa Margaret 366 8936

Monday 7.15pm           Meditation Group Dugald 021 161 7007

Tuesday 10am              South Elder Care (lounge) Jeannette 332 9869

Tuesday 7-9pm             Mums n Tums (lounge) Olivia 027 327 6369

Wednesday 9.30am      Walking Group: City Sue 960 7657

Wednesday 4pm           Parish Council meeting (lounge)

Wednesday 7-9pm       Cantabile Choir (lounge) Rose 027 254 0586

Thursday 10am             Crafty Crafters (lounge) Sally 332 4730

Thursday 1.30pm          Sit & Be Fit (church) Anneke 021 077 4065

Thursday 5-10pm          Private function (lounge)

Friday 5-8pm                 Book launch (lounge) Catherine 960 8189

Saturday 9.30am           Pathways Study Group (lounge) Sue 960 7657

Catherine Fitchett would like to invite all her are interested to the launch of her poetry collection “The Girl Who Sings Islands” on Friday 14th March in the church lounge, 5.30 for 6.00. Published by Sudden Valley Press, to be launched by Bernadette Hall. Eftpos available. Drinks and nibbles will be provided.

CONSERVATION – Week 21. As a follow-up to last week’s tip of volunteering time and money, how about only voting only for candidates that promise sustainability ahead of growth and wealth. In fact economic growth has to be seen as a sin. The planet cannot sustain growth. In fact economies have to considerably shrink.

Here’s our Zoom link –

Topic: St Martin’s Sunday Worship. To Join Zoom Meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81508696154?pwd=cnErZFM5VG5OQVhsZkxYc0dxOHdvUT09

Meeting ID: 815 0869 6154
Passcode: 712158

NOTICES:

A very warm welcome to all who worship with us today. Please join us for morning tea following the service.

Donations: if you would like to support the ministry at St Martins our bank account is: 03-1598-0011867-00. Please include your name as a reference.

Wednesday Walkers 5^th March: Meet 9.30am in Port Hills Road Heathcote near Silo’s Café where we will have coffee. All welcome.  Sonya 027 253 3397.

Every March, Neighbours Aotearoa offers a great opportunity for churches to connect with the people in your neighbourhood and community. The 2025 theme is, ‘Let’s Celebrate with our Neighbours’. This is our event:

GARAGE SALE IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE MENZSHED THIS Saturday 8^th March from 9am. Please bring any items for sale in the day before. Home baking, jams and preserves greatly appreciated. NO used clothing.Some help on the day also appreciated. See Warren for more information.

Articles are now being sought for the next ’Messenger’. Please email any contributions to Charlotte & Sally (hooty@xtra.co.nz) by 16^th March. Thank you.

CONSERVATION – Week 20. This week’s tip needs a bit of will power and could be somewhat life changing – volunteer time and money to conservation. The ECO Church would be a good start for both time and money. Unfortunately, our present government is going in the opposite direction. As far as Luxton is concerned; the economy come before endangered animals. This forces the workload to volunteers.

World Day of Prayer: St Ninian’s Presbyterian Church, Puriri St, Riccarton on Friday 7^th March at 10am to which everyone is invited.

“Love Grace” Handbag Appeal for Women’s Refuge in memory of Grace Millane – if you have any handbags you no longer need, the collection points for this appeal are any BNZ bank or Cracroft florist. Closing date 8^th March.

We’re seeking a volunteer to list the old piano on Trade Me. If you can help, please speak to Leona.

Ash Wednesday 5^th March – The Reverend Simon Green, Priest-in-Charge, warmly invites us to join with the St Mark’s Opawa congregation at either the 10am or 7pm service.

There is also an Ash Wednesday service at Beckenham Methodist Church at 7.30pm. All are most welcome at any of these services.

THIS WEEK AT ST MARTINS                                    

Monday 10am               Tend cuppa & chat (lounge) emily.ingram@tend.nz

Monday 7.15pm           Meditation Group Dugald 021 161 7007

Tuesday 10am              South Elder Care (lounge) Jeannette 332 9869

Tuesday 7-9pm             Mums n Tums (lounge) Olivia 027 327 6369

Wednesday 9.30am      Walking Group: Heathcote Sonya 027 253 3397

Wednesday 9.30am      Port Hills U3A (whole complex) Joy 337 2393

Wednesday 10am,7pm          ASH WEDNESDAY services @ St Mark’s Opawa

Wednesday 7-9pm       Cantabile Choir (lounge) Rose 027 254 0586

Thursday 10am             Crafty Crafters (lounge) Sally 332 4730

Thursday 1.30pm          Sit & Be Fit (church) Anneke 021 077 4065

Saturday 9am                Garage Sale (whole complex)