ORDER OF SERVICE Red p.404; Blue p.410; Yellow p.436 8.00am Service OPENING HYMN 192 Hark! A trumpet call is sounding WELCOME GATHERING and lighting of the third Advent Candle The Candle for Joseph (See newsletter insert) SENTENCE This child shall be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High. He will reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of His Kingdom there will be no end. Luke 32: 33 COLLECT Gracious God, whose eternal Word took flesh among us when Mary placed her life at the service of your will, prepare our hearts for Your coming amongst us again, and keep us steadfast in hope, that we may be ready for the coming of Your Kingdom. FIRST TESTAMENT Zephaniah 3: 14-20 The Wickedness of Jerusalem PSALM For Psalm: Isaiah 12: 2-6 Thanksgiving & Praise EPISTLE Philippians 4: 4-7 Rejoice in God GOSPEL Luke 3: 7-18 The Proclamation of John the Baptist SERMON Rev’d Dr. Ben Wate: Present, Yet Lost CREED p. 410 (Blue Marker) INTERCESSIONS Leader: Come, Holy God, and, in your mercy Response: Hear our prayer LORD’S PRAYER p. 418 PEACE p. 419 OFFERTORY HYMN 248 God has spoken - by his prophets GREAT THANKSGIVING p. 436 (Yellow Marker) FINAL PRAYER God faithful and true, make us eager with expectation as we look for the fulfilment of your promise in Jesus Christ, our Saviour. CLOSING HYMN 212 I will sing the wondrous story DISMISSAL Go now to love and serve God. Go in peace. Amen. We go in the name of Christ.

Weekly Newsletter 16th December, 2018

Vicar: Rev’d Stephen Baxter Phone / Fax 528 6212 Parish Office: Phone 528 5162 116 Selwyn Avenue Mobile 021 528 052 Fax 528 1155 Kohimarama Email. slbaxter@xtra.co.nz Email. standrewskohi@xtra.co.nz Auckland 1071 vicarsblogging.blogspot.com Website www.standrewskohi.org Priest Assistant: Rev’d Dr. Kay Brightley Phone 446 6981 Mobile 021 275 6763 Email: kdhbrightley@xtra.co.nz Peoples’ Warden: Ann Bone Phone 575 2709 Vicar’s Warden: David Wolfenden Phone 528 9274

Just as babies are not born without a period of gestation in the darkness of the womb, and just as spring bulbs do not blossom without a waiting period in the dark soil, so we do not bloom and flourish without times of quiet and rest. The season of Advent is one of those times, a time of waiting and preparation. Take advantage of this gift of time - don’t let all your time in the next couple of weeks be totally caught up in the frantic holiday craziness. Find some time to reflect on John’s call to repentance - which is not just about sin and forgiveness, but about turning around, turning back to God. In that process of turning around, if you are willing to listen, you may hear more clearly the promptings of the Spirit deep in the quietness of your heart, and receive a clearer vision of how you are called to live out the words of the prophet Isaiah to bring freedom to the captives, sight to the blind, and good news to the poor. And may the Advent season help you find that essential balance between being and doing, between action and contemplation, so that one may inform and nourish the other.

Preparing for ChristmasAdvent 3, Year C

Anglican Missions Board You might be interested to know that our

parish gives $400.00 per month to the AMB

A combined services Morning Tea is held on the 1st Sunday of every month

following the 8:00 am service.

TODAY A special welcome to anyone visiting with us today. We hope that you will be able to stay and join us for morning tea which follows both of our services today. All Welcome!

Prayer & Anointing with Holy Oil

is available in the Martyrs’ Chapel following the service today. Please wait for one of the Clergy to join you

THIS WEEK Monday, 17th December - 10:00 am to 11:00 am Line Dancing Group meets in the Parish Hall.

Final meeting for the year - Resumes 14th January Wednesday, 19th December - 7.30 pm Course in Miracles Group meets at the Vicarage. Thursday, 20th December- 8.30 am Advent Morning Prayers with the sisters of St. Joseph.

NEXT WEEK

SERVICES TODAY 8:00 am Readers: Ann Bone Elizabeth Jollands Prayers Roz Edwards Server: Susan Arnold Chalice: Roz Edwards Nancy Wormald 9:45 am Readers: Stephen Wilson Gospel: Jill Thompson Prayers: Liz Smith Server: Jennifer Copeland Chalice: Jennifer Copeland Margaret Bell

St Andrew’s Prayer Circle: We ask that you pray daily for: Week Commencing 16th December - Stephen, Debbie, & Emma Wilson, & the Youth Group

Week Commencing 23rd December - Brent Nicholson, & Course in Miracles Group Remember: The Church that prays together, stays together!

Roster Next Week Sunday, 23rd December

Advent 4 8:00 am Sides Duty: Jill Benton Ann Bone First Testament: Peter Cotton Epistle: Jill Benton Prayers: Peter Cotton Server: Elizabeth Jollands Chalice: Jill Benton Ann Bone 9:45 am Door: Geoff Hickman Welcome: Robyn Hickman Sides Duty: William Tan Baby Tan Gathering: Anna Holt Gospel: Geoff Hickman Server: TBA Chalice: Liz Smith Nicole Way Data Projector: Nicole Way Morning Tea: Barbara McGrath Susan Bowkett Cleaning: N/A Sacristan: Helen Goodwin Sunday School: N/A Organist: Stephen/Sharon

PEOPLE & things This morning we farewell Ben, Ethel and family who are returning to

the Solomon Islands as Ben has finished his studies at St. John’s Theological College. They have been an important part of our congregation during their time in New Zealand. We will miss you!

Our thoughts and prayers are with David Bindon who is currently in Mercy Hospice.

Thank you to the children and everyone who took part and helped with last weeks Christmas Pageant - look out Broadway, here we come! Thanks also to Rona for making a special Gingerbread Sleigh for the Children’s Party following the service.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to the Parish Christmas Party at the Vicarage last Wednesday and who helped to make it such a success. Special thanks to Baby & William and those who helped in the Kitchen.

Thank you to everyone who has contributed to our appeal for Christmas Presents for the City Mission. These will be delivered this week.

Thank you to Liz, Sharon and Brent, our musicians, for the contribution they have made to our worship over the past year.

Special thanks to Margaret Baker, Jill Benton, and our Pre-School Music Team for their help during the past year. Pre-School Music resumes on the 8th February 2019.

Thank you to Geoff for leading Evensong during the year. Evensong will resume on the 17th February next year.

Special thanks to Jennie Henry and those who helped with the Selwyn Centre for their commitment to this ministry. The Selwyn Centre had a wonderful break up last Wednesday with around forty people attending.

Line Dancing will resume again on Monday, 14th January. Thank you to Rona for all the hard work she has put into this group throughout the year.

If you would like to be part of a Morning Tea roster in January following the 9.45am service please talk to Liz, Stephen or Kay.

Please note there is no Wednesday Communion Service on the first Wednesday in January. Wednesday Communion services will resume on the 14th February, a week later than usual due to Waitangi Day.

Please note that the Parish Office will be closed between Christmas Eve and Monday, the 14th January. For anything urgent please contact Kay.

Today - 7.00pm A Service of Nine Lessons and Carols

Followed by Supper in the Parish Centre. Why not bring your friends and family

CHRISTMAS SERVICES

Monday, 24th December: Christmas Carols - 10:45 pm Christmas Eve Service - 11:00 pm Tuesday, 25th December: Christmas Day 8:00 am 9:45 am Family Service.

January Roster Please note that there is an 8.00am Service Roster and an All Comers Roster for the 9.45am Service during January. Thank you to those people who have been on the roster during the past year. Every ministry is important in contributing to the success of our worship.

Prayer of Confession Leader: O God of Jesus Christ and of joy, we are rushing to get ready, hoping for a special time of love and peace. Forgive us when we spoil this gift of Christmas with our business. Forgive us when we set our hearts on what we will get, and forget the good things You have given us already. Forgive us when we forget what really gives us joy. Absolution Priest: Repentance is Your call to us, O God, through the prophet John. All: Answering the call to repentance requires our thorough reflection, a recognition of unfaithful practices, and resolute action. (Silence) Priest: In the decision to repent, pardon and peace are yours. All: Thanks be to God!

The Practice of Preparation This time of year, there’s a noticeable pull to have Christmas either one way (the gift-giving, party-going, tradition-continuing way) or another (the celebrating and waiting of Advent, making room for Christ in your heart, focusing on the spiritual rather than the material way). While it would be great to restore the season with its original beautiful simplicity of celebrating the birth of the Christ child, it becomes pretty difficult - almost impossible - to isolate ourselves from the secular Christmas season that happens around us. But does it really have to be one or the other? With Christmas approaching, we can’t deny that much of our lives is written out in lists (checked twice, of course). We make lists of the gifts we will buy, the meals we will cook, the names of friends we will invite to our festive parties, and the Christmas specials we must watch before the 25th. In what has become such a hectic time of year, preparation and list-making helps us to make it less so. This year as a parish lets join together in making sacred the secular this season. When we buy another gift and cross that off our lists, may we also embrace the spiritual practice of preparation: getting one more thing out of the way so that we can make room for the real gift of Christmas. Traditions are wonderful and there’s nothing wrong with loving that part of this season; however, what we as Christians are actually anticipating and celebrating this Advent and Christmas is the promise that comes in a tiny baby, born in a smelly barn, to bring us hope, peace, love, and joy. As we joyfully hang wreaths and take part in Christmas Parties may we do so with excitement that we can now point our attention toward what is coming. Let’s lift one another up as we prepare ourselves for all aspects of our lives this season - the traditional and the holy - for something good that is coming. Thanks be to God! May God Bless you and your families this Christmas. Have a great Holiday!

Stephen

Christmas Presents for City Mission As usual, we will be supporting the City Mission by collecting presents.

Please place your contributions under the tree - by tonight.

We cannot accept presents after this. Presents should be unwrapped and unused.

DON’T FORGET THE CHRISTMAS FOODBANK!

Any donations of food (non-perishable)

will be gratefully received.

Please leave contributions in the basket at the front

of the church or hand in to the church office.

St. Andrew’s Kids’ Club Holiday, Before & After School Care

Please encourage any parents who you think

might be interested in our programmes to

visit our website:

www.standrewskidsclub.org

Stephen’s Message from this years Christmas Magazine

THE GATHERING OF THE COMMUNITY Advent 3 - The Forerunner / Preparing for Christmas

Call to Worship Leader: As followers of a tradition that has been handed down through the ages, we join in the anticipation of the Advent season - a season of hope for the world, a time of peace with our neighbours, and opportunity for joy before God. Let us worship together. All: Let us worship in joy. Opening Prayer Leader: O God, we confess we bury the joy of the Advent promise beneath our business, our petty arguments, our need to be seen as successful. We get so caught up in the rituals of gifts buying, decorating, and party-going that we ignore the source of true joy: Your presence with us. Remind us with the joy of Mary. May people, whose joy has been shattered by the circumstances of life, see in us a joy which transcends the tragedy of this world, a joy which has its source in Your unending love. Advent Candle - Lighting (Please Kneel or Sit) Leader 1: Our Advent journey draws us toward the brightness of holy birth. Leader 2: We long to celebrate Christ’s birth. Welcoming a new child is a time of great joy. All: “They shall see the glory of the Lord, the majesty of our God.” Leader 1: The light of faith and hope is God’s gift to us. Leader 2: Wonder and delight fills the hearts of all God’s people. All: “They shall see the glory of the Lord, the majesty of our God.”

Leader 1: We light the first candle, reminding us of the way of hope. (Light the Isaiah candle) Leader 2: We light the second candle, reminding us of God’s way of peace. (Light the candle for John the Baptist) Leader 1: We light the third candle, reminding us of God’s way of joy. (Light the Joseph candle) All: “They shall see the glory of the Lord, the majesty of our God.” Leader 1: May the joy of this blessed season guide and challenge us. Leader 2: Let us sing of Advent hope, peace, and joy. Sung Response All: Let all mortal flesh keep silence, and with fear and trembling stand; set your minds on things eternal, for with blessing in His hand Christ our God to earth descending comes our homage to command. King of kings, yet born of Mary, once upon the earth He stood; Lord of lords we now perceive Him in His body and His blood - He will give to all the faithful His own self for heavenly food. Rank on rank the host of heaven stream before Him on the way; as the Light of light descending from the realms of endless day vanquishes the power of evil, clears the gloom of hell away.