Newsletter

Sunday 20th March, 2011 - Lent II
Our Celebrant and preacher today is Warren Huffa

WELCOME to Holy Innocents—we hope you enjoy this time of prayer as we reflect on Scripture together and celebrate the Eucharist. We invite you to join us for breakfast after the 8am service, or morning tea after the 10am service. At 10 am everything in the service will be screened on the walls. Sunday School is held at the 10 am service during School Term times. Where children are under the age of four years are asked to accompany the children, please.
Sunday School Requests Mothering Sunday falls on 3rd April—and we would welcome flowers for Anna Kelly to show the children how to make posies for their mothers. Please let Robyn know if you could help …….do you have any crepe myrtle blossom, cotoneaster berries, acacia, blue-green tips or greenery?

COLLECT FOR Lent !I
God of mercy, You are full of tenderness and compassion, slow to anger, rich in mercy, and always ready to forgive: grant us grace to renounce all evil and to cling to Christ, that in every way we may prove to be your loving children; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever..Amen.
TODAY’S READINGS
Readings Genesis 12: 1—4a and Romans 4: 1—5 & 13—17 read by Vanessa
Gospel John 3: 1—17

PRAYERS FOR THE PEOPLE led by Marg P
We pray for those in need: Ron Teague, Phyllis Morecroft, Peter Little, the Swaby family, Chris Contro, Yvonne Myers, Sid Sweet and Dorothy Furnival

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Barbara Corbett
HAPPY WEDDING ANNIVERSARY –Eric and Iris Downes.
YEAR’S MIND—Anne Martin (1999) Edwina Christie (2000) and Harold Crouch (2009)

PREPARATION FOR NEXT SUNDAY Lent III
Readings Genesis 12: 1—4a and Romans 4: 1—5
Gospel John 3: 1—17
Fr Ron’s Notes available at http://www.anglican-belair.blogspot.com/

POWERPOINT ROSTER –
Today Ron Keynes or Joy Campbell
Next Sunday Don Caddy or Jill Hilbig
READER- AND INTERCESSOR ROSTER
Next Sunday Reader Eric D Intercessor Hal S-C
SANCTUARY ROSTER
Next week Flowers Audrey & Graham Baines Brass Margaret Carruthers
Cleaning Susan Lee

REGULAR GROUPS AND BOOKINGS
PRAYER CIRCLE meets noon on the 2nd Tuesday each month at 36 Penno Parade North
BIBLE STUDY 10am every Wednesday at 378 Main Road Coromandal Valley
Lenten Studies These will be held on Tuesdays to April 5 at the Rectory from 7.30pm to 9.00pm, and Thursdays at 10.45am, on March 24, 31 and April 7
THURSDAY 9.30am Eucharist

HELPLINE
Part of being a Christian community is the support offered to each other in times of need. We offer short-term delivery of food where needed, local transport, phone calls, visits and other types of assistance. Call Marlene Dixon on 8278 8568 or Iris Downes on 8278 3260

Our Shrove Tuesday Pancake Tea was an enjoyable occasion with toppings and pancake mix all donated and more than $100 donated to the Ethiopian Library Project. A "big pancake with blueberry topping" thank you to Greg for all of his time spent setting up the hall and foyer and for the pancake mix.

Clare and I write a blurb for the St John's newsletter which comes out each fortnight of term. We do alternate fortnights. I did mine last week and I thought I might send you a link each newsletter so people could go and see what we have written. This could be a permanent entry in the pew sheet and the address could change with each fortnight. Here is the latest:
http://www.stjohns.sa.edu.au/news/unambiguous-love

FORTHCOMING EVENTS—note changes please
Passover Meal on 21st April, is n ow likely to be held in several homes, starting at 6.00pm. The home groups will have a more intimate feel and better chance for discussion. Then all will move to the Church for the 7.30pm service. Mary asks that those planning to attend see the list in the foyer, and mark is accordingly.
The Annual Vestry Meeting will be held NEXT SUNDAY after the 10 am service
ABM Appeal is now on with envelopes in the foyer. Palm Sunday (April 17) will see the distribution of Palm Crosses (is anyone available again to make these for our Church?) and Easter Day will see the return of those ABM envelopes. For further info or offers of help please contact Joan Durdin (8178 0704)
Do not forget THE TREASURE MART to be held on 26th March— 9am-1pm
Another special note—Bonny can offer lots of figs for anyone wishing to make fig jam.

PARISH CAMP Friday 18th—Sunday 20th November
Normanville Jetty Caravan Park—8 cabins and 8 sites have been pre-booked by Wendy – please contact her on 0417 806 943 or awsc@internode.on.net regarding a booking. Also. Saturday night dinner 6pm in the Normanville Beach Cafe (next to jetty) $20/adult $10/child with fun and games in the Surf Life Saving club afterwards. Sunday service on the beach at 11am (a bit later than usual to allow time for day trippers to arrive). For information, powered site $27.00 unpowered site $21.50 En-suite site $33.00 Deluxe Cabins with en-suite (sleeps up to 5) $88.00 Executive Cabins with en-suite (2 bedroom) $102.00 (includes linen on main bed) Extra persons over the age of 5 $9.00 Bunk House no en-suite $55.00 for 4 people

Starting a Pastoral Care Team ….
A meeting to integrate the all pastoral work in the parish is set for the Germein Room on Monday March 28th at 2pm. All interested people are invited to attend Warren

There will be a Baptism on Sunday, April 3 at 1:30pm, with Fr. Brenton officiating

Particular Note from Warren
I am preparing to put little-used things stored in the hall and office into the Parish Fete. Probably the art and craft material that is no longer needed (currently stored in the cupboards in the hall) would do well to go in the parish fete. We would leave Christmas play costumes and backdrops, but most of the rest go? Any objections? I am also thinking that the two storage bureaux by the foyer/hall doors are no longer needed. The things in them will find a nice home in the new storage area created in the office. If there are any problems, please let me know. Warren.

RON-BLOG from today’s readings
Have you ever pondered what is ‘faith?’ Is it something you believe in or what you do? Is it a quality without which you cannot be Christian? One of the difficulties in this most materialistic of ages is that the intangible things are less recognizable and that is sad. This is not because there is something wrong with intangibles; the problem lies with our human approach to life, I suspect.
Rather interesting examples of faith show up in today’s readings, and whilst the stories may be rather old, we moderns need to be reminded or reassured that everything old is new again, or certainly can be. Faith then. For me, dear old Abraham is the example par excellence, of a faithful person. By that I do not mean ‘religious,’ but rather, real. Honest. Searching and looking for answers that stand up to the test of life and time. Just take a look for a while. Abraham would have started off life as someone you may well regard as pagan, as a moon worshipper almost certainly was he, and well involved in that cultus. He may also have been involved in child sacrifice, or at least tolerated it. However, the real point to notice is that he was not satisfied with that cultus as a religion, as an explanation of the meaning and purpose of life. So he was on the look-out for something better, something more in tune with reality.
He was inquisitive. He was an asker of questions. [Shut up and believe is not, repeat not faith.] Thank God that Abraham began that pilgrimage not only for himself but also for the rest of humanity – for make no mistake, the Biblical record makes it quite clear that this bloke was to become progenitor not only for his family, not only for the Jews, but for the entire population of this planet. He was to become a blessing to all people.
And how did all this unfold? It unfolded through the very ordinary business of that person’s life. Mistakes were made, and great discoveries uncovered. Good things and less than good. Even some lousy things, shameful things, became stepping stones in that family’s pilgrimage. And the further they went, the more they understood of the nature of the God Who was calling them. And that process has continued right through all the generations, except when rather short-sighted humans (many of them clergy!) tried to put a stop to the development.
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The MHCHA has rescheduled its usual meeting to Wednesday 23 March at 6 pm at our Church. This involves meeting Anglicare Housing reps to discuss future housing management. Also we plan to hold our usual monthly meeting on Wednesday 30th March at 5.30pm.

Items for the Newsletter need to be sent to Fr. Ron at 8298 7160 or ronpkeynes@internode.on.net by Tuesday late afternoon please