News from First Church

O Lord, let us not live to be useless

With the February and March Country Fairs behind us now, we thank everyone who helped with our stall in any way – providing goods, setting up, working on the day and to all who supported us by buying our “Country Goodies” – home baking, jams and preserves and fresh fruit and vegetables. Thank you everyone.

We have now begun a programme of repair and sprucing up of our buildings, attending to roofing, exterior paintwork and windows to keep them weathertight and attractive. We are very proud of our historic little “pioneer” church, and know that visitors often stop to admire and photograph it, so we feel it is important to maintain its fresh, well-maintained look which demonstrates that it is in use and valued. This is also true of the pretty little church at Burnside which is part of our parish, and which is beautifully kept by the local Burnside Church Committee “down the valley”.

We are celebrating Easter, the most significant time in our church year – with a Good Friday service, and on Easter Sunday morning a short dawn “Sunrise” service at the top of Bidwill’s cutting looking out over Martinborough nestled in the valley below, and over to Bull’s Hill, the Coast and the Eastern hills. Later on Easter Sunday there will be a morning service at First Church at 10am.
Our minister Rev. Jim Veitch will be taking the Anzac Day Day service at Lake Ferry. This will be a particularly special service this year – there are hopes to have a second flagpole for an Australian flag so that both Australian and New Zealand flags may fly together to commemorate Anzac Day. A piper will be playing, and the names of the casualties on the boards inside the Pirinoa Hall will be read.
As we go through April, we will be flexing our muscles again, as we gather up BOOKS for our Midwinter Book Fair in June. Books can be left at: Library, Pain & Kershaw, Martinborough Transport, BNZ. For books to be picked up contact Carol Hawkins 306 9011, Anne Dodd 306 9012, Pam Colenso 306 9503, Sherryl Howie 306 9987, Margaret Peek 306 8285 or any member of First Church, or email HYPERLINK “mailto:info@firstchurchmartinborough.org.nz”info@firstchurchmartinborough.org.nz and for all about First Church click on HYPERLINK “http://www.firstchurchmartinborough.org.nz/”www.firstchurchmartinborough.org.nz

Here’s a thought: Eleanor Roosevelt said “You wouldn’t worry so much about what other people thought if you realised how seldom they do”