This is one scary moment for me. A novice blogger. I have already deleted one section that I now need to reinstate. Will work on the how in a minute!

I am Anne Price. One really can't say the new vicar any more, but in relative terms I am the new Vicar. I have been in this wonderful parish just over five months. Am learning to navigate my way around the district, and not just blog sites. I celebrated both Christmas and Easter with this community. Now we get to know one another. The weather outside is grey and windy but this afternoon should be a real bright spark. The children of the Sunday School are having a sponsored bounce to raise some funds to buy books to read at Sunday School.

20^th August

Hello to all Sunday School children and their families, especially the Grans and Grandpas. Here are the pictures Kathryn took last Sunday ... her favourite is the one where you all shouted hooray! We need more pictures for this Blog because some of you were on holiday, and busy being other places. You will be in the next picture – promise! We said goodbye to Marie and Georgie last Sunday too.

NEWS for families and children. Remember Ten Pin Bowling last year?? That is going to happen again soon. AND remember the great time at Parish Camp...well that is going to happen again soon; but your Mums think it will be best to go to camp when the weather is warmer, and also soon we will have a new Vicar, and we hope he or she likes Parish Camps too.

29th July 2009

We have great children in Ellesmere: lots of them attended our 3^rd Parish KidsFest, which was held in the warm cosy hall at St James Southbridge.

As usual we had a Biblical Theme relating to creative drama, and art work – hopefully you can view some of that in the pics. Great great stuff!!

We also did cooking (thanks to our parish helpers – we promise we will never again ask you to cut up marshmallows for fudge with Sunday School scissors!!)

One day we had a treasure hunt in the churchyard and found beautiful leaves left from autumn, and the first of the spring flowers. Another day we did “brass rubbings” like people do in great Cathedrals around the world; we started with the tombstone of Gooey Soo who as far as we know is the only Chinese pioneer of Southbridge.

Kathryn thought the children would enjoy the chinese writing – they did – but then they found angels, beautiful writing, and little decorations of great beauty which escape most of us as we mow, rake and chain saw in the churchyard. Thank you Sarah and Jan for pics.

Moving Ahead

FEBRUARY ….was a very special day for the Leeston congregation. Bishop Victoria visited St John’s Leeston to conduct a Confirmation for Lyn and John Calder.

MARCH… on the 8^th, the Parish said farewell to the Dyer family on; Adrian Dyer, the Vicar, had been a member of the Leeston Volunteer Fire Brigade during his time in the parish; the Fire Service banner was processed into the church. The Parish wishes Adrian well in his Ministry as a RAF chaplain, and ask God’s Blessing on Marie, Adrian, Willow, Molly and Georgette as they prepare for relocating to the United Kingdom. Please remember them in your prayers.

Landscaping at St John’s, Leeston.

Last year the Parish received a bequest from the estate of Miss Millie Hay, with the request that the drive at St Johns be sealed with a smooth surface. Before this could be attended to, there was a need to remove one or two rough old trees, rather than have them fall, at a later date, onto the new surface. Permission was duly sought from Church Property Trustees. The appointed landscape team recommended simplification of the landscape for ease of maintenance, and also to maximise the vista to the church, and hopefully to make the area less hospitable to anyone bent on mischief.

The sealing has been done; the first plantings of box hedges are in place and other plantings underway. Two seats will be placed in sunny spots; hopefully parishioners will sit and chat after services, and folk walking through Church Lane may enjoy the trees and the peace. One of the benches will have a small brass inscription To the Glory of God, In Remembrance of Mildred Hay, 1907 to 2005.

The Wardens, Vestry, and St John’s Congregation warmly thank all who have helped with this project; and acknowledge with gratitude, the generosity over many years of the Hay family to the Church and the Leeston community.

APRIL… saw the Sunday School Mums take over their teaching and support roles.

This is just great and working well...the Parish THANKS you all. We promised the children we would put their photo on this page...so here they are at Family Eucharist on Sunday 28^th June. We promise the children there is more to come.

MAY….. saw the Parish Seasonal Planning Group decide to take the 5^th Sunday Service to Irwell – a first!! For such a special occasion we took the Parish Processional Cross to St Mary’s ...thank you Keith Gilbert for being Cross Bearer. The service planners worried about space...and Irwell, who enjoy putting up marquees for special occasions, made muttering noises about a need. We decided upon squashing inside, and thank goodness, because it was a freeeeeeeezing day; and all were safe and snug in that little house of God.

The Planning Group invited some folk from Irwell to join in planning the service – it was a great team; and special thanks to the children who helped. A back cloth decorated with brightly painted red autumn leaves, symbolising flames, and an Altar Frontal made from an enlarged painting of the day of Pentecost. The Planners chose to dramatise Acts 2: 1-21.

During May the Parish held a Consultation in preparation for choosing a new Vicar; the discussions of that day have been added to The Parish profile 2009, and that is now with Bishop Victoria. The closing date for applications is Monday 3^rd August.

What can you as Parishioners do to help select a new Vicar???

Pray expectantly for your parish and its future,

and especially for the Priest

who will be selected as our next Vicar.

Our Parish Blog Site

We know we cannot provide quite such compelling reading as Adrian, however our aim is to let the Ellesmere community, the Diocese and the world, know that we are a rural parish on the move; and that we are looking for another energetic Vicar to lead, teach and grow further our church community.

If you have contributions for the Blog please let Kathryn or Ian know; this is a Parish site not ours...so lets do it together.

Kathryn

wendrum@xtra.co.nz

Ian

ian-joan.ford@xtra.co.nz