Category: Parish News

This year the boxes are being sent to Mongolia and the members of Ladies Fellowship got together in September to bring the various items needed to pack the Shoeboxes.  Each box contained Something to love; Something to wear; Something for School; Something to play with; Something for personal hygiene; and Something special.

As Fr. Peter Carlsson was in Strathalbyn at the time he came to bless the items and boxes, offering that the Diocese would pay the $9 freight cost for each shoebox from the Mission Fund.

After the boxes had been filled, labelled in the categories: Boy or Girl, 2-4, 5-9, 10-14 years old and a label inserted sending love from Strathalbyn Ladies Fellowship, they were delivered by Raelee, Keven, David and Eileen to a drop off point in Goolwa ready for their onward journey and personal delivery by Samaritans Purse to the children for Christmas.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to this project in any way.

On Sunday 31 July we met at Christ Church for our fifth Sunday combined Eucharist and welcomed Steve Bengtsson from the Bible Society who spoke about about the history of the Bible Society in Australia.

Next year the Bible Society will be celebrating two hundred years of ministry in Australia, having been inaugurated at the instigation of Governor Lachlan Macquarie in Sydney on 7 March 1817. The Bible Society is the oldest continually operating organisation in Australia.

Following the service we shared lunch in the hall and welcomed Ian Morely who gave a presentation about this year’s Bible Society project, Get the Word Out in South Africa.

Wednesday 16 March

Following this morning’s Eucharist and Lenten Study at Christ Church (for which we are using the material prepared by the SA Council of Churches) there were two special events.

The first was a meeting of members of the Parish Council and the retired clergy to produce a plan of services in the parish which will take us up to the middle of the year.

The second was a “Lent Lunch” in the parish hall of soup and bread roll, for which those present donated the cost of their usual midday meal. The result was the raising of $270 which will be sent to support the ministry to the Women In Need in Syria viagra prix pfizer.

Today, the Fourth Sunday in Lent, was observed as Mothering Sunday at a parish Eucharist in Christ Church. There were special readings, prayers and hymns and we were delighted to share the occasion with members of the younger generation. They had their own activity during the sermon and, as you can see, helped with the distribution of flowers and simnal cake at the conclusion of the service. Thank you Jocelyn and Fr Owen for arranging the service.

On Saturday 5 March Bishop John inaugurated a new ministry in the Parish which will be centred on the Rectory and led by Margaret Holt.

At a service in Christ Church he licensed Margaret and blessed her for her work as a lay minister and preacher in the Church.

The congregation then moved down the street to the Rectory where we shared in Holy Communion and the house was dedicated for its new ministry.

You are invited to drop in to this new place of hospitality and prayer for a chat or a cup of coffee and to share in the regular offering of prayers during the day.

It is fifty years this month since the Rev’d Owen Thomas was made a Deacon in St Andrew’s Cathedral, Sydney on the 20 February 1966 after studies at the University of Sydney and Moore Theological College, Newtown NSW. He was ordained priest a year later, also in St Andrew’s Cathedral , Sydney.

Owen has had a varied career, serving as parish priest, school chaplain and Regional Officer for the Bush Church Aid Society, at first in the Diocese of Sydney and then in the  Diocese of Adelaide.

Since retirement he has acted as locum in several parishes in Adelaide Diocese as well as in the Diocese of The Murray. However he is always happy to spend time at home in Callington with his wife Hilary.

Sunday 31 January was a lovely day and a happy group of parishioners from all parts of the parish gathered at St John’s Langhorne Creek to celebrate our Harvest Festival. We sang some of our old favourite harvest hymns and admired the splendid array of gifts which were arranged at the front of the church.

Following the service we went on to Barry Potts’ place for a shared lunch, great conversation and the auction of some of the more perishable gifts.

At this time of the year the harvest of cereal crops is complete and the paddocks are littered with bales but the grape harvest is just beginning, an important time for folk in Langhorne Creek.

<a href="http://strathalbynanglicans viagra est une pilule.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/MargaretLove.jpg” rel=”attachment wp-att-742″>Margaret Love was presented with a Certificate and Badge marking her fifty years as a MU member at a Christmas get together in Strathalbyn.

The presentation was made by Eileen Smith, the Mothers’ Union Diocesan President.

Margaret also celebrated her 90th birthday in December.

The Second Sunday in Advent: 6 December 2015

The usual morning congregation at the Holy Communion Service at Christ Church also welcomed through Baptism seven month old Seth James from Langhorne Creek as “a member of Christ, the child of God and an inheritor of the Kingdom of Heaven.”

Father David Smith and the congregation welcomed Seth’s Mum and Dad, Kristy and Damien with his little sister Maisy. God-Parents were Amy and Christopher Nelson, and Lochlan Milne.

Kristy’s Mother and Father, Mr and Mrs Tucker had been married in Christ Church, and were happy to join in the celebration of their grandson’s Baptism in the Church that had so many memories for them. There were many other family connections and memories shared with the congregation, with Kristy having also been presented for confirmation in Christ Church by Fr. Alex Bainton some years ago.

Representatives of the Mother’s Union, President Eileen Smith and Jean Merchant presented the newly baptized Seth and his four year old sister, with knitted figures as keepsakes as well as certificates for the parents and God-Parents, together with a Baptismal candle.

At the end of the Service, refreshments were served in the Hall and many reunions were recalled and discussed.At the end of this Service a retiring collection was also undertaken for the victims of the SA Pinery Bushfire Disaster, and with more donations still to come in Fr. David announced that so far $240 has been collected, with the Appeal continuing into next weekend.

The Baptism family presented a delightful prayer memento to everyone in the congregation, which is copied here, together with a little gift for all.

A delightful occasion for all to share, and the ‘Prayer for Seth’ summed up the thoughts and prayers of everyone at the Service.