WELLINGTON BRANCH SUPPLEMENT : Encourager 116 ( August 2007 )

UPCOMING EVENTS : 15 September 2007 ST JOHN'S ANGLICAN CHURCH IS HOSTING OUR CELEBRATION OF 25 YEARS AS A BRANCH - with a thanksgiving service in the church, and a lunch with all the trimmings afterwards 11am - 3pm. Parking in Smallfield Lane off Moonshine Rd, Trentham; Tickets available from Lyn Hawkins from late August; $20 per head. 19-22 October 2007 CMWDT NATIONAL CAMP at TOTARA SPRINGS MATAMATA on LABOUR WEEKEND Come Join the Fun! $100 if paid in full by 1 September, $120 thereafter. Please see Lyn Hawkins ASAP for forms if you want to come. Up to the top
Deep Listening My wife and I have always enjoyed listening to the birds singing in our garden and we have marvelled at how beautiful and complex their songs are. So I was quite surprised on the radio one day that we only hear a part of what birds are singing because they sing at such a fast rate that it can be difficult for the human ear to keep up. The radio announcer went on to slow down the taped replay of a bird's song so we could hear it more fully, and every note was clear. The difference was astounding and even more beautiful. Later I compared this to the way God speaks to us. God's voice and understanding are so far beyond us that we need an interpreter, the Holy Spirit, to help us understand all that God says to us. My hearing will never be good enough to hear all the notes the birds are singing. But with the Holy Spirit's help, I can hear all of what God is saying to me and be more receptive to God's love and guidance. Brian Gaunt, The Upper Room Daily Devotional Guide MAY - JUNE 2006 Up to the top
Listen to God Programs and organised events aren't nearly as effective as what happens when people are willing to ask to be filled with the Holy Spirit, listen for God's voice, and then obey when they hear it. [James Alexander Langteaux, GOD NET] Up to the top
CHAIRPERSON'S REPORT TO AGM 19TH MAY 2007
	Greetings to you all. I am really sorry I can't be with you today - but Melbourne calls!! I trust the meeting is going well. My thanks to everyone who has made a contribution to our Branch in the past 12 months - and this probably covers most of you gathered here. May God abundantly bless you for your commitment. I want to acknowledge Julian & Irene Paton for continuing with running the monthly Prayer Meeting even though they have moved to Trentham. Also, thanks to Ric & Viv Hurrell who now host it. Julian & Irene are still operating our Prayer Chain too. To the members of our Committee - a really BIG thanks for your sterling work during the past year. CFFD is very much a team effort with everyone doing their bit to make things happen. We have two people resigning from Committee this year - Tony Voss & Matthew Pack. I want to really thank Tony for his contribution over the years - coming down from Paraparaumu for Committee and Monthly meetings. And for helping to keep a lid on the finances. His astuteness and wisdom were of great benefit to the Committee - and to the Branch as a whole. Matthew has been on the Committee for a year, but in that time has become a transport guru and has shown us all many of his hidden skills and talents - cooking, story-telling, listening, social events organizer etc. His contribution at Committee level has been invaluable. Bless you both - and I know we will continue to see you at CFFD events. The people remaining on the Committee for 2007/08 are myself and Lyn, Kay McCullum, Teresa Stuart and Ron & Sharon Blackwood. After consideration of the written suggestions that were received, and with the blessing of our Spiritual Advisor (Pastor Helen McGhie), we have joining us on the Committee David Lusk and Ric & Viv Hurrell. I must make special mention of Kay McCullum, who put in hours of work to ensure that our COGS funding didn't dry up. She was thrown in at the deep end when the Branch was randomly selected for an audit of the 2005 COGS Whitireia Grant. Thanks to her skill and tenacity, the Branch was given a clean bill of health. The Philippines CFFD sponsorship and support is going well, and I am really keen for the Branch to add a further person to our monthly support effort. We have recently been able to give an $800 cheque to PCFFD on top of our monthly support payments. God bless those who give so generously. John Hawkins Chairperson Up to the top
JULY MEETING
	Everyone met at Avalon Assembly of God Church and enjoyed singing to God led by the worship team. Leanne Irwin read well from the Bible, followed by Steven Woodward who gave testimony on a recent trying experience that he had had and how God had helped him. After lunch, people went into seven different groups where they acted out or expressed some instructions given to them. The theme was "God's daily rules for the winter." Then people looked over some past Encourager magazines and photocopied any information about the Wellington group since we are celebrating our 25th anniversary in September (see above). Some people also wrote letters to our sponsored girl, Lesley, and our worker Grace in the Philippines. Sharon Blackwood Up to the top
PRAYER NEEDS
	We Thank God for our 25th celebration in September. We pray for the preparations. And pray that God would be there as we honour the past in the Wellington branch. We pray for the committee of our branch, for John, Ron, Lyn, Kay, Dave, Ric, Viv, Teresa, and Sharon. We pray for good working relationships, original ideas and unity. We pray for Lesley, Grace and the whole team at Hebron, Philippines. We pray for Lesley's education and growth into a woman of God. We pray for Grace, the occupational therapist, in her work at the centre. Give them both a sense of purpose as they study and work. We thank God for the CMWDT and the new Board of Governance. We pray for the adjustment to change this will mean for the fellowship, and pray that God's purposes would reign in decisions made at this level in the future. Up to the top
FAREWELL We acknowledge the deaths of David Coghlan and Margie Neville in the last months. We give thanks for their lives with us and extend our sympathies to their friends and families.

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