SUNDAY SERVICES

Celebrating New Beginnings

Welcome to St Albans as we gather together to meet with God, whom we seek to honour and serve as the foundation and focus of our lives. A warm welcome to our visitors today and especially to the supporters of these people who are being baptised - publicly declaring their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and their intentions to live as his friends and followers.

This is a day of great celebration both for us at St Albans and also in Heaven! The Bible says that God rejoices in every person who turns away from doing their own thing in life and from wrong ways of living, and who turns to God's son Jesus as the forgiver of their sins and the leader of their lives.

All this is symbolised in the activity of baptism by immersion. When a person goes under the water they bury their old way of life and share in Jesus' death for the forgiveness of their sins. When they are raised out of the water, they are raised to a new way life with Jesus, who was raised from death and lives as our constant friend and leader.

Baptism is an outward sign of an inner response of love and commitment to God. Baptism is the positive response to what God has done for us and is doing in our lives. We simply say 'Yes' to God's invitation to become his friends and followers. This invitation comes to all people through Jesus Christ and there is nothing we can do personally to earn it or deserve it. We cannot, by our own efforts or abilities, gain God's approval or acceptance or friendship, or entry into heaven. It is God's gift to us and we must decide whether to accept it or refuse it. After baptism, we are called to live out God's way of love, justice, peace and right relationships in all aspects of our lives.

Two other celebrations coming up:

Rev Hamish Kirk, who has been at St Albans since moving from Nelson late last year, is being inducted as the new senior Army Chaplain at Linton Camp this Thursday at 11am. He joins chaplains Chris Purdie and Rewai Te Kahu in this huge mission field of young Kiwis and their officers. Chaplains have a unique role in the military which allows them to relate directly to people of any rank. Please pray for them as they offer pastoral care and seek to share the gospel of Jesus in that environment.

Rev Silvia Purdie will be inducted as the new minister of Milson Combined Church on Sunday February 26th, at 3pm. Silvia will begin this half-time position after she finished in the Foxton-Shannon Parish on January 1st. Milson is a combined Anglican, Methodist and Presbyterian Congregation. Interestingly, the Milson Church building is on the corner of Milson Line and Purdie Place, which is named after the uncle of Silvia's husband, who was minister at St David's Church in Palmy in the 1950s. You are welcome to attend this occasion.

Shalom, Steve