Musikool Kids' Mums Rock!

Some of us mums dusted off our high-school-days musical instruments and brought them along to share with the children at Musikool Kids. No one minded that some of us were a bit rusty! A very enjoyable morning!

https://youtu.be/wdR1HnSSEtA

White Sunday Reflection

(Above: Monica with Hazel)

Monica's Reflection on White Sunday – 14/10/18

The way God designed our bodies is a model for understanding our lives, together, as a church... every part dependant on every other part.

Today we celebrate all the gifts God gives us, and recognise that we are meant to use these gifts not just for our own good, but for the good of the people around us. 

Our reading from Corinthians tells us that all the gifts support and add to each other. No gift is more special than any other gift. All are needed.

In 1 Corinthians 13, verses 1 and 2, it says that ‘whatever our gifts are, we are to use them lovingly, the love is more important than the gift.

Many people from our church family have helped and guided me, shaping me into the person I am today.

I’m sure many of you here will remember Doreen and Lester Riley. Growing up, Izak and I became very close to them, so much so, that we called them Grandma and Grandad Riley. Whenever we visited, they always had lollies in a little crystal jar on the coffee table, just for us. Something that had a big impact on me was learning that Grandad Riley never had a teddy bear growing up. So, when he became ill and went into Wesley care, we bought him a bear and took it into him. They always seemed so pleased to see Izak and I and really made us feel like we were part of a church family.

Theda Barritt, more commonly known as ‘The Spider Lady’ was someone I really looked up to during my childhood. She always had an interesting story to tell, and was eager to share and educate Izak and I, of her spider collection, which lived upstairs in her bedroom drawers. I learnt many things from her, which I am very grateful for.

In recent years, Hazel has taken me under her wing. She has shown such an interest in my life, keeping up with everything I’m doing and encouraging me. She even taught me how to watercolour paint, which has given me a great head start for NCEA level 1 art. A lot of the techniques she has taught me, I have been using to complete my current assignment.

Dave has helped some of our young people by giving them volleyball tips, and teaching them about electronics. He has been very supportive of my music and sport, even going to the extent of finding parts for my saxophone, and texting or emailing after a big sporting event to see how I went.

Even those younger than me have taught and given me things. For Example, Dylan helped me learn how to do flips on the Trampoline, and all the Awesome kids bring a smile to my face every Sunday. I am in awe of the confidence of them, getting up in church and speaking, or singing in the band at such a young age.

I get a lot of happiness, by teaching them the ukulele, and helping out in Awesome Time.

Every person contributes to the life of the church, and has gifts and talents to use, whether you know it or not... just like some parts of the body are a mystery as to what they do, and what they are for, they are still a part of the body and, are needed.

All you Awesome Kids here know every super hero or heroine has a super-power, a special gift. But the difference between them and their arch-rivals is how they use their gift. The message today, is that the superest gift of all, is the gift of love.

Monica 

Secret Fudge Recipe

On White Sunday, during our "Teach Me Something in 5 Minutes" session, Merilyn shared her famous white chocolate Russian fudge recipe. For those who missed it, here it is!

WHITE CHOCOLATE RUSSIAN FUDGE

MERILYN's Microwave Recipe

Ingredients

3 cups white sugar

½ cup milk

1 Tbsp golden syrup

½ tin condensed milk

125g butter

  

1 tsp vanilla essence

100g white chocolate

METHOD

Add all ingredients (EXCEPT chocolate and essence) into a LARGE microwave bowl.

Stir.

Cook in microwave on high for 14 min, stopping after every 2 min to remove bowl from microwave and stir.

At the end of cooking time, add vanilla essence and chocolate and beat with an electric beater for 4 to 5 minutes.

Pour mixture quickly and evenly into a greased shallow tin.

Put in fridge to set.

VARIATION:

Dark chocolate version

Replace one of the cups of white sugar with brown sugar

Replace white chocolate buttons with dark chocolate

Add 1 Tbsp cocoa powder

Making a better World

Last Sunday our Awesome Kids faced some challenges where the only way to overcome the obstacles was to work together with the other team and share their resources. If only we all shared a little more, then the world would be a much kinder place!

CHYPS Masterchef challenge

Last CHYPS night involved a Masterchef challenge. 

Go to the CHAPEL STREET YOUTH BLOG to find out more.

Exciting Upcoming Events

Make sure you put these dates on your calendars now!

Youth Service video

Last month, as part of our national Methodist Conference, youth from Auckland joined together with young people from Canterbury to lead an amazing Youth Service, held at Christchurch North Methodist Parish.

Check out some of the highlights here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pjVNX2ffe0

One Body with Many Parts - a White Sunday Celebration

Christchurch North Methodist Parish celebrated White Sunday, when traditionally in Tongan and Samoan churches the children and young people lead the worship service. Our Awesome Kids, youth and young adults took lead roles in our service assisted by some of our ‘slightly more experienced’ Awesome Kids.

We acknowledged and celebrated not only our children and youth, but people of all ages. We recognised the gifts God has placed in the people of our congregation and showed our thanks for the friendship, caring, teaching and mentoring given by our church family to our young people.

Our theme was taken from 1 Corinthians 12, One Body with Many Parts. Despite our obvious and many differences, God calls us to a colourful unity, and to a diversity without division. Every part is dependant on every other part. “I need you, and you need me.” If one part hurts, every part is involved in the hurt, and in the healing. If one part flourishes, every other part enters into the exuberance.

 AbsolUKE, our ukulele group, led the worship music, along with the Chapel Street Band.  Our young people led the prayers and readings, alongside older mentors, and we had an all-age drama group who performed The Body Skit. Our Call to Worship was co-led by one of our children and her very special 90-year-old friend.

In a time of discussion, we shared our most memorable experiences from Sunday School and Youth Group days, and a Question Time, posed some tricky questions: What is the best thing about being a child? What is the best thing about being a grown-up? What is the hardest thing about being a child? What is the hardest thing about being a grown-up?

We then broke into small groups for ‘Teach Me Something in Five Minutes’. Each adult and child taught something to someone from a different generation, in only a few minutes. There was knitting, weaving, origami, gardening tips, ukulele lessons, recipes and legends shared, different languages and how to make a paper dart. The variety of skills taught and information imparted was incredible. There was a tremendous buzz, warmth and much laughter as the generations worked together.

One of our teenagers presented a reflection, celebrating all our God-given gifts and highlighting the point that we are meant to use these gifts not just for our own good, but for the good of the people around us. She shared how being nurtured and guided by some of our elderly members of the congregation has shaped her into the person she is today.

“Every person contributes to the life of the church, and has gifts and talents to use, whether you know it or not... just like some parts of the body are a mystery as to what they do, and what they are for, they are still a part of the body and, are needed.”

She concluded with a message from 1 Corinthians 13, verses 1 and 2, that “whatever our gifts are, we are to use them lovingly, the love is more important than the gift.”

A Wonderful White Sunday

What a wonderful job our Awesome Kids, Youth and Young Adults did this morning, as they led our White Sunday Worship Service.

https://youtu.be/qaatvbxLlJo

More photos and videos to follow, keep an eye on the blog!

CHYPS October 13th

Calling all youth in years 7 to 13...

Join us for CHYPS YOUTH GROUP at the Chapel Street Centre, Saturday 13 October, 6.30pm to 8pm. A night full of fun, friends and a fabulous supper. See you there!

Welcome

Last Sunday we talked about ways to make visitors feel welcome at church. Our Awesome Kids made some posters welcoming everyone to the Chapel Street Centre.

White Sunday 14th October

Join us at the Chapel Street Centre this Sunday 14th October 10am-11am for our White Sunday service. We will be celebrating our young people, and the church family who loves them, prays for them, supports them and encourages them.

We will have a Teach Me Something part of the service, where we will each teach something to someone from another generation. It may be that you would like to show someone a knitting stitch, or how to put on a tie, a dance move, a note on a musical instrument or an easy way to do long division! You may like to bring along a favourite recipe, a gardening tip or the best piece of advice you've ever received. You might like to teach a prayer or poem, your favourite bible verse, or show a small child how to tie their shoelaces. it doesn't matter what it is, but it is the spirit in which it is shared.

Mud Runners!

Congratulations to Isabella and Sophia, who competed in the Rangiora Mud Run last weekend. It takes true grit, perseverance and determination to do an event like this, so HUGE WELL DONE to these awesome young ladies!