Coffee and Prayer.

Greetings, friends, members and supporters of our church at Clevedon, Kawakawa Bay, Orere Point, Conifer Grove, Takanini, and in the southern part of Auckland – and beyond. The Peace of Christ be with you! Let us Pray We give thanks today, Lord, For all who, for us, are a source of strength and encouragement. For those who set an example when things get tough, and for all who go to dangerous places to bring hope and healing to those who are suffering or afraid. You, God, are the rock on which we stand, Help us to trust in you in all we face. In Christ’s name. AMEN Coffee It seems that every year there is new evidence that either proves or disproves the benefit of drinking coffee. As I enjoy coffee – short and black for me – I am naturally drawn to the discoveries that extol its virtues. It is always good to come across a café that appears to go to great lengths to provide a good cup of coffee. In Onehunga, there is a very small place with the unusual name of ‘Dear Deer.’ You can smell the coffee being roasted in this machine from blocks away. The machine sits at the front of the shop.        I searched in vain for a reference to coffee in the Bible. It seems that coffee emerged as a drink 1500 years after the time of Christ. However, there is an interesting connection between coffee drinking and the history of our Christian faith: The story goes that a northern African goat herder, Kaldi, discovered coffee after he noticed that after eating the berries from a certain tree, his goats became so energetic that they did not want to sleep at night.  Kaldi reported his findings to the abbot of the local monastery, who made a drink with the berries and found that it kept him alert through the long hours of evening prayer. So, there we have it – coffee is first used to help in prayer! It sounds like the Abbot was taking seriously the encouragement in Colossians 4: 2 Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with thanksgiving. 3 At the same time, pray for us as well, that God will open to us a door for the word, that we may declare the mystery of Christ, for which I am in prison, And we are reminded to: 13 Keep alert; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. 14 Let all that you do be done in love. (1 Cor 16)   Staying strong While there may be no reference to coffee in Scripture, many verses speak about the strength and fortitude that comes from God. The Prophet Isaiah in Chapter 40 reminds us: Even youths will faint and be weary, and the young will fall exhausted, 31 but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.   Let us Pray We pray today for those who are struggling, and all who feel lost and uncertain. We pray for those whose circumstances have drained them of strength or energy. Help us, we ask, to be a source of encouragement and support for all in need. Strengthen our faith in you,  so that we may more brightly shine your light of grace and hope. In the name of Jesus. AMEN   Our Notices Community Lunch at Clevedon. This  Thursday, March the 7th  noon. A good chance to catch up over a Pot Luck lunch. All Welcome. Communion at Clevedon this Sunday the 10th of March.   Youth Group. Clevedon Youth Group Friday, from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM at 87 Settlement Road, Papakura. This term, we're joining forces with the Youth Groups from Papakura East Presbyterian Church and Drury Presbyterian Church.  Games, devotions, small group discussions, and, of course, food! Bring your friends The group is open to all Year 7 – 13 young people.  To find out more, or if you need a ride, please contact Paia on 027 724 2100.   HATCH – our community dinner and church continues this Sunday. All welcome. Please let Mathilde know if you are coming. mathilde@clevedonpresy.co.nz   Men’s Group. We continue with a discussion on the Biblical concept of ‘hope’.  How do we think about and hold onto hope within the complexity of our lives – and all that is happening in the world?  All men are welcome at 7.30 pm each Wednesday in the Clevedon Church lounge. We are holding our next Men’s group dinner at the Broadway Food Court in Papakura  https://www.broadwayfoodco.nz/eateries   next Wednesday the 13th of March at 6.30 pm Russell’s Car collection. A very special and unique opportunity to view Russell Vincent’s extraordinary private car collection. Saturday 16 March 9.30 am. 806 North Road, Clevedon.  (Please RSVP to martin@clevedonpresy.co.nz) Tuesday Morning Home Group. Ardmore 10 am. All are welcome to join with this very friendly and welcoming group for prayer, discussion and Bible readings. Please contact Bev Sutton for details: beverleySutton@xtra.co.nz Tuesday Evening Ladies Bible Study meets during the school term in locations in Ardmore and Conifer Grove. 7.00 pm to 8.30 pm. If you would like to find out more, please give Geraldine Oosterbeek a call on 027-2704-904 Prayer Circle Requests. For anyone who is seeking prayer for any concern or situation: prayercircle.clevedonpresy@gmail.com or text: Cath at 021 349 417, Elaine 022 071 7201, or Nikki 021 973 799 AA - every Thursday at 7.30 pm at the Clevedon Church lounge. Friendly and supportive. For anyone with alcohol or drug problems.  https://aa.org.nz/   Sunday Services and activities: Clevedon Church Sunday morning service at 10 am. Join us in person or watch the live stream on our YouTube channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxBzxjBb3xU8ra2NHwvD_9A (The service can also be viewed at any time afterwards.) Prayer before the Service. Join us at 9:15 am every Sunday in Martin's office to pray for the church and community. St Aidan’s Takanini (23 Walter Stevens Drive, Conifer Grove,)  Sunday morning service at 10 am Playgroup - Every Monday and Tuesday morning in the school term.  Contact Brenda at 021 657 178. Men’s group. Tuesdays at 7 pm in the Church lounge. A time of sharing, fellowship, prayer and study together. Wednesday Communion service 9.30 am. All welcome Women's friendship and study group. Evening group, Wednesday, 7 pm.  Day group, Friday 10 am. Contact Lorraine Richmond at 027 476 1169 Know your Bible Women’s study group. Thursday 12.30-2.30 pm. Contact Susanna Ph. 027 450 1926   (note the change from Friday) Kawakawa Bay The service is held in the Community Hall each Sunday at 9.30 am. Plan ahead Singers and musicians are needed for our Easter Services.  Good Friday 29 March 10 am, and Easter Sunday 31 March 10 am. Singers and musicians keen to be involved, please see Gina ANZAC Day: Martin, Sarah Park and Gina are again coordinating the 2024 service on Thurs 25 April, at 9.30 am. 2-part service, with singers and musicians, sought for the ceremony in the Hall and general volunteers. See Roundup or Gina for full details. CVMFT Sunday Serenade Sun 07 April 1.30 pm:  “Fools and Angels” -  A journey through time discovering musical and dramatic moments of the intrepid, the cautious and the downright crazy” featuring past CVMFT scholarship winners and more. Go to CVMFT.org, or see Gina Sanctuary St James. Our friends at Clevedon Anglican begin their terrific concert series for the year in May. Please find the information attached. Thank you for your prayers and generous support of our church and its mission. Martin

NOTICE OF CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION. The information contained in this e-mail message is CONFIDENTIAL and is intended only for the individual or entity named above. If you are not the intended recipient, you are notified that any use, review, dissemination, distribution or copying of this document is strictly prohibited. If you have received this document in error, please immediately notify us by telephone (call our office) and delete this transmission. THANK YOU.