Author Archives: Jan Harper

On Friday 3rd March the Anglicans took their part in the  World Day of Prayer Service at the Grain Shed (Church of Christ).  We shared the  intercessions representing a child, an overseas worker a farmer and a laborer.

Catholic and Uniting Church members as well as the Church of Christ members all played parts in the service.  Marin Chandler from the Grain Shed was the Speaker.

The service was prepared by Filipino Christians with the theme “Am I being unfair to you?”

Next year it is our turn to host the service which will will be prepared by Christians in the tiny country of Suriname which lies on the north coast of South America above Brazil.

What a great occasion Tuesday evening was , when ten students from Swan Hill College under the eye of teacher K​ylie Gardner prepared and served the parish family and friends with a delicious array of food for “Pancake Night”. The meal went far beyond the traditional pancakes.  First course was a pancake pizza, a chicken and white sauce filled pancake and salad.  Traditional pancakes were served for desert with maple syrup or other flavored toppings, ice-cream and fresh fruit.

The catering facilities provide an excellent training ground for young people entering the hospitality industry and we are grateful to those in the parish who had the foresight to make the Anglican precinct one for the benefit of the wider community.

As the thoughtful season of Lent begins, there are more opportunities to serve our Christian calling thoughtfully and prayerfully.

Each Saturday at from 11.00 am people are welcome to drop in for a cuppa and if they wish to go then into the church and join the music group in practising the dozen songs and hymns to be part of the 9.30am Sunday service. All are welcome to this special aspect of worship.

Each Monday there will be Midday meditation in the Memorial Courtyard, to rest in silence with our Lord. Monday evening offers a Lenten study, which will also follow the usual Wednesday 10.00 am service.

Rather than give up treats for Lent, why not give up a bad habit, or take up a good cause to support.

Many prayers for a meaningful and rewarding Lent.

Big things happened at the Tillbrook property in the last weekend of February.  3 visitors and families stayed over the weekend and put up an antenna on their shed and set up all the paraphernalia to relay a radio station – Vision Australia.

Vision Australia’s story began in 1999, broadcasting from humble studios in Springwood, Brisbane. As their transmitters have grown in number to many rural centres right across Australia, so has their program content matured and developed. Their team of professional broadcast staff comes from many walks of life and media backgrounds, and are the daily voice of Vision Radio around Australia.

Castlemaine Church of Christ raised the money for the transmitter and licence, and technicians involved in the Church of Christ at Kyneton and Bendigo set it up.

It is not all plain sailing.  By the terms of their licence they cannot transmit too strong a signal that might interfere with established radio stations.  You will find Christian Radio on Fm88.  Please try it and let John and Merilyn know if you can receive it ok.

It transmits mostly music, with plenty of Hillsong upbeat type Christian Songs.  But it also involves talkback, bible messages and readings, children’s programs and worldview news service. If you can’t get it on your radio dial at the moment you could always listen to Christian Radio via the internet at www.vision.org.au/radio/  and checkout their programme while you are there.

This Sunday the whole Swan Hill Anglican Parish worships together barefoot.  Two years ago a parish councillor suggested we have a ‘Barefoot Worship Service’ because ‘Barefoot Bowls’ is so successful.  So finally we are giving it a go.  This is a service were we leave our shoes at the door (optional of course) and with them some of our formality.  Instead of a sermon we have Rev’d Tawk Kap to give his witness. Our songs and hymns will follow the theme and we will enjoy a ‘bring and share’ lunch after the service.

For me as a child going barefoot was a symbol of freedom.  The only times we were allowed to go barefoot were at the beach or at my Uncle and Aunt’s farm.  But going barefoot does have a more serious side.  God asked Moses to take of his shoes because he was on holy ground, so it is a sign of humility and acknowledgement of God’s presence.  In most of Asia it is customary to take shoes off to go into a place of worship or a home.  Pilgrims sometimes walked barefoot as penance or to be aware of the poverty of those who cannot afford shoes.  St Francis lived humbly in utmost simplicity and walked barefoot. And then there is the beautiful poem Footprints by Mary Stevenson.

Please come and join us in this service as we contemplate what it means to go barefoot.

The Nyah West Men’s Shed Renovations were opened by Bishop Andrew on Monday 19th December.  There was a lovely crowd attending to join in the celebration and stay for lunch. Visitors  included volunteers  from the Op Shop that operates from the same Nyah West building and people from the Swan Hill and Lake Boga and Balranald Men’s Sheds.  The renovations incorporate a kitchen,  lunch room,  office,  toilet and a mezzanine storage area that has been so stunningly crafted  it give the look of a ‘Men’s Palace’ rather than a ‘Men’s Shed’.

Bishop Andrew admires the balustrade which extends from along the mezzanine floor above his head right down beside the stairs just out of the photograph to the right. Men’s Shed president Graham Muir calls for the men’s shed members to assemble ready for Bishop Andrew to cut the ribbon and officially open the renovations.

Report from Graham Muir:

There was a large attendance of invited guests, and representatives of various community organisations, and men visitors from the Lake Boga, Swan Hill and Balranald men’s sheds to help celebrate the recent official opening of the new kitchen/lunchroom/office/toilet and mezzanine storage area at the Nyah District Men’s Shed.

Men’s Shed President, Harvey Pearce, welcomed all in attendance and briefly outlined how and why the project came about.  The Anglican Church’s Bishop Andrew Curnow addressed the gathering with a resume of how the Men’s Shed and the adjoining Op Shop all came about in the former Freemason’s Temple during the 2010/2011 era.

The essential development works for the comfort of the shed members and visitors, came about as a consequence of successful funding applications under both the Commonwealth Government’s Shed Development grants scheme and their Volunteers grants, along with a Swan Hill Rural City Council’s Community Development grant, with a considerable Men’s Shed in-kind contribution.

Following the formal speeches, the Shed members along with the Bishop performed the traditional ‘cutting of the ribbon’, in this case a piece of hay band, after which all present enjoyed a very pleasant lunch with a guest appearance of Santa.

The Men’s Shed will re-open on Monday, February 6^th at 10.00 am following the member’s ‘annual leave’ break, and operates each Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10.00 am to 3.00 pm.  The Shed is located at 7 O’Connor Street, Nyah West which is at the rear of the Nyah West Pharmacy.

Males of all ages from 18 upwards are welcome to call in, have a chat and maybe become a member for a very nominal subscription, which is there just to cover your insurance.