Big crowd welcomes spring with church service

September 12th, 2012
[by David Armstrong]

Despite the extreme weather, about 115 women celebrated the arrival of spring yesterday with song and prayers at the annual ecumenical service in St Thomas's Church auditorium.

The event, organised by Bev Dykes and her friends from the Salvation Army, St Andrews Uniting Church, St Thomas's Anglican Church and St James Church in Ngatimoti, featured lots of cheerful singing.

Of greatest enjoyment to most was a beautifully performed medley of about six songs by children aged five to 10 from the St James Sunday School, which they have been learning through the year. (See the photo, right.)

The special guest speaker was Commissioner Debi Bell, leader of the Salvation Army for New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga, accompanied by her husband. Her message was based on the 23rd Psalm, that God cares for his people as a shepherd cares for his sheep.

The "Celebration of Spring" service was instituted 30 years ago as a Salvation Army event, but about 10 years ago the organisers ran out of space so they moved to the Anglican auditorium. Soon after, it became an ecumenical service, with all churches and people invited to attend.

In the past few years is has taken off and now the auditorium is regularly filled. This year people even came from Westport, Blenheim and Nelson to take part.

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