All of us here at The Hurstville New Church hope that you and your family have had a wonderful Christmas and we send our blessings for a safe and rewarding 2006.

Shirley Taylor had a successful knee reconstruction in December and has returned home to continue her recovery which is expected to take six weeks. Shirley is experiencing pain as is to be expected but is making progress. We all wish her the very best for a full and speedy recovery. For the next two months Tom will be in respite care at Southhaven Nursing Home in Padstow Heights.

Returning to Australia for a Christmas reunion are Karen Lockhart as well as Scott and Kimberley Lockhart. It will be great to have them back with us for a few weeks. To cap it all off Kerry Lockhart is having a 60th birthday party on the 14th January. Kerry would like everyone to know that they are welcome to come and join in the celebrations. Contact Kerry for more details.

A most enjoyable occasion was held on December 11th after church when the Society combined a welcome lunch to Rev Dr Erik and Lynn-Del Sandstrom (who will be with us until 15th February) with an opportunity to sing carols. The occasion was helped by the excellent singing of several of our visitors who included David and Cath Horner from Queensland and Graham and Grace Horner from Tamworth. It was also a pleasure to see Ken and Kerry Horner with their young children Babbette (3) and Edward (20 months). The Horners had gathered during the weekend to celebrate Ken's 50th birthday.

Thanks are well deserved to Beryl Laidley for an excellent study involving detailed research that she has done for the archives as her contribution to our 100th Anniversary Year. It is called "A Profile of the Family of Richard Morse" and we will be highlighting it in our February Newsletter.

Recently the Hurstville Society received a letter from Rev Julian Duckworth advising that the New Church in New Zealand will become affiliated with the New Church in Australia on 1st January 2006 and use the term "The New Church in Australasia". This is an informal title and does not carry any legal ramifications. Rather it is meant to symbolise the desire of both the New Church in Australia and the New Church in New Zealand to work together more closely than ever before.

 As normal, January will be a quiet month. Many of our members will be travelling during the month with a large number attending the Annual Camp at Phillip Island in Victoria between the 2nd and 8th. Having all these people away, including the pastor and his wife, means there will be no church services on two consecutive Sundays, the 1st and the 8th. 10:00 am services will resume as normal on the 15th. If you can, please join us on January the 15th for our quarterly Holy Supper celebration, which will take place at the end of the morning's worship service.

 Happy Birthday to Margaret Heldon (9th), Rachel Heldon (15th), Garry Walsh (19th), Kerry Lockhart (24th) and Kaye Macfarlane (30th)

 

"Fascinating", "Exciting", "Stimulating", "Mind-Expanding", "Enriching", "Motivating" These are just some of the words being used to describe The Master of Arts in Religious Studies Program?  Come see why! Applications are now being taken for the 2006/2007 academic year!
For more information, please contact: Becky Henderson	Administrative Coordinator
	P.O. Box 717 -; Pendleton Hall Bryn Athyn, PA 19009 267-502-2640 becky.henderson@ancts.org

January 2006 Calendar of Events

Note: All events are located at the church at 22 Dudley St, Penshurst 2222 (off Hillcrest Ave) unless otherwise stated. Contact the Hurstville New Church on (02) 9580 1589 for more information or email us at newchurch@optusnet.com.au All are welcome and refreshments are served after church each Sunday.
Sunday	Jan 1st	No Service
Sunday	Jan 8th	No Service
Saturday	Jan 14th	Kerry Lockhart's Birthday
Sunday	Jan 15th	10 00 a. m. Worship (Holy Supper)
Sunday	Jan 22nd	10 00 a. m. Worship
Thursday	Jan 26th	AUSTRALIA DAY HOLIDAY
Sunday	Jan 29th	10 00 a.m. Worship
Monday	Jan 30th	6 30 p.m. Young People