Abiding Life:  March 6th -8th Thirty Four people from St John’s and other parishes participated in a well received and challenging  Abiding Life seminar. The focus of Abiding life is to help people into the freedom of a life  connected to and abiding in Christ. The teaching aims at helping those who attend but also equipping them to help others.

Family Community Christmas Lunch. Dec 25 By 11:30am after the Christmas Day service, people were invited for a Shared Family Christmas Lunch at St Johns Curch Hall. This was made possible through our generous congregations who donated  hams, chickens, Christmas puddings, ice creams, chocolate snacks and lollies, Christmas crackers, drinks, table cloths, serviettes and cutleries. Special thanks to St Johns volunteers for helping with the preparations - peeling and cutting veges for roasting, table setting, serving and cleaning the kitchen and dining hall afterwards. Organised by Catherine Gettins and husband John. This community service was promoted on page 3 of The Daily Post, titled " City's Public Xmas Lunch" (Pardon the Xmas - we agree that Christ should not be omitted in the word Christmas) We appreciate  the support given to us by The Daily Post. They sent a photographer and reported about the shared Christmas meal the following day, Dec 26. Total meals served was 500:  164 people on day had meals 40 workers on day had meals 60 meals went to Women's refuge for women & children 240 meals were taken home for later in the day  Of the 164 that attended: 50 from elderly services 22 from Mental health 34 from other food banks 20 on the day that wandered in 38 from St Johns foodbank

Christmas Forest. Dec 12-19 A free event made possible through our sponsor New Zealand Community Trust (NZCT), and our 19 community service  organisation partners: Alzheimers Society. CCS Disability Action BOP. China Friendship Society. Citizens Advice Bureau.  Enliven. Epilepsy Association NZ. ESOL Home Tutor. Family Works. Leukemia and Blood Foundation.  Multiple Sclerosis Society Rotorua (MS). Newcomers Network. New Zealand Red Cross. Overeaters Anonymous. Plunket.  Riding for the Disabled. SPCA. Stroke Foundation. Whakarewarewa Living Thermal Village and the Youth Projects Trust.  With the help of year 7-10 students of John Paul College -courtesy of Religious Studies Director Maree Stewart and  Principal Patrick Walsh's endorsement; and the Otonga Road Primary School students - courtesy of  Principal Linda Woon's endorsement. They created Christmas decorations for some organisation.   Special Thanks to Hepburn Electrical. 50 Fifty Traffic Management. Jacqui. J Wilson. Bunnings Warehouse.  Drawingboard. Blessings to the Lions Club of Rotorua Geyserland for the permission to display the Christmas Forest  during Carols by Candlelight. Special mention to President Lyall. Supported by the Rotorua Mayor's Office. District Council. Tourism Rotorua. Rotorua City Focus. rotoruanz.com   Settlement Support. Rotorua Review. The Daily Post. iTV and TV Rotorua.  Proudly supported by More FM. Blessings to Nicola and friends for providing a truck to load the Christmas trees to Kuirau Park. and more blessings  to Minister Lance, Pastor N, C and A for supporting and lending a hand to this project and all St Johns Church and  Satellite volunteers and friends for moving the trees to Kuirau Park, the volunteer choirs for helping remove  the Christmas decorations and boxing the trees after the carol service. And to the Atua Awhi Community Charitable Trust  trustees who believed and supported our project funding application.

The Christmas Story. Dec 14 St Johns Children's Presentation of The Christmas Story.

Lights Bus Tour. Dec 12 3 X 40 to 50-seater Ritchies buses were hired to accommodate everyone interested in viewing the magnificent Christmas Lights display  around Rotorua city for free. The route was based on the Christmas Lights Competition entrants list supplied by the Professionals.  People came to St Johns church from 7pm to secure a seat in the bus which took off after 8:30pm. The tour lasted for 2 hours.

Christmas Parade 2008. Nov 29  St Johns Christmas Float during the Santa Parade.

Elucidate 2008.  Elucidate is about welcoming and meeting new members of St Johns over dinner, followed by a guided tour to discover and learn more  about our physical church and daily operations. Pastoral Care for members of St Johns and beyond is exercised through the great efforts  of our Pastoral Care team. Elucidate has been added to the pastoral care basket and several successful evenings have been held,  such as this one last October 29.

Cook Island Language Service. Nov 02.  Cook Island members contribute to the music of St Johns, both at morning services and at Satellite. Every first Sunday of the month,  there is a Cook Island Language Service. Worship music during this time is a combination of contemporary songs played by the band  and traditional Cook Island hymns sung by our respective ladies and gentlemen.

Tokelau White Sunday.  Tokelau Ekalesia celebrated White Sunday last October 19. It was well attended by the wider Tokelau community and members of St Johns.  White Sunday is observed on the 2nd Sunday of October. Also known as Children's Day, the kids were dressed in white as a symbol of purity  and innoncence and they lead the church service. Afterwards, a shared lunch were prepared by the adults. They meet every third Sunday  of the month for hymn practice.