April 1984
Important events have been the departure of our pastor and family, the commissioning service for our graduating College students, Mark and Wendy Hensman, and Douglas Rogers, and the induction service at Flaxmere for Rev and Mrs Richard Cutforth. Lionel and Dianna Nunns are settled into their first year at College. Will Westrupp from our own membership is to be our new youth pastor. The new build for the Flaxmere fellowship should soon be taking shape. In the meantime the programme at Zach's Place continues in the upstairs room at the shopping centre. We are unfortunate with the weather for several of our summer activities. Carol singing and various barbecues or picnics had to be postponed or cancelled. All activities for 1984 are now in full swing and a spiritually active year lies ahead of us.
June 1984
We have been enjoying a good selection of guest preachers and folk from our own congregation leading in our worship services while we're without a minister. Will (Lorraine and two Children) Westrupp moves into fulltime Youth Pastorship this month. We enjoyed a visit from Bert Kater, a former member, and latterly a missionary in P.N.G. with M.A.F. and wish him joy in his new engagement to Beverley Forlong. The loan for the new building at Flaxmere has been approved and building has started. About 80 folk joined in a dedication service on the piece of land before the contractors commenced. A number of our congregation were involved in the test transmission of 89FM Good News Trust radio from Hastings during April.
September 1984
Recently we hosted an evening of combined Hastings, Napier, Taradale and Flaxmere Baptist Fellowships to a tea, following which the children were entertained by a film and games while the adults had as guest speakers Rev and Mrs Hugh Nees. We farewelled Miss Heather Hunt who is attending Bible College of N.Z. to prepare for appointment with B.M.M.F. in India next year. Prayers are with our member missionary Miss Ruth McKenzie who is in the troubled Punjab area of India. A new Men's Fellowship has been formed. Their first evening being an Indoor Cricket game at our new Hastings Stadium. The Young People had their belated Easter Camp at Rissington where the theme was Commitment to Christ and each other. Some members of B.Y.M. attended "Roadshow" in P.N. and concentrated on electives (puppetry, drama, clowning etc). A Birthday Party was celebrated by our older folk who come to our monthly Friendly Hour. We have had the sad loss through death of a long time member, Mrs May Fear, and also of Mr Andrew Ledingham.
December 1984
HASTINGS (cnr Lyndon Rd & Karamu Rd), Vacant, 10.30, 7.
The Rev. Peter Pritchard from the Taupo Church has accepted a call to Hastings from the Annual General Meeting. Mrs Anne Ledingham was elected as Sunday School Superintendent and Berns Harris, Paul Mclntosh and Ian Taylor will serve as new deacons. On Saturday 27th Oct the Rev. D. Patrick officially opened the Flaxmere Baptist Community Centre (cnr Swansea Rd & Caernarvon Drive). Rev. Richard Cutforth is the pastor to this fellowship.