AnnualReport2015

Group

Adult Group

Purpose, Aim or Mission of the Group:

Fellowship and Social get together once a month including welcome to new members. The group gives to various causes using funds raised. (Monthly gold coin donation and proceeds from Peridot Theatre ticket sales).

Current Office Bearers:

LindsayBrown, BeverleyBrown, JennyVass and RogerVass (the annually appointed small committee co-ordinates the program).

Membership numbers:

c50

Usual meeting attendance:

30-40

Meeting times and days:

First Friday each month except Jan and Dec when special events are held.

Locations used by Group:

Generally Room 1

Highlights of the year:

Adult Group continued with a monthly round of interesting speakers drawn from acquaintances of members. The program for 2015 was as follows:
Feb: BBQ at Rev Ineke and Tom Gyles
Mar: “Restoration of the Great Melbourne Telescope” (J Pollock)
April: “Bridging Lanka” (S Lorback)
May: “Press Images of the 20 Century (Bruce Postle)
June: Soup- Games- Sandwich (F & R Wagon and A & M Lemke)
July: “The First Silent Night” (film-L & G Collins)
Aug: “A life mapped out” (D Fraser)
Sept: “Travel in Canyonlands” (R & J Vass
Oct: “Organ Donations” (T Ferrugia)
Nov: “Life of Sir John Monash” (C Miller)
Dec: Christmas dinner for 60 members in the hall with entertainment provided by several singers and instrument players (organised by A Hosking ).
Donations totalling $449 were made to: Bridging Lanka $50. Nepalese earthquake ($99), Cherish Kenya ($100), Wesley Mission ($200)

Group

Broadcast Ministry

Purpose, Aim or Mission of the Group:

To provide a broadcast worship services to selected locations. To record and create DVD's for distribution to GWUC members and other interested parties. To create and support an in home and hospital ministry. To record significant worship events.

Current Office Bearers:

Co-leadership. Warren Greenwood is contact point

Membership numbers:

5

Usual meeting attendance:

All - As and when required - online or at GWUC

Meeting times and days:

As and when required - online or at GWUC

Locations used by Group:

GWUC - Beeac - as invited

Highlights of the year:

* The ongoing support of the special ministry to Beeac each month or when requested, and their support for the outreach work of GWUC.
* Visits to Beeac to share worship and two way broadcast to GWUC
* The weekly download and watching of our worship from the church web site.
* The recording support we provide for special events, weddings and funerals.
* 3 DVD's are produced weekly for home bound members to watch services.
* We have been invited by Kerang UCA to visit early 2016 with a view to commencing a live broadcast to Kerang UCA in 2016.
* Upgrades to the software used and improved Skype connections to Beeac.

Group

FISH - Red

Purpose, Aim or Mission of the Group:

Care & Share

Current Office Bearers:

Convenor: LynneBoyer

Membership numbers:

22

Usual meeting attendance:

7

Meeting times and days:

Twice a year

Locations used by Group:

Church

Highlights of the year:

Christmas Lunch at the Church. We tend to sit together at church functions and catch up for coffee after church.

Group

Free Spirit

Purpose, Aim or Mission of the Group:

Music can warm the soul and bring us closer to the Lord!
Free Spirit is a group of people who aim to enrich worship through music - and sometimes have some fun with other types of music as well. Free Spirit is regularly part of the worship at the Glen Waverley Uniting Church, but also likes to be part of worship with other congregations from time to time.
Free Spirit is self-funding; each member contributes $1 per week, used to buy music and cover other expenses.
Free Spirit operates under a privacy policy in accordance with GWUC guidelines.

Current Office Bearers:

Music director: DebLeigh
Music selection and purchase: DebLeigh
Liaison with ministerial team: DebLeigh
Librarians: JoanneBoldiston
Music borrowing: LiseHales
Calendar/schedule: JennyAbraham & JohnSnare
Roll & performance record RobinPope
Scarves and ties: MarjorieSnare
Prayer and care: MarjorieSnare
Treasurer: JohnSnare
Historian JohnSnare
Friends of Free Spirit Register GeoffWillis
Supper roster LynMaslen

Membership numbers:

30 members

Usual meeting attendance:

25 members

Meeting times and days:

Practice weekly on Wednesday evenings.
Singing at worship or other events in both GWUC and elsewhere twice a month, including GWUC worship on the fourth Sunday of each month (except December and January) alternating between 9:15am and 11:00am services.

Locations used by Group:

Practice is usually in the home of Russell Lang, and usually in the Church the week before an occasion when Free Spirit sings.

Highlights of the year:

1. Regular contributions of music to worship in Glen Waverley Uniting Church.
2. Contribution of music to worship at the Croydon Uniting Church (March)
3. Participation in the Ecumenical Choral Service hosted in 2015 by the Holy Redeemer Church, (East Oakleigh) in May. Subject to obtaining the necessary approvals, it is planned for the Glen Waverley Uniting Church to host the Ecumenical Choral Service in 2016.
4. Participation in the Glen Waverley Uniting Church combined anniversary choir in June.
5. Participating worship simulcast with Beeac Uniting Church in September
6. Recording a fund-raising CD. The recording work was finished in 2015. Following final editing, mixing and replication it is expected that the CD will go on sale early in 2016 (with proceeds to support Glen Waverley Uniting Church projects). The CD was funded by Free Spirit members.
7. Participating in special Easter and Christmas services at Glen Waverley Uniting Church.
Plans for 2016 include more visits to other churches and possibly a concert.

Group

GOMER

Purpose, Aim or Mission of the Group:

A group for men to enjoy simple weekly fellowship over coffee in an unstructured atmosphere, as and when they are able. Keener members also do a walk before coffee.

Current Office Bearers:

Membership Secretary: DavidMorgan

Membership numbers:

39

Usual meeting attendance:

25

Meeting times and days:

Mondays at 10am

Locations used by Group:

Madeline’s Restaurant, Jells Park

Highlights of the year:

A new record attendance of 32. The wide variety of men who attend.

Group

Men's Fellowship

Purpose, Aim or Mission of the Group:

To provide an opportunity for men to meet in Christian fellowship, listen to a guest speaker, and share experiences over a cuppa.

Current Office Bearers:

Convenor: MalcolmChamberlain

Membership numbers:

31

Usual meeting attendance:

25

Meeting times and days:

2pm, first Tuesday of the month except November (Cup Day) and January.

Locations used by Group:

Room 1

Highlights of the year:

Monthly speakers;
* Feb - Roger & Jenny Vass - Madagasca
* March - Mercy Ships
* April - GeoffWillis and WarrenBartlett - Musical interlude
* May - AlaneeHearnshaw
* June - GraemeFrecker - A public life
* July - DavidFraser - Work reflections
* August - GlynHowells - Community farming
* September - NancyeCottrell - Work in prisons & other welfare services
* October - David & Shirley Williams - Meeting Giants.
* Dec - Breakup celebration.
Money raised for Mercy Ships - $700 from the sale of John Nunn's carpentry tools, plus $360 from Men's fellowship members and 8.00am church attendees.
David Williams painted a picture of a stained glass window & members contributed $100 to have it framed. This picture was presented to Rev.Bill Morgan, a regular attendee of Men's Fellowship, to honour his 100th birthday.

Group

Property Committee

Purpose, Aim or Mission of the Group:

To maintain, expand and care for the Property/s used by the Glen Waverley Uniting Church for the benefit of all of the congregation and act as a stewardship caretaker for those properties on behalf of the Uniting Church in Australia.
To generate income from the property in a manner that is consistent with the UCA and GWUC philosophies.

Current Office Bearers:

Chairperson - Warren Greenwood

Membership numbers:

14

Usual meeting attendance:

11

Meeting times and days:

1st Monday of each month, 7:30pm

Locations used by Group:

Room 1

Highlights of the year:

* Full years operation of the Solar panels - generating a saving in excess of $9,000.
* Reduction of Solar Panel loan from $48,000 to $35,000 via rebates and savings.
* Replacement of Room 1 carpet with Carpet Tiles
* Installation of Inverter A/c in Room 1
* Rental income in excess of $70,000 which means that all 2015 property costs have been fully covered by rentals.
* Enhancement of the Water Harvest System and progress being made to return the lawn sprinklers to mains pressure.
* Careful Kitchen Crew continues to pass all Monash Council Food Safety inspections and being awarded the highest level of compliance.
* No major accident injury incidents during 2015
* We have commenced cutting extra large pews into a single and two smaller units for ease of handling. This work is being done by Bill Norquay and is spectacular.
* Late December, the CKC found that the Food Safety template we operate on, and used by Synod, was allowed to expire by Synod 5 years ago. This means we have to subscribe to a different template and the transfer is under way.

Group

Rosters - Kids Activity Time

Purpose, Aim or Mission of the Group:

To provide a stimulating and enjoyable curriculum for the preschool to grade 3 (Kids Activity Time) and grade 4 to year 8 (Discoveries Of God) children that enables them to grow in faith and knowledge of God and Jesus.

Current Office Bearers:

KerrynLeister (DOG), BelindaChung (KAT) and KatieHaala (admin)

Membership numbers:

9 KAT and 7 DOG registered for 2015

Usual meeting attendance:

5-20 children each week

Meeting times and days:

During the 9.15am service each Sunday during school terms.

Locations used by Group:

Rooms 2 & 3.

Highlights of the year:

* Kids growing, learning and asking questions.
* Participants developing a deeper understanding of the Christian Faith, God and Jesus.
* The development of stronger relationships between the children and leaders including those between children of different age groups.
* Developing prayer life including the prayer wall from the second half of the year.
* To see the number of children attending grow throughout the year and a greater level of consistent attendance.
* To have children extend and continue activities on their own throughout their week, and indeed, after the “school year” has ended (ie: bible journaling by DOG children, that children ask to be shown to Kerryn via mobile phone)
* Having members of the congregation come and share their faith and mission with the DOG group (eg: FayeMcDougall)
* Belinda was overjoyed at being corrected by the KAT children when taking ALL the chocolate money. She was told very politely and very clearly that Jesus wanted us to share our things.
* Seeing the KAT children gaining satisfaction, enjoyment and more from the Christmas story through the Christmas mobile project undertaken over a number of weeks.