The Glen Waverley Uniting Church PSALTER|
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| We writing on behalf of our recently formed Steering Committee. We have been given the task to take seriously the widespread comments that change is necessary for our Church. We are listening to many many individuals telling of the hurts that they have received at the hands of others in the congregation, and how they feel that they have not felt their personal faith grow recently. We are reading the Kitto Report. We grieve over the Ministry team breaking up. Presbytery is giving us some gentle encouragement. | We are writing on behalf of the recently formed Steering Committee. |
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| We are seeking a way forward and hope soon to present some proposals to the congregation. This is a difficult task as members of the congregation are in different places in their understanding. We will offer to you suggestions, knowing they are nothing more than suggestions. We would be glad to hear from you either now before we finalise our tentative suggestions or after. | We have been charged with the challenge of responding to the calls for change being heard from members of our GWUC community. We are looking for a God centred way forward for our Church. We are listening to many who are sharing their current pain and hopes for the future with us. We are reading the Kitto Report. We grieve over the Ministry team breaking up. We are hoping to provide a life-giving vision of our community which values our present and future members, and our diverse gifts and needs. |
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| We are looking to God to see where the Church may go. You may like to join us in asking the Holy Spirit to illumine for our situation these two passages: Matthew 22:34-17 and Ephesians 3:14-19. | We see our key mandate as helping the congregation to become a ‘Community of Love’ and to focus on our Spirituality. |
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| We accept as our key mandates the need to help the congregation to become more of a Community of Love and to increase and enjoy more our Spirituality. | We intend to: * Provide a proposal to the congregation, not to give instruction. * Put what we believe is God’s plan for the future of GWUC into writing for your consideration. * Enable the congregation, including current Elders and members of the Church Council, to understand the vision that we have, and to help them find roles and a personal calling, under the proposed new structure, which allow them to use their gifts and talents in refreshed and effective ways. |
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| This Committee of six is not asking of the congregation anything we are not already living out amongst our own selves each time we meet. We invite you to ask any of the six of us to tell you what is actually happening to us as we focus on being a Community of Love and on Spirituality. | We will soon be providing a draft structure as the basis for further discussion and decision making. Please take the opportunity to talk with us about what you think God is saying to you about our desire to move forward spiritually and harmoniously as a congregation. |
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| We will soon be making recommendations about our congregational structure. Please know that we care deeply about transition. We hope no one will feel displaced. The talents, gifts and interests each of us (you) have are important to your Church. While the Church Council may become smaller in size (so it can become more a Community of Love), there are many grand opportunities for everyone of us to participate in the life and mission activities and groups of GWUC. We will be writing and talking to you about them very soon. And please please please take the initiative to talk with us about what you think God is saying to you and to all of us. | At our last meeting, the Steering Committee members each contributed our response to “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind” (Matt22:37). It is a good starting point for any forward planning. |
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| We thank you for your connection with this your Church. This could be a wonderfully exciting time for us all. Change is scary at times but may lead to big strides ahead, if we are clearly seeking to be disciples of Jesus Christ. | The vision we have should strengthen our commitment to the ‘On The Way Together” program already supported by the congregation, and for the Glen Waverley Uniting Church to be stronger tomorrow than it is today. We are looking for ways to honour the work that so many of you have put into this Church over its life, and to ensure its future strength and support for members and the world. |
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| * Brace Bateman, 9807 3941, [email protected] * Belinda Chung, 9802 7263, [email protected] * Mark Easton, 8802 8496, [email protected] * Margaret Fraser, 9803 7653, [email protected] * John Hurst, 9803 9346, [email protected] * Bronwyn Lowe, 9885 8514, [email protected] |
We hope no one will feel displaced. The talents, gifts and interests each one of us have are important to our Church. While the Church Council may reduce in size there are many opportunities for everyone to participate in the life and mission activities and groups of GWUC. We will be writing and talking to you about them very soon. We plan to provide further explanation of the roles and duties of the new smaller Church Council and to conduct a “gifts and talents” workshop open to all. There will be opportunities for more people, not less, to lead and participate in the life and mission activities of GWUC. We anticipate that if the proposed structure is approved, an election for all Church Council positions will be held soon. We thank you for your connection with this your Church. This is a wonderfully exciting time for us all. Change is scary at times but we hope it will lead to big strides ahead, if we are clearly seeking to be disciples of Jesus Christ. We thank you for your prayers and support, your ideas and your willingness to consider the proposal that we will bring to you for your consideration. If you would like to discuss any of these matters, please contact any of us. GWUC Future Directions Steering Committee • Brace Bateman, 9807 3941, [email protected] • Belinda Chung, 9802 7263, [email protected] • Mark Easton, 8802 8496, [email protected] • Margaret Fraser, 9803 7653, [email protected] • John Hurst, 9803 9346, [email protected] • Bronwyn Lowe, 9885 8514, [email protected] |
30 April 2013
Dear Friends of the Glen Waverley Uniting Church,
We are writing on behalf of the recently formed Steering Committee.
We have been charged with the challenge of responding to the calls for change being heard from members of our GWUC community. We are looking for a God centred way forward for our Church. We are listening to many who are sharing their current pain and hopes for the future with us. We are reading the Kitto Report. We grieve over the Ministry team breaking up. We are hoping to provide a life-giving vision of our community which values our present and future members, and our diverse gifts and needs.
We see our key mandate as helping the congregation to become a ‘Community of Love’ and to focus on our Spirituality.
We intend to: * Provide a proposal to the congregation, not to give instruction. * Put what we believe is God’s plan for the future of GWUC into writing for your consideration. * Enable the congregation, including current Elders and members of the Church Council, to understand the vision that we have, and to help them find roles and a personal calling, under the proposed new structure, which allow them to use their gifts and talents in refreshed and effective ways.
We will soon be providing a draft structure as the basis for further discussion and decision making. Please take the opportunity to talk with us about what you think God is saying to you about our desire to move forward spiritually and harmoniously as a congregation.
At our last meeting, the Steering Committee members each contributed our response to “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind” (Matt22:37). It is a good starting point for any forward planning.
The vision we have should strengthen our commitment to the ‘On The Way Together” program already supported by the congregation, and for the Glen Waverley Uniting Church to be stronger tomorrow than it is today. We are looking for ways to honour the work that so many of you have put into this Church over its life, and to ensure its future strength and support for members and the world.
We hope no one will feel displaced. The talents, gifts and interests each one of us have are important to our Church. While the Church Council may reduce in size there are many opportunities for everyone to participate in the life and mission activities and groups of GWUC. We will be writing and talking to you about them very soon.
We plan to provide further explanation of the roles and duties of the new smaller Church Council and to conduct a “gifts and talents” workshop open to all. There will be opportunities for more people, not less, to lead and participate in the life and mission activities of GWUC. We anticipate that if the proposed structure is approved, an election for all Church Council positions will be held soon.
We thank you for your connection with this your Church. This is a wonderfully exciting time for us all. Change is scary at times but we hope it will lead to big strides ahead, if we are clearly seeking to be disciples of Jesus Christ.
We thank you for your prayers and support, your ideas and your willingness to consider the proposal that we will bring to you for your consideration. If you would like to discuss any of these matters, please contact any of us.
GWUC Future Directions Steering Committee • Brace Bateman, 9807 3941, [email protected] • Belinda Chung, 9802 7263, [email protected] • Mark Easton, 8802 8496, [email protected] • Margaret Fraser, 9803 7653, [email protected] • John Hurst, 9803 9346, [email protected] • Bronwyn Lowe, 9885 8514, [email protected]