Communications Committee

Our mission

Glen Waverley Uniting Church is a faithful, Christ-centred community that meets God and shares that unconditional love.

Our Vision

Connectedness: Fostering relationships, Small Groups, Pastoral care, Gatherings and events, Intergenerational connections

Faith: Providing specified study groups, Diverse worship services & styles & times, Conferences, seminars & guest speakers, A culture of asking questions, exploring & sharing faith

Kingsway: Intentional listening to & learning from other multicultural or ethnic specific church communities, Building relationships by pastoral care and prayer support to Kingsway businesses, Participating in Kingsway events

Profile: Partnering with schools, councils and clubs, talking to community and global organisations to identify needs, Empowering the disempowered, Advocacy of community and global topics.

Living the Vision

1. Being Mindful - The Communications Committee prefaces its agendas and minutes with the four summary vision statements as a reminder that the deliberations of the Committee should be done in the context of this vision.

2. Looking Forward - The Communications Committee uses the four vision areas as a guide for discussion and decisions.

3. Reflecting - The Communications Committee uses the four vision areas to check whether or not anything has been missed in its consideration of its various agenda items.

Report

4 Jul 2016, 7:30pm – 9:30pm, Room 2

1. Sharing Time

JanClear on boiling carrots, eggs and coffee.

2. Attendance and Apologies

Attendance: JohnSnare, LesleyArmstrong, JanClear, AaronBlakemore, AlaneeHearnshaw, AmySparkEichenbaum (part of the time)

Apologies: JohnHurst

3. Confirmation of the agenda

The agenda was confirmed as circulated.

4. Matters arising from the report of the last meeting

A report of the previous meeting is at CommunicationsReport20160509

5. Eco Task Group

AaronBlakemore and AmySparkEichenbaum explained the task group put together by ChurchCouncil with the aim of GWUC achieving certification under the 5 leaf eco-awards program. They explained that activities done in the past that make our church eco-friendly (such as the rain-water tanks and the solar panels) can be included, along with other initiatives based on continual improvement. Typically, special projects will be required to make us more eco-friendly – e.g. a church in Port Melbourne planted a special garden. The Eco Task group is seeking members from the Property Committee, the Communications Committee, and the General congregation in addition to ChurchCouncil members. JohnSnare offered to join the Eco Task Group.

Action: JohnSnare to work with the Eco Task Group as appropriate

6. Frontier Services mural photo record

JanClear received a suggestion that a photographic record be made of the Frontier Services mural made by DavidWilliams. This is a good idea. However, DavidWilliams has informed us that this has already been done.

Action: JanClear to follow up with the ChurchOffice.

7. Welcome Postcard

Following a suggestion from WarrenGreenwood, DavidWilliams has agreed to using a sketch of the church that he has done on a postcard that can be taken by visitors to our church. The committee agreed on simple words (simplified from the initial proposal from JohnSnare) for the back of the card giving an overview of who we are, worship options, and contact details.

Action: AaronBlakemore to follow up with final drafting of the postcard and its production (100-200 depending on printing economics). There should be enough money in the budget for this.

8. The GWUC Web Site

Status of new web page for the church vision? Not discussed. Deferred until the next meeting.

9. Information for established newcomers

The InclusiveCommunity Group and the CommunicationsCommittee have been considering material to give to newcomers to the church. The InclusiveCommunity group are developing a booklet with introductory information to help people ‘find their feet’. It is obviously important not to overwhelm people with too much information. However, once people have been with us for a while, there is a lot of detailed extra information they may want.

The CommunicationsCommittee discussed a document prepared to help people once they have been with us for a while. The idea is to include it on the ‘about’ part of the web site, and to make printed copies available. The availability of this information will also be promoted to members of the congregation through the monthly bulletin and word of mouth. A draft document entitled FrequentlyAskedQuestions is available for comment.

This should be viewed as a living document that can be changed, expanded, corrected as need be from time to time.

Some effort has been made to group some of the questions in a sensible way, but in many ways the order is quite random. Suggestions on ordering are welcome.

Ongoing consideration is needed concerning describing what elders do and what is meant by membership of our congregation.

Action: JanClear to provide additional information concerning rosters (done)

Action: JanClear to provide additional text concerning eldership (done).

Action: JohnSnare to draft text concerning membership of the congregation (done).

Action: JohnSnare to refer this document to ChurchCouncil for their consideration before it is published on the website (under 'About') and elsewhere (done).

10. Process for Real Estate Agent Sponsorship Boards

Update from AlaneeHearnshaw. Alanee advised that this is still on her 'to do' list. She is holding off completion until we resolve problems in conversion of fonts and sizing between the drafts we send and the signs that come back.

Action: AlaneeHearnshaw

11. Next meeting

Monday 3 Oct 2016 at 7:30pm, Room 2 (booked)

12. Other Business

The CommunicationsCommittee was informed that the ChurchCouncil has decided to discontinue using the aphorism? (branding?) [email protected]. It will be removed from Communications templates including the weekly bulletin.

It was observed that WendyPepper's details should be added to the back of the weekly bulletin as an office contact.

Action: AaronBlakemore to follow up with the office

During discussion of information for new-comers, the relationship between that and the glossy brochure we have was discussed. It was agreed that they meet different needs. However, it was observed that some of our stand-alone one-page activity flyers are out of date. It was agreed that we should use the quiet time in January to review and update these. Responsibility for updating is with the activity leader.

Action: LesleyArmstrong to raise with KenCoutts to have a task created for the office manager in January to send out reminders to group leaders to check and update (if necessary) their flyers.

During discussion of the postcard, it was noticed that the web site has out of date description of afternoon and evening worship activities.

Action: JohnSnare to correct web-site using wording provided by AlaneeHearnshaw (done)

13. Closure

No later than 9:30pm