CouncilCorrepondence202404Riedel

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Council Correspondence April 2024 Riedel

• DavidMorgan asked GlynHowells:

  • Lucky was asked by the Indonesians about a possible Indonesian trip this year.
    I suggested that with new ministry team and Ian's illness, it was likely that we would not get to plan a trip in the first half of this year.
    Is that in accord with your thoughts?

• Glynn replied:

  • Yes I think that’s a fair assumption.
    
    Background: It is our turn to visit GMIM, Riedel congregation after their visit here in May 2023 for the Indonesian Festival.
    
    I spoke to Ian on Sunday about meeting with him and Chris at some stage to look over Hoon’s recommendations/ report re intercultural ministry along with other ideas in the last ICTG (inter-Cultural Task Group) meeting.  As Ian has shared with us, he is taking small steps week by week as strength permits. We are doubly blessed... Ian will let us know when it’s a good time to meet.  There’s no urgency.
    
    At our latest ICTG meeting which was attended by Rev Chris and Rev Dr Apwee Ting there was also enthusiasm from the committee (Sachin, Vida, Lucky, Jan Clear and I) for members of the youth group to enrich their faith and cultural experience by sharing with Riedel and enriching the latter’s vision as well. Beyond that we haven’t discussed.  Chris has so graciously and ably taken on so much over these months. On Sunday Chris kindly attended and took communion at the monthly Indonesian Fellowship service so he is already working in this space. There is no need to rush a return visit and travelling to Indonesia is no small step despite the good connection via Scoot from Singapore to Manado (capital North Sulawesi). 
    
    In addition, the ICTG meeting on 11th February also proposed that we support the Uniting World Sunday in May (along with Neighbouring Sunday in July and the Christmas celebration on 8th December as Vida mentioned in an earlier email). Rev Dr Apwee Ting offered to preach and/or work with the ministry team to conduct the service (the Assembly provides an Order of Service). Apwee would like to take this opportunity to be accountable to our congregation for their support of Uniting World. This might be considered by church council and the ministry team.
    
    Re Riedel, what possibilities the rest of the year opens up I don’t know but here are some ideas:
    
    1.   Zoom does offer a channel to make strong connections and cross cultural boundaries without leaving home, especially if working with one to one small groups  as Lucky and Andrew Hosking did through fortnightly English language Bible study with GMIM ministers, and Lucky, Andrew and I did with the English conversation classes with the TAFE classes in Tondano during COVID and in 2022 with the trainee ministers in KGPM ('Sharing with Minahasa’). At present,  Lucky is looking for native English speakers to lead a weekly English conversation class on zoom with university students from the State University Manado in Tondano, North Sulawesi.  Each week would discuss a different topic.  Lucky and I are happy to discuss with anyone who might be interested. The invitation remains open from the university side.
    
    2. Thinking outside the box, there may also be a small group of church members and leaders from here who’d like to re-invigorate the link by visiting on our behalf before too long. Even a week can be a stunning experience as Susan Chan, Lina Liu, Vida Foo, Rev Neil Peters (two weeks) and I discovered in 2018 along with ‘local facilitators' from GWUC' Willie and Yoke Cornelis and Lucky who 'opened many doors' for us.  Among other possibilities,  Tondano has many fine new reasonably priced ‘resorts’ on the outskirts of town in the paddy fields and anyone who visits will be looked after wonderfully by the church.
    
    3. Looking over the notes from our meeting with GMIM Riedel leaders here in May last year one thing we agreed to do was to share pre-recorded worship video files of songs or greetings … for special occasions.   Tonight’s Holy Week devotion led by Ross Mackinnon (about 25 minutes in all) would lend itself to being shared with Rev. Dan Sompe (Riedel) as soon as possible with its music, marvellous liturgy and theme of “a grain of wheat”.  Just an idea but one to be acted on quickly.  Ross has said ok.  Also Matthew Boldiston has kindly given me a usb with files of songs by the band from our worship services which I used in our zoom Indonesian fellowship services.  Some of these files could be shared with Riedel as a gift from us.
    
    4. In the meantime  it could be a good idea to have a zoom meeting with a few leaders from each church to maintain the connection and explain where we are at and to explore the landscape of possibilities. 
    
    Possible format:
    
    Greetings
    Prayer
    Briefing:  where our ministry team and congregation are
    Questions/ sharing/ discussion around our MOU and notes from our last meeting
    Next steps?
    Closing prayer.
    
    I have yet to discuss my ideas here with Lucky but they are in line with our previous work. 
    
    David, feel free to share this with church council or others as you think appropriate.  
    
    Glyn Howells
    Convenor,  Inter-Cultural Task Group