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CHURCH COUNCIL - Minutes 17 Feb 2010

Meeting held at 8.00pm Wednesday 17 Feb 2010
Minutes confirmed 17 March 2010.

1. Welcome & Apologies.

Executive Meeting:
Full Council: RossMackinnon, MurrayLowe, KerrynMuir

2. Caring and Sharing.

2.1. Devotions:

Ash Wednesday service acted as devotions.

2.2. Ministry Team report.

• Geoff Willis (in consultation with Alanee Hearnshaw) is organizing another "All Age" Carol Service for 7:30pm, Sunday, 19 Dec 2010.

• See report from Alanee AlaneeReport201002

• See report MinistryTeamReport201002

• Actions
  • All aged Carols The Sunday evening before Christmas at 7:30 pm is fine with 7pm
  • Uthies, leadership support.

    • Keep with C&F ministry.

  • Glen Waverley Secondary college camp 9-12th March: Is it ok for Alanee to attend?
    • Approved
  • Approval for the Baptism we did last Sunday of Daniel Wojak.
    • Approval given
  • Changes to service times for December 2010
    • Community of Faith report suggested Advent 1 as combined service.
    • Moderator coming for Advent 2
    • Suggest 10am services on December 12 and 19th, with Carols at night
    • Effectively beginning 10am services on December 12 instead of after Christmas
    • Agreed

  • Approval of Debbie's acceptance in the C&F role.

    • Documents are agreed between Debbie, Roger Vass and team.
    • Approved

2.3. Joys & concerns.

2.3.1. From the agenda

• Number of things that are happenning, as reflected in the Agenda.
• Laura Morgan is doing well in Maningrida.
• Alison talking to St Barnabas about Seniors' ministry.
• Good to share our agenda with Presbytery minister.
• Both diverse and positive, reflecting mood of congregation.
• Concern about lack of inclusiveness of fifth Sunday proposals.
• Too many services.
• Debbie's return.
• Julie's ordination.
• Improved communication flow.
• Parents picking up roles in 4:30 service.
• Enthusiam in the intern reports.
• Need for support in all the activities.
• Outreach meeting. Excellent content but disappointing attendance.
• Pancake Day on Tuesday. Wonderful community spirit. Raised $343.

• How to spread news beyond the Wiki? In NewView

2.3.2. Other

• Funeral this afternoon was excellent.
• Great grand-daughter for dinner. "I believe in God"
• 63 members of Adult Group at Ineke's

• <<Council(Shanta has a massive infection while waiting for a liver transplant)>>

• <<Council(Doug's friend improving well.)>>

• <<Council(John Battison had problems following surgery.)>>

• Sharing re Kenya trip by our young people.
• BEEAC to become a sponsor of MIA.

3. Confirmation of Minutes of December meeting.

For confirmation CouncilMinutes20091216
Confirmed

4. Matters arising not dealt with elsewhere.

4.1. Current and approved leave:

• See MinistryTeamLeaveCalendar which will be kept up-to-date.

Alison proposing leave in late June. Ineke for a week in May-June. Alanee on GWSC year 9 camp, 9-12 March.

4.2. Communications Committee.

See report of meeting at CommunicationsReport201001

• Training for Wiki and Web page has begun and is available.
• Web site is being well used.
• We have had a request for Baptism via the web.
• Leslie Armstrong has agreed to convene the Communications Committee.
• Council appointed Leslie to the committee, which chooses its own chair.
• Keeping the web page up-to-date is crucial. We need to develop a culture of sending material to webmaster.
• Need to maintain communications for all the congregation, by multiple means.

4.3. Election of office bearers for 2010.

• Thanks to John, Beverly, Roger & David, office bearers in 2009.

• Chair

  • JohnHurst was nominated and seconded, and elected unopposed

• Deputy Chair

  • BeverlyMcGlead was nominated and seconded, and elected unopposed

• Secretary / Assistant secretary
  

  • DavidMorgan / LynneBoyer were nominated and seconded, and elected unopposed

• Treasurer

  • RogerVass was co-opted to Council for 2010

  • RogerVass agreed to continue as Treasurer. Possibilities for another person are still in progress

4.4. Filling the vacancy.

Job Description Committee met, made good progress, and expects to report in April.

4.5. Meeting with Synod officers on Child safety.

• Draft report from Warren at ChildSafetyMeeting

• Recommendations.
  • Each relevant activity (Playgroups, 4.30 worship, morning children's worship program, Friday evening youth and Kombie outreach) in the church is to receive a copy of the Child Safe guidelines and be asked to propose what is an appropriate level of documentation and rules to apply to that activity. i.e. each of the above-mentioned activities is to prepare a set of operating procedures.

  • Church Council to establish a small group (3) to work with the activity groups to gather together these submissions and prepare a GWUC Policy and Procedures document, to be incorporated in the Church Council manual, and on the web and wiki so that everyone can access and understand this (and all other) policies. Paper copies to be in the office and available from [email protected] .

  • That this review and policy design be completed as follows:-
    • Each activity to report by end of March on proposed operating procedure.
    • Church Council task group to review and propose policy and procedures by 1st May 2010 for Church Council approval and implementation by 1st June.

Group approved. Group to consist of WarrenGreenwood, LynneBoyer, KimberlyEaston and KayeMackinnon.
Option is being given in the Bulletin for parents to give special care instructions for their children who go out during 9am service.

4.6. Annual reports.

Those received are available at AnnualReport2009. Another round of reminders has brought some extras in the last week.
Alanee offered to undertake wider publication of this. Offer accepted.

5. Reports from Missional Groups.

5.1. Inclusive Community.

See report at InclusiveReport201002.

• No action needed.

5.2. Faith Community.

See report at FaithReport201002.

• Concern expressed on lack of family inclusiveness in fifth Sunday topics.
• Need acknowledged to include wider representation on this MG for this and other reasons.
• Opportunity for family involvement in Advent.
• Group is aware of this concern, and trying to address it. Services will be more inclusive than the list of speakers topics suggests.
• Need for this will be communicated to the speakers.

5.3. Community Hub.

See report at HubReport20100207.

• No action needed.

5.4. Community Outreach.

See report at OutreachMeeting201002.

• No action needed

5.5. Overall

• Encouragement to increase involvement of Councillors in these groups.
• Feedback was sought by the MGs from Council on the desired form and detail of the reports. Thought to be about right.

6. Elders

Notes from gathering on February 10.

• We were privileged to hear of the Kenyan venture from Alanee and Rebecca. They gave us a most comprehensive, moving account of their time at the orphanage in Kenya. Last week's gospel reading about casting out into the deep kept bobbing into our minds.
• Elders will be conducting the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday Holy Week services and will be assisting with the preparation of the Maundy Thursday service.
• Elders agreed to prepare and lead the Prayers for Others in the Sunday services, on a regular basis.

Noted. Good to see increased lay participation in worship. How to recognise people who do eldership roles, but do not wish to join Elders?

7. GGG

See final result at FinalReportGrGenGivers

• Need to begin earlier this year.

• GGG recommends putting the report in NewView. AGREED.

• Work of the Group acknowledged.

8. Finance Committee.

See 2009 accounts at Accounts2009Pictorial

• Some final details still being sorted.
• Budget has been modified to give Missional Groups $1000 each.
• COP funds have all been paid out.
• Several recent funerals have made significant donations. Finance Committee is dealing with how to handle these. A "thank you" card is in preparation.
• A donation for tea and coffee for 12 months for the church kitchen has been received

9. Property Committee.

See report at PropertyReport201001. Action points:

• Will the church council endorse the room fit-out principles?
  • How can uses be changed if needed?
    • Flexibility is the key.

Agreed

10. Pastoral care.

• Jan Clear elected as convenor for next 12 months.
• Transfers-in Joanne and Michael Boldiston and family from Berwick Uniting, Anne and Max Newton from St. John's .
• Transfers-out Peter and Pilar Duke to Mt. Martha and Premila, Logan and Savi Thirairatnam to Waverley Baptist.
• Newcomers' committee met 15 Feb 2010.
  • First function for year - 28 Feb 2010 - Garden Picnic at Morgans.
  • Councillors encouraged to attend
• Visitors' meeting -Tuesday 23 Feb 2010 at 7.30 pm.
• There has been a proposal to form Pastoral support team-meeting this week-to support ministers.
  • A group has met, and agreed to come to pastoral visitation training meeting.
  • Need debriefing times.
• Inclusive Community c'tee-looking at forming more FISH groups and starting up Singles lunches.

11. Presbytery report.

No meeting.

12. Other Business.

12.1. Membership of Executive.

• Current rule is: The Executive is composed of the Chair and Secretary of the Council, Council members chosen by each of the following committees (Property, Finance, Pastoral, Ministry support teams and Communications) to represent them, together with the representatives of the ministry team, with the power to co-opt other members of Council.

• Should this be amended to take account of Missional Groups?
• Main purpose of representatives is to ensure the executive has, or knows where to get, the information needed to inform the Council meeting.
• John Hurst has a problem with the Executive meeting night. It will need to be moved by July, preferably sooner.

Support was widespread for a smaller group with power to co-opt others as needed. Executive to prepare a proposal.

12.2. Congregational meeting

• Needed for audited reports, annual report, election of Elders.
• Can we do it before Easter?

• Chairs of Council & Congregation to arrange date and agenda.

12.3. Morning services

Motion to combine 9 and 11 services at 10am and ask Congregation Meeting to approve. Seconded.

• Was discussed at the retreat last year, and decided to keep current arrangement.
• OTWT process identified diversity as an important part of the congregation.
• Eight a.m. service has recruited new people from outside the congregation.
• Concern for ministry team was expressed. Minister burn-out is real.
• Others had heard the same concern from members of the congregation, both 9 and 11.
• Full congregation is really good, but worship is not about us.
• Other options need to be explored.
• Need to include Community of Faith MG.

Decided that the motion lie on the table for a month or two to enable conversation with the congregation.

12.4. COP project allocations for 2010

Can we give this to Outreach MG? Yan and John to talk to them about it.

13. Next Meeting:

Scheduled March 17th

14. Tea and Biscuits

LynneBoyer & YanEmms (See Schedule)

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Tabled papers

• KellySkiltonVetamorphus

• AmePocklingtonIntern

• NickDartIntern

• WebSiteStatsFeb2010.pdf