ELDERS' COUNCIL - Agenda 12 May 2010

To be held at 8pm, Room 1 at the Church, Wednesday 12 May 2010.

Supper volunteers - Gael O'Brien & Geraldine Fleming

1. Opening Prayer - Herb Fleming
2. Apologies: John Battison Belinda and Jan Clear

3. Learning segment – Greg Fry - "The Public Witness of Worship" (article attached)

4. Ministry Team Report/Feedback
5. Updates from Missional Groups:
   1. Community of Faith
   2. Outreach Mission Group
      1. Asylum Seekers
         • Hotham is currently arranging new tenants for 19 Southdown
         • Gardening working bee in preparation ,next Friday morning
      2. Outreach to local secondary schools:
         • Kombi Krew breakfast program at GWSC has resumed for 2010, with great success
         • Ame ‘s work with Year 9 students at risk progressing well
         • Contacts with Brentwood SC progressing through Nick Dart
         • Fruitful, supportive links with Chaplains at both schools, Rod Dungan and Mark Philpott
      3. New initiatives:
         • Congregation wide letter writing for action on issues of social justice – Robin Pope
         • Support for Habitat for Humanity – Alanee Hearnshaw and David Morgan
      4. Outreach Sunday:
         • Convened by Alanee, in conjunction with the Outreach Missional Group
         • Special celebrations to raise awareness of GWUC outreach initiatives will be held at all five services on Sunday, July 25
         • An “expo” will be staged concurrently in the foyer and/or hall and related afternoon activities are being planned
      5. Further details and updates re all Outreach Programs of GWUC are on the website, the Wiki and in the Bulletin and Newview.
   3. Inclusive Community
      1. The Munch with a Bunch lunch on Mothers' Day 9th May was attended by about 20 people and was very enjoyable.
      2. The next Munch with a Bunch meeting will be an outing on Sunday 4th July, at lunchtime.
      3. We discussed times of services and we will be sending a letter to Community of Faith missional group.
      4. Gael Irvine has volunteered to look out for new people at the 4.30 service and will liaise with us.
      5. We will provide morning tea for visitors from other churches on Sunday 16th May. Our next meeting will be in the outer vestry on Friday 4th June at 10am.
   4. Community Hub.

6. Mode of celebrating communion: It has been suggested we move to serving communion by having people come to the front, taking a piece of bread and then dipping it in the cup. This is the practice at 8.00am. People make the conscious decision to take communion by moving to the table. It also makes preparation of the elements easy by eliminating the small glasses. Frail people unable to come forward can still be served in their seats (this happens now).

7. Sanctuary furniture, especially placement of the font: Currently, the font is pushed aside and forgotten between baptisms. Can we find a permanent place for it on the sanctuary platform? Suggestions to do this would be to remove the lectern and replace it with the pulpit and then put the font where the pulpit now is. Suggestions for use for the lectern are - put it on wheels and use it in the foyer for people to sign memorial books at funerals; put it at the back of the church to be used for prayers of the people; use it part of a quiet space in the church (or elsewhere in the complex) for private devotions; even donate it to another church.

8. Pastoral sharing
9. Announcements
10. Matters for Church Council
11. Appointment of Deputy Convenor
12. Next meeting - 8pm, Wednesday 09 Jun 2010.
13. Supper volunteers for the next meeting.

Minutes of our Apr Meeting are on the wiki page EldersMinutes20100414

Ross (Mackinnon)
Convenor

CategoryElders