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MINISTRY TEAM REPORT AUGUST 2018

Neil’s Report

I want to acknowledge with gratitude the wonderful support that I received from the Ministry Team, the Church Council and the Congregation during my sick leave as I recovered from heart bypass surgery. The surgery went smoothly and the recovery has gone very well. I did 4 weeks of Rehab. I still have a few medical appointments to come which is all part of the follow up.

I want to record that I was on sick leave from the 3rd June and returned to work on the 7th August – 9 weeks and 2 days.

I knew with the members of the ministry team that we have here that the congregation would be in good hands during my absence. I invited Alanee to facilitate and coordinate the work of the team. Alanee took extra services, liased with other worship leaders, and picked up general requests. Di took a couple of services and carried a significant load with regard to pastoral care. Dietrich was involved in some services. I wanted my gratitude and affirmation of the efforts of the team to be recognized at Church Council.

I am pleased to be back. My energy levels are not fully restored and I noticed that in my first week. I was glad I was spared from leading worship in my first week. I am now gradually picking up normal ministry activities. After 10 Sundays at home or in the congregation I am looking forward to the privilege and the responsibility of leading worship again.

I want to share with you that I also had good support from some of the ministers in the local area. Four of the ministers came and prayed with me before I went into hospital. Pastor Bill Brown from Syndal Baptist Church has kept in regular contact with me during my recovery.

My first service back was the honour of leading the service giving thanks for the life of Malcolm Chamberlain. Malcolm and Barbara have lived in the area since 1956 and Malcolm has made a big contribution to the life of this congregation. He will be greatly missed.

I feel I will need to take some leave before the Christmas rush. I am planning to take one week of annual leave from 7 November and returning to work 14th Nov. I think this will freshen me up for an important time of the year in the lead up to Christmas.

Neil Peters

Di’s Report

We have had a number of sad losses over the last month. We were sad to hear of the passing of the wife of a gentleman who had just had bypass surgery. We were also saddened but honoured to celebrate the life of Malcolm Chamberlain, the service was so Malcolm and it was good to have Neil back to preside at this special service for Malcolm.

We have had a number of people in hospital and rehab over the last month. It is always a pleasure to visit people as they journey and to support them as they face some of the hurdles for the future.

I have attended GOMER a number of times, to catch up with people and to hear how people are travelling. I have also chattered to people at the HUB and at other times around the Church. There has been some times of Pastoral listening and it is always an honour to support in this way.

Met with the Inclusive Community team and continue to be amazed at the volume of ways they enrich the life of the Church. I have met with the Ministry team to welcome Neil back and to farewell Dietrich and to pray for his future. I have attended UCAF. I attended the induction, at St Martin’s Beaumaris, of their new minister, Rev Scott Finlay.

I have met with the Uniting Church Minister’s group in my area at Black Rock/Sandringham/Cheltenham and Moorabbin, these meetings are very supportive and encouraging. Presbytery continues to be fairly full on in the last few weeks with another 2 meetings of Presbytery. We have moved along with the plan for the new structure of Presbytery and hope to have that up and running soon.

I attended a Lay Preacher’s Education day at Pilgrim College, it was a very helpful day with some excellent speakers. I have commenced a 5-week course “The Art of Grieving” at Seaford, run by Tobin Brothers. I will be attending a Minister’s Retreat at Pallotti College Millgrove, on the 20th, 21st, 22nd August.

I am delighted to have Neil back on deck, after his bypass surgery. I am grateful for the Ministry Team, Church Council and the ongoing welcome of the people at Glen Waverley. Thanks to the Church council for their card to Black Rock thanking them for releasing me to help out at GWUC. I have had Spiritual Direction and Supervision which are a very important part of my journey in Ministry.

Di Paterson – Pastoral Care Worker.

Youth Young Adult, Children & Families Report August 2018

Youth Group

We are having a good term 3 at youth group and really enjoyed bubble soccer and our UV night! We have had a couple of new attendees and are enjoying the way the youth community has included everyone.

Youth Sonder Camp

Youth Camp coming up from September 14-16, 2018 for all those between 11-17 years old*. Registrations close by September 10. It is $45.00 per camper (food, accommodation, activities..) ... each camp we look for an engaging speaker across our different denominations, and we are excited this year that Bradon French is coming along • Bradon works as the Uniting Church Intergen Youth Worker for the Synod of Victoria and Tasmania. We are hoping that our young people might go, although it is a busy assessment time of term 3 and sporting finals…

C & F

I have been meeting with our C & F leaders and am looking at getting together a C & F visioning/ dreaming type group to do some planning for next year and to look at how we might continue to serve our families.

5.30pm

Continues to gather and we have explored more women of faith. While I am away Hannah Dungan is going to come and share with our 5.30 community. We are excited by this as we believe it will allow for continuity and Hannah is happy to run a series which should encourage all to tune in each week.

Breakfast

the breakfast continues to be busier and busier each week and we are greatly encouraged by the community and atmosphere. The school is celebrating R U okay day and has asked to make the breakfast a part of their advertised program we said yes and think it is encouraging that the school has included us in their plans. We have an amazing group of volunteers who serve the school each week. While I am away the team are organising everything and after emailing all the jobs needed doing, they had all responded within about 40 minutes, what a great team!

Moon Festival

We have begun planning for Moon festival celebrations and the team are very excited to get this outreach up and running again this year. The festival will be on Saturday afternoon the 22 of September, it will again be targeting our playgroup families, hub attendees and english classes. We will have children’s activities, crafts, games, afternoon tea, photo booth, a rabbit and so much more.

I’m also looking forward to time in holidays to look at the upcoming.

Kombi

We have sold the Kombi van for $8,000 and look forward to dreaming up what to do with the money. We are hoping to support youth outreach type activities.

Pastoral

There has been a number of confidential pastoral issues going on in the last four weeks.

Time away

I am really looking forward to my time away and hope to come back refreshed.

AlaneeHearnshaw

MinistryTeamReport201808 (last edited 2018-08-21 08:32:57 by DavidMorgan)