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Report to Glen Waverley Church Council 4 Apr 2024
DiPaterson
Easter is always a busy time with services for most of the week. It was good to be involved with the Holy Week services and it is a joy to know the number of people who have watched these services on line, thanks to the tech team for their excellent work.
Services at Strathdon are going well, I did communion at both services last month and this month will be just the ordinary services. I prepare 2 services as some residents like to come to both services on the same day.
It was good to be involved with MountViewHub in the park. We played games, had an Easter egg hunt and enjoyed snacks and an Easter story and the children seemed to enjoy their time with us.
I have attended Presbytery and the MLDC meetings, UCA Meeting, Inclusive Community Meeting and I have had supervision and met with my ministry support group. As part of my responsibilities on the MLDC, I am working with a Lay Preacher Candidate and assisting with Lay Pastor support and assessment I am also working on the Lay Education Stream.
Attended the Hub Hot Cross Bun Morning Tea, a wonderful effort on the part of Hub volunteers. It was good to talk with people from the community who had come to support the Good Friday Appeal.
Attended the Commissioning of the new Vicar, Rev. Maria Brand, at St Barnabas Anglican Church.
We have a number of people in hospital at the moment and one who has returned safely from hospital. We will have a service to celebrate the life of Shirley Wise Wednesday 10th.
The renovations of the Church in Charman Road are coming along well. We hope to be in the new building for Christmas. Easter was busy at Black Rock with meaningful services.
DiPaterson
Pastoral Care.
Chris Waddell
I have survived my first Easter at GWUC For me personally, Easter is a time of reflection, and a time of great Joy and Hope. I had been involved in organising Easter services before but never to the scale at which we do it GWUC. It was great to work alongside the ministry team to think about how we celebrate Easter in both a reflective, solemn way but also a joyous way. I think the team did a great job, starting of with ditching the lectionary in Lent and focusing on the passion narrative, then using the palm leaves for Palm Sunday, then leading into Holy week. I feel really blessed to work with such a great creative team that can explore different themes. I am also grateful for the members of GWUC who have stepped up during this time of Lent and Easter. People like SusanKaroly and RossMackinnon for doing some services in Holy Week, to people like MatthewBoldiston and WarrenGreenwood and others that helped the running of all the services. A huge thanks to Ian, Joanne and Di for getting us through this busy and important period. I think it was great way to honour Christ in this important time.
Easter Sunday service was a jam-packed service but I think it was a great way to reflect the meaning of the joyous and hopeful day. I want to thank DavidFraser and BillNorquay for the wonderful wood carving on the day. It helped provide the backdrop for the theme. It was great to have free spirit be part of the morning. When I was approached about a month ago from Bonnie and Kim to think about Baptism, I was excited and daunted at the same time. We talked about it and we both thought it would be great to be able to hold the baptism on Easter Sunday. I talked it over with Ian about if he thought we could fit it into the busy time and we both agreed that although it would be a squeeze we could do it. This was my first baptism, and I am very grateful to Ian for helping me organise the baptism and helping me out with the liturgy. We met with Bonnie, Kim, Hannah, Jolene (and Goldie and Lorraine) walked through what it meant to be baptised in the uniting church and we went through some other resources and questions. They were all very excited. I must admit there was a time on Sunday morning during the baptism where I had a lump in my throat. Bonnie and Kime were really grateful for the service, and I have heard lots of feedback saying how special the occasion was.
I visited the last playgroup of the term and I was delighted to see and to meet some of the new families that have been coming this term. We have upwards of 11 kids this term, with the average number being 6-7 kids. This is a great improvement on where the playgroup was at the end of last year. Kaye has been doing a great job with the group. it is a warm and welcoming environment and although some of the parents don’t speak much English it is still a great place for the love of Christ to be shown.
Once again, I want to thank Council for their ongoing encouragement, especially in this time when Ian has been recovering. I have had a lot of people checking in on me and a lot of people offering to take some of the load, while Ian had been recovering. It has been great to see Ian gaining more strength and energy, while taking part of more of the ministerial duties each week.
Ian Ferguson
My entry back into the activities of ministry is slow and gradual. My heart is getting stronger and I am getting my energy back. Unfortunately, I am suffering significant discomfort from medication side effects - this is holding me back a bit which is upsetting.
I have enjoyed being involved in worship over the past few weeks and particularly the Holy Week and Easter services. I am preaching for the first time since my heart attack this week with the support of Di Patterson leading the liturgy.
I am attending some meetings although I find them very draining. I am not up to evening activity yet - I am so tired by 7pm that I can't function effectively. I appreciate the weekly ministry team meeting and the ongoing support of the team. I have begun picking up some pastoral visitation and calls again - it is good to be back to building relationships after this hiatus.
The congregation continues to be very supportive, allowing me to renter at my own pace.
As I raised with the Church Council when I first came to GWUC, my elderly parents live in Auckland New Zealand and have ongoing health issues (although I have trumped them lately!). Their state of health means I might need to pop over there at short notice. I would like to make a planned visit to them sometime in the next couple of months. I propose that I take a quarterly Sunday off for this purpose on Sunday May 26 and go to New Zealand for a few days.
Recommendation: that Church Council approve a quarterly Sunday for lan on May 26th 2024 with accompanying time off ("a few days" TBC) to travel to visit his parents.
"Listen to your body" is my current mantra - my own body in its current frailty, and the body of Christ of which I am a part, which upholds and supports me in my faith, and which I serve.
Christ is risen! I feel the power of than in a new way this year.