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Ministry team report March 2025

1. Ian Ferguson

1.1. Planning

I am planning to engage with our Strategic Projects in the following ways:

1.1.1. Project 1: Welfare

I am looking forward to meeting the new welfare coordinator once they are appointed. I can then negotiate my role in relation to them.

1.1.2. Project 2: Program of multicultural and intergenerational events

The Lenten multi-cultural bible study commences next week.

We have had an influx of new Chinese speaking visitors over the past few weeks (probably aligned with the beginning of the school year). Many of them are bringing children and young people.

1.1.3. Project 3: Integrated social media and streaming presence

We have redesigned our worship slides as a small step towards renewing our online presence.

I have been emailing the congregation with discussion questions about my reflections and have been receiving some interesting responses.

1.2. Worship

Lent has commenced with our Ash Wednesday service last week. Further planning will be done for Holy Week over the next few weeks.

Met with Anthony McMullen from Uniting World to plan for our COP service on 30/3.

1.3. Pastoral Care and Community

(excluding confidential conversations and pastoral visits)

I conducted a funeral for Margaret Hui.

I have had a series of wedding interviews for the 3 weddings I am conducting later this year.

1.4. Missional Church

I taught the English Class a couple of weeks ago which was as enjoyable as usual.

I am attending the Hub most weeks and enjoying stimulating conversations there.

1.5. Wider Church

Met with my ministry supervisor.

Planning for our visit to Indonesia in May this year.

Met with the JNC and Presbytery reps for a positive catchup.

1.6. Other Tasks Undertaken

Attended the Finance Committee meeting. Raised questions about the representation of Finance on the Church Council.

Presented at the UCAF meeting.

Attended the Word Day of Prayer service at St Luke’s Mt Waverley.

Helped facilitate the musical afternoon on 9/3.

2. Di Paterson

I have presided at 2 funerals, neither were from either of the Churches one in Lilydale and the other was the wife of a gentleman I had done a funeral for 18months ago. It was good to share in the Ash Wednesday Service with Ian, it was well attended.

The IT system in the Chapel at Strathdon is a little antiquated and dropped out the last time I was there, so there were no hymns, sadly. This month I am hoping to use the words on overhead and CDs to sing along with. This month will be my last services at Strathdon.

I delivered flyers for the Book Sale and also helped with the set up and on the day of the sale. It was a busy time but it was excellent to have so many willing helpers to make the sale so successful.

Went on the 3rd Saturday Walk, which was most enjoyable. I also walk on Monday morning, at Jells Park with the girls and catch up with the boys at GOMER.

Have done quite a bit of visiting in Nursing Homes, Hospitals and Supportive care.

Attended the World Day of Prayer Committee meeting on ZOOM and enjoyed the World Day of Prayer service at Beaumaris UC. I missed the Mount Waverley Service due to presiding at a funeral.

I have had supervision, ministry support group, team meetings, visiting, Leisure Time and UCAF. I took my days off and went to Point Lonsdale overnight to catch up with friends.

Listened to a Ministry Candidate at the Ministry Formation Committee and she will present at the next Presbytery meeting. The Bayside Church Group continues to meet as we get to know each other and how we can support one another.

3. Chris

The year is progressing rapidly, and we find ourselves already well into the season of Lent. It's truly heartening to witness the vibrant activity and engagement within our church community. The first quarter has been remarkably busy, and we anticipate continued participation in the exciting initiatives planned for the coming months. Our newly launched Sunday morning Teen Bible Study/Sunday School program has been a significant highlight. We've seen excellent attendance, with a positive response from both regular youth group members and those who had not previously attended Sunday morning services. The youth are actively engaging with the lectionary readings, asking insightful questions, and exploring how these teachings can be applied to their lives. The inclusion of a general prayer time has created a supportive atmosphere where young people can share their requests and expressions of gratitude. We've had some particularly stimulating discussions, and we are excited to see this group continue to develop.

The Youth Group continues to be a thriving and consistent weekly activity, providing a safe and encouraging environment for our young people. We've observed a notable increase in attendance over the past year, and the group has facilitated the development of strong friendships that extend beyond our scheduled meetings. This group is led by myself, LynneBoyer, and NathanWojak. Joel Easton, a longstanding member of our church community, has approached me with a proposal for a trivia night fundraiser to support his upcoming trip to Borneo. Joel has been selected by his school to participate in a program focused on community service, including teaching English and performing manual labor, with some sightseeing included. We believe a trivia night would be a valuable opportunity to foster community engagement and provide a fun, social event. The proposed date for the event is May 4th. Joel has provided a detailed proposal for this event, which was created with my assistance.

Therefore, I present the following matters for Church Council consideration:

Also just a quick note that I will be taking a quarterly Sunday off Church on Sunday 6th of April

MinistryTeamReport202503 (last edited 2025-03-13 05:20:39 by DavidMorgan)