Monash North Regional Group

Notes from Meeting

7:30pm, Wednesday, 27 Oct 2010 at Glen Waverley Uniting Church

Present: AlisonClarkson (GWUC), Judith Watkins (St Lukes), Julie Ross (High St Rd), Steven Terrell (PPE), JohnHurst (GWUC), Don Cheyne (St Marks), Geoff Parham (St Johns), GregFry (GWUC), Gavin Faichney (St Lukes)

Apologies: BrianClarkson (GWUC), Max Champion (St Johns), Nicole Laurenz (Wesley)

Reflection on previous meeting: some confusion over what was decided at the last meeting. 5 churches (from Mount Waverley: St Luke's, High St Rd, St John's, St John's Fijian, St Marks) have been working collaboratively, and felt that there was not a great need to meet in regional groups. These churches meet every six weeks or so. One meeting a year for the wider group (MonashN) purely for fellowship seemed like a good idea (perhaps during the day, rather than evening?) These activities should complement, rather than double up, on interchurch council activities.

Noted that MonashS felt they were too small, and wanted to rejoin - in contrast to the view expressed at the first regional group meeting (of all Monash), which said we were too large!

Need to identify the "point" of these meetings - what is our mission? (Noting that we do also include several agencies: Connections, Wesley College, St Mark's Day Centre, with whom we don't always connect well.)

Mount Waverley congregations are doing various things already, it seemed to make sense to coordinate them.

ST: The tasks are to be driven by the regional groups (bottom up), not by Presbytery (top down).

JR: General feeling that we don't want another meeting! Mount Waverley doing things like C&F ministry, mental health, together. People are committed/passionate about these ideas. Cultures are different, and of different sizes, some are multicultural, some are not.

JH: The synergy of the Mount Waverley churches against the regional church notion for GW may be a better regional g. split?

ST: Regional Groups need to be thinking as agents of Presbytery.

JH: Perceptions of transparency across congregations-presbyteries-synod need to be clarified.

ST: The risk taking should be happening at the congregational level, even though the legal framework is driven from the synod.

ST: The issue of regional churches: (some discussion) St Marks perhaps marginal between neighbourhood and regional. Glen Waverley is wrestling with this - would there be some value in meeting with e.g., Frankston to engage in dialogue about regional ministries?

GF: Topics such as food voucher ministries would be of broad interest - Harrisons have Glen Waverley as a church that does these, but each church needs experience and skills to also deal with them.

JR: Affinity groups rather than geographic groups?

ST: regionals act as a hub of resources for surrounding churches. Regional Churches can become a 'gift' to other churches.

All: Could Alanee be used as a Presbytery resource for say one day a week? Glen Waverley could take an initiative here!

ST: Frankston could be a good model for Glen Waverley (as a Regional Church).

JR: Presbytery and Council met as a coolamon as a place to gather and share stories

GF: Thanks to Steve for coming - it has helped!