october 2017 quc news - d2dek0x2lg6bxh.cloudfront.net · october 2017 ... encouraged by how much cc...
TRANSCRIPT
October 2017
________________________________________________________________________________________ Church Office (by appointment)
For general enquiries (including room use/hire) please see our webpage www.quc.org.au or leave a message at phone 6297 9046 or email
To speak with Steve Coster our Minister - mobile 0429 808 012 or email [email protected] or Amy Junor, our Youth & Community Pastor-
QUC News
The QUC Vision: The Whole of Creation Reconciled and Renewed
Pastoral Care Co-ordination Group
Steve, Amy and Ian Gray met with a small group this week who will provide a planned and organised approach for Pastoral Care (PC) within the life of QUC. The Church Council recognises the need in this area, and is very keen that a planned approach should mean less chance for needs to slip through the cracks.
The new PC group consists of Brenda Harper, Sue Forbes, June Dolby, Alida Bell, Olwyn-Ann Cook and Iris Talbot. The group started the discussion on what they thought PC was, priorities, the importance of confidentiality & privacy and the need for relevant training. The group also noted that despite not having a PC group for some time, that did not mean pastoral care had not been formally and informally provided by members.
It is important for us all to remember that pastoral care is something we should all be active in providing. Establishing an organising group doesn’t mean we can now just leave PC up to a small number of people. Pastoral Care is something we should all be doing through the various groups and activities we are involved in.
The group members have gone home with much to ponder and reflect on. They will meet again in November. Once they get the framework in place they will be looking to bring others onboard who have the relevant gifts to strengthen the ways we provide pastoral care in the life of QUC.
You are invited to GOING DEEPER….
The QUC Discipleship/Faith Formation team invites you to be part of a short 4-week series designed to strengthen and deepen each of us in our discipleship:
Meeting once a week from 7.30pm to 9.00pm, with a supper after for any wanting to stay.
Starting this coming Tuesday night 24th Oct and then 31st Oct, 14th and 21st Nov - meeting at the church.
We are looking forward to these gatherings being a great time of learning and growing in our understanding of what it means to be part of the Uniting Church and QUC’s place within it. It will also be a time for good fellowship and connecting.
For more information please contact Warren Hilder [email protected]. Please also let Warren know if you are planning to come so we have enough resources.
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Ministry Team News
Steve… While I’m leaving most of this page for Amy’s words, I do want to celebrate (just in case you hadn’t heard) and give thanks to God for the birth of our grandson: Arthur James Coster-Glass. Arthur and his parents are all doing very well indeed. We are very appreciative of all the love and support shown in this time of celebrating the gift of new life.
Amy…. Below we want to share with you words from a report Amy has written for the Church Council on her work and ministry here at QUC, the following section comes from the ‘Blessings’ section of the report. Amy writes the report with her normal wise insights and sense of humour.
Blessings: 1. PRG and Vision – Many of my gripes with
the institutional church over the years have
had to do with the static and unchanging
nature I have come to expect from many
large churches. Not so at QUC.
Coming from a history of tiny fringe faith
communities, some of my reservations
about the sheer size of QUC by comparison
have been met with an overwhelming
preference for movement and life that I did
not expect. I look at some of the new life
unfolding in our midst and am equal parts
awed and terrified by what God can do
when people are brave enough to ask God
to act among them.
2. The people – Not much here to say apart
from expressing my joy at getting to know
some really cool, varied and strange
people. Walking deeply with people is such
a privilege and I particularly like the ones
who I’ve come across at QUC.
3. The team – I remember looking around at
CC retreat earlier in the year and feeling
encouraged by how much CC has dealt
with, and the resolve that keeps them
caring for QUC. I am awed and inadequate
at your integrity, CC.
As well as QUC I particularly have enjoyed
working with Steve, even though he can be
a huge dork and has a pink ‘keep cup’. One
aspect of my role that I feel confident I can
succeed in is giving my direct supervisor
flack and (usually) not being fired
afterwards.
4. BS – This small group of young adults have
been an excellent grounding point for me,
and is a flavour of ‘doing church’ that
resonates deeply and inspires growth in
me. Plus, it’s an excellent carbohydrate fix.
5. Presbytery – Getting to know the local
ministers and the very evident drive
towards supporting each other at get-
togethers has been essential in navigating
a new denomination. I have felt welcomed
and included despite my age and short time
on the scene. Plus, unlike many Baptist
gatherings, they sometimes have wine.
6. The ones on the wings – I have a number of
people in my life who are not Christians,
and have no interest in attending church.
The affirmation of these people of my role
in a church has been surprising and has led
to some very interesting conversations and
deepening relationships. Waiting to see
what God does next in those spaces!
Please continue to pray for, and support where you are able, our Ministry team as they seek to provide leadership, spiritual nurture, pastoral care, administrative and organisation support and many other unseen tasks to our congregation and its many ministries.
QUC News October 2017
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>5 weeks ‘til Queanbeyan Uniting Community Fair
9am – 1pm, Saturday 25th November 2017
Calling all QUC... no matter if this is your thirtieth or first year of experiencing our Fair.
The fair has a wonderful tradition of bringing our whole church family together in creating a gift to the broader Qbn community of a fun, affordable, colourful festive celebration. Our Fair is nothing without all the people and hands that make it happen. This year’s Fair is no exception and we are hoping that you will join in the excitement and joy of making this great day happen together as you are able.
To reflect the many ways our people are connected throughout our community, we have invited a variety of community groups to join us. So far, in addition to our usual activities the following have agreed to join with us along with some basic details:
• City of Qbn Pipes and Drums – performing outside 15-20minutes
• Canberra and District Historic engine club – engine display
• Headspace – plate spinning and chill out zone (bean bags etc)
• Kaleidoscope – info stall only this time but really keen to perform next time
• Landcare – Native plant cutting demo and map of Landcare activities in stall
• Queanbeyan Players – stall for info and selling retro costumes (I’m keen to see if we can organise a polaroid camera and offer photos in costume for gold coin donation - but see how we go. Also thought they’d be good in KUCA room where children toys and books normally are and use the store room once trestle tables gone as change room)
• Rotary – BBQ
• Rural Australians for Refugees – kids activity and info (giving any money made to the church with thanks)
• Sing Australia Choir – to sing
• St Benedicts – stall selling knitted teddys etc
• Uniting Healthy Living for Seniors
• SES
• Fire Brigade – from 10am -1pm with firetruck
Ways you can support the FAIR:
• Pray, make, bake, grow and/or donate items to sell on stalls (cakes, sweets, plants, craft, Christmas craft, jumble items, fresh produce from your garden, children’s toys and books, bulk cans of drinks and/or boxes of ice creams to sell etc)
• Volunteer to help on a stall on the Fair day - see the posters at the back of church from this Sunday: stalls/activities including but not limited to plants, cakes sweets and sweet treats, crafts, fresh produce, SHED/café, Jumble, kid’s activities, other (if there is something you have a great idea for), entertainment items or buskers.
• Come along to help and set up for a few hours on Friday.
• Help us pack up after the Fair ends on Saturday from 1pm.
• Help advertise the Fair in the lead up to it by distributing flyers and telling people at your workplace, school, community groups, neighbourhoods and amongst your friends about this great day.
• Come along and enjoy the day.
As you can see, there are many ways you can help, both in the lead up and on the day. Please let us know if you can volunteer by filling in the posters up the back of the church or by letting one of the organisers know. We are all happy to talk to you, to hear your ideas and help you work out where you can best help. You can also call or email us.
The co-ordinating team includes:
Heather Irons ([email protected]), Jo Shilling ([email protected]), Alison Coster ([email protected]), Myfanwy Appleton ([email protected]) and Amy Junor ([email protected]).
Looking forward to seeing what happens!
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To the Congregation of the Queanbeyan Uniting Church and to the wider Queanbeyan Community. If you don’t know me my name is Andrew Flahive. I am the chair of the property review group (PRG) at the Queanbeyan Uniting Church
(QUC). The group has been established to specifically consider a proposal from HOME to potentially expand their ministry – which is providing long term accommodation and support to men and women with mental illness. I am treating the proposal as a trigger for our Church to consider our long-term property needs of our ministries. And by doing so, help the congregation of the QUC to make an informed decision as to whether to partner with HOME or not.
In June this year I thought the job of the PRG was to organise architects, developers, property assessments and generate a few concrete options for the congregation to choose from to either include HOME units on our site or not. Going into this project I had presumed that a lot of work had already been done to consider the property needs of the QUC ministries and all that was left to do was to hire an architect to develop options. The congregation would then choose an option and we’d move forward with that option. In the journey that I have been on since June I’ve realised that this is not the case. Much of the ground work hadn’t been done and we
were in no shape to tell an architect or developers what we want.
So from July we have embarked on an extensive consultation process to determine the needs of the QUC ministries. In the process I’ve discovered that there are over 30 different ministries that QUC supports and encourages. I can’t even guess the numbers of people in the community that these ministries touch either by them coming onto the QUC grounds or us reaching out to them. I learnt that the QUC ministry that I see on a Sunday morning is only a small fraction of the whole QUC portfolio of ministries. So, in order to consider an additional ministry such as HOME the PRG needed to be sure that our current ministries are also given significant consideration.
Guidance from the Church Council has helped. In summary, the guidance includes: 1. Honour existing Ministries, 2. Connect the Ministries, 3. Explore partnerships with the Community, 4. Enable growth of the Ministries and 5. Ensure suitable access to and within the property. This guidance has helped bound the scope of the project whilst providing some useful metrics in which to use to assess any options going forward.
Capturing each of the ministries visions (see draft), their current property usage/concerns and understanding how property could enable them to grow has helped us to understand the bigger picture.
In the pot are the groups we have had conversations with to date. Outside the pot are pending conversations.
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Through the PRG report I hope to take you on this journey too.
While I see many similarities and synergies between the mission of HOME and the mission of many of the QUC ministries, the decision to partner with HOME is not an easy one to make. There is no cut and paste option to put HOME on QUC property that doesn’t in some way impact one or more of the QUC ministries. By exploring all of the QUC ministries, through the consultation process, the impact of any plans going forward can be assessed using the metrics and an informed decision can then be made by the congregation.
There is always an option to do nothing, or to do very little with the QUC property. But this option too must be assessed using the metrics described above in order to make an informed decision.
Therefore, I am proposing that we consider a holistic approach to determining what is in the best interest of the QUC and its ministries over the next 20+ years. What we need from the congregation before Christmas is a decision on whether to continue to seek out a partnership with HOME and progress to the design phase or to proceed without HOME and to either seek out other partners or go it alone.
We are planning three main touch-points with the
congregation over the next couple of months.
1. The release of the PRG Report through perhaps an informal lunch.
2. A week or two later a workshop to discuss the report, answer questions, update the report (if we’ve forgotten anything) and to explore any details that are not necessarily covered in the report.
3. A week or two after that a formal Congregation Meeting where I expect a decision to be made as to whether we should progress to the next stage with or without HOME.
In addition to this Jeff Toone and Castaly Haddon (Lombe) are preparing a video to share what we have
learnt over the past few months.
The Ministries of the Queanbeyan Uniting Church are the main reason why the Church exists and offer many connections into the wider Queanbeyan Community. I, and many others it seems, want to see these ministries flourish and grow. My aim through the PRG is to ensure that the QUC property encourages growth in its ministries over the next 20+ years and does not stifle it.
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If you would like to know more or to clarify anything you may have heard, or to talk through your concerns, please come and talk to me or anyone in the Property Review Group.
There is also more information and links to information on QUC Online. This will be regularly updated. quc.elvanto.com.au/pages/prg
The members of the PRG are Andrew Flahive (Chair), Steve Imrie, Steve Adams, Peter McIntyre, Alison Crawley, Vivian Harris, Alex Bickford and more recently Martin Harris. The PRG reports to Church Council and takes its direction from it. As such, associated members of the PRG are Rev. Steve Coster, Amy Junor, David Warren, Myf Appleton, Grant Caine and Ian Gray.
Your servant in Christ,
Andrew Flahive - M: 0433179748 E: [email protected]
News from Church Council Amongst some challenges, I have been encouraged by a number of things in the life of QUC over the past couple of weeks. It was a privilege to be part of the first meeting of the newly formed Pastoral Care Ministry Team. This group is enthusiastic and have already been actively providing PC and thinking about ways they can better serve our community.
The passion of those organising the Community Fair and the number of community groups they have engaged to be involved. I encourage you to get beside them and volunteer where you are able.
The commitment of the significant number of people involved in the PRG process. Especially for the members who have not just been meeting every week, but doing a significant amount of work in between the meetings at great personal cost. Andrew is doing a fantastic job chairing the group. Andrew and I met with members of HOME last week. They are still very committed to something happening and QUC continues to be their preferred option. On the Sunday we hold a workshop, they have invited us to come and have a look at HOME and answer any questions people have. Steve and I, while actively involved, have appreciated watching other people take the lead in a number of areas. Vivian has spent many hours talking to the various ministry groups in the life of our congregation. It was important we heard from as many as possible. Alex has spent many hours putting together a report on all our trees with raw data being
provided by a qualified arborist - we even found a tree house.
As a qualified landscape architect, Alex is trained put the data into a formal report. A copy of the report is available on QUC Online. Nick Pelle, HOME board member and architect has donated many hours helping us think through possibilities and issues, including what needs doing to the old buildings should we choose to do nothing. There is an extensive list. David Warren is a professional Quantity Surveyor and is looking at the costs. Martin Harris is working with another small group of people to look at the financial aspects of the review. Others in the group are helping in various other aspects of the review.
If you have any questions or concerns please take the opportunity to talk to Andrew or one of the members of the PRG. Please don’t save them for the final congregation meeting.
Please continue to hold one another in prayer during this time.
If you want to discuss these or any other matter within the life of QUC, feel free to contact me or one of the other members of Church Council. Yours in Christ’s service
Ian Gray - Chair of QUC Church Council Mobile: 0408 252 447 - [email protected]
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QUC Accounts as at September 2017 Income and Expenditure
2017-18 Budget
Actual at Sept End
Total Income $239 084 $51 755
Less Expenditure $237 076 $56 105
SURPLUS (DEFICIT) $1 008 ($4 350)
Account Balances
Self Help Loan ($20 000) Cheque Account $500 Working Account $25 970 ALL ACCOUNT BALANCES $6 470
Detailed accounts can be found at quc.elvanto.com.au/pages/church-finances/
Please contact Grant Caine (QUC Treasurer) [email protected] should you have any queries.
Messy Church
An all-age gathering normally on the 3rd Sunday of each month from 4-6pm. A fun afternoon of sharing in games, stories, craft and a meal, as we grow in our understanding and experience of God together. Basically, it’s Church for those who like to get their hands dirty.
A Messy Christmas 19th November
This will be the last Messy Church for the year.
We have enjoyed a very Messy year!
QUC Playgroup
Playgroup meets on Thursday mornings. Anyone interested please speak with Rosemary Robinson [email protected] or Wendy Imrie [email protected] (both are be attending with their grandchildren).
Adult Fellowship - THANK YOU On behalf of 115 unknown children in unknown countries, may I say a very sincere Thank You to everyone who has made it possible for them to receive this year a Shoebox packed with Love and gifts. It may even be their first gift ever. If you knitted beanies or teddies – thank you. If you sewed library bags or skirts or threaded elastic in skirts and shorts – thank you. If you made picture books – thank you. If you donated items for inclusion in the boxes, and if you helped Adult Fellowship pack 80 of these boxes – thank you. If you gave a monetary contribution which is used solely to cover the expenses involved in Operation Christmas Child’s administration, shipping and hand delivering each box to a child, your generosity made it possible for me to pack an additional 35 boxes this year –so, a very big THANK YOU. Many of our church members also pack their own boxes each year.
O.C.C.’s first shipment for this year has just left and is headed to Mozambique – a first time location for Australia. Our boxes are not in this. I have ‘tagged’ 10 of our shoeboxes, so it will be interesting to know which country’s children they will be delivered to.
About 7 years ago God called me to this ministry in our church – not something I had even thought about at that time but which I have become very
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passionate about. I know that every shoebox we pack and send has the potential to spread the Love of the Lord Jesus Christ in the heart of a child, their family and their village. The incredible stories which come out of each year’s distribution are humanly impossible and therefore displays so clearly and positively the Hand of the Lord touching so many lives.
Thank you again, on behalf of the children.
Yvonne Wallace, Queanbeyan Uniting Church and Adult Fellowship.
Our adult fellowship meets at the church at 2pm on the first Thursday of every month except January. Activities include guest speakers, worship and afternoon tea, among others. For more details, contact Yvonne Wallace on 0414 869 423.
Men’s Breakfast
Once a month, on a Wednesday, 20-30 men from different churches in the region gather together in the CAST (foyer) area of the church for a cooked breakfast and to hear someone share a story about their life, faith and experiences. Due to other commitments there will be no October breakfast.
When: Wednesday 29th November 7-8am. Cost is $5. Sharing: TBC RSVP: Sunday 26th November to Ian Gray 0408 252 447
Come along and enjoy the fellowship and food.
Sharing my Gifts and Skills Would you like to be involved in bible reading or morning tea on a Sunday morning or helping mow the church lawns, maybe you’d like to sing or even preach?
We are very keen to hear how you would like to be involved, it’s very simple, just go to QUC Online and tell us (if you are reading this as an email, simply click here).
News from the Wider Church/Community
Presbytery notices:
Tuggeranong Uniting’s Spring Fair Saturday 11 November from 9.30am to 2.00pm Craft, books, plants and flowers, plus International Restaurant and our wonderful Red Dove Cafe, plus much more. Tuggeranong Uniting Church, Comrie St, Wanniassa.
Fundraiser for the Early Morning Centre Canberra City Uniting Church, 3rd Novembers at 7pm, Cnr Northbourne Ave/Rudd St with parking - entry from Rudd St is holding an evening of music – jazz, music theatre, cabaret and classical – interspersed with anecdotes about life, faith and call to ministry. Tickets: $25 (Concession $20) are available from: Canberra City Church Office 6257 4600.
Wider Church:
Hymns of the Reformation Queanbeyan Presbyterian Church is hosting an afternoon of singing hymns from the Reformation at 2pm on Sunday 29th October, 2 Morisset St, Queanbeyan. For more information, contact Romeo Dinale 0403 509 779. Guest speaker is Martin de Pyle, Luther – the man, the message.
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Healthy Churches EXPO is back In 2017!
Our Healthy Churches EXPO reached capacity in 2016, and therefore we encourage participants to sign up fast for our 2017 EXPO.
Who | Everyone is welcome When | Saturday 4 November 2017 | 9am - 4.30pm
Cost | Only $20 and includes lunch, morning & afternoon tea Venue | The Centre for Ministry, 16 Masons Drive, North Parramatta
Parking | Free parking available on site
The one-day workshop is designed to assist congregation and church members, and churches (large or small), with a broad range of learning workshops providing information, tools and resources to maintain and improve their “church health”.
Topics include, but are not limited to: Roles and responsibilities of Church Council | Tips for treasurers and property committees | Running a meeting (consensus-
based decision making) | Sharing your story with the community online | Sharing your faith | Pulse – resources for intergenerational church | Fresh
expressions of church and pioneering ministry | Taking a look at the health of your congregation | Healthy and creative approaches to compliance | Supporting
refugee and migrant communities | Environmentally friendly churches…. and much more!
PLUS your $20 includes lunch, morning and afternoon tea. The Program: Starts at 9am and concludes at 4.30 pm.
More? Our dedicated event website - http://healthychurches.org.au/
Have a question that you would like to ask?
Please feel free to contact us during business hours via (02) 8838 8912 or email [email protected]
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Regular Ministries of QUC Ministry When Contact
Adult Fellowship First Thursday of every month, 2pm. Yvonne Wallace
Bible Studies and Small Groups Various times, weekly or fortnightly. Various - ask Steve
Chapel Service Sundays, 8:45 to 9.15am during school term. Robyn Robinson
Choir Rehearsals on 1st Monday and 2nd Tuesday nights each month – 7.30pm at the church.
Suzanne Prowse
Garden Ministry In a recess Natalie Maras
Jumble Sale One Saturday per month (usually the 4th), 9am-12pm.
Julie Veal
Men’s Breakfast One Wednesday morning most months. Ian Gray
Messy Church 3rd Sunday of the month, 4-6pm. Julie Posthuma
Night Church Sunday 6pm. Amy Junor
Nursing Home Service 2nd and 4th Tuesday, 11-11:30am. Robyn Robinson
Playgroup 10am till 12noon each Thursday during school term
Rosemary Robinson
Prayer Group Tuesday Mornings See Ian Gray
Refugee Advocacy/Justice Issues
varies Alison Coster & Vivian Harris
Safe Shelter Tuesday Nights during cold months. June Lawrence
Schools Ministry (Scripture) Regularly during School Term Julie Posthuma
Sunday Morning KUCA Sunday Mornings, during NSW school term, as part of 9:30am worship service.
Kimberley Pullen
Sunday Morning Worship Sundays, 9:30am. Steve Coster
The Shed Same dates as Jumble Sale. Heather Irons
Youth Group Friday, 7pm, fortnightly during school term. Erin McIntyre
If your ministry group’s details are missing, or incorrect, please contact the office to correct them for the next newsletter.
Your generous giving helps us fulfil our vision and mission – locally, nationally and internationally. There are a
number of ways you can regularly give and/or make a once-off donation. 1. Direct Giving (encouraged) - is giving that you arrange with your own bank (can normally be set-up as weekly, fortnightly, monthly or annually) into:
QUEANBEYAN UNITING CHURCH AT CALL ACCOUNT, B.S.B. 634-634, ACCOUNT NO. 100 020 066
2. Cash (or Cheque) offering put in the offering bag each Sunday. 3. Weekly Envelopes - cash (or cheque) put in the offering bag each Sunday during worship. The envelopes are freely available to be picked-up from the back table at the church.