The Next Steps

Tuesday November 4th is almost here and everything is ready for you to be a part of our next steps together.

We have a wonderful meal planned for 6pm – $10 a person or $20 for the whole family. Please RSVP to the box in the foyer.

Free child-minding means that everyone can be involved. You have a promise that the meeting will be done by 8.30pm.

The vision is for Burnside City Uniting Church to be the place where we share the mission of the church together and everyone is free to use their gifts.

Please come and be part of what God is doing here.

Annual Church Picnic

The Annual Church Picnic was a wonderful success despite the rain. A big thank you to all those who helped at the picnic – ESPECIALLY Mike & Di Croft (overall co-ordinating), Daryl Du Long (games for the children), Rex King & Daniel Whitelock (guessing games) and everyone who brought a friend.

The winners of the guessing games were :

  • Number of golf balls—Juliette Topham
  • Jugs to fill the bowl—Daniel Whitelock
  • Toilet roll length—Helen Warrick

Spirited Generosity : The Next Steps

The Next Steps Our first Expanded Church Council meeting will be on Tuesday the 4th of November. This is a new beginning for Burnside City Uniting Church and is an invitation to everyone in our community to find a way to use the gifts that God has given each of us for this time.

This night will be an occasion to celebrate God’s call to us as the church to share the Good News of Jesus Christ in our community. Together we are challenged to find the many exciting ways we can express the love of God to people of all ages. This is an ongoing process that began with the words of Jesus “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20) and continues with us as we meet on this night.

Through the “Spirited Generosity” process of the last few months we have discerned the next steps of our call. We have formed Mission Action Areas and developed some goals for 2015 and beyond. We have selected Elders to guide the groups. The next steps are to have everyone determine which area they see God calling them to serve and to select a convenor for each group from within those people. Each group will then have a Convenor and Elder to guide them.

Please give prayerful consideration to how you will be a vital part of this new venture. Each of us is called to serve God with the gifts we have been given, regardless of our age, experience or how highly we value our gift. Remember the response of the widow Zarephath, when asked by the prophet Elijah for some bread, “As surely as the Lord your God lives,” she replied, “I don’t have any bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little olive oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it—and die.” (1 Kings 17:12). When that small gift was offered to the Lord great miracles followed. (You may need to read that for yourself?) Just imagine what God will do when we determine to give our gifts to God today.

Spirited Generosity – the next steps

Our AGM on Tuesday September 9th marked the 100th day of our 100 day countdown to the launch of Spirited Generosity. This is the beginning of a new phase in the life of Burnside City Uniting Church. A big thankyou to the 95 members of our congregation who attended this meeting and participated in the decision making process.

Peter Morris was elected as our Chairperson of Congregation and Jocelyn Nicholson as our Secretary of Congregation. We thank them for stepping into these roles to serve God here.

The new Church Council was elected. Sarah Jennings, Di Croft & Fay Genuth are our continuing Elders for another two years of their terms and did not need to be re-elected. They will be joined on the new council by Keith Maynard, Valerie Aloa and Angus Paton who have been serving on Church Council and have been re-elected for another 3 year term. Julie-Anne Bingham, Gillian Cibich, Chris Lake, Gaynor Strapp and Michael Dring have each been elected to the BCUC council for the first time to serve 3 year terms. They will be commissioned on Sunday September 21st and begin their terms at the next Church Council meeting on October 14th.

At this point Russell Thomson, Rex King, Colette Williams and Andrew Pruszinski have finished their terms. I ask you to join me in thanking them for their faithful service. Praise God for their time and gifts freely given in this way. Please uphold those who are finishing their terms and those who are beginning their terms in your regular prayers. Thank you also to our Nomination Team of Rex King, Colette Williams & Peter Wright for their work on this process.

Mission Support Group : Iraq Emergency Appeal

PLEASE HELP and PRAY for Christians in Iraq. Violence has been spreading across Iraq, resulting in an urgent humanitarian crisis. Over one million civilians, mostly women and children, have been forced to flee their homes. Through our partner on the ground, Act for Peace (NCCA), is responding fast to the crisis by providing food parcels, hygiene kits, blankets and cooking sets, but we urgently need your help now to support displaced families. Please especially pray for Christians in Iraq, as there is a warning of the possibility of a mass cleansing of Christians in Iraq.

This is an ACT for PEACE appeal ( NCCA), and your donation will be used in the most urgent situation at the time of receipt. Gwen Mackenzie for the Mission s Task Group.

Spirited Generosity : 9 days to go

The Nomination Committee is pleased to be able to present to the Congregation information about nine people who have responded to the call to accept nomination for election to serve as Elders on Church Council. Four are seeking re-election having completed their terms, and five are new nominations. (An additional three members have not yet completed their three-year terms.) We thank God for their gifts and talents and their offering to serve in this very important role.

When considering nominees, the Committee asks that you take the following points into consideration:

  1. Our Church Council is a visionary council and is called by God to guide us as a faith community. We look to them to use their spiritual gifts as they lead us in ministry and mission.
  2. Each year we look to refresh the council with new members. These nominees are standing for a three-year term.
  3. The nine nominees offer a diversity of gifts and talents.

The Church Council is made up of eleven lay members as well as Matthew and Linda. With three current Church Councillors already appointed, this means there are nine nominations for the eight lay vacancies and an election will take place at the AGM (7pm on Tuesday, 9th September). Uniting Church regulations, state that to be elected, a person must have the general support of the Congregation indicated by receiving votes from at least 50 per cent of those voting.

Changes in the Church Council’s role following on from Carolyn Kitto’s recommendations

The Church Council will be recommending a new structure to the AGM which will mean that in alternative months the Church Council will meet as a Mission Council. The Mission Council will be formed by augmenting the Church Council with the convenors of the four mission action areas and the four support areas. Council members will be called upon to serve on one of the mission action/support groups. The aim of these changes is to focus more sharply on the mission outreach of the church.
The Nomination Committee,
Rex King, Peter Wright, Colette Williams

Spirited Generosity : 22 days to go – the next steps

Tuesday August 12 we met to “Shape the Mission Action Budget for 2015”. 37 people attended this night and heard from Jenny Ducker the minister at Marion/Warradale Uniting Church about their first 3 years with Spirited Generosity. Jenny helped us understand how a “Mission Action Budget” works and how it gives a clear picture that our money is used for God’s mission through the church. Time was spent looking at the 4 Mission Action Areas and the finances needed to achieve the goals we have set on previous planning days.

The “Imagining Hope” study series began this week and will run for three weeks. Some groups are meeting here at church and others in private homes. Some groups have formed especially for this short study and others are groups that have been meeting regularly for years. If you have not yet signed up for a group, there is still time to do so today. Please put your name on the list and be part of this series that will help us all understand our mission better.

Mission Support Group : Gaza Crisis

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More than 650 people have been killed and thousands injured. 145,000 have been forced to flee their homes and more than 1.2 million people have been affected by the destruction of electricity ,water, and waste water infrastructures. Please help us send emergency funds to provide medical care and trauma support by making a generous gift either today or next Sunday.

This is an ACT for PEACE appeal ( NCCA), and your donation will be used in the most urgent situation at the time of receipt. Gwen Mackenzie for the Mission s Task Group.

Shaping Our Mission Action Budget Gathering

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You are invited to attend the “Shaping Our Mission Action Budget Gathering” on 12 August 2014 at 7pm to 8.30pm.  Tea & Coffee provided.  Ends 8.30 sharp

This is a key part of our Spirited Generosity Program and a significant night for Burnside City Uniting Church as we determine how our finances will be used to do all that God has called us to do.

Today is the last day to sign up for the Imagining Hope Small Groups. Please sign up in the foyer to be a part of this opportunity.