Ministers Desk 23rd November 2014

The Church Council met on Monday 17 November.  At this meeting we received an update from the property refurbishment committee.  They presented some initial sketches that address changes to the foyer, hall, auditorium and Laurel street and South Pine Road entrances.  These changes range from replacement of the existing carpet, through alternative layouts of furniture for better functionality, improved acoustics in the hall and the addition of an awning outside the hall on the Laurel Street side.  The committee have sought to be faithful to suggestions made at the property workshop held in June this year. 

Suggestions that have not been taken up are to install concertina walls in the hall and build a mezzanine somewhere in the building.  Advice from the architect is that these ideas would not be practical and would be prohibitively expensive.  For these reasons these ideas will not be considered again.  The property refurbishment committee will continue their work with a view to presenting something to the congregation in the first half of next year. 

In the planning the committee have considered how this building fits with our purpose of Growing Disciples who Exalt, Explore, Embody, Engage and how it can best be used as a tool for ministry.  This has meant that we’ve taken time in the planning phase, almost a year so far and still going.  Once decisions are made by the congregation about what we’re going to do, the implementation may take even longer. 

The building assists us in our ministry; it is not ministry in itself.  So whilst the property refurbishment group does its work, there are others working on the ministry of Emmanuel Uniting Church. 

An Embody team meets regularly to understand our neighbourhood and seek ways in which we are able to step out in mission and service.  Our Christmas community dinner is the first activity of this group.  In the New Year we will look for other avenues of outreach and ways to highlight and develop the important work of outreach that many people are already doing. 

Our Worship Pastor, Dom Chan, is researching, assessing and implementing changes to our 9:30 and 6pm worship services to help us offer excellence in worship and experience whole of life transformation. 

Initial thoughts are being given to family ministry that seeks to provide a pathway of faith development for children, youth and young adults.  This pathway places the primary focus of faith development in the home and ensures that the church partners with parents to achieve a goal that we all desire, seeing children come to faith in Jesus Christ.

In addition to these new initiatives leaders are encouraged to continue to refine and focus their groups and ministries as we move toward being a disciple forming community who grow disciples who Exalt, Explore, Embody, Engage.

Grace and peace

David Fender