Ministers Desk October 20th 2013

 

 

Over the last month and a half we have been considering a proposal to change the governance structures of our congregation.  Members of the congregation have discussed this proposal in their Explore Groups and have been praying and thinking about it individually.  On Sunday 27 October at 4:30 pm we will have a congregational meeting where the proposal will be discussed, debated and voted upon.  I want to share with you the essence of the proposal.

 

There will be one Church Council instead of the existing Church Council and Elders meeting.  The Church Council will consist of the Ministers in placement (as required by the Regulations) and a Chairperson, Secretary and Treasurer, who will be elected by the congregation into these roles.  In addition there will be 5 to 7 Elders elected by the congregation.  The primary purpose of the Church Council will be spiritual oversight.  Spiritual oversight ensures that the church remains true to the headship of Jesus Christ in all aspects of its life and that its members are growing in the faith of Jesus and responding to the call of the Spirit.  In essence the Church Council will have a big picture, future focus to their deliberations.  They will give attention to the type of church that we believe God is calling us to be.

 

In addition there will be a new Ministry Coordination Team.  This team will have power and authority delegated to it by the Church Council to manage day to day operations and activities of the congregation.  The Church Council will appoint Team Leaders for areas such as Exalt (worship), Explore (small groups), Embody (service), Engage (evangelism), Pastoral Care, Support and Resources and Community Life.  The Team Leaders will come together to coordinate their activities and work together on shared issues.  The Team Leaders will continue to have responsibility and authority to lead and manage the activities in their own areas of ministry.

 

If this model is adopted we hope that it will be better placed to work toward our purpose of Growing Disciples who Exalt, Explore, Embody, Engage.  The model will allow for people to use their giftedness and abilities in ways that are appropriate to them.  The model will avoid overlaps of responsibility and allow us to focus on both long term strategy and short term management.

 

During the consultation some other issues have been raised.  These include:

· Ensuring that we as the congregation elect the right people to Church Council.

· Communication between the Church Council and Ministry Coordination Team and between both and the congregation.

· Identifying personal and spiritual characteristics, including spiritual gifts, and responsibilities and expectations, that are desired in those who are elected as Elders and appointed as Team Leaders.

 

There is nothing new in these issues.  However, the change in structure raises them as issues that need to be considered.

 

Please continue to pray for discernment and wisdom as we approach our congregational meeting.

 

Grace and peace

David Fender

 

MInisters Desk Oct 13th

The temptation for Christ followers is to isolate ourselves from world that is around us.  We become submerged in a Christian subculture where our friends and acquaintances and social activities and service all take place amongst those who are already followers of Christ.   Others may see their service and outreach into the community only through their organised church based activities.

But Jesus said, "you are the salt of the earth” (Matthew 5:13-14).  A grain of salt is not very big.  Lots of grains of salt, gathered together do not take up much room and they don’t weigh very much.  Yet, despite its size, salt has a significant impact when it’s placed in food.  A little salt on a bland piece of meat can make all the difference.  Have you ever had someone put salt in your water when you weren't looking?  You immediately noticed the change.  A little pinch of salt can alter the flavour of something.  My father grew up eating potatoes that had been boiled in salty water.  Sometime, probably in the 1980s, so that we’d eat healthier, my mother stopped putting salt into the potatoes.   To this very day my father still comments on the different taste the potatoes have due to the absence of salt.

In the same way, Christ followers should have a significant impact on the environment in which we are placed.  Our discipleship is grown and nurtured in the church community as we exalt God in worship and study and apply the bible in explore groups.  Yet that is not where our discipleship ends.  We then embody our faith in service and engage with pre-Christians in the world all around us.  Whatever else we do in the world, we should be flavouring the world with the presence of Jesus Christ.  We are created to make a difference in the places where we are placed.

The difference that we make is for the benefit of the world.  Modern science warns us against too much salt in our diets.  Yet it also warns us against too little.  Our bodies need salt to function properly.  So too does the world need our presence to make it better than it could be otherwise.  In a world that values self above others the counter-cultural message of the gospel is needed evermore.  Just by living out our faith we influence the world.  All we need to do is live and speak in the same way away from church as we do in church and we will be a blessing from God to the world.  We can take our practice of pastoral care into the community and deliberately spend time listening to and caring for hurting people in our workplaces and neighbourhoods.  We can exercise our servant hood by offering ourselves to others to make things easier for them.  We can use our words in appreciation and acknowledgement of others and brighten their days.

Yet, if we are to retreat into our Christian we miss out on the opportunities that God gives to us to practice and model love, selfless sacrifice, forgiveness, reconciliation and compassion.  God has placed us in the world for a reason, to show him to the world.

Grace and peace

David Fender

 

 

Ministers Desk 6th October 2013

Last Thursday night, a group of people from Emmanuel joined with representatives from three other Uniting Church congregations, the Uniting Church Hospitals and some individuals who all have connections, like us, with the Solomon Islands.  The night was simply about sharing our respective journeys and being encouraged along the way.  I want to share some of my reflections from that night. 

 

There is a growing sense of optimism amongst the United Church in the Solomon Islands.  The Moderator is a man of energy with great leadership ability.  He has been in office for two years now and is making a difference.  He is forming a staff team in the Assembly office who are competent and committed.  Through the Moderator’s efforts attention is being given to strengthening and tidying up many aspects of church life that have allowed to lapse in previous years.  There are only a very few partnerships between the United Church and Uniting Church, however, these few connections give the Moderator and his whole church a sense of encouragement.  When they reflect on the partnerships they know that they do not stand alone. 

 

Overseas partnerships remind us that the church of Jesus Christ is universal.  The movement of faith that we are part of is much bigger than just our congregation.  Through this partnership we connect with others who worship in a different language and in different ways, but still worship the same God.  Our partnership ties us to the history of the church.  Since 1902 missionaries from Australia have travelled to the Solomon Islands to present the good news of Jesus Christ.  Whilst our ministry is very different to theirs, we stand on their shoulders and continue in their line of faithful discipleship.  The universality of our partnership continues when we realise that more than just members of our congregation are involved.  Our recent fundraiser highlighted this.  Some members of our congregation invited their Brians (pre-Christian friends that they are intentionally sharing faith with) to join them in walking or riding.  Many other people asked for sponsorship from their circle of friends and in doing so telling them the story of our church’s partnership.  Our local politicians and some businesses were approached, and again the story of our church’s activity in the pacific was shared.  In reply to a thank you note I sent to Teresa Gambaro, a member of her staff replied “Teresa is very pleased to assist all community groups whenever she can and certainly in this case, the funds are going to a very worthy cause.”

 

The people gathered on Thursday night agreed that amongst the greatest joys of our partnership is the vibrancy of Solomon Island worship and the hospitality offered to their guests.  I believe that both of these stem from a deep love for God that flows over into a deep love for other people.  As I often say, every time I return from Noro my faith is stirred because of their Christian witness.

 

Thank you for your ongoing involvement in our Noro partnership.  This partnership has endured for many years and is growing stronger and involving more people from our congregation.  As we give ourselves to the people of Noro we continue to grow in our discipleship as we participate in the ministry of Christ. 

 

Grace and peace

 

David Fender

Ministers Desk 29th September 2013

Decision making takes place in many places in the life of our congregation.  Church Council is not the only group through which power, authority and leadership are exercised.  Decisions are made by the congregation as a whole and also leadership teams of groups, committees and individuals.  This proposal does not affect any of these groups or individuals and their ongoing mission. 

 

The proposal is directed toward the way Church Council operates.  Currently a group of 14 people meet monthly to make decisions that affect the whole congregation.  Their decision making is long term, medium term and short term.  Problems arise from this.  Many people find it difficult to think of both long term strategy and short term management.  Some need detail and specificity, others prefer concepts and ideas.  There is also the problem that the immediate and urgent crowds out longer term considerations.  Therefore it is proposed that the Church Council effectively be divided into two groups.  A Church Council to focus on spiritual oversight and a Ministry Coordination Team to concentrate on short term management.  The intention is to allow people to serve in leadership according to their gifts, personality and passion and for both of these important aspects of congregation life to be given proper attention. 

 

The proposed Church Council will consist entirely of Elders.  The Chair, Secretary and Treasurer will be Elders, but will be directly elected by the congregation into these roles.  As has been our past practice, the Chair and Secretary of Church Council will also be Chair and Secretary of the congregation.  The Ministry Coordination Team will consist of Team Leaders who head up areas of congregation life.  As it now stands this Team would consist of the Ministry Team (3 positions, including the current vacancy) and Team Leaders for Exalt, Explore, Pastoral Care, Group and Community Life and Strategic Mapping.  In addition there are vacant positions for Team Leaders for Embody, Engage and Support and Resources who would also be part of the Ministry Coordination Team. 

 

The separate Elders and Church Council meetings will no longer occur.  The Elders currently meet monthly, with every second meeting dedicated to prayer for the life of the congregation.  The alternate meeting involves the Elders reviewing the life of the congregation.  The Elders have no decision making authority.  They act solely as a group of wise, insightful, Spirit filled leaders with a passion to see God’s church at Emmanuel thrive. 

 

Whilst I talk about power and decision making, ultimately the head of the church is Jesus Christ.  Colossians 1:18 says, “Christ is also the head of the church, which is his body.

He is the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead.  So he is first in everything.”  All that we do is at the inspiration of his Spirit and is for the glory of God.  Leadership and governance in the church is not about accumulating power and imposing our way on things.  It is exercised by prayerful discernment, minds transformed by the Holy Spirit, humble and obedient hearts and people who are committed to constantly grow in their discipleship. 

 

Grace and peace

 

David Fender

Ministers Desk 22nd September 2013

The call of discipleship is to follow Jesus with all that we are and have.  This includes our money.  In fact it is often hardest for people to follow Jesus with their money.  That’s why Jesus spoke about money more than he spoke about any other issue.  We speak about money a lot less than Jesus.  But once a year we take time in our church to reconsider our financial discipleship.  That time is now.  We each are being asked to reconsider how much we invest in the work of God through this congregation.  In doing this I ask you to prayerfully consider your financial investment in the work of God through this congregation.  As you do this consider the following biblical principles about giving.

 

1.      Give first to God.  Constantly, in everything we are called to give to God our first and our best.  Jesus tells us that the greatest commandment is to love God first above all others.  In the Old Testament the Israelites were commanded to give the first and best of their flocks and crops as an offering.  Giving first to God ensures that we don’t short change God by meeting our own needs first and then giving God what’s left over.

2.      Give as a proportion of your income.  In the New Testament Paul writes about the principle of proportionate giving.  In the Old Testament God indicates that he sees a tenth (a tithe) of our income is a suitable amount.  If you are not yet giving a tithe, the step up chart included in your stewardship letter may help.  It could be a big step from giving the proportion that you’re giving now to giving 10%.  To make the transition use the chart to identify the proportion you’re giving now and then add 1% to that for this year.  Then next year you can repeat the process, until you reach 10%.

3.      If you are not yet using direct debit, consider the use of that.  Direct debit allows us to constantly honour God with our giving, not just on those Sundays when we attend and give.  It is beneficial to our Treasurer in guaranteeing a steady income stream from which to budget and meet payments.  It reduces the work load and reduces the personal safety risk of those who count and bank the cash offerings each week.

4.      After you have considered the amount of your pledge record this on the pledge form included with your stewardship letter and return to the church by Sunday 29 September.  A high rate of return of these forms gives our Treasurer an accurate indication of income for the coming year so that he can frame our budget.  This is good and wise stewardship, because our expenditure is dependent on our income.

5.      Honour God by giving to him, through Emmanuel Uniting, with joy and thankfulness.  Giving our tithes and offerings is a further way in which we praise God and respond to his blessings in our lives.  In the same way that we get joy out of giving presents to others, we should get pleasure from giving our tithes and offerings.  The pleasure of honouring God, the joy of expressing our love and the delight of knowing that we have given a tangible sign of our love for the one who has loved us completely.

 

Please continue to invest in the work of God’s church, Emmanuel, through your tithes and offerings. 

 

Grace and peace

 

David Fender

 

Ministers Desk 15th September 2013

Deuteronomy 14:22-27 gives the Israelites instructions regarding the giving of the tithe (the 10% offering of their income).  In giving this instruction God realises that it might be difficult for them to transport their tithe, which would have consisted of grain, oil and livestock, from their home to the Temple because they had be blessed with a large crop.  So God gives an alternative to transporting the physical tithe.  He instructs that they may convert their crop into money. 

 

As I was praying and reflecting about stewardship this passage stuck out for me.  We would never think of bringing our livestock or crops to church and offering that as an offering.  (By the way, if you do think this, please don’t act on it, I don’t want to look after any animals).  We have moved beyond that type of agricultural society.  Money is now the primary means by which we engage in financial transactions.  I also thought that for many of us the use of cash is becoming less common.  The rise of EFTPOS, internet banking and apps on our smartphones means that we use cash less in our daily lives. 

 

The instruction in Deuteronomy is a recognition that practical necessities impact on our worship of God.  For a number of years the church has been able to offer the use of direct debit facilities for our tithes and offerings.  This is a reflection that our society is becoming less cash based and that often it can be an inconvenience to have cash available on Sunday.  Direct debit also acknowledges that for some in our congregation a tithe of their income is a substantial amount of money.  Incomes have risen the principle of proportionate giving means that our actual offering has also risen.  We don’t normally make large financial transactions in cash. 

 

Direct debits are also convenient for the volunteers in our church who handle money.  After each service a dwindling number of people count the cash offering.  Early in the week another volunteer counts the total offering and banks it.  There is an expense of time in this and a security risk in storing and transporting this money.  Direct debits are done electronically and reduce the weekly workload of our volunteers.

 

Already about 50% of our congregation give through direct debit.  This year as you think about your stewardship pledge, please consider the use of direct debit.  Wendy and I have used this for years and find it a practical response to God’s goodness in our lives.  In the stewardship letter you received is a direct debit request form.  The front page explains more about how it works.  In addition please speak to Barry Jardine (3353 4551) for more information. 

 

Some people maintain the practice of placing cash in the offering bag because they believe in the spiritual practice of making their offering during worship.  Whatever we offer to God, whether it be time, talent or treasure is holy only because of our relationship with God and our willingness to acknowledge his lordship over our lives and to respond to his grace.  When our heart is in the right place with God our offerings are a spiritual act of worship whether they take place physically in a worship service or electronically across the internet.

 

Grace and peace

David Fender

Ministers Desk 8th September 2013

One of our congregation’s Core Values is Fervent Prayer.  Here we say that “we value praying together and individually, recognising prayer as essential to life and our relationship with God.”  Paul writes in Colossians 4:2 “keep on praying and guard your prayers with thanksgiving.”  In stating that this is a core value we state that we value a life filled with prayer in which we communicate with God.  But the fervent adjective tells us that this life of prayer is marked by intensity and great zeal.

 

Fervent prayer is not necessarily characterised by any physical signs, such as speaking out loud or the volume of prayer or even physical posture.  Fervent prayer can be silent or aloud, offered standing, sitting or kneeling.  These considerations do not matter.  Rather, fervent prayer is putting our whole self, all of our attention, our mind, our will and our emotions on God. 

 

As we do that we remind ourselves of the heart and character of God.  In Matthew 15:22-28 the Canaanite woman desperately wanted her daughter to be delivered from demon possession.  When Jesus refused her request she still persisted in asking, because she understood the heart and character of Jesus.  In response Jesus healed her daughter and commended her saying “woman, you have great faith.”  Fervent prayer is faith-filled prayer.

 

Fervent prayer also seeks to put ourselves in the will of God.  It doesn’t seek to manipulate God.  On the night on which Jesus was betrayed Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane and prayed fervently.  The result was that when the time came for him to be arrested, tried and executed he was able to do this with courage and conviction.  On the other hand, the disciples who had slept ran away at the first sign of trouble.  They faced these troubles in their own strength and from their own perspective, Jesus faced them in God’s strength and understanding.

 

On Monday night the Elders considered this core value and where it is active in our congregation.  We recognised that in many instances it is something that is not directly observable, since it takes place privately in people’s homes.  However, through comment that people make and their willingness to ask for and to offer to pray we can be confident that fervent prayer is an integral part of our congregation.

 

The Elders encourage us to continue to pray fervently by making prayer an regular part of each day.  When we pray we should Adore God, Confess our sin, Thank him and offer Supplication for the needs of others.  As we pray we should be listening to God as well as speaking to him.  We are also encouraged to build our church as a community of pray by requesting pray through the care cards and praying for the prayer requests that are listed in the notice sheet.  Being part of a prayer network also helps us to be committed to praying for the life of this congregation.

 

Thank you for the prayers that you offer constantly.

 

Grace and peace

David Fender