December

MINUTES OF NUMURKAH – NATHALIA PARISH COUNCIL MEETING

17th DECEMBER 2015

8.00PM HOLY TRINITY HALL. NATHALIA.

Welcome and Opening Prayer – Rev’d Sally Boothey

Present – Rev. Sally Boothey Wendy Watson, Keith Schier, Bev Leaf, Mary Muntz, Norma Shepherd, Nola Smith, John Stammers, Judy James, Rob Elliott, Brian Devenish, Lou Hamon.

 Apologies – Nil

Minutes of meeting held 19th November were confirmed.

Moved  Rob Elliott, 2nd Mary Muntz.

 Business arising from the minutes

  1. Antiques Roadshow – held over until next meeting
  2. Workshop led by Rev. Geoffrey Poliness in new year.
  3. Hall Hire Charges, advise funeral directors after new carpet laid.
  4. Parish Centre storm damage. Quote received from Harvey Norman for carpet replacement.
  5. St George’s altar damage – pending.
  6. Mower. Picked up by Pistol Club.
  7. Toilets – Barmah and Wakiti Creek. Pending investigation.
  8. York Lenten Studies purchased.
  9. Broughton Publishing. Proceed with license.

.Correspondence

         Inwards: 1.  Registrar Trust Funds: Balance as at 30/09/2015. Last year in brackets.

           Numurkah A Heap Memorial Prize         $ 1,700.34    ($ 1,929.30)

                       Purpose: Annual gift of 2 bibles St. Georges.

Numurkah Archibald Trust                       $ 2,182.21    ($ 2,237.09)

                       Purpose: Prize for a boy & girl by St Georges Sunday School

Numurkah L Hamon Trust                        $ 17,825.20  ($ 18,274.71)

                       Purpose: Maintenance of Columbarium & gardens at St Georges.

           Yalca Porter Bequest         $ 1,781.13    ($ 2065.29)

                       Purpose for Rector.

           Claude Hamilton Bequest $ 3,311.02    ($ 3,394.28)

                       Purpose: Holy Trinity general.

           Mavis Rice Bequest $ 6,609.45    ($ 6,775.74)

                       Purpose: All Saints Barmah

           Nathalia Est. M.S. Pyper     $ 602.39        ($ 617.53)

                       Purpose: For use by Nathalia Vestry

           Nathalia Term Deposit      $ 258.33        ($ 264.82)

           Lou Hamon Eucharist        $ 5,755.83    ($ 5,900.65)

                       Purpose: Maintenance of vestments, linen, vessels St Georges

           Sale 44 Chapel Street Nathalia    $ 108,826.14 ($ 111,564.32

                       Purpose: Capital works.

2. Numurkah Town Band: letter of thanks.

3.Harvey Norman: Quote to replace Parish Centre carpet.

4.Showcase Numurkah 2016.

5. ABM/BS/BCA/ACT Christmas Bowl/Anglicare.

Outwards: 1. Letters of thanks & donation: Numurkah Town Band.

         Moved Norma Shepherd, 2nd Brian Devenish

Rector’s Report

Since last meeting we have begun a new Church Year and are now well into Advent and nearly at Christmas.

Significant Events in the Parish have been the Strawberry Festival and the Service of Nine Lessons and Carols.

There have been a number of Christmas parties or gatherings and people active in the parish have probably received invitations to several festive gatherings. The very Christian values which our parishioners live by means that they are active as volunteers, visitors, supporters or participants in local clubs, charities and community groups – as well as in the church – and therefore lead busy and fruitful lives.

At a Diocesan level also, things have been unusually busy as the new Registry (at St John’s Village) is established and extensive reports have had to be prepared for the Royal Commission into Institutional Child Abuse. The Bishop now has a Personal Assistant (Nikki Collins) who will be a great help to him in terms of administrative assistance and diary keeping. Improved communication, efficiency and less stress for Bishop John should be outcomes from this help.

During the past 6 months I have been Director of Vocations in-training, and at the clergy Christmas break up, I was formally appointed. There will be a Commissioning at the next Ordination Service on 6 February. The fact that this Diocese had an actual process for discerning vocation was a big positive in the report to the Royal Commission, as there is no set process in many dioceses.  My role will be to ensure this process is carried out and, if needs be, fine-tune it. There is a panel of clergy and lay people who conduct interviews and theological study, psychological assessment, attendance at monthly diocesan training sessions as well as belonging in a parish are required during the 2 years of discernment for enquirers before ordination is considered. I’m not sure what that will all mean for the day to day of 2016 for me, but it is a great sign of episcopal trust to be assigned this very important work and I will do my best.

Police Chaplaincy is at a standstill at the moment and I haven’t yet found the best times or ways to make connections – a work in progress!

Due to the concerns we all understand and share, and to the advice given by Rev’d Geoffrey Poliness, Tim Williams and Bp John, it is clear that we need to move into the future with some intentionality – with a plan or a strategy or a focus – or even with a very clear understanding of our realistic options. For that reason, I would like the Parish Council meeting in January to canvas ideas, discuss options and, in the light of the budget, put a plan out to the parish.

Rev’d Geoffrey Poliness has offered to take a service at St George’s on Sunday 27 December and I have accepted this offer. It will be a simple said Mass at 10.30am for whoever turns up. (No music and no rostered readers etc)

Today is the 20th anniversary of my ordination as a deacon, (next December will be 20 years as a priest) and it seems a much shorter time than that!

My sincere thanks go to all parish councilors for your help, support, ideas, active participation and for your own ministries, generosity and hard work. The parish lives only because of active and prayerful members and I know we are blessed to have so many – yourselves included.

At this Christmas season, and always, let us not forget that worship and rejoicing in the Lord are the ‘main game’ for all Christians and that from this, by the grace of God who loves us, we are enabled to engage with others in an attitude of respectful care, humble service and joyous hope. That’s the gospel!

So may we all know the blessings of a Christmas season in which we are awed by the holiness and love of the Father, filled with the life and peace of the Son and led to new vision and liberty by the Holy Spirit.

And a Happy 2016 to all!

Rev’d Sally.

Financial Report:

Cheque Account                                       8275.34

Investment Account                                       0.79

Holy Trinity Ladies’ Guild                         799.17

Holy Trinity Strawberry Festival               259.53

Holy Trinity Diocese of Wangaratta          243.82

Betty Daniel Term Deposit                      8133.74

Offertory                                                  4178.30

Accounts  payable                                      670.16

       Moved W Watson, 2nd K. Judy James

 GST Business – Move that the following fundraising activities be input taxed.

Catering:

Hall Hire:

Funerals:  Irene Pinnuck 16th December.

Fundraising: Strawberry Festival 27th November.

           Moved Lou Hamon, 2nd J Stammers

 St George’s Warden’s Report

  1. Parish Centre storm damage. Quotes for replacement carpet from Carpet Court and Harvey Norman.

Insurance claim to be made.

  1. Damage to altar pending.
  2. Nine Lessons & Carols was once again thanks to Rob Elliott and choir an outstanding event.
  3. Cleaning by roster.

 Holy Trinity Warden’s Report

  1. Fence $1,506 our share.
  2. Strawberry Festival excellent result. Thanks to all who worked hard.
  3. Bricks crumbling noticed.

 Holy Trinity Ladies’ Guild –

  1. Final meeting held.
  2. World Day of Prayer 4th March
  3. Morning Coffee 11th April.

 Mother’s Union Report –

  1. Finished for year.
  2. Lady Day 16th March

 St George’s Ladies’ Guild –

  1. Break-up Dinner held.
  2. Street Stalls booked March & July.

General Business

  1. Brian Devenish reported on two initiatives of “Friendship on the Move”. “Off the Back of a Truck” and Monster Book, CD and DVD sale. Proceeds to church and Youth Police Club.

  

Meeting closed 9.20pm with the Grace.

 

NEXT MEETING: THURSDAY 28th January 2016. Numurkah.

 

Minutes confirmed ………………………………………                 Date ………………………..

 

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