November

MINUTES OF NUMURKAH – NATHALIA PARISH COUNCIL MEETING

19th NOVEMBER 2015

8.00PM HAMON PARISH CENTRE, NUMURKAH.

 

Welcome and Opening Prayer – Rev’d Sally Boothey

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

Apologies – Brian Devenish

Minutes of meeting held 15th October were confirmed.

Moved J. Norma Shepherd, 2nd John Stammers.

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.

Correspondence

Inwards:  

1. Bishop: Ad Populum.

  1. Registrar: Certificate of Currency.
  2. Carpet Court: Quote to replace Parish Centre carpet.
  3. Registrar: St Matthews Music Foundation.
  4. Registrar: Salvation Jane in Kilmore.
  5. Broughton Publishing.
  6. Church Stores/SU/BS/BCA/Christmas Bowl.
  7. York Course: Lenten Study.
  8. Dean: Choral Evensong at Cathedral inviting Parishes to participate. May 29th suitable.

Outwards: 1. Letters of thanks: “Open Garden” Linda Watson, Pat Simpson, Heather Stammers.

  1. Letters of thanks: N. Hicks, M. Woodroofe.
  2. Letter of thanks: “Fete” Lions Club, Keren Kelly, Susan Patrick, Wattle Warblers, Numurkah Town       Band, Christine Milton.

         Moved Rob Elliott, 2nd M Muntz

 Rector’s Report

Thank you to all parish council members and wardens for staying on Council and in your positions for a further year. It will be helpful in the year ahead to have experienced and wise council members.

Parish life has been pretty busy this month and a real contrast to the quieter winter months. We have had a number of fund raising events that have been very successful from every perspective and I know that this is due to the tireless and cheerful work of many talented and willing people. Details will no doubt be in the Warden’s reports.

The change to the Diocesan year has meant that reports and AGMs have also occupied our thoughts and time. There is now just the Parish AGM to go, next Sunday 22 November.

The congregational AGMs this year have decided on some organizational changes in the centres which make sense in the light of smaller congregations.

The congregations of All Saints and St Paul’s have agreed to amalgamation for administrative and worship purposes. Although the current parish representatives will remain until the end of this diocesan year (September 30 2016), there will be just one congregational AGM and one warden/parish representative after that. The monthly Sunday services at All Saints will cease, and a monthly Holy Communion will be held at St Paul’s on the first Sunday. Lay led Morning Prayer services will continue, at alternating centres, on the third and fourth Sundays at 9.00am. These arrangements for Morning Prayer remain at the discretion of the participants. A copy of the relevant Sunday’s sermon will be provided in advance if at all possible.

At both St Paul’s and All Saints, the toilet facilities are in desperate need of work and cleaning out or re-positioning. This needs to be attended to with some urgency as both are overfull.

The congregation at Holy Trinity has voted to reduce weekly Tuesday Holy Communion services. They will now occur on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month, remaining at 10.00am. The fourth Tuesday coincides with a MU meeting. This will be trialed until May 2016, after which it will be reviewed.

New arrangements have been made with Pioneers Lodge also as the Anglican Service each fortnight, on Thursday at 9.00am, had, with the deaths of two very faithful Anglicans, no attendees. Services now occur, as part of an ecumenical roster, on the third Tuesday of each month at 4.00pm. They are still Communion services and there were 12 people (6 communicants) this week.

Similarly, for more effective and useful services at Karinya, changes in times may need to be looked at.

This past month, there was a wedding at St George’s and the Annual Memorial Service at Nathalia Hospital.

Denis and I were away for my god-daughter’s wedding on Sunday 8 November. It was wonderful to be able to conduct a marriage service for two young, devoted Christians– and to see Liz and her new husband so happy on their special day. At the reception we caught up with many friends from our time in Gippsland too. Many thanks Rev’d Geoffrey Poliness for taking the services in the parish.

One highlight of the month was the visit of Bishop John. His time at Barmah was extremely significant for the encouragement it brought to our friends in this struggling area. There was no suggestion (despite the fears) of closing the church or selling off the building. Bp John wondered if it could be a space shared, for a minimal rental, with the Barmah community, and used as a public meeting place or venue. His time of leading prayer at St George’s was quiet, restorative and, again, encouraging, as was the time with those parish council members who were able to be at the luncheon meeting.

The Confirmation service was joyous and several favorable comments have been made about the bishop’s ability to engage the children and younger people present. It was a very happy note to finish the weekend on and I am only sorry that the photos taken didn’t get passed on to the local papers or the Advocate.

Early in the New Year, we will meet as Parish Council for a serious look at what we have learned from Bp John and from Rev’d Geoffrey about ‘living in the present whilst looking to the future’. We will chart a course for the next 2-3 years which is intentional, probably risky, and able to be evaluated and perhaps modified as we go. We may then ask for help from Susan Benedyka. We will be realistic about everything, but hopeful and trusting of God’s faithfulness. Please consciously and deliberately pray about and for our communities and our role as church. We are asking for guidance on needs in our communities that the gifts that we have can help alleviate. Bishop John reminded us that we can’t just ‘do the same’ and expect a different result and that “NEED + GIFT = MISSION”

            We have had some extra repair and maintenance issues this month.  The dividing fence between Holy Trinity and the new house next door is being erected and we will pay half that cost.

The recent severe storms tested the capacity of gutters at the Hamon Centre and a lot of water got under the roof and seriously wet the carpet and the kitchen. A second rainstorm caused a repeat wetting and at the St George’s AGM it was agreed to make an insurance claim for new carpet and to clean out and repair the spouting.

On Monday, as news of the attacks in Paris was reaching us, someone went into St George’s to pray and placed an unsuitable candle, or incense burner on the altar. (At least, this is what we think happened.) The result was the altar cloth protector, the cloth itself, the under-cloth and the altar surface were all scorched and blackened in one spot, in about a 10cm diameter patch. Fortunately, the heat source was removed before the fire caught and spread. Three new white candles were left on the altar.

With the end of the Diocesan year, it would be good to finalise the contributions we have been able to make to our ABM Mission for the year. Our thanks go to Parish Mission Encourager, Brian, who has certainly encouraged us by his example of working for many different charities and missions, by his display in the parish centre and by his ideas for fund-raising.

Broughton Publishing have asked that we pay a licence fee to cover us for any use of APBA material outside the books. As we have, and do sometimes produce, booklets containing APBA material, I recommend we pay the license.

Rev’s Sally.

Financial Report:

Cheque Account                                       8163.75

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

Offwetory                                                 5033.30

Accounts payable          2373.87

         Moved W Watson, 2nd K. Schier

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

Catering:  Funerals: 10th November, 13th November.

Hall Hire:

Funerals:

Fundraising: Open Gardens November 15th. Fete October 31st, Open Gardens 14th.

           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.
  2. Damage to altar.
  3. Piano tuned.

 Holy Trinity Warden’s Report

  1. Fence $1,506 our share.

 Holy Trinity Ladies’ Guild – Assisting with organisation of Strawberry Festival.

 Mother’s Union Report – AGM in Wangaratta today. Final meeting bring and share lunch December 1st.

 St George’s Ladies’ Guild – no report

Strawberry Festival: Request for tables from St Georges.

 General Business

  1. Interest in mower from Pistol Club.

Moved that the mower be handed over to the Pistol Club.

Moved: John Stammers. 2nd Rob Elliott.

Discussion on possible action to be taken in regard to toilets at St Pauls Wakiti and All Saints    Barmah.

No services in Parish on 27th December.

Meeting closed 9.20pm with the Grace.

 

NEXT MEETING: THURSDAY 17 DECEMBER, 8.00PM, Holy Trinity Nathalia.

Bring & share supper.

 

 

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