Anglican Parish of Dalby

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1 Anglican Parish of Dalby (St John s Church, Dalby, and St Margaret s Church, Cecil Plains) Parish Profile 2018 Our Mission is: To know Christ, and to make Christ known, through worship, reaching out, caring, and education. Facebook: St John s Anglican Church Dalby

2 Parish Aims 1. To be a loving, Christ-like community 2. To reflect the love of Christ in our local communities 3. To grow in faith, and grow in numbers 4. To support people in their discipleship and spiritual growth 5. To encourage and empower parishioners to use their gifts and talents 6. To encourage families, children and young people to grow their faith 7. To encourage gracious stewardship What we seek in our next Parish Priest 1. Someone who has a deep and genuine love for God and God s people 2. Someone who has a deep and genuine love for teaching the Gospel, and explaining its relevance for our lives today 3. A person who values, understands and empowers lay ministry 4. A person who has energy and enthusiasm, and who has good mental health and physical stamina 5. A person who has ability to pastor, guide and train others to care pastorally 6. A person who desires for us to grow as a church, and who will encourage young families to be part of our Parish family 7. A person who will work collaboratively with the Parish Council to discern vision, identify goals, and develop strategies, that will enable the future flourishing of the Parish 8. Someone who has the skills to effectively relate and work cross-generationally What the Parish will offer the next Priest 1. The opportunity to lead, teach, and support an enthusiastic congregation through a time of great challenge, change and growth. 2. A Parish Community hungry to grow in their relationship with God, and willing to risk new things for Mission. 3. The skilled support of a part-time Young Families Ministry Leader 4. The skilled support of paid administration staff 5. The enthusiastic support of gifted volunteers 6. An experienced Parish Council who work collaboratively with the ministry team

3 Perceived Parish Strengths 1. Faithful Core Congregation who give generously, both financially and in-kind 2. Enthusiastic and growing family ministry 3. Enthusiastic and capable LAs 4. Mission support we support local and national and international Mission 5. Hospitality 6. Good ecumenical cooperation with regular interaction, services and meetings with other churches in our area 7. Strong mission focussed, cohesive, and cooperative Parish Council 8. Economically diverse region 9. Comfortable, air-conditioned, worship facilities with modern AV system styles of worship service traditional and contemporary 11. Lay ministry support Employed part time Young Families Minister 12. Administrative support Employed part time Parish Secretary Perceived Parish Weaknesses 1. Aging congregation with gaps between generations within 2. Estimated 14% of regular congregation in paid employment 3. Maintaining our congregation numbers but not growing them 4. Aging physical facilities, lacking appropriate toilets St John s Anglican Church is centrally located in the Dalby CBD, at the intersection of the Drayton St and Cunningham St Dalby.

4 Active Ministries (Worship, Education, Outreach and Caring) 1. Church Services: St John s, Dalby, currently has two services each Sunday held at 8am and 10am, with a combined 9am service on the 5 th Sunday of the month. 8 am is a traditional communion service 10 am is a Family orientated service which includes communion and 2 study groups for young people (Sunday Kidz 0-grade 4) and ignite (grades 5-12). These groups are led by a team of 10 people throughout the school terms. Every 3 rd Sunday is a service more dedicated to children (Kidz church) Attendance at these services in 2017 was 5376 with 3863 communicants. Average attendance at St John s has steadily increased: 2015 (80); 2016 (85); 2017 (95) Baptisms: 2017 (25) Funerals: 2017 (31) Weddings: 2017 (2) St Margaret s, Cecil Plains, holds a communion service once a month when the parish priest travels after the Dalby services. Average attendance: 2015 (8); 2016 (8); 2017 (7) Ningana (retirement home)/ Karingal (nursing home) 2. Youth and Children s Ministry: Over the past 3 years a Young Families Support Ministry Leader was employed, supported by a team which meets monthly to implement various events and projects at St John s. This includes the modification of the 10am regular service to encourage active worship particularly with children and families in mind; youth group; music lessons; publication of 2 weekly bible studies; monthly newsletters; the adoption of a mobile APP and Face Book page to improve communication; outreach to a local school s Brekkie Club and support of the resident school chaplain. 3. Bible Studies: Include a regular Lenten study, young families bible study, regular weekly Men s group, weekly walking group and the innovation of Skype studies. An active group of Parish Council is the Small Group Planning Committee who strives to enable and train leaders (with Diocesan assistance) and engage 6 active groups throughout the parish.

5 4. Cameo: A monthly group meeting with its own very active committee based around morning tea with an average attendance of 62. This is aimed at outreach to the local community with our church as the focus. 5. Church Camp: An annual weekend at the James Byrne Centre in Highfields, with a theme and guest speakers. A time of worship, study, fellowship and fun. 6. Confirmation: In 2017, 4 candidates participated in several weeks of classes and a retreat in the Bunya Mountains with Bishop Cam prior to their confirmation service on the Sunday. 7. Church Dinner: An annual night of fellowship with a guest speaker. This year will be modified to smaller gatherings in order to build relationships with each other. Other social gatherings include Parish breakfasts, picnics, Men s functions and Ladies encouragement evenings. 8. Outreach and Mission: St John s support activities within the Dalby Community such as Relay for Life, Crisis Care, Dalby State School Breakfast Club; Bruce and Libby Hayes (CMS Nepal); Bishop Daniel (Sudan); Bush Church Aid; RI in local schools; School Chaplains; Operation Christmas Child; Meals on Wheels. Care Team: members of this team meet regularly and pray for, visit or telephone people who are ill or physically unable to leave their homes. Prayer Chain 9. Ecumenical Participation: Churches together, Minister s Fraternal, World Day of Prayer Committee

6 Parish Organisation Parish Council: 12 members; Meetings are once monthly - every 3rd meeting is a ministry focussed / planning meeting examining the ministry/mission activities ahead and the alternate meetings deal with matters pertaining to the running of the parish. The Parish Council has active, committed members who will be very supportive to an incoming minister. Three Church Wardens: One part-time Young Families Ministry leader (12 hrs/week); One part-time Parish Administrator; One non-stipendiary Deacon who is also a Police Chaplain; One retired priest; Nine Liturgical Assistants; Roster of people covering all aspects of service including leading, prayers, reading, Kidz Church, youth ministry, cleaning, morning tea, grounds maintenance, flowers, catering etc St John s Church services are displayed on 2 large screens as a power point presentation of the Holy Communion service including hymns, song words and videos. A team of musicians deliver a combination of organ, piano, guitar, drums, flute and worship with music and singing is a large part of our worship platform. A singing group also meets regularly to prepare items for special services. Hospitality and welcoming is an integral part of our worship and ministry including morning tea after both Sunday services; breakfast before the combined 5 th Sunday service; catering for funerals, churches together; coffee and chat is a regular Monday meeting at a local coffee shop where everyone is welcome to simply catch up. Facilities 1. St John s Church with annexe seats 200 people reverse cycle split system air conditioning; and a modern sound and AV system 2. St John s Church Hall (attached to church annexe) can seat 200 for a concert or 100 for a dinner, recently repainted and air conditioned. 3. Wanka House incorporates church office, meeting room, kitchen and toilet for the disabled has evaporative air conditioning 4. Rectory The current rectory is a large post-war 5 bedroom home that adjoins the church grounds. The Parish Council is currently considering the future of the Rectory and the adjoining church grounds, please see below. However, it is the intention of Parish Council to provide a Rectory that is compliant with the current Diocesan Standards for Clergy Housing. Future Plans for facilities A proposal to sell the block of land where the Rectory is located has been previously approved by Parish Council and a congregational meeting. The proposal was also previously approved by Diocesan Council, subject to a suitable offer within budgetary

7 constraints. The initial plan includes the renovation of the church hall to include offices, meeting rooms and toilets and also the purchase of a new rectory in a residential area that complies with Diocesan Standards for Clergy Housing. Initial negotiations between the adjoining State School and the Diocese have stalled but there is potential for this to be reinvigorated. Parish Council is also considering the option of taking the Parcel of Land to market, subject to Diocesan approval. Ecumenical Relationships Dalby is well serviced by churches. Apart from the Anglican there are worshipping communities from the Catholic, Baptist, Presbyterian, Church of Christ, Christian Outreach Centre, Assembly of God, Uniting, Brethren, Lutheran, Salvation Army and Seventh Day Adventist traditions. There is a very strong Minister s Fraternal in Dalby with most denominations represented. The Fraternal are keen to work together and hold two combined church services a year as well as the annual Carols in the Park. Previous Rectors Reverend Tom Bower has been the most recent Rector serving from Nov 2009 to November Prior to Tom, previous rectors included the Reverend Mike Uptin ( ), Archdeacon Jim Nolan ( ), Reverend John Elliot ( ) and Reverend Alan Colyer ( ). Further Background The earliest records of the Church of England in Dalby show that in 1852 Archdeacon Glennie, of Toowoomba, visited the township and held service and baptism in the home of the Ross family. The first resident minister of the church was the Rev. B. G. Moberley, who took charge here in the early 1860s. It was soon after he came that the first Church of England was built, a brick building on a site near where the present State School residence stands. This brick church was later replaced with a wooden church (which later became the parish hall) this building was used until 1923 when the present picturesque church was erected. The current church building is now heritage listed. The heritage listing applies to the footprint of the church building only. The first Mayor of Dalby was F. W. Roche, a man whose public activities were so appreciated that the main part of the town was on the South side of Myall Creek and was called Rochetown. Mr Roche was a staunch Anglican and very wealthy. He laid the foundation of St. Johns Church of England in 1866 and also provided Mr Moberley, the first Church of England Minister, with a Parish. Many years before Dalby became a municipality, Anglican services were held here, and it was about the time the town received its charter that a Church of England was built here. Dalby is a rural town on the northern Darling Downs, 80 km north-west of Toowoomba and 170 km north-west of central Brisbane. It is situated on the Myall Creek flood plain (the creek a tributary of the Condamine River). Population: Dalby and the surrounding Western Downs Regional Council is at the centre of rich coal and natural gas reserves. Together with several solar farms and a wind farm under

8 construction, these energy facilities underpin the power generation industry for SE Qld. The region is renowned as a rich agricultural area, growing crops such as cotton, sorghum, wheat, barley, sunflowers, chickpeas, mung beans and corn, as well as the production of lamb, beef and pork. largest grain receival depot in Queensland, the largest one day livestock market in Australia and has one of the largest regional industrial and agricultural manufacturing sectors. The town is well serviced with great schools, medical facilities, shopping, parks, worship facilities, sport facilities and clubs and other services. Cecil Plains is a town of approximately 200 people 40 km south of Dalby. In the past it has been a centre for grain and cotton production as well as sawmilling, however the town is suffering as farms are amalgamated and farming and distribution centralised. St Margaret s Church, Cecil Plains What next? If you have a sense that God may be calling you to the Parish of Dalby and would like to discuss this further; or, if you have some questions about the role, please contact the Bishop for the Western Region, +Cam Venables. cvenables@anglicanchurchsq.org.au Mobile: Facebook: Cam Venables