PRESBYTERY OF NORTH QUEENSLAND

Transcription

1 PRESBYTERY OF NORTH QUEENSLAND Context: Ministry/Congregational Life Finances Area covered (Sq/kms): 682,800 No. of Pastors (Stream A) 4 Mission & Service Fund Population: 490,000 No. of Pastors (Stream B) 4 Contribution: $216,360 Income from other Sources (non MSF): $22,800 No. of Congregations recognised as such by Presbytery: 31 No. of Lay Ministry Teams: 4 Presbytery Operational Funding: $155,700 Funds held in reserve (all investments): $187,373 Faith communities: 3 Placements No. of congregational placements FTE: F/T: 10 P/T:11 Strategic Project Funding Allocated: $138,000 Strategic Project Funding Accessed as at 04/04/13: $100,000 Ecumenical Communities: 1 No. of non-congregational placements FTE: F/T: 6 P/T:5 % of congregations in the Presbytery that have at least 80% income from offerings 80% No. of cluster arrangements 1 No. of joint placements FTE: (i.e.: ministry agents, support staff, total number of people) F/T: 2 P/T: % of congregations in the Presbytery with Sunday children s and youth ministry with over 15 average attendance 20% Total weekly worship attendance across Presbytery: 1600 Presbytery staffing FTE: Ministry agents Support staff Total no. of people Other statistical information relevant to this Presbytery: Three Placements shared with Frontier Services One youth worker and one community minister- both in part time congregational placements. R10 Presbytery of North Queensland Page 1

2 Responses to our Vision since last Synod Working towards our Vision in the future A prayerful listening Church Annual Ministers Retreat Continuing ministers retreat with focus for 2013 on prayer The Easter Call Easter Call Regular prayer among UCA ministers in Townsville Focus on Discipleship with emphasis on prayer Prayer focus points in Presbytery Prompts God-centred and life related in worship Faithful & relevant worship in congregations & patrols Combined Worship services Education - to help us understand culturally and theologically where we are, how we got here and what might happen next Forming active and accountable disciples of Jesus Education and training opportuities The Easter Call Presbytery Youth Camp and Kids Campout Family camps Emmaus Kairos - Emmaus for families of prisoners Elijah House Ministry training Education and training - Noel Due seminars, Shine Womens conference, congregation training programmes. Presbytery Youth Camp and Kids Campout Family camps Emmaus Elijah House Ministry training The Easter Call is a time of encouraging our members in their relationship with Jesus as well as a time of equiping through various workshops offered. The Youth Camp, family camps and Kids Campout are a time of fun, encouraging and equipping our youth & children in their relationships with each other and with God. R10 Presbytery of North Queensland Page 2

3 Confident in sharing faith Providing teaching through study series eg Just Faith, at the Easter call Convention there are workshops to equip people for ministry. We had a number of congregations completed the Just Faith studies which was very encouraging and challenging in living out their faith. Congregations sending mission teams to other centres in our presbytery to learn, encourage & inspire. Inspirational weekend seminar " The shock of the New" led by Rev Dr Noel Due. Intentional focus on the "Year of Discipleship" through providing quality seminars and other resources to church leaders and members. Lay education - to help us understand culturally & theologically where we are, how we got here,& what might happen next through a seminar by Rev Dr Noel Due. Video taped copies of seminar by Noel Due available for congregational use. Another seminar planned for 14 th to 16 th June. This is also achieved through The Easter Call as participants became excited about their faith. Opportunities for mission trips to PNG & Kirabati. Theologically informed, creative and visionary in its leadership Continued encouragement to engage effectively in CEM & supervision. Encouraging lay ministry training opportunities eg through Elijah Housewhich has and is equiping our lay and ministry agents for prayer ministry and for personal growth. Engage more effectively with ministers with regard to their CEM and supervision. Attendance at Noel Due Seminars is encouraged. Futher development of our lay education training beyond "lay preachers". Zone 'meetings' to be intentional teaching and encouragement times rather than formal meetings. Working for Christian Unity Many congregations intentionally engaging the community through Easter and Christmas Events. Stable on the Strand in Townsville - is a free event for the community in combination with most of the churches across the city taking part. Working hard to restore relationship with Blue Care and Uniting Care Communities. Intentionally engaging in communities is a feature of Nth Qld where most of the churches are integral in their local communities and work together across the denominations. Through the appeals we are identifying issues and engaging the wider church community, and raising awareness for possible outreach teams eg to join with YWAM medical ship to PNG or sending local mission teams. R10 Presbytery of North Queensland Page 3

4 Nth Qld Lent & Advent Appeal Walk of Witness Engaged in authentic community relationships Stable on the Strand is a huge event across all denominations in Townsville in building community relationships. Neighbour to Neighbour - a Townsville city wide operation to show that we the churches care - this is in co-operation with the council. Many congregations intentionally engaging community through Easter and Christmas events as well as RE, all build relationships in our community. Supporting school chaplaincy in many locations across the North. Townsville Street Chaplaincy Engaging wth the community through chaplaincy (hospital, BlueCare, prison, street chaplaincy, police). McKay Patrol Involvement in national community services (ANZAC, Police Remembrance, Remembrance Day etc). Stable on the Strand is unique to Townsville where the churches work together to put on such an event. Neighbour to neighbour involves many congregations across Townsville each year loving on the city doing jobs for the elderly mowing,cleaning and other gardening jobs as needed. Reaching out and speaking out for justice and peace for all creation Nth Qld Lent and Advent appeals, McKay Patrol Av Gas Appeal Strong links with PNG through the United Church in PNG Building links with Kirabati Good Samaritan ministry to homeless people Raising awareness of the needs and being aware that we the church are called to be change agents in our communities through the power of our Lord. Linking in with YWAM medical ship to PNG.This will also help with developing stronger links with PNG. Bringing a small team from overseas to link with a congregation and build relationships. R10 Presbytery of North Queensland Page 4

5 Organised for mission We have strong links with PNG through the United Church in PNG Neighbour to Neighbour Program in Townsville Support overseas mission workers in Thailand, West Timor, Bali, Vanuatu etc Raising awareness of the needs and being aware that we the church are called to be change agents in our communities through the power of our Lord. Linking in with YWAM medical ship to PNG.This will also help with developing stronger links with PNG. Bringing a small team from overseas to link with a congregation and build relationship. Advocacy Key achievements/initiatives: The Presbytery Leadership Planning Retreat this year was an encouraging time. We made the deliberate decision it would not be filled with the ordinary business of the PLT but would have enough space and time for conversation, wide ranging discussion and reflection, visioning and prayer. This continues to bear fruit. Interim Ministry in place at Cairns Emmanuel: the interim ministry covenant includes re-building the relationship between Cairns Emmanuel & the rest of the church. Townsville Region: important work at support and prayer across the Uniting Church congregational leadership and ecumenical partners. Especially evident at combined prayer meetings and when Rev Anne Harley was on sick leave due. Presbytery working towards redefining roles and responsibilities of its leadership team. Challenges/risks as we progress: Cairns Region: continues to have some hardships due to the financial downturn in the tourist industry. Cassowary Coast: continues to have less people in the area following Cyclone Yasi 2 years ago. Economic recovery is slow. Quite a number of placements are struggling finacially, especially the country towns in the sugar belt and in Mt Isa. Ministry planning to engage in growing regional centres in Townsville and Cairns. Ministry planning in and to mining communities and workers and families engaged in Fly in Fly Out settings. R10 Presbytery of North Queensland Page 5

6 Recommendations/issues to be addressed: Sustainable ministry support in towns that are shrinking in population. How to continue a ministry of presence, hope and encouragement? For 2013 (the Year of Discipleship) and beyond, the Presbytery is deliberately focusing on discipling faith, nurturing the "green shoots" and being positive about our faith and our church and not simply focusing on where we are struggling. We are a resurrection people and we need to intentionally live that way. Contact for Report questions: Name: Bruce Cornish Preferred contact method: - bcornish@bigpond.net.au R10 Presbytery of North Queensland Page 6