The Diocese of Bunbury: Gelorup Anglican Community Church Parish Profile

Transcription

1 The Diocese of Bunbury: Gelorup Anglican Community Church Parish Profile Part 1. Who we are and our mission. 1. Mission Statement and current vision. Sharing Christ Together 2. Introduction from Priest and/or Church Wardens We are a family-oriented community church based in the semi-rural environment on the outskirts of Bunbury. Congregation members come from Gelorup as well as Dalyellup, Usher, College Grove, Stratham and Capel. Many of us are or have been involved in education at local schools or in healthcare fields in nearby medical practices, local hospitals or nursing homes. Our age range is wide, and we have a large number of families with children in our midst. We consider ourselves friendly and open. We are very willing to be active participants in preparing and conducting services in accordance with the model of gift-based ministry (reflected in our NCD Survey 2011 results). Our theology is quite liberal though our services are in the middle Anglican tradition.

2 The Chapel of Saint Francis and St Clare at the Bunbury Cathedral Grammar School, is our worship home. It provides us with a modern, beautiful and very functional space for worship. The Chapel, the surrounding school buildings and gardens are proudly maintained by School Staff. Though we currently have no clergy (other than Sunday locums), we are positive that our potential is great. We have fantastic people already doing good work. Our day-to-day lives provide us with many opportunities to serve God and to enrich our communities. Our worship and time together in study or social groups is intended to nurture people of all ages in their Christian faith. Godly Play - based storytelling and One Room Sunday School Materials are enjoyed by our youngest members. We are looking at ways to help older children explore and own their faith. Adults are being challenged with active participation in the service, involvement in small groups, and Cathedral activities. 3. Brief outline of the Parish Council s Plans for the future. We would really like to find a priest willing and able to help us grow in faith and in numbers! (The Parish is advertised on the Diocesan webpage). We recognise that financial issues will require a step-wise approach from a part-time to fulltime stipendiary position in the parish. We are exploring avenues for increased interaction with the Bunbury Cathedral Grammar School Community, and the Bunbury Cathedral Parish. This is in the brainstorming stage. Possibilities include catering for the pre-primary and primary school aged children through our Sunday school program; with extension to the school students and younger siblings and parents using our Godly Play materials on Thursday mornings after primary school assembly. A Coffee Club meeting for parents in the School Café after the primary assembly, with short-term study programs on offer. Parents of older students may be interested in viewing the movies and other clips that are being used in the Philosophy and Ethics course at the school. This could become a Pictures, Praise and Pizza night that could be co-hosted with cathedral clergy. Older students who are familiar with serving roles in the School Services may be able to help at the cathedral for some services. Music and drama students could join with Gelorup and Cathedral music groups to assist worship in both the School Chapel and the Cathedral for occasions throughout the year. Worship Walkabout for our young Gelorup congregation to the cathedral and other local Anglican parishes (and other denominations) may enhance a sense of the wider church. The many cathedral activities could be better communicated to increase participation from Gelorup. More ideas are taking shape.

3 We are mindful of our 2011 Natural Church Development (NCD) survey results which identified growth areas in the areas of Passionate Spirituality, Holistic Small Groups, and Inspiring Worship Services. Having identified these areas, we need to find ways to support our individual and collective development. (The ideas above may have such a function!) In the interregnum, the Parish Council and the rest of the congregation are committed to maintaining the current Sunday service and festivals with the assistance of locum priests. We are also committed to supporting each other (albeit quite informally) between services. The Parish Council meets at 1-2 month intervals to plan up-coming activities. 4. Diocesan Focus on Every Member Ministry and how it is implemented within this parish. The Mission Statement for the Diocese is: We are a Diocesan Family growing into the likeness of Jesus all owning the ministry of Christ. Therefore our Vision is to see every Parish transformed into a Ministering Community in Mission, where every member is valued as an important member of the body of Christ, and is encouraged to identify their God-given gifts then step out in faith to use their giftedness as part of the ministry and mission of the Church. How is this implemented within the parish? Over time, the worshiping community has worked with the School Chaplain, part-time stipendiary clergy, part-time local non-stipendiary clergy, and locum clergy support. As a result many members of the congregation have offered their active participation in ministry as a matter of necessity. Gift-based Ministry was identified as our area of greatest strength in the NCD Survey Allowing lay participation in ministry implies tolerance towards different approaches to activities. We see this as an enriching quality rather than a problem of non-conformity. Efforts are frequently acknowledged with appreciation and encouragement. It is worth taking the risk in a supportive environment where loving relationships are a high priority (also indicated in our NCD Survey 2011 results). We realise that many of us have very hectic family and professional lives, so we try to share the workload and have people help in areas they are passionate about. As people have cycles in their personal health and faith, we work to ensure that time out from active ministry is possible. We value our congregation members just for coming!

4 5. Brief history of the Parish The Gelorup Anglican Community Church began as an offshoot of the Bunbury Cathedral Grammar School community. Services were held informally at first in the Shed, then the auditorium, and then later still, regularly in one of the classrooms. With the completion of the School Chapel in 2001, the church entered a new phase in its life by becoming a Parish. Services are now held in the school chapel for the wider community of the suburbs of Gelorup, Dalyellup, College Grove and Usher. Initially, the School Chaplain conducted these services with the support of the congregation. In 2004 the workload was gauged to be too heavy for this to continue, and a stipendiary priest was employed on part-time basis. Financing this provided to be too difficult for the small parish to maintain by 2006, and after a 12 month period with a locum priest, a non-stipendiary local deacon/priest was appointed to the parish in Retirement of our non-stipendiary local priest in 2012 has left us again in a non-financial but needy situation!

5 Part 2. Our Resources For Ministry 6. List of Parish Leadership (photos, addresses and phone numbers). Clergy: Vacant Licensed lay ministers: Doug McDowell ( ; Cameron Samuels ( ; Peoples Warden: Cameron Samuels Rectors Warden: Gabrielle Chadwick

6 Parish Secretary: Bett Keyser Parish Treasurer: Jo Jewell Parish Councillors: Margaret Davies Stacey Harrison Robina Raabe Rob McCafferty

7 Music Co-ordinator: Mrs Bett Keyser Sunday School Co-ordinator: Mrs Stacey Harrison

8 7. General information about the community (include some high and low points in the last 10 years). The suburb of Gelorup is the oldest of the catchment area, with the development approximately years old. College Grove is approx. 15 years old, and the suburb of Dalyellup is only 13 years old and undergoing further subdivision and development. Usher subdivision is still in progress. Schools required for the area include Bunbury Cathedral Grammar School in Gelorup (established 1972) ( Dalyellup Primary School (2001), Dalyellup Secondary College (2009) ( Ocean Forest Lutheran College in Dalyellup (2004) ( and Manea Senior College in College Grove (2008) ( Bunbury TAFE ( and the Bunbury Campus of Edith Cowan University ( are co-located with Manea College. The nearby local hospital facilities (South West Health Campus and the Bunbury St John of God hospital) (College Grove) continue to expand and there are two Medical Practices in the area (Usher and Dalyellup). Land has been ear-marked for a large shopping centre in Dalyellup; other areas have been set aside as public open space and regional parks/ reserves. Recent community housing and age-care housing has been opened in Dalyellup s Bethany Fields. While most residents of these suburbs claim no religion in census surveys, Anglican and Roman Catholic affiliations are the most frequent denominations nominated when a faith was claimed. Other than the Chapel of St Francis and St Clare at the Bunbury Cathedral Grammar School, there are no other dedicated public places of worship in Usher, College Grove, Gelorup or Dalyellup. Members of the Lutheran church meet in the Dalyellup Hall, and the Catholic community meets at the nearby Carmelite Convent 8. Map (showing the location of parish and churches). Chapel of St Francis and St Clare, Bunbury Cathedral Grammar School, Jenour Court, Gelorup, WA, The Chapel is located in the Bunbury Cathedral Grammar School Grounds. The School is signposted on the Bussell Highway. The Main School (South) Entrance is off Jenour Court, reached by taking a left turn off the Bussell Highway at Hasties Road, a left turn at Hawkins Drive, and a left turn again into Jenour Court. The Chapel is visible from the gateway (on the right).

9 Alternatively the Chapel can be accessed from the Northern Entrance of the School, by turning left off the Bussell Highway into Frances Road, then right into Allen Road, then left onto the School Ring Road. The Chapel of St Francis and St Clare 9. Information on each of the worship centres and Parish buildings (with photos) Our church building is an architecturally-designed rammed earth construction with carpets/ jarrah timber floor boards, contemporary stained glass windows, a foyer mosaic, and jarrah furnishings. It is in every respect. a tribute to the glory of God (Dr Bruce Matthews, Grammarian May 2002). This building includes: Chapel with seating for 220 Prayer Room, Kitchen, Toilets (male, female, and disabled), Chaplains Office, Vestry, Large meeting room (Sir Stewart Bovell Boardroom), and Storeroom. The Gelorup Anglican Community church appreciates the support of the Bunbury Cathedral Grammar School in providing these facilities at nominal cost.

10 6/10/ /12/ /03/ /06/2003 7/09/ /11/ /02/ /05/2004 8/08/ /10/ /01/ /04/ /07/2005 2/10/ /12/ /03/ /06/2006 3/09/ /11/ /02/ /05/ /08/ /11/2007 3/02/ /04/ /07/ /10/2008 4/01/ /03/ /06/ /09/2009 6/12/ /02/ /05/ /08/2010 7/11/ /01/ /04/ /07/2011 9/10/2011 1/01/ /03/ /06/2012 9/09/ Parish ministries and groups - Parish Council - Sunday School teachers - Secret Men s Business group - Ladies study group - Singing group (occasional) - prayer group (occasional) - involvement in Diocesan events (Cursillo, Happening, Synod singing, concerts). 11. Some parish statistics - number of families on current (2012) roll= 25 - number of Weddings celebrated in the last 12 months= 1 - number of Baptisms celebrated in the last 12 months= 4 - number of Confirmations celebrated in the last 12 months= 4 - number of Funerals celebrated in the last 12 months= 1 - age range of parishioners attending worship: Infant to 70+ (NCD survey data 2011); see graph below. - Gender distribution of parishioners (NCD survey data 2011); see graph below. Survey Participants by Age and Gender Parish Attendance on Sunday services over the last 10 years graphed below. (Peaks are generally associated with Baptism, First Communion services or Easter Day celebrations) Total Total

11 . And the faces behind the figures. 12. Current Sunday Service program Sunday service 9.30 am at the Chapel of St Francis and St Clare - first Sunday of the month: The Reverend George Harvey-Eucharist - second Sunday of the month: Licenced Lay Minister -Extended Communion - third Sunday of the month: The Reverend Mavis Tyler -Eucharist - fourth Sunday of the month: The Reverend Geoff Chadwick -Eucharist - fifth Sunday of the month: Licenced Lay Minister Extended Communion 13. Last Annual Meeting of Parishioners (AMP) Financial Statements. Carried Forward $ Receipts Offertory $ Missions $ Sundry $ Bank Interest $ ATO GST Refund $ York Co-op Dividend $ Baptisms $ Book Sales $ TOTAL $ TOTAL $ Expenditure Assessments $ Insurance $ Phone $ Books $ Sanctuary $ Kitchen $ Office Supplies $ Priest Travel $ Mission Giving $ Children s Church $ Messenger $ Advertising $ Post Office Box Renewal $ Cursillo Sponsorship $ Birthday Gifts $ CCLI Licence Fee $ Good Friday Expenses $ epray Licence $ Christmas Advertising $ TOTAL $ BALANCE AT THE BANK c/f2012 $