Parish Council Update - October

Bible Reading

Revelation 3 - the church of Sardis - a warning and encouragement - do we need to wake up? Have we finished the work God has given us? Where have we perhaps fallen asleep a little? Remember the gospel we have received and heard.

2023-2025 strategy planning

Continuing the discussion as we plan for the years ahead, we are keen to see how we might re-engage with Evangelism in every area of our Church life. This will involve our communities, our missions and our resources (buildings and sites). We will be investigating further how we might see every ministry as an opportunity to reach the lost for the mission of Jesus.

Thanks Giving update!

So here it is! The final giving amount for Thanks Giving 2022 was $84,675!

Thank you for your prayers and generosity in this work. This will make a big difference as we step into next year and plan for God's work.

Building giving update

The total amount raised for the building work was as follows:

GOAL: $250,000

1. Amount already held: $50,000

2. Amount raised from Thanks Giving service for the building work: $31,000

3. Amount raised from the match campaign: $69,000?

4. Amount pledged by a generous donor matching the above: $100,000

TOTAL RAISED: $250,000!

This means we have reached our target to fully fund the expected costs of the carpark and detention tank. (Please note construction costs may go up or down under current circumstances - so keep praying!)

With God's help, we will be able to put the work out to tender and start building soon!

Major Works

• Ermington: The playground construction has begun. It is expected to be finished in November. We are aiming to replace one of the old kitchens at Ermington with a recovered kitchen.
• Eastwood: The toilets and access ramp are now completed! Thanks for your patience and for the generosity of giving. Some small repairs to old sewage pipes are required. We now aim to complete stage 1 with the carpark sealing and detention tank construction. Site surveys have been done and we will now move to prepare tender documents.
• Bells: Approval from the Diocese has been given to proceed. We reamin in the process of approaching Ryde Council for DA approval

Finances

Our current giving is at 99.1% - and this is wonderful news! Please pray we can continue this giving through to the end of the year as we plan now for what is ahead. We are, like everywhere else, seeing the cost increases ahead for next year. We pray that every member will consider their giving commitment for next year.

Details for online banking can be found on our website here: Giving page

Budget summary:

• Income required:
  Year to date: $622,950
  Weekly: $15,973
• Current offertory:
  Year to date: $617,358
  Weekly: $15,830
• Shortfall: $5,592
  The current offertory is 99.1% of the budget.

Budget 2023

Parish Council continued to work on the budget for 2023 and we hope to finalise this at our next meeting. We do expect the usual increase in costs for the year, but perhaps a bit more than usual due to rising costs of items such as insurance and wages. Please continue to pray for us as we balance the needs of the Parish across St Mark's and St Phil's with regard to staffing and other weekly running costs. Thank you!

Stipends and salaries will be set for 2023 next meeting, based on Diocesan and State government recommendations and requirements. As the largest cost each year is our staffing, this will be the most significant impact on our budget.

Election Day and Granny Smith

A review of these events was very encouraging. We noted the opportunities that were there at both events to introduce people to the St Phil's community in particular. We have noted some improvements needed for next year and hope everyone will consider joining us again in volunteering to be a part of it!

Financial reporting assistance

We are investigating the possibility of using an external financial management company to assist with the growing financial management needs of our Parish. We are seeking to balance the costs with the need for assistance with the ever-increasing workload of our wardens for these financial responsibilities.

Prayer

The meeting finished in prayer at 10:30 pm.