Just an update from the recent Parish Council meeting:
(1) Ministry Update
(1a) Preaching and Teaching - Our Apostles' Creed series has been completed and was well received. We have a few weeks of Missionary focusing on Ned (CMS) visits and Conolly's (BCA - later in October) before we start John's Gospel for Term 4.
(1b) Thanksgiving service - The entire day was filled with moments worth treasuring, but a few highlights especially showcased the growing heart of our community:
- A Glimpse of Heaven: It was truly remarkable to hear our many languages being spoken during the service. The AI translation technology was a fantastic tool, but the real blessing was seeing it enable us to worship as one body, breaking down barriers and giving us a beautiful picture of the diversity and unity of God's Kingdom.
- The Overflowing Tables: The sight of table after table laden with food was a powerful visual of God's provision and the combined church's incredible generosity. More beautiful still was the sound of laughter and conversation as we sat and ate together—a testament to the rich fellowship we share.
- The Heart of Service: From morning setup to the final pack-down, so many of our staff and church members worked tirelessly behind the scenes. Your joyful attitudes and humble service were a sermon in themselves, demonstrating the love of Christ in a practical, powerful way.
- A Living Legacy: Seeing our children and youth so involved—whether in the service or simply participating with joy—was a profound encouragement. It is a clear sign of God’s work in the next generation and a reminder of the vibrant future He has for our church.
And truly, this list could keep growing. To every person who contributed, whether your work was visible to all or known only to God, please know that you were an essential part of the Thanksgiving Services' success.
As of Tuesday night, $90k had been raised in the Thanksgiving Offertory.
(2) Financial Update - the Treasurer brought the news that we our current offertory is 83.2% of budget - which is a shortfall of $115,630. Each week, St Phils requires $19,734 but we are currently receiving $16,364.
In order to bring us to meet our budgeted expenditure each week, then we each family would need to increase their giving by $13.50 per week.
Furthermore, to also extinguish the $115,630 shortfall, each family would need to increase their giving by approximately $29 per week.
(3) Property Update -
(3a) St Phils Backstage and Basement:
PC accepted the builder's quote and voted to go ahead with the Backstage Upgrade by building the partition between the Hall and the Backstage. Furthermore, PC voted to update the basement (under the Backstage) so that it could be used again for ministry purposes. This requires a replacement column and the removal (and rehousing or disposal) of most of the materials currently stored there.
With the Backstage and the Basement soon to be available for ministry, then we have two more large rooms available for meetings. This is much needed and will help alleviate some of the space problems we are currently experiencing on Sundays.
(3b) St Marks is continuing as planned.
(3c Office Update) The current office is too small and cluttered to hold the full staff team, and so the majority of staff work remotely, off-site.
I have observed our ministry staff team over the past 6 months. I want our staff team to flourish, and our ministry to have the most significant possible impact. While our 1.5-hour, Thursday morning meeting is a valuable touchstone, I believe we could unlock so much more of our potential by increasing our shared time in the office. The 'in-between' moments that happen when we are physically present—the impromptu brainstorming over lunch, the shared prayer after a difficult call, and the casual check-ins over coffee—are where true collaboration and deep fellowship are built.
I notice that the reliance on digital communication between staff, while efficient, can lead to misunderstandings and prevent the "creative collisions" that spark our best ministry ideas. A shared office environment naturally fosters mentorship, breaks down ministry silos, and gives us a tangible, collective sense of our shared mission. It moves us from being colleagues working on separate tasks to a unified team pulling in the same direction.
With that in mind, I have asked the PC to look at repurposing the Clanalpine Room so that during the week, it would become an office space. Having a better, larger and more fit-for-purpose space is more attractive for ministry staff to work on site, whilst also allowing for collaboration and team-building while still preserving the flexibility that remote work offers. I am convinced that by investing more time in being physically present, we will not only become a more effective and unified team but will also better model the Christian community we are expected to be, ultimately allowing us to serve our congregation with greater impact.