Thanks Giving 2023

Our annual Thanks Giving service on September 3 is an opportunity for all of our congregations to gather together and give thanks to God for all that he has done among us over the last year.

As we gather together, across 10 congregations, 5 language groups and 2 sites, we are reminded of the beautiful unity that we have through Jesus, the one who brought us into a relationship with our heavenly Father and with each other for all eternity.

At Thanks Giving 2023, we will also take up a collection for special needs and projects beyond our regular budget as a church. We ask all of our members to consider how they might be able to give above their regular giving towards these missions and projects.

Last Year...

In 2022, $87,000 was raised and has been used to further the ministry of St Phil's and St Mark's. You can read the details from last year's fundraising here: Thanks Giving 2022

Here's a summary of how those finances were put to use!

BUILDING: $33,000 went to immediate building needs. At Eastwood, we are now close to starting construction of the car park and detention tank. At Ermington, we were able to pay down a large amount of the building costs for the Rectory renovation.

MISSIONS: $18,000 was distributed to missions we continue to support.

• Christian Community Aid (CCA): $1,557
• Chinese Christian Mission Australia (CCMA): $1,557
• Scripture (SRE): Nearly $9,837
• SIM Malawi Aids Education Program $2,127
• AFES (University ministry): $1,038
• South-East Asia mission expansion: $1,557

THEOLOGICAL TRAINING: $16,173 went towards assisting those from our Parish who are currently studying at Moore College - Josh and Anna (now serving in Canterbury), Ningjia (St Phil's Mandarin) and Andy (St Mark's English). These funds also provided support for Wilston Trin as he completes his Masters at Moore College whilst gaining cross-cultural experience with us at St Phil's.

EXPANDING AND IMPROVING: $7,500 went to our starter fund for a new youth pastor role (3 days per week). Bec and Jo are now active in this role together, with extra funding for the position coming from general funds.

$12,500 was raised towards improving ministry spaces across Eastwood and Ermington. These funds assisted with the cost of air conditioning at Ermington as well as other improvements for the main worship hall which are still underway (carpeting, blinds, children's area). Outdoor staging plans for a morning tea area are also currently under development.

These funds also provided improvements to the worship spaces at Eastwood with improved sound equipment in the CMC (still underway) and main church (completed), and a new stage area in theWar Memorial Hall, along with improvements to the projection system. Continued work is planned for improving acoustics in the church also. Signage was also updated at Ermington.

This Year

Below you will be able to read about the projects and plans for the year ahead, confident that your giving goes directly to these purposes and immediately assists in the master planning and direction of St Phil's and St Mark's. Whatever our circumstances, we ask all of our members to be generous and joyful givers when it comes to the finances God has given us, encouraging each other only to give within our means.

We encourage everyone to consider making their contribution during the month of August or on the Thanks Giving day.

This year our total aim for special projects and missions is $145,000. Please read the following, then pray, and respond thankfully as you consider your Thanks Giving 2023 gift.

Your gift can be made by direct deposit into our Church bank account, or by cheque or cash at a Church service. (Online is preferable if you are able). Your gift will be shared amongst the projects as defined below. If you wish to specifically give to one or two projects, this can be arranged, but you will need to advise the wardens by email.

Missions

This year, we are seeking to raise $30,000 towards the important missions that operate in our own area, throughout Australia and across the world.

We serve in 6 primary schools and 3 high schools - including Eastwood, Ermington, Rydalmere, Meadowbank (Marsden), Epping and Cheltenham.

PLEASE NOTE: If you wish to give a tax-deductible gift to the Scripture fund, please do so separately from our Thanks Giving program. Details are on our online giving page. We will then be able to provide you with a tax receipt.

We continue to support the work of SIM in Africa, as well as our local needs in Eastwood through Christian Community Aid (CCA), the regional work among Chinese speakers that is carried out by Chinese Christian Mission Australia (CCMA), and the ministry of the Australian Fellowship of Evangelical Students (AFES) in our Universities.

We are also seeking to set aside some funds for other mission needs that may arise - local or overseas. If fully funded, this amount will be able to be directed into special needs that arise, or towards our mission partners that are underfunded for the year.

Please note, we also support CMS, BCA, Compassion and other agencies through other giving not related to Thanks Giving.

Training

We are blessed to be a sending church, currently supporting 5 people as they train at college for full-time ministry. These funds will provide two areas of continued support:

1. Assisting the ongoing funding of our student ministry positions
2. Assisting the funding of ongoing training for lay people (such as our children's and youth leaders), and assistance for those entering into full- time or part-time ministry through study or internships.

Expanding and improving

Youth and Children

As of last year, we began a special fund to prepare for increasing our youth and children's staffing needs across both sites. Last year, a youth ministry position was partly funded for Eastwood. Our next step is to prepare for potential children's ministry needs at Ermington. This year we aim to focus on building our youth and children ministry fund to expand the children's ministry team when the opportunity arises for Ermington.

Worship and Ministry spaces

Each year we aim to continue to improve the spaces we use most frequently.

At Ermington, we plan to complete the full fit-out of the main ministry space, including carpeting, parent's room, blinds and an improved sound system (partial funding: $5,000).

At Eastwood, we plan to continue to address the acoustic needs in the main buildings, whilst also finishing the upgrades to sound systems in the main halls (partial funding: $10,000).

Building Work

Detention tank - Total cost: $150,000+

This is important for our whole site in mitigating the water drainage - the need for which we have noticed especially over the past 4 months. This is a large underground detention tank near Rutledge Street. The water for most of the site will drain into this tank providing much-needed relief from flooding and water issues. This will also serve the future major development of the site.

However, as construction costs have increased in the last two years, the costs for this have increased.

Car Park - Total cost: $100,000+

The carpark is to be sealed, including grading and drainage - providing a hard surface for the future. However, as construction costs have increased in the last two years, the costs for this have increased.

Ermington

At Ermington, we plan to raise the remaining funds required to build an outdoor stage and morning tea area above the new playground. This will tie into our master plan for the site, including a future side access driveway towards the Rectory.

What now?

Please pray
Pray for this year's Thanks Giving service - that this combined service of worship will be a time of praise and thanks to our great God.

Please consider
Consider prayerfully your own capacity to give financially to this work.

Please act
Action this by going online and contributing as you are able.

Give thanks
And finally, please give thanks to God for the faithfulness of the generations who have gone before us and given so much to enable us to have the resources we have today.Give thanks also for our generous congregations today and for those who manage our finances, property, staffing and other resources. Pray for our wardens, our Parish Council, and every member of our church and staff team, that we may continue faithfully, under God's plans and not our own, to bring glory to Him in Eastwood, Ermington and a little bit more.