Parish Council Update – August
- We opened with bible reading (Titus 2:11-13) and prayer, reflecting on and praying and thanking God for St Michael’s members growing as disciples
- We received a ministry report from our Assistant Minister Mitch Walker
- Excited about working more on Engage and Evangelism portfolios – please pray for the lost in Wollongong and Corrimal
- PC have asked the Wardens to complete a due diligence report on the Corrimal partnership, specifically looking at their financials in 2022, average current attendance and a building walk-through to identify potential property maintenance requirements by 8th September, in order to partner well & wisely.
- Parish council discussed staffing priorities for next year and endorsed the desire for a Youth Minister (currently advertised), increasing MTS training hours and an additional ordained minister (as requested at previous AGMs)
- We adopted new CMS missionaries in training, Craig and Lisse (whose parents attend 8am)
- We finalised the Annual Thanksgiving Day projects as follows
- Theological students (Ash Braithwaite, $1000)
- MTS students & trainees (Rachel Chin, Caroline Chege, Eden Parker, total $1500)
- Matt & Kate, ministry training in Arabian Peninsula- $5,000 (this will be our final agreed 2nd year of support)
- Anglican Aid – Shadi Anis PhD – $4,000 (this will be our final agreed 3rd year of support)
- Berkeley Life Centre – $6000 minimum & 33% of left over
- Anglican Aid – there are several projects under consideration
- NCNC – New Churches for New Communities $4000 +33% excess
- Shoalhaven Indigenous Church $4000 +33% excess
- We adopted a Privacy Policy – find it on the website.
- We approved expenditure on a new Sound Desk
August Mission of the Month – WCCEB
The Wollongong Combined Churches Education Board (WCCEB) say thanks again to all those who came to the annual coffee and dessert fundraiser event in June! We heard from SRE teachers, parents, a principal and school students about the important ministry of SRE and lunchtime groups in our local high schools.
We have recently had a few changes in the team of teachers for our schools that we provide SRE for. Chloe Winch finished up in her role at Figtree High School at the end of Term 2, and Heather Setipu re-arranged her days at Illawarra Sports High School and Wollongong High School of the Performing Arts to be able to cover the one-day-per-week role at Figtree High School.
Please be praying for Heather, as well as Samar at Smiths Hill High School and Jimmy at Keira High School, as we teach students the Bible and the Christian faith, primarily the gospel of our Lord Jesus. Please pray for student numbers in Semester 2, and that families will send students to SRE and local youth groups. You can join us in praising God that 180 young people attended the annual combined youth group event, GRACE, last Friday night!
SRE in NSW is ever-changing in system and policy and needs constant prayer to remain healthy and grow. From a Youthworks perspective in my role as head of the SRE office, please pray as we work with other denominations to uphold SRE and help it flourish.
Andy Stevenson
WCCEB
